UFC 129 bout analysis
Featherweight Bout
Pablo Garza (10-1) vs. Yves Jabouin (15-6)
Round 1
They both come out swinging, not having any luck there they back up. Jabouin throws a kick, Garza follows with his own. Right hook from Jabouin. Punch kick combo from Jabouin. Tie up on the cage where Garza lands a knee or two. Jabouin hits a big head kick. Then he lands a punch that drops Garza, Garza up but Jabouin sweeps his legs out from under him ... crowd loves it. Knee, punch combo from Garza. Jabouin lands an uppercut that gets another huge reaction. They both throw kicks at the same time, damage for neither. Leg kick from Jabouin. Jabouin tries a flying spin kick, Garza catches him in the clinch and starts hammering him with knees. Then he leaps to his feet and catches him in a triangle that he drags him to the ground with. There he starts killing him with elbows to the head. Jabouin slows down and Garza gets the hold on tighter. He modifies the hold slightly and Jabouin has no choice but to tap.
Pablo Garza def. Yves Jabouin via submission (triangle), Round 1 (4:31)
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Lightweight Bout
Kyle Watson (13-6-1) vs. John Makdessi (8-0)
Round 1
Leg kick from Watson to start. Dancing and boxing follow. Another leg kick from Watson. Watson throws a head kick but it is blocked. The two exchange punches, Watson gets the better of it. Leg kick from Watsn is countered by a jab from Makdessi. All stand up thus far. Watson rolls a kick into a three punch combo that stuns Makdessi. Watson gets him in the clinch and lands a knee, releases and hits a few more shots. Makdessi seems very apprehensive. Spinning kick from Makdessi sort of lands. The pace slows with about a minute to go. Light boxing from both fighters. Watson goes for a homerun head kick but Makdessi ducks. Watson hits a body kick as the round ends. 10-9 Watsonin an underwhelming round. Makdessi could have taken it but seemed unwilling to commit to any offense.
Round 2
Makdesi throws a leg kick and Watson comes at him with a punch. Watson then swarms him with knees and punches and backs Makdessi up against the cage. Watson comes at him again, throwing kicks wildly. Watson fakes a takedown and throws another head kick. Makdessi throws a kick of his own. Body kick, punch combo from Watson Another head kick from Watson, this one is blocked easily. Inside leg kick on Makdessi. Makdessi tries a spinning punch but Watson ducks and ties him up. Makdessi hits a jab and Watson looks stunned for a second or two. Makdessi tries for a sidekick that Watson moves away from but then Makdessi hits another strong jab to the face. Makessi gives Watson two big shots to end the round. Enough to steal the round? I'm going to say no but it was a close one. 10-9 Watson.
Round 3
Sidekick from Makdessi to start the round. Makdessi goes for another but Watson catches it and pushes him up against the cage. Watson begins grinding him into the cage. They break and Makdessi hits a big shot on Watson. He's having luck with his punches. Watson is looking a bit tired.Then out of nowhere Makdessi hits the most devastating spinning backfist you have ever seen and Watson is cold.
John Makdessi def. Kyle Watson via KO (spinning backfist), Round 3 (1:27)
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Middleweight bout
Ryan Jensen (16-6) vs. Jason MacDonald (22-13)
Round 1
Jensen swings and MacDonald goes for a takedown. He gets it up against the cage and is instantly in Jensen's guard. He slides right through it however and takes the back. Jensen gets him off fairly quickly and finds himself on top. MacDonald is sticking with wrist control and goes for the triangle. Jensen seems a little desperate and starts throwing punches. They don't hase MacDonald who powers through them and gets the submission early in the opening round.
Jason MacDonald def. Ryan Jensen via submission (triangle choke), Round 1 (1:37)
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Bantamweight bout
Charlie Valencia (12-5) vs. Ivan Menjivar (21-8)
Round 1
Few opening strikes from Valencia to feel things out. Menjivar tries a spinning back fist of his own but the results are less than thrilling. Both throw bombs, both mis and they end up tied up together. Menjivar is more aggressive with the knees. In the clinch Menjivar lands a straight shot right on the button which drops Valencia. He turtles instantly and Menjivar smells blood. He leaps on him and starts raining down shots. Quickly there after John McCarthy stops the fight.
