Event: UFC 158 Pay-Per-View (Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz)
Airdate: Monday, March 16th, 2013 (Pay-Per-View)
Location: The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Results by Sherdog
Reuben Duran vs. George Roop
Round 1
Roop goes high with a head kick early and has it blocked. Duran comes back with a right hand, then takes a slapping left high kick to the cheek. Another right hand from Duran clips Roop, who pulls up short on his counter. Roop catches Duran under the armpit with a thudding body kick. One-two combo from Duran has Roop on rubbery legs momentarily, but he quickly recovers. Duran is doing well to pick off Roop as the larger man comes inside. Now he catches a kick and plows Roop to the ground, landing in his open guard. Roop throws elbows off his back as he puts his feet on Duran’s thighs and tries to push off. Roop closes up guard as he wraps up Duran’s head, maybe angling for a triangle choke. Duran breaks it up by controlling Roop’s head as they scoot around the canvas. Duran tries to posture up but Roop has his arms controlled. More elbows from Roop underneath in the last 20 seconds of the round; Duran is mostly inactive on top but lands a couple short punches and a shoulder shrug before the horn.
Round 2
Roop counters a low kick with a hook, and Duran quickly gets inside on a single-leg to put Roop on the fence. Roop spins around, trying to take Duran’s back, and Duran sits down to try and prevent the back mount. With his right hook in, Roop sits down behind him and works to secure the position while simultaneously trying for a rear-naked choke. Duran peels off Roop’s right hand at the wrist, so Roop peppers with punches until he’s able to wrap the arm around Duran’s throat again. Again, Duran defends, and now he posts to stand back up against the fence. Duran lands a knee to the body and almost escapes before being shoved back into the cage midway through the round. Duran catches a body kick, can’t get Roop down but manages to separate. Another single-leg attempt in the middle of the cage yields a takedown for Duran, but now he has to fend off a loose guillotine from Roop. It’s too loose, and Duran pops his head out with 90 seconds left. Roop throws elbows and short punches off his back as he squirms and inches backward toward the fence. Meanwhile, Duran is just keeping control on the ground with a waistlock; it proves fruitless, as Roop posts and stands as soon as they hit the perimeter.
Round 3
Duran has Roop down at the base of the fence within 15 seconds, but Roop is back on his feet 10 seconds later. Duran presses him on the fence while Roop looks for the Thai plum and throws knees up the middle. Now it’s Roop on the outside, working Duran’s body and head with solid right hands. Duran lands a knee to Roop’s body but he’s getting mugged on the fence by the taller man. Another half-dozen right hands up top from Roop have Duran struggling to escape. Roop hits a takedown with 2:45 left in the fight and Duran closes up guard underneath. Duran opens up guard, posts and stands, but gives up his back in the process. Duran shakes him off and now puts Roop’s back to the cage. Referee Philippe Chartier calls for action as they pummel on the fence. Duran isn’t mounting much offense, just holding Roop on the fence while Roop gets busy with short punches, then a pair of hard knees to Duran’s chin. Final 30 seconds now and Roop scores with knees to the body while Duran digs for the single-leg. They separate just before the horn and both men keep swinging afterwards.
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, George Roop.
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Issei Tamura
Round 1
Tamura moves counterclockwise in an open stance and lands an inside leg kick. Dillashaw backs him off with a front kick and grazes with a right hook before hitting the Shooto vet with an outside leg kick. Tamura cracks Dillashaw with a nice right-handed counter just before Dillashaw comes forward and plants him at the base of the fence. Tamura drives forward on a leg but Dillashaw cradles him and spins around to try and take the back. Nice knee to the body lands for Dillashaw as Tamura stands back up and gets pressed against the cage. Dillashaw hits another takedown but Tamura is right back up. Dillashaw pins him on the fence and works some knees to the thigh; he’s warned by ref Yves Lavigne to keep the knees clean. More knees to the leg from Dillashaw as the bantamweights tangle their arms, working for position. Dillashaw frees up his right hand and socks Tamura in the ribs a few times; now Lavigne warns him against holding the fence. The ref splits them up with a minute left in the round and Tamura ducks under a Dillashaw high kick as they resume. Dillashaw lands an outside leg kick and takes a right hook in return. Both men are swinging hard down the stretch, neither landing cleanly.
