UFC 117 – Results

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Last night UFC 117 was held and for the first time in months, I didn’t get a chance to post my pre-fight predictions.  Of course as luck would have it, I went 5-0 on the night but since I didn’t get up my picks pre-fight, you’ll just have to trust me.  You do trust me, right?

Roy “Big Country” Nelson Vs. Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos

Prefight Prediction: I thought that Dos Santos would win via TKO in the first or second.  Everyone else watching with me picked Big Country.

Result:  Junior Dos Santos won by unanimous decision.  Big Country pressed the fight and had some great moments, but Dos Santos earned the victory.  As far as everyone watching with me was concerned, it was a moral victory for Big Country… and I agree!

Matt Hughes Vs. Ricardo “Cacharrao” Almeida

Prefight Prediction: Hughes via a hard fought and potentially close decision.


Result: Hughes won by chokeout at 3:15 in the 1st round.  Hughes landed a solid punch that rocked Almeda then jumped on him and applied the choke.  After that it was lights-out.

Clay “The Carpenter” Guida Vs. Rafael Dos Anjos

Prefight Prediction: Guida by TKO.

Result:  Guida won by tapout at 1:51 in the 3rd round.  Post fight reports say that Dos Anjos fought with a broken jaw from round one.

Jon Fitch Vs. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves

Prefight Prediction: Fitch by decision.

Postfight Result: Fitch won by unanimous decision.  Alves had trouble making weight which I thought would add to Fitch’s advantage.  At the post fight press conference Dana White said he believed Alves should move up a weight class for his future fights.  I agree.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen

Prefight Prediction: Had I posted my fights on Friday, I would have went with Sonnen.  When we made our picks right before the fights, I went with Silva.  I wanted Sonnen to win, but I thought that Silva would find a way to victory.  My thought was that Sonnen would press the fight and possibly score a takedown, but that Silva would get back to his feet and his superior stand-up would end an exciting fight fairly early.

Result: Silva won by tapout to an arm bar at 3:10 in the 5th round.  Up to that point Sonnen had owned Silva. He took Silva down at will.  He pounded him relentlessly for 4 and 3/5 rounds.  And while it’s true that Silva landed a few good shots and elbows along the way, it was Sonnen’s fight throughout.  Credit has to be given to Silva who never looked frustrated and, like a champion found a way to win.

Final thoughts:

  • Roy “Big Country” Nelson probably earned more respect and fans in losing to Dos Santos than he did in winning the last season of The Ultimate Fighter.
  • Matt Hughes picked up a $60,000 bonus for Submission of the Night Honors (as did Anderson Silva).  My guess is the wins (because of what they meant to their careers) meant more to both Hughes and Silva than the money.
  • Clay Guida got more interest from the ladies watching than any other fighter.  Scary, huh?
  • Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen each earned $60, 000 bonuses for Fight of the Night.  Don’t you imagine Sonnen would give up the 60K for a chance to redo the last few seconds of the fight?