Ufc 97 In Montreal

[UkrainianGuy]

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LIDDELL VS. SHOGUN HEADLINE UFC 97


Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will have little time to savor his hard fought victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland.

The Brazilian light heavyweight has already been tapped to headline UFC 97, scheduled for Apr. 18 in Montreal, Canada. The card is the promotion’s second date in the French Canadian province.

The bout was originally rumored to take place at UFC 85, but a knee injury to Rua scratched the possibility. Saturday's fight was his first since a submission loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 76.

Liddell’s last appearance was at UFC 88, where he suffered a brutal knockout loss to current light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. The former light heavyweight champ has repeatedly welcomed a bout with the former Pride superstar. The upcoming bout may be for a number two contender spot, as the UFC recently announced that former champion Quinton Jackson will face Keith Jardine at UFC 96. Evans remains without an opponent for his first defense, widely anticipated to take place this summer.

Rua’s taxing bout against Coleman was one of the few fights to garner a second “Fight of the Night” bonus from the promotion. The former rivals were awarded $40,000 each for their efforts.

[UkrainianGuy]

JASON MACDONALD VS NATE QUARRY AT UFC 97



Middleweights Jason MacDonald and Nate Quarry will attempt to shrug off recent setbacks when they face each other at UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada on Apr. 18.

Sources close to both fighters indicated that bout agreements were signed and the fight was a go. At the time of this writing, it is unknown whether the bout will grace the main card of the event.

Quarry last appeared at UFC 91, where he lost to submission specialist Demian Maia via rear naked choke. It was his first fight since an freak eye injury kept him on the sidelines for six months following his fan-favorite performance against Kalib Starnes at UFC 83. The 36 year-old season one alum of "The Ultimate Fighter" carries an overall record of 10-3, with a 5-2 UFC record.

Jason MacDonald was last seen at the season eight finale of "The Ultimate Fighter," where he submitted to a ferocious ground and pound assault at the hands of American Top Team product Wilson Gouveia. As a small consolation, the Edmonton, Alberta resident was awarded twenty percent of the Gouveia's purse when the Brazilian was unable to make weight. MacDonald carries an overall record of 21-11 with a UFC record of 5-4.

[muscleshark]

Shogun has been riding the mystique of the Chute Boxe era which ended when the UFC payed for Prides funeral. All he has is fancy ju-jitsu transitions with nothing to finish them with, and NO work ethic to back his skill. He looked ****ing ridiculous agaisnt a broken, beat, and scarred old man, Mark Coleman, and if they ever danced again I'm sure Coleman would skip his trip to Burger KIng next time around and prolly would of finished "SHo-but-no-go-Gun". Liddel better take this golden opportunity to redeem himself and run hard with it, and leave his hard partying up to his fans.

[hugh mungus]

Shogun better come in better shape...Chuck will be ready, he has too much to prove. Coleman please, Shogun should have killed him, but had horrible conditioning. Hopefully the under card is a little better than the main event...but it's in Montreal so you know it will be incredible

[Bowlcut]

Can we have some fighters from Quebec, namely, GSP at this event?
The whole point of having a UFC fight in MTL is to get a big Canadian name.

[UkrainianGuy]

UFC 97 HEADLINERS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED

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The deafening cheers of the sold-out Montreal crowd still echo through the Bell Centre from UFC 83. Now the Ultimate Fighting Championship is heading back to Montreal with two more world-class matchups already inked.

Unstoppable UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will meet his toughest test to date when he faces submission specialist Thales Leites at UFC 97: Silva vs. Leites, live from the Bell Centre in Montreal Canada on Saturday, April 18. Also on the card, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will trade punches with another dangerous striker when he takes on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

In the world of mixed martial arts there is not a more feared striker than Anderson Silva (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil). While posting an amazing eight fight win streak in the UFC, the 33-year-old champion has stopped seven of those eight fights within two rounds, with only Patrick Cote seeing daylight in Round 3 before the champion earned the TKO victory at UFC 90. With two impressive wins over former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, one over Nate Marquardt and a submission victory against former Pride champion Dan Henderson, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is riding high heading into his match with Thales Leites.

“I’m looking forward to fighting in Montreal,” Silva said. “I have a lot of Canadian fans. Thales is a very tough opponent, and it’s going to be a great fight.”

Winner of his last five UFC matches, 27-year-old Thales Leites (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is truly hitting his stride in the world of mixed martial arts. With a split decision victory against Marquardt, submission victories over Ryan Jensen and Floyd Sword and most recently Drew McFedries, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt could be Silva’s greatest test on the ground to date.