Ivan Menjivar def. Charlie Valencia via TKO (strikes), Round 1 (1:03)
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Welterweight bout
Daniel Roberts (12-1) vs. Claude Patrick (13-1)
Round 1
Roberts charges in, Patrick easily ducks under it and scores an easy, early takedown. Roberts looks for the choke but can't get his arm all the way around Patrick's head. They move their way out to the center of the cage and Roberts begis working on a kimura. Patrick breaks free and they stand back up. The action slows but Patrick keeps peppering his shots in there. They tie up on the cage with Roberts in control. Roberts throws a knee into Patrick's thigh. More grinding from ninja. Patrick swings things around in his favor. They are fighting his type of fight to be sure. Superman punch from Roberts is a miss. Big swing from Patrick also a miss but he keeps up on it and lands a big shot on Roberts against the cage. He ties Roberts up there and scores another takedown. Roberts goes back to the wrist Patrick solidifies his position on top and is in the half guard. They stand up and a unloads with a merciless flurry of punches. I don't know how Roberts weathers it. They break and Patrick goes at him again with a few more nasty looking shots. The round ends and all of Toronto is happy. 10-9 Patrick easily.
Round 2
Roberts throws a kick but it does little damage. Leg kick from Patrick. Roberts gets a takedown, Patrick stands up but Roberts sticks to him and presses him up against the Octagon. Roberts has control of the tie up there but Patrick is landing more shots. Body kick from Roberts. Jab from Roberts doesn't really get through. Patrick goes for a big takedown, Roberts saves himself by grabbing the cage, but Patrick gets him to the mat anyways. Roberts rolls through and ends up on top where he starts working his elbows. Roberts remains on top and seems to be looking for an arm triangle. They exchange slappy punches on the ground. Patrick pulls guard, then tries to stand up but Roberts takes the back. He goes for a rear nake but Patrick escape, much to the enjoyment of the fans. Patrick throws some jabs and an outside leg kick and the round comes to a close. 10-9 Roberts also easily though it wasn't as dominant as Patrick's first.
Round 3
This round should determine everything. Both fighters are tenative early. Big body kick from Roberts gets through. Another Superman attempt from Roberts. Another body kick from Roberts but Patrick catches this one and uses it to smoosh him up against the cage. There he works for and gets a takedown. Roberts has his wrist but Patrick seems happy to lay and pray. He lands a shot and the crowd responds. Patrick repositions himself and lands another good punch to the kisser. Roberts though stands up quickly there after. More boxing with two minutes left. Roberts goes for a takedown but can't get it, he looks to be gassed at this point. Big tie up here with Roberts in control, it goes on for a rather long time. He gets Patrick by the waist and tries for a takedown again, again no such luck. A break comes from the ref. 45 seconds left. Roberts throws a few shots, nothing that comes close at all. Then he dives in for a takedown, PAtrick sprawls and takes control. He goes for the choke but can't quite get it and the round and match end. Very close though I will say 10-9 Patrick by a hair. That means that on the Inside Fights scorecard we have it as 29-28 for Claude Patrick.
Claude Patrick def. Daniel Roberts by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Welterweight bout
Jake Ellenberger (24-5) vs. Sean Pierson (11-4)
Round 1
Slow start for both, Ellenberger seems a bit more ready to throw. Ellenberger hits a big looping hook that was a counter punch. He then charges in and gets a sloppy looking takedown, Pierson stands up out of it in no time. Ellenberger gets a few more good shots in, he is being very effective as a counter puncher thus far. Ellenberger then nails him with a big left hook that stuns him, he follows it up with a few more shots as Pierson falls to the mat. Herb Dean steps in to call the fight off. Pierson is bloodied and not happy about the loss.
