UFC Fight Night 8: Nelson vs. Browne Review
#7 Hector Lombard vs. Matt Brown:
Both men were losers of their last fights, Lombard to #1 contender Nate Diaz and Brown by a freak liver kick TKO at the hands of Mike Pyle. Both were looking to get back in the W column. Brown nearly finished the fight in the first round when he stuffed a takedown and almost submitted Lombard with a Peruvian necktie, but he lost it. Lombard then tried a kimura but lost it. The majority of this first round was spent on the ground, and Matt Brown dominated it on the ground. When the fight went back to the feet though, Brown rocked Lombard with a right hook, waited a second, and then fired in a left hook and knocked Lombard out cold! Matt Brown by Knockout! After the decision, Matt Brown took the mic from Joe Rogan and said, “Mike Pyle! I want a rematch! Your win was a fluke!”
Result: Matt Brown def. #7 Hector Lombard at 4:45 of Round 1 by KO.
#4 Alexis Davis vs. #5 Sara McMann:
The UFC Women’s bantamweight division is stacked at the top, and two fighters trying to thrust themselves into the upper echelon of female fighters were Alexis Davis and Sara McMann. These two women went toe-to-toe from the very beginning. McMann attempted to submit Davis three times in the first round, but lost all three very quickly. Davis did an excellent job of landing significant strikes and her submission defense seemed to be enough to give her the round. McMann attempted a fourth submission in the second but couldn’t lock it in, but her ability to take the fight to the ground and keep it there won her round two. It was any woman’s fight going into the final round, and McMann rocked Davis with less than 90 seconds left. She couldn’t finish her, but all three judges felt that she had won. Sara McMann by Unanimous Decision.
Result: #5 Sara McMann def. #4 Alexis Davis by Unanimous Decision.
#7 Cub Swanson vs. #8 Chan Sung Jung:
Both Swanson and Jung had yet to fight anyone since the changes to the UFC took effect, so Dana White decided to pit the two talented featherweights against one another. Jung quickly landed five or six BIG kicks early into the first minute, and he set a blistering pace that continued throughout the fight. Jung rocked Swanson quickly with a left hook, but he recovered very quickly. Jung took Swanson down and almost submitted him with a twister, much to the delight of the fans, but lost it very near the finishing point. Swanson rocked Jung with 5 seconds left in the first round, and after one, the crowd was on their feet. The pace feverishly continued into round two, and every second but the last twelve of the round was on the feet. It seemed as if both fighters had won a round heading into the third round. Both men went toe to toe again in the third, and then all of a sudden Swanson tries a superman punch and lands it, and knocks the Korean Zombie out cold! Cub Swanson by KO!
Result: #7 Cub Swanson def. #8 Chan Sung Jung at 4:33 of Round 3 by KO.
#4 Jim Miller vs. #7 Joe Lauzon:
Miller and Lauzon are two of the UFC’s best at putting on a show, thanks to their relentless pace and cardio, so UFC fans got a treat when they were matched up vs. one another. Both were looking to climb the Lightweight rankings. Lauzon tried to submit Miller from mounted position early, but he lost the arm he was trying to secure in an armbar very quickly. Both men did a ton of damage early on, and even after the first round it was a bloody mess. Lauzon landed two takedowns, but Miller did a lot of damage, so he seemed to hold the advantage after one round. Lauzon rocked Miller with a front kick and knocked him down, but Miller protected himself enough to be able to continue on. Miller was ridiculously close to submitting Lauzon via an arm triangle, but he lost it at the last possible second! Lauzon won the second round, and he carried his momentum from the knockdown into the third, as he held a lot of confidence in his abilities in the octagon. He did a great job in that third round, and he was awarded a Split Decision victory by the judges.
Result: #7 Joe Lauzon def. #4 Jim Miller by Split Decision.
#1 Roy Nelson vs. #2 Travis Browne:
These two heavyweight fighters came in vying for a shot at the UFC Heavyweight crown and Fabricio Werdum, and both came in winners of their last fights. Browne came close to submitting Nelson in the first minute with a Kimura, but could not capitalize and lost it. He tried again with one minute left, but he lost that one as well. Browne did a ton of damage in the striking department too in that round, and he held a distinct advantage after one. Nelson seemed to struggle landing strikes in the first and second round, but the ones he did land did damage. Browne seemed to be the far superior fighter in the second round, until Nelson rocked him. Browne still held a very large advantage after two. “Big Country” finally began to find a rhythm in round three, as he began landing strikes and successfully taking Browne to the canvas. He won the third round, but he had a horrible cut and was exhausted after it. He landed several strong combinations in that fourth round, and he amassed an outstanding 17 takedowns through four rounds. Browne did an outstanding job of doing damage with kicks and knees in that fourth round, though. It was hard to tell which one had won the round. Nelson got several more takedowns in round five, and brutalized his opponent with ground and pound. It was hard to tell who had won, but either man deserved to win. It was a split decision, but the judges felt that Travis Browne was the winner, and deserved to fight for the belt.
Result: #2 Travis Browne def. #1 Roy Nelson by Split Decision.
FOTN: Joe Lauzon vs. Jim Miller
KOTN: Cub Swanson
SOTN: None
06-03-2015, 04:04 PM
