It’s time for a UFC 105 Recap now that UFC 105 is in the books (see UFC 105 Predictions) and all though not the most exciting fight card that the UFC has put on in recent months it still turned out to be a good card with solid action that included a brutal knockout, a slug fest and a sleeper.
The sleeper on the night was easily the main event that saw Randy Couture take on Brandon “The Truth” Vera, don’t get me wrong the fight had it’s moments where it was exciting but for the most part Randy humped Vera against the cage for most of the fight. This fight ended with a unanimous decision victory for Randy Couture, I can’t say that I agree with the “unanimous” part of the decision but Randy did control most of the fight.
Mike “Quick” Swick wasn’t quick enough or strong enough to handle Dan Hardy’s power, Swick was hurt within the first minute of the fight and went on to be hurt in each of the following rounds. Mike Swick didn’t seem to get into gear until late into the third round which was clearly way too late, not to mention the fact that even with flurries in the third from Swick he continued to get tagged by Hardy. Dan Hardy wins this fight by unanimous decision.
Matt Brown and James Wilks went at it for three rounds before Brown reversed a Kimura and rolled Wilks, after the reversal Brown ended up on top in full mount. In the full mount position Matt Brown delivered brutal punches, Wilks exposed his back and the fight was quickly stoped by referee Herb Dean. Matt Brown wins by TKO.
Andre Winner will surely walk away with “KO of the Night” after disposing of Rolando Delgado with a brutal right hand in the first round, Winner wins by KO. Brutal, brutal, brutal KO.
Michael Bisping survived being knocked down by Denis Kang early in the first round, it looked like Kang had Bisping in some serious trouble very early in the fight. Bisping was able to overcome being knocked down early and managed to protect himself very well while on his back in the first round, after the first round came to an end Bisping assured his hometown crowd that he was fine.
Bisping opened up the second round by taking down Kang and working some serious and brutal ground and pound, Kang managed to get up only to be dragged down and pounded again. Denis Kang didn’t make it out of the second ground and pound assault by Bisping. Michael Bisping wins by TKO.
Ross Pearson beat up on Aaron Riley before a doctor stoppage in the second round for a cut on the bridge (or broken nose) of Riley, the cut occurred after Riley was grabbed in a clinch and hit with a brutal jumping knee against the cage. Ross Pearson wins in front of his UK crowd by TKO.
If you watched UFC 105 live on Spike TV leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on the fight card, I am curious to hear what everyone has to say about Randy Couture’s performance. I personally thought Randy looked a little slow and he had a much harder time of taking down Vera than I thought he would, especially since Randy has ought as a heavyweight.
Don’t forget to check out my UFC 106 Predictions.
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I thought Randy looked slow too. I think where age starts to catch up with people is reaction time and recovery time. When he got kicked with those high kicks he had no answer and didn’t even seem em coming. Perhaps his reaction time is diminishing?
@todd@gain muscle and lose fat, Hi Todd and thank you for taking the time to comment on the fight.
I would have to agree Randy didn’t see those high kicks, all though his stance allowed him to catch most of those (accidentally) with his gloves and forearms.
The speed isn’t really there anymore and the thought that he wants to fight Machida is scary, Machida is no Vera and snatching him up for the hug fest is going to be much harder than he might expect.
I was pretty irritated by that main event. Couture wins by holding the guy against the cage for 3 rounds? It may be “controlling the fight” but it’s also damn boring and that’s why the ref broke them up so many times. I think the scoring system should put more weight on strikes landed, because it was kinda BS. Vera never looked to be in trouble, but Couture did a couple of times.
Is it just me, or was last weekend’s Strikeforce card just more exciting from top to bottom than any UFC card I’ve seen in a long time?
@sean @ stair lifts, hey Sean thanks for commenting.
The main event was exactly what I expected it to be, I knew there was no chance in hell that Randy was going to stand and strike with Vera. He would be an idiot to do that.
It was by far one of the most boring fights I have seen in a long time, there was no question that Vera hurt Randy more than Randy hurt Vera. A lot of that clinch punching, inside elbows (that caused no damage) still scored Randy points.
The point system is what it is, if Vera could have pushed Randy off and created space he would have won the fight. He didn’t, he failed to implement his gameplan or better yet Randy caused him to fail at executing his gameplan, hence Randy wins. Before they read the cards off, I called that it would be a unanimous decision, all though I can’t say I agree it really doesn’t matter.
As for last weeks Strikeforce card, it was a decent card and provided some solid MMA action. I think the card proved to be more exciting than UFC 105, however UFC promotes and delivers 4x the fights that Strikefroce does. The probability of the UFC having a somewhat “boring” fight card shouldn’t be all that surprising, better matched fighters in equal matches. Where as Strikeforce puts on an event here and an event there, it allows them to pack a card.
