Gabriel Gonzaga

Six UFC 96 fighters have been issued medical suspensions by the Ohio Athletic Commission following their bouts on Saturday at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Pete Sell, Mike Patt, and Jason Day each received 30-day precautionary suspensions for their UFC 96 TKO losses.

Gabriel Gonzaga and Mark Munoz were both issued 60-day suspensions following their knockout losses on the evening’s main card.

Ryan Madigan, who suffered a first-round knockout to Tamdan McCrory on the event’s preliminary card, has been suspended indefinitely due to an eye injury suffered in the bout and will have to be medically cleared before being eligible to return to action.

For more UFC 96 coverage check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC 96 archive.

Quinton Jackson

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson took home nearly half of the disclosed $762,000 payroll at UFC 96, earning $325,000 for his unanimous decision victory over Keith Jardine in the evening’s headliner. Jardine received $55,000 for the losing effort.

UFC 96 took place on Saturday at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio and the Ohio State Athletic Commission today released the official salaries for the pay-per-view event.

Other top earners included Gabriel Gonzaga ($60,000), Brandon Vera ($60,000), Kendall Grove ($44,000), and Matt Hamill ($40,000).

UFC 96 drew a sell-out crowd of 17,033 for a live gate of $1.8 million.

The official salaries exclude some bonuses (including “fight night” bonuses), taxes, fees, sponsor payments, and other miscellaneous payments and fees.

The official salaries for UFC 96 were:

• Quinton Jackson ($325,000 – includes $100,000 win bonus) def. Keith Jardine ($55,000)
• Shane Carwin ($32,000 – includes $16,000 win bonus) def. Gabriel Gonzaga ($60,000)
• Matt Brown ($16,000 – includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Pete Sell ($12,000)
• Matt Hamill ($40,000 – includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Mark Munoz ($12,000)
• Gray Maynard ($20,000 – includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Jim Miller ($9,000)
• Tamdan McCrory ($20,000 – includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Ryan Madigan ($3,000)
• Kendall Grove ($44,000 – includes $22,000 win bonus) def. Jason Day ($5,000)
• Jason Brilz ($10,000 – includes $5,000 win bonus) def. Tim Boetsch ($12,000)
• Brandon Vera ($60,000 – includes $30,000 win bonus) def. Mike Patt ($5,000)
• Shane Nelson ($16,000 – includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Aaron Riley ($6,000)

Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine Exchange Punches at UFC 96

Former UFC light heavyweight champion and top 205-pound contender Quinton “Rampage” Jackson topped Keith Jardine on Saturday via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 96 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The event, the promotion’s third-straight March event in Columbus, drew an official attendance of 17,033 for a live gate of $1.8 million.

The opening round of the headliner saw Jardine edge Jackson on the majority of the judge’s scorecards, clinching with Jackson from the opening bell and looking for a takedown midway through the frame while nearly completely neutralizing Jackson from doing any damage.

Jardine opened the second with wild punches the failed to find their mark before “Rampage” sent him to the canvas with a left hook. Despite Jackson’s best efforts Jardine quickly returned to his feet but the tide had turned. After briefly taking Jardine to the ground midway through the round, Jackson closed the frame with a late flurry, winning the round with 10-9 scores from all three judges.

After briefly exchanging early in the third, Jackson again took Jardine down but the fighters were quickly back on their feet. Jackson continued to look for an opening to finish Jardine but none were presented. Instead, he slowly wore Jardine down over the final minutes before finally sending him to the canvas with a last-second combo. The flurry sealed the victory for Jackson, who received scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.

Immediately after Jackson was declared the winner in the evening’s headliner the UFC offered him a bout against title-holder Rashad Evans which would headline UFC 98 on May 23rd in Las Vegas. Provided he’s injury free and up for the quick turnaround “Rampage” is expected to accept the opportunity to attempt to reclaim the light hevyweight belt.

Shane Carwin proved he’s among the promotion’s top heavyweights on Saturday with a knockout of former title-challenger Gabriel Gonzaga just over one minute into the UFC 96 co-main event.

