Ultimate Fighting Championships

[manwithnoname]

Any fans out there?

I just watched UFC 56. Rich Franklin fought Nate Quarry (representing Oregon!). Matt Hughes fought Joe Riggs.

Great matches. One dud out of all the matches though.

I love watching UFC, baby!

[Dr Maturin]

I totally support UFC in its endeavors, but I am not a fan of the sport.

[Dr Maturin]

Here are the results from the first World Fighting Alliance (UFC's next competitor) pay-per-view. It took place last night.

World Fighting Alliance 1 round-by-round coverage

by Dave Meltzer

[email protected]

Welcome to our live coverage of tonight's show. We're looking for your thoughts after the show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected].

Rob McCullough vs. Harris Sarmiento opens the show. The story behind this is Sarmiento, who is a big underdog, beat McCullough early in his career. Since then, McCullough has become something of a star with a win streak, and Sarmiento hasn't done much of late.


First round was slow, even some booing. All standing with McCullough clearly winning the round, connecting on a lot of low kicks. Tito Ortiz is in McCullough's corner.

Second round was mostly McCullough using low kicks to Sarmiento's left leg. There was a few seconds of ground work that amountd to nothing. McCullough has easily won both rounds. Ortiz told McCullough to take him down this next round.

Funny story. Both corners told their fighter to take the other down. So round three so both guys stand up almost the entire round. McCullough won the fight, should be 30-27. Not exciting at all. Straight 30-27s. Sarmiento was never hurt, but he didn't do or try much of anything.

Ricco Rodriguez vs. Ron Waterman is up next.

It was funny Rodriguez really beat him up late in the round standing. Waterman is beyond gassed, and he's the one with the physique. Waterman blew himself up early trying for a takedown, and failed. The last minute he was a sitting duck for everything Ricco threw. Waterman couldn't get up for the second round and it's over. Waterman's left eye was swelling shut. Rodriguez physically looked horrible but Waterman was really slow on his feet, even before gassing.

Art Santore vs. Ivan Salaverry is next up. Salaverry looked great in the first round, all standing, with strong punches and body kicks. Santore's face is all marked up. Best round of the show so far.

Second round was a hell of a performance by Salaverry. He connected with low kicks, middle kicks and high kicks. Finally Salaverry put him down with a left high kick and hard right punch. After a few more punches on the ground Cecil Peoples stopped it. Santore may have blown a knee on the way down, and he was left a bloody mess. First good fight on the show.

Loudune Sincaid vs. Jason Mayhem Miller is up next. Miller said he was there to represent pro wrestling, although I have no idea why. Bill Goldberg is now talking about how Sincaid was trained by Gene LeBell and they are going on a tangent on LeBell. Miller did a dancing Genki Sudo ring entrance. Jimmy Lennon announced him as representing professional wrestling and hailing from parts unknown. Josh Barnett is in the corner so that may be where some of this is coming from. Goldberg said he catches hell for pro wrestling on the net but he loves that this guy embrances it.

Goldberg loves this guy. Miller connected on knees from a clinch. Then he got it on the ground and spent most of the ground on Sincaid's back pounding him until late in the round he got the choke. Miller did a post-match spinneroonie which Goldberg noted was from the Booker T playbook. Miller is quite the personality.

Lyoto Machida vs. Vernon White is up next. Weird round. Lyoto fights like a karate guy. I got the impression Machida doesn't like to get hit.

Terrible round two. The most excitement was the crowd booing and White flipping off the ground. Machida is winning the decision, but he's not doing much of anything. Machida got a nice sweep takedown late in the round.

Third round was Machida get a takedown, side control and mount and was working for a choke, but White reversed. Definitely not an impressive debut for Machida in the U.S., but he still should win 30-27. Third round, with the ground work, was the best but a bad match overall.

Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 for Machida.

Bas Rutten vs. Ruben Villareal is up next. Rutten looks in amazing shape for a 41-year-old, particularly at 214 pounds. According to the graphic, Villareal's last fight was a draw with "Don Fry." Villareal hasn't trained at all for the fight.

Villareal took some punches. He was greatly outskilled and was going to get hit a lot. Rutten still has the power but Villareal could take the punches. Rutten decided to go to low kicks and his low kicks are vicious. After a few, Villareal was done from low kicks.

He didn't have much of an opponent as far skill went, but Rutten has superstar charisma like almost no fighter in the world.

Tito was dating Jenna Jameson tonight.

Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Lindland is the main event up next. That was a hell of a first round. Lindland fought a great round. Jackson bodyslammed him first, but Lindland slammed Jackson later in the round, got his back and got a choke. Somehow Jackson survived and escaped as the round ended. Lindland took the round.

If anyone says Lindland is a boring fighter, shoot them in the head. Jackson won round two but this is a great fight. Jackson did a move that was nearly a Northern Lights bomb and a whizzer takedown. Lindland was going for a Kimura. Lindland did some great escapes. We're even into three.

This one can go either way. Lindland controlled Jackson with a near guillotine. Jackson rocked him with a punch early and bloodied him with ground and pound in the last 25 seconds. Lindland hit a high kick. Very tight fight. If I had to pick, it's Jackson, but Lindland fought a hell of a fight and easily could win.

Scores were 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28, split for Jackson. Hell of a fight.

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/....asp?aID=16916