UFC 108 live play-by-play from Las Vegas

UFC 108 live play-by-play from Las Vegas

n.d.r. Presenti Hulk Hogan e Shane McMahon.....

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Welcome to our live coverage of UFC 108 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

John Gunderson vs. Rafaello Oliveira

Oliveira out with low kicks, Gunderson threw a wek high kick. Oliveira with a low kick. Both swinging and missing. Oliveira shot and Gunderson grabbed a guillotine. Oliveira picked him up, Gunderson tried for the move again, then switched to trying a Kimura but Oliveira escaped and is on top in side control. Now he's got a full mount with 2:55 left. Now he's got Gunderson's back. Oliveira going for a head and arm choke but does't look tight. Back to full mount. Gunderson turned and gave up his back. Now he turned back in to a full mount. Oliveira punching and Gunderson gave up his back again. Gunderson got up and was taken right back down into side control. Oliveira pinned him against the fence but Gunderson got back up. Oliveira tried to pull guard, and ended up eating a few punches at the horn. Oliveira decidedly 10-9

Another takedown by Oliveira. Gunderson up and taken down again. Gunderson gave up his back and Oliveira going for a choke but Gunderson blocking well and turned. Oliveira punching from the mount and Gunderson gave up his back. Oliveira was working for an armbar for a minute and never got it and Gunderson escaped just before the round ended. Oliveira 20-18

Oliveria with another takedown. Gunderson trying a guillotine but Oliveira powered out . Gunderson got the takedown but Oliveira reversed him on the ground. Oliveira thought armbar but gave it up for better control. Another takedown by Oliveira. Gunderson is trying to get a Kimura from the bottom. Oliveira not in any trouble and is now on top in half guard. Oliveira trying to straighten the arm for an armbar with time running out, but he's not going to get it. Time expired. 30-27 Oliveira. Dull fight.

All three judges have it 30-27. Pretty easy fight to score.

There is a curtain like going to a WWE TV taping where they closed down the upper level in about 25% of the arena. First time I've ever seen curtains used in an arena for a major UFC event.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Pyle

Ellenberger rushed in and took Pyle down. Pyle is trying subs from the bottom and not coming close. Ellenberger not doing much on offense. Finally Ellenberger backed off and wanted Pule to stand. So the first thing when Pyle gets, up, Ellenberger went for another takedown. Pyle went for a Kimura but does't have it. In the last ten seconds, Ellenberger exploded with really hammer fists which was the first real offense of the fight. Until the last ten seconds, I'd have given the round to Pyle but it's definitely Ellenberger because of the last ten seconds 10-9

Ellenberger decked him with a right to start the round and finished Pyle with about ten punches on the ground. He then did a backflip to celebrate.

Mark Munoz vs. Ryan Jensen

Jensen softening him up with low kicks. Jensen threw a kick and Munoz with the takedown. Jensen tried a guillotine but Munoz out. Jensen back up and firing a lot of punches. Jensen trying a takedown and getting nowhere. Munoz powered Jensen down. Jensen going for a triangle. Munoz with brutal ground and pound. Jensen tapped and Mario Yamasaki missed it. Munoz was killing him with some ridiculously hard punches on the ground and Jensen tapped again, this time the ref saw it. Jensen is shaken up. Munoz has some of the most vicious ground and pound.

This fight will almost surely air later tonight. Oliveira vs. Gunderson shouldn’t and Pyle vs. Ellenberger was okay.

Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon

Miller connecting with punches and knees and a nice high kick. Lauzon wnt for takedown and didn’t get it. Then he decked Miller. He’s swing big punches and Miller back with knees and upper cuts. Now in a clinch. Lauzon back swinging, now Miller back. Lauzon got behind Miller and took him down with 2:42 left. He’s got his back. Miller now going for a Kimura from a reverse triangle and Lauzon tapped out.

When Joe Rogan asked Miller about the punch that put him down, he said he had no idea what he was talking about. Then Rogan showed the clip and Miller seemed surprised.

Jacob Volkmann vs. Martin Kampamnn

Volkmann came out throwing punches and got countered. Volkmann with a nice knee. Volkmann connected with a bunch of shots and thenKampmann countered and decked him but Volkmann was right back up. Volkmann missing more punches. Now Kampmann trying punches and not connecting. Kampmann bleeding from the left eye, which is swollen. Vokkmannn connected with a bunch of punches and then Kampmann decked him with a right to the jaw. Kampmann on top. Kampmann with several hard punches on the ground. And he grabbed a kravat, and turned it into a guillotine for the submission.