I will say that the first 3 fights on the UFC card last night provided more excitment than most of the Strikeforce card did for me last week, thats personal opinion though. If it were up to me Strikeforce and the UFC would put something on every Saturday. Problem is that Strikeforce doesn’t have the depth, nor do they have the fighter selection that the UFC has.
@Extreme John, I see what you mean there. You’d have to compare a Strikeforce card to a UFC “Supercard” like UFC 100 (or 106 before Lesnar got sick). Given that, yea I’d have to agree that UFC cards are better. But they ain’t free! Here’s hoping Strikeforce can put on a show like that about once a quarter or more.
@sean@lift chairs, very true. I would like to see Saturday Night Fights become a monthly thing on CBS. The viewership is there why not take it.
I was rooting for Randy, but as far as an exciting fight, I couldn’t agree with Sean more. Holding the guy against the cage just doesn’t make great tv, even if it is a great technical fight.
Last week’s Strikeforce main event was definitely more exciting. The right of the cards were pretty much even from what I saw.
Mike from Daily Shot Of Coffee´s last blog ..Poll: Do You Like Starbucks VIA?
@Mike from Daily Shot Of Coffee, how can you make that statement when you missed the first 3 fights on last nights UFC fight card?
Apples to Oranges
It’s important to point out that the last two fights on the card last night lacked excitement which can easily taint the full night of fights. The Bispeng/Kang fight easily had the fireworks of the Fedor fight if not more, minus all of the hype.
The KO by Andre Winner easily topped any of the KO’s that occurred in the Strikeforce event, there wasn’t anything nearly as brutal.
The Brown/Wilks fight was also more exciting and memorable than most of the fights on the Strikeforce card, meanwhile Brown and Wilks are no where near a main event or major network (4 fight card) combo. You never would have seen those two guys fight on CBS on a fight card that contains 4 fights.
Not trying to change your mind about the fights vs Strikeforce’s card last week, just saying that the assessment would be better made by watching both fight cards back to back. Don’t let the Randy/Vera hugging match paint a picture of how UFC 105 was, because it was anything but that.
@Extreme John,
“From what I saw”
Someone needs more caffeine. JK
Mike from Daily Shot Of Coffee´s last blog ..Fresh Brews: Return Of The Coffee Wars And Topless Coffee Shops
@Mike from Daily Shot Of Coffee, that statement makes it official
Much better.
I forgot this fight is held in Europe so I missed it. I thought its in the US so I was expecting it to be shown here around 10am. As it turned out, it was shown here while I was sound asleep at 3am.
ZXT´s last blog ..Manny Pacquiao Demolished Miguel Cotto
@ZXT, I would have had to stay up and watch it.
I thought the card turned out a hella lot better than it looked on paper!!! I really hope that was randy’s retirement fight. he was slow and he’s not there anymore. i thought vera could have at least tried to do more. He seemed a little content on staying on the fence too.
Mike and Hardy i thought was a good fight to go to decision. I saw mike the favorite going into the fight but Hardy rocked him good. It went to decision but still a great fight.
other than the main event i thought it was a good night for the ufc. they showed a lot of fights! compared to strikeforce the other night, fedor’s fight was a good fight, but the other 3 fights strechting for almost 2 hours is hard to compare to the number of good fights ufc 105 had. Also i take it you all dont have showtime because strikeforce challengers the other night sucked. and im not reall impressed by the strikeforce challengers coming on in a couple weeks.
Hardy vs GSP now!!
@NW Okie, thank you for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts on UFC 105.
I would have to admit the card turned out to be much better than I thought it would, especially with the opening fights. The last fight was exactly what I thought it would be, as for Swick……
I think Hardy is a bad ass I just don’t see him being as complete as St. Pierre, he might have been on the sidelines for a few but his last few fights were masterpieces. Hardy better get that ground game and takedown defense CLEAN or GSP is going to crush him. Thats just my 2 cents though, what the hell do I know
little lie you ased for people that watched on spike well i didnt see the fight on spike i was there n i have to say yes the randy fight was the worst (boringest)fight of he night Brandon the truth was robbed i think the crowd same as the judges were seduced by the fact it was randy who lets be honest is probably U.F.C and yeah if it was exterme hugging hed still be the champ but!!!!.
I saw the card and even though we booked thought it would be average but my i was wrong it was stunning it was totally sold out and an electric atmosphere probable the best event i have ever attended i cant imagine what a packed card with top boys would be like i suppose everything is better in the flesh
@john hand, the energy there was ridiculous as it always is, also makes it easy for everyone there to be excited when there is a UK fighter in each match. Thats just simple thinking on the UFC’s part, but very good thinking.
As for Brandon being robbed I can’t say I would be able to agree with that one, he had no control over the fight. He should have pushed off and utilitzed his strikes, even Brandon said he should have tried to KO Randy when he had the chance. He knew he lost that fight.
