To start, a quick run down of the winners and losers.
Main Card
Sanchez def. Stevenson via Uni. Dec. (R3,M5)
Hardy def. Markham via KO (R1,M1:05)
Marquardt def. Gouveia via gassing... TKO (R3, M3:10)
Maia def. Sonnen via Submission (tri-choke) (R1, M2:37)
Thiago def. Koscheck via KO (R1, M3:21)
Prelim Card
Etim def. Cobb via TKO (head-kick) (R2, M.10)
Dos Santos def. Struve via TKO (R1, M.54)
Dunham def. Eklund via KO (R1, M2:14)
Ciesnolevicz def. Grove via Submission (heel-hook) (R1, M1:03)
Kelly def. Mandaloniz via Uni. Dec. (R3, M5)
And now the fun part...
Sanchez v Stevenson was slightly boring and not the "I'm going to eat your children" bout I think most of us were expecting. What was with the entrance by the way?!?! "YES!! YES!! YES!!" ??
While Sanchez was aggressive, he didn't present that "Nightmare" fury I was looking for. However, his efforts were enough to get him an Unanimous Decision and earn them both an extra $40,000 for fight of the night.
Hardy -admittedly- came in with something to prove. He stated in his post fight interview that he wanted to show "I can stand there with the best of 'em and trade punches." Well, he did. Markham is known for getting rattled and knocking people out. He did it in the IFL and I expected him to do it to Hardy. The Brit followed up with, "I was confident in my speed and my range." He did have a slight reach advantage over the Iowan, but I don't think that's all he had going for him. I'm not making excuses for Rory, but all the British boys won. Can jet-lag and a huge time difference have something to do with that? Maybe. Can it also be that the Brit's are bringing their "A" game? Probably.
I stated before I wish Marquardt and Gouveia's fight were the main event. I'll stand by that statement. They were more exciting than Sanchez-Stevenson and it was finished, barely in time, but nonetheless finished.
Maia v Sonnen was beautiful. Jitz at its finest. There's a reason Maia has so many titles.
Thiago v Koscheck... so much that could be said but will probably be left alone. Wait, Koscheck is a whiny bitch. Okay, moving on. Paulo had a great debut, even humble after his KO win. He said (via translator who also had a thick accent), "When he connected the upper cut, completely out. No, he is a good guy. It's not that he cannot defend himself, he is tough. The judge not stop it, he stopped it. He come and whine a little, to make a good show. You understand?" Oh we understand... barely, but we get it. Kos just whines like a little girl with a scratched knee.
Etim's toe-flick-head-kick-knock-out was great.
He's one to watch for. Young, quick and only room to improve. Struve was nervous and Dos Santos had his way with him. It happens. It's his first time in front of a HUGE crowd, with millions watching on T.V. Hopefully he'll return, because his height alone will lead to some interesting fights if matched well enough.
I'm omitting addressing the Dunham-Eklund & Kelly-Mandaloniz fights.. just not feeling it.
But last, and certainly not least. Ciesnolevicz's win via heel-hook.
As gross as it was to see it pop, it was perfectly executed.
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