411's UFC Fight Night XIII Report 04.02.08

Posted by Randy Harrison on 04.02.2008

Kenny Florian dominates the main event, early stoppages seem to be the order of the evening and we have the biggest and best fight card in UFC Fight Night history!!!

The biggest UFC Fight Night Card of all time is live on Spike TV and features a ton of talent with names like Kenny Florian, Joe Lauzon, Houston Alexander, James Irvin, Karo Parisyan, Thiago Alves, Frank Edgar, Gray Maynard and the list goes on and on and ON!!! I'm excited to see the night of fights and am hoping to see a ton of the undercard fights as well, so let's get the action started!!

LIVE from Broomfield, Colorado it's time for UFC Fight Night XIII and one of the most stacked cards the UFC has put on in a long time. Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan are your announcers as usual for all of the heated Mixed Martial Arts action!!

Just as a short note from the pre-fight video, Joe Lauzon looks like a lunatic with his shaved head and those gigantic ears. Mike Goldberg welcomes us to Colorado as the UFC makes its return to the Rocky Mountain state for the first time in more than a decade. He says that it will be the greatest card ever assembled on Spike TV and runs down the card before pimping the new season of The Ultimate Fighter. In comes Joe Rogan and he talks about how stacked the card is and the main event of Lauzon and Florian being a great lightweight fight. They talk about the war of words that has come out of this fight and they get to hyping both fighters. They run down the rest of the card and tell us that Houston Alexander and James Irvin are on deck!


Match One: Light Heavyweights
James Irvin (13-4-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-1)

Both guys have strong wrestling and this fight will take place exclusively on the ma....BWAHHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA. This is going to be a ton of fun and a ton of fists flying everywhere and I can't WAIT!! In their pre-fight video package Goldberg promises fireworks while Houston Alexander says that Irvin's style is perfect for him, and Irvin says that he's going to outstrike the striker. Irvin feels like the elevation is rough and burns his lungs but he's going to gut through it, let loose and throw bombs. Alexander says that he's no joke and he plans on going in after Irvin with no mercy.


Round One

Irvin looks to be in tremendous shape and looks plenty confident while Alexander is looking a little amped up and perhaps even nervous. Steve "No-Stash" Mazzagatti is the referee and they touch gloves and HOLY FUCK IRVIN JUST FLOORS ALEXANDER!!! ALEXANDER IS DOWN AND OUT AND IRVIN WINS IT!! Irvin landed a HUGE Superman punch and put Alexander down, following it up with a couple of right hands. Alexander was knocked out and woken up with those rights hands on the ground. Alexander is back up and NOT happy with the decision. That was INSANE.

Winner: James Irvin, KO at 0:08 of Round One

We find out that that's a tie for the record of quickest KO in UFC history and Irvin is with Joe Rogan and Rogan says that it seems like there are a lot of boos for a controversial stoppage. Irvin says he kind of missed with the first one and that the next two were the hardest punches he's ever thrown. Irvin says that he'll even go out to the parking lot to fight Alexander again because he wants to make the fans happy. Rogan says that unfortunately the fight didn't work out for the fans but it did for Irvin and he thanks Dana White and the UFC for sticking by him through the last year. Over to Houston Alexander and he says that Nebraska is STILL in the building. Alexander says that he's been hit harder than that by his kids but then says that he gives due respect to James. He says that he didn't feel anything and that he was still conscious but the referee came in to stop it. Joe doesn't seem like he believes Houston that he was conscious and Rogan says that he'd love to see a rematch between the two with some mixed reaction from the crowd.


Match Two: Lightweights
Kurt Pellegrino (17-3) vs. Nate Diaz (8-2)

Diaz is looking to continue his hot run since his win on the Ultimate Fighter's fifth season and he's going to be trying to win another bout in the UFC against UFC veteran Kurt Pellegrino. Both guys have great ground games and the difference could come with who can do more with their positions and who can do better striking before the fight gets to the mat. We get to see Diaz training in a locker room while Pellegrino shadow boxes in a shower before we are shown Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler in attendance for the night's fights. In the pre-fight video package Pellegrino says that when two people believe that they're better than the other and they end up in the cage it'll be a great fight, and Diaz says that he thinks that he's trained against guys like Pellegrino and handled them. Pellegrino wants to grind it out for fifteen minutes and wants to win while Diaz thinks that if he wins this fight people will know he's for real.