Than k you for taking the time to comment I appreciate it
Main card was boring allright allthough being from ireland im glad i got the chance to see a legend of ufc live……
in my opinion it was close but randy had game plan and stuck to it, it was up to vera to stop him as he said in post fight interview he should have KO,d randywhen he had chance. i believe he didnt land enough punches or kicks, and i agree with john that it is a shock it was unanimous.
Must say i was dissapointed with swick i was expecting explosive action from swick seems like someone forgot to light his fuse. i think if swick was at home things would have been different but got to give credit to hardy he was best on the night powerfull but no offence he has risen to fast and gsp will cut hm down.
bisping was pure class i thought he was finished in first round but what a turn around, when michael knocked him to ground in second round and started grounding and pounding kang seemed to just give up cant do his career much good although he seemed powerfull and dangerous.
Pearson great fight one to watch very down to earth worth keeping an eye on.
@kieran, you summed it up when it comes to the Randy/Vera fight. Bottom line, Vera should have stopped Randy from handling his gameplan in there. He didn’t.
Thank you for taking the time to comment I appreciate it.
I only caught the tale ned of the fight but Hardy looked good to me. Couture looked impressive at 46 years old.
@SafariDave, you have to give Randy a hell of a lot of credit for even steping in the cage at 46 years old. His conditioning is still unreal.
Love the freebee night on SPIKE! Way to go UFC for providing a free bout card.
Just saw one of your random picks where did you get the photo of the green snake?? One of these bite my friend and really put some hurt on him. They are not posinous but he had a swollen hand for days and lots of problems from it.
@SafariDave, that was in our backyard. Kennedy had it in a corner.
Randy’s tactic of holding the guy up against the cage and keeping him there for 3 rounds might be boring, but it’s definitely the way to go if your really good when fighting that way. Trading punches in the middle of the ring, even if you’re really good at it is always a little risky cause it only takes one missed block or punch thrown .5 seconds after your opponent to put you on the mat. The next thing you know the ref is calling it.
Boring, but effective is definitely the name for Randy’s technique.
@The Norseman, yeah you can’t blame the guy for executing exactly the way he told everyone he would in all of his interviews before the fight.
Might not be full of surprises but it got the job done.
I don’t know about you, but I’m probably going to be giving the UFC a wide berth for a while, there’re a couple main events coming up that I’m interested in, but very few over the next 3 – 4 cards. I reckon the snorefest that was this main event is just a glimpse of things to come. Hope they get their shit sorted by Fedbruary or so
Hard Rocking South African@Music Judge´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
@Hard Rocking South African@Music Judge, I don’t know man the 106 card doesn’t look that and the UFC 107 card is packed! I am really excited about 107, Sanhcez vs Penn, Mir vs Kongo…. Good stuff. Thats December 12th.
Hey John, great review. I was most impressed by Ross Pearson. His accuracy was unbelievable and he mixed it up perfectly with punches, kicks to the body and legs, muay thai clinches and knees. Brilliant, and Aaron Riley is no Joke.
Randy done exactly what he needed to do in his fight. I was very impressed with Vera’s takedown defense though. I forget that he has a good wrestling base.
I was dissapointment with Swick too. He wasn’t his normal self. I’m from the UK but I really like Swick, so it was a tough one to call. I think Hardy was too strong for Swick on the night.
I havent been impressed by Kang at all since he’s come to the UFC. I expected Bisping to win this fight (which nearly didnt happen in the 1st round).
@WarriorsofMMA, thanks for taking the time to read my review and comment, I appreciate the kind words.
I will say that Pearson was mixing things up in such a creative fashion, there was no chance in hell he was going to lose that fight. There was no way to time the guy.
Extreme John, you are right about the KO of the night. That was freaking brutual, but awesome!
I wanted Hardy to win, but at the same time, I don’t think he or Swick pose any threat whatsoever to GSP.
Couture is old and slow. I agree that he controlled the fight for the most part, but it was very unimpressive. That was a good fight for him because I didn’t expect Vera to win. But I just don’t think that Couture can continue to compete against the top light heavyweights.
And hey, I’m all about a free PPV, so I enjoyed myself nonetheless.
The Constant Complainer´s last blog ..Moron of the Week #14
@The Constant Complainer, yeah I don’t see Hardy or Swick giving GSP any trouble.
As for Randy you have to respect what the guy has done and what he is still doing so if he sticks to his gameplan to safely win a fight so be it. He just might not fill as many seats moving forward.
That UFC 105 is one of the most non exciting fights in a while now. Looks like UFC 106 is going to follow suit as I don’t see Tito vs Forrest as main card quality.
MichaelR´s last blog ..Cut Your Toll-Free Service Expenses
@MichaelR, I hope that UFC 106 shapes up to be much more exciting, or at least I hope the main event is.
Dan Hardy won every round in that fight. Even the third. I didn’t see much from Swick. My first time seeing him fight and it wasn’t good. Hardy can really throw hands. I’m not sure who he fought before this match, but it was a battle, that won also. The kid literally is “Green Street Hooligans.”
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