Welcome to WWI's ongoing coverage of UFC Fight Night, live from The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Spike TV. A free-per-view, if you will.
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Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan welcomed viewers to the show. They discussed the main event and how Mike Swick had moved to a different weight class and is now fighting at 170. His opponent, Josh Burkman, had been training hard and would be in it to win it, too.
Stockton's own Nate Diaz, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 5, would be coming up next.
(1) Lightweight Bout: Nate Diaz vs. Alvin Robinson.
Bruce Buffer announced the first fight. The referee was Steve Mazzagatti.
Both fighters have Gracie Jiu Jitsu backgrounds. It didn't last long and Nate Diaz was the winner by submission in the first round.
Bruce Buffer was back in the ring with the official decision--Nate Diaz via tap out due to a triangle choke.
Diaz was pleased to get a quick decision and thanked just about everybody in the place.
B-R-O-C-K L-E-S-N-A-R will main event in the Octagon on February 2. Be afraid…be very afraid. Or not.
(2) Lightweight Bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Michihiro Omigawa.
Tavares' English is not fluent, but he had learned enough to say he is going to kick his opponent's ass.
Josh Rosenthal was the referee. Two rounds ticked away. Tavares had been dominant in the first and had given up several good opportunities. Round three went back and forth, too, and it went to the judges' scorecards.
Bruce Buffer announced the official decision of the judges--Thiago by unanimous decision. A win is a win, and it was Tavares' 17th career win.
Joe Rogan interviewed Sylvester Stallone so that "Rocky" could hype "Rambo." Rogan mentioned how convincingly Stallone could still play an action hero after "all these years." It was a backhanded compliment to convey the message that Stallone is old. Apparently a fight broke out in the stands during the interview.
(3) Middleweight Bout: Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries.
Herb Dean was the referee. It was short and it was sweet for Cote.
Bruce Buffer made it official--Cote via TKO at 1:44 seconds of the first round.
Cote thanked McFedries, whose mother had passed away last month, and he said he knew it couldn't have been easy for him.
(4) Lightweight Bout: Alberto Crane vs. Kurt Pellegrino.
The referee was Herb Dean. Pellegrino got cracked by a kick to the face immediately but Pellegrino gathered his wits and kept going. By the end of the first round, they were both a bloody mess, but it was mostly Pellegrino's blood. Ground and pound by Pellegrino in the second round. He landed a punch too the chops that caused Herb Dean to stop the fight.
Buffer announced Pellegrino had won via TKO at 1:55 of the second round.
The hole in Pellegrino's lip caused by the first round kick was something that actually grossed out Mr. Fear Factor.
There must be plenty of time to fill, since Rogan sat down with the stars of Vince Vaughn's new movie, "Wild West Comedy Show." That was followed by more hype for Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir on February 2. Go Mir! The Next Big Thing graces the cover of "Muscle and Fitness Magazine" this month.
(5) Welterweight Bout: Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman.
This is Swick's welterweight debut. He and Burkman, both alums of The Ultimate Fighter, got the evening's grand entrances.
Steve Mazzagatti was the referee. A good portion of the first round was spent up against the fence. The ref moved them to the center of the Octagon. Big roundhouse kick by Burkman near the end of the first round, then more kicks by both of them in the second.
Going into the third round, each had won one previous round, so it was still anyone's fight. The fight went the distance.
Buffer announced that Mike Swick had won by majority decision. There was lots of booing (how rude!), and Swick apologized for a performance that wasn't exciting.
Thus ended the latest edition of UFC Fight Night. Another solid effort!