Round 2
Tamura again sets up on the outside as Dillashaw presses on him from the center. Dillashaw steps in, fakes low, then kicks high and blasts him with a left head kick. Tamura hits the deck, falling to his back. Dillashaw pounces immediately and turns out Tamura’s lights with a barrage of right hands and ref Yves Lavigne rushes in to save the unconscious Tamura. T.J. Dillashaw picks up the knockout victory 26 seconds into the second round.
Quinn Mulhern vs. Rick Story
Round 1
Story creeps in on Mulhern in the southpaw stance while the UFC newcomer moves around the outside. Story cracks Mulhern with a left hand and Mulhern goes down, pushing Story off with his long guard before popping back up to his feet. Mulhern shoots a double-leg from way out and Story sprawls all over it. Story comes forward again and clips Mulhern with a right hand. Mulhern tries to keep Story at bay with long kicks, but Story walks right through it and lands a right hand, then resets and blasts Mulhern with a left hook to the body and a hard low kick. Mulhern lands a left of his own now; Story keeps walking forward, lands a leg kick and eats another counter hook. Left hook to the body from Story is followed by a scorching left hook to the right eye of Mulhern, who circles away holding his eye. Story is all over him, chasing with more punches until Mulhern falls to the ground. Mulhern is fetal on the ground and absorbs a shot to the body before referee Marc-Andre Cote can step in. Rick Story takes the win via TKO at 3:05 of the first round.
John Makdessi vs. Daron Cruickshank
Round 1
The strikers feint and twitch as they bounce around the center of the cage for the first 30 seconds of the bout. Makdessi lands first with a tapping inside leg kick, answered in kind by Cruickshank. The Montreal crowd is restless and starts booing after a minute of inactivity. Cruickshank whiffs on a round kick and Makdessi fakes a shot. Now it’s Cruickshank looking to pump his jab, still not landing though. Cruickshank blocks a hook kick from Makdessi and tries to counter with punches, but nothing really gets through. Makdessi is starting to string together some hard leg kicks; it’s still not enough for the fans, who are letting the lightweights hear it now three minutes into the bout. Makdessi sticks his jab in Cruickshank’s face and lands an inside leg kick which strays low. Referee Marc Goddard calls time to allow Cruickshank to recover, and he does so quickly. They resume with 1:20 left and the round still up for grabs. A snapping left hand lands for Makdessi. Cruickshank grazes with a spinning kick to the body before being denied on a takedown attempt. Makdessi slaps Cruickshank with an outside leg kick before the end of the round.
Round 2
Makdessi paws at Cruickshank with his left hand, and Cruickshank answers with a grazing lead round kick. Both men switch stances as Cruickshank looks to back Makdessi off with a side kick. Makdessi lands a hard low kick and Cruickshank answers with a chop to Makdessi’s lead leg. Cruickshank comes inside with an uppercut and dips out before Makdessi can retaliate. Cruickshank misses with a spinning backfist and eats a nice counter right from Makdessi. More boos from the crowd midway through the bout, though they’re looking more active than in the first. Cruickshank gets stung and dives on a takedown which Makdessi sprawls on easily. Makdessi backs off the “Detroit Superstar” with a right hand, resets and doubles up on his jab. An overhand right from Cruickshank has Makdessi’s nose bleeding. Outside thigh kick from Makdessi lands as the round enters its final minute. Makdessi scores with a left hand but takes a side kick to the face in return. A punching combo from Makdessi stings Cruickshank, who charges forward with a wild flying knee and falls to the ground. He hops back up and both lightweights finish the round swinging.
