UFC 87: Seek and Destroy

© Marc Wickert 
www.knucklepit.com
August 23, 2008
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

There were some gutsy battles on this card, but one of the bravest performances in UFC history came from the down-to-earth Heath Herring whose ‘Texas Crazy Horse’ spirit could not be broken.

For a bit of variety, photos by Josh Hedges of WEC 35 ring girls are featured in this review.

In earlier matches:
Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno by unanimous decision.
Jon Jones def. Andre Gusmao by unanimous decision.
Tamdan McCrory def. Luke Cummo by unanimous decision.
Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas by arm bar – 2.28, Round Two.

The Battles

Demian Maia (6’1” 185 lb) vs. Jason MacDonald (6’3” 185 lb) 
– Middleweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Round One
4.53: Jason probed with a left hand and southpaw Demian tried an overhand right, before Jason came after him with a long-reaching right.
4.51: Maia inside leg-kicked as MacDonald countered with a left hand.
4.46: Jason blocked a high kick.
4.44: Demian dispatched another kick, but Jason intercepted the attack with a left hook and they clinched.
4.37: Maia collapsed and pulled MacDonald into guard.
3.39: Maia had MacDonald in a triangle.
3.12: Demian maintained the hold whilst delivering elbows to the head.
3.05: Jason maneuvered out of the submission and worked to catch Demian in an RNC.
2.43: Demian was free from the choke as Jason moved into half guard, before Demian forced him into full guard.
2.18: MacDonald commenced shoulder shrugging from above.
1.39: MacDonald stood and dropped right hands on the downed Brazilian, then looked for a guillotine.
1.12: Maia rolled the Canadian onto his back, but MacDonald persisted with the choke.
0.59: Maia worked free of the hold.
0.46: They scrambled and Maia took MacDonald’s back.  Demian had Jason in an anaconda; however Jason clawed his way out of the hold before the round ended.

Round Two
4.57: Demian threw a straight left and Jason answered with a right and a left, then they hurled synchronized rights before clinching.  Jason drove Demian into the fence and latched onto his left leg.  Demian warded off the takedown.
4.10: Maia swept MacDonald’s left leg and took him down.
3.55: MacDonald was mounted and copping elbows.
0.33: Jason eventually bucked Demian from the mount position.
0.17: Jason moved into Demian’s guard.
0.10: Jason got half guard; however time was up for this segment.

Round Three
They exchanged and Maia went straight for the takedown which came at 4.49.
4.48: MacDonald had Maia in a guillotine.
4.42: Maia’s head popped out.
4.37: Demian crouched over Jason before Jason got the takedown.
4.32: Jason was in Demian’s guard.
3.34: Demian rolled, so Jason grabbed his back and sought the choke.  Again, Demian rolled and progressed from side control to the mount.
2.51: Jason surrendered his back.
2.22: Maia fitted MacDonald with a rear naked choke.

Result: Demian Maia by RNC – 2.44, Round Three.

Rob Emerson (5’8” 155 lb) vs. Manny Gamburyan (5’5” 155 lb) 
– Lightweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Both men came out amped up.  They touched gloves.
4.57: Rob jabbed.
4.56: Rob jabbed.
4.55: They both hurled lefts.  Manny threw a looping right and Rob ironed him out with a right cracker.  He finished Manny with a left hook on the floor.

Result: Rob Emerson by KO – 0.12, Round One.

Kenny Florian (5’9” 155 lb) vs. Roger Huerta (5’9” 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Round One
The flamboyant Bruce Buffer introduced these fighters, using his Quick Draw McGraw dynamics.
4.54: Southpaw Florian wore a leg kick before returning the strike.
4.39:  Huerta kicked again.  They continued to attack each other’s legs.
4.15: Florian came in with a knee to the body.
4.01: Huerta leg-kicked, but failed with a follow-up right hook.
3.49: Huerta leg-kicked and Florian shot in for the takedown.
3.36: Kenny had the mount with Roger forced against the cage.
3.12: Roger surrendered his back as Kenny g’n’ped until Roger broke free.
2.47: They stood.
2.27: Kenny deflected a body kick from Roger.
1.54: Florian came in wielding a knee and Huerta replied with his own knee to the body and right hooks.  Huerta charged after the retreating Florian before both men went for the takedown, then traded from the clinch.
1.11: The pair separated.  Florian scored with more knees to the body, and they traded up to the bell.