Jake Ellenberger def. Sean Pierson via KO (strikes), Round 1 (2:42)
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Welterweight bout
Rory MacDonald (10-1) vs. Nate Diaz (13-6)
Round 1
MacDonald throwing kicks early on. Nice "F U Diaz" chant going on here in Toronto. More slowness from these two. MacDonald is being slightly more forward with his offense. Diaz unloads with some of that Diaz boxing and ties MacDonald up against the cage. They break and Diaz starts swinging freely again. Tie up, Diaz trying to strike with his elbows. MacDonald goes for the takedown, but Diaz drops a level and takes him down by the leg. Stand up again, head kick from MacDonald misses. Outside leg kick hits but without much mustard for him. Another body kick from MacDonald. Hook from MacDonald lands, Diaz grabs him and goes for the takedown, can't do it though. Front kick from MacDonald misses, Diaz taunts. Diaz attempts a single leg but MacDonald's takedown defense is strong. Tie up on the cage, Diaz lands a few body shots. Outside leg kick from MacDonald. 10-9 Diaz.
Round 2
Tie up, MacDonald uses it to push Diaz up against the side of the cage. They break and continue to feel each other out. Diaz lands a few weak-ish shots and they get tangled up once again. Diaz goes for the body but MacDonald gets a takedown. As Diaz stands up he eats another shot. They wrestle until MacDonald takes him down again, this time through sheer strength. Diaz stands up but once again MacDonald makes him pay for it. Diaz goes back to his boxing. MacDonald responds in kind. Diaz gets a nice right in. Back to a tie up. MacDonald goes for the single leg but is stuffed. Diaz lands a few knees to the legs of MacDonald. Diaz uses a trip that takes his opponent down for half a second. More boxing with Diaz doing better but MacDonld still doing OK for himself. With 30 seconds left Diaz tries for a takedown but nothing doing. MacDonald gets a few nice shots in near the end of the round. 10-9 MacDonald in a much closer round.
Round 3
All tied up on my scoreard as we enter the decisive frame. MacDonald goes for a fancy kick but can't land it. He tries a Superman punch but gets tied up by Diaz. They predictably end up against the fence. Diaz goes for a trip takedown but when he drops down MacDonald blasts him. Then he scores a series of high octane takedowns that electrifies the crowd. He ends up on top and begins going for the kill. He stands up and Diaz tries to use the up kick to defend himself. MacDonald plos through and lands a huge shot. Diaz seems to be fighting to stay alive. He ties him up against the cage and starts to wind down the clock. Diaz goes for a slam but it is blocked. They break. Diaz goes for the takedown but is stuffed and eats 2 elbows. Diaz once again goes for the single leg but his takedowns have gone ice cold. MacDonald gets his own with 1 minute left. He wants nothing to do with Diaz's guard. He keeps landing shots from a standup position. MacDonald goes for one more choke but the round and fight come to a close. 10-8 MacDonald. That makes the final sore 29-27 for MacDonald on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Rory MacDonald def. Nate Diaz via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)
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Lightweight bout
Ben Henderson (12-2) vs. Mark Bocek (9-3)
Round 1
It took Henderson the extra two hours to make weight last night even after stripping naked and asking that the music be turned down. Interesting subplot there for Henderson's UFC debut and first fight since catching that leaping kick to the face from Anthony Pettis that lost him the WEC Lightweight crown. Feeling out process to start which leads to a tie up on the cage. Bocek tries for the knees but Henderson seems to have control. They break off the cage and Henderson hits a knee of his own to the stomach. After a minute or so Referee Lavigne calls for a break. Straight right from Bocek that he uses to attempt a takedown. Nothing doing and the action stalls again. Something of an ankle kick from Henderson. Henderson hits a combo. Then lands a leg kick after a Superman punch fails. After both try and fail to box successfully Bocek goes in for a single leg. Henderson fights it off til Bocek sweeps out his other leg. Henderson is sitting against the cage until Bocek flattens him against the mat. They stay that way for the duration of the round with Henderson hitting a few elbows for good measure. Really tough round to score, my gut tells me 10-9 Bocek.
