UFC 99

Cologne Germany at the Lanxess Arena was the setting for UFC 99. Europe is now UFC crazy, which is great for the growth of the sport of MMA. It was a good time for UK MMA fighters with Paul Kelly, Paul Taylor and Terry Etim both winning their fights on the undercard. Terry Etim won Submission of the Night! After having his nose broken, in a tough fight he came back to finish the fight with a Brabo (head and arm) Choke.It was a night of tough and very close fights!

Dan Hardy vs. Marcus Davis

A lot of hype has been around this fight. Both fighters showing no love for each other in this match up. Talking all over now it was time to step up and deal with the hype! Both fighters are very good strikers and have strong ground defence.
Davies looked in the shape of his life for this fight.

Round 1
Both fighters circled to feel each other out to start with. Legs kicks where fired from Davis then he locked up a strong body lock. Davis pressured Hardy to the cage until he grinded Hardy to the ground. Davis progressed to the mount.Hardy worked to his guard. Both scramble which ended up with Davis controlling Hardy’s back from the side. Both work to gain position. Once they stand Hardy landed nice standing body punches. Then a solid elbow followed with a right hand rocked Davis. Hardy pressures back at the end of the round.Davies controlled the pace and ground, but Hardy landed some clean shots at the end.

Round 2
Kicks fly from both fighters to start. Hardy was looking stronger now. Nice body punch counter from Hardy. Strong left hand landed from Davies. But a big knee from Hardy, put Davis on his back. Davis pulled guard and worked submissions while clearing his head. Davies put Hardy into an armbar. Hardy escaped the submission and was trying to work his ground and pound, but Davis was controlling and attacking well from his back. Referee Mark Goddard returned the fighters to their feet. Nice one two from Hardy was answered with a big left from Davis who then scores a takedown to finish the round.Very close fight. Davis was rocked at one point, but controlled the ground well from his back.

Round 3
Davis knocks Hardy down with a big left! Hardy works from his guard. Davies worked the elbows and passed to half guard. Hardy was trying to get off his back but Davis was controlling well then looked for a toehold, which was looking to be a real problem for Hardy. Davies spun to Hardys back as both fighters came back to their feet.
Hardy this time worked the pressure and scored a takedown. A big elbow from Hardy cut Davis, which was checked, and fighters continued. Davis still worked hard from his back, but Hardy landed a few strong blows. In the last minute both fighters are brought back to their feet. Leg kick landed from Hardy, with a left counter from Davis. Nice left hook from Hardy then body lock and pressure from Davis to finish the round.It was all Davis for the first half and the second half Hardy banged Davis up.

Winner: Split decision Dan Hardy.
“At this level of competition, you need every advantage you can get,” said Hardy after the fight. “Marcus is one of the toughest guys in this division. All this psychological stuff ... I don’t need friends; I need opponents. Marcus is a cool guy. I just want to say I respect him a lot and all of his team.”

Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic vs Mustapha Al Turk

Cro Cop is back! He is looking for a new run of success in the Octagon. Al Turk stands in his way. Turk is a fighter with heart and he will need it if Cro Cop is back on form. Cro Cop looked back in shape as he entered the octagon. He has said the fire is back for fighting, now we really find out if that’s the case.Turk looked cool and unfazed with the challenge at hand.

Round 1
Right hand from Turk. He looks ready to take the fight to Cro Cop. Turk looked to shoot in but Cro Cop shrugged him off. Turk looked for a high kick and then landed a low kick. Turk rushed in and Cro Cop landed a left hook. Turk looked to press Cro Cop but again is pushed off. Turk swinging right hands while Cro Cop stalks his opponent. Cro Cop landed a strong Jab.Cro Cop landed a big one two and then started chasing Turk with a combination of unanswered shots. Turk looked in some trouble now. Big right hand from Cro Cop put Turk on his back. Cro Cop ground and pounds then lets his opponent up. An accidental eye poke caused Al Turk to turn his back, which allowed Cro Cop to step in and finish Al Turk with a KTO.

Winner Cro Cop
Normally if a fighter was eye poked he would be given time to recover. In this case the eye poke was unseen and the fight continued, which allowed Cro Cop to finish his opponent. To be fair it looked like the fight was going one way just before that point. Al Turk showed he would be happy to throw down with anyone.
Cro Cop is back, but the fight did not tell us that much. More time in the octagon will let us know if this will be the return he has planned.

