UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin

© Marc Wickert 
www.knucklepit.com
November 21, 2009

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

In Earlier Matches

George Sotiropoulos def. Jason Dent by arm lock – 4.36, Round Two.
Brian Foster def. Brock Larson by TKO – 3.25, Round Two.
Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes – draw.

The Battles

Amir Sadollah (5’11” 170) vs. Phil Baroni (5’9” 170) 
Welterweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Round One
Phil immediately came out blazing with hooks to the body, the pair traded knees, and Phil dropped Amir at 4.17.
4.40: Amir fought back and had Phil against the cage before he reversed positions with Amir.
4.31: Baroni landed a series of uppercuts and body shots.
4.19: Sadollah had Baroni pressed into the wires after delivering knees to the body.
4.07: Baroni unloaded his fists and broke the clinch before they tied up again after a toe-to-toe exchange.
2.34: Phil took Amir down and g’n’ped.
1.45: He stood and ordered Amir up.
0.37: Amir kneed from the entanglement and Phil replied with knees and uppercuts.  Amir closed the round with more knees.

Round Two
Sadollah came alive early in the next five with kicks and leather, but Baroni answered via hooks and more uppercuts.
4.06: Sadollah kicked to the head.
3.35: He delivered front kicks to the body and continued to dominate the fight but, as Baroni had shown in past matches, it would take an A-10 to stop the New York Bad Ass.

Round Three
Amir unloaded a mixed bag of kicks and punches – working his opponent high and low.  Phil returned fire; however his punches appeared to be all arms rather than being delivered with full dynamics from the ground up.  Amir dominated the final five.

Result: Amir Sadollah by unanimous decision.

Minotauro Nogueira (6’2” 205) vs. Luiz Cane (6’2” 205) 
Light Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

This was a southpaw-vs.-southpaw and Brazilian-vs.-Brazilian bout.
4.41: Luiz leg-kicked.
4.32: He inside-kicked.
4.22: Minotauro inside-kicked and probed with his jab.
4.12: He inside-kicked.
3.52: Minotauro fired off a straight left.
3.49: He unloaded a right and a left.
3.30: Minotauro landed a right, then a heavy left hand.
3.27: He backed Luiz up with a left hand and a right knee to the body.  They exchanged before Minotauro dropped Luiz with a crushing left hook.
The Noganaut Twins celebrated Minotauro’s UFC debut victory

Result: Minotauro Nogueira by TKO – 1.56, Round One.

Ben Saunders (6’3” 170) vs. Marcus Davis (5’10” 170) 
Welterweight
Referee: 

This was another Southpaw-vs.-southpaw match.  The pair sparred before clinching at 4.40.
4.17: They broke free; Marcus landed leather and Ben kneed to the body from his Thai clinch.
3.58: Ben resisted Marcus’s takedown and they fought from the clinch as blood appeared over Marcus’s eyes.
2.48: They stood toe-to-toe at center ring.
2.40: They tied up.
2.00: The pair were free and banging it out.  Ben kept the knees coming and put Marcus down and out with a left and a right knee to the jaw.

Result: Ben Saunders by KO – 3.24, Round One.

Paulo Thiago (5’11” 169) vs. Jacob Volkmann (5’9” 170) 
Welterweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

Round One
Jacob looked to ruffle Paulo’s feathers at the round’s opening, but Paulo used his jab effectively to keep Jacob at bay.
4.33: Paulo detonated a high kick.
4.17: Jacob charged in and the pair locked up.
3.50: Paulo swept Jacob to the mats and took side control.
3.29: Volkmann hooked Thiago’s left leg into half guard.
3.15: They were back up and clinched.
2.39: Thiago swept Volkmann and mounted him.
2.10: Volkmann had Thiago in half guard.
1.47: He took Thiago into full guard.
1.32: Volkmann kicked Thiago away before both men stood.
1.17: Paulo leg-kicked and Jacob snapped up the kick for a takedown; however Paulo sprawled and they fought from the clinch.
In the dying moments of the round, Paulo downed Jacob with a right hook.

Round Two
4.43: Volkmann kicked with his left leg, Thiago caught the kick and swept Volkmann’s right leg before letting Volkmann back to his feet.
4.32: They became entangled until Jacob notched up a takedown and fell into side control.
3.56: Jacob was working from half guard.
3.43: He had Paulo’s back and unloaded g’n’p.
3.12: They scrambled to their feet and battled from the clinch.
2.02: Paulo was on all fours with Jacob pounding from his back.
1.24: Thiago slipped into Volkmann’s guard.
0.28: Thiago stood and whipped down a huge right on Volkmann before assuming side control.  This was a tight fight.

Round Three
They duked it out until 4.31, when Paulo tagged Jacob with a right hook.
4.14: Jacob pulled Paulo into guard before they fought for dominance and eventually stood in the tie-up at 3.13.
3.11: The toe-to-toe resumed.
3.02: Jacob failed with a shoot, they tumbled on the ground and Jacob took Paulo’s back.
2.07: Volkmann got side control whilst pinning Thiago’s left arm and pounding him.
0.41: Volkmann fitted Thiago with a darce choke.
0.24: Thiago escaped the submission and g’n’ped from half guard.

