Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig
To start the first round, both fighters show lots of clinch work. Danzig works the uppercuts and hooks from within the clinch, and Wiman spends more time pulling his shorts up than throwing leg kicks. Wiman looked sluggish in the first round, but lands a few charging blows, badly bloodying Danzig’s nose. No takedowns until the end of the first round, when Wiman drops for a half-hearted single leg that Danzig shakes off.
Early in the second, Danzig lands a double-leg, evades a guillotine, and ends up in an arm bar. It looks bad, but Danzig is experienced enough to fight through it. Then Wiman threatens with a kimura, but Danzig battles through that and the fight gets to the feet. Wiman covers up on the fence before charging forward. Danzig unsuccessfully looks for the counter, and the fight ends up in the middle of the cage. Wiman starts to look gassed as he shoots a double from ten feet away, hitting nothing but the fence. Danzig lights up Wiman’s face for his trouble.
To start the third round, Wiman chases Danzig to the fence, landing short elbows in the clinch. The two fight around the cage, and Danzig opens up a huge cut on Wiman’s nose. In a scramble, Danzig takes Wiman’s back, but Wiman shakes him off and ends up in Danzig’s half guard with two minutes to go. Both fighters are bloodied as Wiman starts throwing huge elbows from the top. Danzig gets to his feet, the two clinch, and Danzig locks in a flying guillotine as time expires, dragging Wiman to the mat. The fight goes the distance.
Winner: Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)
Anthony Johnson vs Charlie Brenneman
Johnson starts the first round by looking to knock Brenneman’s head off. Brenneman clearly looks nonplussed by Johnson’s size and strength. Brenneman shoots for a takedown, and Johnson sprawls, throwing uppercuts and hammer fists to Brenneman’s head. Brenneman is stalling, so Johnson improves his position and ends up in Brenneman’s half guard. Johnson defends a guillotine, they stand, and Brenneman leans up against the cage in time to eat a monstrous head kick from Johnson. Referee Mario Yamasaki promptly stops the fight; Brenneman protests, and I think he has a point. He was definitely prepared to defend himself intelligently on the ground. Early stoppage for sure, but Brenneman looked outclassed on the feet and a little lost on the ground.
Winner: Anthony Johnson by TKO (R1 2:50)
Pat Barry vs Stefan Struve
Struve is reluctant to throw anything. They circle while Barry throws a few leg kicks. Barry’s not stepping into his kicks the way he usually does, because he has to wind up from the next zip code. Two minutes in, the ref calls for more action. Struve starts winging big hooks at Barry. Barry throws a straight right down the middle; he watched the Browne KO of Struve. Barry almost lands a head kick – Struve blocked it, but Barry smirks. Barry spends most of his time in Struve’s range, but Struve is reluctant to throw. As the round ends, Struve lands a head kick of his own, but Barry isn’t hurt by it.
Second round starts with them trading kicks. Barry catches Struve with an uppercut, but backs up. Barry then lands a head kick. He can’t put anything into it, but he’s keeping Struve honest. Pace slows again; Struve backs up but won’t use his range. Barry tags Struve coming in with a hook. Struve goes for a standing D’arce, and rolls int a guillotine. Barry ends up on top, but Struve gets guard and immediately locks in the triangle. Barry stands, lifts the 6’11” Struve OVER HIS HEAD, and slams Struve into the mat like Rampage-Arona in 2003. Struve lands expertly, softening his impact with his arm and shoulder. Barry ends up in a triangle-armbar combination, and taps out. That was almost the coolest ending imaginable.
Winner: Stefan Struve by Submission (R2 3:22)
Dominick Cruz vs Demetrious Johnson
After Barry and Struve, these guys are lightning fast, circling each other and looking for an opening. Cruz stuffs Johnson’s first shot, then executes a beautiful hip toss and lands on top before working for side control. Johnson explodes to his feet and chases the champion around the cage, but Cruz uses beautiful head movement to slip punches before catching a head kick and taking the fight to the ground. They stand again and clinch at the cage before Johnson gets the takedown. Cruz immediately springs to his feet. Cruz times a monster uppercut as Johnson shoots for a double. Johnson is blindingly fast, but Cruz is keeping up.
Johnson almost lands a head kick to Cruz to open the second round, countering an exchange that Cruz usually dominates with his speed. They scramble, then clinch, and apart from a knee by Cruz, neither is the worse for wear. More clinching, more scrambling; these guys are like hummingbirds on crank. Cruz can’t get his signature footwork going because Johnson can follow him around. Johnson tries to throw Cruz with a whizzer, but Cruz stays up. Cruz times Johnson with another right hand as Johnson comes in. Johnson shoots for a takedown, and Cruz defends with a whizzer of his own. Cruz lands a takedown as the round expires. Cruz is too big and too wrestly for Johnson.
The third round opens with more exchanges. Cruz is stalking Johnson, but Cruz is landing his jab at will. They clinch, and Cruz goes down briefly before springing up, taking Johnson’s back, and suplexing him to the mat. Cruz has Johnson’s back, hooks in, and flattened out. Cruz is looking for a rear naked choke: he locks it around the jaw and squeezes for all he’s worth. Johnson rolls, and Cruz turns it into a neck crank. Johnson powers through it, and stands when Cruz tries to transition to an armbar. Both men look weary, but are still flying. They clinch against the cage, and Cruz drags Johnson to a seated position. Johnson tries to escape, but Cruz is smothering him with superior size and wrestling.
Round four begins with both guys trading punches at a distance. Both guys show great head movement, and land punches to the body as well as a few glancing blows to the head. Cruz corners Johnson and drops for a double-leg. Johnson has no answer, and Cruz ends up on top in half-guard before stepping into mount with an arm triangle; Johnson holds on for dear life. Johnson works back to guard, and explodes to his feet. Johnson shows some desperation on his feet, but Cruz ties him up in the clinch. Johnson gets tagged coming in again, and ends up getting dragged to the mat with thirty seconds left. Johnson isn’t winning on the feet, and he isn’t stuffing takedowns. He scrambles to his feet and looks even more desperate in the closing seconds of the round.
Fifth round starts: Johnson has to know he’s lost every round. He throws an insane 12-hit Tekken combo with hands, knees, and feet: Cruz somehow trades with him. Cruz finally catches a kick, works to Johnson’s back, and then suplexes him again. Johnson gets guard, but Cruz is smothering him. Cruz is exhausted, and wants no more of the standup. Johnson gets up, and begins stalking the champ. Rushing forward, throwing running hooks. Cruz lands a hip toss, then another hip toss. Johnson scrambles, chases Cruz with more shots, and walks into a double-leg. Cruz immediately hops into mount, and Johnson manages to squirm to his feet. Johnson runs into a giant Cruz knee, and staggers backward. Cruz chases, eats a hook of his own, and remembers to take Johnson down as time expires.
Johnson was game the entire time, but was just outmatched by a stronger opponent. He has earned a giant hematoma on his cheek for his trouble.
Winner: Dominick Cruz by Decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45)