UFC 63 Final Card

[LWPD]

It's this Saturday...September 23 at 10PM ET. Here's a snapshot of the odds:

Courtesy of Pinnacle Sports

Ultimate Fighting Championships 63

Rashad Evans -195
Jason Lambert +182

Jens Pulver -600
Joe Lauzon +540

Melvin Guillard -110
Gabe Ruediger +100

Mike Swick -135
David Loiseau +125

Roger Huerta -600
Jason Dent +540

Jorge Gurgel -600
Danny Abbadi +540

Tyson Griffin -500
David Lee +450

B.J. Penn +196
Matt Hughes -216

[LWPD]

Just two more days....

Courtesy of Bettormma.com

BettorMMA's Tony Sands previews this weekends UFC 63 and updates the current line movement. Stay tuned to BettorMMA.com for all your UFC 63 News and Analysis...

Matt Hughes -206

BJ Penn +186

*Amazingly this fight opened at -105 each way and the public has bet Hughes all the way up to a 2-1 favorite. Evidently not many people saw Penn dominate Hughes in the first fight. IMO this is the closest matched Main Event the UFC has had in years.

Mike Swick -133

David Loiseau +123

*Loiseau opened up at +140 and has gone all the way down to +110. This number keeps moving and is another very close fight. These are two of the top young fighters in the UFC. Loiseau has trained for this fight in San Diego with Dean Lister so we may see a little bit more of a ground game from "The Crow."

Rashad Evans -197

Jason Lambert +182

*Evans opened up at -220 and this fight has moved both ways. Evans will look to take this fight down and GNP his way to a victory. Lambert most control the pace of this fight to draw Evans in to a slugfest ala Brad Imes.

Jens Pulver -672

Joe Lauzon +612

*Pulver opened up at -600 and has been bet hard. Lauzon is a hand picked opponent for the former Lightweight champions return fight but Pulver has been victim to flash knockouts from huge underdogs in the past. Anyone remember Duane "Bang" Ludwig being a 10-1 underdog years ago against Jens?

Melvin Guillard -154

Gabe Reudiger +144

*Guillard opened up at -145 and has made it as high as -165. Reudiger is a tough kid but is he tough enough to domintae Guillard? Guillard has left himself open to chokes in the past so Reudiger may have an opening there.

Roger Huerta -575

Jason Dent +525

*Huerta was supposed to make his UFC debut earlier this summer but an injury prevented that. and he has come in to this fight as a huge favorite. Dent is a tough guy but he has fought a large amount of his fights at 145 lbs. Huerta is the talk of the new 155lbs. fighters in the UFC but the question remains whether or not he came back to soon from injury.

Jorge Gurgel -620

Danny Abbadi +560

*Jorge Gurgel made his debut at 155 lbs. in June and fought Mark Hominick to a very close decision. This may be considered a gift fight for Gurgel by some but how will Abbadi respond to fighting in the proper weight class instead of giving up weight like he did the entire Ultimate Fighter show.

Tyson Griffin -586

David Lee +526

*Griffin is one of the top young fighters in the world and many have been anticipating his UFC debut. Griffin opened at -600 so this number has stayed in the ballpark of the opening number.

[LWPD]

Courtesy of bettormma.com

The UFC returns to the great state of California, with this event being held in the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. Even with Georges St. Pierre being injured, the UFC stepped up and signed the next best fight for the title, Matt Hughes vs B.J. Penn in a rematch of their 2004 meeting, shockingly won by Penn. Also on the card, Rashad Evans and Mike Swick look to earn some respect, and former Lightweight Champ Jens Pulver makes his long-awaited return.

UFC 63: Hughes vs Penn Preview
By Pete Sumulong

Main Event

UFC Welterweight Title Fight: Matt Hughes (Champion) (39-4) vs B.J. Penn (Challenger) (10-3-1)