In the opening montage, not that much of a reaction to anyone. No reaction to anyone except Rashad Evans who got cheered but more like a a mid-level star. Still wondering why so little focus in the hype on Junior Dos Santos. If you think about it, his wins are far more impressive than Cain Velasquez’s or Shane Carwin’s.

Place is pretty full.

Gilbert Yvel vs. Junior Dos Santos

People don’t know Yvel at all, a big difference from the crowd at Affliction where they knew him. Yvel out to Thunderstruck and no reaction. Dos Santos out to the original theme from Rocky (Rocky Balboa, not the flying squirrel or the Soulman). Dos Santos has the nastiest left ear since James Thompson. All of a sudden Randy Couture’s ears look normal. Herb Dean ref, not Mazzagatti, which shows Dana White has no power over officials in Nevada.

For he record, Dana was totally against Dos Santos coming out to Rocky. Yvel tried a spinning kick but didn’t land. Both swinging. Good right by Dos Santos. More trading. This is what the people wanted. Dos Santos doing better. Dos Santos is bleeding fromthe nose. Yvel high kick and Dos Santos blocked and taunted him. Dos Santos dropped him and is pounding him on the ground and Herb Dean stopped it. Left hook did it and about 11 shots on the ground. Crowd was way more into this than anything so far.

Jim Miller vs. Duane Ludwig

Ludwig with a jab. Miller came in with punches and a kick, followed by a low kick. Ludwig back with a flurry. Miller put Ludwig down with a right to the jaw while Ludwig has his legs crossed moving. Now Miller has him mounted. Miller going for an armbar. Ludwig is in real trouble and tapped.

They showed Takanori Gomi on the big screen. Nobody reacted.

Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout

Stout got a nice reaction. Or maybe it was London, Ontario, Canada that got the pop. Lauzon took him down with a bodylock immediately. Lauzon opened a cut with an elbow and went for a rolling Kimura. Stout is up, but he’s bleeding bad above the left eye. Trading punches. Lauzon went for a takedown, Stout threw some elbows but eventually went down. Lauzon moved him into the fence. Stout on top and threw an elbow on Lauzon. Stout backed off and wants Lauzon to stand. Good left by Stout and popped Lauzon as he went for a takedown. More trading with Stout looking the better. Good punches and high kick wobbled Lauzon. Good uppercut by Stout. Good right by Lauzon. Good body punch by Stout. Stout caught a kick and punched Lauzon. More punches by Stout. Stout threw a spinning backfist that missed. Great round. 10-9 Stout. Crowd going nuts.

Lauzon went for a takedown and Stout threw him. Stout congtinues to connect on punches. Stout with low kick. Wicked kick by Stout but Lauzon took him down off it. Lauzon backed Stout to the fence again. Body punch and low kick by Stout. Stout threw a kick and Lauzon got behind him. Lauzon isn’t cut. Lauzon connected with a right to the jaw. Stout with a flurry of punches. Another flurry by Stout. Stout has a great punching output here. Another flurry ending with a kick. Lauzon went for a takedown, Stout sprawled and his on top. Lauzon is bleeding from the left ear. Stout continues to connect with punches on Lauzon. Good body kick by Stout. Lauzon tried another takedown, but Stout ended up on top. Still, Lauzon is taking less punishment on his back than standing but he’s doing nothing off his back. Great round for Stout 20-18.

Both out trading. Lauzon went for a takedown but Stout sprawled. Stout continues to connect on punches. Lauzon with a hard body kick, went for a takedown but Stout easily evaded. Usual punches and kicks combination by Stout over and over. Body kick by Stout. Lauzon tried another shot and Stout easily evaded him. A strong flurry by Stout followed by a front kick. Lauzon got a takedown but Stout right back up. Stout continues to connect with flurries, particularly working the body. Stout’s conditioning here is really impressive. He’s throwing nonstop punches. But Lauzon got a takedown and now on top in the guard. Lauzon got full mount and tried a guillotine but Stout back up. Crowd exploded for Stout getting up. Lauzon tried a scissors takedown. That only works in the movies and Cung Le matches in the 90s. Stout really rocked Lauzon with an uppercut with about 25 seconds left. Flying knee by Stout. Missed a spinning backfist. Stout rocked Lauzon with a punch at the horn. Standing ovation. Fight of the night. 30-27 Stout.

