UFC on Versus

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Alessio Sakara vs James Irvin:

Looks like James Irvin has re-hydrated from a tough weight cut. Sakara hits with a nice left hook. Irvin goes down saying there was an eye poke - nope. Clean left hook from Sakara. Knuckles right on the eye. Josh Rosenthal makes the call. Awkward stoppage but a victory for Sakara at 3:01 of Round 1. Irvin may see the chopping block after that one. Winner by TKO - Alessio Sakara.

Paul Buentello vs Cheick Kongo:

Kongo shoots a double early and gets Buentello down. Buentello looking to get back to his feet and Kongo throws a knee to the body then hits another takedown. Kongo's keeping the pressure on and Buentello is looking for a kimura. Kongo really looking to hit the takedown. Looks like Buentello dislocated his pinky. The doctor pops it back in and here we go again. Herb Dean gets the action started. Kongo keeping his head straight, eats a shot and takes Buentello down again. Kongo isn't providing much offense aside from knees to the body and keeping Buentello against the cage. Herb Dean provides a stand up at the 15 second mark and the round expires with Buentello going down and Kongo throwing some short punches.

Round 2 starts with some good leg kicks from Kongo. Both fighters trade briefly, Buentello is like an elevator up & down. Kongo pounding away and keeping Buentello on the mat. Kongo throws knees to the body and then hits a downed Buentello with a knee to the face. Kongo loses a point. Kongo throws his hands with his head straight and gets a takedown. More knees to Buentello's body, Buentello is up, trading and back down. Kongo throwing knees with a front headlock. Buentello "playing the game" which Joe Rogan defines as putting his hands down when he saw a knee was coming to the head. Herb Dean doesn't take a point and gets them going again. (Lets just admire Herb Dean's excellent job here.) Both men are stood up. Paul looks gassed. Kongo applies the pressue looking for a takedown again. Round expires.

Round 3 Kongo's hands are low and his head is straight. He gets ANOTHER takedown. Looking to put Paul up against the cage and unload the same knees to the body. Kongo in half guard throwing elbows to the thighs and ribs. Buentello rolls over, Kongo rides the back and throws more elbows at an angle. Buentello taps hard due to elbows to the thigh. Kongo really put a backyard beating on Buentello. Winner by Tapout due to Strikes - Cheick Kongo. Buentello looked sluggish and out of shape. He will certainly see the chopping block after that outting.

Junior Dos Santos vs Gabriel Gonzaga:
Two big bad Brazilians ready to throw down. Rogan compares Gonzaga's head kick to being hit in the head by a meteor...a slight exaggeration I'm sure. Dos Santos walks out to "Getting Strong Now" from the Rocky I-VI soundtracks. That's a surefire way to earn my respect. I have a feeling this is going to be far better than the last two bouts.

Round 1 is under way. Both men touch gloves and measure the distance out. Gonzaga misses a leg kick. Dos Santos lands a straight right to the body. Gonzaga gets a takedown and the back but Dos Santos spins out. Gonzaga lands a low kick. Two jabs to the body from Junior. Gonzaga misses the head kick. And Dos Santos sends one back, then another...first the right then the left. Dos Santos misses a big right hand. Gonzaga goes high with a kick, blocked. Lands a left kick to the body while Dos Santos counters with a left hook. Gonzaga hits the mat. Dos Santos blasts away from above. Josh Rosenthal stops the fight at 3:53 of the first round. Winner by KO - Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos. Guy looks great each time out...says he wants to give good knockouts for the fans and appreciates their support.

John Howard vs Daniel Roberts:

Round 1 begins with Howard landing a nice leg kick and Roberts taking him down. A scramble, Howard looking for a single. Roberts rolls a kimura and takes top position. Landing some heavy shots to a downed Howard. Roberts looking for a guillotine. Howard grabs a single, scoops Roberts up over his head and throws him down hard. Roberts maintaining mission control looking for an omoplata. Howard escapes, stands and lands a BOMB from standing. Roberts is out cold immediately. Howard lands two more glancing shots and the referee finally jumps in to save him. Howard gets style points for the hairdo and back flip. Winner by KO - John "Doomsday" Howard at 2:01 of Round 1.

Jon Jones vs Brandon Vera:

Main event of the evening folks. Jon Jones walking out to New York State of Mind enters the Octagon and does a one-handed cartwheel? Vera comes out looking focused. Jones has a 6 and one half inch reach advantage...will it be the difference maker? Jones gets a warm welcome from the Denver crowd and Vera receives an equally ...

Here we go. Touch gloves and clinch. Jones gets a takedown. Vera climbing his legs up. Jones postures up and Vera pushes him away. Standing again, Jones catches a leg kick. Jones working hard for a takedown and gets it. Vera isolating the arm any chance he gets but not committing to anything. Jones tries to elbow close. Now posturing up and Vera throws an upkick that hits Jones square in the chin. Herb Dean stops the action because Jones was down. Herb offers Jon Jones the position back, and he accepts. Vera deducted a point and they resume; Vera on his back, Jones in the guard. Vera lands a clean upkick, Jones looks frustrated. Vera has the guard high. Jones covers Vera's mouth with his free hand. He postures and lands a huge elbow, then another. Vera clutches his eye, and rolls to protect himself. Jones jumps all over him and blasts away until Herb Dean pulls him off. Jones may very well have broken Vera's orbital bone. Waiting for the decision, Vera can hardly open his right eye. Winner by TKO - Jon "Bones" Jones at 3:19 of Round 1.

A good maiden voyage for the UFC on Versus. Interestingly, this UFC on Versus 1 took place in the same arena that the very first UFC. My thoughts on the televised fights? The Sakara/Irvin fight was a terrible way to start the night. A confusing stoppage and anticlimactic finish. Kongo is an incomplete fighter, although he showed good determination in getting the takedowns his striking looked less than crisp and his head was straight up most of the time. Close the distance on a guy like Dos Santos or Cain like that and your teeth will be 15 rows deep. Dos Santos looked very tough and his speed will be a problem for most heavyweights. The guy has dynamite in his hands and can beat his opponents to the punch. Jon Howard looked tough in a fast paced bout and showed some real power. Jon Jones is living up to the expectations put on him. Although Vera isn't a top ten LHW, he's still a step up in competition. And it was a great finish for Jones.