Round Two
They exchanged kicks and knuckles.
4.25: Roger powered in with a big kick to the body and a right hook which caused Kenny to clinch.  Roger attempted a takedown that Kenny resisted.
3.27: Kenny slung distracting hands before trying to take Roger down, but Roger sprawled and resisted with a kimura.
2.57: The battle of wills ended as Kenny scrambled into side control after both men dropped to their knees.
2.53: Huerta gave up his back and Florian g’n’ped until 2.38, when Huerta escaped through the tradesman’s entrance.
2.36: The pair stood.
2.10: Florian drove in a leg kick.
2.02: Huerta checked Florian’s next leg kick.
1.59: Florian swept Huerta’s legs and grounded him.  Roger wore two right hooks as he climbed to his feet.
0.59: More toe-to-toe followed before they clinched.
0.34: They broke free and banged till the hooter blew.

Round Three
4.53: Kenny brought up a front kick to Roger’s jaw.  Roger absorbed the strike and came after Kenny as he sidestepped out of range.
4.48: Kenny took Roger down; they scrambled to their feet, and Kenny scored with consecutive knee strikes and a hard left fist.
4.27: Florian took Huerta down and looked for a knee bar that didn’t happen.
4.05: Florian was in Huerta’s guard.
3.34: They stood clinched, then separated at 3.21.
2.56: Florian delivered a knee and a high kick.
2.17: Kenny shot up another front kick to Roger’s face, and Roger shrugged it off.  This was a tough battle by both warriors.
1.17: Roger checked a leg kick and caught Kenny with a heavy right hook.  They slugged it out till 0.22, when Kenny took Roger to the floor.
0.13: Roger fought his way back up and the pair banged it out till stumps.

Result: Kenny Florian by unanimous decision.

Cheick Kongo (6’4” 235 lb) vs. Dan Emensen (6’3” 244 lb) 
– Heavyweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne

4.49: ‘The Viking’ blocked a leg kick from Cheick.  Cheick kept Dan at bay with jabs.
4.37: Cheick kicked to the body.
4.34: Dan detonated a powerful jab and Cheick countered with a right.  There was no way this fight would go the distance as the gladiators circled like sharks in a feeding frenzy.
4.31: Emensen body-kicked.
4.27: He moved in and Kongo tied them up.
3.56: Kongo chalked up a takedown and had Emensen pinned to the wires.
3.31: Cheick stood and delivered kicks to the grounded Norwegian.
3.20: Cheick axe-kicked.
3.06: Yves Lavigne ordered Dan up.
2.55: They exchanged strikes, then entangled.
2.19: Dan went for a not-too-serious guillotine that Cheick shrugged off.
1.57: Emensen attempted another guillotine; however his submission game was not as threatening as his strikes.
1.08: Kongo scored a sloppy takedown.
0.31: Yves stood Emensen up.
0.18: Kongo body-kicked.  Emensen landed a jab and Kongo answered with a crisp right hand that downed Emensen.  Cheick followed with g’n’p before Lavigne intervened.

Result: Cheick Kongo by TKO – 4.55, Round One.

Brock Lesnar (6’3” 265 lb) vs. Heath Herring (6’3” 250 lb) 
– Heavyweight
Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Heath came out in the shape of his life, but Brock looked almost superhuman.
4.58: Lesnar rushed in with a lunging knee that Herring avoided.
4.52: Lesnar caught Herring with a huge right that put Herring on the floor.
4.46: Heath scrambled to his feet whilst being caught in a guillotine.  He delivered knees and right fists to the body.
3.46: Heath escaped the submission attempt.
3.43: He dodged a big right from Brock, but was taken down by a Lesnar shoot.
For the rest of the bout, Heath was pretty much subdued by the larger-than-life Lesnar.  But Herring’s spirit could not be subdued, and he refused to yield.  They don’t come any tougher than this Texan.

