UFC Fight Night took over Boston with unbelievable fights, capped off by a highlight reel submission win by Chael Sonnen. Check out the full recap, you don't want to miss a thing!
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Chael Sonnen
Round 1
Veteran referee Herb Dean is overseeing the main event. In typical Sonnen fashion, he immediately powers through for a takedown. Rua scrambles and trips Sonnen to the mat. Rua is unable to amount any offense and Sonnen sets up a guillotine position to get back up. Rua tries another trip, but Sonnen uses his momentum to land on top. Sonnen pins down Rua's arm and lands short punches in half-guard. Rua sets up double underhooks for a sweep, but the American maintains top control. Rua is repeatedly trying to sweep and Sonnen postures up. Rua regains guard, only to eat some hard punches from Sonnen. Rua grazes him with an upkick, but gives up his back. Sonnen regains top control, flattening Rua in half-guard. Rua is trying to sweep again and Sonnen latches onto a tight guillotine choke. Sonnen pulls guard, tightening the submission. Rua hesitates, but he's forced to tap out with 13 seconds left. Spectacular submission victory for Sonnen.
Final Result: Chael Sonnen def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:47, Round 1
Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne
Round 1
Overeem is aggressive, tagging Browne with a set of hooks and a crushing knee to the midsection. Overeem is landing vicious knees inside the clinch, which he follows with a nice hook to the body. Browne grazes Overeem with a flying knee and Overeem tries to set up a guillotine choke. Browne separates the hands and he's back up briefly, but Overeem collapses him with a knee to the body. Overeem lands dozens of unanswered punches and another knee to the body. Referee Mario Yamasaki misses an illegal knee to the head from Overeem. Browne is back up and Overeem is still aggressively punching and kneeing him. Browne lands a short counter, but Overeem stays on him. Overeem drops levels for a takedown and gets it briefly before losing the position. Browne is moving back and throwing front kicks as Overeem clinches up again. Browne goes high with another kick. Browne flattens Overeem with a front kick that lands flush. The Hawaiian rushes in with two big punches and Yamasaki waves off the fight. Overeem is unhappy with the stoppage, but it was justified.
Final Result: Travis Browne def. Alistair Overeem via KO (front kick and punches) at 4:08, Round 1
Urijah Faber vs. Iuri Alcantara
Round 1
Faber charges in from the onset. Alcantara uses Faber's own momentum to throw him and secure a full mount. Faber squirms around and Alcantara transitions to an armbar attempt. Faber attacks a leg, forcing Alcantara to defend. Alcantara stays on him, taking his back and blasting him with punches. Faber fends off Alcantara's choke attempt and escapes the position. Faber turns the tide and emphatically slams the Brazilian. Faber tries to pin down an arm. Alcantara nearly escapes, but Faber batters him with sharp elbows from the half-guard. Alcantara regains full guard, but Faber's elbows are still getting through. A tremendous shift in momentum as time expires. FOXSports.com scores the round 10-9 Faber.
Round 2
Faber attempts a head kick and loses his balance. Alcantara dives for a kimura attempt, which Faber spins into a takedown. Back in full guard, Faber goes to work with short punches and elbows. Alcantara scrambles, allowing Faber to attack the body with knees. Faber lets go of a possible guillotine choke attempt to continue peppering away with ground-and-pound inside his opponent's guard. Faber elevates and uses another guillotine position to gain half-guard. A series of elbows open another guillotine choke attempt, but Alcantara survives. Faber is aggressively blasting Alcantara with punches, but the Brazilian finally regains his base. Alcantara tries another throw, but Faber overpowers him and continues to inflict damage from the guard. Faber takes the one-sided round 10-9 on the FOXSports.com card.
Round 3
Faber lands a low kick and fakes a pair of takedown attempts. Faber charges in before blocking a head kick. Faber finally catches Alcantara and drags him to the floor. Back inside the guard, Faber is landing consistent short shots. Alcantara tries to elevate for a sweep, but Faber defends. Alcantara rolls for an armbar and it's also defended. Alcantara switches to an omoplata and Faber slides across to his back. "The California Kid" smothers Alcantara, evading late danger to win the round 10-9 and take the fight 30-27 on the FOXSports.com card.
Final Result: Urijah Faber def. Iuri Alcantara via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Matt Brown vs. Mike Pyle
Round 1
Brown opens the fray with a hard leg kick. Brown is giving Pyle no room to breathe, walking him down with combinations. A right hand wobbles Pyle and a followup left knee drops him. Brown is all over his fallen opponent and he finishes him off with an accurate barrage of punches, improving his winning streak to six.
