Tremendous Tirades: UFC 88 - Breakthrough [Ultimate 2-Disc Edition]

Posted by Larry Csonka on 01.27.2009

UFC 88: Breakthrough will forever be known as the night Rashad Evans knocked out Chuck Liddell. The show overall was a good one, but could the overall presentation be improved with this Ultimate 2-Disc Edition? Join me for the full review!


UFC 88 – BREAKTHROUGH!

The DVD is out today.

DISC: ONE

-From the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia!

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT – Roan Carneiro (12-6) vs. Ryo Chonan (15-7):

ROUND ONE: Herb Dean is the official. No touch as they come right out and Chonan gets a body kick. Carneiro shoots, fails and Chonan into the guard of Carneiro. Carneiro controls, but Chonan gets him to the cage. Carneiro works off of the cage with his feet, gets the left wrist of Chonan, tries for a triangle, omoplata applied now! Chonan rolls, sweeps and is out. It allows Carneiro to get side control from that, tries for mount, fails and to his feet he goes. Carneiro dives back in and is in half guard. A good right by Carneiro, lefts now as he has Chonan trapped against the cage. Short lefts and elbows by Carneiro, who is doing well from the half guard. Chonan tries to work some elbows from the bottom, but he is now cut above the eye. Chonan rolls, gets to his feet and they stand. Good right by Carneiro, shoots but gets stuffed. Elbows by Chonan, they clinch against the cage and Chonan turns Carneiro, and backs off. Chonan misses a knee, combo by Carneiro and then one by Chonan, which was wild and didn’t really connect.

SCORECARD:: Carneiro’s round all the way. He pressed the action, had the omoplata for a bit, controlled on the ground and did solid damage to Chonan. I have it 10-9 for Carneiro.

ROUND TWO: Round two begins as Chonan looks for jabs and then the body kick. Carneiro slips and Chonan into the guard of Carneiro. Short rights by Chonan, some rights miss the head but get the shoulder of Carneiro. Carneiro tries to hold him close in the closed guard, but Chonan postures up and works body shots as well as some shots to the head of Carneiro. Short lefts by Chonan connect, and now body shots. Chonan stands, lands a leg kick and avoids the up kicks and gets back into the guard of Carneiro. Chonan postures up again and drops in with solid shots. Chonan gets Carneiro against the cage, some more body shots as Carneiro works for an arm bar, Chonan avoids this and lands a very good elbow. Chonan keeps him against the cage, Carneiro tries some elbows from the bottom but Chonan keeps control. Carneiro again looks for an arm bar but gets nothing. Carneiro works off of the cage, Chonan counters and keeps the dominant position. Big rights by Chonan connect and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: A complete turn around for Chonan, who took advantage of the slip by Carneiro. He kept it on the ground, did solid damage and the riding time easily gives him the round. I have it 19-19 overall.

ROUND THREE: Final round begins and a jab by Carneiro. Body kick by Chonan, but Carneiro with a takedown. Chonan right back to his feet, Carneiro holds onto a single leg and they go to north south. Knee to the shoulder by Chonan, then to the gut of Carneiro. He works more knees to the body, to the feet and more knees by Chonan. They separate, jabs by Carneiro. Takedown by Carneiro. He is in the guard of Chonan, short rights by Carneiro as he works from the half guard. Short lefts by Carneiro, a good right and then another. Back to full guard goes Carneiro, works body shots to Chonan and then short rights. Half guard by Carneiro, he continues to land with left hammer fists now. Chonan stands, a left by Chonan and they separate. Jab by Chonan, a good left by Carneiro shoots, stuffed and Chonan into the guard. Chonan misses an elbow, postures up and drops back in but eats some elbows from the bottom from Carneiro. Chonan lands a few shots in the end, but nothing of note.

SCORECARD:: This was a very close round. Chonan worked some good knees, had the stuff and pressed a bit more. Very close, but I have it 10-9 for Chonan, and 29-28 for Chonan, but it could go either way.

THE RESULT: Ryo Chonan via Split Decision (Judges Douglas Crosby and Tony Mullinax had it 29-28 for Chonan, while judge Chris Lee had 29-28 for Carneiro.)