Matt Brown, Matt Hamill, and Gray Manard also picked up main card victories, while Tamdan McCrory, Kendall Grove, Jason Brilz, Brandon Vera, and Shane Nelson were victorious on the UFC 96 preliminary card.

The UFC awarded $60,000 fight-night bonuses to Jackson, Jardine, and Hamill for their performances with Jackson and Jardine taking home “Fight of the Night” honors while Hamill received “Knockout of the Night” for his first-round head kick KO of Mark Munoz. A “Submission of the Night” award was not given out as none of the evening’s ten bouts ended via submission.

The event’s complete results were:

• Quinton Jackson def. Keith Jardine via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Shane Carwin def. Gabriel Gonzaga via knockout (punch) — Round 1, 1:09
• Matt Brown def. Pete Sell via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:32
• Matt Hamill def. Mark Munoz via knockout (head kick) — Round 1, 3:53
• Gray Maynard def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Tamdan McCrory def. Ryan Madigan via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:35
• Kendall Grove def. Jason Day via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:32
• Jason Brilz def. Tim Boetsch via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Brandon Vera def. Mike Patt via TKO (leg kick) — Round, 1:27
• Shane Nelson def. Aaron Riley via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:44

UFC 96 Poster

The weigh-ins at Nationwide arena are now completed for tomorrow night’s UFC 96. All twenty fighters made weight including the headliners Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (205), and Kieth Jardine (204). Full Weigh-In results are included below.

UFC 96 is scheduled to take place tomorrow night, at the Nationwide arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Pay-Per-View televised portion of the event is scheduled to begin tomorrow night at 7pm PST/10pm EST.

MAIN CARD

• Quinton Jackson (205) vs. Keith Jardine (204)
• Shane Carwin (259.5) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (257.5)
• Matt Brown (170.5) vs. Pete Sell (170)
• Matt Hamill (205) vs. Mark Munoz (204.5)
• Gray Maynard (155) vs. Jim Miller (154.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Ryan Madigan (169) vs. Tamdan McCrory (170)
• Jason Day (184.5) vs. Kendall Grove (185)
• Tim Boetsch (205) vs. Jason Brilz (204)
• Michael Patt (204.5) vs. Brandon Vera (205)
• Shane Nelson (155) vs. Aaron Riley (155)

The matchup headlined UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” at the sold-out Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois just outside of Chicago.

After a close first round that saw Silva do the most damage with a kick to the head in the final minute, the fight went to the ground in the second. Though Silva again did more damage Cote challenged Silva and went toe-to-toe with him on the feet.

But in the third round, Cote, who became the first fighter to make it past two rounds with Silva in the UFC, suffered a fight ending knee injury just 39-seconds into the frame and the bout was immediately halted, awarding the TKO victory to Silva.

Despite a close start to the fight, the crowd was displeased with both main event fighters and the anti-climactic finish. Silva showboated throughout the matchup, bowing to Cote at the end of the first round, offering to help him up off the ground, and playing games throughout, while Cote was booed for being unable to continue, despite doing his best to keep fighting.

After the fight, Silva apologized to the crowd for his performance and asked the fans not to boo, while Cote revealed that he likely tore his meniscus, re-aggravating a prior injury.

The disappointing main event finish dampened an otherwise solid night of fights that saw Thiago Alves top Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision, effectively assuring him of a welterweight title shot in his next bout, Gray Maynard wrestle his way to a unanimous decision victory over Rich Clementi, Junior Dos Santos upset heavyweight contender with a highlight reel uppercut knockout, and Sean Sherk and Tyson Griffin go toe-to-toe in an exciting bout to kick off the UFC 90 broadcast.

In preliminary action middleweight contender Thales Leites submitted Drew McFedries early in the opening round, Spencer Fisher earned “Submission of the Night” honors for his third-round triangle choke submission of Shannon Gugerty, Dan Miller bested Matt Horwich via unanimous decision, Hermes Franca topped Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision, and Pete Sell took out Josh Burkman via unanimous decision.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20
• Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18
• Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56
• Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC 90 is headlined by a middleweight title clash as 185-pound king Anderson Silva battles challenger Patrick Cote. Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves and Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos are also slated for the PPV main card.