Cain Velasquez vs. Cheick Kongo
It was only a year ago when the fan where saying the Heavyweight division lacked contenders. Well that time has passed for sure! We now have a list of excellent heavy weights waiting in line for title shots. Unbeaten Cain is now stepping up into the big time, so this will be interesting to see if it fazes him or not. He has a very strong wrestling background, which in the past was Kongo’s weakness. Kongo’s wrestling has greatly improved, so it will be a very good test for him from that stand point. As it will be a very good test for Cain to stand with Kongos striking! Great match up!Both fighters looked in great shape. Kongo a lot bigger

Round 1
Cain pressed the fight at the start as Kongo jabbed and moved. Kongo dropped Cain at the start! But while rocked Cain looked to shoot in and get close. He did so and took down Kongo. They scrambled on the ground back and forth until Cain gained side control then progressed to mount. Cain took Kongo’s back and tried to choke his opponent. Kongo toughed it out and escaped to his feet. Only to be taken down to side control. Cain controlled the ground well, landing strikes.Cain gained mount again, then Kongo’s back, landing heavy hands and riding with great position control. Riding positions from the mount to Kongo’s back again. Kongo stands and is taken down and slammed again. Cain used a face lock to hold and then drive him over to gain ground control again.Kongo worked to his feet by driving at the leg of Cain then landed a solid knee at the end of the round.

Round 2
Both fighters striking punches. Kongo landed a nice knee. Cain landed some good punches, but Kongo cracks him again. Cain’s legs went but he again turned it back into a takedown drive.Position control from Cain as in the last round. Kongo tried to stand, but Cain was all over him. Kongo got to his feet only to be put back down into side control. Once again Cain rides positions from side to back. Landing punches then a few big knees.Cain progressed back to mount then back to side control to finish the round

Round 3
Kongo landed some good strikes again. This time he tried to use distance to stop the shoot. Kongo looked for a takedown of his own. But he only put Cain down for a second and then Cain was on his back again!Back to his feet Kongo landed a few punches before being takedown once again!Cain gained side control once again. Mount again from Cain! One minute of punches rained down from Cain. Kongo hung in until the end showing his toughness.

Winner: Cain Velasquez
"I should have done better,” Velasquez said. “It wasn't good enough for me. I know it wasn't good enough for my coaches."

Yes Cain did show a few flaws, but he outworked and out wrestled Kongo on the ground for the whole fight. Which is not an easy task at all. Cain did show he could ride out a hard punch. Once he works more on his stand up game he will be a true force to be reckoned with!

Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva
Catch weight fight at 195 pounds

Round 1
For the first minute or so both fighters were feeling each other out. A quick leg kick from Silva landed. Swinging both hands Silva landed. He was showing respect to Franklin by not just rushing in as normal. Body kick from Franklin was counter punched by Silva. Head kick from Silva landed. Another now trademark body kick from Franklin landed. But Silva caught it and used it to take Franklin down. Silva worked his ground and pound in Franklins guard. Silva looked to pass and Franklin stood up as he now had more space to work. Silva jumped to a guillotine but Franklin avoided it and looked to pay back Silva. Franklin now over Silva was able to rain down some good shots. Fighters got back to their feet and a clean head kick from Franklin landed at the end of the round. Silva looked slowed and tried at the end of this one.

Round 2
Body kick from Silva this time, counter punched from Franklin. Good one two combo from Franklin. Beautiful upper cut from Silva on the inside. Low inside leg kick from Franklin was starting to work. Big over hands missed from both fighters. Franklin landed another solid body leg. Franklin’s jab knocked Silva to his back, but he jumped back up straight away. One two from Silva landed this time, counter punches also landed from Franklin.Body kick once again, with a jab cross on the end from Franklin. Silva landed some heavy swing punches. He hurt Franklin and then looked for the finished. He chased Franklin down and landed solid shots. Then Franklin rode out the storm and came back to land a head kick that really rocked Silva. Both fighters rocked at the end of the round traded to the end of the round. Great round!

Round 3
Big left from Franklin landed early. He controlled the centre of the octagon until Silva started to press forward. Franklin landed a leg kick to the groin of Silva, but he just wanted to get on with the fight. Silva was now swinging in at Franklin and looking to up the pace. He landed a nice knee then body kick. Franklin worked his jab and moved. A high kick from Silva was blocked by Franklin Both fighters were missing with punches as they both now looked tired.Silva put on the pressure again and landed good strikes. Franklin scored a takedown, which upset Silva! He kicked Franklin off wanting to trade at the end. Franklin body locked Silva from behind and Silva elbowed back at him.

Winner: Rich Frankln

If you judged it on clean strikes and not getting hit as say in Boxing you would go for Franklin. In terms of an MMA fight this was a lot closer and it was anyone in the end.
"I didn't want this one going to a decision,” Franklin said. “I tagged him a couple of times good in the first round, but Wanderlei is way too skilled of a fighter to go down from that. He's a true warrior, somebody I've looked up to even before I was fighting."An excellent card with really entertaining fights! Some very hard to judge fights due to the level of the fighters we have now. A very good night for UK MMA as well!

Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun system. Teacher of Tui Na Chinese Massage Therapy

He is also the UK representative for Guro Mark Wiley in the Filipino martial arts and Sensei Eddy Millis of Shark Tank in NHB/Grappling.

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