Shine 2: American Top Team vs. The World

UFC veterans Roan Carneiro and Yves Edwards were both victorious at Friday’s  “Shine 2: American Top Team vs. The World” event, which took place at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. Representing ATT, Carneiro topped Jorge Patino in the headliner, while Edwards submitted James Warfield in the second-round in the co-main event. ATT went 4-0 on the card, as Luiz Firmino and Micah Miller also earned victories.

• Roan Carneiro def. Jorge Patino via unanimous decision
• Yves Edwards def. James Warfield via submission (triangle choke) — Round 2, 4:48
• Luiz Firmino def. Ryan Healy via unanimous decision
• Flavio Alvaro def. Jean Silva via majority decision
• Micah Miller def. Anthony Morrison via submission (arm triangle choke) — Round 2, 4:25
• Junior Assuncao def. Pete Grimes via split decision
• Herbert Goodman def. James Brasco via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:24
• Brian Fuery def. Phil Friedman via submission (neck crank) — Round 1, 2:03

XFC 9: Evolution

War Machine, a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 6 formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver, stopped Mikey Gomez with strikes in the third-round of the XFC 9 main event at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. Also on the HDNet-televised card, Pablo Alfonso won the XFC bantamweight title with a fourth-round submission of Jason Goodall.

• War Machine def. Mikey Gomez via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 0:19
• Pablo Alfonso def. Jason Goodall via submission (triangle choke) — Round 4, 2:40
• Bruce Connors def. Tim Snyder via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 2:00
• Julien Williams def. Jeremy Thurlow via submission (guillotine) — Round 3, 0:51
• Nate Jolly def. Frank Santore via unanimous decision
• Chris Barnett def. Daniel Perez via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 0:47
• Gerardo Julio Gallegos def. Hayder Hassan via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:57
• Rey Trujillo def. Shah Bobonis via split decision
• Sean Bartlett def. Jesse Benton via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 1, 4:01

Vendetta FC: A Night of Vengeance

Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product Derrick Noble topped veteran Shonie Carter in the main event of Saturday’s Vendetta FC: A Night of Vengeance card, which took place Oranjestad, Aruba. The event also featured a eight-man tournament won by Rodney Wallace with a finals victory over The Ultimate Fighter 8’s Antwain Britt.

• Derrick Noble def. Shonie Carter via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Rodney Wallace def. Antwain Britt
• Antwain Britt def. Richard Hale
• Rodney Wallace def. Aaron Stark
• Richard Hale def. Evan Nedd
• Rodney Wallace def. Gregory Milliard
• Antwain Britt def. Carmelo Marrero
• Aaron Stark def. Angelo Araujo

Pictured: War Machine

The trio of fighters topped the list of medical suspensions issued by the GAEC for Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event, which was held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and drew an official attendance of 14,736 for a live gate of $2.6 million.

Liddell has been suspended for 60 days due to his second-round main event knockout loss to Rashad Evans and must undergo a CT scan or MRI as well as a neurological evaluation before returning to the octagon.

Franklin, who defeated Matt Hamill via third-round TKO, also received a 60 day suspension due to a deep cut above his right eye. Hamill was suspended for 30 days.

Tavares, who was defeated by Kurt Pellegrino via unanimous decision in the “Fight of the Night”, must also sit out 60 days and must have a CT scan of his face for potential facial fractures.

Other notable suspensions include Martin Kampmann, who has been suspended for 30 days for precautionary reasons after suffering a knockout loss to Nate Marquardt, Mike Patt, who has been suspended for 42 days due to a nasal fracture, Ryo Chonan, who was suspended for 42 days due to facial lacerations, and Matt Brown, who was suspended for 15 days due to a cut.

The remaining fighters from the nine-bout card all received precautionary 7 day suspensions.

For more on UFC 88 “Breakthrough” click here.

The pay-per-view event, which took place on Saturday, September 6th at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, drew an official attendance of 14,736 for a live gate of $2.6 million.

Main event winner Rashad Evans took home $120,000 while his opponent, Chuck Liddell, earned $500,000.

The total disclosed fighter payroll for the event was $1,270,000.

The salaries listed below represent the official fighter salaries as reported by the promoter to the GAEC and do not include some bonuses, fees, or sponsorship payments.

Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell
Rashad Evans — $120,000 ($60,000 to show, $60,000 to win)
Chuck Liddell — $500,000

Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill
Rich Franklin — $100,000 ($50,000 to show, $50,000 to win)
Matt Hamill — $10,000

Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares
Dan Henderson — $250,000 ($100,000 to show, $150,000 to win)
Rousimar Palhares — $7,000

Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann
Nate Marquardt — $56,000 ($28,000 to show, $28,000 to win)
Martin Kampmann — $15,000

Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown
Dong Hyun Kim — $46,000 ($23,000 to show, $23,000 to win)
Matt Brown — $8,000

Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares
Kurt Pellegrino — $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)
Thiago Tavares — $13,000

Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt
Tim Boetsch — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Michael Patt — $5,000

Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert
Jason MacDonald — $44,000 ($22,000 to show, $22,000 to win)
Jason Lambert — $17,000

Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro
Ryo Chonan — $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Roan Carneiro — $9,000

In addition to the salaries listed above Rashad Evans, Jason MacDonald, Kurt Pellegrino, and Thiago Tavares each received an additional $60,000 from the UFC for their performances at UFC 88.

For more on UFC 88 “Breakthrough” click here.

UFC 88 “Breakthrough” took place on Saturday, September 6th, in front of a sold out crowd at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and aired live on pay-per-view.

An aggressive Liddell circled and punched in the close-yet-tentative opening round while Evans failed to shoot for a single takedown allowing Liddell to steal the first frame 10-9 on the MMAFrenzy.com scorecard. Evans came out confident in the second, countering Liddell’s rights with solid left hooks before connecting with the “Knockout of the Night” overhand right that knocked Liddell out cold.

A disappointed Liddell, who has now lost three out of four fights, took several minutes to recover from the punch before eventually returning to his feet.

With the win Evans moved closer to a future matchup with current UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.

In the evening’s co-main event former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin successfully returned to the 205-pound light heavyweight division, dominating his former training partner Matt Hamill en route to a third-round technical knockout victory. Despite a large gash near his right eye opened up early in the fight Franklin remain focused and connected with numerous body and leg kicks that slowed Hamill, who was able to take Franklin to the ground just once in their featured bout. After dominating the opening two rounds Franklin finished Hamill off with a kick to the liver in the first minute of the final frame that forced The Ultimate Fighter cast member to tap and the referee to intervene.

Former PRIDE middleweight and light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson won his first bout inside the octagon in over 10 years as he knocked off Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision. Henderson floored Palhares several times during the three-round bout, including a near finish moments into the contest. Though Palhares attempted to take the fight to the ground and keep it there Henderson escaped several submission attempts in the fights limited time on the ground and was able to keep the fight standing where he picked Palhares apart with crisper striking to earn 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 scores on the judge’s scorecards.

Henderson had previously lost back-to-back bouts while the win snapped Palhares’ six-fight win streak.

In a key middleweight matchup Nate Marquardt dominated Martin Kampmann, defeating the Dutch kickboxer via TKO just over one-minute into the fight. Following a tentative start to the bout Marquardt landed a massive head kick that collapsed Kampmann then finished him off with a flurry of strikes including a big uppercut and shots to the body. Kampmann temporarily withstood the barrage but eventually sank to the canvas forcing the referee to halt the bout.

With the win Marquardt bounced back from a controversial loss to Thales Leites and moves back into the 185-pound title picture while Kampann suffered just his first loss inside the octagon in five fights.

The opening bout of the pay-per-view spawned controversy as Matt Brown was defeated by South Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim in a close-but-exciting welterweight matchup. In the opening round Kim took Brown’s back with ease, securing several near-submissions that came up just short in finishing the bout but earned him a 10-9 round on the scorecards. Brown rebounded in the second, securing a 10-9 round with good body shots and tough defense. In a close final round Brown was aggressive early but Kim eventually took the fight to the ground and stole the decision with a late assault of elbows in the closing seconds of the bout. The judges awarded the close split decision to Kim with scores of 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28.

In preliminary action Kurt Pellegrino earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory in the “Fight of the Night” against Thiago Tavares, Tim Boetsch stopped Mike Patt via first-round TKO, Jason MacDonald earned “Submission of the Night” honors for his second-round rear naked choke submission of Jason Lambert, and Ryo Chonan defeated Roan Carneiro via split decision in the event’s opening bout.

Evans, MacDonald, Pellegrino, and Tavares each earned an additional $60,000 bonus for their UFC 88 performances.