“I feel great about this fight and I will be one hundred percent for sure.” Leites said. “I did my job to get recognized by the UFC, and this will be the fight of my life. I know Anderson Silva is a very, very tough guy, but I know that I can do it.”

There are a few names that are synonymous with the UFC and Chuck Liddell (fighting out of San Luis Obispo) is one of those. The former UFC light heavyweight champion is coming off a loss to the division’s present titleholder Rashad Evans and is looking to recapture the magic that saw him win an amazing 14 of 15 UFC matches from 1999-2006. The 39-year-old is now focused on getting back on another winning streak.

“I’m very excited about fighting Shogun,” Liddell said. “It’s another step in getting back my title. I’m going to hit him hard and I plan on knocking him out. The Canadian fans have been great for years. They are some of the most exciting fans in the world.”

With an impressive resume overseas, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) is starting to make a name for himself in the UFC. The 27-year-old is coming off a TKO victory against former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman at UFC 93 and is excited at the opportunity to fight a legend.

“It is an honor to fight Chuck Liddell, one of the greatest light heavyweights ever in the UFC,” Rua said. “I have a lot of respect for him, and I am very excited to fight him. I like to keep myself challenged, and this fight with Chuck is definitely a big fight for me and for UFC fans.”

[canadianmuscle0803]

Do you know where I can buy tickets for this???

or is it too late?

[UkrainianGuy]

not sure they are even avail yet.. i would start with UFC.com and go from there. As well contacting the loaction where its being held.

[Bowlcut]

Tickets are going to be impossible to get.
First dibs are going to the UFC Fight Club Members.

Ask Bana how he did it.

[Roid-Monkey]

tickets are available however they are really xpensive.. 300's for nose bleeds , 4750$ for floor.

[Mr.Freeze]

4750$ for floor??

[Mr Ontario]

February 7th or 13 rings a bell for ticket sales...ST.P not fighting? kind of pointless to have one in Montreal if he is not fighting!

[Bowlcut]

Centre Bell website says $50 -$550 like last time, plus on sale Sat. Feb 14th at noon.

[evoke]

Shogun might win this, if he doesn't gas

[UkrainianGuy]

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[St]

Ya i have a pair in the 100's section might sell them.

[Rhinobolt10]

ha, I got tickets and a hotel room for free... pretty sweet deal. Not sure where the tickets are.

[HoliTheCat]

I got 100 level tix. Sat on the floor last year found it too difficult to see once the fight hit the mat.

[St]

I got 100 level tix. Sat on the floor last year found it too difficult to see once the fight hit the mat.

Ya my friend had the floor seats hard to see he said,but if i'm right he said we should have 100 level.

[UkrainianGuy]

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[UkrainianGuy]

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[gustavo77]

I got an extra ticket, for sale for face value. Its the $520 tickets in the first sets after the floor if anyone wants it? Its just a single though.

If i did not have a finance i would be all over that ticket bro...:(

[UkrainianGuy]

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[UkrainianGuy]

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[UkrainianGuy]

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UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva says he doesn’t pay much attention to the media. He’s too busy training.

He does, however, pay attention enough to know the hopes placed on his shoulders – by his coaches, the UFC, and his fans. They want his best, and they want it every time.

By most estimates, he’s the pound-for-pound king, and if not, in the top three of the sport’s greats. In his division, he’s an undisputed world-beater.

But he's human, and the best is not always possible. After taking his time – many would say too much time – trying to break down Patrick Cote at UFC 90, his fourth title defense came to a screeching halt at the hands of injury. Cote got broken on his own.

For those weaned on his quick destructions, it was a jarring experience that spurred questions about how motivated he was to finish fights where he was clearly in control.

But Silva believes he caused – or at least was a major contributor to – the ending of the fight that night in Chicago.

“I believe in this fight what we trained was done in the fight,” said Silva through translator/manager Ed Soares during a media teleconference for this Saturday’s UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada. “I kicked him pretty well in the second round, which I think led to his knee popping out in the third, and that’s the way the fight goes sometimes. You can think about how you’d like the fight to end, and how you’d like the fight to go, but it doesn’t always work out that way in a fight. My technique, and everything I trained, I executed in the fight.”

While it’s true that Silva went back to his locker room at the Allstate Arena and sparred a few more rounds, it wasn’t just to blow off steam, as the pre-fight hype for UFC 97 indicates.

