The biggest UFC event of the year has arrived. On Saturday night, Chris Weidman will defend his middleweight title -€“ isn'€™t that still odd to say -€“ against the man he shockingly beat in July: Anderson Silva, the greatest UFC champion of all time.
As if that main event isn'€™t enough, the co-feature is nearly as huge. Ronda Rousey, the undefeated mainstream star, takes on rival Miesha Tate with Rousey'€™s UFC women's bantamweight title on the line.
Forgotten in all the hype of the top two fights are other great fights like Travis Browne vs. Josh Barnett, Dustin Poirier vs. Diego Brandao and Uriah Hall vs. Chris Leben.
If you can't be in front of your TV screen for the pay-per-view, FoxSports.com is the next best thing. Hang with us all night for the full blow-by-blow.
Jim Miller (22-4, 1 NC) vs. Fabricio Camoes (14-7-1)
If you're playing which-one-of-these-is-not-like-the-other for UFC 168, Camoes sticks out. Not quite sure why he's in there against Miller, but hey, let's give him a shot.
Herb Dean is the ref for this lightweight fight.
Miller is coming off that loss against Pat Healy that turned into a no contest. Camoes hasn't fought since a loss last year's loss against Melvin Guillard.
Camoes went for a head kick. Miller grabs it and slams him down. Miller has his back, sort of. Camoes transitions into top position. Odd positioning.
Miller looking for an armbar from the bottom. And gets it! Camoes taps. Wow.
Official result: Jim Miller defeats Fabricio Camoes by submission in the first round (3:42)
Analysis: Miller is one of the most fun guys to watch in the lightweight division. He's rarely in a bad fight and is so dangerous on the ground with submissions. His time as a title contender at 155 might be up, but the Jersey boy is still one of the toughest guys out there. Camoes is a very good Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Miller outclassed him. Camoes is 35 now and has lost two straight. Not sure where he goes from here -- if anywhere.
Dustin Poirier (14-3) vs. Diego Brandao (18-8)
Round 1
Mike Goldberg is a little hoarse and the main card hasn't even started yet.
Brandao didn't have the decency to make weight yesterday (he was off initially by a ridiculous eight pounds), which really seemed to piss Poirier off. I expect fireworks in this one. Both guys can really throw down.
Brandao is fired up, man. And the Brazilian-heavy crowd loves him.
Mario Yamasaki is your referee for the featherweight bout.
Poirier lands a nice right. It wobbles Brandao briefly.
Brandao looks a little thick around the midsection. At least as far as 145-pound UFC fighters go.
The two exchange punches. Both guys are so explosive.
Poirier winds up and hammers Brandao with a punch and Brandao just eats it. Damn. No pun intended on the eat part, either.
Poirier lands a combination and then slips.
Poirier lands another big right hand. Brandao has a great chin.
Brandao shoots for a sloppy double leg and gets it. But Poirier is up quickly. He's working Brandao over against the cage.
Poirier is lighting up the Brazilian and then takes him down as Brandao looks up at the clock.
Poirier drops Brandao and is swarming. Brandao is in a bad way. Hammer fists! Ground and pound! That's it!
Official result: Dustin Poirier defeats Diego Brandao by TKO in the first round (4:54)
Analysis: Poirier looked great. Technical striking, some power. Mixed in some grappling. He's 24 years old and it wouldn't be crazy to peg him as a future champion at 145. As for Brandao, he has all the potential in the world, but seemed to give up toward the end of the first round when he got rocked. You can't be looking up at the clock like that when you're in danger. Hopefully Brandao gets it together with his weight issues and comes back strong. Poirier, on the other hand, is on the fast track now.
Uriah Hall (7-4) vs. Chris Leben (22-10)
Round 1
Loser leaves town? Could be. Hall is 0-2 in the UFC after being perhaps the most hyped prospect to ever come out of The Ultimate Fighter. Leben has lost three straight and four of his last five. He hasn't looked very good in any of those losses. Could be time for him to hang it up if he doesn't win here.
Flying knee to the chest by Hall! He's already done more than in his last two fights.
Leben is talking crap in the cage. Hall lands another knee.
Leben is walking Hall down. Ever the aggressor. Leben cut under both eyes.
Hall is such an athletic freak. Makes it look easy sometimes.
Leben can't hit Hall. Too elusive.
Hall is content to counter. Crowd doesn't like it much.