THE TIRADE: This was one of those fights that has one clear cut round for each man, and then one round where it is any man’s game, making for a hard call on the decision. The first round was clearly Carneiro’s as they went to the ground, where he was able to control easily. Chonan didn’t have an answer, and after one round, it looked to be an easy win for Carneiro. But shit happens, and the trip at the beginning of round two could have cost him the whole fight. Chonan controlled well, but Carneiro was too good on the ground, and was able to not only fight off submission, but also not take much punishment. Round three was very close, almost a coin-flip round in my opinion. It really could have gone either way, but I think Chonan pressed enough to take it, and two of three judges did as well. At the time, Chonan’s victory was a good rebound after the loss to Karo. Unfortunately he wouldn’t be able to gain momentum from this win, as he lost his next fight, to Brad Blackburn.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.0

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MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT - Jason MacDonald (20-10) defeated Jason Lambert (23-7):

ROUND ONE: The official is Yves Lavigne. MacDonald is stuck in a guillotine, he works to escape and loosens the hold. He is in half guard as he escapes and passes into full guard. MacDonald controls the top, but doesn't do much as Lambert has good guard control. MacDonald works in some body shots, elbows as well and he starts to do good damage from the guard. MacDonald keeps the control as we head into the final minute of the round. MacDonald keeps Lambert against the cage, working shots to the ribs and the face of Lambert. Lambert tries the guillotine again, has it deep but MacDonald holds on while throwing wild shots to survive.

SCORECARD:: Outside of the early guillotine try and the one at the end, MacDonald dominated the round and I feel took it 10-9.

ROUND TWO: They touch, throw wildly to begin and MacDonald with the takedown. MacDonald in half guard, transitions into mount and then gets the back and has the rear naked choke in, body triangle as well by MacDonald and that is all.

THE RESULT: Jason MacDonald via RD2 (1:20) Submission (RNC)

Joe Rogan is with MacDonald. They discuss the guillotine at the end of the round, but he saw the clock and just held his breath. He knew he could take it to later rounds and take the win and he did.

THE TIRADE: This would be the last fight of the evening, and the second prelim bout shown this evening. Jason MacDonald was coming off of a good performance at UFC 87 in a losing effort. But when someone goes down to injury, the door of opportunity opens and Jason MacDonald stepped through to fight a very game Jason Lambert. Oddly enough the guy that had to pull out, was also Jason. WEIRD. They had a great round that saw Lambert get two good guillotine tries on MacDonald to book end the round, but the middle was all domination by MacDonald. Round two was quick as MacDonald got the takedown, worked good transitions and choked out Lambert for the victory. After UFC 87 I had this to say about Jason MacDonald: " MacDonald is a guy that is a good fighter, but he just doesn't have what it takes to be the elite in the division and most would agree that he will likely be a good gatekeeper for the promotion. There is also the possibility of a move to WEC." While I still do not thing that he is a guy that will work towards a title shot, he uses this victory to cement his place on the roster. Hell maybe he'll continue to prove me wrong and eventually rack up enough wins to get a title shot. Best of luck to MacDonald, who continues to put on good performances.
Final Thoughts: 8.0

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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT - Tim Boetsch (7-2) vs. Mike Patt (15-2):

ROUND ONE: The official is Herb Dean. They touch and Patt with a body kick. Jab by Boetsch, a right and then short uppercuts. Leg kick by Patt, a combo grazes Patt and they clinch. Knees by Patt, then by Boetsch. Boetsch tosses Patt away, gets a body kick and then a leg kick by Patt. Body shot by Boetsch, jabs by Patt and another leg kick by Patt. Patt comes in and gets LEVELED by Boetsch! That was a huge right hand. Boetsch follows upon him and lands about 10 shots before Dean stops the fight. Thanks for coming Mike Patt.

THE RESULT: Tim Boetsch defeated Mike Patt via RD1 (2:03) TKO

Joe Rogan is with Boetsch. He is happy with the result because he's been training very hard. Striking has come natural to him and he really likes it. He thanks God.