Round 3
Makdessi opens the round with a looping left hook, then gets backed off by front kicks from the taller Cruickshank. More pawing jabs come from Makdessi as Cruickshank switches to the southpaw stance. Cruickshank connects with a right straight, countered by a left hand up top from Makdessi, then one to the body. Makdessi catches a kick, knocks Cruickshank to the ground and waves him back up. Makdessi goes to the body with a left, then up top with a right cross. A wheel kick from Cruickshank comes up short, and Makdessi defends a long double-leg attempt afterward. Another nice pair of left jabs light up Cruickshank, who shoots again from a mile out. Cruickshank pulls guard and Makdessi kicks at him for a moment this time before letting him back up. Two minutes left in the fight now and Makdessi is taking control, courtesy of his left hand. He grazes the body of Cruickshank with a spinning back kick and dodges a high kick from the American. Makdessi spins into range with a backfist and catches a finger in his left eye as he turns around. Ref Goddard doesn’t deduct a point but warns Cruickshank to keep his hands closed. They resume with a minute left and “The Bull” comes charging forward. Cruickshank tries to clinch but Makdessi won’t stay put. Makdessi scores with a jab-uppercut combo, then doubles up on a right hand to close out the bout.
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, John Makdessi.
Jordan Mein vs. Dan Miller
Round 1
Mein rushes out to meet Miller and gets backed off by a combination. Mein is inching Miller toward the fence while Miller looks to keep him away with jabs. Miller ducks a hook and plows Mein to the ground, where Mein quickly starts trying to push the New Jerseyan away with butterfly hooks. Miller catches Mein in a deep, deep armbar, but the Canadian youngster flips over the top and stacks up to relieve the pressure. Mein pops to his feet and lets Miller back up. Miller comes forward and staggers Mein with a quick right hand. Mein catches a hard body kick and swipes Miller with a right-hand counter. Miller comes underneath a Mein combo to counter with a left hook. A cracking left hook from Mein puts Miller on his posterior, and Mein lets him back to his feet with just over a minute left. Now it’s a right hand from Mein finding its mark on Miller’s chin, but Miller stays standing this time. Popping jabs from Mein, then another, and Miller’s nose is bleeding. Mein senses that Miller is in trouble and swarms all over him with punches against the fence, including some nasty uppercuts to the body. The bloodied Miller hits the deck; Mein shucks his legs to the side, gets in position and blasts away with left hands until referee Marc-Andre Cote intervenes. With a TKO at 4:42 of round one, Jordan Mein becomes the first man to stop Dan Miller.
Antonio Carvalho vs. Darren Elkins
Round 1
Carvalho lands a hook to the body and clinches up to land another before being shoved off. He shoots wide on a double-leg and Carvalho sprawls against the fence. Elkins digs an underhook and connects with a couple right hands before separating. Carvalho backs Elkins off with a chopping outside leg kick. Single-leg attempt from Elkins doesn’t work, so he stands and pushes Carvalho against the fence briefly. Carvalho misses with a whipping right high kick midway through the round. Elkins is looking more tentative as Carvalho threatens with speedy counter left hooks. A right hand on the cheek staggers Carvalho, who wobbles just a little before being set upon by Elkins with a grazing left and a right straight. Carvalho falls to the ground for a split second, just long enough for ref Yves Lavigne to jump in and halt the contest. “Pato” is immediately on his feet, protesting the stoppage, but it’s too late. Darren Elkins is awarded the win via TKO at 3:06 of round one.
