After dominating from the onset with a mixture of accurate striking, Velasquez downed Nogueira with a right as they approached the midway point of the opening frame then finished him off with a series of unanswered punches on the ground that forced the referee to intervene.

Velasquez improves to 8-0 with the victory, including six-straight UFC wins, and remains in line for an eventual title shot that could come as early as July against champion Brock Lesnar, pending the outcome of a March interim title showdown between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. Nogueira falls to 32-6-1.

In the UFC 110 co-main event, Wanderlei Silva nearly finished Michael Bisping in his anticipated middleweight debut, but instead settled for a narrow unanimous decision over The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner.

Bisping earned the first round with a series of takedowns, but Silva turned things around in the second, first stuffing the takedowns then finally connecting with punches before nearly securing the finish with a late guillotine attempt. In the third, Silva continued to land combinations then appeared on his way to a last-second TKOafter downing Bisping in the closing seconds, but he was unable to finish with ground and pound before the final bell sounded.

Despite a back-and-forth battle and narrow second round, the judges unanimously awarded Silva the victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) to the visible disagreement of Bisping.

In other main card action, Australian George Sotiropoulos continued his climb up the lightweight ladder by outpointing former  challenger Joe Stevenson with superior grappling to earn a unanimous decision, while TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader scored a third-round knockout of Keith Jardine and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic slashed his was to a second-round TKO of late-replacement Anthony Perosh.

On the UFC 110 preliminary card, Krzysztof Soszyski gashed Stephan Bonnar with an accident headbutt in the third, but was awarded a TKO victory, Chris Lytle quickly submitted Brian Foster with an opening-round kneebar, CB Dollaway took a unanimous decision over Goran Reljic, and James Te Huna debuted in his home country with a third-round TKO of Igor Pokrajac.

The complete UFC 110 results were:

MAIN CARD

• Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via KO (punches) – Round 2, 2:20
• Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine via KO (punch) – Round 3, 2:10
• Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh via TKO (cut) – Round 2, 5:00

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonnar via TKO (cut) – Round 3, 1:04
• Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster via submission (kneebar) – Round 1, 1:41
• CB Dollaway def. Goran Reljic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• James Te Huna def. Igor Pokrajac via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:26

Pictured: Cain Velasquez

Former UFC and PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira weighed in at 233 pounds for his headlining bout with fellow heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez, who tipped the scale at 242 pounds.

Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping, who square off in the UFC 110 co-main event, both weighed in at the 185 pound middleweight limit.

SEE ALSO: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez Staredown, Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping Staredown

Stop back to MMAFrenzy.com tomorrow beginning at 8pm ET for LIVE UFC 110 coverage and UFC 110 results.

The complete weigh-in results for UFC 110 were:

MAIN CARD

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (106/234) vs. Cain Velasquez (110/243)
• Wanderlei Silva (84/185) vs. Michael Bisping (84/185)
• Joe Stevenson (70/154) vs. George Sotiropoulos (70/154)
• Ryan Bader (93/205) vs. Keith Jardine (93/205)
• Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (106/234) vs. Anthony Perosh (98/216)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Stephan Bonnar (93/205) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (93/205)
• Brian Foster (77/170)* vs. Chris Lytle (77/170)
• CB Dollaway (84/185) vs. Goran Reljic (84/185)
• James Te Huna (93/205) vs. Igor Pokrajac (93/205)

Weigh-in results listed as (kilograms/pounds)

* Foster weighed in at 78kg/172 pounds on his first attempt, but made weight at 77kg/170 pounds on his second try.

Pictured: Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping (via @danawhite)

Click here to check out the UFC 110 fight card, and for complete UFC 110 coverage, including live UFC 110 results this Saturday, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete UFC 110 coverage, and stop back on February 20 for live UFC 110 results.

The complete UFC 110 fight card includes:

MAIN CARD

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
• Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
• George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
• Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
• Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Chris Haseman vs. Elvis Sinosic
• Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
• Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle
• C.B. Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
• Igor Pokrajac vs. James Te Huna

Pictured: UFC 110 Poster

Also on the pay-per-view card is Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos, Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader, and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell, while a preliminary card bout between Elvis Sinosic and Chris Haseman was also announced.

“UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez” is also expected to include Goran Reljic vs. CB Dollaway, Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski, James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac, and Chris Lytle.

For complete UFC 110 coverage and the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Bader (10-0) defeated Vinny Magalhaes last December to win The Ultimate Fighter 8, then began his post-TUF career with a unanimous decision over Carmelo Marrero in April. After recovering from a knee injury, “Darth” Bader returned to action in October with a unanimous decision of Eric Schafer.

