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Clay Guida shut down "Showtime."
Guida kept a frenetic pace, scored with multiple takedowns and thwarted numerous submission attempts, as he spoiled the promotional debut of former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in a unanimous decision victory at "The Ultimate Fighter 13" Finale on Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Executing his game plan to near perfection, Guida (29-11, 9-5 UFC) closed the distance on Pettis and either pinned him on the cage or planted him on his back. Pettis stayed active from the bottom, threatening with triangles and armbars, but none of them caught Guida, who showed off superb submission defense and never slowed down.
Pettis (13-2, 0-1 UFC) had his chance late in the third round. On an attempted takedown from Guida, he scrambled into top position, secured full mount and forced the Chicagoan to surrender his back. Pettis searched as he punched, working to position himself for a rear-naked choke. The relentless Guida escaped, however, as he shook the Milwaukee native free. He put a late exclamation point on his victory, as he pressed the downed Pettis against the cage and took back control, hooks in, at the horn.
Guida, emerging as a potential title contender at 155 pounds, has pieced together a four-fight winning streak since his back-to-back losses to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian.
"We showed them what wrestling is all about," he said. "I want to show them that I'm the No. 1 contender. Lightweight division, look out in 2011. It's my year."
Ferguson KOs Nijem, takes TUF 13 crown
Tony Ferguson added his name to a distinguished list that includes former UFC light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, as he knocked out Ramsey Nijem in the first round of "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 welterweight final.
A clean left hook dropped Nijem near the cage, and Ferguson polished off the Utah-based wrestler with a stiff right hand 3:54 into Round 1.
"Holy crap, man," Ferguson said, "I don't remember even throwing that."
Ferguson (11-2, 1-0 UFC) caught Nijem off guard less than 20 seconds into the bout, as he scored with a takedown and took a dominant top position. The two ultimately returned to their feet, but the tone had been set. Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC) had one more Ferguson weapon about which to worry.
Standing, Ferguson was the superior fighter. He worked off his jab until the opening presented itself. The 27-year-old Californian fired a right hand that grazed the top of Nijem's head and then landed the left hook that marked the beginning of the end. The fallen Nijem could not defend himself as the final punch fell.
"I learned a lot about myself in [the house during the season]," Ferguson said. "I kept a lot of stuff bottled up, and I brought a lot of demons in there. From now on, I want to do the right thing so that kids can look up to me as a role model."
Herman Blasts Credeur in return
In his first appearance in nearly two years, "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 3 finalist Ed Herman needed less than a minute to put away Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Tim Credeur.
Herman (22-9, 5-5 UFC) blitzed Credeur with powerful first-round punches in their featured middleweight bout, as he made a triumphant return from a knee injury that resulted in two surgeries and had kept him on the sideline since UFC 102 in August 2009. He stopped Credeur in just 48 seconds.
Credeur met with trouble in the clinch, as Herman pinned his head and dragged him into a brutal right uppercut that planted the stunned Louisianan on his back. Herman wasted no time, as he showered Credeur (12-4, 3-2 UFC) with a series of heavy standing-to-ground punches that ended it.
"I've been working my uppercut a lot, man," Herman said. "I've been hurting people with it."
Kingsbury outlasts Maldonado
American Kickboxing Academy representative Kyle Kingsbury walked out of the cage with a victory and a mangled right eye.
A former college football player, Kingsbury utilized solid clinch work and superior wrestling, as he outdueled Brazilian striker Fabio Maldonado en route to a unanimous decision in a middleweight showcase. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Kingsbury, who has quietly put together a streak of four consecutive wins.
Kingsbury (11-2, 1 NC, 4-1 UFC) enjoyed early success with the Thai plum, as he attacked Maldonado's body, head and forearms with knees. He scored with the first of his two first-round takedowns with roughly three minutes left in the period. However, Maldonado trapped him with an arm-in guillotine choke and forced him to scramble free. Later, when Kingsbury returned to the clinch, Maldonado answered with cracking body shots. His work did not go unnoticed.