UFC 88 “BREAKTHROUGH” RESULTS

• Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via KO – Round 2, 1:51
• Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO – Round 3, 0:39
• Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO – Round 1, 1:22
• Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
• Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via TKO – Round 1, 2:03
• Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 1:20
• Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

For more on UFC 88 “Breakthrough” click here.

Welcome to MMAFrenzy.com’s LIVE coverage of UFC 88 “Breakthrough”.

In the main event former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell returned to the octagon to earn a shot at the 205-pound belt currently held by Forrest Griffin against Rashad Evans, the undefeated winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 who looked to take out the promotion’s former light heavyweight king for his own potential shot at glory.

In other main card bouts former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin returned to the 205-pound light heavyweight division to meet Matt Hamill, former PRIDE dual champion Dan Henderson took on Rousimar Palhares, middleweights Martin Kampmann and Nate Marquardt clashed to further climb the middleweight ladded, and Dong Hyun Kim looked to keep his undefeated record intact against Matt Brown.

The UFC 88 preliminary card featured Thiago Tavares vs. Kurt Pellegrino, Tim Boetsch vs. Mike Patt, Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan, and Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald.

UFC 88 “Breakthrough” took place on Saturday, September 6th, at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and aired live on pay-per-view.

Continue reading for MMAFrenzy.com’s LIVE coverage of UFC 88 “Breakthrough”…

QUICK RESULTS

• Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via KO – Round 2, 1:51
• Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO – Round 3, 0:39
• Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO – Round 1, 1:22
• Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
• Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via TKO – Round 1, 2:03
• Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 1:20
• Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

RESULTS

CHUCK LIDDELL VS. RASHAD EVANS

In tonight’s UFC 88 main event former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell looks to knock off the undefeated winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 Rashad Evans and earn a shot at the 205-pound title. Liddell has a 3-inch height and one-inch reach advantage over Evans. Rashad enters the fight undefeated with a 16-0-1 record while Liddell is 21-5 in his career.

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and circle. Liddell unleashes a combo and continues to circle Evans looking for openings. Evans connects with a right and Liddell fires back with a big right. Body kick by Evans. Evans avoids a big right. Jab by Rashad followed by a leg kick. Evans continues to change stances but Liddell is stalking and lands a jab as we enter the final minute of the opening round. Overhand by Liddell is countered by a leg kick. Evans opens up a cut under Liddell’s right eye. Liddell lands some punches late and just misses with a last-second kick. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Liddell.

ROUND 2 –Liddell connects with a right and Evans counters with a left. Another right by Liddell, who keeps Evans near the fence. Left hook by Evans. Both fighters throw big punches and Liddell just misses with an uppercut while Evans knocks Liddell out cold with an overhand.

Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via KO – Round 2, 1:51

RICH FRANKLIN VS. MATT HAMILL

In the co-main event of the evening former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin moves up to the 205-pound light heavyweight division to take on wrestler Matt Hamill in a clash of styles. The height and reach are identical in this matchup, though Franklin holds a distinct experience advantage with a 25-3 record compared to Hamill’s 6-1 mark.

ROUND 1 — Hamill and Franklin touch gloves and we’re underway. They circle and Franklin opens with a leg kick. Another leg kick by Franklin followed by another. Hamill closes and throws a knee but Franklin counters with a punch. Right by Hamill followed by a kick to the body by Franklin. Another exchange punctuated by a body kick by Franklin. Leg kick from Franklin followed by a body shot. Hamill opens a cut up above Franklin’s right eye but Franklin continues to punish Hamill with leg kicks. We have yet to see Hamill go for a takedown as Franklin picks him apart on the feet. Hamill finally secures a takedown in the final minute but Franklin works for an armbar on the ground before returning to his feet and opening a cut above Hamill’s eye with a knee just before the end of the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franklin.

ROUND 2 — A less tentative start to the second as Franklin quickly fires a good kick that Hamill catches but releases. Good combination by Franklin connects but time is called to check the cut near Franklin’s eye. It’s a nasty gash but the doctor okays him to continue. Another combination by Franklin includes a kick to the body. Hamill counters but Franklin continues to land hard body kicks and inside leg kicks. One kick hit Hamill in the groin and we take a brief hiatus as Hamill recovers before we get back underway. Another good combination by Franklin. Hamill shoots in and tries for a takedown but Franklin keeps the fight on their feet. Pair of good lefts by Hamill but Franklin fires back with another kick to the body. Both fighter throw combos. Leg and body kicks from Franklin as we approach the final minute of the round. Hamill grabs a kick but Franklin escapes and connects with punches. Franklin throws another kick and it’s again caught by Hamill but he again keeps the fight standing where he’s picking Hamill apart. The second round comes to an end with Franklin dominating the standup and Hamill doing little to get Franklin to the ground. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franklin.