Round One

Nick Diaz in Nate's corner and he doesn't look like he's filled his prescription lately. Very angry. They start out circling with both guys throwing combinations to try to find their range and Pellegrino gets a single-leg into a takedown, taking Diaz' back almost immediately. Pellegrino with a couple of hammerfists and he continues with back control before switching to a front facelock. Back to back control for Pellegrino and Diaz tries to roll out of it and ends up underneath Pellegrino, taking full guard. Pellegrino pops up for a left hand and they're back into the full guard. Diaz with a couple of strikes from the bottom and Pellegrino lands some HARD shots from the top including a right hand that leads to Pellegrino passing to side control. He PEPPERS Diaz with a TON of right hands in a crucifix position and comes close to stopping the fight but Diaz gets it back to guard. BIG elbow from Pellegrino and Diaz rolls and turtles, giving up his back again, with Pellegrino getting the hooks in. Pellegrino tries for the rear naked but Diaz defends it and rolls back to his knees. Diaz gets back to his feet to a round of applause from the crowd and presses Pellegrino against the fence landing some short strikes and knees to the thighs. Diaz throws a knee to the body but it doesn't land and he tries for a takedown but can't get it before the horn sounds to end the round. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Pellegrino.


Round Two

Round two starts out with some circling and Diaz throws a couple of combinations that miss. Pellegrino gets the single-leg into the takedown again, moving into Diaz' full guard. Pellegrino with some short elbows that land and a hammerfist as he tries to pass out to the side control. He gets into half-guard but Diaz has a kimura from the bottom as Pellegrino plays to the crowd. Diaz kicks Pellegrino away but can't get enough separation and Pellegrino is back on top in the full guard. Hammerfist to the gut from Pellegrino and they grapple and struggle as the action slows. Pellegrino takes his back standing and Diaz tries for a throw but Pellegrino maintains the back control on the mat. Diaz stands and lands some shots against the fence and Pellegrino gets another takedown but ends up falling into a triangle choke and Diaz KNOWS it's over. He squeezes and gives the crowd the double birds and Pellegrino is forced to tap out!!

Winner: Nate Diaz, submission (triangle choke) at 3:06 of Round Two

RAMPAGE is in the crowd and looking a little doughy. Rogan is with Nate Diaz and he says that he wanted feels great because he knows that he trains with the best. He says that some people think the The Ultimate Fighters get sheltered and he doesn't want to be sheltered. He thinks that he's a slow starter and that he knew that Pellegrino wouldn't be able to go all three rounds at that pace. Diaz says that Pellegrino shouldn't have picked him up like that because it was the beginning of the end. Diaz thanks Colorado and thanks all of his coaches for all their hard work. STOCKTON BABY!!

Mike Goldberg welcomes us back and they take the time to pimp the new Spike show DEA, instead of you know..showing fights. UGH!!! One of them sounded like he knew a bit about the UFC but had no idea what to say when asked about the main event and just said that he expected Florian to win because he's solid and...solid....and he's a solid guy. Huh, very astute observation.


Match Three: Light Heavyweights
Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Tim Boetsch (7-1)

Hamill makes his return to the Octagon after his controversial loss at UFC 75 to Michael Bisping and is going to try to make it a triumphant one. Boetsch is the former IFL veteran who made his UFC debut on short notice and completely fucked up David Heath in relatively short order. Wrestler vs. striker, but Boetsch also has good wrestling which could cause problems for Hamill. Hamill shadow boxes in his locker room while Boetsch does some pad work with Marcus Davis in his room. The video package starts and Hamill says that his heart is on fire and he's got mental toughness while Boetsch says that he's going to make life tough on Hamlil in the Octagon. Boetsch says he'll deliver the same performance like he did against Heath because he trains to finish fights. Hamill says that he's going to look for the submission or try to knock him out.