Result: Brock Lesnar by unanimous decision.

Georges St-Pierre (5’10” 170 lb) vs. Jon Fitch (6’0” 170 lb) 
– Welterweight Title
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Round One
Jon comes out with a smoking gun and Georges goes straight for the takedown, as in the Serra vs. GSP II match.
4.44: Georges is in Jon’s guard with both men on the attack.  St-Pierre is g’n’p-ing, but Fitch is poised and threatening from his back.
3.14: Fitch begins climbing to his feet; however St-Pierre reefs Fitch’s left leg and keeps the action horizontal.
2.49: Jon gets to his feet and wears a left hook from the Canadian.
2.41: Jon whips out a right leg-kick and Georges counters with a cracking straight right that floors Fitch.  He is on his knees with St-Pierre towering over him from in front, as Georges fires off a leather salvo.
2.28: Jon falls onto his back, with GSP continuing his rapid-fire assault from guard.
2.17: Fitch is receiving big left elbows and right knuckles: It looks like being an early night for him as he sports cuts around his left eye.
1.40: St-Pierre has side control and is still thumping away.
1.21: Miraculously, Jon gets to his feet.
1.16: He weathers more leather and goes down.
0.58: Fitch has St-Pierre in guard.
0.45: St-Pierre gets side control.
0.12: He takes the mount, but Fitch bucks him off and the hooter sounds.  A brave Fitch has survived the first five.

Round Two
Georges employs his jab and Jon favors the right-left combo.
4.24: Jon moves in with a flurry and pegs Georges with a left to the midsection.  Georges avenges with a left hand and a right leg-kick.
3.40: Jon dodges a high kick.
3.28: Jon ducks under a right and tags Georges with another right to the body.
3.12: Georges buckles Jon’s knees after landing a jolting jab.
3.03: Fitch wears a leg kick and responds by continuing to target St-Pierre’s body with punches.
2.39: Fitch zones in on St-Pierre’s solar plexus, ripping in a left hand and left and right knees.
2.18: St-Pierre tries a spinning back-kick, then both men take to headhunting with their fists.
0.43: Both fighters have been happy to stand and deliver, but now St-Pierre shoots.  Fitch resists the attempt.  This has been a tough shootout round.

Round Three
The trading recommences.
4.46: Jon throws a left and Georges counters with a right hook that downs Jon.  Georges avoids Jon’s up-kicks, then drops down to take his back.
4.17: Georges has his hooks in place and is looking for a GSP RNC.
4.08: Fitch turns and rolls into St-Pierre’s guard.
2.50: St-Pierre scrambles from under his opponent and reverses positions.
2.14: He backs away and both men stand.
0.59: They trade knees and Georges comes up trumps.  He follows with a high kick and another knee.  Jon drops and GSP follows.
0.46: They climb to their feet.
0.19: Georges slams Jon into the ground with a dynamic takedown.

Round Four
Both warriors come out revitalized and banging.  Each has a bloody left eye.
3.18: St-Pierre repels a takedown attempt.
1.48: Fitch seizes St-Pierre’s left leg and is hell-bent on the takedown; however GSP remains defiant and pogos across the Octagon on his right foot.
1.01: Jon collapses to the mat, still clasping GSP’s left leg.
0.48: They fight for dominance before St-Pierre slides into Fitch’s guard.

Round Five
They touch gloves and give each other a respectful pat.  These brave men are tougher than railroad nails.  They sling hammers until 4.01, when St-Pierre scores the takedown.
3.55: He’s in Fitch’s guard and has him pressed into the fence.  Jon absorbs some heavy-duty g’n’p.
1.46: They’re standing.
1.33: Georges shoots and moves into guard.  He is dominating play, but Jon won’t go away.  What a tough war!

Result: Georges St-Pierre by unanimous decision.

Coming Up

UFC 88: Breakthrough