411's UFC 99: The Comeback Report 6.13.09

Posted by Jeremy Lambert on 06.13.2009

Rich Franklin picked up a unanimous decision victory in a three round war against Wanderlei Silva at a 195 pound Catchweight fight. Also, Cain Velasquez dominated Cheick Kongo en route to a decision victory and Mirko "Cro Cop" successfully made his UFC return with a TKO victory over Mostapha Al-Turk. Click for the full report.

UFC 99: The Comeback
From the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany
Live on PPV

-Warrior opening. "If this isn't the fight of the night. Then I'm not Cheick Kongo." Silva and Franklin want to finish.

-Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan are the hosts. Rogan says 195 is the perfect fight for both Silva and Franklin. They run down the card.

-Video preview for Hardy vs. Davis.

Welterweight Fight: Dan Hardy (21-6, 1 NC) vs. Marcus Davis (21-5)

Round One: They trade leg kicks. Davis clinches and tries a trip takedown but Hardy is up against the cage and stays on his feet. A long clinch and Davis gets the takedown. Davis in full mount. Hardy gets him to half guard and then full guard. Davis passes and Hardy rolls to give up turtle position. Davis landing short punches. Davis gets a face lock. Hardy stands to his feet and they clinch. Hardy with a big elbow on the break. Hardy lands a left hook that stumbles Davis. Another clinch. The round ends. 10-9 Davis.

Round Two: Leg kick by Hardy. They trade left hands. Body kick by Davis but he eats a left. Left straight by Davis. Big exchange. Knee drops Davis. Hardy pounces on him but Davis regains his senses. Hardy in guard. Davis goes for an armbar. Hardy blocks it and is still in guard. Hardy not doing much on top. Ref stands them up. Big left hand by Davis. Hardy smiles at him. Davis clinches and gets a takedown. Round ends. 10-9 Hardy.

Round Three: Hardy throws a leg kick and Davis counters with a left. Hardy goes down but it looked like a slip. Davis in the guard of Hardy. Davis passes to half guard. Davis goes for a footlock. Hardy spins out and up to his feet. Davis clinches with Hardy's back on the cage. Hardy reverses the position. Takedown by Hardy. Elbow by Hardy cuts open Davis. The ref stops the action to check the cut. The doctor says he can continue. Back to the action, Hardy in the guard of Davis. Hammerfists by Hardy. The ref stands them up. Left hook by Hardy. Leg kick by Hardy, counter left by Davis. Left hook by Hardy. They trade left hooks. They clinch as the round ends. 10-9 Hardy.

-Close rounds and a tough fight to score for the most part.

Official Decision: Dan Hardy by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

-Hardy says all the talk before the fight was just to get a mental advantage over Davis. Hardy apologizes for letting the fight go to a decision.

-Video preview for Fisher vs. Uno

Lightweight Fight: Spencer Fisher (23-4) vs. Caol Uno (25-11-4)

Round One: No action about a minute in. Uno shoots but Fisher sprawls. They stand into a clinch. Knees to the body by Fisher. Not much happening in the clinch and the crowd starts to boo. The ref breaks them. Leg kick by Fisher. Right hook by Fisher. Uno shoots and Fisher sprawls again. Another clinch. Crowd booing. Knee by FIsher on the break. Another clinch as the round ends. 10-9 Fisher.

Round Two: Uno ducks under a hook, grabs a single, and gets the takedown. Fisher is seated against the cage. Wall walk by Fisher gets him to his feet. Quick clinch and break. Shot by Uno, sprawl by Fisher. Back on the feet. They trade leg kicks. Shot by Uno, sprawl by Fisher. Uno sweeps him as he tries to stand and is in the guard of Fisher now. Uno postures, which allows Fisher to push away and get to his feet. They clinch and Fisher has the back on the feet. Uno rolls into him to get it to the ground but Fisher is right back up. Clinch and Fisher goes for a throw but Uno uses his weight to get on top. Fisher right back up again. Another clinch. Uno pulls guard from the clinch. Shoulders from the top by Fisher. Uno gets to his feet but eats a knee. 10-9 Fisher.

Round Three: Uno clinches right away and puts Fisher's back to the cage. Dirty boxing by Fisher. The break. Big left by Fisher as Uno comes in. Uno grabs a single. Uno gets Fisher seated against the cage. Fisher wall walks to his feet but Uno still has the clinch. Uno drops for a single, Fisher blocks it, Uno back to the underhooks. The ref breaks them. Uno slips throws a leg kick. Uno tries to bait him into coming to the ground but Fisher doesn't bite. Right hand by Fisher as Uno comes in. Fisher sprawls and puts his weight on Uno. Fisher in guard. Uno scrambles to his feet. Uno with another clinch. Dirty boxing by Fisher. Uno gets the takedown and ends up in mount. Punches and elbows by Uno. Uno running out of time. Uno continues to come down with punches as the round ends. 10-9 Uno.

-First two rounds were close and could go either way. Uno should have won the last round with the mount position.

Official Decision: Spencer Fisher by Unanimous Decision

Welterweight Fight: Ben Saunders (7-0-2) vs. Mike Swick (13-2)

Round One: Saunders clinches and pulls guard. Saunders controlling the posture of Swick. Swick complaining about just being held. Swick landing short body shots but really nothing happening. Swick trash talking with Saunders as he holds him. Swick finally gets up. Up kick by Saunders. Swick drops back down and into guard. Saunders controls him again. The ref stands them up. Body kick by Saunders. Big exchange and Swick looked to stumbles Saunders. They clinch and Saunders lands a knee to the body. Double unders by Swick. They trade knees to the leg. The round ends. 10-9 Swick.