Breakdown: In January of 2004, these two men first engaged in battle, with Penn coming away the winner. Hughes was a heavy favorite in this fight, and had just come off of wins over Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg. Penn was coming off a win over Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi. Penn was making his UFC debut at 170 pounds and was considered a walk-through for the powerful Hughes. A funny thing happened on the way to another Hughes victory. Penn fought back. It was very obvious that Hughes was completely off for this fight. He slipped on the mat and gave up top position to Penn. Penn rocked Hughes with some hard punches, forcing Hughes to give up his back, and just like that Penn locked in a rear naked choke. Matt Hughes sat up, visibly stunned, and then Penn planted a firm kiss on Hughes’ lips. Weird. As new champ, Penn left the UFC and embarked on a strange odyssey where he fought Gracies and in multiple weight classes. Penn has beaten some great lightweights (Caol Uno, Din Thomas, Matt Serra, and Gomi) and has also handled Renzo and Rodrigo Gracie. Penn looked sharp in the 1st round of his UFC return against St. Pierre, bloodying the Canadian with strikes, but Penn promptly forgot that there were 2 rounds after that and dogged it the rest of the way, resulting in a St. Pierre win by decision. Penn is an amazing athlete. His normal physique belies a surprisingly strong and explosive athlete. Penn has incredibly heavy hands and is a jiu-jitsu wizard. When Penn is at his best and motivated, he is the best fighter in the sport. Hughes rebounded from his loss to Penn by dismantling Charuto Verissimo, St. Pierre, Trigg, Joe Riggs, and Royce Gracie in short order. Hughes entered the sport as monster wrestler, but has evolved his game tremendously. His wins over St. Pierre, Trigg, and Riggs displayed his new and improved submission skills. Hughes achieved MMA immortality by outclassing UFC legend Royce Gracie. Hughes doesn’t lose often, and is looking to avenge the embarrassment he suffered at Penn’s hands.

The outcome: Call it a hunch or a funny feeling, but I have a feeling this is Penn’s night. Penn is a phenomenal athlete and gets up for the big fights. This is no exception. It’s time for me to grow some balls. B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn will be your new Welterweight Champion, winning by rear naked choke in round 2.

Main Card

Middleweight Fight: Mike Swick (9-1) vs David Loiseau (14-5)

Breakdown: Mike Swick is one of the most talented fighters The Ultimate Fighter competition has produced. A middleweight competing up a weightclass, Swick gave Stephan Bonnar all he could handle before succumbing to a submission. It’s hard to think of anyone who has kicked more ass in the UFC over the past year than Swick. He spent a combined 42 seconds in KO’ing Alex Schoenauer and Gideon Ray, and hit both Riggs and Steve Vigneault with guillotines. Swick trains with a great camp in American Kickboxing Academy. Swick’s lightning fast hands remind some of a young Vitor Belfort, while his ground skills have proven to be formidable as well. The downside is that the level of competition he faced in the UFC was mediocre at best, and his lone career loss was to Chris Leben by KO in the WEC. If he thinks Leben is a tough striker, Loiseau is at another level. David “The Crow” Loiseau is a legitimate middleweight contender. Coming off a title shot loss to Rich Franklin, Loiseau showcased tremendous heart and proved that he belongs among the sport’s elite. Loiseau trains with St. Pierre and is truly a freak of nature. Along with his athleticism, The Crow is an unorthodox striker who mixes nasty elbows with effective karate. Loiseau has made quite an impact in the UFC lately, pounding out Ray, Evan Tanner, and Charles McCarthy with impressive strikes.

The outcome: Swick is tough, but he’s just not ready for the physical presence that is David Loiseau. This isn’t an unmotivated Joe Riggs or an overmatched Vigneault, Loiseau is an angry contender looking to maintain his spot in the UFC. David “The Crow” Loiseau wins this fight by KO in round 2.

Light Heavyweight Fight: Jason Lambert (22-5) vs Rashad Evans (8-0)

Breakdown: It’s not that far-fetched for either fight to smell title shot after this fight. Lambert is very much an unknown quantity to the public, but he is a very talented fighter. Lambert has manhandled fighters who are classically considered wrestlers in his last 3 fights. The hit list consists of: Rob MacDonald (kimura), Terry Martin (TKO), and Branden Lee Hinkle (TKO). Lambert is a relentless fighter who possesses great ground and pound. Lambert has won 7 fights since a loss to Chael Sonnen, a very similar fighter to Evans. Evans is a terrific fighter who is universally disliked by MMA fans. Evans’ inability to finish fights has made it difficult for fans to get behind him. Evans entered TUF 2’s Heavyweight competition as a huge underdog, but came away champion. Displaying strong striking and unparalleled athleticism, Evans defeated Tom Murphy, Mike Whitehead, Keith Jardine, and Brad Imes all by decision to become TUF 2 Heavyweight Champ. Outweighed by all his opponents on the show, Evans made the drop to 205 pounds, his more natural weight. Evans has had success in the light heavyweight division. It hasn’t been pretty though. Evans won a lackluster decision over Sam “I Make Everyone I Fight Look Bad” Hoger and then gutted out a legitimate decision win over Stephan Bonnar. Rashad showed ridiculously fast hands and solid striking in his TUF 2 fights, but has been reluctant to let the hands fly in his fights with Hoger and Bonnar. Originally a wrestler at Michigan State, Rashad has since fallen back on his old sport, using his speed and athleticism to take down his opponents and control them from top position. Evans’ inability to pass guard and work for the finish from the top are cause for concern and have led many to find him boring and conservative.