QUICK RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20
• Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18
• Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56
• Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

NEWS AND NOTES

• After their entrances Hermes Franca shoved Marcus Aurelio as he was circling the cage but the altercation was quickly broken up. The blood blood was very evident at the end of the matchup as Franca went to shake hands with Aurelio, but was rebuked and retaliated by flipping Aurelio off.
• There’s a minor lineup change as Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk kicks off the UFC 90 PPV broadcast in place of Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi, which will presumably be the second televised bout.
• Though many predicted a boring decision for Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin it was quite the opposite, as the lightweight wrestling specialists engaged in an exciting standup war to kick off the UFC 90 main card.
• Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos has also been pushed ahead of Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi and is up next. The relatively-unknown Dos Santos is definitely capable of an upset in this matchup, training alongside Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira among others. Wedum, though, is considerably larger than we’ve seen him in the past and has a distinct advantage if the fight goes to the ground.
• As predicted Junior Dos Santos earns a stunning upset, knocking out heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum just over a minute into their matchup. As expected, Dos Santos avoided going to the ground with Werdum and it paid off as he connected with a highlight reel uppercut knockout that bloodied his opponent and forced the referee to step in and halt the contest.
• As the pace picked up late in the third round between Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck and both fighters traded punches both Alves and the referee failed to hear the final bell and Alves got a late takedown as Koscheck eased up but Alves continued to fight.
• After his bout against Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves was overheard saying that he likely suffered a broken thumb in the bout. With the win Alves has now won seven-straight bouts, including recent wins over fellow-contenders Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck, and is likely next in line for a welterweight title shot.

ROUND-BY-ROUND COVERAGE

ANDERSON SILVA VS. PATRICK COTE
UFC Middleweight Championship

ROUND 1 — Little action in the first as both fighters look for opening. Silva throws several big low kicks early. Closing in on the final minute of the opening round both fighters open up and Silva connects first with a kick to the chin  but Cote weathers and fires back with a solid combination of his own. Another nice leg kick by Silva as Cote remain active. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Silva.

ROUND 2 — Anderson Silva claims the second round with better striking, but Cote is holding his own against the champion. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Silva.

ROUND 3 — Cote makes UFC history by making it to the third round with Silva. Silva misses with a jab and Cote moves forward but falls to the canvas in pain. Cote’s blown out his knee and the fight is immediately waved off.

Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39

JOSH KOSCHECK VS. THIAGO ALVES

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and both fighters open with punches. Alves stuns Koscheck with a punch and he continues to pour it on with strikes, but Koscheck quickly recovers. Head kick by Alves. Right by Koscheck. Low kick and punch combo by Alves. Koscheck counters with another combo led by a big right. Another leg kick by Alves. Yet another right by Koscheck. Alves throws a kick to the body but Koscheck catches it and pushes Alves against the fence but he escapes and they separate. More leg kicks by Alves to close out the first. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 2 — Koscheck misses an early uppercut but he continues to push forward and lands an overhand right and leg kick. Alves counters with more leg kicks. Head kick by Koscheck followed by a pair of knees. They clinch against the cage but Alves backs out. More kicks for Alves but Koscheck returns a kick to the body. Uppercut by Alves followed by an inside leg kick. They exchange strikes then Koscheck shoots in for a takedown but Alves defends well, remaining on his feet and clinching against the fence. They tussle for position against the cage to round out the second. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 3 — Alves staggers Koscheck early with an extended series of strikes, including a big knee, but he again recovers and clinches with Alves. Alves accidentally pokes Koscheck in the eye as they separate from the clinch, but they quickly resume. Alves continues to connect with kicks. Koscheck accidentally pokes Alves in the eye and the fight is again halted, but quickly restarts. Leg kick after leg kick connects for Alves. Huge leg kick nearly knocks Koscheck to the canvas. Another big kick for Alves. Both fighters trade punch combos in the waning seconds and the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

GRAY MAYNARD VS. RICH CLEMENTI

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and it’s a tenuous start as both fighters get a feel for one another. Both start to open up a minute in with Maynard connecting first. Clementi comes back with kicks to the body. Good right by Maynard connects. Takedown attempt is stuffed by Clementi. Maynard throwing big punches but little connects. Clementi keeps the pressure on and looks for an opening but Maynard secures a takedown and works from Clementi’s half guard. Punches and elbows from the top by Maynard as Clementi looks for submissions and escapes. They exchange on the ground to close out the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard.