ROUND 3 — Franklin has cuts in the corners of both eyes but they’re not bleeding and shouldn’t a factor in this one. Body kick by Franklin sets up a right. Knee to the body by Franklin. Franklin drops Hamill to the canvas with a kick to the ribs and the fight is immediately halted by the referee and Hamill taps.

Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO – Round 3, 0:39

DAN HENDERSON VS. ROUSIMAR PALHARES

Henderson is 10 years older than Palhares but holds a three-inch height and reach advantage over his opponent. Palhares, a jiu jitsu fighters, enters with just a single loss to accompany his 17 professional victories. Henderson, a wrestler, has 22 wins on his record along with 7 defeats.

ROUND 1 — The fighters size one another up as there’s little action in the opening seconds. Palhares shoots in and Henderson hits him with a big right and tries to finish him off but Palhares recovers and looks for submissions so Henderson backs away and Palhares gets back to his feet. Another takedown attempt by Palhares is stuffed. Palhares connects with a body kick but Henderson sends Palhares to the mat with another big right. Henderson defends another attempted takedown. Slow kick to the body by Palhares is blocked. Another right by Henderson. A barrage of rights by Henderson floors Palhares and Henderson attempts to finish the fight but he’s hesitant to enter his guard and they return to their feet. Palhares connects with several wild kicks before both fighters recover and trade. Palhares finally gets Henderson to the ground and he lands in side control but Henderson regains half guard and neutralizes Palhares. Palhares secures a knee bar late but the round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Henderson.

ROUND 2 –Another tentative opening sees both fighters circle before Henderson unloads another big right. Palhares closes but Henderson tosses him to the ground and avoids. Palhares goes for the takedown and slams Henderson to the canvas. Both fighters are active on the ground as Henderson works elbows and Palhares looks for submissions. Palhares works a heel hook and kneebar but Henderson escapes to his feet and Palhares follows. Palhares shoots but Henderson sprawls and secures a choke. Palhares rolls out and they both get back to their feet. Another right by Henderson. Henderson stuffs a takedown attempt and works from Palhares’ guard. Henderson uses his wrestling to neutralize Palhares from the top. Elbows by Henderson. Referee Herb Dean stands the fighters up and they resume. Another right by Henderson finds its mark. The final seconds of the round tick away as both fighters fire kicks to close out the frame. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Palhares.

ROUND 3 –Palhares lands a couple solid kicks to open the final round and Henderson is patient and looks for an opening. Another kick by Palhares is blocked. Jab by Henderson. Palhares looks for a takedown but Henderson sprawls and tags Palhares for the effort. A pair of rights by Henderson. Henderson uses his reach advantage to avoid Palhares’ punches and looks to land punches of his own. Henderson connects with a one-two combo. Henderson connects with more punches then Palhares tries for another takedown but Henderson gets back to his feet. Palhares secures a leg but Henderson escapes yet again. Henderson pours it on late with a big right and some ground and pound to close out the bout. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Henderson and the fight 29-28 Henderson.

Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

MARTIN KAMPMANN VS. NATE MARQUARDT

ROUND 1 –Both fighters fire punches and kicks early but nothing connects. Marquardt hurts Kampann with a kick then tags him with a combo. Kampmann survives briefly but Marquardt pours it on and finishes Kampann off with a flurry of punches that force the referee to step in and stop the bout.

Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO – Round 1, 1:22

DONG HYUN KIM VS. MATT BROWN

Brown enters to “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” while Kim plays to the crowd as just the second South Korean to fight in the UFC. Brown, 10-6, is an even 6′ 0″ tall and fights out of Cincinnati while “Stun Gun” is undefeated at 10-0-1 with a slight, one-inch reach advantage over Brown.