THE TIRADE: The first of two preliminary bouts shown on the PPV was this one featuring Tim Boetsch vs. Mike Patt. Both men had good records going in and were looking to get noticed in the stacked Light Heavyweight Division. Overall a fun fight that ended with Tim Boetsch getting the dominant victory. Boetsch is a guy that has really just begun to learn the skills of striking as it relates to MMA, and so far so good. He is a very good wrestler and looks to have strong knee strikes. I have to say his main weaknesses are striking, but if this fight is any indication of his progression, that may soon be a thing of the past, and cardio as he looked blown up when he was done. Boetsch is a guy to keep an eye on I think, and I am interested to see fight again. He had the set back against Hamill before this fight, but he looked like a different fighter on this night. By the way, did anyone else think that Mike Patt looked like a 1980's AWA jobber?
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.0

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LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT – Thiago Tavares (17-1) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (16-4):

ROUND ONE: The official is Yves Lavigne. They touch and here we go. Pellegrino looks for jabs, connects and backs off. Double jab by Pellegrino, not really connecting, more feeling out Tavares. Combo by Pellegrino, GREAT right by Pellegrino and he rocks Tavares and he is all over him as they go to the ground. Pellegrino gets the back, but Tavares escapes. Pellegrino drops him again and is just unloading. Mount by Pellegrino, elbows and rights by Pellegrino. More elbows and Tavares is hurt and trying to survive. Tavares is cut, and another elbow by Pellegrino. Half guard by Pellegrino, to full guard now and Pellegrino works back to half and connects with some more punches. Pellegrino stands, in with a big right and back to the half guard. Tavares is bleeding a lot as Pellegrino lands another elbow. Tavares is in full survival mode here. Pellegrino tries to wipe the blood from his glove, to the feet and Tavares shoots, stuffed and Pellegrino to half guard. He stands, leg kicks, dives into side control and then to the guard. That was a mistake. Tavares tries to throw some elbows, and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Complete domination by Pellegrino, and you could argue for a 10-8 round here, which I am going to give him.

ROUND TWO: Tavares is cut above and below the right eye and both eyes are swelling already. His corner worked hard to get them closed and round two begins. Tavares misses with a high kick, jab by Pellegrino. A leg kick follows and they circle. Jabs by both connect and we get an accidental eye poke by Tavares. Close your fist son. Back to action and a combo by Tavares. Misses a kick and a combo and knee by Pellegrino. Left hook lands, and they clinch. To the cage they go, Tavares looks for the takedown, knees by Pellegrino and they trade combos. Tavares is dead tired already, and bleeding from the nose now. Leg kick by Tavares, they clinch and knees by Pellegrino. A trip by Tavares and he works from the mount. Some hammer fists follow as Tavares is coming to life. Tavares is finally doing damage, but Pellegrino catches him for a moment in an arm bar, but Tavares escapes, although on replay it looked as if he tapped, shady. Tavares to half guard, back to full and works body shots. Tavares in complete control here, Pellegrino works from the bottom and is avoiding big time damage, but Tavares keeps connecting, although not a lot of power behind the strikes.

SCORECARD:: Tavares turns it around and did very well for himself landing a lot of strikes, but I will say the eye poke was the turning point. I have it 19-18 for Pellegrino.

ROUND THREE: They touch and Tavares looks for jabs, circles and grazes Pellegrino with a looping right. Le g kick follows, misses a high kick and jabs by Pellegrino now. Combo follows and Tavares shoots, stuffed and Pellegrino looks for a guillotine, possibly a darce choke, but releases that and gets a great uppercut. Tavares is throwing wild shit hoping for a win, they trade knees and Pellegrino back to the leg kick. Knees by Pellegrino from the clinch, to the cage they go and Florian yells from the corner for Pellegrino to take Tavares down. Tavares defends well, good hand control and they separate, clinch center cage and Tavares gets a trip but Pellegrino gets his back right away. Side control of the back by Pellegrino, into the crucifix, but Tavares gets to his feet and separate. Both guys are very tired, especially Tavares. He shoots, stuff by Pellegrino and into north south position. Pellegrino had an anaconda choke for a moment, goes to half guard and then full guard, lands a few shots and that is all.

SCORECARD:: Pellegrino did enough to win, it wasn’t overly impressive, but it got the W with me. I have it 29-27 for Pellegrino.

