411's UFC: Wired Report 4.05.08
Posted by JB Lederman on 04.07.2008
Wherein I hate on a certain Matt Hughes some more because it's the right thing to do! Three action packed fights for your perusal: Guida vs. James; Riggs vs. Sanchez; and Penn vs. Hughes II!
UFC Wired, aired 4/5/08
Recap by JB Lederman
JBLederman@optonline.net
Welcome to the third edition of UFC: Wired Recap, wherein I review, repeat, and reiterate a recap show.
Joe Rogan welcomes us to the show. On tap tonight are three exciting fights: Clay "The Carpenter" Guida vs. Justin "The Pretty Boy" James, Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez vs. Joe "Diesel" Riggs, and "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn vs. Matt Hughes.
First fight (155 lbs): Clay Guida (20-3 MMA record), vs. Justin James (22-5).
Notes: Both men are making their UFC debuts after more then twenty fights each outside of the Octagon. Guida is 24 years old, James 29.
Round One: Guida makes the universal "Will we touch gloves?" motion to James before the fight begins. They do, indeed, touch gloves. Feeling each other out. James grabs a Thai clinch and lands several strong knees to the body! The arena is not nearly full yet, which gives the benefit of being able to clearly hear the instructions from each corner. "Elbow, James! Disengage! Throw the forearm!" More great knees, but seemingly no effect on Guida. Guida grabs a knee and takes James down. James has a very active guard. Guida landing some good shots. Guida standing in the guard and landing heavy punches. James has a look on his face that says, "What the hell have I gotten myself into here?" Armbar attempt from the bottom! Looks like James has in cinched in! No, Guida escapes. Round ends with Guida in the guard.
Round Two: James looks exhausted. Guida is ready to go. He catches a standing knee from James and takes him down. James's corner is not happy: "Justin, you gotta go! Heart wins this! He's going harder than you!" Guida, as if hearing them and sensing blood, goes nuts and begins raining down punches and elbows! James gives up his back! Guida works for the choke and James taps!
Winner: Clay Guida, tapout to rear naked choke, 4:42 of round two.
Second fight (170 lbs): Diego Sanchez (18-0) vs. Joe Riggs (28-8).
Joe Riggs when he was a little fatter (since Rogan always likes to say he used to fight at 300 pounds):
Notes: Riggs seems very sure that he will hand Sanchez his first loss. Sanchez: "Nobody's knocked Joe Riggs out yet; I want to be the first." Riggs: Sanchez' stand up is "two to three years behind mine."
Round One: Riggs is right: Sanchez has a weak, pawing jab. All arm punches. Rogan calls Riggs an "awesome" fighter when he has his head on straight. He seems fine here. I spoke too soon! Sanchez with a right hook that knocks Riggs off of his feet! He flies in with a knee to Riggs's head! Riggs is out as Sanchez lands several more punches! That is all! Sanchez then covers his left eye in pain, as he took a thumb. He did, however, still FINISH THE FIGHT, and NOT CALL FOR TIME and CRY LIKE A BABY. See Hughes, Matt. Riggs tries to tell Big John that Sanchez fouled him by kneeing to the head when he was down, but the replay clearly shows that Riggs was trying to shoot in and just ate the knee.
Winner: Diego Sanchez, KO, 1:45 of round one.
Third fight (170 lbs): Matt Hughes (34-3 and Welterweight Champion) vs. BJ Penn (6-1-1).
Because it's so precious: the look on Hughes's face after he is inconceivably beaten by BJ Penn in their first fight (set to the theme from Rocky):
Notes: Pre-fight quotes:
BJ: "I got [Hughes's] number. I'm gonna be the world champ again." Yes, but not until you fight Joe Stevenson at 155 later in life.
Hughes: "There will be lots of things different about this fight…. BJ loses."
Hughes on the first fight: "He did hit me with a right hand that dazed me. That's the only reason why he got the choke." How DARE Penn punch him and daze him before choking him? How rude!
Penn on Hughes's submission skills: "That's really all he can do. Cause he ain't gonna knock anybody out." Well… we'll see, I suppose.
Hughes: "I wanna knock people out. I wanna… use my wrestling defensively, keep people on their feet, and outstrike them." Since he said that, let's keep track of his shoot attempts, shall we?
Rhodes scholars, both of these guys. Don't get me wrong: I'd play them in Trivial Pursuit, but if either challenged me to a fight, I'd crap myself and run away.
Round One: Penn lands a left hook to the body to kickoff the action. Hughes working for a single (LIAR) but Penn leaps on foot to the cage and defends. Hughes eats a right hand and answers with a punch of his own. Hughes backs away and eats a right hand before scoring a single leg takedown (LIAR). BJ rises to his feet and hits Hughes with a one-two. Hughes is poked in the eye accidentally, requiring a check from the doctor, but only because Hughes SCREAMS AND CRIES AND TRIES TO CALL TIME OUT IN AN MMA MATCH. Bitch (don't tell him I said so). Hughes gives the OK after the doctor's thumbs-up and the fight continues. The duration of the first round is spent against the cage as Hughes works for a takedown.
Round Two:
Hughes lands a left jab and a right to the body before scoring a takedown against the cage (LIAR). Hughes working to pass guard. Penn closes his guard as Hughes tries to posture and pass to both sides. Hughes lands an elbow. BJ working for an omaplata. Hughes escapes and drops another elbow. Two elbows rock BJ. Penn sweeps and takes Hughes's back! Penn working for the rear naked choke. BJ now has a triangle from the back with an arm trapped! The fight is almost over. BJ switches to an armbar just before Hughes escapes as the round comes to a close.
Round Three:
Hughes opening up with some punches as the third period begins. Left hook lands for the champion. Another left lands for the mainlander. Stiff jab from Hughes. Huge uppercut lands for Hughes. BJ is rocked! Hughes scores a takedown (LIAR) and passes to half-guard. Hughes now in side control and traps Penn's left arm. Hughes pounding away. Hughes pounds on a trapped Penn until Big John stops the fight. Hughes is then all like, "See? I tol' you I'd win and stuff." It would later come out that BJ separated some ribs in the second round and was therefore a sitting duck for Hughes to tee off on in the third, as he had claimed he would.
Winner: Matt Hughes, TKO at 3:53 of the round three.
That's all for this week. Remember, it's been proven that watching MMA makes you ten to twelve percent tougher than the average person.
See you in a few days with a recap of UFC Unleashed.