"We watched a lot of film on this guy," Kingsbury said. "We knew he had great body shots, but until you get in there, you never really know what a guy is packing. He's devastating."
All three rounds were close and competitive, as the sculpted 6-foot-4 Kingsbury used his considerable length to keep Maldonado (18-4, 1-1 UFC) at bay with jabs, front kicks and straight rights. Timely takedowns were a nice weapon, too. Maldonado, who has more than 20 professional boxing matches under his belt, let his hands fly when the opportunities presented themselves. A picture-perfect two-punch combination in the third round left Kingsbury with considerable damage to his left eye. Even so, victory was his. The defeat snapped Maldonado's 11-fight winning streak.
"I'm very happy I came away with the win," Kingsbury said. "I've never been in a harder fight in my life."
Cope outworks teammate O'Neil
Strikeforce veteran Chris Cope frustrated and controlled "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 teammate Chuck O'Neil with constant movement and a relentless output of various kicks and punches en route to a unanimous decision in a featured welterweight matchup.
All three cageside judges scored it 30-27 for Cope (5-1, 1-0 UFC), who has won back-to-back bouts.
Cope stymied his opponent with a high work rate, as he kept his fists in O'Neil's face throughout the 15-minute encounter. He emptied his tool box, unleashing everything from standard low kicks and left hooks to spinning-heel kicks, Superman punches and spinning-back fists. O'Neil (8-4, 0-1 UFC), who entered his promotional debut on a three-fight winning streak, had nothing with which to respond.
"A lot of people growing up doubted me and told me I wasn't a good enough athlete," said Cope. "How do you like me now?"
Stephens outpoints, dominates Downes
Jeremy Stephens had too much power, too much experience and too much aggression for Daniel Downes, as he defeated the Duke Roufus protégé in a one-sided unanimous decision.
Stephens (20-6, 7-5 UFC) swept the scorecards in the preliminary lightweight matchup, earning a pair of 10-8 rounds from the judges: 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26. The 25-year-old Des Moines, Iowa, native has won four of his last five fights.
A three-time "Knockout of the night" winner, Stephens drilled Downes with repeated low kicks, overhand rights, uppercuts to the body and timely takedowns. He drew blood in the third round, carried Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC) across the cage en route to a takedown and thwarted the once-beaten WEC veteran at every turn. Stephens nearly finished it in the waning moments, as he locked in a rear-naked choke on his bloodied foe. It's possible that only the horn saved Downes.
Roop springs upset, stops Grispi
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 6 semifinalist George Roop sprang an upset on Josh Grispi, as he stopped the talented WEC import on third-round punches in a preliminary featherweight matchup. The end came 3:14 into Round 3.
Grispi was never much of a factor in the fight. A former Rage in the Cage champion who now trains under Shawn Tompkins, Roop (12-7-1, 2-3 UFC) battered the aggressive 22-year-old Plympton, Mass., native with elbows to the head and punches and knees to the body. He answered takedowns by quickly rising to his feet and unleashing his strikes.
By the time Round 3 rolled around, Grispi was so exhausted by the punishment he had absorbed that referee Herb Dean had to warn him to keep his mouth guard where it belonged. A right hand to the gut put down Grispi (14-3, 0-2 UFC) and sent Dean in motion for the stoppage. Grispi entered the match with 10 wins in his last 11 outings.
"I'm always going to be the underdog," Roop said. "I always have been."
Bailey wrestles McGillivray to decision
Repeated takedowns and positional dominance carried Strikeforce veteran Shamar Bailey to a unanimous decision over "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 teammate Ryan McGillivray in a 170-pound undercard bout. Bailey swept the scorecards by matching 30-27 counts and halted a two-fight losing streak in doing so.
An Indianapolis-based Integrated Fighting Academy representative, Bailey (12-3, 1-0 UFC) set the stage for victory in the first round, as he secured three takedowns and also attacked with effect on the feet, utilizing a stout left hand and work from the muay Thai plum. His handiwork left McGillivray with swelling near his left eye.
