Good night of fights! Machida is unbelievable. For some reason his fight with Evans reminded me of Murilo Bustamante’s impressive win over Matt Lindland at UFC 37 (2002). Not in the ending but in the way Busta was received by fans after that showing.
Fight #1 – Sean Sherk vs Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar
Rd 1 – The Answer used lateral movement to evade Sherk’s power shots but he managed to get his own blows in. By mid-round he was clearly getting the better of the standup and with around two minutes left he knocked Sherk down with a kick. The Answer held Sherk in a front headlock before the action returned to the feet.
Rd 2 – The Answer continued his standup domination. Sherk made no attempts to get the fight to the ground. In fact when Edgar shot in, Sherk stuffed it. The Answer resumed his effective stick-and-move strategy while Sherk continued to stalk him.
Rd 3 – Sherk finally scored a takedown, but The Answer got up quickly. The facial punishment from Edgar continued while Sherk kept trying for the KO. Moments before the horn sounded, The Answer stuffed a Sherk takedown and nearly sunk a Guillotine.
Winner: Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar by unanimous decision 30-27 on all three cards
Fight #2 – Chael Sonnen vs Dan Miller
Rd 1 – Sonnen took Miller down but had to spend 30 seconds getting out of a deep Guillotine. Once out, he began some ground and pound. The most effective blows he landed were from a standing position. He also punished Dan’s face with elbows from the side mount but no cuts were opened.
Rd 2 – Sonnen slammed Miller and again fell into a Guillotine. Miller was too tired to finish it and Sonnen went back to his ground and pound once he freed himself. The pace slowed and Miller took less damage than earlier. He attempted an armbar with around two minutes left but his position was not fully established.
Rd 3 – Miller landed a few blows but Sonnen absorbed them, reset, and took Dan down. A slower version of round three ensued which prompted referee Yves Levigne to yell at them to ‘work’.
Winner: Chael Sonnen by unanimous decision 30-27 on all three cards
Fight #3 – Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs Drew McFedries
Rd 1 – McFedries trashed Foupa-Pokam! Foup was bouncing up and down and McFedries just let his hands go. Multiple punches landed but the most damaging were a right hook, a right uppercut, a straight left and another right hook. Foup was clinging to one of Drew’s legs when referee Yves Lavigne stopped the bout. He complained after the fight but he had already gotten KTFO.
Winner: Drew McFedries by TKO at :37 of rd 1
Fight #4 – Krzysztof Soszynski vs Andre Gusmao
The whole fight took place on the feet. Gusmao was landing some nice low kicks and was getting the better of the standup early. Sos finally broke through toward the end of the round with some solid rights and lefts to the head. He backed Gusmao to the cage and landed a huge right that ‘Nelmarked’ him. As Gusmao lay like a scarecrow against the cage, Sos battered him with two more shots to the dome.
Winner: Krzysztof Soszynski by KO at 3:17 of rd 1
Fight #5 – Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra
Rd 1 – An accidental headbutt rocked Hughes badly. Serra followed up with a few punches and nearly ended the fight. Hughes somehow managed to force a clinch until his head cleared. Later in the round Hughes flipped Serra to the mat and took his back. Serra escaped to his feet before Hughes sunk a rear naked.
Rd 2 – Hughes closed quickly, secured double underhooks and tossed Serra to the canvas. Hughes tried some ground and pound but Serra neutralized him. Hughes moved around and did enough to prevent a standup until the final ten seconds of the round.
Rd 3 – Hughes landed a sweeping right hook which enabled him to close the distance. He scored a takedown but had to chase Serra halfway around the Octagon to get it. Serra worked rubber guard and briefly had a triangle. Hughes was doing very little so referee Steve Mazzagatti stood them up. Hughes landed a good punch and the fighters clinched. Hughes tried a takedown, Serra defended and ended up taking him down.
Winner: Matt Hughes by unanimous decision 29-28 on all three cards (Fight Report had it 29-28 for Matt Serra)
Fight #6 – Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida
Rd 1 – Almost all of the action took place in the final minute. Machida dropped Evans with a kick and a punch but Evans was up quickly. Machida landed two kicks to the body earlier in the round.
Rd 2 – The crowd began chanting “Machida, Machida”. Machida landed another hard left to the body, then clinched but could not take Rashad down. After several minutes of inactive standup, Machida exploded with strikes. A straight left rocked Evans and Machida was all over him. As Evans sagged to the canvas Machida rattled him with more blows. 
Somehow Evans made it back to a standing position and retreated to the fence where Machida finished him in brutal fashion. The final blow removed all motor skills in Evans’ neck and as he dropped like a sack of bricks to the canvas, his head swung violently around until it lay against the fence. Rashad was totally unconscious and his toes curled slightly.
Winner: Lyoto Machida by KO at 3:57 of rd 2
Fight #7 – Brock Larson vs Mike Pyle
Rd 1 – Mike Pyle was a late sub and he had a tough assignment in having to take on Brock Larson. Larson worked Pyle over and sunk a sweet arm triangle.
Winner: Brock Larson by tapout (arm triangle) at 3:06 of rd 1
Fight #8 – Pat Barry vs Tim Hague
Barry rocked Hague with a right kick to the head but in his eagerness to finish he ended up getting taken down. Hague escaped from the bottom and slapped on a Guillotine. This was a quick turnaround where one guy who was on the verge of winning ended up getting beat.
Winner: Tim Hague by tapout (Guillotine) at 1:42 of rd 1
Fight #4 – Brett Rogers vs Andrei Arlovski