Going to be real quick as I want sleep before the Pacquiao fight…
Aaron Riley – Ross Pearson: After a tentative feeling out period early, Pearson aggresses more, has better strikes, and good knees in the clinch. 10-9 Pearson. Second saw Riley look to aggress more and takedown, but it wasn’t really working. Pearson just looked a better, more technical striker with a decent muay thai clinch game. Riley was cut very badly late in the round via a knee causing a technical stoppage, likely down two and needing a miracle at that stage anyway.
Matt Brown – James Wilks: Some nice early clinching, Wilks jumping on back, and Brown later angling for chokes. Brown with good combos, forcing Wilks to clinch. Wilks lands a nice kick following a break but can’t follow up. Wilks walks into a standing guillotine, which looked dangerous until he took Brown down. 10-9 Wilks. Brown hurt Wilks with a flying knee early in the second, and looks to pressure. Wilks nearly counters with a leglock. Fight returns to feet, Wilks is slowing. After a split, Brown drops him, but can’t quite finish. Brown somehow allows a gassed Wilks to get to side control. 10-9 Brown. Round 3 was mundane early until a position arises where Wilks looks for a kimura. Doesn’t quite work and Brown survives, falling into mount and ground and pounding his way to a stoppage.
Andre Winner – Rolando Delgado: Winner tags Delgado early, knocking him down. Can’t do much on the ground though. Standup is mundane until Winner connects with a one-hit KO.
Michael Bisping – Denis Kang: Cagey early. Kang catches Bisping with a good counter punch as Bisping came in. Passes to side control, but Bisping defends to half guard. Kang is looking to pass, gets to mount but Bisping shows a much improved bottom game, regaining guard. Kang mounts again later, but Bisping escapes again and almost got an armbar from the bottom. 10-9 Kang despite him doing no damage from a dominant position. Second round saw Bisping takedown Kang following more cagey standup. Lands some good shots. Takes him back down later. Kang gets busted open. One more takedown and Kang looks to turtle, Bisping stopping him soon after to get back on track.
Alex Gustaffson – Jared Hamman: Basically a very good 40 second striking cameo, Gustaffson getting the TKO. Quick but worth watching.
Mike Swick – Dan Hardy: Round 1 is tight with lots of clinching. Swick is the one trying to take it to the ground more. 10-10. Round 2 sees Hardy catch Swick early, who is able to clinch and relieve pressure. Clinch goes on for a good couple of minutes, Hardy being unable to take him down. Strikes in the clinch were fairly even. After a break, neither was able to land too much of note, 10-9 Hardy. The striking is more effective from both in the third, and somewhat wild. Hardy is able to hurt Swick, clinches again looking for a takedown, which this time he makes. Elbows from the guard by Hardy are useful, and Swick’s attempts to sub from the bottom are nowhere near. They get stood up and the last two minutes wind down without much of note. 10-9 and 30-28 Hardy, who will now get owned by GSP.
Randy Couture – Brandon Vera: Vera hits a nice shot early. Couture is able to clinch but does nothing. Manages to take him down from the clinch following a separation, but cannot keep Vera down. 10-9 to Couture, basically just on octagon control, in an instantly forgettable first. Vera tries to keep outside more in the second. Couture is still able to work inside and clinch. They are separated (too slowly), and Vera lands a great kick, knocking down Couture, who pulls to guard. Neither look to do much from there, it’s stood up and following that they clinch with little happening. 10-9 Vera. Third sees Couture looking to clinch again, except this time with better striking leading upto it and whilst in the clinch. They are separated again, and Vera lands good body kicks. Couture takes it to the clinch again, but Vera takes Couture down and mounts him. Couture holds him so he cannot do much from the mount, and after giving up his back rolls to his feet. Wild exchanges late. Vera looks to have done enough to win 10-9 and 29-28, but the judges all score it 29-28 Couture. But for that questionable decision, the fight isn’t worth viewing again.