Patrick Cote vs. Bobby Voelker
Round 1
Voelker swings heavy right hands early while Cote looks to dip in and out, picking at the American with quick punches. Cote scores with a few solid right hands before being wrapped up and pressed into the fence by Voelker, who is immediately reversed. Cote takes the outside with an underhook and uses his free right hand to pepper with short punches. Voelker turns him around, but Cote gets right back to the outside position. Cote separates with a level elbow and makes Voelker flinch as he steps in the pocket to strikes. He ducks a pair of Voelker punches and comes back with a glancing right hand. Cote lands two hard outside leg kicks before the welterweights wrap up again. Voelker trips Cote to the ground with 2:00 left in the opening round, and Cote closes up his guard. Cote swings his legs around, trying for an armbar on Voelker’s left arm, can’t get it. Voelker postures up in Cote’s closed guard and Cote drills him with some hard elbows from the bottom. Another armbar attempt yields nothing and Cote instead tries to push Voelker away. Voelker stays on top, his head controlled by Cote, who looks for another armbar. Voelker pulls his arm loose to finish on top.
Round 2
Cote stuns Voelker with an uppercut but the American stays on his feet and throws hands in return. Outside leg kick lands for Cote, who backs out of range of the swinging Voelker. Now an outside leg kick from Voelker connects. Cote is ready for the next one but can’t find his mark with the right-handed counter. Short hook to the body from Cote is followed by a left up top. Voelker rushes Cote into the fence and is quickly spun around. Cote takes a step back and unloads with about 10 punches, though some go off the arms of Voelker, who covers up under fire. Voelker comes forward, throwing wide hooks that back Cote into the fence. Cote wants the clinch and uses it to get outside and separate. Cote lands a leaping jab; Voelker responds with a knee, eats a right hook and lands another sharp knee up the middle. Cote puts Voelker on the fence with an underhook and Voelker grabs the Thai plum. Cote explodes out with a body-head combo, and he’s sporting a nasty cut on the inside of his left eye as Voelker connects with another knee. Back on the fence they go, Cote on the outside. Voelker lands a palm strike before tossing Cote to the floor, but Cote pops back up. Voelker comes forward to land a left hand and sprawls on a takedown attempt just before the horn.
Round 3
A left hand from Voelker has Cote staggering backwards early, and Voelker rushes to try and finish the job. Cote recovers quickly and pins Voelker to the cage, slowing the pace with a single-leg attempt. Cote lets him go, misses with a leaping knee. They clinch on the fence, Cote taking the outside position as Voelker tries to slip out. Cote separates with a standing elbow, but Voelker comes right at him and rocks him with another left. A level-change from Cote is greeted by another Voelker knee, and Voelker hits a takedown at the base of the cage after Cote tries to hold him there again. Hard right-handed hammer-fists come from Voelker on top as Cote tries to pivot for an armbar. Cote gets to his feet for a second, but Voelker has his leg hooked and puts him right back down. Cote stands again and Voelker again throws him to the canvas. Cote grabs Voelker’s left arm and throws up his legs but doesn’t have the angle. Just over one minute left in the bout and Voelker has Cote stuck on the fence as they stand, then double-legs him down again. Cote’s armbar attempts aren’t even coming close now as Voelker mashes the Canadian’s face with punches and elbows from the top. Cote is covering up by the end, just trying to avoid Voelker’s steady stream of left hands before the final horn.
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Patrick Cote.
Colin Fletcher vs. Mike Ricci
Round 1
The lanky Fletcher opens up on his back foot, flicking out long outside leg kicks. Ricci nearly connects with a left high kick, Fletcher comes back with a kick to the body. Ricci comes forward to strike and gets picked off by a Fletcher right hand. Ricci backs Fletcher toward the cage, where the “Freakshow” pushes Ricci off with a front kick to the body. Fletcher catches a kick and strikes back with a combo up top. Fletcher is connecting with lots of leg kicks but there’s not much behind them as Ricci is standing at the end of the Englishman’s range. Ricci sticks a jab and backs away from another Fletcher kick. An inside leg kick catches Ricci low and the Canadian takes a moment to recover. They get back to work and Fletcher taps him with a jab before Ricci lands a body kick. Fletcher catches a kick and rushes Ricci into the fence for the last few seconds.
