UFC 125 Main Card Recap
Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
The first fight of the main card is here! Gomi walks out with some Japanese music, Clay is clearly enjoying his Foo Fighters entrance.
They begin with some close exchanges but never really exchanged within the pocket because Guida is dictating the distance. Gomi is just stalking in the middle of the ring following Guida. Gomi is unable to land a clean shot throughout the round. Guida lands a huge right high kick on Gomi’s jaw in the first round but Gomi takes it well.
A few takedown attempts are stuffed by Gomi but that’s all he can do. Guida’s head, side to side, in and out and switching it up seems to keep Gomi guessing an unable to land anything solid throughout the first round. Clay Guida with his signature strike and shoot technique is putting Gomi on his back at the end of the round. Guida looks for the overhand right the whole fight but is unable to land.
In the 2nd round Guida gets caught with a small right hook after he shoots. Gomi is able to stop another takedown, but is unable to stop the next one as Clay is in Gomi’s half guard he locks up a Guillotine choke from the top rolling to his back he gets Gomi to tap.
The submission ended up getting sub of the night.
Guida wins by submission 4:27 of the 2nd round.
Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Nate establishing his jab early with a nice inside leg kicks. Nate is the busier fighter on the feet. Kim gets the takedown the fight takes part mostly on the ground. Diaz can’t seem to shoot his legs up for a triangle or get a hold of legs for a knee bar or ankle locks. Kim keeps Diaz on his back until the very end of the 1st round. Kim is slowly tiring through the fight and unable to handle Diaz’s boxing.
In the 2nd round Diaz tries to establish his striking with jabs. When stand up fails most fighters goes for a takedown which Kim does after eating some nice combinations from Diaz. More transitions, Diaz unable to pull off a submission attempt from his back.
In the 3rd round Diaz again tries to do more of the same with his stand up, throwing more and landing more. Kim again shoots for a takedown but finally Diaz was able to stop it and a controversial knee lands on Kim’s head. The referee warns Diaz about the knee and they start standing and Kim takes Diaz down again.
After some transitions they get back to their feet and Nate knowing hes behind tries to pour it on. Doing more in the last minute of the fight on his feet than Kim ever did on his feet the whole fight, Diaz lands shots on Kim’s body and head, while Kim was crowded trying to defend himself against the fence to the end of the round.
Unanimous decision goes to Dong Hyun Kim all three judges (29-28)
Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva
The fights starts out in a clinch and some knees were exchanged but after touching the fence Silva gets the takedown. Some transitions happen and Silva is ground and pounding Vera and eventually passing to side control. Silva is controlling Vera and lands nice elbows from the top. Vera helplessly tries to control Silva’s posture but Silva still gets some shots in till the end of the round. At the end of the round Silva taunts Vera after getting up from the ground.
I think Brandon was a little aggravated because he comes out in the 2nd round with some nice aggression and opens up with a knee and head kick. Silva and Vera exchange but in the end Vera moves away and exchange near the fence but in the end clinch and Silva gets the takedown again. More of the same from round 1, ground and pound Vera unable to do much. This happens through the whole 2nd round and Vera seems okay but the damage is accumulating with hope slowly fading for Vera.
Down 2 rounds to none, the 3rd round begins with some comical relief as Vera catches Silva’s body kick throwing a shot of his own. While, Silva falling on his back Vera raises his hands to taunt Silva, getting some revenge from the end of the first round, I had to laugh at that. They clinch again and guess what? Silva takes Vera down… again.
Silva gets Vera’s back and is near the fence. Hammering Vera with punches all Vera can do is defend though punches are getting through. Silva starts to open hand slap Vera then uses Vera’s back as a bongo and slaps Vera more also slapping Vera’s ass literally. The round ends after Silva lands some more shots to Vera’s head.
Thiago Silva gets the unanimous decision judges scoring it (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Brian Stann vs Chris Leben
In the first round they come out trading, Leben with a body kick, Stann with a right. They trade more but Leben is the one coming forward. They clinch and throw more. As they take a quick break in the clinch against the fence.
Leben seems to be the one taking more punishment and ends up having to go for a takedown but ends up getting rocked with a right hand from Stann and goes to the canvas momentarily then scrambles back to his feet. Stann feels he’s hurt and continues with right hands and drops Leben, but Leben known for his heart and chin keeps standing up for more but gets dropped again by a right hand.
Stann goes for the finish hammering away and the ref has to step in to give Brian Stann the TKO victory in the first round at 3:37 of the first round.
Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard
Edgar comes out with his signature side to side movement. Frankie is busier with the hands keeping his double jab out there for Maynard to worry about. Frankie mixes things up with a leg kick. Maynard catches Frankie with a huge left hook. Frankie seems hurt bad as he goes for a takedown. Scrambling back to his feet Frankie is caught with another right uppercut. Frankie stumbles all over the cage trying to survive by moving and shooting for takedowns to slow the pace.
When Frankie moves on his feet he stumbles showing he is badly hurt. He tries and slow the pace again with some clinching but Gray catches Frankie again with the right hand. Frankie is still hurt very bad. Gray is pushing forward with a lot of punches. Frankie starts to get his composure back near the end of the round.
Frankie seems to be fine at the start of the 2nd round, back to his head movement and footwork. Mixing up his combinations and keeping Gray guessing. Frankie is out striking Gray and staying busier. Edgar gets a nice takedown to bring the crowd alive.
In the 3rd round more of the same from Edgar, being the quicker fighter, mixing it up with leg kick and his hand speed. Frankie able to stuffs Gray’s takedown. Frankie lands nice combinations as Maynard tries to counter landing a few glancing blows with his right hand nothing affecting either fighter.
Throughout the round Frankie has the cleaner crisper punching combination. But Maynard is able to land a few nice right hand including right uppercuts to the chin and Edgar’s body. At the end of the round Gray gets a takedown while Frankie threatens Gray with a Kimura then ends the round with a Guillotine Attempt.
The 4th round starts with a takedown attempt by Edgar and tries to finish Gray with a standing Guillotine as Frankie lets it go Edgar throws a nice combination. Frankie backups and goes back to his style of movement and mixing it up with hands and leg kicks. Frankie goes for another shot and pins Maynard against the fence. Frankie lands 3 left hooks to Maynard’s chin as he keeps him pin to the fence. The round ends with Edgar moving Maynard stalking.
The 5th round starts with exchanging of jabs. Frankie mixing it up and landing a leg kick. Maynard is trying to push forward unable to find Frankie with anything significant. They both land in the middle of the round, Maynard with a left hook and a right uppercut. Frankie is still working his hands trying to find Maynard.
Frankie stuffs a few shots and lands a knee once to the face another failed takedown Edgar counters with a knee. Frankie continuously stuffs Maynard’s shots. They end the round by trading shots both men landing.
The bout ends in a draw the judges scoring it (47-47, 48-46, 46-48).
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