THE RESULT: Kurt Pellegrino via Unanimous Decision I>(Crosby 29-27, Mullinax 29-27, Lee 29-28 all for Pellegrino)

THE TIRADE: This was a damn good fight. It looked over early in round one, but Tavares has some great survival skills, and was able to get himself into the second. But round one, to me, was a solid 10-8 for Pellegrino. The second round was pretty controversial, there was the instance with the eye poke, which totally changed the momentum of the fight. I really wish guys would take more time, they are allowed the 5minutes, because when Pellegrino came back in, he didn’t look ready to fight and it cost him. Also, there was the part where it looked as if Tavares was tapping. I don’t think he was, I mean, he may have been about too and then he got out, but it didn’t look like a full tap to me. Round three was a case of Pellegrino being safe and doing enough to win. Not as exciting as the first two rounds, but an overall very good fight. Kurt Pellegrino is a guy with a lot of skills, but has been inconsistent. This was a great rebound victory after his loss to Diaz, but after this fight he is 4-2 in the UFC. The good thing is that the losses were to Diaz and Stevenson, top guys, so he’ll get some freedom as opposed to others that have a few losses. But unless he starts to win and get some big wins, he’ll be nothing but s good hand/gatekeeper for the promotion.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 8.0

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WELTERWEIGHT BOUT - Dong Hyun Kim (10-0-1dr) vs. Matt Brown (10-6):

ROUND ONE: The official is Mario Yamasaki. And here we go! Brown throws first and misses. A leg kick lands, combo by Kim and then a takedown. Brown right back up but then Kim takes him right back down. Kim has the back as Brown stands, Kim gives it up and pulls Brown back down. Gets the back, has the hooks in as Brown stands. Rear naked choke from the side, Brown works to escape and Kim back to his feet. Kim leaps back onto the back of Brown, Kim has the figure four on the body and works for the arm submission. Brown with a forearm strike and gets Kim down. Brown into the guard, but Kim back to his feet. Knees by Brown, they separate and Brown lands a grazing high kick. Misses the leg kick, gets a body shot. He misses the spinning back fist but avoids the takedown. Kim tries for the double leg, stuffed and knees by Brown. Brown fails at a takedown, they clinch and Kim gets a takedown, but Brown is on top and works for the choke. Rights by Brown, as Brown works more of a side headlock. Brown turns but Kim has his back once again. Kim looks for the inverted arm bar, and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: A really fun first round. Kim was constantly going for the back and dominated early, but Brown was able to escape. Kim out worked him and I felt dominated as far as control goes, so I go 10-9 for Kim.

ROUND TWO: Round two begins and leg kicks land for Brown. Misses the head kick, a good left by Kim follows. Body shot by Brown and a leg kick. Leaping knee by Kim connects, but he falls. He gets back up, knees by Brown and a good combo follows. Kim rushes Brown, gets stuffed and thy go to the cage. North south now, Brown works to the guard against the cage but they get back to the feet and Brown lands a good series of shots. They are locked up against the cage, works the midsection with knees and Brown gets him down. Into the guard, looks for rubber guard but Brown postures out and lands a good right. Up kick by Kim lands, Brown misses a spinning shot but remains standing. Brown lands some clean shots and backs away to allow Kim to his feet. More knees by Brown as he works the gut of Kim. Left by Kim, they clinch against the cage and don't do much. Kim escapes, but a good combo by Brown lands cleanly. Kim misses a left, Brown takes him down and Brown has half guard now. Brown works for the arm triangle,, and then lands big elbows to the mid-section as the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Kim looked tired and Brown punished the mid-section through out the round. Brown ties it up 19-19.

ROUND THREE: Round three begins and Brown dances a bit. Misses a body kick, and Kim hits Brown, who realizes he forgot his mouthpiece. He gets it and back to action. High kick by Kim checked, leg kick caught by Kim but Brown backs off. Superman punch by Brown misses, Kim shoots and gets the takedown. He gets side control right away, works knees to the side but Brown escapes and is back to his feet. They work to the cage, more knees by Brown to the side of Kim. Kim tries a throw but Brown blocks it. Brown snatches up the right leg of Kim, lands body shots and then releases the leg. Big left hook by Kim, elbow connected and then Brown stops a takedown. Kim then gets him down again, he goes into half guard and then to full. Kim with a right to the face, elbows by Brown from the bottom and they get warned to fight. Km lands a solid elbow and another. Brown is cut open from the elbows, Kim postures up and lands an elbow. More short elbows by Kim and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: A close round early, and just as Brown looked to have control Kim scored two takedowns and cut him with the elbows. I think that takes the third round for Kim, and the fights 29-28.

THE RESULT: Dong Hyun Kim via Split Decision (29-28 Kim, 29-28 Brown, 29-28 Kim)

Joe Rogan is with Kim. Through his translator Kim says that he is sorry that the UFC fans got a decision because he hates it himself. He will be different the next time.

