Couture, fighting at light heavyweight for the first time since 2006, edged Brandon Vera in the evening’s main event, battling through stinging body kicks to control the pace of the fight while landing occasional combinations to earn the unanimous nod.

Couture rebounded from back-to-back losses to improve to 17-10,  though he’ll likely need another win to earn a shot at the winner of the upcoming rematch between 205-pound title-holder Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua possible. Vera falls to 11-4 with the loss, snapping a two-fight winning streak.

In the UFC 105 co-headliner, Hardy stunned Mike Swick early then rocked him again in the second and third frames to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Hardy ups his record to 23-6 with the win, including four-straight inside the UFC to earn a shot at welterweight title-holder Georges St-Pierre early next year, while Swick had his four-fight win streak stopped in dropping to 14-3.

In other main card action, Michael Bisping rebounded with a second-round knockout of Denis Kang, Matt Brown scored a second-round knockout of James Wilks, and Ross Pearson earned a second-round TKO of Aaron Riley.

On the UFC 105 preliminary card, John Hathaway, Terry Etim, Nick Osipczak, Dennis Siver, Alexander Gustafsson, and Andre Winner all earned victories.

The complete results for UFC 105 were:

• Randy Couture def. Brandon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dan Hardy def. Mike Swick via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Michael Bisping def. Denis Kang via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 4:24
• Matt Brown def. James Wilks via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 2:27
• Ross Pearson def. Aaron Riley via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) — Round 2, 4:38
• John Hathaway def. Paul Taylor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Terry Etim def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 2, 1:24
• Nick Osipczak def. Matthew Riddle via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:53
• Dennis Siver def. Paul Kelly via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 2:53
• Alexander Gustafsson def. Jared Hamman via knockout (punches) — Round 1, 0:41
• Andre Winner def. Rolando Delgado via knockout (punch) — Round 1, 3:22

For complete UFC coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Both Couture and Vera tipped the scale at 204 pounds, while welterweight contenders Mike Swick (170) and Dan Hardy (171) and middleweight notables Michael Bisping (186) and Denis Kang (185) also made weight without issue.

The official weigh-in results for UFC 105 were:

MAIN CARD

• 205: Randy Couture (204) vs. Brandon Vera (204)
• 170: Mike Swick (170) vs. Dan Hardy (171)
• 185: Michael Bisping (186) vs. Denis Kang (185)
• 170: James Wilks (169) vs. Matt Brown (170)
• 155: Ross Pearson (156) vs. Aaron Riley (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• 170: Paul Taylor (170) vs. John Hathaway (170)
• 155: Terry Etim (155) vs. Shannon Gugerty (155)
• 170: Nick Osipczak (170) vs. Matthew Riddle (171)
• 155: Paul Kelly (156) vs. Dennis Siver (155)
• 205: Alexander Gustafsson (203) vs. Jared Hamman (204)
• 155: Andre Winner (155) vs. Roli Delgado (156)

Pictured: Randy Couture

Fighters Only and MMA Weekly reported the bouts on Thursday.

Kelly (9-1) enters UFC 105 off back-to-back wins over Troy Mandaloniz and Delgado, which improved his UFC record to 3-1 following a defeat of Paul Taylor and loss to Marcus Davis. After a 1-3 start to his UFC career, Siver has won his last three fights, including two-straight wins inside the Octagon against Nate Mohr and Dale Hartt.

Winner (9-3) suffered a unanimous decision loss to Ross Pearson at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June to fall to 0-2-1 in his last three fights since a late-2007 victory, while Delgado (6-4-1) had won three-straight, including a TUF 9 Finale victory over John Polakowski, before dropping a unanimous decision to Kelly at UFC 99 in June.

UFC 105 is expected to air on tape-delay on Spike TV from the MEN Arena in Manchester, and is likely to be headlined by Michael Bisping.

For the latest UFC 105 rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section.

Pictured: Paul Kelly

Silva connected with heavy punches throughout the 195-pound catchweight contest, but Franklin countered with frequent kicks and punches of his own. Both fighters were hurt on multiple occasions during the three-round, 15-minute bout, but the frequency of Franklin’s strikes were enough to earn him the unanimous decision victory.

As was the case with all of the card’s unanimous decisions, the official judge’s scores weren’t announced, but the fight appeared to be closer than the unanimous scores indicated (MMAFrenzy.com scored the bout 29-28 Franklin).

With the win, the former UFC middleweight champion Franklin, who now competes at light heavyweight, improves to 25-4, while Silva, a former PRIDE light heavyweight title-holder who is moving down to middleweight, falls to 32-10-1 following the loss.

