UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn (pictured) retained his title on Saturday in the main event of UFC 101, submitting Kenny Florian in the fourth-round of their championship headliner to cap off the pay-per-view event, which took place at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
After stunning Florian several times over the first three rounds and stifling the challenger’s takedown attempts, Penn got a takedown of his own before taking Florian’s back. After softening him with kicks to the body, Penn secured a rear naked choke and Florian was forced to submit 3:54 into the fourth frame.
Penn (14-5-1) rebounds from a January welterweight loss to champion Georges St-Pierre by winning his fourth-straight fight at 155-pounds, while the loss for Florian (11-4), his first in nearly three-years, snaps a six-fight winning streak.
In the UFC 101 co-headliner, UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva returned to the light heavyweight division and silenced his critics, following up back-to-back lackluster wins with a first-round knckout of former 205-pound champ Forrest Griffin.
After an aggressive start by Griffin that saw him miss with a head kick attempt, Silva tagged Forrest with punches, sending him to the canvas twice, and taunted him to attack, leaving his hands at his waist. As Griffin again pressed forward Silva backpeddled, but connected with a compact right that sent Forrest to the canvas for a third and final time as the referee immediately stepped in and stopped the fight.
Knocked unconscious by the awkward-yet-powerful punch, Griffin quickly returned to his feet and ran out of the Octagon while Silva celebrated his return to form. “The Spider” (25-4) extends his win streak to 11-straight overall, including 10-straight UFC victories, while Griffin (16-6) has now lost two-straight.
In other main card action, Aaron Riley, Ricardo Almeida, and Kurt Pellegrino all picked up unanimous decision wins, while Johny Hendricks knocked out Amir Sadollah in just 29-seconds in a controversial stoppage.
The complete results for UFC 101 were:
- B.J. Penn (c) def. Kenny Florian via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 4, 3:54
UFC Lightweight Championship - Anderson Silva def. Forrest Griffin via KO (punch) — Round 1, 3:23
- Aaron Riley def. Shane Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Johny Hendricks def. Amir Sadollah via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:29
- Ricardo Almeida def. Kendall Grove via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kurt Pellegrino def. Josh Neer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- John Howard def. Tamdan McCrory via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Alessio Sakara def. Thales Leites via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
- Matthew Riddle def. Dan Cramer via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)
- George Sotiropoulos def. George Roop via submission (kimura) — Round 2, 1:59
- Jesse Lennox def. Danillo Villefort via TKO (cut) — Round 3, 3:37
Click here for more UFC 101 coverage.
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Im glad I didn’t make any picks for this card because I was 99% wrong. Penn was that 1% difference…makes me feel a little better, but damn AMIR, what happened!? Sucks.
Anderson and BJ performed
Well, Let me post it here first.
I’ve been saying for the last couple weeks that I thought that Forrest Griffin would defeat Anderson Silva via ref stoppage sometime in the third round, so you could see that I was just a wee bit off the mark on that one.
;)
Gratz to Silva, it was a hella fierce showing…
We had a debate at our viewing get together. I think Griffin was injured and that was why he took off for the locker room. I’m unsure if it would be orbital bone or jaw though. Any thoughts, big fella?
After watching Forrest hightail it out of the Octagon the way he did, I’m guessing his injury is more of an orbital bone thing than a jaw thing. A jaw thing hella hurts, but I’ve read that the orbital thing tends to freak people out.
I mean, your face is actually broken, and relatively close to your eye.
To my knowledge Griffin’s never done that before, he’s always been a good sportsman and never shown an opponent blatant disrespect by not standing for the announcement, so he was definitely injured IMO.
I can concur on the orbital it really freaks you out when it happens because your vision on that side can completely become hazy, not to mention you feel like your eye is about to fall out. I know I about freaked out when I broke mine awhile back.
turns out forrest broke his and couldnt hear out of one ear.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/5998996/Forrest-Griffin-camp-reveal-dislocated-jaw-as-Anderson-Silva-contemplates-Lyoto-Machida.html
haha left out jaw
When he lost to Jardine he tried to get out if i remember correctly but he was stopped. His interview with Rogan was 5 or 6 seconds and he just left.
I lost alot of respect for him from that fight not cause he lost but because of the sportsmanship. Then he did it again.. injury or not aren’t there physicians in the ring as soon as the fight ends.