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and Brown looks very aggressive. Kim tags him with a left than takes Brown to the ground. Brown tries to return to his feet but gives up his back. Kim tries to capitalize but Brown gets back to his feet. Kim again takes his back and locks in a deep rear naked choke but Brown narrowly escapes. Kim gets his back again but Brown defends and gets into Kim’s guard on the ground. Both fighters return to their feet and they separate. Good body punch by Brown is countered by a head kick from Kim. Brown ducks a punch and connects with a punch to the body. Spinning backfist by Brown misses. Brown avoids a takedown attempt and delivers a good knee to the body as they clinch against the fence. Kim scores a trip takedown but Brown ends up on top and locks in a choke. Kim escapes and immediately takes Brown’s back yet again. Brown gets back on his feet with Kim on his back as the round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Kim.

ROUND 2 –Another touch of the gloves and Brown fires kicks. They trade punches. Brown connects with a solid shot to the body. Brown avoids another takedown then puts Kim onto the ground but he’s quickly back on his feet. Brown is all over Kim with punches and kicks in the opening minute of the round but Kim grabs a leg and the fighters briefly go to the ground. Back on their feet they clinch against the cage and Brown works strikes to Kim’s body. Brown takes Kim to the ground and works from his guard then backs away and works power punches from his feet to the downed Kim. Brown lets Kim return to his feet and immediately lands a knee to the body before they clinch. More shots to the body by Brown before they separate and Brown lands a hard combo. Brown is the fresher fighter in the final seconds of the round and dodges a punch then takes Kim to the ground. Brown briefly works for an arm triangle on the ground then throws ground and pound on Kim for the final seconds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Brown.

ROUND 3 –Brown is aggressive and quickly throws a kick and more shots to the body. They stop the fight to a couple moments as Brown forgot his mouthpiece but we’re quickly back underway. Kim tries to catch a kick from Brown but he escapes. Superman punch by Brown misses and Kim shoots in and scores a takedown. Kim is right into side control and tries to mount Brown but Brown escapes back onto his feet and works more knees to the body of Kim. They clinch against the cage and Brown keeps the fight on their feet despite takedown attempts by Kim. Kim connects with a big left hook then goes and tries for a takedown but a whizzer by Brown keeps the fight on the feet. Kim eventually succeeds in getting Brown to the mat and works from his opponent’s guard. Brown keeps him from posturing up or passing and they exchange elbows on the ground. Kim has opened a cut on Brown’s cheek but it shouldn’t be an issue as the final seconds tick away. More elbows from the top by Kim in the closing seconds of the fight. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Kim and the fight 29-28 Kim.

Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

KURT PELLEGRINO VS. THIAGO TAVARES

ROUND 1 — Pellegrino drops Tavares to the canvas in the opening seconds but Tavares narrowly survives and returns to his feet. Pellegrino lands another big punch that sends Tavares to the ground and Pellegrino follows. Pellegrino mounts Tavares and drops shots from the top but Tavares survives and gets back into half guard. Tavares works back to his feet but Pellegrino gets him back to the ground before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-8 Pellegrino.

ROUND 2 — Tavares and Pellegrino exchange punches early then Tavares accidentally pokes Pellegrino in the eye and they stop the fight to allow time to recover. They resume and continue to exchange with Pellegrino getting the better of the standup. Tavares looks for takedowns, eventually putting Pellegrino on the mat and working ground and pound before Pellegrino secures and armbar. Tavares appears to tap but he eventually escapes and the fight continues. Tavares closes out the round with more ground and pound. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Tavares.

ROUND 3 — Tavares shoots early for a takedown but Pellegrino temporarily locks in a guillotine before forcing Tavares to the ground. They return to their feet and Tavares tosses Pellegrino but it’s reversed nicely by Pellegrino. They tussle for position on the ground for the remainder of the fight. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Pellegrino and the fight 29-27 Pellegrino.

Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)

TIM BOETSCH VS. MIKE PATT

ROUND 1 — Both fighters throw wild punches early but nothing finds its mark. Boetsch lands a stiff jab and Patt shoots for a takedown. Boetsch dodges then locks up with Patt. They separate and both fighters throw more punches. Boetsch drops Patt to the canvas with a big right and finishes him off with more punches on the ground that force the referee to intervene.

Tim Boetsch def. Mike Matt via TKO – Round 1, 2:03

JASON LAMBERT VS. JASON MACDONALD

ROUND 1 –MacDonald connects with punches early than takes Lambert to the ground. Lambert briefly has a guillotine choke but MacDonald escapes and works ground and pound from Lambert’s guard. MacDonald continues to connect with a mix of strikes from the top. Lambert secures a deep guillotine late in the round but MacDonald holds on. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 MacDonald.