“It was because we trained to fight five rounds, so our muscle memory and our body is used to utilizing the full five rounds,” said Silva. “If the fight would have ended in the first round, then I probably would have went back there and done another four or five rounds, but it ended in the third, so I went and finished off my two other rounds.”

The way he sees it, Cote did not take the fight from him, and the fight’s ending was an unfortunate, but inevitable, consequence of a highly unpredictable sport.

“Redemption” is the theme of UFC 97, and he’s one of a trio of fighters, along with Chuck Liddell and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, the organization believes is driven to re-gain the trust of fans. He’s never been the pay-per-view draw of Liddell, but until UFC 90, his knockout power was a sure bet.

To critics who believe his dominance of the middleweight division has bred complacency, he counters that the expectations of others continue to motivate him. When he fights fellow Brazilian Thales Leites on Saturday as a massive favorite, he’ll take them into the cage.

“On the contrary to what people think, I was very, very motivated for the Patrick Cote fight,” he said. “My motivation is to be one of the best mixed martial arts fighters of all time. With Thales, I’m very motivated for this fight, because everyone is always mentioning that I’m best pound-for-pound here or there, or one of the best fighters in the world. And having that type of label on me makes me very motivated. It motivates me to show my coaches and the world everything that I’ve trained to do in a fight.”

While Leites might not have been at the top of fans’ lists as his next challenger, Silva is taking the challenge very seriously. As a jiu-jitsu specialist, Leites’ ground skills are looked at as the only weapon that could put a chink in his armor, and he plans on proving once again he’s a total fighter.

He won’t promise perfection, but feels confident his best will show on Saturday in Montreal.

“Thales Leites has obviously shown his performance and shown to the world that he deserves the title shot. He’s a very tough fighter, very well-rounded, very good on the ground,” said Silva. “But I feel that I’m very well prepared for this fight. I’ve trained very hard, and I’m going to give it my all. The most important thing is for us to go out there and put on a good performance to the world, and the most important thing, whether I win or lose, is that this belt is gonna stay in Brazil."

[UkrainianGuy]

UFC president Dana White and the main event fighters for Saturday's UFC 97 – Anderson Silva, Thales Leites, Chuck Liddell, and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua – went before the media on Thursday in Montreal. Obviously, they were there to drum up interest in the already sold-out event, but as usual, the topic of conversation always strays.

"Obviously very excited to be back in Montreal. First time we came here, fastest sell-out, we actually sold out faster this time," said White before addressing the hurdle that had to be overcome for the promotion's second stop at the Bell Centre.

"The entire thing was blown out of proportion," he said of the controversy stemming from the athletic commission possibly putting a roadblock in front of the UFC's return. "The fight was never in jeopardy. There was a new commission and we needed to come up here and talk to them. We hadn't done that yet. As soon as we did it, it was fine."

The hurdles back into Montreal cleared, White has more of Canada on his radar, as well as, several other new stops throughout the world.

"Canada is the mecca for mixed martial arts right now. There aren't too many places in the world we could go right now and sell 22,000 tickets as fast as we did here," he said in addressing whether or not he'd like to go to Toronto. "I believe, as fast as we sell out here, maybe we could do 30 (thousand) in Toronto."

But there're lots more stops than Canada on the juggernaut's radar. "We're coming to France, there's no doubt about it. We're in Germany right now, and France is next. We will be putting on an event in France," White said definitively.

There was no definitive timetable laid out for France, but several other locals are starting to be zeroed in on, as he continued. "I'm pretty confident we're going to do an event in Boston, Mass., at the Boston Garden in November. Then, the first of the year, New York. I'm hoping we actually have Toronto done before New York."

That's a lot of additional roaming to throw on the promotion's plate, but despite harsh economic times across the globe, the UFC has shown no signs of slowing its global expansion.

[UkrainianGuy]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Montreal on Saturday night where UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will defend his title against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites, and Chuck Liddell and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will both try to get back on track.

Friday at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET, the fighters from UFC 97 will step on the scales to officially weigh-in for their Saturday night bouts. For those of you not in Montreal to attend live, you can watch a video stream of the UFC 97 weigh-ins live on MMAWeekly.com, courtesy of the UFC.

The UFC also recently added a new feature to its video player. There is now a tab that you can click on at the top of the video player to listen to coverage of the UFC 97 weigh-ins in Spanish.

Although the weigh-ins don't air until Friday at 6 p.m. ET, you can watch the UFC 97 countdown show and other promotional videos in the player any time up until the weigh-ins begin. The countdown show is available on the UFC 97 weigh-ins page now.

