UFC 60

[LWPD]

Tonight is the big night. Here are the official weigh ins:

Courtesy of MMAWeekly.com

Prelim Bouts:

-Rick Davis - 155lbs. Melvin Guillard - 156lbs.
Guillard originally weighed in at 156.5, but then he took off his glasses, necklace, and piercings to make weight, stepping on the scales at 156. Fighters are allowed to go over the weight limit by one pound or less if it's a non-title fight.

-Gabriel Gonzaga - 244lbs. Fabiano Scherner - 263lbs.
The Brazilian heavyweights were separated by about 20 pounds. Scherner came in much heavier at 263, while Gonzaga was 19 pounds lighter.

-Spencer Fisher - 154.5lbs. Matt Wiman - 155.5lbs.
Fisher is always animated. He motioned a punch over to Wiman, and Wiman smiled as both fighters looked to be in great shape. Wiman was accompanied by Hermes Franca.

-Jeremy Horn - 186lbs. Chael Sonnen - 185.5lbs.
Jeremy Horn looked like... Jeremy Horn. He will never win a bodybuilding contest, but he is always ready to go. Sonnen looked very good for a guy who took the fight on such short notice.

Main Card Bouts:

-Joe Riggs - 184.5lbs. Mike Swick - 185lbs.
Many people were saying that Riggs vs. Swick could be the best fight of the night. Riggs and Swick may prove those people right, as both fighters looked like they were in fantastic shape.

-Brandon Vera - 226lbs. Assuerio Silva - 234lbs.
Silva looks a lot leaner for this fight, as he weighed in at 234 pounds. Vera didn't look amazing at 226, but he is always the smaller fighter going in.

-John Alessio - 169lbs. Diego Sanchez - 169lbs.
Alessio looked to be in amazing shape at 169. Sanchez looked noticeably smaller and leaner than he looked in his previous fights, as he also weighed in at 169.

-Alessio Sakara - 204lbs. Dean Lister - 205lbs.
Dean Lister had David Loiseau by his side, as the two of them have spent some time together. Lister looked very fit at 205, while Sakara sported plenty of new tattoos as tipping the scales at 204. (The popular belief among many in attendance, especially after the weigh-in, is that Sakara could easily move to the 185-pound weight class.)

-Matt Hughes - 175.5lbs. Royce Gracie - 175lbs.
Gracie looked very lean at 175. Hughes looked exactly the same at 175 pounds as he normally looks at 170 pounds. The biggest difference physically was the height, as Gracie practically towered over Hughes at the weigh-in.

[LWPD]

Tonight is the night!

60.ufc.com/

[habbalah]

Possiblte Spiolers.


Forgive me uncle Dana for I have Sinned.

I have spoken out against the ufc.

Tonights card was money.

It was awesome. Not a single bad match all night. You should charged more.

Every fight I predicted went the way I wanted.

Diego's fight was the most exciting of the night.
He showed die hard heart.

[Dragon Breath]

I thought it was a very good card. I don't understand why the card is getting trashed on some of the other boards I visit.

Diego Sanchez's bout was really good.

Fisher / Wiman gets my vote for best fight of the night.

I'd say more but I don't want to spoil anything.

[Darth Turkish]

arctus said:

I don't understand why the card is getting trashed on some of the other boards I visit.

Most of these people are a bunch of couch jockeys who have never trained in their life. A fighter trains not to entertain a bunch of people. They train because they enjoy the sport asnd competition. If they happen to enterian people in the process of their competition so be it. Most fans do not understand that, whether by choice or just plain stupidity.

They are the exact reason I hate the fans in attendance at UFC cards: if there is no "action" or fighters feeling each other out, it is "boring". They do not really care about each fighter, or MMA as a whole. They just want to see "Bloodsport".

[habbalah]

Dude I'm tairing my hair out trying to get Huck from wrestling 411 (I use to write a mma column there)
to admit he was wrong about trashing the card before seeing it, and basically went on a rant about how nothing was solved by the card. (sigh) and I thought Sherdog was crummy.

I'll admit it.. this one looked like a dud going in.

Dana.. I will never question your ability to put together a card ever agian.

I got to see a gracie get tko'd. That's entertainment.

[Dragon Breath]

habbalah said:

I got to see a gracie get tko'd. That's entertainment.

I'm still amazed that Garcie didn't submit to the arm lock.

[Darth Turkish]

I Wonder : was Gracie bored when he was in the armlock, or was he biting down very hard on the mouthpiece during it?

[LWPD]

UFC 60 was a great. Bright young talent like Melvin & Fisher seen in the prelims. Vera & Swick bringing the return of the Guillotine from the Guard finishes. Dean Lister pulling off a slick textbook triangle. Diego pressing from start to finish. Matt Hughes showing how much MMA has evolved beyond the fundamentals of Gracie Jiu Jitsu....while using elements of jiu jitsu.