The outcome: You heard it here first. Rashad Evans will finish this fight. Rashad is too athletic and too good to lose this fight. Rashad Evans will win by TKO in round 1.

Lightweight Fight: Joe Lauzon (13-3) vs Jens Pulver (21-6-1)

Breakdown: Joe Lauzon will be making his UFC debut against the former UFC lightweight champion. Eleven of J-Lau’s wins have come via submission. The UFC newcomer is 1-1 against UFC vets, submitting Mike Brown, but losing to Ivan Menjivar. Lauzon has won three fights in a row but will be taking a huge step up in competition. Jens “Little Evil” Pulver returns to the UFC after a four year exile. After successfully defending the UFC title for a second time against B.J. Penn, Pulver and the UFC parted ways. After losses to Bang Ludwig and Jason Maxwell, Pulver rededicated himself to the sport and shined in the Shooto and Pride organizations. Pulver recorded two wins apiece in Pride and Shooto, and is coming off of a win over Cole Escovedo in the IFL. Pulver has moonlighted as a pro boxer in the past and is a very dangerous striker. Pulver has tremendous heart and never gives up, but is sometimes hampered by his desire to please the crowd and slug it out (see his losses to Gomi and Mach Sakurai).

The outcome: Unfortunately, Joe Lauzon’s UFC debut will be quick. He will be facing a very emotional and pumped up Pulver. Pulver is just too good and too experienced for J-Lau at this point. Jens “Little Evil” Pulver wins by KO in round 1.

Lightweight Fight: Gabe Ruediger (10-2) vs Melvin Guillard (20-5-2)

Breakdown: Former WEC Champ Gabe Ruediger will be making his first appearance in the Octagon. Ruediger is a jiu jitsu specialist who has submitted the likes of Jason Maxwell and Olaf Alfonso. In order to salvage this fight, Ruediger would be best served to take this one down to the ground. Melvin “The Young Assasin” Guillard is one of the most impressive athletes in the UFC today. A veteran of TUF 2, Guillard tasted defeat early in the show, losing to the very tough Josh Burkman. A very experienced fighter, Guillard turned heads (literally) with his near decapitation of overmatched school teacher Rick Davis at UFC 60. Guillard handled Marcus Davis and lost to Josh Neer in his two other UFC endeavors. There’s no possible way any one person can pack as much muscle as Melvin does into 155 pounds. Melvin is extremely strong, quick, and powerful. His strikes are formidable, but he sometimes gets too carried away which leads to fatal mistakes. Guillard was dominating Neer until he relaxed for a minute and was submitted.

The outcome: Ruediger’s submission skills alone give him a very good shot at winning this fight. However, Melvin is going to be a major force at 155 pounds. I don’t see any way Ruediger can contain the power and speed Guillard will bring. Melvin “The Young Assasin” Guillard will win by TKO via strikes in round 1.

Preliminary Fights

Lightweight Fight: Roger Huerta (14-1-1) vs Jason Dent (12-6)

Breakdown: Roger “El Matador” Huerta is an MMA veteran who has compiled a very impressive resume. Training out of the Miletich camp, Huerta is a well-rounded, exciting fighter who will come to bang. Huerta has impressive wins over Matt Wiman, Brad Blackburn, and MMA veteran Naoyuki Kotani. Jason Dent is a Muay Thai fighter hailing from Cincinnati. A talented striker, Dent has actually won nine of his fights by submission. Dent has stepped in to fight tough guys like Tetsuji Kato, Ryan Schultz, and Jeff Curran. Dent has won four straight fights, none of them against big names.

The outcome: Originally slated to face Hermes Franca at UFC 61, Huerta gets a much more welcoming fight in the overmatched Dent. Huerta has put together an impressive career and finally gets his shot to make good Saturday night. Expect a very competitive fight, but Roger “El Matador” Huerta will get the win by TKO via strikes in round 2.