Rounds 2 and 3took on a similar feel, and even though Bailey's pace slowed, his wrestling was strong enough to allow him to execute takedowns and dictate where the fight took place. Unable to stay upright, McGillivray (11-5-1, 0-1 UFC) let his frustrations spill forth as his Octagon debut came to a close in disappointing fashion.
Harvison takes split nod, tops Edwards
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 quarterfinalist Clay Harvison took a split decision from previously unbeaten castmate Justin Edwards in a preliminary welterweight tilt. All three cage-side judges scored it 29-28, two of them for Harvison.
Edwards (6-1, 0-1 UFC) came out with strong intent, as he scored with multiple takedowns and effective strikes in the first round. Harvison recalibrated for Round 2, as he stonewalled Edwards' efforts to get him to the ground and racked up points while the two remained upright.
The 30-year-old Georgian followed a similar recipe in the third, as he landed crisp combinations and turned away attempted takedowns. Harvison (7-1, 1-0 UFC) later delivered a trip takedown of his own, passing Edwards' guard into side control. A Jorge Gurgel protégé, Edwards made a last-ditch play for the judges, as he struck for a late takedown and took his foe's back. He lost position but trapped Harvison against the cage, firing away with punches to the bell.
Jorgensen waylays ATT's Stone
Former WEC bantamweight title contender Scott Jorgensen dazzled in his UFC debut, as he knocked out American Top Team's Ken Stone with ground-and-pound 4:01 into their 135-pound undercard bout.
The two UFC rookies traded strikes from the start, until Jorgensen altered the landscape of the fight with a takedown. Stone (9-3, 0-1 UFC) remained aggressive and maneuvered for submissions from his back but left himself vulnerable to Jorgensen's considerable speed and power. The Twisted Genetiks representative snapped Stone's head to the side with a right hand from inside guard and polished off the Coconut Creek, Fla.-based bantamweight with another. Follow-up blows landed on the unconscious Stone before referee Steve Mazzagatti could leap in to save him.
Jorgensen (12-4, 1-0 UFC) has rattled off six wins in his past seven outings.
Duran choke submits Rivera
A back-and-forth encounter ended with a decisive finish, as Reuben Duran submitted WEC import Francisco Rivera with a third-round rear-naked choke in a preliminary bantamweight matchup. Rivera asked out of the fight 1:57 into Round 3.
Duran (7-3-1, 0-1 UFC) weathered two attempted guillotine chokes from Rivera in the first round and found another gear in the second. The 27-year-old Ontario, Calif., native nearly mounted Rivera, took back control and searched for a choke in the closing seconds. It was a sign of what was to come.
A King of the Cage veteran, Duran followed a series of clean punches with a powerful takedown in the third round, as he landed in side mount and went to work. Threatened with a topside crucifix, Rivera (5-2, 0-1 UFC) instead surrendered his back. Not long after, the rear-naked choke and tapout followed. Duran has posted five wins in his last six appearances.
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So Greg Jackson has ruined Clay Guida and turned him from one of the most exciting fighters in MMA in a grinding humper. Guida exposed Pettis as being over-rated and really beat him pretty easily. I've been saying Pettis was over-rated all along, I think he's got ridiculous amounts of talent but he's got a lot of work to do.
Tony Ferguson showed impressive power to KO Ramsey but I don't know that he was all that impressive overall. I thought he looked poor when pressurized and his boxing is very much jab and hook with not a lot else. On a side note, Goldberg once again embarrassed himself with some incredible stupid. It was clearly a huge left hook that knocked Ramsey down, everyone in the world saw it, Goldberg screams out "Big Right Hand" and then tried to cover himself by acting like he was talking about the follow up shot "there's the big right hand Joe" which in truth was merely academic. He's simply the worst commentator in all of sports.
Ed Herman impressed me. Good to see him back.