ROUND 2 — MacDonald and Lambert exchange big punches to open the second then MacDonald again takes Lambert to the ground. MacDonald moves to mount and Lambert gives up his back. MacDonald gets a body triangle then secures a rear naked choke that forces Lambert to tap out at 1:20 of the second.

Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 1:20

ROAN CARNEIRO VS. RYO CHONAN

ROUND 1 — Carneiro tries to take Chonan down early but he sprawls and avoids the takedown. Carneiro pulls guard and they exchange on the ground. Carneiro tries for a triangle then transitions to an omoplata but Chonan escapes. Carneiro passes to side control and works ground and pound before Chonan gets back to his feet. They trade punches before the opening round comes to an end. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Carneiro.

ROUND 2 — The fighters trade shots then Carneiro trips to the canvas and Chonan moves into his guard. Chonan works ground and pound from the top and presses his opponent against the cage but Carneiro limits the damage as Chonan holds on to the position for the majority of the frame. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Chonan.

ROUND 3 — Carneiro shoots in for a takedown but Chonan remains on his feet. Carneiro again pulls guard but quickly tries to return to his feet. Chonan connects with a knee to the body then Carneiro stands back up. Carneiro gets Chonan to the mat and starts to work from his guard. There’s little action on the ground and the fighters eventually return to their feet. Another takedown attempt by Carneiro is stuffed by Chonan, who reverses Carneiro to the mat. Chonan closes out the round with some late punches. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Chonan and the fight 29-28 Chonan.

Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

• UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre has been nominated for the 2008 Best Fighter ESPY. To vote for GSP visit espys.tv.

• The UFC has cut light heavyweight PRIDE veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura. Nakamura was 0-2 inside the octagon including his most recent loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 84 in May.
• WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber will likely fight again in September at WEC 36 against Mike Brown.
• Josh Thomson took home $35,000 for his main event unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce 10. Melendez earned $50,000 in the loss and Bobby Southworth received $25,000 for his successful title defense over Anthony Ruiz. Also, all fighters from the event tested clean for performance enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse.
• Edwin Dewees will replace Vernon White against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Affliction “Banned” on July 19th.
• UFC 89, which is headlined by a clash between rising middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Chris Leben, will likely be shown on tape delay on Spike TV.
• The Association of Boxing Commissions has passed revised Universal Rules of Mixed Martial Arts at their annual conference in Montreal. Most notably, the revised rules more specifically define illegal strikes to the back of the head and make downward elbows, which were previously banned, legal.
• Anderson Silva wants to fight three more times before the end of the year including his July 19th light heavyweight debut against James Irvin on Spike TV. If Silva emerges victorious (and relatively uninjured) from the main event bout he plans on fighting at UFC 88 on September 6th in Atlanta as well as in November or December. Next up for Silva is 185-pound number-one contender Yushin Okami followed by Patrick Cote.
• Welterweights Ryo Chonan and Roan Carneiro will clash at UFC 88 on September 6th in Atlanta. The fight, which was originally set for UFC 85 in June but postponed due to an injury suffered by Chonan, is a rematch of a February 2005 bout which Chonan won via third-round TKO due to a cut.
• Andrei Arlovski will make his professional boxing debut on September 13th in the opening bout of the Casamayor-Marquez HBO pay-per-view. No opponent has been named for the bout.
• EliteXC has applied for a Nevada promoter’s license to hold events in the state, most likely in Las Vegas. Affliction has not yet filed an application for a Nevada promoter’s license.
• Lightweights Sam Stout and Paul Kelly will square off at UFC 89 on October 18th in Birmingham, England.
• UFC 86 drew an official attendance of 11,172 for an official live gate of $3.2 million.
• Forrest Griffin took home an official purse of $250,000, including a $100,000 win bonus, for his unanimous decision victory over Quinton Jackson in the main event of UFC 86. Jackson received $225,000.

The showdown between two of the UFC’s top welterweight contenders was the main event of the eleven-bout pay-per-view event.