ROUND 2 — Maynard opens up with punches. Low kick by Clementi. Maynard presses Clementi to the cage but they separate. They trade punches. Maynard shoots and secures another takedown. Maynard gets a guillotine and Clementi gets back to his feet but the submission is still in place. Clementi escapes but Maynard puts him back on the ground and avoids a triangle attempt. Clementi continues to work for a submission but Maynard escapes. Maynard attempts ground and pound from half guard but Clementi does a good job neutralizing him. Body shots from Maynard. Clementi does his best to escape but Maynard maintains control on the ground for the remainder of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard.

ROUND 3 — Another quick takedown for Maynard to open the final round as he slams Clementi to the canvas. Clementi attempts to escape but Maynard is too strong and skilled and keeps him on the bottom. Maynard passes to side control then Clementi escapes back to his feet underneath, but Maynard qickly puts him back on the ground. Clementi transitions to the top and nearly takes Maynard’s back, but Maynard shrugs him off and puts Clementi on his back again before the bout comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard and the bout 30-27 Maynard.

Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

JUNIOR DOS SANTOS VS. FABRICIO WERDUM

ROUND 1 — Tentative strikes from both fighters to open the bout. Werdum throws kicks to the body early and Dos Santos fires back a low kick of his own. Wedum closes and tries to clinch, but Dos Santos backs away, preferring to strike. It’s a highlight reel knockout as Dos Santos floors Werdum with a huge uppercut and finishes him off with punches on the ground to force the referee to intervene.

Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20

SEAN SHERK VS. TYSON GRIFFIN

ROUND 1 –Sherk and Griffin touch gloves and both fighters trade punches. Sherk immediately shoots for a takedown and presses Griffin against the fence. Sherk quickly takes his back and gets both hooks in but Griffin shakes him off. Hard low kick by Griffin. Sherk counters with a right and uppercut then shoots and secures another takedown. Griffin gets back to his feet and works knees to the body of Sherk from the clinch. They separate and Griffin lands a right. Sherk with an uppercut, then they trade kicks. Crisp and accurate striking from both fighters. Griffin misses with a head kick. Griffin shoots for a takedown and Sherk stuffs it. Griffin appears tired and Sherk again takes his back but gives it up and returns to striking. Big left by Griffin is countered by a combo from Sherk as the exciting first round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk.

ROUND 2 — They pick up where they left off and trade punches then Sherk gets another quick takedown but Griffin works back to his feet but gets punished by Sherk. Combo by Sherk has Griffin backpeddling. Both fighters working solid combinations with Sherk seemingly getting the better of the exchanges. Body shots by Griffin followed by a pair of leg kicks. Griffin fades as the round wears on and Sherk senses it and goes for a takedown but backs away and fires punches. Griffin counters, missing another head kick. Griffin drops his hands and Sherk connects with single punches late. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk.

ROUND 3 — Griffin swings for the fences early and surprises Sherk, but he recovers and counters with a hard combo of his own. They settle in and trade more wild punches. Combination after combination for Sherk connect and Griffin offers little in return. Griffin with a kick and body shot. Sherk misses with a knee. More combinations for Sherk as the bout enters the final minute. Griffin lands another leg kick but Sherk has him backpeddling with a last-second combo. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk and the bout 30-27 Sherk, though the fight is much closer than the score indicates and is a definite "Fight of the Night" candidate.

Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

THALES LEITES VS. DREW MCFEDRIES

ROUND 1 — Leites quickly gets McFedries to the ground, takes his back, and locks in a rear naked choke that forces McFedries to tap early in the opening round.

Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18

SPENCER FISHER VS. SHANNON GUGERTY

ROUND 1 — Low kicks from Gugerty to open the fight. They clinch and Gugerty secures an early takedown. Fisher works back to his feet and connects with an elbow in the clinch. Another hard elbow by Fisher. Fisher takes control and works strikes, while Gugerty looks for another takedown. Fisher drops Gugerty with a right late and Gugerty unsuccessfully works for another takedown. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

A large cut over Gugerty’s left eye is checked between rounds, but he’s cleared to continue.