Joe is with Matt Brown now. Rogan thought he won the fight. Brown says he was never in trouble in the first round, and he says he fights for finishes. He doesn't care what the judges say, and he loves to fight.

THE TIRADE: Our opening fight was a close one, and in some ways a bit controversial when it was over. But then again, an MMA show with no controversy isn't an MMA show these days. Moved from the preliminary card former Ultimate Fighter Matt Brown would get a shot at the Judo master Dong Hyun Kim. Kim is like a 4th degree black belt in Judo and MAJORS in Judo, that some serious shit right there. Round one was almost all Kim as he constantly went for the back of a standing Matt Brown. It was an impressive sight not only for Kim to keep getting the back but also for Brown to constantly escape. A fun first round, which I felt Kim took. But this game plan tired Kim and Brown was able to control round two with a punishing attack to the mid-section. I thought this was a good plan because the knees all landed clean, the punches mainly got through well and with the mid-section injured Kim would have difficulty with throws and cardio considering he was already tired. With the fight locked up on my scorecard we went to the 3rd round, which was close early on and it looked as if Brown would be able to continue his attack. But Kim was able to muster up two takedowns on Brown, cut him with elbows and took the fight on my cards 29-28. The fight ended in a Split Decision (29-28 Kim, 29-28 Brown, 29-28 Kim). I don't really see how you can give Brown round one, but then again I am no Cecil Peoples. Matt Brown says he fights for finishes, I laughed at that line because he didn't do shit to finish Kim. Kim has a ton of potential with his judo background, but he needs to work on his cardio and standup game if he wants to be a threat in the welterweight division. This was a fine way to open the show.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.0

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MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT - Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) vs. Martin Kampmann (13-1):

ROUND ONE: The official is Mario Yamasaki. They come out, both throw wildly and back off. Good body shot by Nate, Kampmann stalks him and a high kick by Nate drops Kampmann! Kampmann back up and they clinch. Good elbows by Nate, he starts to unload on Kampmann and is in control. He is rocking Kampmann against the cage, chases him around and he picks him apart! IT IS ALL OVER!

THE RESULT: Nate Marquardt via RD1 (1:22) TKO

Joe Rogan is with Nate Marquardt. Joe says he had an awesome performance. Nate says that his coaches rule, that he was prepared and wanted to keep it basic. He knew he could take it standing and took what he got. He walks us through the replay.

THE TIRADE: Let's just say that I over estimated Kampmann and under estimated Marquardt. Marquardt came out, they traded and he CRUSHED Kampmann with a high kick that crumpled him to the ground. Kampmann made it back to his feet, but Marquardt followed him around the cage and just unloaded on him, connecting at will on both levels and the fight was stopped. Marquardt had the set back against Leitis due to the fouls in the bout, but is back on track here. Marquardt proves here why many think of him as a top middleweight in the UFC. Unfortunately while he is near the top of the middleweight division, but he is also another man that has already lost to Anderson Silva. Hopefully he and Leitis have a rematch soon so we can hopefully have a fight without the fouls and help see where things stand.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 8.0

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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT - Dan Henderson (22-7) vs. Rousimar Palhares (17-1):

ROUND ONE: The official is Herb Dean. They touch and slowly circle. Henderson backs him off, lands a big right and is down! Henderson lands some ground shots and then lets Palhares up. Palhares shoots, stuffed and then grazes Henderson with a high kick. Tries to shoot, fails and another big right by Henderson is checked. Palhares changes to southpaw, misses a spin wheel kick as Henderson ducks and then shoots, great sprawl by Henderson and he stops that. High kick by Palhares checked again, jab by Henderson and another right grazes Palhares. Palhares misses another high kick, they throw wildly and Palhares rocks him with an uppercut. To the ground and Henderson backs off. Palhares with a right, Henderson slips and then backs off. A left by Palhares misses, good left by Palhares lands, a jab as well and then shoots, gets Henderson down and is on top, and into side control he goes. Palhares to half guard, Henderson controls the head and Palhares postures up a bit, looks for a knee bar but the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Henderson looked like he would end it early, but Palhares survived and was able to eventually get Henderson to the ground. But Henderson controlled the majority of the round and did good damage, so 10-9 for Henderson.