Jorgensen is a little monster. Really impressed with him again.
Didn't watch any of the other fights because I was flicking between the two boxing fights(Froch-Johnson and the Chavez fight) but I have to say, the atmosphere was fucking horrendous. Guida vs Pettis deserved a bigger stage than that.
Guida kept a frenetic pace, scored with multiple takedowns and thwarted numerous submission attempts, as he spoiled the promotional debut of former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in a unanimous decision victory at "The Ultimate Fighter 13" Finale on Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Executing his game plan to near perfection, Guida (29-11, 9-5 UFC) closed the distance on Pettis and either pinned him on the cage or planted him on his back. Pettis stayed active from the bottom, threatening with triangles and armbars, but none of them caught Guida, who showed off superb submission defense and never slowed down.
Pettis (13-2, 0-1 UFC) had his chance late in the third round. On an attempted takedown from Guida, he scrambled into top position, secured full mount and forced the Chicagoan to surrender his back. Pettis searched as he punched, working to position himself for a rear-naked choke. The relentless Guida escaped, however, as he shook the Milwaukee native free. He put a late exclamation point on his victory, as he pressed the downed Pettis against the cage and took back control, hooks in, at the horn.
Guida, emerging as a potential title contender at 155 pounds, has pieced together a four-fight winning streak since his back-to-back losses to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian.
"We showed them what wrestling is all about," he said. "I want to show them that I'm the No. 1 contender. Lightweight division, look out in 2011. It's my year."
Ferguson KOs Nijem, takes TUF 13 crown
Tony Ferguson added his name to a distinguished list that includes former UFC light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, as he knocked out Ramsey Nijem in the first round of "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 welterweight final.
A clean left hook dropped Nijem near the cage, and Ferguson polished off the Utah-based wrestler with a stiff right hand 3:54 into Round 1.
"Holy crap, man," Ferguson said, "I don't remember even throwing that."
Ferguson (11-2, 1-0 UFC) caught Nijem off guard less than 20 seconds into the bout, as he scored with a takedown and took a dominant top position. The two ultimately returned to their feet, but the tone had been set. Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC) had one more Ferguson weapon about which to worry.
Standing, Ferguson was the superior fighter. He worked off his jab until the opening presented itself. The 27-year-old Californian fired a right hand that grazed the top of Nijem's head and then landed the left hook that marked the beginning of the end. The fallen Nijem could not defend himself as the final punch fell.
"I learned a lot about myself in [the house during the season]," Ferguson said. "I kept a lot of stuff bottled up, and I brought a lot of demons in there. From now on, I want to do the right thing so that kids can look up to me as a role model."
Herman Blasts Credeur in return
In his first appearance in nearly two years, "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 3 finalist Ed Herman needed less than a minute to put away Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Tim Credeur.
Herman (22-9, 5-5 UFC) blitzed Credeur with powerful first-round punches in their featured middleweight bout, as he made a triumphant return from a knee injury that resulted in two surgeries and had kept him on the sideline since UFC 102 in August 2009. He stopped Credeur in just 48 seconds.
Credeur met with trouble in the clinch, as Herman pinned his head and dragged him into a brutal right uppercut that planted the stunned Louisianan on his back. Herman wasted no time, as he showered Credeur (12-4, 3-2 UFC) with a series of heavy standing-to-ground punches that ended it.
"I've been working my uppercut a lot, man," Herman said. "I've been hurting people with it."
Kingsbury outlasts Maldonado
American Kickboxing Academy representative Kyle Kingsbury walked out of the cage with a victory and a mangled right eye.
A former college football player, Kingsbury utilized solid clinch work and superior wrestling, as he outdueled Brazilian striker Fabio Maldonado en route to a unanimous decision in a middleweight showcase. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Kingsbury, who has quietly put together a streak of four consecutive wins.