Round 2
No action for the first 30 seconds or so. Henderson hits a big combo but Bocek grabs his leg. It takes a moment or two and he has to endure elbows to the back but he takes Henderson down. Henderson stands up quickly and we have a tie up. Again Henderson is working the knees. After a break Henderson lands a three strike combo. Bocek again goes for a takedown but Henderson steals it from him. He ends up on top and forces Bocek to eat some nasty shots to the face. He lands some to the body as well. Bocek goes for a leg lock so Henderson bails and we end up standing up again. Bocek gets a front facelock that he uses to force Henderson down. He goes for the guillotine and the crowd reacts. Henderson seems to have it defended. They stand up but Bocek still has it locked on. Bocek goes for the finish by rolling him over but Henderson escapes. They stand up and Henderson wails on him. They break for a seconds but Henderson lands a few more. Bocek is bleeding out of the forehead. 10-9 Henderson in another close round.
Round 3
Henderson gets some love from the Canadians before the last round. Bocek is still leaking blood. Henderson starts to strike, Bocek counters with a takedown which Henderson uses to lock on a guillotine of his own. Bocek breaks that and is on top. Henderson tries a triangle but can't do it. Henderson rolls out and starts to hit Bocek from a standing position. He lands some elbows to the body. Again Bocek goes for the leg lock. He is able to get a takedown out of the deal and takes Henderson's back. The two wrestle, Henderson gets an ugly looking takedown and Bocek has no trouble getting up. They wrestle some more with Henderson in charge. Bocek grabs a leg and Henderson hits him with an elbow to the head. They stand up and Henderson goes with the knees and then switchest to punches. Bocek gets one last takedown and the round is over. 10-9 Henderson. That makes it 29-28 on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Ben Henderson def. Mark Bocek via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Light heavyweight bout
Jason Brilz (18-3-1) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (25-5)
Round 1
Nothing against either of these guys but the real mystery with this card is why exactly did thee two and on the main car ahead of, say, Diaz/MacDonald or Roberts/Patrick. In any case I look for it to be beautiful in it's own hideous way. Matyushenko wants to box, Brilz creeps in looking for a takedown. Matyushenko keeps throwing and hits him with a right hook to the jaw that drops Brilz. Matyushenko pounces and begins to hammerfist him out It takes little time for the ref to jump in and wave this contest off. He was probably out though it was maybe a wee bit questionable.
Vladimir Matyushenko def. Jason Brilz via TKO (strikes), Round 1 (0:20)
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Light Heavyweight Bout
Lyoto Machida (16-2) vs. Randy Couture (19-10)
Round 1- As we might expect the crowd is firmly in the corner of Couture. Lavign is the third man for this contest. Machida takes a few swipes but nothin' doing. Machida clips him on the jaw near the 1 minute mark. Couture in for a takedown but Machida punches him away. They exchange blows with neither seeming hurt. "Randy" chant starts up. Machida keeps swinging but nothing has come from it thus far. THey tie up and MAchida gets maybe one shot in. Couture doing well to keep him at bay. Machida with a crisp shot to the head. Every time Couture comes in he gets hit. Nice knee from Machida not sure how hard it landed. Couture in for the take down, blocked, but he lands a shot. The crowd approves. Kick from Machida. Couture creeps in and MAchida hits another knee. 10-9 Machida. Couture really had no luck with his offense but Machida was unable to do anything substantial.
Round 2
Couture eats a big shot to start. Machida tries to wrestle him down but Couture avoids it. They dance for a minute or so and Machida hits a flying front switch kick right to the face. Shades of Anderson Silva there and Couture goes down. MAchida goes in for the kill but before he can land anything else Lavigne jumps in to save Randy from further damage. Again maybe a good stoppage, maybe not.