Again, the fighters will begin to step on the scale at about 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET. Watch the LIVE stream of the UFC 97 weigh-ins on MMAWeekly.com, courtesy of the UFC.



UFC 97 Main Card Bouts:
-Anderson Silva (23-4; #1 Middleweight in the World)* vs. Thales Leites (14-1)
-Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (17-3; #5 Light Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Chuck Liddell (21-6; #6 Light Heavyweight in the World)*
-Luiz Cane (9-1) vs. Steve Cantwell (7-1)
-Cheick Kongo (13-4-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-4)
-Brian Stann (6-1) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8-1)

UFC 97 Preliminary Bouts:
-Nathan Quarry (10-3) vs. Jason MacDonald (21-11)
-Denis Kang (31-11-1) vs. Xavier Fouka-Pokum (20-9)
-David Loiseau (18-8) vs. Ed Herman (16-7)
-T.J. Grant (13-2) vs. Ryo Chonan (15-9)
-Mark Bocek (6-2) vs. David Bielkheden (13-6)
-Matt Wiman (11-5) vs. Sam Stout (13-5-1)
-Eliot Marshall (7-3) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (6-4)

Main card airs on pay-per-view for $44.95 in the United States

[UkrainianGuy]

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[UkrainianGuy]

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[UkrainianGuy]

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[UkrainianGuy]

SHOGUN PART OF $70,000 BONUSES FOR UFC 97


Despite a lackluster finish to the Ultimate Fighting Championship's second trip to Montreal, UFC 97 did have its shining moments. Several fighters left the Bell Centre on Saturday night with an extra check worth $70,000 in their pockets.

Although the fight was originally scheduled to take place on the untelevised preliminary portion of the fight card, Matt Wiman and Sam Stout scored a double bonus at UFC 97. Not only did their fight get moved up to the pay-per-view portion of the card when several decisions used up the time allotted for the prelims, but they also earned UFC 97 Fight of the Night honors. Stout ended up on the winning end of the fight, as he took home a unanimous decision victory.

UFC officials notified MMAWeekly of the bonuses shortly after the fights.

The Knockout of the Night left a melancholy feeling over many fans, as Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's left hand sent Chuck Liddell crashing to the canvas, and contemplating retirement. The win puts Shogun back on track, but it was the third time in Liddell's past five fights that he has been knocked out. He may now find himself on the outside of the Octagon looking in.

Welcoming former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann to the UFC, Krzysztof Soszynski used an impressive Kimura to finish the fight. The shoulder lock earned him the UFC 97 Submission of the Night honors.

UFC 97 AWARDS AND BONUSES:

UFC 97 Fight of the Night:
-Sam Stout and Matt Wiman

UFC 97 Knockout of the Night:
-Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

UFC 97 Submission of the Night:
-Krzysztof Soszynski

[UkrainianGuy]

Saturday night in Montreal, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva makes the latest the defense of his title, as he tries to fend off fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. In the co-main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former Pride champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua battle for their spot in the Octagon.

UFC 97 airs live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Saturday night. MMAWeekly.com is in Montreal to bring you live coverage of the entire fight card. The first preliminary bout is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

Be sure to refresh you browser frequently for all the latest results, play-by-play and photos from the event...


UFC 97 PLAY-BY-PLAY:

-ANDERSON SILVA VS. THALES LEITES

R1 – Nothing but dancing for the first three minutes, then Leites throws a head kick that Silva blocks. Then back to the dance, neither wanting to commit, for the next minute. Silva kicks Leites' ankle out and Leites goes to the ground. Leites goes for a leg, but Silva stays out of the submission and Leites gets back to his feet and they clinch on the cage. The round probably goes to Silva by default for the leg sweep and a shot to the body.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Silva.

R2 – The dance begins again, but then Silva misses with a rapid kick and Leites shoots in, taking Silva to the mat, landing in Silva's half-guard. Silva does a good job locking Leites up and works to put on a body triangle on Leites from the bottom. Leites starts to ground and pound, but Silva fires up with point of elbow strikes. Leites stands and Silva up-kicks. Leites tries to dive pass, but Silva doing a good job defending, then scrambles up as Leites falls, but he lets Leites up. Silva switches back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stance. They begin the dance again, but just under a minute left and Silva starts exploring with his punches. Leites lands a body kick. Silva lands a lightning fast low kick again, but has his high kick blocked.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Leites.