ROUND 2 — More kicks from Gugerty to start the second, but he slips to the canvas then gets back to his feet and clinches with Fisher. They separate and Fishers gets a takedown and works a guillotine, but Gugerty escapes. Back on their feet, Gugerty throws high kicks, but Fisher gets another takedown and ends the round on top in Gugerty’s guard. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

ROUND 3 — Fisher and Gugerty clinch early, then separate. More kicks from Gugerty, who eventually gets Fisher back to the canvas. Fisher locks on a triangle choke from the bottom and Gugerty initially survives, but Fisher repositions and Gugerty is forced to tap late in the third.

Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56

DAN MILLER VS. MATT HORWICH

ROUND 1 –Miller gets an early takedown and tees off with rights on the ground. Up kick by Horwich connects, then Miller escapes an omoplata attempt. Horwich works back to his feet and lands knees in the clinch, but Miller gets him back to the canvas. Miller works short punchs from the top while Horwich looks for submissions. They again return to their feet and clinch. Miller connects with a combo then gets another takedown. Horwich again secures an omoplata, but Miller escapes before the first round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Miller.

ROUND 2 — Miller is stunned by an early left, but recovers and secures another takedown. They quickly return to their feet and Horwich attempts an armbar but Miller escapes into Horwich’s guard. Horwich transitions to the top then takes Miller’s back and attempts a rear naked choke, but Miller defends. Horwich claims full mount and Miller is again forced to give up his back. The round comes to a close as Horwich is working for another rear naked choke. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Horwich.

ROUND 3 — A takedown by Miller opens up the third. Another attempted omoplata by Horwich is escaped by Miller. From Horwich’s rubber guard Miller presses Horwich against the fence, but he initially shows little offense. Upon the crowd’s urging Miller picks up the pace and works sone ground and pound opening a cut up under Horwich’s eye before the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Miller and the bout 29-28 Miller.

Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

HERMES FRANCA VS. MARCUS AURELIO

ROUND 1 — Franca connects early with kicks, while Aurelio counters with jabs. Franca continues with kicks and wild punches. Aurelio continues with jabs. Straight right, low kick combo by Franca connects. Franca is more effective and aggressive as the slow opening round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca.

ROUND 2 — More kicks from Franca to start the second, who changes things up with a mixture of high and low kicks. Aurelio attempts a takedown, but Franca defends and counters. Aurelio returns to the jab, but Franca continues to cause damage to Aurelio’s legs with kicks. Right by Aurelio connects, but Franca counters with yet another kick. The crowd gets restless as the ground fighters continue to stand and exchange. The fighters trade late, but little lands until Franca scores another low kick just before the bell. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca.

ROUND 3 — Franca is aggressive early with more kicks, but Aurelio gets a takedown into half guard and works ground and pound from the top. Franca tries to return to his feet but Aurelio connects with an accidental-but-illegal knee while he’s on his way up and the bout’s temporarily halted to allow Franca time to recover. Aurelio has a takedown stuffed once the action resumes and the fighters separate. Franca attempts a late combo but misses and the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca and the bout 30-27 Franca.

Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

PETE SELL VS. JOSH BURKMAN

ROUND 1 — Burkman and Sell circle early and get a feeling for the fight. They trade kicks then clinch against the fence. They quickly separate and Burkman connects with a big right then secures a takedown. Burkman throws elbows from half guard then allows Sell to return to his feet. Another takedown by Burkman, but Sell has full guard and Burkman again allows him back up. Foot stomps from Burkman as the fighters clinch again. The fighters exchange briefly before the close of the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Burkman.

ROUND 2 — The fighters trade punches with Burkman getting the better of the exchange. Sell looks for a takedown but Burkman fends it off. Burkman counters Sell with a left and connects, but Sell quickly recovers. Sell fires back and Burkman trips backwards, then they clinch. Sell starts to connect with more frequency as Burkman begins to gas. More offense from Sell late, but Burkman closes out the round with a late takedown. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sell.