Yea I didnt have good picks either. SILVA??? WTF…im still shocked…the guy is insane!!! Kenflo put up a good fight…and I think that amir stoppage was not right!…who knows maybe if he hadnt of stopped it hendricks would of landed another good punch to actually end it but i think he could of regained himself! I was really expecting a little more action in these fights and not so many decisions…it was a great card none the less!
The thought has been mentioned before, and I know it’s unlikely, but something about tonight really made me want to see Silva vs. Machida.
dude im a huge forrest fan was cheering for him the whole way, but tonight he just looked pathetic. this fight rmeinded me of thiago silva and lyoto machida. knocked down then knocked himm out with ease to say the least. i feel terrible for forrest he knew that was a joke of a perfomance he got up and ran out.
Or he was at the hospital before the end of the BJ fight, but don’t let facts get in the way.
KEEF you said it. Just what I was thinking, Forrest looked weird. Didn’t look like himself, just like Thiago.
You never look like yourself when you get outclassed. Machida did it to Thiago who is a brawler like Forrest. Anderson and Machida have pin point accuracy, fighters that want to stand toe-to-toe, will get eaten up! After Hendo, whose next for Anderson? Winner/loser of Rampage-Evans?
At LHW, possibly. The next middleweight will be Maia/Marquardt.
What about Okami? I wouldn’t mind seeing that before Silva retires.
There are two problems with Japanese fighters:
1) I don’t really think their style of fighting is well suited for the upper echelons of the UFC. There is just something missing, usually, and I think it’s the wrestling skills that most North American fighters have, but I could be wrong.
2) The size factor. This one is probably the bigger one. Or smaller one, in the case of the Japanese fighters. In Japan, the idea of cutting weight is mostly unheard of. If a guy fights at 185, he generally walks around in the vicinity of 185, unlike Silva who walks around in the 210 range or more. So come fight night, there is a 20 pound or so weight difference and that makes a giant difference in the cage. That isn’t such a problem at the much lower weights (welter, bantam, and feather) because guys aren’t generally that much bigger than their fighting weight, I don’t think. I think that’s why the Japanese fighters don’t really come over here and why there are so few impact Japanese fighters in the UFC. That’s also why I don’t think Okami is a serious contender.
You are dead on, the reason I asked was cause the Okami fight fell off the radar in a heart beat and Anderson will never fight Machida. I think Marquardt will beat Maia, so after Anderson finish’s Hendo and Nate, why not fight Okami? Retire out of the division by 100% beating everyone that is/was in that weight class today.
bsbiz- the ONLY disagreement I would have about Okami is that his wrestling is more the style of N. American wrestlers and He is a little different than most Japanese fighters in that he’s taller than most at 6’2″.
Now do I think it’ll be much different than the first fight he had with Anderson? Nope I see Anderson beating him as well. Still though since it was technically a win I would like to see him and Anderson square off to “settle” the score.
I can’t wait for Maia/Marquardt here in Oregon!
Also didn’t think Barn Cat would lose and what’s gonna happen with Leites? And can anyone tell me why Herb Dean wasn’t a ref on any fight? I have been off in Manilla for a few months and wasn’t able to get MMA updates.
Anderson looked great! But i really think that hendo will beat Anderson this time arounf!
Well just got back to the hotel, and grabbed a Lager for “last call” I ran into Amir coming out of the elevator he was butterflied up and look F~ing heated, he bolted onto 12 and Market didn’t stop
Kendall Grove and Shane Nelson looked upset (clearly) but stopped for fans before entering the elevator that was the 3rd time I spent with Rude Boy in the elevator, they were nice and well just looked upset
BarnCat apologized for losing when I said that he was in a great fight, no worries he still one of my favs
Silva is UNREAL and a super nice guy, more on that when I write in the forums
Penn what more can you say, just dominant the man is great bottom line..
I will write something up in the next day or sooo cheers to all and thx again ERIC that shhhit was MONEY!!!
Here is a great little nugget for all you conspiracy theorists out there who think Forrest Griffin took a fall on purpose:
When a fix is on, there is always an indication early in the going by the fixed participant to assure the gamblers that the fix is still on. Eddie Cicotte, starting pitcher for the 1919 White (Black) Sox, was ordered to plunk the first hitter of that World Series to assure the gambling henchmen that yes indeed the White Sox were about to let the Cincy Reds win the world series and that the fix was in affect. Sure enough he plunked the first hitter. The fix was on and the rest is history.