Final Result: Matt Brown def. Mike Pyle via KO (punches) at 0:29, Round 1
Uriah Hall vs. John Howard
Round 1
Surprisingly, Hall wastes little time shooting in for a takedown. He controls Howard, who works his butterfly hooks off his back. Hall gets up and kicks the thighs. Howard hits a strong leg kick before walking into a knee and a pair of stiff jabs. A spinning wheel kick from Hall misses the mark, but his stiff jab is landing. Howard connects on a big left hook and Hall initiates the clinch. Hall unsuccessfully works on a takedown against the cage. A short elbow lands for Howard, who follows it up with a leg kick and wild hooks. Now it's Howard who decides to drop levels in pursuit of a takedown, which Hall defends well. Time runs out and FOXSports.com edges the round to Hall, 10-9.
Round 2
Hall gets through first with a front kick. They trade leg kicks. Hall goes upstairs with a pair of kicks, but they're blocked. Howard closes the distance with some left hooks as Hall circles. Hall shoots in for a takedown, while Howard tries to lock in a guillotine choke. Howard is the aggressor, throwing lunging hooks as Hall backpedals. Howard grabs onto a single-leg against the cage, but Hall keeps his footing. Howard attacks the body inside the clinch, while Hall lands knees up the middle. Referee Mario Yamasaki breaks up the clinch and they return to the center of the Octagon. Howard misses a hook and a knee attempt from Hall gives him the opportunity to latch onto a leg. Hall spins him over with a kimura attempt and takes his back. Howard now goes to work on a kimura and Hall backs away. Howard tags Hall with a big combination and finally scores a takedown. He doesn't pass the guard, but still lands effective body punches. FOXSports.com favors Howard in the second round, 10-9, which means we could be going down to the wire.
Round 3
They both land some combinations in the early going of the final round before Hall charges in for a takedown. Howard stuffs it in the clinch and they separate with three minutes remaining. Hall misses a high kick and Howard lands low. Hall catches Howard with a knee coming forward, but it gives him the opening to score a takedown. Howard almost takes Hall's back as he regains his balance. Howard is landing knees to the thigh and tries to take Hall's back standing. Hall reverses the momentum and scores a key takedown of his own. Howard is back up and they separate with 30 seconds left. Hall attempts a spinning kick, but misses and lands on the floor. Howard blasts Hall with a jumping punch and ends up in full mount as time expires. FOXSports.com narrowly gives the nod to Howard 10-9 for a 29-28 upset victory.
Final Result: John Howard def. Uriah Hall via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson
Round 1
Johnson paws away with punches and kicks, but nothing of significance is getting through. Lauzon is moving forward and absorbing strikes, unable to cope with Johnson's speedy footwork. Johnson is connecting with straight punches to the head and body, eventually flooring Lauzon with a hard straight left hand. Lauzon pops back up, but Johnson is all over him. Lauzon counters with a right hand and begins to recover. Johnson's boxing is looking sharp as he blasts Lauzon with combinations. Johnson tees off with hard uppercuts and drops Lauzon with a pair of straight left hands. Lauzon tries to lure Johnson in, but he wants none of it. Johnson drops Lauzon again with a lunging knee to the body as time expires. FOXSports.com scores the round 10-8 for Johnson, who just turned in the best round of his career.
Round 2
Lauzon charges in desperately as he pursues a takedown against the cage. Johnson defends well and escapes from danger. Johnson's movement has slowed and Lauzon's jab is beginning to land. Lauzon briefly gets a muay thai plumb and scores with some knees. Johnson closes the distance and pushes Lauzon against the cage, while targeting the thighs with short knees. They disengage and Johnson gets off some combinations. With 15 seconds remaining, Johnson changes levels and scores a critical takedown. A better round for Lauzon, but FOXSports.com still sees it for Johnson, 10-9.
Round 3
Lauzon's back is against the wall as the third period gets underway. Johnson gives us more of the same by mixing up combinations. A flurry of punches and kicks has Lauzon on wobbly legs. Johnson is punishing his foe, effectively utilizing his speed to dodge in and out of range. Lauzon's face is bloodied and battered as Johnson targets the head and body, virtually at will. Lauzon knees Johnson's body with 30 seconds left, but Johnson answers with a quick takedown, putting an exclamation mark on a brilliant underdog performance. FOXSports.com scores the round 10-9 Johnson and the fight 30-26 in his favor.
Final Result: Michael Johnson def. Joe Lauzon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Michael McDonald vs. Brad Pickett
Round 1
A leg kick lands for McDonald as Pickett misses with his hands. McDonald counters Pickett with a short hook as he charges in. McDonald hurts Pickett with a left hand and swarms him with combinations. McDonald drops an incredibly tough Pickett twice and cuts him open, but Pickett survives the barrage. McDonald used a lot of energy pursuing the finish, so his offense has slowed considerably. McDonald lands a high kick and drops Pickett again with an accurately placed right hand. McDonald is now landing short punches in Pickett's guard before letting him back to his feet. Pickett walks right into a high knee from McDonald and he gets countered by another right hand. Pickett still walks forward, but he's having trouble coping with McDonald's speed. McDonald counters another combination from Pickett and follows it up with a sharp uppercut before the round ends. Strong 10-8 round for McDonald.