R3 – Leites lands kick, tries the takedown, but Silva sprawls out. Back on the feet, Leites tries the overhand right. Leites appears to have gotten poked in the eye when rushing in, but the referee appeared out of position to notice. Leites trying to take Silva down is defended again. Silva lands a solid kick to the leg of Leites, and again. Silva putting the pressure on with kicks and Leites falls to the mat. Silva lets him up. Silva throws side kicks to the thigh of Leites then a jumping round kick that lands. Silva upping the pace, throwing more and more strikes, mixes the punches and leg kicks now. Leites again falling to his back, trying to get Silva to come down, but Silva just walks away.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Silva.

R4 – Silva uses the side kick to the thigh again, several in fact. Leites trying to shake it off, visibly effected. Silva doing a little Jackie Chan – Drunken Master faking out Leites. He lands the head kick and then goes back to driving that side kick into Leites' thigh. Leites shoots, but Silva sprawls out again. Silva now is playing with Leites, a la Muhammad Ali, using superior head movement to dodge Leites' punches. Leites shoots, misses, and again falls to his back. He appears to have nothing for Silva at this point.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Silva.

R5 – Leites starts with a renewed sense of urgency, but is still having a difficult time landing anything of note. Leites shoots in for a leglock, but Silva quickly pulls the leg out. Leites shoots again, but Silva punishes him with strikes. Back to their feet and Silva lands a spinning side kick. Leites goes to the mat and Silva again throws a few punches, then backs off and forces Leites to stand. They dance for a bit and Silva starts the side kicks to the thigh again, and then the dance continues. Leites tries a body kick, but Silva catches it and tosses him to the ground. Leites gets back up and they dance the round out.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 and the fight 49-46 for Silva.

Anderson Silva def. Thales Leites by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-46), R5


-MATT WIMAN VS. SAM STOUT
(Moved up from Preliminary Card due to time constraints.)

R1 – Wiman comes out slugging, but Stout remains composed. Wiman lands a couple big looping right hands and then shoots the double on Stout, getting him to the mat. Stout backs to the cage and eventually works back to the feet. Wiman looping punches, but Stout is going straight up the pike, landing some hard, crisp punches. But Wiman lands the Superman punch. Stout crisp again, but two right hooks by Wiman. Wiman dives in with left hand, takes Stout down, then nearly gets the guillotine, but Stout slips out and starts working from Wiman's guard. They stand up and start trading blows, and Wiman lands the Superman again, then Stout returns the favor. Stout lands skipping knee to the body, but Wiman fires back with left hook. Wiman lands left hook to body, then head, and shoots in and takes Stout down, but Stout reverses position into half-guard.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Wiman.

R2 – Stout starts with a stiff jab, but Wiman fires with a couple hard left hooks. Stout throws the kick and Wiman counters with the Superman punch again. Good body kick by Stout, then follows with low left leg kick. They stumble to the ground and Wiman gets Stout's back, trying to secure an arm. Stout slips into Wiman's guard and starts ground and pound with a couple hard forearms, then gets out and back to the feet. Wiman nice body shot and leg kick. Wiman charges in, but eats a right hook from Stout. The pace slows and off of a flurry, Stout lands a left kick to the head. Left hook to the body drops Wiman and Stout follows him down, trying to finish with strikes. Wiman snags an arm in desperation, but Stout escapes the armbar attempt. Back standing, Wiman takes more punishment to the body, looking shaky. Wiman looks up at the clock, trying to survive the round. Wiman shoots; Stout shoves him down and then drives a hard right hand as Wiman stands. Another kick to the body rocks Wiman as the round comes to a close shortly thereafter.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-8 for Stout.

R3 – Stout opens with another hard left kick to the body. Wiman shoots, but Stout defends well. Wiman is tenacious though, gets Stout down and takes his back again, this time with a body triangle. Wiman softens him up with punches to the head. Stout breaks free of the triangle and turns in to Wiman in guard. Stout starts laying down elbows and hammerfists. They go back up to their feet, but Wiman catches a kick and takes Stout down again, landing in the Canadian's guard. Wiman tries to get some ground and pound going, but Stout is utilizing his butterfly guard to keep Wiman out of position to do much damage. Stout tries to get up, but Wiman takes him down again. They do finally get up and Wiman lands a couple good hard shots upon standing.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Wiman; the fight even at 28-28.

