This is getting to be such a huge sport...pass time...for millions... I pass the baton now to my UFC correspondent...Josh Yelverton ..................
UFC 111 returned to Newark, New Jersey for two title bouts. It was a great event, with excellent displays of competition. I would like to start this off by saying a big thanks to Karen and John Maddaloni for allowing me to watch UFC 111 at their restraunt, The Coach's Corner,Wetumpka, Alabama. I had a great time, and I'm sure everyone else there did as well.
Welterweight Championship bout:
George "Rush" St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy
Im gunna skip the trash talk and shenanigans, and go straight to the analysis. Round 1: Both fighters meet in the center, and show caution as they try to find range and openings in each other's defense. GSP explodes forward into a double leg takedown, slamming Hardy to the mat. Within few seconds, GSP gets half-guard. Within a minute, GSP obtains full mount. Hardy gives up his back. GSP attempts to get his forearm under Hardy's chin to get a choke, while maintaining wrist control. After a while of back control with no apparent success outside of scorecards, GSP demonstrates high-level jiu-jitsu, as he swings his left leg over Hardy's head, and transitions straight into an armbar. St-Pierre extends Hardy's arm completely out, and starts to bend it in ways that it shouldn't. Hardy writhes in pain as St-Pierre twists Hardy's shoulder with the armbar, adding more pressure. This fight could have ended at this point on any other night, but not tonight. Hardy rotates out of the armbar, and both fighters stand. The bell rings shortly after. Round 2: Both fighters stand at the begining of the round, looking for the opening to fire. St-Pierre feints a few jabs, and hits Hardy flush with a short combo, and snaps a jab. Hardy smiles and drops his hands, as if to play possom. Shortly after, GSP drives Hardy to the mat yet once again. GSP cuts through Hardy's gaurd and half-guard like butter, all the way to full mount. Hardy, in a motion of deja-vu, gives up his back. St-Pierre attempts to get the armbar once again as Hardy turns into him, but Hardy escapes and reverses into St-Pierre's guard. St-Pierre shows good defense, and stands within few moments. The bell rings shortly after. Round 3: GSP gains yet another relentless takedown. He continues to cut through Hardy's defense until he lands in side control. GSP isolates the far sided arm for a kimura, but doesn't really get much leverage to crank on it. Hardy uses the failed submission attempt to stand, only to return to the ground due to St-Pierre's single leg takedown. The bell rings for the last en seconds as both fighters stand. GSP drops for the heel hook, but time denies him the finish. Round 4: St-Pierre takes Hardy down with ease and dominance. St-Pierre passes to side control without much effort, and begins to throw a few small punches at Hardy to loosen him up for a submission. After a while of position scrambling and trying to isolate Hardy's left arm, St-Pierre isolates the arm, and cranks on a fully locked kimura. Hardy grimaces as St-Pierra puts more torque into the submission. The kimura was so tight that Hardy could have combed his hair with it. The arm was on the brink of breaking, but Hardy refuses to give in to the champion's will. Sensing that it would not yield further results, St-Pierre abandons the kimura. Both fighters stand, but St-Pierre drags Hardy to the ground yet again. The bell rings. Round 5: St-Pierra continues the grappling clinic. St-Pierre looks everywhere for the submission, but just cant find it. The rest of the fight is just another display of athleticism by St-Pierre. During the last 10 seconds, St-Pierre drops for another heel hook, but the bell closes the final chapter of the fight. The judges scored the fight 50-43, 50-44, 50-45, declaring Georges St-Pierre the winner by unanimous decision. Both fighters were very classy, and praised each other's performances. St-Pierre continued by praising Hardy's heart, and critizing his own performance ( something that shows his persistence for perfection ), saying that he regretted that he couldn't finish, and that he made many stupid mistakes. He concluded this by promising the fans that he would do much better next time.
Heavyweight Interim Championship bout:
Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin
Round 1: Both fighters search for the opening, but are very cautious of the power that the other holds. Carwin shoots for a takedown, and drives Mir against the fence. Mir does a good job of defending the takedown, but Carwin burdens Mirs face with a couple of short punches from the clinch that turn Mir's forehead a shade of red. The ref breaks the fighters up after a while of clinching with no change in position. Mir charges forward and exchanges a combo with Carwin, and clinches him against the fence. Carwin reverses, and puts Mir against the fence. Carwin begins to work more dirty boxing against the fence ( ala Randy Couture ) and throws knees at the side of Mir's knee. Carwin creats a bit of distance, and throws fire at Mir in the form of short hooks and uppercuts. Mir stumbles back, and eventuallu drops. Carwin swarms on Mir, hammering the side of his head repeatedly. Mir makes a Hail Mary attempt at recovery as he tries to reverse and drag Carwin into guard, but Carwin has none of it. Carwin flattens Mir out, Gets on his back, and beats Mir into La-La Land. Shane Carwin is declared the winner by KO, 3 minutes and 48 seconds into round 1. Brock Lesnar stepped into the ring, and congratulated Carwin, but said that Carwin's interim belt was a make believe belt, and that he himself ( Lesnar ) held the real belt. Carwin replies by saying that he is coming to take it from him.
I hope everyone enjoyed the fights, and I hope that everyone enjoyed my review. I would also like to thank Karen and John Maddaloni once again for allowing me to view this event at their restraunt, The Coach's Corner, in Montgomery. If you ever need a quick bite to eat, or you just want to watch a UFC pay-per-view while you take your friends out to dinner, then stop by The Coach's Corner and check it out. 'Till Next Time, Josh Yelverton
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