I will always have tremendous respect for Royce Gracie. The man was instrumental in helping to build the high end sport we see today. He deserves immense credit for making it possible for the 'fighting arts' to evolve through his first hand example of 'what really works' inside the Octagon. While it was difficult watching him get destroyed on the ground in front of his father, wife and kids....he did walk away with the highest pay day in MMA history which in the end means a lot. The man has tremendous pride and the heart of a warrior and most any normal man would have tapped when caught in that armlock not to mention the pounding from back mount once the hooks were in. MH was executing BJJ 101 on it's US pioneer and BJM did the right thing in making the only call that he could. There's nothing to be ashamed of in losing to Matt Hughes...who has built a legacy in his own right.

Courtesy of wrestlingobserver.com

Results from the prelim matches

Melvin Guillard b Rick Davis with a first round knockout. Davis didn't look like he belonged in with the explosive a one-sided fight.

Gilbert Gonzaga b Fabiano Scherner via ref stoppage in the second round. Scherner went for a low takedown and caught a knee and the ref stopped it.

Spencer Fisher b Matt Wiman with a flying knee in the second round. Wiman nearly got a choke in the first round but Fisher escaped and dominated with punches. Crowd loved it and fight of the night.

Jeremy Horn b Chael Sonnen via submission in the second round with a triangle armbar. Okay match but crowd didn't seem to like it.

Based on early crowd reactions, Royce Gracie is the crowd favorite. Hughes looks to be getting some cheers and some boos.

Thanks to Todd Martin live for the early report.

Mike Swick vs. Joe Riggs opens the PPV show. Another first round win by Swick. Swick used a head kick and Riggs went for the takedown. Swick stuffed him and maneuvered it into the Swickotine guillotine for the tap.

Brandon Vera vs. Ausserio Silva is up next. Almost the same fight. Silva went for a high single leg takedown and and Vera got the guillotine.

Diego Sanchez vs. John Alessio is up next. Sanchez is significantly smaller than usual, even though his weight is the same. Weird first round. Sanchez went for six takedowns, and got none. Alessio was tremendous at staying on his feet. Alessio got one punch in. Very hard round to score. Sanchez far more aggressive. Could go either way. Bravo gave to Alessio, I'd go even.

Sanchez has a nasty cut over the right eye. Most of the round was Sanchez going for takedowns, and not succeeding. Alessio got a few good punches, as did Sanchez. Nobody dominating and Sanchez is the agressor, but this one I'd give to Alessio. Bravo gave it to Sanchez.

This was a crazy round. Almost the entire round had Sanchez in chicken fight position on Alessio's back. He kept going for a choke but really didn't come close. From the back, Sanchez threw a lot of punches. I thought Sanchez clearly won the round. Alessio, if he loses, only has himself to blame for not being more aggressive standing because he should have won the first two rounds just because Sanchez couldn't take him down. I've got it as a draw, but Sanchez' win in round three was the strongest winning round. Crowd wants Alessio to win because they've hated Sanchez. Alessio did a great job on defense but just didn't do enough on offense.

Scores are 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Sanchez. Crowd is booing it a lot.

Alessio Sakara vs. Dean Lister is up next. Lister got it to the ground and showed his ground skill the entire time, eventually getting a triangle for the submission in round one.

Right to the main event even though we're still early. I figured they'd throw one of the prelims on first just to save the main event for last.

Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes is up now. Hughes is being booed.Hughes completely dominated him. He may have broke his arm with an armlock, but Royce wouldn't tap. Hughes then got Royce's back and just pounded him until John McCarthy had to stop it late in the first round. Hughes beat him at his own game.

LWPD (props to UFC for showing the undercard fights after an early end to the main card...it's something they had been criticized about before for not doing with excess time...an event well worth every penny)

[LWPD]

Matt Hughes Post Fight Interview

Brandon Vera Post Fight Interview

[Mr. Jimmyface]

I watched the card at Duke's Station III here in Pittsburgh, and whatever the people in the arena were booing, we were cheering. I can't understand people booing anyone - maybe it's because coming from a steel city and the city of champions, we understand the hard work you have to do every day to make the best of your field. So no one was booed on our end, we just cheered effort.

Royce Gracie did not submit, and even though he was knocked out, to not submit to a very solid armbar like the one Matt Hughes locked on him spoke a lot about the guy. So while Gracie has my respect, he is no longer the measuring stick. Matt Hughes is becoming the new measuring stick and is earning a well deserved reputation for being a fighting champion.

And having seen the card for UFC 61, I will be back at Duke's REAL soon!

[Darth Turkish]

I was sure hoping for Sanchez to lose. He is an arrogant little peon. The problem is he is a very talented little arrogant peon.
Alessio just did not do enough to push the fight. I knew though that the UFC was going to protect it's TUF guy. Alessio would have had to seriously show some dominance to win.

[habbalah]

Ah you see it at long last don't you Turk?

Diego is everything Frank Trigg was suppose to be. The guy you payed good money to see get killed (but you always never got to see it because he was to good).

Look at the bright side, I think Diego peeked. Asside from learning more stand up, I don't see how his ground could get any better, it was awesome!

[Darth Turkish]

Yeah well, I can still not like him. 8P