Scores were 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27 for Stout. Crowd reacted really big for Stout getting the decision. When Stout talked about the fans watching on TV in Canada, he got a huge pop. Do people in Canada have the ability to cheer and have it heard in Las Vegas?

Paul Daley vs. Dustin Hazelett

Hazelett came out to something off the Jillian Hall Christmas album. Well, it sounded that way. Crowd booed Daley. Crowd really liked Hazelett for the most part, some booed him. Hazelett tried a rolling koppo kick. That’s out of the Fuanki pro wresling playbook and didn’t come close. Loud USA chant. I mean loud. Daley with two high kicks, both blocked, now a low kick. Another low kick by Daley. Fans now booing though I have no idea why. Another low kick by Daley. Front push kick by Hazelett. Another low kick by Daley. Daley stopped him hard with a left hook and two more punches and it was over. Those punches on the ground were wicked. Daley was out there being a total poor sport, acting like he shot him and man did he get booed after. Daley made himself a star with this one even though the people hate him.

Daley was very polite in his interview, apologized for his antics, said after a knockout he did some stupid things and said Hazelett is a great submission fighter.

Rashad Evans vs.Thiago Silva

Did you know that Rashad Evans coming out of high school won a college scholarship from the Buffalo area pro wrestling community in the name of Ilio DiPaolo, the most popular wrestler wrestler in that area’s territorial heyday?

Silva is a lot bigger than Evans. Yves Lavigne referee. Evans was booed heavily. Cheered heavily as well. 50/50 while Silva pretty much only cheered. Evans jumped right in for a takedown and isn’t getting it. In the clinch Silva’s size edge is really noticeable. Evans ducked down and got Silva down. Silva back up but Evans with a slam to get him down again. Evans in side position. Now he’s in full mount. Evans went for a choke but Silva escaped and back up. Loud Silva chant. They are working in a clinch. Evans with two punches. Now both in. Evans swinging. Knee by Silva but Evans took him down off it into side position agaihn. Silva back up. Now a USA chant but it didn’t take. Evans in with punches. Two punches and Evans rushed in to smother Silva in the corner. Evans tagged him several times and got another takedown. Silva back up. Loud Silva chant. Evans 10-9. Crowd pretty intense for this.

Evans in with punches and bulled Silva into the corner again. Silva with a knee to the body while in the clinch. And another one. Silva threw a kick and Evans took him down again. As he got up , Evans punched him and then slammed him down hard. USA chant from a corner of the arena but not picking up. Silva up again. Body kick by Silva with probably his best of offense so far. Evans exploded and took Silva down again with 43 seconds left in the round. Silva back up again. Knee by Silva at the horn. Evans 20-18.

Silva blocked Evans’ takedown but Evans has him bulled into the corner. Evans is avoiding trading in the middle of the ring. Evans took him down again but Silva is back up. Knee to the body by Silva. Evans looks like he’s trying to kill the clock because he knows he’s ahead on points. He’s fighting for the decision. Silva is motioning for the crowd to cheer. Evans nailed Silva with a hard punch and Silva mocked him like it didn’t hurt with his hands down. Silva taunting Evans. Silva rocked Evans with hard punches and put him down. Two minutes left and Evans is in trouble. Silva nailing him with punches and knees. Silva really making fun of Evans and going in for the kill. 1:20 left. Evans looks tired. Silva is walking away from Evans. What an idiot. He gave Evans a chance to recover. Evans in for a takedown and couldn’t get it, but bulled Silva into the corner. 30 seconds left. Silva really blew it not following up I have it 10-9 and not 10-8 and Evans winning the decision.

All three judges have it 29-28 for Evans. Crowd booing but I can’t see any other result. Silva had him hurt at one point but Evans got enough offense during the round and Silva played to the crowd at the wrong time when he should have been more aggressive. Silva lost it on his own.

I don't know how the main event played on TV but in the arena there was tremendous crowd intensity, partly because the crowd really wanted Silva to win, probably to a degree that surprised UFC officials who thought Evans had turned the corner with the crowd based on the reaction here all week.