Round 2
Ricci catches a kick and puts Fletcher on the ground early. Fletcher tries to throw up his long guard as they work at the base of the cage, but Ricci is heavy on top and bangs him up with some short elbows. Ricci is in full mount but reversed on top with Fletcher rolling underneath, maybe trying for a toe hold. Ricci extracts his leg and spins to take Fletcher’s back as they stand back up. Fletcher scrapes him off with the help of the fence and pushes Ricci against the fence with an underhook before being reversed. Fletcher is sporting damage underneath his right eye as they work around the outside and split up midway through the round. Fletcher gets back to throwing his slow low kicks while Ricci pressures from the center. Body kick lands for Fletcher, answered by a right-hand counter from Ricci. A left high kick lands for Ricci and Fletcher gives him a hard leg kick in return. Ricci goes down the middle with a straight left, gets backed off by a pair of Fletcher body kicks. Fletcher is getting busier with his combos by the end of the frame but they just don’t look to have much behind them.
Round 3
Fletcher, whose right eye looks almost swollen shut now, gets inside on a single-leg. Ricci defends by hopping over to the fence. Level change for Fletcher yields nothing and they wind up clinching on the cage with Fletcher on the outside. Ricci turns it around and they stall out until Ricci breaks off with a standing elbow. Three minutes left in the bout and they’re back to the familiar pattern, Ricci throwing straight punches and Fletcher firing off slapping kicks from the outside. Fletcher gets off a right cross, tries a superman punch and gets picked off by a Ricci counter. Ricci backs Fletcher into the fence and lands a one-two before letting him go. They tie up with 90 seconds left and Ricci drags Fletcher to the ground, though Fletcher tries to grab hold of the cage and prevent the takedown. Ricci postures up in Fletcher’s half-guard and drops left hands while the Freakshow tries to buck and roll. Ricci takes his back in a scramble and starts working for the RNC with 40 seconds left. Fletcher fends off the choke, so Ricci tries for an armbar. It allows Fletcher to roll free and finish the fight on top, landing a couple elbows before the horn.
Official result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Mike Ricci.
Nick Ring vs. Chris Camozzi
Round 1
Ring opens up with inside and outside leg kicks, and Camozzi steps forward with a glancing left hook. Now, Camozzi wades in behind his jab and misses with the follow-up right. Camozzi lands a hard kick to Ring’s lead leg as the southpaws continue to feel out the range. Lead uppercut from Camozzi misses. With his hands at his waist, Ring walks him toward the fence. The Canadian is having trouble getting inside with Camozzi swinging hooks. Camozzi strikes with a kick to the body and connects with a right hook. Ring keeps crouching low and throwing flicking punches to the body, but he’s not landing clean. Camozzi connects with a wide right hook that has an off-balance Ring looking for his footing. Ring ducks a right hook and slips out to land one of his own. A right hook from Ring is countered by a left from Camozzi as the last few seconds tick down in a close first round.
Round 2
The middleweights trade hard leg kicks to start the middle stanza. Camozzi catches a front kick but can’t capitalize, and Ring comes back to pop him with a right hand. Ring connects with a short left and just gets out of the way of a Camozzi knee. Camozzi decks Ring with a hard left and comes sailing in behind it with a knee that misses. Guillotine try for Camozzi doesn’t go anywhere and they break off. Halfway through the fight now and Camozzi looks to be breathing hard while Ring still has some pep in his step. Camozzi doubles up on a jab, eats a right hand in return. Ring is playing matador, stepping out of the way of Camozzi’s slow punches and constantly changing angles. Camozzi grabs hold of Ring’s head and taps him with a knee. Camozzi’s nose is leaking blood as he comes forward and catches Ring off balance with a punch. Ring stays up and steps backward, out of the way of a series of Camozzi’s punches.