Sam Stout def. Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3


-MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA VS. CHUCK LIDDELL

R1 – (Liddell goes back to his roots, entering to Slayer's "Reign in Blood.") Shogun throws a couple of exploratory kicks. Liddell moves in, but Shogun counters with a strong overhand right. Liddell lands a clean combo, but Shogun fires right back, on target. Shogun lands overhand right and follows with leg kick. Liddell moving in with punches, but Shogun has a good range and counters each time. He takes Liddell to the ground, Liddell stands and Shogun goes for the knee bar. Liddell gets out and Shogun gets the body lock and lands a couple good knees to the leg. They separate and take center cage. Shogun goes for the takedown, but eats an uppercut and gets shucked off. Liddell then shoots in and takes Shogun down, but he lets him back up. Shogun charges in and floors Liddell with a thundering left hand, follows him down and hammerfists him into a referee stoppage.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def. Chuck Liddell by TKO (Strikes) at 4:28, R1


-BRIAN STANN VS. KRZYSZTOF SOSZYNSKI

R1 – They start with a few quick flurries, neither gaining an upper hand right away. They clinch, Soszynski using the uppercut, Stann driving knees to the thigh. They separate and shortly after Soszynski shoots the double-leg and takes Stann to the mat and quickly passes to mount. Stann was able to get out and up without any damage, but Soszynski takes him down again and starts working the Kimura from half-guard, loses it, then passes to side control and locks in the Kimura for the tapout.

-Krzysztof Soszynski def. Brian Stann by Submission (Kimura) at 3:53, R1


-CHEICK KONGO VS. ANTONI HARDONK

R1 – They exchange hard low kicks, followed by a couple brief exchanges. Hardonk is patient, stalking, lands a hard right leg kick followed by another to the body. Kongo clinches and pushes Hardonk to the cage and throws a couple knees to the legs before the ref separates them. Kongo catches a kick from Hardonk, and puts him on his back on the mat, then starts kicking his legs. Ref stands the fight up again. They exchange leg kicks again. Kongo lands hard punch combination, then clinches up against the fence and knees the legs again. Kongo scores the takedown and starts ground and pound from full guard, Hardonk trapped against the cage.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Kongo.

R2 – Hardonk kicks and Kongo rushes him to the mat. Kongo lands in guard landing a hard right to the face, but Hardonk quickly pulls him into full guard. Kongo trying to ground and pound, working body-head. Kongo lands a couple hard hammerfists to the head, mixing in elbows and punches, starting to work over Hardonk. Kongo stands and starts throwing down hammerfists, Hardonk curles up and the ref stops the fight.

Cheick Kongo def. Antoni Hardonk by TKO (Strikes) at 2:29, R2


-LUIZ CANE VS. STEVE CANTWELL

R1 – Former WEC champ Cantwell throws a couple searching leg kicks, but Cane is the aggressor pushing forward and throwing strong punch combinations. Cane lands a couple hard rights in combinations, hurting Cantwell. Cane grabs the Thai clinch and lands a couple hard knees to the body. Cane's jab is sharp, snapping Cantwell's head. Cantwell is throwing, but most of it is being blocked or just doesn't have the same power as Cane's strikes. Cane's pace slows significantly. In the last minute, he's still landing hard, but Cantwell is as well, with a little more sense of urgency and power than earlier.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Cane.

R2 – Cantwell lands a sharp right hand, but Cane immediately fires back with a hard straight left. Cane not pressing forward as much now, but holding center cage, firing hard shots as Cantwell moves in. Cane picking away at Cantwell with sparse combinations. Cantwell with a couple solid combinations midway through the round, stinging Cane. Cane lands a left kick to the head of Cane, follows with a knee to the face, then lands another hard kick. Cane takes the punishment and fires back, but is really slowing his offense now. Another head kick landed by Cantwell. Cane pawing with his jab, but Cantwell is in a good flow now.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Cantwell.

R3 – Cane lands a nice boxing combination and mixes in a kick to the body, then opens a flurry of hands, rocking Cantwell a bit. Cantwell takes center ring, but it is Cane landing the heavier shots. A couple flurries, then Cane lands some good knees to the body. Cantwell comes back with a couple good combinations, but Cane fires back right away. Cantwell throws head kicks from the right and then the left. Cane works the jab, follows with a knee to the body, and then finishes with a hard boxing combination. Cantwell trying to fire back, but Cane sneaks the knee in to the body again. Thirty seconds left, Cantwell throws a jump round kick, but doesn't do much with it. Ten seconds left, Cane lands a couple glancing blows as the round comes to an end.

MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 and the fight 29-28 for Cane.