Hall ducks under a huge left by Leben. Hall catches Leben at the end of the round and swarms! Leben is saved by the ball.
Leben has no idea where he is and that's it. He calls it quits after the first round. Wow. You rarely see that.
Official result: Uriah Hall defeats Chris Leben by TKO after the first round
Analysis: That was really weird. Leben seemed to think he lost the fight by TKO before the bell. After the first round, he said "I'm done" like the fight was over. Joe Rogan is saying on Fox Sports 1 that it was Leben's choice to end the fight. Not 100 percent sure of that. Bruce Buffer says it was referee Steve Mazzagatti's choice after a suggestion from the doctor. Just very strange.
Michael Johnson (13-8) vs. Gleison Tibau (28-9)
Round 1
Johnson never looked better back in August against Joe Lauzon. Is this his time to take his game to the next level? Tibau is a tough opponent, probably the biggest lightweight in the UFC. He's won two in a row.
Did you know Tibau's real name is Janigleison Herculano Alves? That's not even close to Gleison Tibau. I feel like I've been living a lie this whole time.
Holy crap that's a loud Brazilian crowd. They love Tibau.
I don't know what they're chanting at MGM Grand, but it's loud and in Portuguese.
Johnson tags Tibau with a right hand. Biggest shot of the fight so far. Not that much has happened.
Tibau tries to muscle Johnson against the cage and does. That's his best bet in this fight -- using his silly strength.
10-9 Johnson -- Johnson is the more technical striker and landed more standing up. It wasn't significant, though. It was a pretty uneventful round.
Round 2
The referee, by the way, is Canada's own Yves Lavigne.
Johnson drops Tibau with a left hand and Tibau is out. Wow. Came out of nowhere.
It was a counter left. Tibau was coming in and got caught in the ear. Johnson followed up with two hammer fists and that was it.
Official result: Michael Johnson defeats Gleison Tibau by knockout in the second round (1:32)
Analysis: Well, Johnson is only getting better. He's 27 years old, in the prime of his career, and perhaps readying to make a modest run in the 155-pound division. The St. Louis native hasn't shown much KO power in his career until tonight, but if he adds that to his repertoire he's a pretty tough dude. Tibau is no joke -- and very durable. With his wrestling and improving striking, Johnson is going to be a problem moving forward.
Dennis Siver (21-9) vs. Manvel Gamburyan (13-7)
Round 1
I like this fight. But it could very well be a second straight dud. As you can see, I'm rather chipper tonight.
Herb Dean is the referee for this featherweight fight.
Sweet takedown by Siver. He does that much more nowadays.
Rogan just said the word "crotch" and I giggled.
Gamburyan is looking for that arm bar that Ronda Rousey taught him from the bottom.
Gamburyan rolls for a leg lock. Doesn't work. Both back up.
Nice body kick by Siver. I don't see why Siver doesn't just try to pick him apart from distance. He's the better striker.
Gamburyan nails a couple of good punches, though. He still has power in those Armenian fists.
Gamburyan with the takedown. That was big. He can steal this round here with just over a minute left. Manny going for another leg lock, but Siver is landing some big ground and pound on him.
Siver has Manny's back and Gamburyan stands up. Manny just looked up at the clock. He's going to try and survive and he will.
10-9 Siver -- Siver had a takedown and got Gamburyan's back late in the round. He also landed the more technical strikes. Obviously his round.
Round 2
Siver knocks Gamburyan down with a big punch. And Siver isn't going for the kill. Wow.
Total strikes landed? 70-5 for Siver. It doesn't seem like that much.
Siver goes for a guillotine and ends up on the bottom. Bad move. Gamburyan can regain some momentum here.
Manny is looking for the dreaded shoulder strikes. Siver is busted open. Not from the shoulder strikes, though. It was an elbow he snuck in there.
Siver's bloodied up good. Top of his forehead. Gamburyan slips to half guard. Siver is up!
Siver lands a nice combination against the cage. Gamburyan with another takedown. This is going to be very tough to score.
Manny is in half guard. Time running out on the round and he lands some ground and pound. This is his round now. Interesting fight.
10-9 Gamburyan -- Manny opened up Siver with some ground and pound and landed a pretty significant takedown toward the end of the round plus some more ground and pound. I've got it 19-19 heading into the third for the second straight fight.
Round 3
Gamburyan miffs on a spinning back kick. You can't pull a Dennis Siver on Dennis Siver.