Lyoto Machida def. Randy Couture via TKO (front kick), Round 2 (1:05)
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Featherweight title bout
Jose Aldo (champion) (18-1) vs. Mark Hominick (20-8)
Round 1
As of now the Canadians are 5-3, assuming things go as planned they will end up 6-4 but a Hominick upset could tilt things very much in their favor. But ... who thinks that will actually happen? John McCarthy is the ref for this title fight. A 1-2 combination from Aldo to start. Leg kick follows. Huge uppercut from Aldo, another leg kick. Chopping leg kick from Aldo. Hominick gets a shot in. Hominick catches his kick and Aldo stumbles backwards. Big leg kick from Aldo. Jab from Hominick. Leg kick Aldo. Aldo gets a take down. Hominick goes for an arm bar. Aldo shrugs it off and pushes Hominick backwards. Elbow from Aldo. Punch from Aldo. Another elbow from Aldo. Action slows but Aldo keeps up with the elbows. Aldo is really grinding him with those elbows. Huge shot to the face from Aldo. 45 seconds to go Hominick just might survive to see another round. McCarthy stands them up ... I'm against it. Hominick gets two shots in but Aldo takes him down just as the ten second warning goes off. 10-9 Aldo, I could easily go 10-8 but Hominick saved himself by slowing Aldo down for a few minutes and by landing some nice shots at the very end.
Round 2
Leg kick Aldo, Hominick looks to be game for a fight. Body blows from Hominick. Hook from Hominick mostly blocked. Leg kick Aldo. Body shot from the machine. 1-2 combo from Aldo. Aldo goes for the take down but it is blocked. Hominick gets 2 nice shots in on Aldo. Jab from Hominick. Aldo gets a much needed take down. Aldo wrestles him up against the cage. Hominick has no answer to get off the ground. Hominick uses the cage, Aldo stands and slugs him. Aldo is doing very little on the ground except keeping Hominick there. McCarthy stands them up, I agree. Big shot from Aldo. Body kick from Hominick. Aldo goes for the single leg, Hominick almost blocks it but goes down. The crowd starts to lay into Aldo, I hear what they are saying. Still the round ends and goes to Aldo 10-9.
Round 3
Uppercut from Aldo. Inside leg kick from Hominick. 2 jabs for the Canadian. Jab from Aldo. Take down attempt for Aldo is blocked. They both try boxing but both are being elusive. Jab from Aldo and another. Hominick is swinging a lot. Aldo goes in for a takedown, he kind of gets it but Hominick is wisely right back up. Jab from Hominick. Another. 2 light jabs for Hominick. Hominick goes for the takedown, mises and pays dearly as Aldo hammers him hard. Hominick nearly goes out. Aldo takes top poisition and Hominick is bleeding from his face. Elbow from Aldo. Hominick tries an arm bar but can't even get close. Aldo wants to close this round the same way he finished the last. The crowd applauds Hominick but sadly this round as well is a near miss. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 4
More jabs from Hominick. Big leg kick from Aldo. Big shot and body kick from Aldo. They keep boxing and Aldo is getting the better of it but not by a lot. Low kick frm Aldo and a stoppage is called for. Big jab from Hominick. Punch, leg kick for Aldo. Combo from Hominick. Jab from Hominick. Aldo with a massive shot that drops Hominick. He gets on top and hits a sharp elbow. Hominick has a gigantic welt on his head and the crowd reacts. Yikes. This could get ugly. Aldo on top again near the end of the round. One minute to go. If Hominick could just get back to his feet this could be a fight. Referee stoppage to look at his head. I almost hope they call it. But he is going to keep going. Wow. Boxing upon the restart. Aldo gets a takedown again, Hominick stops his attacks and the round ends. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 5
The doctor takes another look at Hominick's head. He gets the OK, so here we go ... Leg kick from Aldo. Combo from Aldo. More boxing, Hominick scores a takedown. Hominick begins to dominate. Grund and pound galore. Aldo looks dazed but hangs on. Hominick remains on top for the duration of the round. He lands body shot after body shot. Aldo keeps staying alive but Hominick is 100 percent dominant right now. EVen if he loses this fight his stock goes up after this. One minute left and Hominick begins to pour it on. Body shot after body shot for Hominick. The round ends and Aldo should retain the title. Hominick 10-8. That gives Aldo the victory on the Inside Fights scorecard 48-46.
