Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO at UFC 90 in Chicago Saturday night when “Predator” Patrick Cote‘s (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three.
Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.
Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian, but virtual unknown “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.
Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.
Thales Leites (14-1), “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0), “King” Spencer Fisher (22-4), Dan Miller (10-1), “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4), and Hermes Franca (19-7) were all winners inside the Octagon.
Silva Wins Via Cote Injury
Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO when “Predator” Patrick Cote‘s (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three.
It was an odd conclusion to Silva’s longest fight since 2004. At the beginning of round three, Cote was visibly excited to make it further than any of Silva’s previous UFC opponents, but, 39 seconds later, he was on the mat holding his knee and grimmacing in pain.
“It’s an old injury,” Cote explained. “I busted my knee in the second round and I tried to come back in the third and my knee just popped out.” Cote added, “I’m so sorry.”
Silva said, “I came here to fight. Patrick came here to fight. He was exchanging. It was a fine fight, but unfortunately he got hurt.”
In fact, in round one, it didn’t seem as Silva came to fight as he circled Cote for two full minutes before slapping a low kick to Cote’s thigh. Cote scored with a body kick; but, Silva followed-up with a knee that split Cote over his right eye.
In a bit of showboating, Silva actually offered to help Cote off the mat in round two. Cote had pulled guard and landed elbows from the mat before Silva stood out of Cote’s guard and extended his hand.
Silva landed elbows and knees more frequently in the second round.
The third round and, really, the fight had barely began when Cote’s knee gave and ended the night.
Silva is probably on his way to a 205-pound match-up at UFC 92 in Las Vegas 27 December.
Alves Easily Defeats Koscheck
Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.
With the win, Alves should cement himself into the UFC’s top contender spot to fight the winner between Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) and Ligthweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1); though, UFC President Dana White has already begun floating a St. Pierre versus Silva match-up if St. Pierre wins.
Alves hammered Koscheck’s legs to mush over three rounds. By the third round, Koscheck was wobbly and vulnerable to a Superman punch.
Throughout the fight, Koscheck answered Alves’s aggressive striking consistently; but, Alves’s strikes added up, earning him the decision.
“Cigano” Crumbles Werdum
Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.
“I knew that once my hand would get in there and hit him, I could knock him out,” explained dos Santos after the fight. “I just waited for the right time and I put my fist in his face.”
Werdum crumbled at the end of a “Cigano” right uppercut; and, dos Santos followed-up with several shots as Werdum lay on the mat.
“The uppercut is one of my best punches,” dos Santos added. “Once I hit him with a couple of jabs I knew that he always dropped his head.”
“Cigano”, a pupil of second-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) was making his UFC debut.
Werdum had been guaranteed a title shot with a victory.
Sherks Wins First in 15 Months
Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.
“This is the first win I’ve had in 15 months, believe it or not,” Sherk said after he dominated the young talent most of the fight. “I definitely want to get back out there and get a shot at that belt.”
Sherk took Griffin’s back twice in the first round, once after taking Griffin down and another transitioning from a Griffin takedown attempt. Griffin defended both times.
In the second round, Sherk countered Griffin’s leg kicks with jabs and Griffin’s punches to the body with left hooks.
“People really do underestimate my hands,” explained Sherk.
Griffin landed punches more frequently in round three; but, Sherk often answered him with his own punches.
“He rocked me a few times,” Sherk admitted. “The kid hits hard. The kid’s really aggressive. He’s 24-years old, he’s not going anywhere.”
After winning, Sherk emphasized, “I want to be a two-time UFC champion.”
Leites Quick To Tap McFedries
UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites (14-1) wasted no time tapping “Massacre” Andrew McFedries (7-5) in a rear naked choke.
Leites took down McFedries quickly; and, McFedries rolled to his stomach to escape. Leites hopped on McFedries’s back and wrapped up the choke at 1:18 of the first round.
Maynard Takes Decision Over Clementi
Lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0) remained undefeated after a unanimous decision over “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-13-1) by judges’ scores of 30-27 three times.
“He’s a vet, man; and, I could tell,” Maynard said after the fight. “So, I was like, ‘Alright. Let’s try the takedown.’”
Maynard slammed Clementi in every round.
Maynard said, “He’s crafty! Like, tied me up, like, at all times. He would just keep close and keep it tied up.”
Neither fighter did much damage on the mat. In the second round Maynard locked up a guillotine; but, Clementi freed himself and attempted an armbar moments later.
Maynard spent most of the third round controlling the fight from the top position.
“King” Fisher Taps Gugerty
“King” Spencer Fisher (22-4) tapped lightweight Shannon Gugerty (11-3) in a triangle choke at 3:56 of round three.
Gugerty wrestled Fisher down in the third and landed inside Fisher’s guard, from which Fisher applied the choke and forced the tap.
Fisher had dominated the fight with aggressive striking and work in the clinch; but, Gugerty nearly caught Fisher in a guillotine choke in round two.
Miller Wins Again, UD Over Fellow Ex-IFLer Horwich
In his Octagon sequel, middleweight Dan Miller (10-1) spoiled fellow former IFL fighter “Suave” Matt Horwich‘s (22-11-1) UFC debut in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.
Miller opened each round with a takedown of Horwich, but got swept and nearly tapped in a rear naked choke in round two. Miller defended the choke and Horwich had to settle for landing shot from the mount as the round ended.
However, in rounds one and three, Miller controlled position and landed shots from the top position to pick up his second UFC “W”.
Sell Wins First in Octagon Since 2005
Welterweight “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4) served “The People’s Warrior” Josh Burkman (18-8) his third consecutive loss in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.
After losing the first round to Burkman on the mat, Sell tagged Burkman to the body repeatedly in rounds two and three. After softening Burkman up, Sell took Burkman to the mat and ended the fight latching a guillotine choke around Burkman’s neck. Burkman defended the choke to the final bell.
The win is Sell’s first in the Octagon since February 2005.
Franca Dispatches Former Training Partner Aurelio
Lightweight Hermes Franca (19-7) won a unanimous decision over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-7) by judges scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.
Unfortunately, little of the bitterness between the two former training partners motivated them between the first and final bell; though, Franca pushed Aurelio inside the Octagon before the fight; and, Aurelio refused to shake hands with Franca after the fight.
Franca won the judges’ favors by consistently landing a leg kick throughout the three largely uneventful rounds.
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Overall it was a good night of fights. We’re very excited that Sean was able to pick up the win and fight of the night honors!
i would have to agree, i was disappointed in the silva fight, not on cotes part tho,silva fooled around too much, i also dont think sherk was impressive either, better than his previous fights but i dont think he deserved an unanimous decision, i deffinitely, dont think he’s the better fighter, alves and koscheck was the fight of the night for me
I just hope and pray the UFC doesn’t turn into WWE, after Silva’s joke performance against Cote.
I’m with you, Kraig. I didn’t appreciate Silva’s showboating at all and, honestly, am surprised by it. He’s always been one of the most respectful fighters in the Octagon.
this fight sucked!! Silva danced around too much and look what happened. I would give the fight to Cote at least he was agressive!!!!