UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera

© Marc Wickert 
www.knucklepit.com
November 14, 2009

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

In Earlier Matches

Dennis Siver def. Paul Kelly by TKO – 2.53, Round Two.
Nick Osipczak def. Matt Riddle by TKO – 3.53, Round Three.
Terry Etim def. Shannon Gugerty by guillotine – 1.24, Round Two.
John Hathaway def. Paul Taylor by unanimous decision.

The Battles

Ross Pearson (5’8” 156) vs. Aaron Riley (5’8” 155) 
Lightweight
Referee: Marc Goddard

Round One
Riley (southpaw) and Pearson (orthodox) came out bouncing like they were on nitro.  They felt each other out with jabs and the occasional cross and kick.
4.06: Pearson began putting combos together.
3.45: He leg-kicked.
3.17: They clinched and Pearson drove in knees to the body, then added punches and elbows to the assault.
2.32: They broke free.
2.08: Pearson hunted down Riley with knees and fists before delivering a rattling body-kick at 1.58.
1.53: Riley kneed to the midsection, but he appeared to be slow in settling into the fight.
1.10: Pearson unloaded another salvo.
0.40: Riley attempted a single-leg takedown that Pearson shrugged off.

Round Two
Aaron came out more aggressively, throwing jabs and leg-kicking; however Ross answered with a powerful right cross and pressed the action.
4.33: Aaron swept Ross to the floor and Ross sprang back up as the pair fought from the clinch.
4.13: They separated after both men landed strikes in the clinch.  The toe-to-toe became more evenly balanced before they tied up again at 3.00.
2.47: They broke free and Ross worked his combos, punishing Aaron with a mixed bag of strikes.
4.30: Ross tagged Aaron with a flying left knee that cut deeply.  Marc Goddard stopped the action and called the fight off at the ring physician’s advice.

Result: Ross Pearson by TKO – 4.38, Round Two.

Matt Brown (6’0” 170) vs. James Wilks (6’1” 169) 
Welterweight
Referee: Leon Roberts

Round One
4.53: Matt fired off a probing leg kick.
4.50: James jabbed and inside kicked.
4.42: They clinched and wound up with James’s back to the fence.
4.07: Matt slammed a nasty elbow into James’s noggin as he tried to take Matt down.  The takedown was foiled, but Matt surrendered his back in the process.
3.55: James leapt onto Matt’s back whilst looking for a RNC, then aborted the move, and they fought from the clinch.
3.08: Leon Roberts parted them.
3.04: Brown outgunned Wilks with fists, then resisted Wilks’s takedown as they batted on from the entanglement.
2.03: Leon Roberts recommenced play.
2.00: Wilks landed a left high-kick and a right uppercut.
1.50: They were tied up – Wilks hell-bent on taking Brown down.
0.59: Brown wrapped on a guillotine; however Wilks escaped the choke and got a double-leg takedown at 0.32.
0.19: Wilks failed with a kimura, but managed to stand back up.  He landed a high kick seconds before the round ended.

Round Two
4.56: Matt came straight in with a leg kick and they banged it out until 4.36, when he bowled James over with a leaping knee.  Leon Roberts watched carefully as Matt attacked with g’n’p; however James survived the onslaught and attempted a leg lock before the pair stood clinched.
3.15: The toe-to-toe briefly resumed until they became entangled.
1.40: Leon restarted the action.
1.26: James dropped to the floor after being out-banged by Matt; they rolled and James got side control; they scrambled and Matt looked for the arm triangle, but ran out of time.

Round Three
Wilks was looking better in the stand-up until 4.08, when they clinched.
3.39: He swept Brown to the canvas while going for a kimura on Brown’s left arm.
2.52: Brown’s arm was free.
2.40: He mounted Wilks and launched his g’n’p campaign, causing Leon to waved goodbye.
This was a gutsy display by both players.

Result: Matt Brown by TKO – 2.27, Round Three.

Andre Winner (5’11” 155) vs. Rolando Delgado (6’3” 156) 
Lightweight
Referee: Leon Roberts

4.52: Rolando high-kicked and followed with a leaping knee.
4.33: Andre leg-kicked.
4.20: He clipped Rolando with a right looping punch; Rolando went down and wore some g’n’p before getting to his feet.
4.02: Andre leg-kicked.
3.33: They fought from the clinch before parting at 3.20.
3.08: Rolando inside-kicked and delivered a combo.
2.54: Andre leg-kicked and the toe-to-toe continued.
1.42: Andre lined Rolando up for an overhand right that flattened him.

Result: Andre Winner by KO – 3.22, Round One.

Michael Bisping (6’2” 186) vs. Denis Kang (5’11” 185) 
Middleweight
Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Round One
They sparred, with the probing shots being taken on their gloves until 4.38, when Michael landed his jab and Denis leg-kicked.
4.16: Michael caught the next kick from Denis, then released the offending leg.
3.48: Bisping rushed in and Kang downed him with a right hook before falling into Bisping’s half guard.
3.13: Kang was briefly in side control until Bisping forced him back into half guard.  Kang spent a lot of energy trying to improve his position; however Bisping was defending well from underneath.
1.34: Kang took the mount.
1.28: Bisping wriggled Kang into half guard again.
1.12: Michael had him in full guard.
Denis dominated the opening round, but probably should have used his steam to g’n’p from guard or half guard, rather than fighting for a more dominant position.