Kingsbury (11-2, 1 NC, 4-1 UFC) enjoyed early success with the Thai plum, as he attacked Maldonado's body, head and forearms with knees. He scored with the first of his two first-round takedowns with roughly three minutes left in the period. However, Maldonado trapped him with an arm-in guillotine choke and forced him to scramble free. Later, when Kingsbury returned to the clinch, Maldonado answered with cracking body shots. His work did not go unnoticed.
"We watched a lot of film on this guy," Kingsbury said. "We knew he had great body shots, but until you get in there, you never really know what a guy is packing. He's devastating."
All three rounds were close and competitive, as the sculpted 6-foot-4 Kingsbury used his considerable length to keep Maldonado (18-4, 1-1 UFC) at bay with jabs, front kicks and straight rights. Timely takedowns were a nice weapon, too. Maldonado, who has more than 20 professional boxing matches under his belt, let his hands fly when the opportunities presented themselves. A picture-perfect two-punch combination in the third round left Kingsbury with considerable damage to his left eye. Even so, victory was his. The defeat snapped Maldonado's 11-fight winning streak.
"I'm very happy I came away with the win," Kingsbury said. "I've never been in a harder fight in my life."
Cope outworks teammate O'Neil
Strikeforce veteran Chris Cope frustrated and controlled "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 teammate Chuck O'Neil with constant movement and a relentless output of various kicks and punches en route to a unanimous decision in a featured welterweight matchup.
All three cageside judges scored it 30-27 for Cope (5-1, 1-0 UFC), who has won back-to-back bouts.
Cope stymied his opponent with a high work rate, as he kept his fists in O'Neil's face throughout the 15-minute encounter. He emptied his tool box, unleashing everything from standard low kicks and left hooks to spinning-heel kicks, Superman punches and spinning-back fists. O'Neil (8-4, 0-1 UFC), who entered his promotional debut on a three-fight winning streak, had nothing with which to respond.
"A lot of people growing up doubted me and told me I wasn't a good enough athlete," said Cope. "How do you like me now?"
Stephens outpoints, dominates Downes
Jeremy Stephens had too much power, too much experience and too much aggression for Daniel Downes, as he defeated the Duke Roufus protégé in a one-sided unanimous decision.
Stephens (20-6, 7-5 UFC) swept the scorecards in the preliminary lightweight matchup, earning a pair of 10-8 rounds from the judges: 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26. The 25-year-old Des Moines, Iowa, native has won four of his last five fights.
A three-time "Knockout of the night" winner, Stephens drilled Downes with repeated low kicks, overhand rights, uppercuts to the body and timely takedowns. He drew blood in the third round, carried Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC) across the cage en route to a takedown and thwarted the once-beaten WEC veteran at every turn. Stephens nearly finished it in the waning moments, as he locked in a rear-naked choke on his bloodied foe. It's possible that only the horn saved Downes.
Roop springs upset, stops Grispi
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 6 semifinalist George Roop sprang an upset on Josh Grispi, as he stopped the talented WEC import on third-round punches in a preliminary featherweight matchup. The end came 3:14 into Round 3.
Grispi was never much of a factor in the fight. A former Rage in the Cage champion who now trains under Shawn Tompkins, Roop (12-7-1, 2-3 UFC) battered the aggressive 22-year-old Plympton, Mass., native with elbows to the head and punches and knees to the body. He answered takedowns by quickly rising to his feet and unleashing his strikes.
By the time Round 3 rolled around, Grispi was so exhausted by the punishment he had absorbed that referee Herb Dean had to warn him to keep his mouth guard where it belonged. A right hand to the gut put down Grispi (14-3, 0-2 UFC) and sent Dean in motion for the stoppage. Grispi entered the match with 10 wins in his last 11 outings.
"I'm always going to be the underdog," Roop said. "I always have been."
Bailey wrestles McGillivray to decision
Repeated takedowns and positional dominance carried Strikeforce veteran Shamar Bailey to a unanimous decision over "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 teammate Ryan McGillivray in a 170-pound undercard bout. Bailey swept the scorecards by matching 30-27 counts and halted a two-fight losing streak in doing so.