Fast forward to present day and as soon as the fight started, Joe Rogan immidiately pointed out that Forrest was going to start the fight out with a 1-2-headkick. Sure enough, that combo started the fight. Surely the fix was on. Right? Wrong!
While it makes for intereting storytelling, lets just end the discussion right here, right now. Forrest did not take the fall. He wasn’t “gotten to,” and no such conspiracy ever existed. Period.
I just thought it was at least noteworthy to discuss those mischievous similarities.
let all the forrest is garbage overrated, should be cut crap start… i have my thoughts on that fight and i will post on the forums when i sober up tommorow after noon. bj worked kenny, but i was starting to think bj was gassing until he took kenny down in the 4th, that RNC was beautiful. i dont think there is anyone at 155 that can beat bj, but thats my opinion.
If and when people post sh!t about Forrest Griffin, they’ll be making themselves look bad, not Forrest. It just shows how little they understand this sport, and what can happen when two men step onto the mat, or in this case into the cage, to test one another’s skills.
As for BJ Penn, we’ve been telling people over in the forum section for weeks that Penn was going to choke out Florian, but his diehard fans bought into his whole, “I’ma kill da Master!” rap.
No shame in losing to Penn, who is not only the best in the world at 155, but one of the best in the world period, as his 2 championships in 2 different weight classes attest to.
Sad to see people claiming Forrest threw the fight, he just got owned, plain and simple, as much as I hate to admit that.
dont be suprised when leites is cut later on this week or next week. i gots a feeling that will happen.
Anderson is just unbelievable. It seems as though other fighters are fighting in slow motion and he is in fast forward. I invited a few friends who are just casual fans over tonight to watch the ppv and they were having a good time but when Anderson fought they were shocked. One friend of mine said its like he is in the matrix. Like Keanu Reeves bending back to dodge and watch bullets flying by. Only in stead of bullets it was Forest’s punches. He was super impressive tonight. He says he won’t fight machida, ok after seeing him tonight I think he can hold his own and better in the hw divison. Lets see him take on someone like Frank Mir, Randy, Cain Velasquez, or even Brock. After tonight I think I’d put my money on Anderson if he were to fight Brock. I’m sorry I love Hendo but I dont see him or Maia or Marquardt or any other 185er coming close to a victory. I realize he’s got to go back to defend from time to time but if he really is going to retire after his contract is up I want to see crazy ass challenging fights.
BIGCHRIS, at the press conference Dana said (not Verbatim) that he wasn’t going to cut Leites.
LEX, dana has also said that maia was next in line to get a title shot at mw, then vitor would get it if he signed, then now hendo gets the title shot at anderson. so… yea
I keep saying it… Leites ruined it for expert grapplers who haven’t demonstrated good striking…yet
This card makes me look forward to the Strikeforce card on the 15th . Good win for anderson …… wasnt expecting him to win so quickly ,but , I figured he’d win . Still get the feeling that belfort will Ko him ……. more power in his hands than forrest Gump .. er Griffin . I actually wanted to see him fight against shogun next but that cant happen .figure Shogun would have finished him this time around.
Cant wait for the Machida -Rua fight ………….
PS Dr Doom is piss-drunk right now ……
On a side note I shot a 78 at legends of Arrow Head today in Phoenix ……
………………….
………………………
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAB……
Did I mention I was pissed ???
The Silva fight went pretty much the way I expected; no dissing Forrest, but he’s not in the same league. Anyone still doubt Silva has one punch ko power? To top it off, he was moving backwards.
On a lighter note, who thinks Hendricks looks like a mini version of AA? ;)
I was glad to see Pellgrino beat Neer…
You could possibly argue that the Amir fight was a bad stoppage, but Hendricks hust looked superb.
Marv Marinovich’s strength training paid off…will Diego get the next shot at BJ?
As for Silva/Griffin, Spider just did his thing. Interesting though, the reaction in the bar where I watched the ppv after his victory was sadly reminiscent of the coolness that went on at the BWW I was at, after Rashad put Liddell to sleep. Almost dead silence. It was like Caucasians were taking it personal or something. There’s something else behind that, I suspect..and that’s just sad.