Round 2
Pickett is still aggressive, but McDonald is technically outclassing him with accurate counters. Pickett drops levels and secures a pivotal takedown. McDonald closes his guard as Pickett tries to improve his position. Pickett is landing punches to the body, but few significant strikes are finding their mark. Pickett lands several nice short elbows before McDonald isolates an arm and catches him in a tight triangle choke. Pickett spins over, but McDonald tightens the move to coax the impressive tapout.
Final Result: Michael McDonald def. Brad Pickett via submission (triangle choke) at 3:43, Round 2
Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
Round 1
The fan favorite McGregor strikes first with a high kick. Holloway circles and responds with a high kick of his own. McGregor lands a left hook followed by a front-leg hook kick. They trade hooks, but McGregor is the aggressor. Low kicks are landing for Holloway. McGregor blasts Holloway with a flurry, backing him up against the cage. Holloway circles out as McGregor continues to come forward with strikes. A straight right hand lands for McGregor. McGregor's hands are low, but Holloway keeps backing up. Holloway finally lands a nice hook, but the most significant strikes are coming from the Irishman. McGregor closes the distance and they clinch up as the round ends. FOXSports.com gives the opening stanza to McGregor, 10-9.
Round 2
McGregor connects with two straight left hands. Holloway paws with a jab, but he's seldom landing. McGregor goes to work on the legs and then busts open Holloway's nose with another straight left. They trade flurries, but McGregor is getting the best of the exchanges. A nice right uppercut lands for McGregor. Holloway catches McGregor charging in with a short hook. McGregor catches a kick and drops Holloway with a straight punch. McGregor tries to pass Holloway's guard to no avail. McGregor postures up, but Holloway avoids any damage and pulls him back into his guard. McGregor pushes off and passes the guard. McGregor maintains side control as time runs out. FOXSports.com scores it 10-9 for McGregor.
Round 3
Holloway lands a right hand before McGregor shoots in and gets him down. McGregor quickly passes to side control and shifts his focus to Holloway's right arm. McGregor nearly gets the mount, but Holloway rolls out. McGregor plants him back on the canvas. This time, he secures the full mount. McGregor exhibits great patience on top, not giving Holloway any opportunities to escape. Holloway begins to roll, giving up his back. McGregor uses the position to bash him with punches and elbows. Holloway scoots out and they are back to a vertical base. McGregor turns the corner and secures another takedown with 30 seconds left on the clock. He rides out the position to win the round 10-9 and the fight 30-27 on the FOXSports.com scorecard.
Final Result: Conor McGregor def. Max Holloway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Mike Brown vs. Steven Siler
Round 1
They touch gloves and we're off. An outside leg kick lands for Brown. Good footwork from Siler, who lands his own leg kick. Brown charges with winging hooks, but Siler counters and clips him with a right hand. Siler immediately pounces. Brown tries to push off, but Siler is relentless. Brown is limp as referee Yves Lavigne jumps in between the two fighters. Brown instinctively latches onto one of Lavigne's legs, but he was clearly out.
Final Result: Steven Siler def. Mike Brown via KO (punches) at 0:50, Round 1
Diego Brandao vs Daniel Pineda
Round 1
Pineda comes out aggressive, but Brandao dodges his combinations. Brandao stuffs a takedown attempt and lands a lopping hook. The Brazilian bombards Pineda with hooks and flying knees. Pineda swings back and the crowd erupts. Brandao comes forward again and finds the target, but Pineda fires right back. Nice left hook to the body from Brandao, whose offense has slowed significantly. Brandao lands another overhand right, but Pineda is taking his shots well. Brandao lands a series of punches, dropping Pineda to the mat. Brandao follows him with a big punch, but Pineda pops back up. Brandao wraps his arms around the body and gets a takedown. Brandao tries to pass the hard-guard, but Pineda uses his hips to escape. Brandao makes him pay with a knee to the body. Brandao initiates another combination, but Pineda is throwing back. Very fast-paced opening round, which FOXSports.com scores 10-9 Brandao.