Round One

Adam Martinez is your referee and he looks like a Hispanic Steve Buscemi. Hamill lands a couple of jabs and they move to the clinch with Hamill getting the double-leg and taking Boetsch down against the fence. Hamill moves to side control and then ends up back in half-guard as Boetsch spins away from the cage. Hamill gets out of the guard but can't get past Boetsch's legs as they scramble and end up back in the half-guard. Boetsch works some good body control and there's not a lot of anything going on at this point. They trade some hammerfists and Hamill gets a couple of strikes as referee Martinez stands them back up. Hamill works the jab again as Boetsch misses an uppercut. Boetsch with a good knee up the middle in the clinch and he JUST misses the uppercut again. Leg kick from Boetsch and he fires off a jab that lands now as they trade uppercuts and Boetsch gets another knee. Boetsch looks a little bit gassed out and they circle as Hamill is bleeding from the mouth. This fight has slowed to an absolute crawl but Boetsch lands a HUGE knee up the middle that stands Hamill straight up. BIG uppercut from Hamill and another knee lands for Boetsch to the face of Hamill and the horn sounds with both guys looking tired. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Hamill.


Round Two

Oh christ, it looks like Hamill's front lip is split in half as they start round two. NASTY cut. Boetsch misses the uppercut again and they circle with Boetsch landing an overhand right. Hamill slips and Boetsch ends up on top but Hamill is able to get right back up. Leg kick from Boetsch and he shoots for the double-leg on Hamill and gets the takedown for a moment but Hamill is landing punches out of a sprawl as Boetsch is eating an absolute TON of punches. Hamill is standing above Boetsch and hammering him against the fence from the mount and after a bunch more right hands the referee steps in to stop the fight.

Winner: Matt Hamill, TKO at 1:25 of Round Two

WE HAVE AN AL ROKER SIGHTING!! WHAT in the HELL is he doing there??? Oh, he's the executive producer of that DEA show on Spike coming up after The Ultimate Fighter. Rogan is with Matt Hamill and he says that Tim did a good job with great knees and he wants to give him a round of applause. Hamill says that he's getting a little better and thanks his trainers. He thanks his family and friends for their great support and he tells his kid that he loves him or her and then he talks us through the end of the fight. Hamill says that he knew that Tim had no shortage of heart so he just gave it all that he could until the referee stepped in.

Rogan is with RAMPAGE and he talks about how much he hates training and how hard it was to make others train but that he learned a lot from the guys he had on his team. He says that he learned a lot going into his fight with Forrest and Rogan talks about how the rivalry started out friendly but got more heated as the season went on. Rogan asks about whether Rampage is excited about his fight with Forrest and not surprisingly he is. They show Forrest on the big screen and the crowd roars as they start the hard sell for the UFC 86 card in July that will feature Griffin/Jackson for the Light Heavyweight Title in the main event.


Match Four: Welterweights
Thiago Alves (18-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (25-4)

Alves has a bit of an advantage striking, but Karo is more than likely going to close the distance and stay in tight to get his takedowns and throws. Karo is also going to be looking to prove himself after feeling like he's been pushed to the side when it comes to the Welterweight title picture. Parisyan says that his main priority is to go after Alves and kick him, punch him, submit him or whatever he has to do to win. Alves says that he's a better striker and stronger than Parisyan and is going to win the KO of the night in this fight. Parisyan thinks that he's going to clinch and break his ribs and take him down. Parisyan says he's going to climb the cage and try to take his head off.