Round Two: Swick presses forward and clinches. They trade knees to the body. Swick with a trip takedown and moves right to mount. Saunders bucks him to butterfly guard. Saunders controlling Swick on top. The ref stands them up. They trade knees in tight before breaking. Good combo by Swick. Left hook by Swick rocks Saunders. Swick follows up with big punches. Saunders covers up and falls. Swick pounds on him until the ref stops it.

Official Decision: Mike Swick by TKO at 3:47 in Round 2

-Swick says he wants to keep moving up and fight top guys.

-Video preview for "Cro Cop" vs. Al-Turk

Heavyweight Fight: Mirko Cro Cop (24-6-2, 1 NC) vs. Mostapha Al Turk (6-4)

Round One: Big right hand by Turk. Counter rights by Mirko. Mirko shrugs off a takedown. Turk swinging with the right. Mirko shrugs off another takedown. Leg kicks by Turk. Left by Mirko. Big left by Mirko. Turk is hurt. Turk covering up and backing away. Mirko drops him. Mirko above him trying to finish. Turk survives. Back on the feet. Mirko with another left. Turk is out on his feet. Mirko pouring it on. The ref stops it.

-On replay it shows that Turk got poked in the eye.

Official Decision: Mirko Cro Cop by TKO at 3:06 in Round One

-Mirko says he's happy to be back in the UFC and he feels good after his knee surgery. Mirko apologizes for the eye poke but says, "that's not the thing that let me win the fight."

-Video preview for Kongo vs. Velasquez

Heavyweight Fight: Cheick Kongo (24-4-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (5-0)

Round One: Good lead jab by Kongo. Kongo rocks Cain with two big rights. Cain recovers and gets the takedown. They scramble for position. Cain on the back of Kongo. Kongo turns and Cain now has side control. Cain moves to mount. Kongo gives up his back. Cain looks for the choke. Kongo rolls out and into mount. Kongo gives up his back. Kongo gets to his feet but Cain still has his back. Cain with a big slam into side control. Mount again by Cain. Kongo gives up his back. Heavy punches by Cain. Cain all over Kongo on the ground. Kongo gets to his feet. Another big takedown by Cain into side control. Cain with turtle position. More big punches and elbows by Cain. Kongo gets to his feet as the round ends. 10-9 Cain but it could be 10-8.

Round Two: Left hand by Kongo drops Cain. Cain right back up. Kongo clinches with him. Cain has a single and drags Kongo to the ground. Cain has turtle position. Knee to the body by Cain followed by hammerfists. Cain rolls him to mount. Kongo gives up his back. Heavy punches by Cain. Cain with great control on top. Kongo gets up and Cain puts him right back down into side control. Kongo rolls and Cain has turtle position. Cain just pounding away and Kongo surviving. Knees to the body by Cain. More knees by Cain. Kongo looks to have a busted nose. The round ends. 10-9 Cain. Could be 10-8 again.

Round Three: Big right by Kongo. Cain shoots but Kongo sprawls. Kongo gets the takedown but Cain right back up. Cain switches and gets the back of Kongo. Cain has turtle position again and just beating on Kongo. Cain with the mount and Kongo rolls to give up turtle position again. Cain is just pounding on Kongo. Kongo gets to his feet. They clinch. Knees to the body by Kongo. They break. Cain ducks under and gets a takedown into side control. Cain mounts. A lot of punches by Cain. Kongo punching from the bottom. Cain pounding on him from the mount. The round ends. 10-9 Cain. Again could be 10-8.

Official Decision: Cain Velasquez by Unanimous Decision

-Cain isn't happy with his performance.

-Goldberg and Rogan talk about the main event. Goldberg says both fighters are at a crossroads.

-Video preview for Franklin vs. Silva.

195lb Catchweight Fight (Main Event): Rich Franklin (26-4, 1 NC) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)

Round One: Nothin happening a minute in. Left straight by Franklin. Leg kick by Silva. Both lands right on the exchange. Body kick by Franklin. Blocked high kicks by Silva. Body kick by Franklin caught. Silva takes him down. Silva in guard. Good punches from the top by Silva. Franklin gets to his feet. They clinch. Silva goes for a guillotine. He drops down but Franklin slips out. Franklin mounts. Silva escapes to his feet. Knee to the body by Franklin as they break. Silva bleeding from the nose Left by Franklin. Round ends. 10-9 Franklin.

Round Two: Body kick by Silva. Right by Franklin, body kick by Silva. Quick exchange that Franklin wins. Right hand by Silva. Body shot by Franklin. Body kick by Franklin after a good right. Right hand drops Silva. Silva right back up. Body kick by Franklin. Just misses by both men. Left by Franklin. Right jab by Franklin after Silva swings and misses. Body kick by Franklin but Silva answers with a right. Left right by Silva. Body kick by Silva. Big right by Silva. Another right. Franklin backing up. Franklin shoves him away and then lands a big left. Head kick block by Silva but he falls as Franklin slips. Both men look tired as the round ends. 10-9 Franklin.

Round Three: Big left by Franklin but Silva counters. Left stumbles Silva. Body kick and a left by Franklin. Franklin catches Silva with a low kick. Silva takes a quick break but is ready to go. Big exchanges. Left by Silva stumbles Franklin a bit. Silva just misses a thai knee. Body kick by Silva. Silva pressing forward. Body kick by Franklin. Big exchanges that Silva is winning. Silva gets in tight and Franklin gets a body lock takedown. Silva back to his feet. Franklin has the back on the feet. Elbows by Silva while Franklin punches. 10-9 Silva.

-All rounds were close. Could go either way.

Official Decision: Rich Franklin by Unanimous Decision

-Franklin makes his trainer do push ups. Franklin likes the 195 pound class.

-Silva says, "My fans is my victory. Thanks my guys."

-Goldberg and Rogan wrap up the show.

-End Show