Round 2
Pineda is throwing bombs early, but Brandao exhibits great patience and answers with a quick takedown. Brandao is teeing off with short shots on top. Pineda attempts a triangle choke, which gives him the opening he needs to get back up. Brandao seems to hurt Pineda with a combination, but he appears to have been playing possum and lands a back elbow as Brandao comes forward. Brandao wastes little time closing the distance and secures another takedown. Brandao is exhausted and he's unable to inflict any damage. Pineda uses a kimura attempt to reverse the position he winds up in full-mount. The tide has turned as Pineda drops a cavalcade of elbows and accurately placed punches. Brandao tries to roll out of the position and gets the half-guard. Brandao latches onto a leg, but Pineda spins out of it and maintains top control in Brandao's guard. Pineda stays busy with steady ground-and-pound as the round comes to an end. FOXSports.com scores it 10-9 Pineda.
Round 3
Brandao is much slower to start the final round, but he gets a takedown. Pineda separates and allows Pineda to get back up, tagging him with a cheap shot as he gets to his feet. Brandao shoots in again and scores another takedown. Pineda scoots up and he's now stalking his opponent. Pineda stuffs a lazy takedown attempt and lands a solid body shot. Brandao stays aggressive and lands another takedown. Pineda gives up his back as he gets up and Brandao drags him back down. Pineda goes back to a kimura attempt and briefly rolls Brandao over, but they're back up. Another takedown for Brandao, who is now working on an arm-triangle choke. Referee Mario Yamasaki stands the fighters up with a minute left. Pineda misses a pair of wheel kicks. Pineda storms with punches, but Brandao stuffs his takedown attempt. Pineda lands a big right hand and Brandao responds with a head kick as the final horn sounds. FOXSports.com gives Brandao the edge 10-9 and the fight 29-28.
Final Result: Diego Brandao def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Manny Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller
Round 1
Gamburyan lands a hard leg kick, while Miller peppers him with jabs and front kicks from a distance. Gamburyan is having a hard time closing the distance and misses on a big overhand right. Miller continues to find success with a stiff jab as Gamburyan presses forward. Gamburyan shoots in and slams Miller to the mat. Miller closes his guard and wraps a body triangle around Gamburyan, who lands some short elbows. Miller bounces back to his feet with 10 seconds left. Gamburyan stays on him and Miller lands hard elbows to the side of his temple. Gamburyan is visibly dazed as time expires and the doctor rushes in to check on him. He gets the go-ahead to continue moments before the second round gets underway. FOXSports.com scores the first frame 10-9 Miller.
Round 2
Miller picks up where he left off, using his reach advantage to pepper away with punches and kicks. Gamburyan lands a pair of solid outside leg kicks, but Miller is staying busier. Miller almost connects with a knee as Gamburyan shoots in. Miller uses the cage to stand up, but Gamburyan keeps pressing forward. Miller lands several hard knees inside the clinch and Miller takes his back momentarily. Gamburyan reverses the position and scores another takedown. Gamburyan is cut open from the knees, but he goes to work with small punches in the guard. Miller once again stands up, but Gamburyan doesn't give him any space and takes him down with less than a minute left. Miller pushes off, but Gamburyan greets him with two looping shots. They separate and circle as the second round comes to an end. FOXSports.com sees it 10-9 Gamburyan.
Round 3
Gamburyan gets the final round started with a hard inside leg kick. He misses a looping hook, but connects on his second attempt. Another leg kick lands for Gamburyan. Miller's jab begins to find its target. Gamburyan lands another overhand, but Miller is unfazed. Miller catches Gamburyan with a crushing knee and Gamburyan instinctively takes him down. Some body work from Gamburyan as Miller looks for openings in his guard. Miller is landing short punches off his back, but neither fighter is scoring with anything significant on the mat. Miller tries to push off the fence, but Gamburyan maintains control and slams Miller again with less than 20 seconds remaining. Gamburyan drops some elbows as time expires. A 10-9 round and 29-28 score for Gamburyan on the FOXSports.com card.
Final Result: Manny Gamburyan def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ovince St. Preux vs. Cody Donovan
Round 1
The fighters circle and Donovan charges in, grazing St. Preux with a combination. They clinch up against the cage and Donovan lands a few uppercuts as they separate. Donovan closes the distance again and works on a takedown, but St. Preux keeps his footing. Donovan finally gets him down, but St. Preux maintains his balance and rolls him over. St. Preux unloads with big left hands inside Donovan's guard and referee Herb Dean rescues Donovan from further punishment.
Final Result: Ovince St. Preux def. Cody Donovan via KO (punches) at 2:07, Round 1
Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick
Round 1
Ramsey throws a pair of kicks and immediately drops levels to shoot in for a takedown. Vick defends well, using the cage to return a vertical base. Vick latches onto a tight power guillotine choke. Nijem falls to the floor and Vick flips him over to add leverage, prompting the swift tapout. Impressive debut for the "TUF 15" veteran.
Final Result: James Vick def. Ramsey Nijem via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:58, Round 1
