Saturday, June 13, 2015

KO Coverage By A KO Look-A-Like: UFC 188- Velasquez v Werdum

The UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship is on the line for the first time in over a year!  Cain Velasquez, the man who took the title by beating Brock Lesnar in just over four minutes with furious punches, returns for his first title defense since October 19, 2013 to face the interim champion, Fabricio Werdum in Mexico City.


The Quickening is on the way!
Who is of the Clan McCloud?

In the remainder of the main card, we have Gilbert Melendez (4) vs Eddie Alvarez (9) in a Lightweight bout, Kelvin Gastelum (10) vs Nate Marquardt in a Middleweight fight, Yair Rodriguez vs Charles Rosa in a Featherweight match, and Tecia Torres (5) vs Angela Hill (15) in a Women's Strawweight contest.




On the Fight Pass prelims, we open with Gabriel Benitez earning a decision over Clay Collard and Cathal Pendred also taking a decision over Augusto Montano.

Picking up with the FX Prelims:

UFC 188 FX Prelims:

Francisco Trevino v Johnny Case

Round 1:  Case comes out with some leg kicks, gets a nice series early on.  Trevino in pressured to the cage, but pushes off Case and taunts him.  Trevino gets a leg kick to the shin and Case answers with a kick to the ribs, which sends him back momentarily.  Case goes in for a kick and Trevino accidentally  rakes his left eye. Case shrieks in agony and the ref stops the clock. The doctor comes in to check Case's eye. The eye looks quite swollen but after recuperating and being checked out, Case decides he can continue. Case moves in and brings Trevino down and attempts a guillotine choke. Trevino works around it, and transitions to an armbar attempt. Case is able to push it off and the round ends. 

Round 2: Trevino comes out with attacks, but Case is able to get better accuracy this round. Case gets him down and goes for a side mount, working some light ground and pound.  Trevino stretches the arm out, but Case gets behind him and attempts rear-naked choke and guillotine, but cannot lock in either.  Trevino gets some damaging blows on Case in the stand up, but Case shoots a takedown and is able to spin Trevino out and pin him down.  Case is on top of him from the side, but Trevino has Case's arm trapped on the inside and keeps moving out of any position that would allow Case to take advantage of the top position.

Round 3:  Both men circle each other and throw out some blows to size the other up.  Case gets Trevino down and smothers him in the mount, but can't hit any serious blows. Case goes behind and attempts the rear-naked choke, but Trevino has an incredibly smooth escape between the legs and finishes the round pressuring him to the wall of the octagon.  

Official decision:  Unanimous decision for Johnny Case

Alejandro Perez v Patrick Williams

Round 1:  Williams comes in with a hard straight to the face and rocks Perez immediately.  He delivers the guillotine and chokes him out.  The finish is announced as the fastest submission in UFC WEC Bantamweight history.

Official decision:  Patrick Williams wins by submission due to guillotine choke at 23 seconds of round 1.

In the post-fight interview, Williams says he saw blood after that first shot and went for the kill. "As for the guillotine, look at these arms."  He followed that by speaking Spanish to the crowd  and saying he was happy to fight in Mexico.

Efrain Escudero v Drew Dober


Round 1:  Escudero gets some punches, Dober tries to rush in and Escudero catches him in a guillotine choke.  He holds it for what feels like forever and Dober finally taps out.  

Official decision: Efrain Escudero wins by submission due to guillotine choke at 54 second of round 1. 

Henry Cejudo (7) v Chico Camus (13)

Round 1:  Cejudo pushing Camus with boxing and shooting takedown attempts.  Cejudo continually pushing Camus into the cage and dropping knees and stomps on his legs and feet.  The referee separates them when a clinch stopped the action and Camus disrespectfully pushes Cejudo away. Referee admonishes him for his actions.  Cejudo shoots a quick ankle pick, but Camus avoids. Cejudo kicks and Camus catches the leg. Cejudo is holding onto Camus and grappling often, as you would expect from an Olympic gold medalist. 

Round 2:  Striking back and forth by both men.  Camus keeping his distance and getting good counter shots and grabbing Cejudo's leg on kicks.  Cejudo with a few grabs, but no serious takedowns.  No vital strikes landed this round.

Round 3:  Strikes back and forth. Starting off much faster.  Cejudo throws a punch and ends of scratching Camus' eye on the snap back.  Camus is given a moment to regain his vision and comes back after a few moments. Cejudo has grappled him against the cage, but he can't capitalize. Late in the match, Cejudo lifts him up and trips him. He feints a head kick and when Camus blocks, Cejudo is able to mount. The round ends with Cejudo in the mount, but again unable to gain a significant strike.