Jardine (14-6-1), a semi-finalist on The Ultimate Fighter 2, dropped a unanimous decision to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in March then suffered a first-round knockout to Thiago Silva in his most-recent fight in August. “The Dean of Mean” has earned notable wins over Brandon Vera, Chuck Liddell, and Forrest Griffin inside the Octagon, but has lost 3 of 4 and 4 of his past 6 bouts.

UFC 110, which airs live on pay-per-view on February 20 from the Acer Arena, is expected to be headlined by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez and is also likely to feature Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell, and Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos.

Tickets for the card, which was officially announced on Wednesday, go on sale on December 9 and are available to the general public beginning on December 11.

For the latest UFC 110 news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Ryan Bader

The longest suspension was dolled out to Portland-native Ed Herman, who is sidelined indefinitely from a fight-ending knee injury suffered early in the second round of his middleweight preliminary matchup with Aaron Simpson.

Headliners Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Randy Couture were both issued 30 day precautionary suspensions following their three-round war in the UFC 102 main event that saw Nogueira capture a unanimous decision win.

Only two other fighters were issued medical suspensions lasting more than 30 days, as a laceration will put Chris Tuchscherer out of action for 45 days, while Tim Hague must sit out 60 days following his 7-second knockout loss to Todd Duffee.

In addition to the suspensions listed below, all UFC 102 competitors were issued 7-day mandatory minimum suspensions.

The complete list of UFC 102 medical suspensions includes:

• Randy Couture – Suspended for 30 days
• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – Suspended for 30 days
• Keith Jardine – Suspended for 30 days
• Chris Leben – Suspended for 30 days and must undergo CT scan for possible facial fractures
• Demian Maia – Suspended for 21 days
• Krzysztof Soszynski – Suspended for 30 days due to laceration
• Ed Herman – Suspended indefinitely for injury to left knee and must be cleared by doctor to return
• Chris Tuchscherer – Suspended for 45 days due laceration
• Justin McCully – Suspended for 30 days for possible left eye injury
• Tim Hague – Suspended for 60 days
• Mark Munoz – Suspended for 30 days for right elbow sprain
• Marcus Aurelio – Suspended for 14 days

Note: Where no injury is specified, medical suspensions are for precautionary reasons.

Pictured: Ed Herman

Nougiera, who defeated Couture by unanimous decision in the evening’s main event, earned $400,000 for the victory, while Couture received $250,000 in the loss.

The disclosed payroll for the pay-per-view event was $1,285,000.

The disclosed fighter salaries for UFC 102 were:

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira ($400,000 – includes $150,000 bonus) def. Randy Couture ($250,000)
• Thiago Silva ($58,000 – $29,000 win bonus) def. Keith Jardine ($55,000)
• Jake Rosholt ($26,000 – $13,000 win bonus) def. Chris Leben ($30,000)
• Nate Marquardt ($80,000 – $40,000 win bonus) def. Demian Maia ($28,000)
• Brandon Vera ($70,0000 – $35,000 win bonus) def. Krzysztof Soszynski ($8,000)
• Aaron Simpson ($18,000 – $9,000 win bonus) def. Ed Herman ($24,000)
• Gabriel Gonzaga ($120,000 – $60,000 win bonus) def. Chris Tuchscherer ($10,000)
• Mike Russow ($20,000 – $10,000 win bonus) def. Justin McCully ($15,000)
• Todd Duffee ($10,000 – $5,000 win bonus) def. Tim Hague ($7,000)
• Mark Munoz ($24,000 – $12,000 win bonus) def. Nick Catone ($5,000)
• Evan Dunham ($14,000 – $7,000 win bonus) def. Marcus Aurelio ($13,000)

Remember, the salaries listed above are simply the figures the UFC is required to report to the OSAC, which exclude deductions for items such as taxes, licenses, and insurance, as well as additional payments, such as sponsorships, bonuses, and pay-per-view revenue.

For example, Nogueira and Couture, along with main card winners Nate Marquardt and Jake Rosholt, each took home an extra $60,000 “fight night” bonus for their performances on the card.

For more UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira coverage check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC 102 section.

Pictured: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

The pair went to war for the duration of the three-round bout, mixing it up on the feet with crisp striking that saw both legendary heavyweights connect with numerous combinations, while also showing off world class grappling when the fight hit the ground.