Result: Paulo Thiago by unanimous decision.

Kendall Grove (6’6” 185) vs. Jake Rosholt (6’1” 185) 
Middleweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki

Kendal was using his jab as a moat to keep Jake at bay, so Jake shot for Kendall’s legs and took him down at 4.22, before taking his back.
4.02: They stood and Jake quickly took Kendall back down.
3.54: Grove stood again with Rosholt in the saddle.
3.22: The pair faced off in the clinch.
3.08: Grove took Rosholt to the floor and fought from his guard.
2.24: Jake climbed up in the clinch before tagging Kendall with fists and a leaping knee; both men eventually tumbled to the ground.
1.33: Jake progressed from half guard to the mount.
1.23: He took Kendall’s back, then ended up in half guard.
1.05: Kendall turned the tide when he caught Jake in an arm triangle and Jake tapped.

Result: Kendall Grove by triangle choke – 3.59, Round One.

Josh Koscheck (5’10” 171) vs. Anthony Johnson (6’2” 171) 
Welterweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki

Round One
4.49: Anthony initiated an inside-kick exchange.
4.41: He front-kicked.
4.34: Josh closed in on Anthony and clipped him with a left hook.
4.25: Josh inside-kicked.
4.15: Anthony returned it.
4.06: Josh took Anthony’s high kick on the mitts.
3.50: He tagged Anthony with an overhand right before Anthony landed a series of jabs and punished Josh’s legs with kicks.
2.58: Johnson knocked Koscheck down via a right cross, but Koscheck sprang straight back up and the pair clinched.
2.46: Koscheck went for the takedown; however he came off second best, allowing Johnson to take the more dominant position.
2.05: They scrambled and Johnson got busted for kneeing his downed opponent as Mario Yamasaki called time out.
1.57: Play resumed.  Anthony attacked with a high and a low kick; Josh shot for a single-leg takedown that Johnson defended against by sprawling.
0.52: Josh eventually got the takedown from the resulting clinch and fought from Anthony’s back.
0.41: Josh went for the choke.

Round Two
Johnson worked his jab effectively and leg-kicked whilst alternating between orthodox to southpaw.
4.18: Mario called time out again after Johnson complained of getting a finger in the eye.
Play resumed and Koscheck detonated a high kick at 4.04.  They banged it out until Johnson copped a left hand in his right eye.  Time out.
3.44: The toe-to-toe resumed.
3.05: Josh shot Anthony down and took half guard; Anthony wore some serious elbows and forearms from Josh.
0.22: Josh fitted Anthony out with a RNC and Anthony tapped.

Result: Josh Koscheck by rear naked choke – 4.47, Round Two.

Forrest Griffin (6’3” 205) vs. Tito Ortiz (6’3” 204) 
Light Heavyweight
Referee: Josh Rosenthal

Round One
They touch gloves and dance.
4.42: Forrest picks Tito off with a left-right combo.  They trade kicks and mitts until 3.42, when Tito tackles Forrest and moves into his guard for some g’n’p.
3.03: Forrest attempts a kimura on Tito’s right arm – the submission fails, but Forrest uses the hold to overturn Tito.
2.41: They’re standing and clinched against the cage after a brief scramble.
1.56: They’re liberated.  The stand-up appears to be favoring Griffin who dispatches a variety of kicks and punches.
1.07: Griffin dodges Ortiz’s next tackle.
0.19: They clinch.

Round Two
4.45: They clash: Tito unbalances Forrest with a left hook that curls around Forrest’s back.
4.40: Forrest leg-kicks, but Tito absorbs the kick and latches onto the leg to take Forrest down.
4.33: Forrest pulls Tito into guard.
3.36: Tito takes half guard; however Forrest capitalizes on Tito’s transitioning to create his own escape and climbs to his feet.
Griffin delivers more combos and continues to vary his assault.
2.55: He front-kicks Ortiz in the face, knocking his mouth guard to the canvas.  The stand-up is mostly Griffin’s, so Ortiz shoots in and takes him down at 2.20.  Griffin takes Ortiz into butterfly guard, then pulls him into full guard at 1.40.  Ortiz attacks with a barrage of elbows – one cuts Griffin beside his right eye.
0.35: Griffin rolls Ortiz and takes half guard.

Round Three
Forrest dictates the toe-to-toe again by working harder and mixing up his combos.  Each leg kick helps to slow up Tito’s takedown attempts.
3.20: Forrest is targeting Tito’s head, body and legs with strikes.
2.55: Tito springs into action, looking to take Forrest to the floor, but Forrest shrugs Tito off and they’re back in toe-to-toe mode.
0.40: Forrest wards off another takedown attempt.
This is all Forrest’s round.

Result: Forrest Griffin by split decision.

top of page

Home