Official Decision:  Henry Cejudo wins by unanimous decision.

In the interview, Cejudo says he disappointed himself and will work on refining his game.

UFC 188 Main Card

Tecia Torres v Angela Hill

Round 1:  Quick jabs sizing up space to open the round. Torres uses a knee feint to move in and land a nice shot to the head. Torres tries for the takedown and pushes Hill across the octagon, but Hill defends well.  Torres continues the shots and gets a quick takedown on Hill.  Hill locks Torres' leg to prevent a full mount, but Torres is getting several blows to the ribs and side of the head to wear down Hill's stamina for later rounds.  

Round 2:  Hill works some jabs and is the aggressor to open the round, but Torres is avoiding the majority. Torres shoots a perfect low angle double leg takedown and seals Hill up like an envelope.  Torres works to a side mount and hooks her arm over Hill's head. Hill begins to attempt and escape, but Torres transitions to a traditional mount and buries her face into Hill's shoulder.  Torres attacks with some punches, but the ref breaks up the mount for not having enough offense.  Torres and Hill scrap in the stand up but the clock runs out soon after.

Round 3:  Definitely worn out, both women are much slower to attack.  Torres is driving Hill into the cage, but is not able to capitalize.  They are separated from the cage and Torres strikes two shots, Hill gets one stiff counter. Torres tries a takedown and ends in the same position as before. The crowd is turning on the slower pace this round.


Tecia Torres with the Puerto Rican pride wins
via unanimous decision in a strong showing despite a rocky third round.


Official decision: Tecia "Tiny Tornado" Torres wins by unanimous decision.


Yair Rodriguez v Charles Rosa

Round 1:  Rodriguez explodes out with kicks. Huge head kick, flying knee, jumping kick, all in quick succession. Rodriguez keeping fast and fierce.  Rosa catches the leg, but Rodriguez quickly transitions to the triangle on Rosa and has Rosa in a bad situation.   Rosa is able to get out of the triangle and now is striking down with a long wind up.  Rosa gets behind and hooks his leg over Rodriguez's left leg and tries to flatten him out.  Rosa now working under the arm and attempting to choke.  Rodriguez stands up and nearly escapes, but Rosa gets a good throw on him.  Rosa is dropping hard shots as Rodriguez fights with upkicks.  Rodriguez nearly gets a leglock, but Rosa escapes. He loses his mouthpiece, and the ref pauses the match. They throw bombs as the round ends.

Round 2:  Rodriguez still leading with crazy kicks. Rosa decides he doesn't like that and holds onto Rodriguez's leg for dear life.  Rosa's face is covered in blood on the left side.  Rodriguez has a spinning back fist miss, but then kicks Rosa down.  Rosa trying for the takedowns.  The referee stops the match to check on Rosa's bleeding but decides he can continue.  Rodriguez has shown incredible takedown defense.  Rodriguez tries to roundhouse Rosa's head off, but Rosa barely ducks under.  Rosa shoots a double leg takedown and brings him down, but Rodriguez immediately reverse and drops elbows on Rosa until the round ends.


Yair Rodriguez bloodied Charles Rosa and pummeled him with kicks


Round 3:  Rosa comes out in the second round and goes for the double leg. He stays lower and closer to the body to avoid another reversal. Rosa is on top and punching down, but Rodriguez in pulling him in and pincering with the body scissors.  Rodriguez moves the body scissors around the neck and arm and locks a triangle.  Ironically, the blood that nearly cost him the match seems to let him escape only because he's bleeding so badly that he can slip out.  Rosa gets on top and drops forearms and hammer fists.  Fighting back brutally in the final ten seconds.  

Official decision:  Yair Rodriguez wins by split decision.


Kelvin Gastelum (10) v Nate Marquardt

Round 1:  Gastelum pressuring Marquardt backwards. Marquardt throws heavy haymakers and gets Gastelum to back away.  Gastelum outstriking Marquardt all over the octagon.  Marquardt looks loopy, but is saved by the bell.

Round 2:  Gastelum still outstriking Marquardt. Gastelum is pounding on him in the corner.  Blow after blow lands to his face with no defense, but the ref does not stop the fight.  Gastelum pounds on him brutally because the ref will not call the fight. Marquardt is bravely sticking it out, but there is no reason for him to keep going through this.  Gastelum walks away as Marquardt is lying on the mat and the round ends.

The corner tells Marquardt he can not go on and call the match.