Round Two
They tested each other in the stand-up: Kang looked the better with his double jabs and the threat of his right hook that had brought Bisping down in round one.
3.15: Bisping elected to take Kang to the floor with a single-leg takedown, and attacked from Kang’s guard.
2.29: Kang escaped to his feet with Bisping hot in pursuit.
2.18: Michael scored a double-leg and g’n’ped before Denis scrambled back up at 2.00.
1.04: Michael double-legged again.
0.39: Denis stood under a barrage of Michael’s strikes, then dropped back down as Dan Miragliotta declared the battle over.

Result: Michael Bisping by TKO – 4.24, Round Two.

Alexander Gustafsson (6’5” 205) vs. Jared Hamman (6’3” 205) 
Light Heavyweight
Referee: Kevin Mulhall

Jared bolted straight out at Alexander whilst slinging haymakers and a cracking leg kick, and Alexander answered with the same gusto.  They were determined to pulverize each other.
4.29: Kevin Mulhall called a ceasefire after Jared copped a poke in the eye during the wild standoff.
4.24: Alexander launched a perfectly timed straight right, and Jared crashed and burned whilst Alexander delivered his ground assault.

Result: Alexander Gustafsson by KO – 0.41, Round One.

Dan Hardy (6’0” 171) vs. Mike Swick (6’1” 170) 
Welterweight
Referee: Kevin Mulhall

Round One
Georges St-Pierre watched from ringside as Dan circled Mike.
4.48: Mike inside-kicked and Dan returned the shot at 4.41.
4.40: Mike charged in with fists blazing and Dan returned the fire, leading the pair to clinch.
3.02: Kevin Mulhall called time out after Dan caught a knee in the onion patch.
2.47: Mike went for the takedown after the earlier fist exchange appeared to favor his opponent.  Dan warded off Mike’s takedown and the pair fought from the tie-up.
0.11: They broke free and threw close-quarter strikes.

Round Two
4.48: Swick got outgunned in a brief exchange; Hardy went into feeding-frenzy mode and they clinched.
3.45: Swick avoided Hardy’s takedown from the tie-up.  Both men were landing big ones from the clinch.
2.02: Kevin Mulhall broke them up and Swick did well in the following toe-to-toe.

Round Three
Mike looked to be getting the better of Dan with his “Quick” hands, until 3.48, when Dan tagged Mike and eventually took him down before fighting from Mike’s guard.  Dan g’n’ped with attitude, elbow-cutting Mike above his left ear.
2.22: Kevin stood them up. They continued to bang until clinching, moments before the fight’s end.
Georges St-Pierre entered the Octagon and congratulated Dan after he was awarded the match and the right to challenge GSP for his welterweight belt.

Result: Dan Hardy by unanimous decision.

Randy Couture (6’2” 204) vs. Brandon Vera (6’3” 204) 
Light Heavyweight
Referee: Marc Goddard

Round One
The stats say there’s only an inch difference between these two fighters, but that seems hard to believe, as indicated in the top photo.
Brandon tries to bulldoze Randy with a high kick and a volley of fists; however “The Natural” covers up and ties up, with the pair clinching against the cage in Randy’s playground.
4.39: Randy has Brandon’s back to the fence after reversing positions.
4.13: Randy looks for the takedown and Brandon resists well; however the conflict is still taking place on Randy’s playing field.
3.01: Marc Goddard parts them.
2.59: Couture immediately closes the gap and has Vera against the fence.
2.41: Couture sweeps Vera to the floor from the clinch.
2.29: Vera climbs up – his back pressed to the wires.
1.25: Couture latches onto Vera’s right leg.
0.45: He releases the limb.
0.19: Marc parts them, but Couture clinches and pushes Vera into the cage, effectively shutting down “The Truth’s” game.

Round Two
4.52: Randy cops shots in the hi-ball and lo-ball areas, so Marc calls time out.
4.42: Brandon comes in with a knee.
4.19: Randy has Brandon against the fence.
2.36: Marc breaks it up.
2.21: Brandon high-kicks, then body-kicks.
2.12: He drops Randy with a right hand, a right knee, and a left body-kick.
2.06: Randy pulls Brandon into guard.
1.29: Marc stands them up.
0.59: Randy pushes Brandon into the fence.

Round Three
4.44: Vera inside-kicks.
4.37: Couture unloads blows and backs Vera into the cage.  The Natural works his signature dirty boxing and dominates the play, but is unable to get the takedown.
2.16: Marc restarts the combat.
2.05: Vera body-kicks.
1.59: Randy blocks a high kick, then briefly catches Brandon’s body kick.
1.49: They clinch at center ring.
1.22: Brandon forces Randy’s back into the fence.
0.44: He pushes Randy to the floor and takes the mount.
0.14: Randy stands and Brandon follows.  They bang it out up to the bell.

Result: Randy Couture by unanimous decision.

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