Heavyweight Fight: Mario Neto (9-3) vs Eddie Sanchez (5-0)

Breakdown: Mario Neto is an intriguing heavyweight prospect with an even more interesting training history. As a Carlson Gracie student, Neto fought in the early Vale Tudo events in Brazil, losing to former UFC champs Dan Severn and Kevin Randleman. Neto worked with the Golden Glory Team in Holland for a bit, and then moved to the U.K. to start up the Wolfslair Gym. The Wolfslair Gym’s most successful stateside import has been TUF 3 Champ Michael Bisping. Neto has won three fights in 2006, two by submission and one by TKO. Neto also holds a win over TUF 2’s resident pretty boy Seth Petruzelli. The well-rounded Neto has competed sporadically, and hopes to get himself a regular gig in the barren UFC heavyweight division. Eddie Sanchez is a UFC newcomer hailing out of Temecula, CA. Sanchez is coming off of a TKO win over UFC vet Wade Shipp, and has displayed damaging strikes in four TKO wins. Though Neto has the experience edge, Sanchez is an athletic specimen with a lot of potential.

The outcome: The UFC has a sign hanging over its offices: IF YOU WEIGH OVER 205 POUNDS AND CAN FIGHT, PLEASE SIGN UP. Let’s be honest, these guys are not at the level of even the lower tier Pride heavyweights. However, both of these guys bring good skills to the table and the fight should be an interesting one. Sanchez just isn’t ready, expect Mario “Sucata” Neto to take the win via rear naked choke in round 1.

Lightweight Fight: Danny Abbadi (0-1) vs Jorge Gurgel (9-2)

Breakdown: What? That Danny Abbadi? Somehow the guy gets professional fights despite being dangerously unqualified. The interesting thing is that we saw Danny fight at 185 in TUF 3, so it remains to be seen how the weight cut will affect him. Coming off a loss to Kalib Starnes, Danny will look to use his weight advantage and Tae Kwon Do skills to hold off the smaller Gurgel. One thing is for sure, when Gurgel fights, the fighters will touch gloves many times. Jorge will look to get back on the good foot after a close decision loss to Mark Hominick. Much has been made of Gurgel’s close friendship with Rich Franklin, but what seems to get lost is the fact that Gurgel is a competent fighter himself. Possessing very good submissions and underrated striking, Gurgel is one of the toughest lightweights in the UFC today.

The outcome: Whether he loses 30 pounds or not, Abbadi is still not a qualified fighter. Danny will hang on for awhile due to his OK striking and size advantage, but Jorge is a battle tested warrior who isn’t just happy to be here. Jorge Gurgel will take the win via triangle choke in round 2.

Lightweight Fight: David Lee (5-1) vs Tyson Griffin (7-0)

Breakdown: David Lee is a British submission wizard who trains with prolific Erik Paulson. Paulson’s protégés have had mixed success of late. On the one hand you have Josh Barnett, one of the 10 best fighters in the world, and on the other you have Ken Shamrock, one of the 10 best chair kickers in the world. Lee has fought solely in the U.K.’s Cage Rage promotion, winning all five of his fights by submission. I am partial to Lee’s opponent Tyson Griffin because he and I both went to high school in the Bay Area and both wrestled. With wins over Bang Ludwig and Urijah Faber, Griffin has established himself as a rising star in the lightweight division. A compact and powerful fighter, Griffin brings a bulldog demeanor and devastating ground and pound to his fights. Training out of David Terrell’s Nor Cal Fighting Alliance, Griffin is ready to let the world know who he is.

The outcome: Lee has impressive credentials, but Griffin is a beast. Expect a very competitive fight with Tyson Griffin taking the win via unanimous decision.

Overall, this is a very solid card with a terrific main event. Look for the Swick-Loiseau and Evans-Lambert fights to separate the pretenders from the contenders. Many talented lightweights will shine on Saturday night. With the subpar cards the UFC has been putting out lately, this is a refreshing change. Let’s hope the event itself is as good as it looks on paper.

[LWPD]

Final analysis for tonight's card. I'm totally pumped...been waiting two and a half years for this rematch. No excuses..may the better man win!

UFC 63 Official Weigh In Video

Courtesy of Bettormma.com

BettorMMA continues the Pick with The Pro's series and joining us this installment will be "The New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni, "The Headhunter" Paul Buentello, "The Sandman" Dan Christison, "The Fight Professor" Stephen Quadros, and BettorMMA's own Tony Sands...