Official decision:  Kelvin Gastelum wins by TKO at end of round 2.


Gilbert Melendez (4) v Eddie Alvarez (9)

Round 1:  The fighter space out and throw feints, and Alvarez jumps in and hits hard into the stomach.  Melendez hits several hits to the head in reply.  Very methodical pace this round.  Alvarez moves in, but Melendez gets three quick shots. Melendez gets a forearm smash to Alvarez's nose.  Both men are acting in a boxing fashion. Alvarez's eye is swollen almost entirely shut and his nose is busted. Alvarez blew his nose, which may be broken, and his eye squirted out blood and instantly swelled. 

Round 2:  Melendez is still cautious on moving in to continue to abuse the face of Alvarez.  The eye is swollen shut entirely now.  Alvarez shoots a takedown, but nearly ends up in a guillotine. Melendez has strong defense against the takedown.  The referee separates the fighters for a moment. Melendez moves in and keeps tagging the left side of the head near the eye.  Melendez gets close and hits a few knees to the midsection.  Melendez works him into the cage wall, but Alvarez escapes with a great spinning elbow at the end of the round.

Round 3:  Alvarez is fighting back hard to take it back.  Alvarez pins Melendez to the cage and gets a takedown.  Melendez escapes quickly and is outboxing Alvarez again. Now both eyes are swollen, but the left is in terrible shape.  Alvarez with the body kick and Melendez answers with yet another shot to the face. Alvarez lands another great spinning back elbow and has bloodied Melendez. Alvarez tries for a huge uppercut, but misses and the third round ends. 

Official decision:  Eddie Alvarez wins via split decision.


UFC Heavyweight Championship: Cain Velasquez v Fabricio Werdum


UFC Heavyweight Champion vs UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion
To become UNDISPUTED


Round 1:  Werdum tries a head kick and Cain drops him with a heavy right hand. Cain leaves him on the mat and lets him stand. Cain pressures him into the cage wall and smothers Werdum.  Cain dropping knees against Werdum. Crowd is loud and hot.  Werdum pushes Cain back, and Cain shoots a takedown and is on top of Werdum.  Werdum turns around and gets to a sitting position and Cain moves away and lets him stand. Werdum tries to get the trip for a judo throw, but Cain pushes it off. Cain swarms with stiff punches.  Three hard hooks and an uppercut.  Werdum takes Cain down, but Cain stands up quickly. Cain pushes Werdum to the cage again and hits compact punches. Werdum gets a leg kick that wobbles Cain. Cain regains levels and keeps working the boxing.  Werdum tries a flying knee, but Cain tags him with a straight fist.  Werdum gets a few punches in, but Cain grabs his legs and brings him down.  Cain backs away from the downed Werdum.  Werdum lands another punch and Cain's now bleeding badly.

Round 2:  Cain opens with the leg kick.  Simultaneous punches in the center. Werdum tries the high roundhouse, but Cain avoids.  Cain is looking tired and giving somewhat lazy leg kicks, just out of instinct or necessity.  Cain rushing the punches, but is kicked off by Werdum by a hard straight kick to the stomach.  Cain catches a leg for a kick and hits several punches.  Werdum lands several shots to Cain's face and rocks him backwards.  Cain fires back, but Werdum has taken the advantage.  Cain is holding onto Werdum's head to slow him down, but Werdum is shaking him off.  Strong hits and a hard uppercut followed by a knee to the face by Werdum.  Werdum is striking multiple times to the face.  He has Cain loopy.   Another uppercut and another knee to the face. Werdum has dominated this round.

Round 3:  Cain's corner instructed him to work takedowns. Cain does just that, but Werdum nearly rolls it.  Cain drops soccer kicks to the downed Werdum. Werdum rises up to meet Werdum in the center.  Cain gets a solid head kick, but Werdum recovers and hits another knee.  Werdum goes for the guillotine, but Cain fights it off. Werdum tries to behead Cain with a roundhouse, but Cain avoids.  Cain shoots a takedown and Werdum locks the guillotine and Cain submits to the choke!

Official decision:  Fabricio Werdum wins the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship by submission due to guillotine choke at 2:48 in round 3.


My picks:
Fight of the Night:  Yair Rodriguez v Charles Rosa
KO of the Night: Kelvin Gastelum with the TKO from punches.
Submission of the Night: Fabricio Werdum with the guillotine choke


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Keep up with the hits of KO Coverage:  Fight Night 68: NOLAUFC 187: Johnson vs Cormier and Fight Night 67: Goiania

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