Sad? Sad is someone bringing race into this forum to begin with. I have been to many private gatherings for UFCs that were all white, and never, I repeat NEVER, has anyone EVER made a comment on the race of a fighter.
You are the first I have seen comment on it, and it was the reverse of what is typically viewed as racism, go figure.
Sounds like the bar I was at. Everyone cheered loudly for Griffin and booed Silva. Then silence after the ko. Just goes back to Griffin being a fan(casual fan) favourite.
I agree, this has nothing to do with race, simply the fact that after Silva’s last two performances, most fans wanted Griffin to beat him, and Griffin’s general position as a fan favorite. Griffin is my favorite fighter, and to watch him get completely “PWND” was hard to swallow. I can understand how a bar full of drunk people who were their hoping to see Forrest shock the world would fall silent upon seeing his complete destruction.
i was 5 of the 12 right.
I find it so amusing that people are now saying that silva finally proved himself,he has ko power,he is the best p4p.You critics legitimitly thought he wasn’t as good as the hype?Based on his last to performances?To me it was planly obvious that he was far superior.I said all along that he would definatly prove against the right opponent.Unfortunely it had to be forest,who i was really pulling for but the result didn’t shock me a bit.So anyway welcome back to silva bandwagon.
another fantastic win for anderson silva dude is a machine he should fight fedor!!!!congrats to penn dont like him but he showed a lot of class in this fight!!Poor ole forrest u gotta take your beatin like a man u looked worse running away hahaha
BJ worked Kenny the whole fight. I think Kenny’s plan was a good one, but not for Penn. IF he was bigger and stronger it probably would of made a big difference. But props to BJ for bating him for the RNC. When he saw the opening it was like 1 second and he had that choke tight. Impressive.
I think there should be a time in everyday where everyone in the world gets on their knees towards brazil and worships Anderson Silva. This guy is amazing and a true artist. 10-0 in the octagon are you kidding me!? I think forrest almost peed himself when Silva started pounding his chest halfway through the fight. Probably the most beautiful knockout ever!!! No disrespect to the former champ he was just going against a god. best p4p fighter goes to silva hands down
BJ answered all the questions tonight and is now a true champ with his first title defense. I felt bad for kenflo it looked like his plan was kind of working but he needed more leg kicks and then bj got tired of him then took him to the ground and submitting him. And those kicks from bj off his back were ridiculous!
Hopefully we will see both champs fight again before the end of the year
there is no doubt in my mind
silva is pound for pound
and the best fighter that ever lived
i love fedor but come on guys
he is the king, and prolly would KO fedor
I had Silva via KO round 2, BJ via KO round 4, and Almeida via submission round 2.
No sense in boring you all with my full card predictions! :)
wow…Silva KO fedor? :o
I know this sounds crazy but if and probably when silva beats hendo, should we seriously start considering a lesnar silva super duper fight. Since Silva’s butt buddies with lyoto and won’t fight him, lets just give Silva the biggest and hardest test ever with brock. And as nonsense as this idea sounds i still see silva knocking him out in the first. But i think we would see silva and a orangutan before that ever happening but we can always dream
Do you think Silva is too big to take on GSP? Everyone wants to see Silva fight at Heavy, but what if he were to go to WW? Idk, don’t see it happening.
looks like Aaron Riley got some redemption
i agree with silva knocking out fedor he does not have a great chin and silva has ultimate ko power!!!!
What up fella’s
Grrrrreaaatttt Fights!!!!
Anderson Silva showed everyone he is truely the Best!!!!!! Oh My Goooodness!!!
I love Forrest But come on that was some serious pooooor sportsmanship!! And eveyone here knowss that. If you ever read any of my post you know I love Forrest but man come on!!! I dont wanna hear that crap oh he broke his eye bone or ear exploded crap!!!
B. J. shinned!! I gotta give him credit for sucking it up and admitting on the countdown show he just got his butt handed to him and now he is training harder and want to be a legit Prodigy!!
OHHHH
HAS ANYONE SEEN MARVEL KNIGHT 4 OR JAZZOK?????????????
It looked like Griffin took a dive while BJ Penn beat Florian, Florian still won Round 1 and Round two on the judges scorecards……
its simple nobody is going to beat silva!