Round 3
Jabs are exchanged early in the final round but it’s Ring mixing in leg kicks to keep the tired Camozzi at bay. Camozzi rushes in with a left hand, then clinches up and works to secure a rear waistlock. Ring scoots over to the fence and puts his left side to the cage. Camozzi gets off a couple knees before Ring slips out and resets in the center of the cage. Ring lands a right hook and Camozzi waves him on. Two minutes left and both men are pulling up short with their jabs now. Ring flicks out a few leg kicks inside, eats a left hand from Camozzi up top. Camozzi sticks a couple jabs on the backward-moving Ring, who shoots a bad single-leg and nearly gets his head trapped. Camozzi snaps back Ring’s head with a jab. It’s Camozzi coming forward at the final horn, leaping at Ring with a knee.
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28 Camozzi, 29-28 Ring, and 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Chris Camozzi.
Nate Marquardt vs. Jake Ellenberger
Round 1
Marquardt lands an inside leg kick as Ellenberger stalks out from the center of the cage, changing levels. Ellenberger spins the former Strikeforce champ around with a leg kick of his own. Marquardt falls on his next leg kick, hops back up. Marquardt catches Ellenberger coming in and rushes him with a nice right hand. Ellenberger answers right back with a hard hook. “The Juggernaut” just misses with an uppercut as Marquardt fakes a single-leg shot. Marquardt with another inside leg kick as he steps out of the way of Ellenberger’s right hand. Another pair of hard leg kicks land for Marquardt, who is sporting a small cut underneath his eye. Ellenberger decks Marquardt with a blazing left-right combo and Marquardt drops to his knees. Marquardt is diving on a shot while Ellenberger stands over him, throwing bombs. A right hand connects and Marquardt goes limp, prompting referee Philippe Chartier to intervene. Marquardt comes to and stands up to protest, but the stoppage was just and this one is over. Jake Ellenberger collects another knockout win at 3:00 of the first round.
Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks
Round 1
Marc Goddard is the referee for tonight’s co-main event. Condit strikes first with a leg kick inside and Hendricks rushes him, looking to land his big left hand. Seconds later, a punch grazes Condit’s chin and the “Natural Born Killer” looks dazed on the fence. Hendricks dumps him to the ground but allows Condit back up right away. Condit lands a stabbing right and has to hop backward to avoid another flurry from Hendricks, who gives chase and takes Condit down again. This time, Hendricks wants to keep him on the floor, but Condit scrambles up and eats a knee to the body. Hendricks stays glued to his back and drags him down again, where Condit first pivots his hips and then closes up guard. Condit is controlling Hendricks’ head, making it hard to ground-and-pound, while Hendricks is defending against Condit’s elbows from the ground. Condit pops Hendricks with a hammer-fist and scrambles up. Hendricks misses with a lead uppercut but gets inside with two left hands behind it and dumps Condit down again. Condit rolls through, stalls out on his knees and winds up in north-south position with Hendricks controlling his head and left arm. Condit gets to his feet, blood trickling from his nose. He misses a leaping knee and Hendricks resets to blast Condit with a body-head combo. Condit uses a standing kimura to bring Hendricks down and then latches onto the wrestler’s back as Hendricks stands. Condit loses his hooks, pushes Hendricks away with a front kick and zaps him with a hook, but Hendricks hits one more takedown before the horn.
Round 2
Condit lands a couple front kicks to the body of Hendricks and steps out of the way of the return fire. A leaping knee goes for Condit but Hendricks keeps coming. Hendricks wades in behind some left hooks and pins Condit to the cage, then drops him down with a double-leg. Condit turns for a kimura and Hendricks quickly gets his arm loose. An active guard from Condit gets him back on his feet, where he slugs Hendricks with a straight right. Hendricks scores with a big left before pushing Condit against the cage again. Condit defends the double-leg for a moment, succumbs, but gets back up midway through the round to hit Hendricks with a pair of knees. Another leaping knee from Condit gives Hendricks an opening for another takedown, this time in the center of the Octagon. Hendricks works from half-guard, leaning right to left on Condit and defending the kimura. Condit posts and stands, but Hendricks keeps back control and pulls him down again. Condit stands again and they’re back to striking with a minute left in the round. Hendricks dodges a front kick to the face, turns Condit around and hits yet another takedown. Condit nearly gets back up but Hendricks wraps his legs up and keeps him down. Condit stands just before the end of the round and misses with a lunging punch.
