2/3/2007 9:06:00 PM
UFC 67 live coverage
by Dave Meltzer
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Welcome to our live coverage of UFC 67 from the Mandlay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
We're looking for your thoughts on the show, so please leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match on the show to
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Dustin Hazelett b Diego Saraiva. Hazelett took all three rounds on every scorecard to win 30-27.
Lyoto Machida b Sam Hoger 30-27 across the board over three rounds. Totally dominant performance by Machida, who knocked Hoger down three times in the first round and two more times in the second. Most of the knockdowns were scored when Hoger would throw a kick and Machida would connect on a punch to the jaw.
We could have an upset here. Frankie Edgar has been outwrestling Tyson Griffin for two rounds. Edgar appeared to solidly win round one with several takedowns. Round two was a close call. Griffin was gassed in the third round, but nearly got a submission with a leglock. Edgar dominated the round and took the fight 30-27, 29-28, 29-28
Terry Martin b Jorge Rivera in 14 seconds. Rivera came out and threw a kick, but Martin caught the foot and threw him down, and stunned him with three hard punches on the ground and Rivera was done.
They announced that Lutter hadn't made weight. Lutter apologized. Joe Rogan said it was inexcusable. Anderson Silva said that he felt he disrespected the fans and disrepected the championship.
Scott Smith vs. Patrick Cote is up now.
Dull first round. People are booing. Both had brief seconds of offense. I'd give Cote the round because he scored with a bodyslam and a few punches on the ground before Smith got to his feet. For two sluggers, much of the match was dancing or in a clinch against the cage.
Cote rocked him with a hard right early in the round, but didn't follow up. Smith even did a Ric Flair beg for mercy spot and a karate kick spot. But overall a boring round. I've got it 20-18 for Cote as Smith did nothing in the round, not that Cote did much more. Lots of boos.
Best round of the three. Smith even scored with the best punch, but Cote hit more punches and I had him winning the round. I've got it 30-27. Eddie Bravo also has it 30-27.
All three judges had it 30-27. Fans booed the fight a lot. On paper, you'd have expected a more entertaining fight from these two.
Quinton Jackson vs. Marvin Eastman is up next. The place is going pretty wild for Jackson. If he scores an impressive win here he'll become an immediate superstar.
Until the end of the round, little happened. Jackson caught Eastman with a left punch to the jaw that took Eastman's knees away. The end of the round may have saved Eastman.
Second round was slow again until Jackson scored with five straight short punches inside that put Eastman down. Two more on the ground and ref John McCarthy stopped the fight. At least he scored a decisive victory but not a blow-out.
Jackson got over better on his promo than with his fighting. He said he was nervous and this was the first time he'd ever been booed. He said he needs more sparring, and advertised for needing sparring partners to get his skill level up before a match with Chuck Liddell.
Right now 77% believe Silva will beat Lutter.
Roger Huerta vs. John Halverson is next.
This is going to be controversial. Huerta knocked Halverson out with a knee to the shoulder, but some of it hit the head. Of course a knee to the head is illegal. Halverson was on his stomach and laid there. Huerta threw about 16 unanswered punches on the ground and it was over in 19 seconds.
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Eddie Sanchez is next. Will Cro Cop come out to "Wild Boys." This is even more stunning. Cro Cop came out to the Pride theme song. The fact he's doing that in some form may be a hint to what will be the biggest news story in this industry of 2007. Live it didn't appear anyone understood the significance of that.
Cro Cop dominated the entire fight. He nailed the left high kick and a few punches and Sanchez was down. After a few punches on the ground it was stopped. It wasn't a highlight reel fight. Sanchez almost survived the round through a lot of back pedaling.
Cro Cop was super over. People bought the hype.
Anderson Silva vs. Travis Lutter is up. I'm surprised they didn't air a prelim match before this since they've got well over an hour left in the show.
Lutter took him down twice. He finally got the mount. Lutter connected with punch after punch from a mount but went for a sloppy armbar and Silva got up at the end of the round. Lutter won the round 10-9, but Silva still has a better shot at winning.
Lutter took Silva right down. After an upkick, Silva went for a triangle and held it for a long time. Lutter was able to defend but not get out. Silva then, with Lutter's head trapped, threw elbow after elbow from the bottom and Lutter tapped out.