Round One

Parisyan fights out of North Hollywood, CA, which if I had to guess is probably the dirtiest town in the entire United States. Just horrible to drive through. They touch gloves to start out and Parisyan comes forward with a combination that misses and they separate to circle. Karo gets the clinch and double underhooks, taking Alves down to the mat and moving to side control. Alves tries to scramble out and Parisyan gets mount for a moment before eating some left hands from Parisyan on the top. Alves gets to his feet and Parisyan drops down for a double-leg, getting stuffed on the takedown and they move back to the middle of the cage. Parisyan slips in a left hand and fires off the jab before ducking under a big right from Alves. High kick lands to the chest of Alves and Parisyan keeps flicking out the jab. A knee just misses from Parisyan and Alves throws a leg kick, with Karo ALMOST catching it and taking him down. They trade jabs and neither one lands and they slow down with Alves trying an uppercut but missing it. Parisyan shoots for the double-leg and they end up clinched against the cage with Parisyan working the stronger position. They move away from the fence and Parisyan pushes forward but there's no real striking going on. Alves with a good body kick and straight right hand that slows Parisyan down. They move to the clinch and Alves gets some hard knees to the body and the horn sounds to end the round. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Parisyan with the takedown being the only real difference between the fighters.


Round Two

Parisyan throws a high kick but ends up eating a jab from Alves. Alves gets a HUGE knee and he DROPS PARISYAN. Alves on top and throwing some punches and the referee jumps in to stop the fight. Parisyan is up right after the stoppage and is PISSED OFF.

Winner: Thiago Alves, TKO at 0:34 of Round Two

Parisyan looks to be near tears as the decision is read and Joe is with Alves. Alves feels like the stoppage wasn't premature and he thinks that the UFC referees do a great job. "Whatever. I won" That's a great quote right there. He talks about the finish of the fight and Rogan asks where Alves thinks he fits in the Welterweight title picture. Alves says he's here to fight against anyone and wants to take on the best. He thanks his anager and his training partners at ATT and he's done.

Joe is with Forrest Griffin now and he talks about how Forrest was an underdog going into the Shogun fight and Forrest says that he can continue to play that underdog role as long as he wants to, saying that Rampage looks really mean. He says that he was a horrible coach and he had a feeling that Rampage was a horrible coach too and that Rampage said some bad things and Forrest gets in a great line at the end saying that Rampage said he was going to beat him up and that when Forrest wipes he's the kind of guy that doesn't quite get it all and Forrest says that Rampage is half-right but he's not saying which half. That even gets a smile out of Rampage.


Match Five: Lightweights
Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Tommy Speer (9-2)

Johnson is fresh off of a loss at UFC 76 in September, losing to Rich Clementi in a short notice fight and is going to try to gain a measure of revenge against one of the finalists from the last season of The Ultimate Fighter. Speer is going to try to come off of that loss and prove his worth in the UFC. Johnson is the striker and will be trying to use that to keep off of his back and away from the clutches of Speer, the wrestler. Johnson has spent his entire training camp in Denver and he says that he's going to hit Speer harder than he ever has before and he's bringing strength and speed and it's up to him when he uses either or both. Speer says that he wants to win more and he's going to show it.


Round One

Speer's new nickname is "the Farm Boy". Not very intimidating to be sure. Speer is also wearing the GSP painted on fight shorts. Gross. They circle with speed in the beginning and Speer fakes a takedown but pulls back from it. Johnson gets a right hand and Speer shoots in for a takedown but it gets stuffed and A BIG LEFT HOOK lands for Johnson. He gets a head kick and a HUGE KNEE and lands a TON of clean punches and ONE CRUSHING RIGHT HAND LATER Speer is unconscious slumped against the cage. WOW.

Winner: Anthony Johnson, KO at 0:51 of Round One

Joe Rogan is with Johnson and he's "crunked" with this performance. He apologizes for his last fightand how bad he fought and he says that just gave Denver the privelege of seeing him do something. He says that he wants to fight as many times as he can this year and then promises Denver that he'll have the UFC Championship belt around his waist someday.


Match Six: Lightweights
Gray Maynard (5-0-1) vs. Frankie Edgar (7-0)

Two undefeated fighters get set to step into the Octagon, though Maynard may be a little less undefeated due to his No Contest against Rob Emerson. Two great wrestlers and two guys that have lots of gas in their tank, with Edgar holding a bit of a stand-up advantage. Edgar says that he doesn't plan on losing his undefeated record to Maynard, while Maynard says that he's got to hit Edgar and swell him up all over, adding that he would love to break him. Edgar wants this fight more than Maynard does and feels like he's earned his spot.