Round 3
Hendricks misses with a pair of lefts, can’t get in behind them to set up a takedown. Condit backs him toward the fence, but Hendricks comes right off and takes Condit down. Condit lands a short elbow from his back and Hendricks gives him a couple rights to the ribs. Condit lands three or four punches to the back of Hendricks’ head before drawing a warning from ref Goddard. The former interim champ uses a kimura to post and stand. He tries to mug Hendricks, who backs Condit off with another big left and gets a rear waistlock on the fence. He switches to a double-leg and puts Condit on his back once more. Condit strikes with elbows from his back and stands with just under two minutes remaining. A big right hook from Condit snaps Hendricks’ head back, so Hendricks clinches up. Condit scoots out and throws punches at Hendricks on the fence until he’s taken down again. Condit is busy off his back while Hendricks isn’t doing much of anything in the way of offense. Condit’s back to his feet with 40 seconds left and storming on Hendricks with hooks and knees. Hendricks wraps him up and takes him down for what seems like the 20th time in the fight. Condit stands before the end and finishes with two more right hands at the horn.
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Johny Hendricks.
UFC Welterweight Championship:
Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz
Round 1
Yves Lavigne is the referee for tonight’s main event, with judges Richard Betrand, Sal D’Amato and David Therrien scoring at cageside. St. Pierre is at the center of the cage even before Lavigne calls the start. Diaz lands a quick jab and gets double-legged to the center of the cage. Diaz quickly wraps GSP up in his closed guard and throws up his legs, maybe hunting for a triangle. Diaz tries for rubber guard but gets shoved to his knees. GSP tries to take the back and Diaz looks to roll through. He does roll and they wind up in north-south position, then GSP has to defend a double-leg with a sprawl. Right hands from GSP as he works from the kneeling Diaz’s right side. He switches to the left side and works to take Diaz’s back, but Diaz puts his back on the mat and wraps up the champ. A couple short elbows from GSP land as he moves to Diaz’s closed guard. Another rubber guard try from Diaz, but St. Pierre stacks him up and then returns to his back with two minutes left. Diaz grabs the cage as he gets to his knees at the base of the fence. GSP tears him off the fence, but Diaz grabs it again to stand back up. GSP stays on his back, pulls him down again and now sinks in both hooks. Diaz peels off GSP’s left foot but can’t escape the champ’s grasp. Diaz stands, tries a standing kimura and gets dumped on his head for his trouble, then eats a few more punches to finish the frame. Diaz thinks GSP landed late, gets up fuming and has to be restrained by the ref.
Round 2
Diaz has some damage on the left side of his face but it doesn’t look too serious. He slaps at St. Pierre with a leg kick, answered by the champ. Diaz wants to stick his jab but can’t get inside on St. Pierre, who moves smoothly backward and then changes momentum to take Diaz down again. Closed guard for Diaz now as St. Pierre postures up. Diaz lands a couple short right hands from his back, but that’s the most he’s done in terms of offense so far. GSP is all over his challenger, pinning Diaz to the ground and posturing up to improve his position. Diaz gets to his knees and GSP drives a knee into the right side of his body. St. Pierre is punching under the armpit of Diaz, who looks helpless through the first eight minutes of action. Diaz puts GSP back in his closed guard and eats a big elbow from the champ. Getting to his knees, Diaz tries to roll underneath, then stands up with one hand still on the mat. GSP breaks him right back down and throws a knee to the body from north-south. Diaz is back on his feet now with under a minute to go in the round. St. Pierre snaps Diaz’s head back with a leaping jab and peppers with outside leg kicks. Diaz sticks a jab and has a spinning kick blocked before dodging another superman punch. Once again, Diaz has to be held back by the ref at the end of the frame.
