UFC 64 Final Card

[LWPD]

UFC 64: Unstoppable

Live Saturday 10/14/2006 10:00 PM ET

UFC 64: Unstoppable Hype Video ...runs just under 10 minutes

Betting Odds Snapshot

Courtesy of betonfighting.com

ANDERSON SILVA +175
RICH FRANKLIN -205

KENNY FLORIAN +260
SEAN SHERK -310

DAN LAUZON +365
SPENCER FISHER -435

MIKE NICKELS +430
KEITH JARDINE -530

KUNIYOSHI HIRONAKA +275
JON FITCH -335

CARMELO MARRERO +400
CHEICK KONGO -500

KALIB STARNES +105
YUSHIN OKAMI -125

JUSTIN JAMES +235
CLAY GUIDA -275

JUNIOR ASSUNCAO +260
KURT PELLEGRINO -310

[LWPD]

Pre-fight hype videos were taped yesterday and can be found here

Official Weigh In Results

Courtesy of MMAWeekly

LAS VEGAS, NV - The Ultimate Fighting Championship 64 weigh-ins were held today at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. All the fighters made weight and all nine bouts are now official.

Both Anderson Silva and champion Rich Franklin looked calm and relaxed as they took the stage and were highly respectful.

One of the bigger question marks that people had was how Sean Sherk would handle moving down in weight to 155 pounds to challenge Kenny Florian for the vacant lightweight title. If the weigh-ins are any indication, he has handled the move quite well. Sherk looked his typical, etched self, if a bit smaller than usual, and seemed very relaxed. Florian also made weight, even though he had to take off his fight shorts to do so.


PRELIMS

Lightweight
Kurt Pellegrino (14-2) 154.5 vs. “Junior” Assuncao (5-1) 155

Lightweight
Justin James (22-5) 155 vs. Clay Guida (20-3) 154.5

Middleweight
Yushin Okami (18-3) 185 vs. Kalib Starnes (9-1-1) 185

Light Heavyweight
Mike Nickels (4-1) 205 vs. Keith Jardine (11-3-1) 205


MAIN CARD

Lightweight
Dan Lauzon (4-0) 155 vs. Spencer Fisher (19-2) 155

Heavyweight
Carmelo Marrero (5-0) 222 vs. Cheick Kongo (19-2-1) 226

Lightweight
Kenny Florian (7-2) 155 vs. Sean Sherk (34-2-1) 154.5

Welterweight
Kuniyoshi Hironaka (10-2) 170 vs. Jon Fitch (16-2, 1 NC) 170

Middleweight
Anderson Silva (16-4) 185 vs. Rich Franklin (22-1) 185

[Mad Dog]

Those prelim bouts do nothing for me but the main card looks great. Franklin/Silva should be a fun bout.

[LWPD]

Here's my final update before the big fights tonight. I'm totally pumped! For all the criticism the site takes Sherdog still puts out the most detailed pre-show analysis on the web. Fight by fight coverage can be found starting here:

tinyurl.com/yeptut

Sherdog.com Preview: UFC 64
by James Hirth

Two titles fights highlight the UFC 64 main draw. The first is a vacant gold strap whose new owner will reign over a recently unearthed division in the UFC. The other is held by a champion who has lost only once in his career in possibly the deepest and hottest division in the sport.

Before they go for the gold, Spencer Fisher will look to continue his roll in the Octagon taking on newcomer Dan Lauzon. French heavyweight Cheick Kongo hopes to make his case for a title shot with a win over UFC neophyte Carmelo Marrero. Then rising welterweight threat Jon Fitch takes on Japanese grappler Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

And in title action, Sean Sherk drops down to lightweight to face the cerebral one, TUF 1 finalist Kenny Florian, who is 3-0 in the Octagon since the show and could be the first member of the reality show to win UFC gold.

Then Rich Franklin, the reigning middleweight king, returns from injury to defend his title against Brazilian knockout artist Anderson Silva in the UFC 64 headliner.

The card features four grappling-intensive bouts as all eight competitors favor jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling or a hybrid grappling style as their chosen discipline. Worthy of note, an actual Capoeira professor enters the Octagon as Junior Assuncao makes his UFC debut. He will face the “Batman” Pellegrino.

One of the hardest working men in MMA, Clayton Guida makes first appearance in the Octagon and he’ll try to bloody up “The Pretty Boy” Justin James.

The remaining under card bouts feature three TUF veterans as well as judo stylist Yushin Okami. Keith Jardine (Pictures) battles tattooed grappler Mike Nickels and the aforementioned Okami battles Canadian Kalib Starnes.

Courtesy of Wrestling Observer

Tonight's UFC line-up from Las Vegas:

Preshow matches

*Junior Asssuncao vs. Kurt Pelligrino
*Clay Guida vs. Justin James
*Yushin Okami vs. Kalib Starnes
*Mike Nickels vs. Keith Jardine

Live matches

*Spencer Fisher vs. Dan Lauzon - About the only major news coming out of weigh-ins was that these two had major words with each other. Fisher told Lauzon that there isn't going to be a fluke like last month when Dan's brother Joe knocked out Jens Pulver. He's probably right.

*Carmelo Marrero vs. Chieck Kongo - Kongo is the guy being pushed and is a good stand-up striker, not much on the ground

*Kenny Florian vs. Sean Sherk to create a UFC lightweight champion. Sherk should take this handily

*Jon Fitch vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka - Fitch is a former college wrestling star at Purdue who has become the UFC dark match king, finally getting a live fight against a very qualified opponent

*Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva for the middleweight title. Definitely Franklin's most dangerous test as champion. Silva is the real deal standing, so Franklin needs to keep it on the ground early, and hope his conditioning is superior to take advantage in the late rounds. Franklin has more tools to win, but Silva is the best striker he's faced as champion by far.