Round One

They start out circling quickly and Maynard tries an uppercut that gets blocked. Another uppercut from Maynard just misses and Edgar ducks under another punch and tries for a takedown. Maynard stuffs the takedown and they separate to circle again. Maynard throws a combination that misses and backs Edgar up a little before Edgar turns the tables and does the same thing right back. They exchange single punches with nothing of note landing until Edgar gets a one-two in through Maynard's guard. Maynard with a good left hook that lands and they exchange strikes with nothing landing. Edgar moves in with another one-two and Maynard jumps in and out of the pocket, eating another combination from Edgar. Edgar moves in with a combination but gets too close and Maynard gets the takedown into the full guard, with Edgar already trying for a switch. Edgar gets to his feet and Maynard holds onto his back, taking Edgar down off of the fence. Maynard postures up with a big right hand as Edgar lands a couple of strikes from the bottom. Maynard postures up and Edgar rolls out of it, getting back to his feet. Good short left from Maynard and they trade jabs and circle to close out the round. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Maynard with the two big takedowns being the difference.


Round Two

They touch gloves and Maynard hits a good overhand left before moving in with a BIG uppercut that misses, causing Maynard to stumble a little. Maynard with a punch to the leg and a shot to the face and he sprawls out as Edgar tries for a takedown. Maynard drops for a single-leg of his own and gets Edgar down to the mat again , pressing Edgar up against the fence. Maynard lands a knee to the body and Edgar gets back to his feet, landing a hard elbow and left hand to the face of Maynard. Edgar with a three-punch combination that lands and he avoids a shot from Maynard. Maynard lands a solid jab and Edgar comes forward with another combination, backing away as Maynard throws his and misses. Edgar with a shot to the body and Maynard moves in for a clinch, hitting a knee but opening himself up for a BIG throw from Edgar. Maynard gets right back to his feet and they separate to the center. Edgar with a high kick that misses and Maynard lands a HARD left hook to the side of Edgar's head. Edgar with another three-punch combination that lands and Maynard shoots in, scoring another takedown and trying to take the back. Maynard in side control as Edgar looks for a kimura from the bottom but can't lock it in before the round comes to an end. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Maynard with that last takedown earning him the round, though both rounds have been close thus far.


Round Three

Edgar looks motivated at the beginning of the round but they trade punches with Maynard moving in for a DEEP takedown attempt. They scramble and end up in the clinch against the fence before the move out to the center of the cage. Another good combination lands for Edgar and Edgar gets a surprise single-leg, with Maynard showing great balance to maintain his footing. Maynard gets another double-leg takedown on Edgar, pushing him up against the fence and taking his back as Edgar stands up. A HUGE slamming takedown from Maynard and he's still on top, pressing Edgar's back against the cage. Edgar gets to his feet and Maynard gets ANOTHER slam, taking Edgar's back in the process. He sets one hook in and tries for a choke but loses it as Edgar gets back to his feet. Edgar lands a flurry of punches and short elbows as well as a good right hook but it might be too little too late. Edgar gets bullrushed against the fence by Maynard and he gets another big slam takedown, working from the half-guard against the cage. Short elbow from the top and Edgar is trying for the kimura again but it's just not there. Maynard postures up for a right hand and Edgar tries to scramble out but ends up on the bottom with Maynard on top in side control. Knee to the body from Maynard and he transitions to the north/south position, moving back to side control on the other side and holding Edgar down until the horn sounds. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Maynard and the fight 30-27 for Maynard in a fight that could be a lot closer than that.

Winner: Gray Maynard, Unanimous Decision

Joe is with Gray Maynard and he says that he's a little bigger than Edgar and he used his size to bully him around a bit. Rogan figures that this fight moves him up in the 155 division and Maynard says that he's not even close to the top and that he has a LONG way to go before he can consider himself near the top. He throws a shout-out to all of his friends who will be fighting on the IFL show on Friday night, which will be covered live by yours truly on 411mania.com.