ROUND 3 — Burkman lands an early knee then Sell looks for a takedown but Sell stuffs it again. After a brief exchange Sell again tries for a takedown but it unsuccessful. Neither fighter is able to connect but Sell is agressive. Another knee from Burkman following an unsuccessful takedown attempt. Sell connecting with the jab. Burkman is gassed and backs away from Sell, who finally secures a takedown late in the fight and works a neck crank as the fight concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sell and the bout 29-28 Sell.

Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

All other fighters, including headliners Anderson Silva (184) and Patrick Cote (183), successfully made weight.

• 185: Anderson Silva (184) vs. Patrick Cote (183)
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• 170: Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Thiago Alves (171)
• HWT: Junior dos Santos (234) vs. Fabricio Werdum (256)
• 155: Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Sean Sherk (156)
• 155: Gray Maynard (155) vs. Rich Clementi (156)
• 185: Drew McFedries (186) vs. Thales Leites (186)
• 155: Shannon Gugerty (156) vs. Spencer Fisher (155)
• 185: Matt Horwich (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
• 155: Marcus Aurelio (156) vs. Hermes Franca (156)
• 170: Pete Sell (170) vs. Josh Burkman (171)*

* Burkman initially weighed in at 173 pounds, two pounds over the 171 pound welterweight limit, but successfully weighed in at 171 pounds on his second attempt and will not be subject to any penalties.

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva takes on 185-pound contender Jon Fitch in the UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” main event.

Burkman (9-6), a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 2″, is  5-4 inside the octagon and has dropped back-to-back bouts to Mike Swick and Dustin Hazelett.

Sell (7-4) upset Phil Baroni in his UFC debut at UFC 51 in early-2005 but was defeated in his next four straight UFC fights by Nate Quarry, Scott Smith, Thales Leites, and, most recently, Nate Quarry at UFC Fight Night 11 in September 2007.

For more on upcoming UFC events check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

“GSP is an awesome athlete. He has all the tools to dominate but he is a mental midget — his mentality is very weak. …I don’t like the way he flip-flopped after the first fight with Serra. GSP was cool right after the fight but about 5 weeks afterwards he started making excuses saying he didn’t train properly, then GSP retracted and said Serra was the better man that night, well what was it? I don’t like how his story changed. I believe that all the pressure is on GSP, especially considering he is fighting in front of his countrymen… Matt Serra is all heart and GSP is the type of guy that if they were in a bar GSP would back down from a fight while Serra is down for whatever.”

St. Pierre has since responded to Sell’s comments during a recent interview with the Winnipeg Sun:

Q: One of Serra’s proteges, Pete Sell, recently called you a mental midget and said “GSP is the type of guy that if they were in a bar, GSP would back down from a fight while Serra is down for whatever.” What are your thoughts on that?

A: Of course I’m not going to fight in a club. It’s just not my thing. If it doesn’t involve me personally or my family, I will avoid it. I believe if you’re a good person and treat people nicely, that incident wouldn’t arise. I think those situations happen to people who are uncomfortable with themselves. Or try to look tough or act like fighters. You attract what you look like. I don’t have anything to prove. When I fight, I do it for a living.

I don’t think that St. Pierre has ever come off as the guy who would fight in the club, then again who in their right mind would pick a fight with GSP anyway?

Kenny Florian def. Din Thomas

• Florian: $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 win bonus)
• Thomas: $16,000

Chris Leben def. Terry Martin

• Leben: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 win bonus)
• Martin: $12,000

Nate Diaz def. Junior Assuncao

• Diaz: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 win bonus)
• Assuncao: $6,000

Nate Quarry def. Pete Sell

• Quarry: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 win bonus)
• Sell: $10,000

Luke Cummo def. Edilberto Crocota

• Cummo: $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 win bonus)
• Crocota: $4,000

Thiago Alves def. Kuniyoshi Hironaka

• Alves: $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 win bonus)
• Hironaka: $10,000

Dustin Hazelett def. Jonathan Goulet

• Hazelett: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
• Goulet: $6,500

Gray Maynard def. Joe Veres

• Maynard: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
• Veres: $3,000

Cole Miller def. Leonard Garcia

• Miller: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
• Garcia: $6,000

Disclosed Payroll: $273,500