Nissen Osterneck vs. Jake Rosholt
Round 1: Osterneck charges forward with a flurry, a 5- or 6-shot combo, some of which connect to the face of Rosholt but don't appear to do much damage. Rosholt immediately clinches and goes for the takedown... and gets it. The wrestler momentarily takes Osterneck's back, but Osterneck rolls out of it and then they're back to the feet. Osterneck with more heavy shots, more combinations, connecting hard now. Now knees from the clinch, but Rosholt ties up and uses a hip toss which I'm sure Nate will have a gif of soon. Rosholt pummeling from the top. Osterneck turtling up with Rosholt in side mount, and just as Troy Waugh warns not to knee to the head on the ground, Rosholt... knees Osterneck in the head, on the ground. It may have been accidental, Waugh restarts them on the ground with no penalty as Osterneck appears no worse for wear. Rosholt in side control, Osterneck turns and gives up his back where Jake gets hooks in and begins raining down hard shots with :30 remaining. Osterneck manages to flip and survive the frame. Close round as Osterneck did damage on the feet, but Rosholt dominated on the floor. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Rosholt.
Round 2: Rosholt takes it back to the floor immediately but Osterneck looks to lock up a triangle! Rosholt escapes and moves to side control - both guys looking winded already. Some sharp elbows and hammerfists from side control, but Rosholt is clearly gassing and Osterneck stands right up now. Now Osterneck brutalizing the winded Jake Rosholt (hands at his side) with winging strikes, knees and kicks. Looking for a KO left head kick, Osterneck slips and is mounted by Rosholt. Osterneck either injured himself, has totally shot his wad, or both - he's conscious but merely laying and barely covering up as Rosholt pummels his head from back mount. Troy Waugh is screaming "Improve your position!" for 15-20 seconds before he's forced to end it. Wild, wild fight.
Jake Rosholt def. Nissen Osterneck via TKO (Strikes) at 3:48 of Round 2
Leonard Garcia vs. Jens Pulver
Round 1: Tentative standup in the first minute, Garcia hitting harder but Jens landing more. Garcia moving forward, stuns Pulver with a nasty left hook, then a right - at least that's what it looked like, dude has fast hands. Lil Evil stumbles back, tries to shake the cobwebs loose and gives a stunned look worthy of Glass Joe in Punch Out. Garacia charges with a crisp right leg kick and left hand and Jens crumples. Pulver is disheveld, one knee on the mat, Garcia standing over him teeing off until the ref steps in. "Impressive" isn't even the word.
Leonard Garcia def. Jens Pulver via TKO (Strikes) at 1:12 of Round 1
Prelim time - two undefeated 185'ers in a fight which doesn't mean much of anything as the WEC has abolished the division.
Aaron Simpson vs. David Avellan
Round 1: After :30 of uneventful standup, Simpson ducks in with a left to the body and an overhand right which sends Avellan to the canvas like a ragdoll. Simpson pounds away, waking the unconscious Avellan who has to be told the fight's over as Simpson celebrates. Crispy flash KO. Maybe Simpson won't have to try out for TUF now?
Aaron Simpson def. David Avellan via KO (Punch) at 0:45 of Round 1
Chael Sonnen vs. Paulo Filho
Round 1: The Brazilian fighter shoots and latches on to his opponent's left leg, but Sonnen is sprawling flawlessly and sending down shots as Filho crawls forward. Filho looks sluggish, misses with a wild right hook and catches a jab to the face as he slips and falls. Sonnen standing over Filho, who's inviting Sonnen down. Chael trying to lunge in with hard shots but Filho's keeping the distance - why won't Sonnen just let him up? Now Sonnen ties up the legs and briefly moves to side control... but Filho starts to intertwine and Sonnen stands right back up. Filho still butt-scooting, looking bored with 1:00 remaining as Sonnen stomps his ankles to no effect. Filho snatches a leg momentarily but Sonnen spins out. He still won't let Filho up! The round runs out with Sonnen landing some leg kicks and Filho relaxing on his side. The crowd is not surprisingly displeased. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Sonnen.
Round 2: Two lazy leg kicks from Filho to start the round, and Sonnen paid him back for both with sharp left hands straight to the face. Paulo pulls closed guard but Sonnen slips out and this time backs right up to allow the Brazilian to his feet. And again. He must've been hearing it from his corner. Filho tries to pull guard once more and Sonnen plows him into the mat, then stands right back up. Filho is exhausted and looking lost with 2:00 left, lunging in and telegraphing his wild left hands. Sonnen by comparison looking indefatigable. Filho lazily shoots and Sonnen sprawls out perfectly, leaving Filho to get up off the ground one more time. I'm close to making this 10-8, but... BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Sonnen.
Round 3: "It's not exciting, it's not sexy." You can say that again, Todd. Filho shoots from a mile away, just an excuse to slide into the butt-scoot. Lots of boos as Sonnen decides to stand over him again. The ref finally takes control and restarts it with 3:00 to go in the round. Sonnen's been beating Filho up on the feet for two but he's looking tentative now, not trying to get caught in another late submission. Filho is doing absolutely nothing except covering up when Sonnen moves forward with his one-two combinations. Crowd chanting "bullshit." 0:45 left, they tie up for a brief moment and Sonnen hits a great standing elbow. Frank Mir is freaking out because Filho keeps looking off into the crowd and apparently mumbling to himself; Mir says he's seeing Jesus. Filho does seem out of it - as time expires at last and Sonnen tries to get his attention to slap hands, the Brazilian looks completely disoriented. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-8 Sonnen.
BloodyElbow.com scores the bout 30-26 for Chael Sonnen.
Chael Sonnen def. Paulo Filho via Decision (Unanimous; 30-27 x3)
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Urijah Faber
Round 1: Brown trying to find his range early, Faber just eyeing him and sizing him up. Faber ducks in with some quick punches but Brown clinches up and sends some knees up the middle. Faber with a crisp straight left, but Brown charges forward and Urijah is backed into the cage. The champ bounces off and Brown switches levels, scores a takedown and stuns Faber with a left as he pops back up. Faber bounces off the cage, stumbles and throws a wild standing right elbow in desperation but eats a vicious right uppercut from Brown and falls to the ground turtling up. Brown is pounding away, Faber barely defending and Waugh giving the California Kid every chance to recover. Finally the ref has no choice and we've got a new WEC Featherweight Champ. Mike Thomas Brown really did just shock the world.
Mike Thomas Brown def. Urijah Faber via TKO (Punches) at 2:23 of Round 1