Nogueira proved to be too much for Couture on this night, as he was dropped to the canvas in the first and third rounds, and nearly submitted in both the first and second. “The Natural” fought through the chokes and survived the knockdowns to go the distance, but was unable to secure the finish he desperately needed to win the fight.

The judges awarded Nogueira a unanimous decision victory with scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 in what is certain to be the event’s “Fight of the Night”.

With the win, Nogueira improves to 32-5-1 and remains in the heavyweight title-hunt, while Couture falls to 16-10 in defeat and has now lost two-straight.

In the UFC 102 co-headliner, Thiago Silva bounced back from the first loss of his career earlier this year to Lyoto Machida with a first-round knockout of Keith Jardine. Silva, now 14-1 following the win, remains on the long list on contenders at 205-pounds, while Jardine drops to 14-6-1 and looks for answers after losing his second-straight and fourth in his last six fights.

Nate Marquardt needed just 21-seconds to knockout jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia in a battle of middleweight contenders on the UFC 102 main card, then promptly called out 185-pound champ Anderson Silva, though he’ll likely need to go through fellow-contender Dan Henderson to earn the rematch.

In other main card action, Jake Rosholt submitted a returning Chris Leben in the third-round to earn the first win of his UFC career, while Brandon Vera again looked lackluster at 205-pounds in picking up a unanimous decision over Krzysztof Soszynski to kick off the pay-per-view.

The UFC 102 prelims were highlighted by Todd Duffee’s record-setting 7-second knockout of Tim Hague in his UFC debut, snapping the promotion’s previous mark of 8-seconds held by James Irvin over Houston Alexander in 2008.

Aaron Simpson logged an impressive opening round against Ed Herman on the preliminary card, before improving to 6-0 on his young-career after Herman was unable to continue early in the second after suffering a knee injury.

Gabriel Gonzaga’s impressive first-round TKO of newcomer Chris Tuchscherer was marred by a brutal kick to the groin that nearly stopped the contest. Tuchscherer managed to continue after the accidental foul but wasn’t the same fighter, as he was quickly downed a head kick from Gonzaga and finished on the ground midway through the first.

Mike Russow, Mark Munoz, and Evan Dunham all picked up decision victories in the remaining preliminary fights.

The official results for UFC 102 were:

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Randy Couture via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Thiago Silva def. Keith Jardine via KO (punches) — Round 1, 1:35
• Jake Rosholt def. Chris Leben via submission (arm-triangle) — Round 3, 1:30
• Nate Marquardt def. Demian Maia via KO (punch) — Round 1, 0:21
• Brandon Vera def. Krzysztof Soszynski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Aaron Simpson def. Ed Herman via TKO (injury) — Round 2, 0:17
• Gabriel Gonzaga def. Chris Tuchscherer via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 2:27
• Mike Russow def. Justin McCully via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
• Todd Duffee def. Tim Hague via KO (punch) — Round 1, 0:07
• Mark Munoz def. Nick Catone via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
• Evan Dunham def. Marcus Aurelio via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Click here for more UFC 102 coverage, and stop by MMAFrenzy.com tomorrow for extensive post-UFC 102 coverage.

Pictured: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Couture, the 46-year-old UFC hall of famer and former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, weighed in at 220-pounds, while the former UFC and PRIDE title-holder Nogueira tipped the scale at 231-pounds.

Light heavyweights Keith Jardine (205) and Thiago Silva (205), who square off in the UFC 102 co-main event, and featured middleweight contenders Nate Marquardt (185) and Demian Maia (185) were all on weight for their main card matchups.

Don’t forget to stop by MMAFrenzy.com tomorrow for live UFC 102 results and coverage, as well our fight night recap and post-event news.

The complete weigh-in results for UFC 102 were:

MAIN CARD

• 265: Randy Couture (220) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (231)
• 205: Keith Jardine (205) vs. Thiago Silva (205)
• 185: Nate Marquardt (185) vs. Demian Maia (185)
• 205: Brandon Vera (205) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (205)
• 185: Chris Leben (185) vs. Jake Rosholt (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• 185: Ed Herman (185.5) vs. Aaron Simpson (185)
• 265: Gabriel Gonzaga (259) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (258)
• 265: Justin McCully (238) vs. Mike Russow (260)
• 265: Tim Hague(263.5) vs.Todd Duffee (251)
• 185: Nick Catone (185.5) vs. Mark Munoz (185.5)
• 155: Marcus Aurelio (156) vs. Evan Dunham (155)

Click here for more UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira coverage.