In a battle of heavyweight contenders, Cain Velasquez used his superior wrestling to dominate Cheick Kongo en route to a unanimous decision victory in the UFC 99 co-headliner. Velasquez, now 6-0 in his young career with four-straight UFC victories, should meet another contender in the 265-pound division in his next bout with fellow wrestling prospect Shane Carwin among his potential opponents. Kongo, meanwhile, must improve his ground game if he’s to climb back up the heavyweight ladder towards a title shot, as Velasquez easily secured mount and rained down ground and pound throughout the bout.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic successfully made his return to the Octagon at UFC 99, dispatching of Mostapha Al-Turk with punches midway through the opening round of their heavyweight fight. An accidental eye gouge that set up Cro Cop’s finishing flurry was the only blemish on the bout, but appeared to have little affect on the result as Al-Turk had been staggered with punches moments earlier. Unbeaten in his last four fights, Cro Cop improves to 25-6-2, while Al-Turk falls to 6-5, including an 0-2 mark in the UFC, and should soon find himself released by the promotion.

Mike Swick stopped Ben Saunders with punches in the second round of their welterweight contest on Saturday at the Lanxess Arena, lining himself up for a fight against a 170-pound contender, with the loser of July’s matchup between current champion Georges St-Pierre and Thiago Alves, Martin Kampmann, or Carlos Condit among the possibilities. Swick is now 14-2 on his career with wins in 9 of 10 UFC bouts, while Saunders drops to 7-1 with the first loss of his career.

In other main card action, Spencer Fisher spoiled Caol Uno’s UFC return with a unanimous decision victory and Dan Hardy won the biggest fight of his career by outpointing Marcus Davis via unanimous decision in the pay-per-view opener.

The event’s official results were:

• Rich Franklin def. Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision
• Cain Velasquez def. Cheick Kongo via unanimous decision
• Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Mostapha Al-Turk via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:06
• Mike Swick def. Ben Saunders via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 3:47
• Spencer Fisher def. Caol Uno via unanimous decision
• Dan Hardy def. Marcus Davis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Terry Etim def. Justin Buchholz via submission (D’Arce choke) — Round 2
• Denis Siver def. Dale Hartt via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 1
• Paul Taylor def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision
• Paul Kelly def. Roli Delgado via unanimous decision
• Stefan Struve def. Denis Stojnic via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 2, 2:37
• John Hathaway def. Rick Story via unanimous decision

[Pictured: Rich Franklin]

Surprisingly, the staredown between Marcus Davis and Dan Hardy appeared tame compared to the shoving matches that broke out between preliminary card fighters Roli Delgado and Paul Kelly and Denis Stojnic and Stefan Struve.

MMAFrenzy.com will have live coverage of UFC 99 tomorrow beginning at noon ET.

The official weigh-in results for UFC 99 were:

• 195: Rich Franklin (194) vs. Wanderlei Silva (194)
• 265: Cain Velasquez (239) vs. Cheick Kongo (230)
• 170: Ben Saunders (169) vs. Mike Swick (169)
• 170: Marcus Davis (171) vs. Dan Hardy (170)
• 155: Spencer Fisher (154) vs. Caol Uno (155)
• 265:Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (233) vs. Mostapha Al-Turk (236)
• 155: Justin Buchholz (155) vs. Terry Etim (156)
• 155: Dale Hartt (156) vs. Denis Siver (156)
• 170: Peter Sobotta (169) vs. Paul Taylor (169)
• 155: Roli Delgado (155) vs. Paul Kelly (156)
• 265: Denis Stojnic (241) vs. Stefan Struve (248)
• 170: John Hathaway (170) vs. Rick Story (169)

Bobby Lashley

• Jason Guida has agreed to replace Ken Shamrock and fight Bobby Lashley on March 21st in the MMA main event of “March Badness,” a hybrid boxing/MMA card taking place in Pensacola, Florida.
• Welterweights Dong Hyun Kim and Jonathan Goulet will square off at UFC 100 on July 11th in Las Vegas.
• UFC newcomer Edgar Garcia will debut against fellow-welterweight Brad Blackburn at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale on June 20th in Las Vegas.
• Paul Kelly will make his lightweight debut against Roli Delgado at UFC 99 on June 13th in Cologne, Germany.
• A lightweight matchup featuring Matt Grice and Shannon Gugerty has been added to UFC 100.

Stefan Struve

Heavyweights Stefan Struve (16-3, 0-1 UFC) and Denis Stojnic (5-2, 0-1 UFC) will square off at UFC 99 with the loser sent packing from the promotion.

Welterweights Paul Taylor (9-1, 2-1 UFC) and newcomer Peter Sobotta (8-1) will also meet at the June 13th event in Cologne, Germany.

Fighters Only first reported the bouts earlier today.

For the latest UFC 99rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section.