LWPD (note the rumor mill says Nickels/Jardine is off with no replacement as Mike pulled out with a back injury...time will tell)

[MikeMcKinney]

Hope someone will be postin some results soon.......

[LWPD]

A very tough night for UFC Marketing Department. Potential heavyweight division money player Cheick Kongo goes down to the 'lay and pray' of Carmelo Marrero. There's no money to be made with Marrero vs anybody. Then one of the most articulate guys they have for media gigs and attracting sponsorships...Rich Franklin...goes down hard to a guy who can't speak a word of English. When you can't script these things that's what's bound to happen.

Three decisions in one night. Sherk/Florian was good for those who are knowledgeable enough to appreciate the intricacies of grappling...but for the larger casual audience that's looking for more of an 'in your face' visual entertainment element I have my doubts. Sherk just isn't a finisher....never has been and probably never will be. If his take downs and positional strength allow him to become the standard barer of the Lightweight Division with 5 round decisions every time out...this may not be a good thing.

Fisher is just the opposite and looked impressive against a questionable opponent. That lanky 18 year old kid had no business in the Octagon and crumbled after Fisher hit his feet again. Fitch looked alright and at least earned a spot on the main card. Guida has a good look and was very smooth with his transitions...I'd like to see him tested next time out.

Props to Rich Franklin for an exciting run. Silva was the superior fighter that night and executed his game plan to perfection. Nothing to be ashamed of...we all lose sometimes. He'll be back....and hopefully he'll learn how to better handle himself defensively from the clinch.

Rich Franklin vs Anderson Silva 10/14/06

tinyurl.com/yhkybe

Watch as Anderson Silva becomes a 'study' in effective Muay Thai control and striking from the clinch...among the best I've ever seen in MMA.

LWPD (as seen here...failure to defend against the clinch when facing a potent striker can lead to devastating consequences...to gain a broader insight into the Muay Thai Clinch see the previously archived Neck Clinch Basics and Learning The Muay Thai Clinch materials)


Courtesy of Wrestling Observer

Notes from the prelims that didn't air from Oliver Copp:

Kurt Pellegrino b Junior Assuncao via choke in the first round

Yushin Okami b Kalib Starnes via pounding on the ground in the third round.

Sean Sherk captured the lightweight title beating Kenny Florian via unanimous decision over five rounds.

Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva for the middleweight title is next up. Franklin has a nasty black right eye and swelling near his left eye from training.

Silva knocked him out in the first round. He was destroying Franklin's body with knees from the clinch, and then started throwing knees to the head. It was a brutal knee to the chin and face that broke his nose. A second knee rocked him and a third knee to the temple put Franklin down and out. Franklin said that he was surprised how strong Silva was in the clinch and looked very dejected.

Clay Guida b Justin James via choke in the second round. First round was excellent. James got the early edge striking, but Guida finally got him down and did some ground and pound. James got an armbar late in the round, but Guida did a great job escaping.

Second round saw Guida take James down and use ground and pound. He connected with a good punch from the top that stunned James. He connected with a dozen or more punches until maneuvering to James' back and getting a choke to win.

Spencer Fisher vs. Dan Lauzon opens the PPV. Lauzon was winning the round with two takedowns and ground and pound. When Fisher got up, he unloaded on Lauzon with a flyine knee to the shoulder and punches to the chin and another to the temple and Lauzon was down and it was stopped.

Cheick Kongo vs. Carmelo Marrero:
First round saw Marrero take Kongo down. Marrero never hurt Kongo badly but did enough ground and pound to take the round.
Second round saw Marrero score three takedowns, but did nothing with the advantage. Kongo at least tried a guillotine from the bottom. I could see it being scored for Marrero got I have it 19-19.
Third round saw Marrero go for a takedown and Kongo stuffed him and got on top and was working for a wristlock a few times. Marrero got a takedown late in the round. I'd give Kongo this round.
I've got it 29-28 for Kongo but the announcers indicate 29-28 for Marrero. Either way, it was a boring match. 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 for Marrero via split decision. To me, all those takedowns in round two shouldn't have won the round because he did nothing with them, and Marrero went for submissions in round two and three.

Jon Fitch vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka is up next.
Round one: Hironaka was working for a triangle early, but Fitch escaped and scored with ground and pound. He had Hironaka's back at the end of the round. I'd give it to Fitch.
Round two: Fitch threw a punch and scored a high takedown. Lots of ground and pound. After a stand-up, Fitch got another takedown. Late in the round he was getting good hard punches. Easily 20-18 for Fitch at this point.
Third round: Fitch dominated stand-up, and scored takedowns at will and brutalized Hironaka with ground and pound. Fitch busted his own nose up landing on his nose doing a takedown. Easy 30-27 for Fitch. I don't see how it could be scored any other way.

One judge had it 30-25 and the other two had it 30-27, easy win for Fitch.

Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian.

Great match. The story of the match was Sherk was always able to take Florian down and was landing clean shots with punches and elbows. Florian can take punishment, incuding surviving a fifth round slam where his head bounced off the mat. When the fight was standing, it was a war and Florian was getting the better with wicked body kicks, but Sherk could always get him down. Florian bloodied Sherk up on the right side of the head in the second round from a series of elbows while on his back. Sherk was bleeding badly for the rest of the fight. I had it 49-46 and the judges scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45 for Sherk.

[Avarice]

Wow. How the mighty have fallen. We shall see how well Silva does with the belt. He may be the boost the UFC needed though, proving that it's not the same old guys at the top all the time. I'd like to see GSP win the WW title and Monson win the HW. Plus Tito winning the LHW, thus upsetting the whole balance of power. ;D