Matt Hughes -200
vs.
BJ Penn +180

Phil Baroni- Hughes

Paul Buentello- Penn

Dan Christison- Penn

Stephen Quadros- Penn

Tony Sands- Penn

Mike Swick -110
vs.
David Loiseau +100

Phil Baroni- Swick

Paul Buentello- Swick

Dan Christison- Loiseau

Stephen Quadros- Swick

Tony Sands- Loiseau

Jens Pulver -660
vs.
Joe Lauzon +600

Phil Baroni- Pulver

Paul Buentello- Pulver

Dan Christison- Lauzon

Stephen Quadros- Pulver

Tony Sands- Pulver

Rashad Evans -195
vs.
Jason Lambert +180

Phil Baroni- Lambert

Paul Buentello- Evans

Dan Christison- Evans

Stephen Quadros- Standing Evans-Ground Lambert

Tony Sands- Evans

Melvin Guillard -145
vs.
Gabe Reudiger +135

Phil Baroni- Reudiger

Paul Buentello- Reudiger

Dan Christison- Guillard

Stephen Quadros- Guillard

Tony Sands- Guillard

__________________________________________________________

Fresh off his unbelievable performance in the Pride Grand Prix, "The Babyface Assasin" Josh Barnett sat down with BettorMMA.com to discuss his picks for UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn.

Matt Hughes -210
BJ Penn +190

-The odds aren't super but I'd still bet on BJ Penn.

Penn by submission round 2

Mike Swick -130
David Loiseau +120

-Mike Swick has been winning by impressive fashion lately and Loiseau is coming off a hard fought loss to Rich Franklin. While Loiseau has shown strong striking skills in his matches I think Swick will keep up a higher pace and score more shots with the hands to win this fight. I don't forsee either fighter taking the fight to the ground and I exect another UFC/kickboxing match.

Swick by TKO round 1

Jens Pulver -660
Joe Lauzon -600

-Grappler vs. striker. Althoug Jens comes for a WA wrestling background his fight strategy hasn't changed in years. Expect him to box and stop the take down. However, Jens won't need anything else but that and keeping with what has worked for him should earn him the KO in the end. Jens will look strong in his UFC comeback.

Pulver by KO round 1

Rashad Evans -195
Jason Lambert +180

-Who outwrestles who is the victor in this match up. Lambert has really put together a good string of victories but his next opponent may be better at the one area where Lambert has beaten his last group of opponents. If Rashad decides to use his hands, where he has an advantage, he can lay out a strong path to victory. All that said, Rashad has not shown the maturity yet in the cage to suggest that he will adapt and I think eventually Lambert will wear him down and score more damage on top when it counts.

Lambert by Decision

Melvin Guillard -145
Gabe Reudiger +135

-Hmm. One is good in the area where the other is weak. Guillard has striking and eudiger has Submissions trouble is Reudiger lacks a strong takedown game and Guillard comes from a wrestling background. If Reudiger is able to take the fight to the mat, one way or the other, Look for Reudiger to attack the legs and the triangle choke.

Guillard by KO/TKO round 2

[Darth Turkish]

WOW! What a fight! Hughes fought the first two rounds on iron will and survival mode, and then dominated the third. I guess trying for all of those crazy submissions gassed Penn. It takes a a lot to hold those triangles tight (I speak from experience).

Very disappointed with The Crow. It was like he did not even show up until the third.

Loved Guillard's finish. Stomach blows are very underutilized.

I am glad Rashad Evens finishedhis fight. I like him.
.
Very shocked about Pulver- He just never got off the ground to get started.

[MikeMcKinney]

Who won all the fights tonight??

[habbalah]

I'm starting to wonder if Jen lil evil doesn't have it anymore?
Great show. I guess the crow was still mentally shaken from his last fight. I think Swick needs to be more patient in his quest for the title. He seemed down right pushie after his win.

Didn't Rashad look impressive?

[LWPD]

Great card. Rashad looked better than I've ever seen him look. He fought to finish and was highly impressive. Guillard is an exciting fighter who still has much room for improvement...but it wouldn't surprise me if he becomes a force to be reckoned with for years to come at 155. Swick looks like he's for real...Loiseau is still deadly but was too tentative until the third.

Major props to both Matt Hughes and BJ Penn. A great fight and a must see for all fans. Penn completely neutralized MH in the first with some of the best takedown defense I've ever seen...while winning the stand up. Round 2 was awesome...Hughes looked like he was on his way to gliding until Penn showed why he has one of the best guards in the history of the sport and almost finished him. One of the best five minute rounds I've ever seen.