Josh Koscheck

• Welterweight Nick Thompson has signed with Strikeforce.
• After undergoing a knee surgery following his UFC 92 loss to CB Dollaway, UFC middleweight Mike Massenzio will soon undergo neck surgery to repair several bulging discs that are causing stingers. He’ll be sidelined for six months to recover from the surgeries.
• A heavyweight boxing match featuring Tim Sylvia and Ray Mercer will headline Adrenaline MMA’s third event, which will take place on May 30th in Atlantic City.
• Sengoku Seventh Battle will air live on HDNet while DREAM 7 will be broadcast on the network on tape delay.
• Following his UFC 95 unanimous decision win over Troy Mandaloniz (which earned “Rude Boy” his release from the promotion), Paul Kelly will drop to the 155-pound lightweight division.
• Rory Markham fought (and ultimately lost) to Dan Hardy in the UFC 95 co-main event with a collapsed lung.
• Tickets for UFC Fight Night 18, which takes place on April 1st at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee and is headlined by Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann, start at just $20 with floor seats maxing out at a mere $200.
• Following his loss to newcomer Paulo Thiago at UFC 95, Josh Koscheck will return to action at UFC 98 in May.
• Bellator Fighting Championship this week announced the signings of lightweight Daniel Morales, welterweights Omar De La Cruz and Jorge Ortiz, and featherweights Estevan Payan and Luis Palomino. The promotion also announced that its April 3rd event will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida and will feature the first round of featherweight, lightweight, and middleweight tournaments.
• Georges St-Pierre’s camp filed an official response to the NSAC this week concerning allegations of intentional greasing during his UFC 94 win over BJ Penn.
• UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon will be sidelined a minimum of twelve months to recover from a knee surgery he’ll undergo next week.
• UFC veteran Din Thomas has signed a three-fight contract with Affliction.
• Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Ross Ebanez has been added to DREAM 7 on March 7th.
• Todd Duffee vs. Mustapha Al-Turk has been added to rumored lineup for UFC 99.

Diego Sanchez attempts a flying knee against Joe Stevenson at UFC 95

Diego Sanchez was victorious in his lightweight debut at UFC 95, topping Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision on Saturday in London. Newcomer Paulo Thiago upset welterweight contender Josh Koscheck via first-round knockout on a card filled filled with stoppages.

Dan Hardy is likely to receive a step up in competition for his next bout after dispatching of Rory Markham with punches in just over one-minute in the evening’s co-main event.

Middleweight contenders Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia may be on a collision course after both picked up impressive victories over Wilson Gouveia and Chael Sonnen respectively at UFC 95.

$40,000 fight night bonuses were awarded to four UFC 95 fighters for their performances at the event. Sanchez and Steveson received “Fight of the Night” honors, Thiago earned “Knockout of the Night”, and Maia received the “Submission of the Night” award.

The event’s full results were:

• Diego Sanchez def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Dan Hardy def. Rory Markham via KO (punches) — Round 1, 1:09
• Nate Marquardt def. Wilson Gouveia via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:10
• Demian Maia def. Chael Sonnen via submission (triangle choke) — Round 1, 2:37
• Paulo Thiago def. Josh Koscheck via KO (punches) — Round 1, 3:29
• Terry Etim def. Brian Cobb via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 0:10
• Junior dos Santos def. Stefan Struve via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:54
• Evan Dunham def. Per Eklund via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 2:14
• Mike Ciesnolevicz def. Neil Grove via submission (heel hook) — Round 1, 1:03
• Paul Kelly def. Troy Mandaloniz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-28)

Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson

Welcome to MMAFrenzy.com’s live coverage of UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson, which takes place today at the 02 Arena in London England.

Former welterweight contender Diego Sanchez makes his anticipated lightweight debut against former 155-pound challenger Joe Stevenson in the UFC 95 headliner. The event’s main card also features Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham, Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen, and Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago.

MMAFrenzy.com’s live coverage of UFC 95 begins at 1pm ET with preliminary card results followed by main card results beginning at 3pm ET. As a reminder, UFC 95 will air on Spike TV on a tape delay beginning at 9pm ET. If you wish to avoid spoilers do not read further.

Stick with MMAFrenzy.com after the fights for our UFC 95 recap and post-event news.

UFC 95 QUICK RESULTS

• Diego Sanchez def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Dan Hardy def. Rory Markham via KO (punches) — Round 1, 1:09
• Nate Marquardt def. Wilson Gouveia via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:10
• Demian Maia def. Chael Sonnen via submission (triangle choke) — Round 1, 2:37
• Paulo Thiago def. Josh Koscheck via KO (punches) — Round 1, 3:29
• Terry Etim def. Brian Cobb via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 0:10
• Junior dos Santos def. Stefan Struve via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:54
• Evan Dunham def. Per Eklund via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 2:14
• Mike Ciesnolevicz def. Neil Grove via submission (heel hook) — Round 1, 1:03
• Paul Kelly def. Troy Mandaloniz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-28)