Will Cooling was on site at the Manchester Evening News Arena for UFC 105 on Saturday.
Here's his take on the action.
Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera
Round 1
Classic Randy Couture as he spends most of the round pressing Vera up against the cage and wearing him down. Not many shots landed by either fighter (indeed they were twice broken up in the clinch because of inactivity) but Couture's octagon control and the takedown he got early on is enough to give him the round.
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Round 2
The round is disrupted due to an accidental eye-poke by Vera. After the restart Vera gets some shots in before Couture again ties him up against the cage and starts working for a takedown. Vera manages to block the takedown and start throwing some knees whilst in the clinch. Couture reverses and starts throwing his own knees. Crowd starts to loose patience with the grappling and they're broken up. Vera manages to knock Couture down with a knee to the head but can't finish him. Eventually they're stood up as nothing is happening on the crowd. Couture again ties Vera up in the cage and tries to get a takedown is blocked and settles for some dirty boxing. Close round, Couture was in control for much of it but Vera did some damage this time.
Round 3
Couture is on the offense with some nice boxing combinations at the start of the round and then presses Vera up against the cage whilst working for the takedown. Couture is landing more shots while in the clinch than in previous rounds but Vera is still frustrating him. Crowd again looses patience with the grappling and they're broken up. Vera lands a couple of high kicks and opens up a cut above Couture's eye. Couture responds with some knees to the head and a nice combination of punches. They end up back in the clinch and Vera manages to take down Couture although again Couture is effective at frustrating Vera from the bottom. Couture gets back to his feet and ends the fight on the offensive throwing some nice punches.
Couture is announced the winner of the light-heavyweight fight by unanimous decision with all three judges giving him the fight 29-28.
Couture wins by decision.
Dan Hardy vs Mike Swick
Round 1
Swick tests Hardy's wrestling from the start with a takedown defense that hardy does well to block. Tied up in the catch exchanging shots — Hardy is holding his own in the clinch. Hardy in control throwing some good knees to the body. Swick lands a low blow and there is a stoppage. Swick again tests Hardy with a takedown attempt that Hardy again blocks. Swick has him tied up in the cage and is throwing some hard shots to the body and again goes for the takedown but again Hardy stay on his feet. They're tied up in the cage throwing shots to the body. Swick goes for another takedown but again Hardy manges to block it. Hardy has Swick in the cage and goes for a takedown of his own which is blocked. Swick is throwing some good knees to the body. They break with some hard right hands. Hardy showed tremendous takedown defense and could well have taken that round in many people's eyes.
Round 2
Hardy tags Swick and Swick visibly wobbles — Hardy hunts down Swick and ties him up against the cage throwing some hard knees and uppercuts to the body. Hardy goes for the takedown but its blocked. More knees to the body form Hardy. Tied up in the clinch again and Hardy is landing the harder shots until Swick gets a hard knee that visibly rattles Hardy. Clinch is broken up. Swick goes for the head kick but falls over. Hardy tags Swick again. Big overhand punch misses from Hardy. Hardy throws some big punches but Swick is able to tie him up in the cage. That was certainly Hardy's round.
Round 3
Swick throws some big punches but Hardy is out of reach and tags him with a leg kick. Furious exchanges as both are letting their fists go. Swick gets some good knees to the head in but Hardy regains his balance. They're tied up in the cage and after shaking off a gullotine attempt, Hardy gets a big takedown. Hardy is fighting from within Swick's guard and they are eventually stood up. Hardy is getting some hard shots in and Swick getting some nice combinations. Swick is finishing the fight stronger but isn't doing much. Round ends with them both tied up in the cage. Hardy wins by unanimous decision.
They got Georges St-Pierre in the cage and all of sudden the once popular GSP is getting booed by the Manchester crowd. This is a big win for Hardy and his title fight will take the UFC to the next level in the UK.
Hardy wins by decision.
Dennis Kang vs. Michael Bisping
Round 1
Crowd is strongly behind the hometown fighter. Bisping almost grabs the leg of Kang and almost gets a good punch in. Kang knocks Bisping down with a punch and starts working from inside Bisping's guard. Bisping is doing a good job of frustrating Kang and stopping too mnay shots being rained down. Kang struggling to do anything and almost gets caught in a traingle choke and a an armbar. This is really good defensive work from Bisping. Round goes to Kang because of damage caused and octagon control but Bisping showed tremendous resolve to fight for almost an entire round off his back and still be competitive.
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Matt Brown vs. James Wilks
Round 1
Just as with the weigh-ins, the reaction to Wilks is a lot less than the other name British fighters (including some of those who fought on the undercard). Perhaps his long residency in America is stopping the British fans fully taking to him. Brown probably edged the first round, hitting hard throughout and causing Wilks some really problems with his strikes. Wilks responded by repeatedly clinching up or going for a takedown. Wilks best moment of the round came when he got Brown's back standing up and tried for a standing rear-naked choke. The choke certainly weakened Brown but he was able to power out of it. Other than that Wilks was pretty ineffective with his grappling and twice his clinches were broken up due to inactivity.
Round 2
The round almost ended spectactularly with Brown hitting a beautiful flying knee that knocked Wilks down and almost out. Brown went to finish it off but gave Wilks his leg and Wilks almost got a leglock applied. Brown knocked Wilks down again with a big punch but couldn't finish him off. Toward the end of the round, Wilks was able to get top position and put some offense together only for Brown to get a traingle choke. Wilks was very much saved by the bell and is now down two rounds.
Round 3
The round was dominated by the attempt of Wilks to get an armbar on Brown. After Brown tied him up in the cage, Wilks manage to gain control of Brown's arm and take him down. Wilks was peristant in tring to lock the armbar in but in the end Brown was able to escape. Straight after that he was able to knockdown a tired James Wilks and finally finished him at 2.27. Good performance from Brown who was edging the fight throughout but really took control after a beautifully executed flying knee. The loss is obviously a setback for Wilks but he showed flashes of the grappling that helped him win The Ultimate Fighter.
Brown wins by third-round TKO.
Aaron Riley vs Ross Pearson
Round 1
Huge reaction for the start of the main card. There's some boos for Riley but not much. Pearson is given a huge reaction. Good first round for Pearson. Pearson got the better of the stand-up as the round went on, putting together some good combinations and getting some hard head kicks and knees to the body. As the round went on, Riley attempted to take Pearson down a couple of times but Pearson was able to shake him off. Round to Pearson.
Round 2
Better round for Riley but Pearson is again getting the better of the stand-up exchanges. Riley again goes for the takedown and almost gets it but Pearson manages to get up. Pearson ties Riley up in the cage a couple of times and gets some hard knees to the body and head. Fight ends when Pearson ties him up in the cage and starts reigning in some hard knees to the head. Riley is busted wide open and referee stops the fight to check the cut and then ends the fight on TKO. Good performance from Pearson who was in control for all of the fight and entered a high-energy, up-tempo performance.
Pearson wins by second-round TKO.