Luiz Cane def. Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3


-DENIS KANG VS. XAVIER FOUKA-POKUM
(Courtesy of Matt Brown, FightMagazine.com)

R1 – Prof X is riding a seven-fight win streak and enters sporting a Kill It shirt with Dan Henderson in his corner. Kang enters to French rap, a la GSP. The BJJ black belt has Firaz in his corner. Phillipe Cartier is the ref. Prof X is in a southpaw stance to start. The fighters circle and the first punch is not thrown until 25 seconds in. Prof X lands a left and knee to the body before Kang scores a takedown. Kang is on top and works his way to half-guard. Kang tries an arm triangle, but is unsuccessful. On the feet now and both fighters throw some wild punches and kicks. Nothing really lands for either. As the round comes to an end, Kang tries to throw an armbar, but Prof X slips away. Not too much was landed that round, but Kang got the better of it.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Kang.

R2 – Nearly 45 seconds of non-action before X lands a left. Against the cage the fighters exchange with X landing a knee and Kang a right. Kang gets the takedown after a brief exchange, and works his way to the side from X's half-guard. X clamps down on Kang and Kang is unable to land any big blows. At the 1:30 mark, Kang lands some short elbows that appear to frustrate X more than hurt him. At 45-seconds, the fight makes it back standing. X lands a knee and then a kick to the body. X bends over and it's difficult to tell if he's taunting or just tired. Kang lands three punches to the head as the round ends.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Kang.

R3 – The round starts much the same with 30 seconds of circling. The crowd is now frustrated and starts to boo. Finally a small exchange at the four-minute mark with X landing a weak kick to the body and Kang a glancing right to the forehead. Kang gets a takedown and is working on X's left arm from the side. Kang drops a few short elbows and then X rolls over and is on top for a few seconds before Kang reverses. 1:30 left in the round and Kang is on top, as he has been nearly all fight. Steady diet of short elbows with the occasional punch. The fighters climb to their feet with 25 seconds left and Kang holds a body lock until the horn blows.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 and the fight 30-27 for Kang.

Denis Kang def. Xavier Fouka-Pokum by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3


-NATHAN QUARRY VS. JASON MACDONALD
(Courtesy of Matt Brown, FightMagazine.com)

R1 – Like all the Canadians tonight, McDonald gets a big ovation as he enters the arena... to Metallica's version of Turn the Page. McDonald has a 7-1/2 inch reach advantage. Mario Yamasaki gets the action going. Quarry throws a big right that is blocked by McDonald and they end up in the clinch. Pressed against the cage, McDonald nearly secures a takedown, but it's reversed by Quarry and he actually ends up on top. In the guard, Quarry drops a couple of elbows that do little damage... however, one does draw blood. Quarry then begins to land those elbows and McDonald begins to bleed very badly. One after the other, McDonald loses the ability to defend and Yamasaki calls and end to the match.

Nate Quarry def. Jason MacDonald by TKO (Strikes) at 2:27, R1


-DAVID LOISEAU VS. ED HERMAN
(Courtesy of Matt Brown, FightMagazine.com)

R1 – Crowd is excited for the Crow's return to the UFC and goes nuts as he enters the Octagon. Loiseau lands a spinning back kick to the body to get things moving. Crowd goes crazy! Herman moves in, clinches and scores the takedown; he lands dozens of blows over the next minute with no answer. They work back to the feet momentarily, but Herman again gets Loiseau to the mat, landing knees and punches to the body. Loiseau turtles up and weathers the storm. They make it back to the feet as the round ends.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Herman.

R2 – They immediately go to the ground with Herman in control. Loiseau doesn't seem to have an answer for Herman's takedowns and ground and pound. Herman gets a leg free and drops a shoulder punch. Herman is totally dominating, landing knees and punches in quick succession. He gets to Loiseau's back and mixes punches to the ribs and head. They scramble to their feet with about 1:20 left, and the action slows. Loiseau throws a wild right and ends up on the ground as the round ends.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Herman.

R3 – Loiseau comes out ultra-aggressive and lands a left followed by a knee. Herman clinches and pins Loiseau to the fence. They separate at the halfway point and Herman again takes Loiseau down. Herman peppers Loiseau with soft shots from half-guard as the clock reaches 1:00. They're back on their feet with 45 seconds left. Loiseau tries a kick, but Herman catches it and pins Loiseau to the cage again, the fight ending in the clinch.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 and the fight 30-27 for Herman.

