Sin City was the site of the Ultimate Fighting Champion 173 as the ultimate MMA Octagon hosted a lengthy card for the Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. Several UFC legends were showcased and the fans were treated to a great night at the fights.
The pay-per-view portion of the night kicked off with lightweights when Jamie Varner (21-9-1) met James Krause (20-5) in a three round match. Both men came out looking to box and holding high guards. Krause managed to land early with hard punches to the face. Inexplicably, Varner seemed to injure his left foot and went down; Varner managed to get up but did not appear stable. Varner shot in for the take down but lost position to Krause. Varner managed to turn things around and land some strikes. When both combatants came to their feet, it was obvious that Varner’s left ankle was not holding up and possibly dislocated. Varner could not put any weight on it but the MMA tough man kept trying to maintain his footing and win. The corner wisely stopped the fight as soon as the first round ended. It was an excellent stoppage as Varner’s left ankle could not take any weight and the fighter was severely compromised due to the injury.
Japanese bantamweight Takaya Mizugagi (19-7-2) and American Francisco “Cisco” Rivera (10-2) continued the action in a three round fight. Mizugagi was tagged early by Rivera via a left hook. Both combatants were looking to box early. The Japanese warrior landed a hard combination that sent Rivera to the cage floor. Mizugagi went for the ground-and-pound but Rivera defended well. Mizugagi was not as active as recommended which allowed Rivera to come to his feet. Rivera seemed to clear his head and went on the offensive, managing a knee to the body and managing a takedown. Rivera continued to apply the pressure and ended the round in control. The second continued the standup match with Rivera landing a hard kick to the head. The American kept the pressure on and landed the harder shots. Rivera attempted to take advantage of a takedown and failed at a guillotine. The American let go after Mizugagi defended well. Mizugagi then managed a back mount and attempted a rear naked which the American defended well. The last heat saw The Japanese combatant land a hard right that deposited Rivera to the floor. The American defended well but Mizugagi was able to establish top control and did not take many chances. Rivera seemed uncharacteristically boring throughout the fight. With less than a minute left, “Cisco” sold out with hard, winging shots. It was too little, too late as Mizugagi was awarded a unanimous decision.
MMA legend “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (20-10) met Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger (29-7) in the welterweight division. Lawler, a southpaw, came out with frenetic movement while landing leg strikes to Ellenberger's body. “Ruthless” was accurate early with punches and kicks, keeping Ellenberger at bay. Both men focused on a vertical match which Lawler was controlling. “The Juggernaut” seemed hesitant after Lawler landed hard shots. “Ruthless” continued to stalk in the second, landing hard shots which discouraged Ellenberger from fully engaging. Lawler’s standup was clearly superior but “The Juggernaut” continued attempting to out-strike Lawler. Ellenberger managed a takedown but “Ruthless” quickly came to his feet and continued to control the fight. The final stanza saw Lawler continue to dominate the standup bout. Ellenberger managed to stun “Ruthless” with a wide right hand but Lawler was able to remain on his feet. “The Juggernaut’s” right hand appeared to be hurt as Ellenberger stopped throwing any serious punches with it. “Ruthless” kept his distance for the first half of the round and then began to potshot “The Juggernaut” with concussive punches. Lawler then landed a hard left knee and the follow-up caused the referee to stop the fight, awarding him a victory via stoppage.
The fourth prizefight featured the ageless Dan “Hendo” Henderson (30-11) locking horns with undefeated cage master Daniel “DC” Cormier (14-0) in a three round tilt at light heavyweight. Cormier was looking to solidify his career with a win over the legend. “DC” held a high guard to neutralize “Hendo’s” punches and then secured a solid takedown. Henderson was defending against the submissions while Cormier held side control. "DC" landed short punches to the head and body while Henderson attempted to standup. Henderson was able to land a few kicks but Cormier was in complete control of the bout. “Hendo” came to his feet and was clearly looking to land his signature strike the “H-Bomb” but was unsuccessful. “Hendo” came out in the second looking to land a big shot but “DC” kept distance and take Henderson to the floor. Cormier successfully used ground-and-pound with elbows and punches to the head of “Hendo.” “DC” managed to keep Henderson on the floor and control the action. Cormier stayed “heavy” throughout the round as he landed shots to the head with no mercy. Henderson headed to the corner with swollen eyes and a cut to his nose. The final round saw “DC” really open up his attack as he punished Henderson with hard punches, kicks, and takedowns. “Hendo” could not come to the feet and was getting beaten up, so Cormier secured a back mount and he choked out Henderson for the submission victory.
The final battle of the night hosted a title match when reigning bantamweight champion Renan “The Baron” Barao (34-1) met TJ Dillashaw (10-2). Dillashaw saw early success with his striking as the Brazilian champion was not able to find range. Dillashaw landed a thunderous right shot with less than a minute left that sent Barao to the mat, looking seriously hurt. TJ attacked furiously, looking for the finish, but the veteran champion was able to survive the round. “The Baron” seemed dazed while in the corner prior to the second round. The second saw the Brazilian land some good knee strikes and punches early. Dillashaw was cut over the right eye and tried to land another big shot but Barao was able to avoid any serious contact. There was a stoppage to the round after the champion landed an inside leg kick south of the border. Once the fight continued, Dillishaw was able to land hard rights over a lazy left jab by the champ. Dillashaw seemed in control of the bout as the second closed.
Dillashaw continued his frenzied pace as the third started by switching guard from southpaw to conventional while landing punches and kicks from a distance. “The Baron” attempted to stop his advancing adversary but was not able to mount any kind of consistent attack. The straight left hand landed at will for the American as Barao’s face showed the signs of a grueling affair. Dillashaw continued to his aggression in the fourth as he landed head kicks to the body and punches to the head. The Brazilian’s face was bloodied but he was courageous and dangerous. TJ kept dominating the standup match and he landed punches at will, further bloodying the champion. Dillashaw kept the pressure on and was clearly in control as the fourth closed. The final heat saw Dillashaw circling and picking his spots to land strikes while “The Baron” stalked, hoping to turn the momentum in his favor. Dillawshaw managed to land a hellacious kick to the head and followed up with a barrage of punches, leading the champion to the floor. Dillashaw attacked with ferocity and after landing many hard shots, the referee stopped the fight; Dillashaw managed to shock Barao.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