Just one day removed from failing to make weight for the bout, which was contested at a catchweight of 175-pounds, Alves stuffed several first-round takedown attempts by Hughes and delivered the majority of the damage in the opening round. Early in the second, Alves caught Hughes with a flying knee that dropped him to the mat and quickly followed with several hard punches to the head to force the referee stoppage 62 seconds into the second round.

After the bout, Alves promptly apologized for failing to make weight the day before, adding that he had sprained an ankle leading up to the bout and was unable to run or train to drop the additional weight.

With the win, the biggest of his young career and his sixth straight in the octagon, the 24-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of American Top Team, now has his eyes set on a welterweight title shot. “Mr. Dana White, I’ve been a good boy. Please give me a title shot,” said Alves.

“He’s a good fighter, he got me, no doubt,” said Hughes following the decisive loss. However, the former UFC champion promised at least one more bout before he finishes his career, calling out longtime rival and fellow former champion Matt Serra.

In the co-main event, England-native Michael Bisping dominated Jason Day, defeating his middleweight foe off with strikes midway through the first round. Bisping dominated from the onset, securing an early trip takedown then unleashing a flurry of ground and pound from side mount. Day was able to scramble away twice but Bisping quickly picked up where he left off, pounding on Day until the bout was halted at the 3:42 mark of the opening frame due to overwhelming strikes.

Mike Swick secured his second-straight welterweight win on the main card, posting a unanimous decision victory over Marcus Davis marred only by a one-point deduction for grabbing the fence. Though Davis was able to connect with some shots in the clinch, Swick too was able to connect while the pair were locked up and dominated the ground, controlling Davis and opening up several cuts on his opponent’s face, to win all three rounds. All three judges rendered scores of 29-27 after taking the penalty into account.

In a fast-paced middleweight bout Thales Leites topped Nate Marquardt via split decision. Though Marquardt clearly won the bout based on the established judging credentials, two one-point deductions by referee Herb Dean cost the former middleweight challenger the bout.

Leites captured the opening round after dropping Marquardt to the canvas with a hard right and mounting his opponent, who was eventually able to escape and survive to round two. Early in the second, Marquardt landed a knee to Leites’ head while his opponent remained on the ground, an illegal strike that caused the bout to be temporarily halted while Leites recovered and a point to be deducted from Marquardt. After resuming, Marquardt quickly picked up where he left off, bloodying Leites with hard ground and pound that was just short of stopping the bout. Despite Marquardt dominating the second, the round is a 9-9 draw due to the point deduction. It’s a similar storyline in the third as Marquardt again lands a hard series of ground and pound, as well as a late piledriver, but has a point deducted for strikes to the back of the head and round three is another 9-9 draw.

After accounting for the two deductions, Leites won a close split decision on the judge’s scorecards securing two cards of 28-27 in his favor. The other judge ruled 28-27 in favor of Marquardt.

In a controversial opening bout to the pay-per-view broadcast, Fabricio Werdum defeated Brandon Vera via late-first round technical knockout.

Vera had the upper hand early in the fight, staggering Werdum with a hard combination though Werdum was able to survive and take Vera to the ground. Once on the canvas, Werdum was able to mount Vera and deliver a string of ground and pound. With just seconds remaining in the round and Vera seemingly defending himself from the blows, referee Dan Miragliotta, the same referee from last weekend’s controversial early stoppage of James Thompson versus Kimbo Slice at EliteXC “Primetime”, stopped the bout in favor of Werdum.

Uninjured from the ground and pound assault, Vera immediately returned to his feet to protest the controversial early stoppage. “There was 15 seconds left. Let me take my ass whupping and go to the second round,” said Vera.

OFFICIAL UFC 85 RESULTS

• Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes via TKO – Round 2, 1:02
• Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO – Round 1, 3:42
• Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis via unanimous decision
• Thales Leites def. Nate Marquardt via split decision
• Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera via TKO – Round 1, 4:40
• Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission – Round 1, 2:44
• Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via KO – Round 2, 1:57
• Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission – Round 2, 2:53
• Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO – Round 1, 2:07
• Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
• Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO – Round 2, 4:15

• Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes via TKO – Round 2, 1:02
• Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO – Round 1, 3:42
• Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis via unanimous decision
• Thales Leites def. Nate Marquardt via split decision
• Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera via TKO – Round 1, 4:40
• Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission – Round 1, 2:44
• Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via KO – Round 2, 1:57
• Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission – Round 2, 2:53
• Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO – Round 1, 2:07
• Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
• Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO – Round 2, 4:15