Ed Herman def. David Loiseau by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27), R3


-MARK BOCEK VS. DAVID BIELKHEDEN
(Courtesy of Matt Brown, FightMagazine.com)

R1 – Again, the Canadian, Bocek, gets a huge pop from his home country. The fighters clinch and Bielkheden stops Bocek's takedown attempt. Bocek doesn't give up and eventually scores a single-leg takedown. Bocek gets to side control to land a few blows, gets put back in guard, then works his way back to side control. Bocek lands some elbows and lefts to the head. He then gains full mount and begins pummeling Bielkheden. Bocek goes for the rear naked choke at the 10 second mark and sinks it for the tap.

Mark Bocek def. David Bielkheden by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:57, R1


-T.J. GRANT VS. RYO CHONAN
(Courtesy of Matt Brown, FightMagazine.com)

R1 – Chonan has Dan Henderson in his corner. Grant, being a Canadian, receives a tremendous response from the crowd. Chonan stalks, but Grant lands a blind shot to Chonan's head. The fight goes to the ground with Chonan on top. Grant attempts a couple of submissions to no avail. Chonan isn't being too effective, only landing a couple of glancing blows. The crowd starts chanting, "TJ, TJ" and the fight gets back to the feet with one minute left. Grant scores a takedown with about 35 seconds left, but their right back to their feet. The round ends in an exchange of blows.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Chonan.

R2 – Chonan starts things off throwing a head kick, but eats a Superman punch for his efforts. Chonan grabs hold and gets the takedown. On the mat for bit, the referee warns for lack of action and the fighters pop back up to their feet. Grant scores a double-leg takedown and nearly gets Chonan's back, but Chonan spins out and ends up on top. The pace against slows with about 1:30 left in the round. They scramble and Grant momentarily moves to top position, but Chonan reverses and regains position. Close round, but Grant landed the more effective strikes.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Grant.

R3 – The fighters exchange kicks then Grant scores a takedown. He ends up on the bottom, however, and attempts a triangle choke with no success. They struggle for position. Grant lands some shots on the ground and then they fire away as the round closes.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 and the fight 29-28 for Grant.

T.J. Grant def. Ryo Chonan by Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28), R3


-ELIOT MARSHALL VS. VINNY MAGALHAES
(Courtesy of Matt Brown, FightMagazine.com)

R1 – Marshall enters with Greg Jackson in his corner; Magalhaes enters with Shawn Tompkins. They tap gloves and throw a few stray punches. Vinny misses a head kick. Marshall lands the fight's first combo and follows with a kick to the body; then the action slows through the middle of the round, crowd booing. Marshall lands a small flurry followed by a leg kick. With about 1:30 left in the round, chants of GSP start up. Magalhaes lands his first kick at the 55-second mark. Marshall ends the round landing a hard right hand.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Marshall.

R2 – Marshall gets the round started with an inside leg kick, then fends off a takedown attempt. Magalhaes fires back with several kicks, landing a kick to the body that throws Marshall off balance. The action slows again. Magalhaes eats a quick right from Marshall, but gets him to the ground. Magalhaes in side control lands several punches and elbows. Marshall is able to escape and get back to his feet before round two comes to a close.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 for Magalhaes.

R3 – Marshall again gets the action started with a hard right to the body. The action then stalls again, and the crowd again lets them hear their displeasure. Magalhaes appears to be the more tired of the two. Magalhaes' nose starts bleeding as Marshall is landing pawing shots to the head. Marshall then lands a hard right to the chin before dodging an attempted head kick. Thirty seconds left and Magalhaes gets the fight to the ground and gets mount. He lands several blows from the top as the round ends.

MMAWeekly/Fight Magazine scores the round 10-9 and the fight 29-28 for Marshall.

Eliot Marshall def. Vinny Magalhaes by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3


UFC 97 LIVE RESULTS:

Main Card Bouts (live on pay-per-view):
-Anderson Silva def. Thales Leites by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-46), R5
-Sam Stout def. Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3
-Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def. Chuck Liddell by TKO (Strikes) at 4:28, R1
-Krzysztof Soszynski def. Brian Stann by Submission (Kimura) at 3:53, R1
-Cheick Kongo def. Antoni Hardonk by TKO (Strikes) at 2:29, R2
-Luiz Cane def. Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3

Preliminary Card Bouts:
-Denis Kang def. Xavier Fouka-Pokum by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
-Nate Quarry def. Jason MacDonald by TKO (Strikes) at 2:27, R1
-Ed Herman def. David Loiseau by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27), R3
-Mark Bocek def. David Bielkheden by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:57, R1
-T.J. Grant def. Ryo Chonan by Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28), R3
-Eliot Marshall def. Vinny Magalhaes by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3

[UkrainianGuy]

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