Match Seven: Lightweight Main Event
Kenny Florian (9-3)vs. Joe Lauzon (15-3)

A main event featuring two guys that are looking to solidify themselves as the next potential challenger for either BJ Penn or Sean Sherk. Lauzon is 3-0 in the UFC, including his win over Jens Pulver, and winner of his last six fights in a row. Florian is coming off of high-profile wins in his last three fights and is 6-2 overall in the UFC. Lauzon is the better striker standing, but Florian is always dangerous with his Thai elbows. A really cool video package shows Florian and his finishes and Lauzon says that great things come out of Boston like the Patriots, the Red Sox and Florian and Lauzon. He thinks that no one's giving him a chance in this fight and he'll shock everyone like he did with Jens Pulver. Florian says he's going to push the pace and put pressure on Joe from the beginning. Lauzon thinks he's a better wrestler and a little stronger in this fight, saying that Florian is in for a rude awakening. Florian wants to be the guy that fights for the UFC Lightweight title and Joe Lauzon is just the next victim.


Round One

Lauzon seriously looks like he broke out of a mental institution. That is a SCARY looking little man. Herb Dean is the referee for this main event and we're underway!! Lauzon shoots out a couple of jabs and takes the center of the Octagon, throwing a combination that misses as Florian lands a leg kick. Florian gets taken down and lands a TON of pointed elbows to the back of Lauzon's head and ther's a cut on the back of his head. Florian hits a HUGE body kick that takes Lauzon down and Florian shoots in and gets the takedown proper, moving into side control and holding Lauzon down on the canvas. Short elbows from Florian, digging away at the face of Lauzon and they scramble back to the feet with Lauzon getting a big trip takedown, landing elbows of his own while in the guard of Florian. Lauzon postures up as Florian tries to work out from underneath, trying for an omaplata but Lauzon moves to side control, landing some hammerfists before it goes back to the half-guard. Lauzon moves one leg over and looks to be setting up a kneebar and he has a heel hook on Florian but can't hold it and Florian gets back to his feet. The separate with a minute left in the round and Florian shoots in with a bodylock, taking Lauzon's back while they stand near the fence. Lauzon reverses the takedown and ends up on top of Florian, falling back for the heel hook again, trying to crank it but having to let it go and Florian lands huge punches and hammerfists as the round comes to an end. 411mania.com scores the round 10-9 for Florian due to the cut damage and the late flurry to finish the first.


Round Two

Florian hits a big leg kick before landing a body kick as the pace slows a little to start the second. Florian shoots in and gets a single-leg takedown, passing into half-guard and then popping up to full mount. Florian with a ton of punches while Lauzon defends and covers up, trying to buck Florian off but he can't do it. Florian gets pushed off to side control and Florian keeps landing hammerfists and punches but Lauzon is avoiding most of them. Florian back to the mount and he lands a bunch of right hands as Lauzon gets it back to half-guard after taking a ton of damage. Back to full mount for Florian and he's continuing to pound away but Lauzon is blocking almost all of the punches. Good job by Herb Dean to let this go since he's not really landing a lot of shots. More of them are starting to get through now and Dean looks a lot closer to stopping it. Hammerfists from Florian and HE FINISHES JOE LAUZON!!! IT'S ALL OVER!!! Lauzon is tougher than nails for taking all of that punishment and he had Florian in a bit of trouble on a couple of occasions in the first. A loss, but still a really good fight for Lauzon that showed his skills and his heart.

Winner: Kenny Florian, TKO at 3:28 of Round Two

Joe is with Kenny and he talks about how dangerous the fight was for Kenny and that he had a lot to lose. Kenny says that Joe is a great competitor and thanks his family and God and says that he's lucky to have been able to fight after pushing through some personal issues. He says that he was going to take someone's heart and that he did that tonight with Lauzon. He knew that there was going to be a weakness in Lauzon and it was just the matter of finding it. He thanks all of his coaches, trainers and training partners and we get the closing video package full of highlights and the plug for the new season of Ultimate Fighter and we're OUT!!!

Thanks for joining us here at 411mania.com for the coverage of UFC Fight Night XIII and be sure to check us out on Friday night for the live coverage of the IFL event from IZOD Center in New Jersey with three big title fights on the card!!