ROUND TWO: Round two begins and they begin slowly again as they circle. Palhares shoots, stuffed, throws a high kick and grazes Henderson. Tries to shoot again, and gets a BIG slam on Henderson! Into guard by Palhares, both trade some punches as Palhares looks to pass. Palhares locks in the heel hook, Henderson slips out and lands a right. Henderson escapes, he limps a bit but is up and they circle. Palhares shoots, Henderson gets a choke on Palhares, but he rolls and to the feet they go. Jab by Henderson, a good right follows. Palhares shoots, Henderson with a right and into the guard of Palhares. Short elbows by Henderson connect, hammer fist follows as Palhares looks for an out. Henderson gets warned to work, lands more short elbows and they get stood up. A jab by Palhares, but Henderson with a solid right to back him off. A high kick blocked by Henderson and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Palhares has the sub attempt early off of the slam, but Henderson not only escaped but came back with the takedown and did some damage. A close round, but I go Henderson up 20-18.

ROUND THREE: Final round now and jabs by Henderson to begin. Palhares shoots, stuffed and then misses a spinning heel kick. High kick checked by Henderson, they circle and Palhares slips on a hook kick. Jabs by Henderson, then by Palhares. Palhares shoots, sprawl and nothing there for Palhares. Palhares gets stuffed again. Jabs by Henderson, and then a big right lands. Right hook by Palhares, Henderson backs off and then Palhares lands a few wild shots but Henderson mostly avoided. Leg kick by Palhares, crowd hates this right now. A good right again by Henderson, they stay away as Palhares shows no urgency at this point. Henderson connects again, Palhares shoots and gets the takedown but Henderson is out right away. Jab by Palhares, another and then misses a right. Overhand right by Henderson, they go to the ground and Henderson escapes another heel hook try. Henderson with a right, Palhares gets a momentary takedown by Henderson is right back to his feet. Henderson drops Palhares with a big right and then dives in with a HUGE right as the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Henderson was mainly defense, but it worked as Palhares never was a threat to him. I have it 30-27 for Hendo.

THE RESULT: Dan Henderson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Joe Rogan is with Dan Henderson. Hendo says he was tough and had a great chin. He wanted to stay on the feet and wanted no part of the ground. Hendo says it was a bad match up and that Palhares is a dangerous man. He then says the heel hook didn't get real deep, and he wasn't nervous but didn't want to be in there.

THE TIRADE: The fight is an easy one to explain. Palhares wanted this fight on the ground to work his BJJ, which he was the most comfortable. Henderson knew this and did everything to keep the fight n the feet, where he has become very comfortable and even dangerous from. Palhares would get Henderson to the ground on a few occasions, but it was never for long and Henderson looked like it didn't effect him. Henderson used solid striking and a great sprawl to maintain control. When not going for takedowns, Palhares was throwing wild kicks in an attempt to get Henderson down. It didn't work and Henderson takes the decision. Henderson got the win he desperately needed, but it was less than impressive. He won rather easily but nothing I saw here made me think he could be a main contender again, or made me want to see him fight again. Palhares came off as completely one-dimensional, when he couldn't get it to the ground he had NOTHING to fall back on. Go work some striking, and stay away from the 19 video game kicks you tried to land.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 6.0

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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT - Rich Franklin (25-3-1nc) vs. Matt Hamill (6-1):

ROUND ONE: The official is Mario Yamasaki. They touch and we're off. They dance, leg kick by Franklin to begin. Another leg kick connects and Franklin keeps the distance. Right by Franklin lands, Hamill changes stances and gets a great right. Franklin with another leg kick. Another and he eats a right on the way in. Franklin controls with the leg kick, another but takes a right on the way in. Right by Hamill, Hamill misses a right but then lands a short one. Franklin has a small cut going under the right eye, and lands another leg kick. They throw wildly, a left by Hamill connects. They circle and Franklin with the leg kick. Hamill misses a right, and another. Combo by Franklin, but Hamill gets the takedown. Hamill postures up and Franklin looks for the arm bar, Hamill escapes and Hamill is cut as well. Back to the feet and a knee by Franklin on the way up. Nice knee by Franklin, and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Franklin dominated with the leg kicks, controlled the round and almost had the arm bar. I will go 10-9 for Franklin.