BJ was gassed by the start of the third and had absolutely nothing left when he came out of his corner. Matt Hughes greatest strength has always been his conditioning and BJ was a dead man walking, hands down, eating punches...but would rather die than quit. He's a warrior...but was finished by the classic Hughes/Newton 2 position...there's no escape from that. Props and respect to both for a great fight!

If anyone has access to BJ Penn's sick entrance theme 'Day The Hawaiians Took Over' by Sudden Rush send me a PM.

UFC 63 Results

Courtesy of wrestlingobserver.com

Prelim results courtesy of Todd Martin live

Tyson Griffin b David Lee. Lee connected with a flying knee, but Griffin responded, with a takedown and choked him out in less than 2:00. Griffin, as expected, was the most impressive fighter of the undercard.

Jorge Gurgel b Danny Abbadi via split decision, all three judges ruling 29-28,with Cecil Peoples judging in favor of Abbadi. Gurgel pressed but Abbdi may have connected more through countering. Crowd hated Abbadi because they felt he was stalling

Eddie Sanchez b Mario Neto with a right hook knockout punch in the second round

Roger Huerta b Jason Dent via straight 30-27 decisions. Huerta took Dent down several times and ground and pounded him in all three rounds.

We're having computer problems so we may not be able to update after every round.

Joe Lauzon KO'd Jens Pulver with a left hook in 48 seconds. So much for plans. Lauzon was a huge underdog but we knew he was no joke.

Rashad Evans vs. Jason Lambert is next up.

First round saw Evans get five takedowns and largely outwrestle Lambert. Lambert was tiring. Evans did a little ground and pound and won the round, but Evans never came close to finishing.

In round two, Evans got several more takedowns, a mount and fired punch after punch. He nailed Lambert with 13 straight punches before John McCarthy stopped it. Lambert was pretty much rocked by punch No. 4. This was a big win for Evans, both because he looked so impressive and because he finished a guy.

Melvin Guillard vs. Gabe Ruediger is up next.

A hell of a first round. Guillard scored several takedowns and one knockdown in the first round. Ruediger came back at the end with a takedown, and got Guillard's back. He was in danger of being choked but the bell saved him. Probably Guillard's round even though Ruediger had him in trouble at the end.

Guillard won right away in round two via knockout with a punch to the solar plexus. He threw a kick to the head after which is illegal, but the fight had been waved off.

Mike Swick vs. David Loiseau is next.

Swick won the round, connected on some kicks, punches and got a takedown late in the round. Not as explosive as you'd expect. Loiseau is fighting very defensive.

Loiseau landed some leg kicks early, but Swick took Loiseau down toward the end of the round. Fans booed the fight as both are being cautious. I'd give the round to Swick again.

Loiseau took this round. He connected on some elbows, got a takedown. Swick was in trouble and for the most part looking at the clock, thinking he'd won two rounds and trying to hold on. Swick was tired at the end but did come back toward the end.

I've got it 29-28 Swick. All 3 judges agreed.

Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn for the welterweight title is next.

First round saw a phenomenal performance by Penn. Hughes couldn't take him down and got tired doing so. Standing, Penn rocked Hughes with several punches. Hughes knows he's in a tough fight. Penn accidentally thumbed Hughes in the eye which caused a delay. First round 10-9 Penn.

Incredible round two. Hughes finally got Penn down and connected with some elbows and was winning the round. Penn reversed and got Hughes' back and his flexibility and talent is off the charts. He had a triangle on and Hughes escaped right at the end of the round. 20-18 Penn.

Penn gassed out and Hughes picked him apart. He took Penn down, tied up Penn's arms and trapped his head. Hughes threw punch after punch and just couldn't get out and finally John Carthy had to stop it. Penn gassed trying to finish that triangle armbar in the second round and had nothing left.

[LWPD]

Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn 9/23/06

tinyurl.com/mpn89

One that will be remembered for many years to come. Note that Penn suffered separated ribs by the end of round 2...setting up the third round from hell.

LWPD (BJ Penn showed that when he is on his game...he's on other level from anyone else in the sport...but in the end Matt Hughes proves why he is the greatest Welterweight in MMA history...props to both men...true warriors and credits to the sport)

My heroes had the heart
To lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember is thinking
I want to be like them
Ever since I was little, it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done

--Gnarls Barkley 'Crazy'