Jose Aldo def. Mark Hominick via unanimous decision (50-43, 48-46, 49-46)
I'm sorry, 50-43? Somebody was clearly asleep during the final round because it was a borderline 10-7 in the other direction. It didn't cost anybody a fight but we really need there to be something of an uproar over this.
Also of note, here are the CompuStrike stats, which have the total strikes as Aldo going 141/257 and Hominick going 160/275. In his very dominant 5th round Hominick hit 61 out of 94 shots while Aldo hit 5/12, but hey if somebody saw that round for Aldo more power to them.
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Welterweight title bout
Georges St-Pierre (champion) (21-2) vs. Jake Shields (26-4-1)
Round 1
The crowd is as amped as possible for this one. Heaven forbid he loses here. Sloppy kick from Shields early on. Inside leg kick from GSP. Shields catches a kick. GSP won't go down however. Shields has him against the cage and hits some knees. GSP reverses. Jabs from SHields to little affect. Spin kick from GSP whiffs. Nice straight from GSP finds the mark. Lots of boxing and lots of missing for the next minute or so. Big straight from GSP wobbles Shields. Shields catches another kick but still can't bring him down. Shields sticking with the jab. Inside leg kick Shields. Big right hook from GSP. 10-9 GSP in just about the closest round he's had in years.
Round 2
Both fighters tenative early on. Shields hits a soft leg kick. Inside leg kick GSP. Kick from SHields. Big huge shot from GSP that lands with a bang. He goes for another but it is blocked. He goes for a few more, 1 almost lands squarely. Spin kick from GSP hits. Shields probably wants this on the ground at this point. Jabs from GSP. Body kick from SHields doesn't do much. Jab from GSP. SHields ties him up but GSP breaks free. ANother nice punch from GSP. GSP literally dances a jog. He hits a minor leg kick. Shields goes for the takedown but has no luck and an uneventful round comes to an end. 10-9 GSP.
Round 3
Not much early on as the two continue to approach with caution. Big looping hook from GSP. Shields throw a kick in slo-mo. Shields works the jabs. Shields looks a little gassed to be honest. Leg kick from GSP. Shields ducks a shot and gets in a clean body kick. Another body kick lands on GSP. Spinning back kick from GSP, Shields counters with a shot to the head. Takedown with 22 seconds left in the round. Shields stays busy on bottom and GSP is not able to capitalize. Call me crazy but I'm going 10-9 Shields despite the takedown.
Round 4
Shields comes out boxing. His striking is sad. GSP gets a takedown and now things might get interesting. But quick standup so no. Shields keeps throwing these half inside leg kicks that are almost comical. Shields tries for a takedown but doesn't even come close. Shields goes for a takedown but eats a big kick that knocks him down. GSP tries to get more out of it but Shields grabs a leg and gets a standup. A few jabs from Shields. He should never again throw a kick. Shields taunts a little and throws some punches. GSP is busted open now which is a rare sight indeed. Jab from Shields. Right now Shields is out striking GSP, believe it or not. The round ends with a whimper. Crazy as it may sound let's go 10-9 Shields. These rounds are crazy close right now and if a certain judge is sitting cageside, who knows what the scorecards will look like.
Round 5
Striking from both camps to open up. Jab from GSP that hits the mark. Shields should probably push the pace right about now. Looping hook for GSP. GSP starts to fire off some good shots. Shields is fighting a cowards fight not that I totally blame him. Jab from Shields. GSP keeps trying out those hooks, they are becoming less effective. Jab from GSP lands. More bloo from the face of GSP. Jab from Shields. Shields is landing more but GSP is landing better shots. 1 minute to go and it is anybodies fight. GSP misses a huge shot. A takedown here could win this fight. Jabs miss from Shields. Kick from Shields. Shields is bleeding now too. And the fight come to a close. Wow. How am I supposed to score that? If I could call it a draw I would. As it were let's go 10-9 GSP. But I am clueless as to how this will look. That gives GSP the win on our scorecard 48-47.
Georges St-Pierre def. Jake Shields via unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)