Nut shot by Siver. With all the inside leg kicks he throws, it's a wonder he doesn't land on the cup more often.
That's the technique Manny probably wanted to use on Anthony Gutierrez during The Ultimate Fighter this season.
Siver gets a takedown. Manny very active with elbows from the bottom. Siver working the body with some ground and pound. Manny looking for a kimura.
Siver has his back and keeps it after the two roll over together. Cool visual. Siver lands some punches. Gamburyan turtles up. Siver throwing some elbows.
Siver just riding Gamburyan at this point. Still landing some short punches.
Time running down on the fight. Gamburyan needs to do something now. And he won't.
10-9 Siver, 29-28 Siver -- That was the easiest round to call. Siver controlled basically the entire five minutes from dominant position and had Gamburyan's back for a big percentage of the round.
Official result: Dennis Siver defeats Manny Gamburyan by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Analysis: No, it wasn't pretty. But Siver got the job done. Surprisingly, he actually out grappled Gamburyan throughout despite being taken down three times. Siver was the best fighter in every aspect. Manny's two-fight win streak is snapped. He's really nothing more than gatekeeper at 145. Siver is only slightly better.
John Howard (21-8) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-5-1)
Round 1
Both guys can straight mash, so you would expect this one to end in a knockout. But how many times does it actually turn out that way?
Steve Mazzagatti is the referee for this welterweight contest.
Brittney Palmer looks -- how do I say this? -- more endowed than usual. Biggest event of the year indeed.
Striking battle as expected early. Bahadurzada is landing and Howard goes for a takedown. Pretty clear he wasn't getting the better of those exchanges.
Clinch work against the cage with nothing notable happening. Howard's corner just shouted "game plan!" That must be going for takedowns, because Bahadurzada is landing.
Howard shoots for a takedown and gets it. He's in half guard. Enough to win the round? Perhaps, though he was losing up until this point.
Howard is in mount and has Bahadurzada's back. Siyar is back up, though. Couldn't do anything with it.
Bahadurzada 10-9 -- Howard was in top control for a bit and even got mount, but Siyar did more on the feet. Did I mention I hate typing Bahadurzada?
Round 2
Howard lands a flurry quickly. Bahadurzada counters and it looks like we're finally in a fight.
Howard is trying that jumping left hook over and over and it's fooling no one. Another takedown attempt by Howard. No dice.
Siyar mounting some offense and lands a takedown. He's in guard. It sounded like someone farted on the Fox Sports 1 broadcast. Was that Rogan? Yeah, this one is a stinker so far.
Bahadurzada stands back up. He looks exhausted. Not sure why. He hasn't done anything.
Howard with a combination to counter some slow-moving punches. Howard is landing a bit and this is his round so far. As I type that, he falls against the cage looking tired. Yikes.
This is a welterweight right, right? Because it has all the action of a mediocre heavyweight bout.
Howard just went all WWE on Bahadurzada -- a Lex Luger-esque torture rack and then a slam. Samoan drop perhaps?
10-9 Howard -- Awful fight, but Howard might have saved it with that ridiculous slam. I have it 19-19 heading into the second, but the real loser is the fans.
Round 3
Howard lands some punches and Siyar eggs him on. Either that or he's completely exhausted and can't raise his hands.
Bahadurzada goes for a big knee, but it doesn't land clean.
Siyar actually puts his hands on his hips and he's not Anderson Silva. No bueno.
Howard takes him down and he might be in this position for awhile. Siyar is super tired.
Howard rocks the Afghani with some big ground and pound. Half guard now for Howard.
Mount for Howard. Bahadurzada is in big trouble. Remember when people thought he was a prospect? Oh, right. That was coming into this fight.
Siyar just punched himself in the face. First own TKO ever?
Howard has his back. Time is running down. He's hunting for that rear naked choke. Won't get it. Fight is over. Mercifully.
10-9 Howard -- That was brutal. Howard might have won all three rounds, but he definitely won the last two. Mostly by default, though. Bahadurzada got tired quickly and never got a second wind.
Official result: John Howard defeats Siyar Bahadurzada by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Analysis: Bahadurzada was very disappointing. This is the guy who was supposed to be an exciting prospect? Not so much. No cardio. And it's hard to get excited about Howard's performance. He's now 2-0 since returning to the UFC, but didn't look all that impressive against Uriah Hall in August, either.
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