Round 3
Diaz is back on the ground less than a minute into the frame with St. Pierre glued to his back. Diaz scoots toward the fence and stands back up. He lands a shot to St. Pierre’s body but gets turned around as GSP connects up top. A couple solid leg kicks get through for Diaz, then St. Pierre backs him off with a few jabs. The welterweights trade spinning kicks, neither connecting. A stiff jab from GSP precedes a shot, but this time Diaz is able to stay up. GSP backs off and comes forward with a straight right. Diaz pumps his jab, clips GSP with a right hook behind the ear and St. Pierre appears to be on rubbery legs momentarily. Diaz moving forward now, plucking St. Pierre with a left, but St. Pierre hits an easy takedown in the middle of the cage. Diaz tries to roll underneath again but finishes the round underneath St. Pierre. A late strike from Diaz draws a stern warning from Lavigne, who says he’ll disqualify the challenger if it happens again.
Round 4
St. Pierre sticks Diaz with a pair of jabs as he moves around the outside. Another jab and a leg kick from the champion. Diaz stuffs a double-leg but gets jabbed again as GSP stands up. Short left hand from GSP seems to give Diaz pause for thought. Now it’s a right hand taking Diaz off balance, but he keeps coming forward. GSP ducks a punch and tries to spin around the back, gets shoved off by Diaz. They clinch on the fence and Diaz scores with a few right hands and knees to the body. Another pair of hooks to the body of GSP land as they separate. Diaz walks around the outside with his hands down and St. Pierre kicks the back of his leg. St. Pierre lands a jab and looks up at the clock, then hits a takedown with 2:00 remaining. Diaz briefly gets rubber guard, maybe angling for a gogoplata, but GSP snuffs it out and throws right hands as Diaz gets to his knees. Diaz crawls up the fence, St. Pierre still clung to his waist, and he’s suplexed back to the ground. Diaz gets up again with under a minute remaining and tries a kimura as he pulls guard. St. Pierre seems unperturbed as he works to secure top position. Diaz is on his knees, his right side flush to the fence with St. Pierre punching from the left. Diaz rolls underneath to again finish underneath St. Pierre; he doesn’t have to be restrained this time.
Round 5
Diaz tries to go up top with left high kicks, gets blocked. He comes forward with jabs which GSP dodges. Diaz lands a left, answered by a GSP jab. They tie up with over-unders and Diaz puts St. Pierre on the fence now. Diaz sneaks a right hand inside and St. Pierre walks him off the cage. Diaz puts him back and throws a couple knees up the middle. They split with 3:30 left in the fight. GSP sticks a jab and Diaz slips on a high kick. St. Pierre follows him to the ground and traps Diaz on his knees again. Diaz goes to his back and starts framing up a kimura on GSP’s left arm. St. Pierre extracts the arm and Diaz gets to his knees. St. Pierre nearly secures the back but Diaz rolls out. Heavy pressure on top from St. Pierre, who wants to keep Diaz on his knees. Diaz slips out and is back on his feet with 1:45 to go. They clinch and Diaz lands a right hand and a knee to the body, then three more right hands and another knee. GSP puts him on the fence and Diaz turns him around. They break with 50 seconds left. St. Pierre charges on a double-leg and puts Diaz on the ground, likely for the final time. Diaz wraps up the champ’s head and lands a couple peppering right hands. St. Pierre postures up and blasts Diaz with a few more punches before the horn, and the Bell Centre goes wild. St. Pierre hugs his challenger and Diaz raises the champ’s hand.
Official result: All three judges score the bout 50-45 for the winner by unanimous decision and still UFC welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre.
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