ROUND TWO: Round two begins and they circle, leg kick caught by Hamill but Franklin gets away. They jab at each other, high kick by Franklin lands and then a combo follows that. Franklin chops away at Hamill with the leg kicks and Yamasaki checks the cut of Franklin. The doctor is in to check him, but they are back to action. Franklin lost some skin they say, damn. Hamill shoots for a leg, but can't get the takedown and Franklin with a combo to answer. Jab by Hamill, short uppercuts and they both connect. Body kick by Franklin, and a leg kick catches Hamill low. We get time for Hamill to recover, and we're back to action. Jabs by Franklin, high kick grazes Hamill and Hamill shoots, but takes knees against the cage. Leg kick by Franklin, lefts by Hamill connect. Body kick by Franklin and another leg kick. Leg kick and a combo by Franklin keeps control of the bout. Another combo with the leg kick by Franklin, Hamill switches stances and keeps taking leg kicks. Hamill gets a leg, but Franklin escapes. Dirty boxing by Hamill, Franklin separates and back to the leg kick. Hamill gets a leg again, but Franklin escapes once again. Flying knee by Franklin lands, a jab and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Franklin is chopping Hamill down and stuffing all takedown attempts. I have it 20-18 for Franklin.

ROUND THREE: Franklin was hurting as they took care of the cut in between rounds, which is his only worry right now as he has dominated the fight. Final round begins and a good body kick by Franklin lands. A knee by Franklin, uppercut by Hamill in return. Franklin drops Hamill with a HARD body shot, and that's all.

THE RESULT: Rich Franklin via RD3 (0:39) TKO

Joe Rogan is with Franklin. He thought he was fine in regards to the cut. He puts over Hamill and says he looks worse than he feels. He wants to gain weight to compete.

THE TIRADE: Much like the Hendo fight, this one is easy to explain as well. Hamill decided that he wanted to stand with Franklin, and that was perfectly fine with Franklin because for a little over two rounds he picked Hamill completely apart with leg kicks and body shots. Hamill did land some solid shots and cut Franklin badly, but for the most part Franklin was the lumberjack and chopped Hamill down with ease. Hamill kept switching stances, but all that did was give him two sore legs. As we headed into the 3rd round, Franklin landed a devastating KICK TO DA LIVA (™Bas) and Hamill was finished. Franklin's game plan was perfect, that's all you can say. Hamill decided to stand with him instead of going to his strengths and taking it to the ground. His mistakes played perfectly into Franklin's plan, and made the win rather easy. Franklin is skilled and he is a great addition to the Light Heavyweight roster. This is a setback for Hamill, but hopefully one he learns from.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.5

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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT - Chuck Liddell (21-5) vs. Rashad Evans (16-0-1dr):

ROUND ONE: The official is Herb Dean. IT'S TIIIIIIME! They come out, touch and circle. Jab by Liddell, and then by Evans. Evans backs off, lots of dancing by Evans and they both get jabs. Liddell backs off Evans, over the top right by Evans and then a right by Liddell. Hard body kick by Evans and a left. Liddell misses a right, Evans dances some more and wants to stay away. Left jab by Evans and another. Leg kick by Evans lands, he stays away from Liddell and then changes stances again. Jab by Liddell, jab by Liddell and a grazing right by Evans. Right by Liddell, who has a small cut under one eye. Jab by Liddell, and a leg kick by Evans. Combo by Liddell, a right lands and Evans backs off. High kick misses for Liddell, who has a mouse under his eye and the round ends.

SCORECARD:: Close round, but Evans did well with the leg kicks he threw and cut Liddell. I will go Evans 10-9.

ROUND TWO: Round two begins and Liddell looks pissed. Liddell stalks Evans, leg kick by Liddell and they both throw wildly and Evans lands solidly. A right by Liddell, they both land on a combo try and then a right hook by Evans. Misses another, Liddell stalks him again and Evans DROPS HIM WITH A HUGE RIGHT AND KNOCKS CHUCK OUT!

Chuck is still down as they check on him. He is on the stool now and looks to be ok.

THE RESULT: Rashad Evans via RD2 (1:51) KO

Joe Rogan is with Evans. Rogan says it is a huge victory, and Evans says he hopes that Chuck is ok. He is very happy about the win and Chuck is a great fighter. He says you cannot try to take Chuck down and hope to win, you have to fight his own game. Evans says that he hopes to be in line for a title shot, but he is a patient man.

THE TIRADE: From the roundtable: " Is Evans overmatched? Likely so. Does Chuck have "A LEGENDARY SPRAWL?" Sure. Did Chuck get his ass handed to him by Keith Jardine, Yeah. Did he just suffer a major injury? Yes. I think Evans has a shot here, more than most. Sure Chuck may return to form and obliterate him, but he is getting older, Evans is young. Chuck is coming off of the injury and Evans, as far as we know is healthy. I look for Evans to chop at Chuck like Jardine did, and IF Evans can get him to the ground, he wins the fight. I will be the brave one, what the hell." I wanted to get that out there because I did feel as if Rashad had a decent chance to win the fight. While Evans never got Chuck to the ground, he did take his shots and chop away at Chuck during the first round. Overall it was a close round, but Evans was able to cut Chuck and landed more shots so I had him taking the round. As round two began I felt that Chuck would really push the pace and not allow Evans to run around on him. They both threw good shots, Chuck got aggressive and wasn't allowing Evans to hit and run as he did in round one. They went for an exchange and Evans beat him to the punch, knocking Chuck OUT. Rashad Evans promised to shock the world and he certainly did when he scored the highlight reel knockout that shattered the Iceman. The rest is now history…
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 9.0

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DISC: TWO

The Countdown to UFC 88: The Countdown to UFC 88 is a 41-minute presentation that originally ran on Spike TV the week before the event. For those unfamiliar with the concept of the show, the goal is to hype the main matches for the upcoming PPV, in this case Hamill vs. Franklin and Evans vs. Liddell. As usual this was a great hype program. For the first time we got a detailed look at Rashad Evans’ pre-UFC life, and his journey to the Ultimate Fighter TV show. It was also cool getting more background of Liddell, as he was one of the guys that helped the UFC boom, and while he is popular, a lot of “TUF Gen” MMA fans don’t know a lot about his background. Also, the background on Hamill and Franklin’s relationship was something I didn’t fully know about. The story of Hamill being brought in at one time to help Franklin train in wrestling, and then in return later on Franklin helped get Hamill on TUF was a great background and made it feel like a battle of brothers. A great hype show for the event, like most of the countdown style shows are.

Weigh-In: The weigh-in is the 15-minute presentation of the weigh-ins. I am always amazed at how many people head to these things. Sure there is fun at times, but damn, that’s a lot of people. Anyway, this is nothing special, but it is nice to have for the sake of completion.

Behind the Scenes: UFC 88 “Behind the Scenes” is a 30-minute presentation that shows the camera meeting, walk-in rehearsal, the preparation of the fighters, an inside look at the production truck, Bruce Buffer preparing moments before going live to PPV, the stress of keeping the show running on time, a look at the fighters right before their entrance, words with the fighters as they come back after the fight and more. This was a fun behind the scenes look, and a nice addition to the DVD.

UFC.com Featurette: The “UFC.com Featurette” is a 21-minute presentation, highlighting some of the fighters right before or after their bouts, discussing their fights. Ryo Chonan, Jason Lambert, Jason MacDonald, Tim Boetsch, Michael Patt, Kurt Pellegrino, Matt Brown, Martin Kampman, Nate Marquart, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell (discussing the hammy pop!) and Rashad are all featured. This is just another feature for the hardcore fight fan that likes hearing about the strategy going into the fight and immediate thoughts about victory or loss. Again, this is another nice addition to the DVD, especially for those that love having the complete package.

BSN Promo: This is a 2-minute spot with Dana White discussing UFC 88, and sponsored by BSN, a sponsor of the event. Dana is a used car salesman here, and that’s a compliment. Dana personally takes BSN and endorses the product. What a guy.

Easter Eggs: None that I could find.

The 411: Overall I thought that this was a damn fine show. Dong Hyun Kim continues to climb in the welterweight division, Nate Marquardt scored a huge and impressive knockout, Dan Henderson got back on the winning track, Tim Boetsch picked up an always important win in the stacked Light Heavyweight Division, Rich Franklin did the same, Jason MacDonald showed that he was more than a gatekeeper and Rashad Evans SHOCKED the world as promised and knocked out Chuck Liddell. This, overall, was a very good and satisfying show.

As for the extras on disc two, I feel that it was the perfect way to “complete” the event. You get all of the background and honestly, if you have never seen the event, begin with disc two so that you can get the complete experience. I give a high recommendation to pick this one up.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]