An Indianapolis-based Integrated Fighting Academy representative, Bailey (12-3, 1-0 UFC) set the stage for victory in the first round, as he secured three takedowns and also attacked with effect on the feet, utilizing a stout left hand and work from the muay Thai plum. His handiwork left McGillivray with swelling near his left eye.
Rounds 2 and 3took on a similar feel, and even though Bailey's pace slowed, his wrestling was strong enough to allow him to execute takedowns and dictate where the fight took place. Unable to stay upright, McGillivray (11-5-1, 0-1 UFC) let his frustrations spill forth as his Octagon debut came to a close in disappointing fashion.
Harvison takes split nod, tops Edwards
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 quarterfinalist Clay Harvison took a split decision from previously unbeaten castmate Justin Edwards in a preliminary welterweight tilt. All three cage-side judges scored it 29-28, two of them for Harvison.
Edwards (6-1, 0-1 UFC) came out with strong intent, as he scored with multiple takedowns and effective strikes in the first round. Harvison recalibrated for Round 2, as he stonewalled Edwards' efforts to get him to the ground and racked up points while the two remained upright.
The 30-year-old Georgian followed a similar recipe in the third, as he landed crisp combinations and turned away attempted takedowns. Harvison (7-1, 1-0 UFC) later delivered a trip takedown of his own, passing Edwards' guard into side control. A Jorge Gurgel protégé, Edwards made a last-ditch play for the judges, as he struck for a late takedown and took his foe's back. He lost position but trapped Harvison against the cage, firing away with punches to the bell.
Jorgensen waylays ATT's Stone
Former WEC bantamweight title contender Scott Jorgensen dazzled in his UFC debut, as he knocked out American Top Team's Ken Stone with ground-and-pound 4:01 into their 135-pound undercard bout.
The two UFC rookies traded strikes from the start, until Jorgensen altered the landscape of the fight with a takedown. Stone (9-3, 0-1 UFC) remained aggressive and maneuvered for submissions from his back but left himself vulnerable to Jorgensen's considerable speed and power. The Twisted Genetiks representative snapped Stone's head to the side with a right hand from inside guard and polished off the Coconut Creek, Fla.-based bantamweight with another. Follow-up blows landed on the unconscious Stone before referee Steve Mazzagatti could leap in to save him.
Jorgensen (12-4, 1-0 UFC) has rattled off six wins in his past seven outings.
Duran choke submits Rivera
A back-and-forth encounter ended with a decisive finish, as Reuben Duran submitted WEC import Francisco Rivera with a third-round rear-naked choke in a preliminary bantamweight matchup. Rivera asked out of the fight 1:57 into Round 3.
Duran (7-3-1, 0-1 UFC) weathered two attempted guillotine chokes from Rivera in the first round and found another gear in the second. The 27-year-old Ontario, Calif., native nearly mounted Rivera, took back control and searched for a choke in the closing seconds. It was a sign of what was to come.
A King of the Cage veteran, Duran followed a series of clean punches with a powerful takedown in the third round, as he landed in side mount and went to work. Threatened with a topside crucifix, Rivera (5-2, 0-1 UFC) instead surrendered his back. Not long after, the rear-naked choke and tapout followed. Duran has posted five wins in his last six appearances.
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So Greg Jackson has ruined Clay Guida and turned him from one of the most exciting fighters in MMA in a grinding humper. Guida exposed Pettis as being over-rated and really beat him pretty easily. I've been saying Pettis was over-rated all along, I think he's got ridiculous amounts of talent but he's got a lot of work to do.
Tony Ferguson showed impressive power to KO Ramsey but I don't know that he was all that impressive overall. I thought he looked poor when pressurized and his boxing is very much jab and hook with not a lot else. On a side note, Goldberg once again embarrassed himself with some incredible stupid. It was clearly a huge left hook that knocked Ramsey down, everyone in the world saw it, Goldberg screams out "Big Right Hand" and then tried to cover himself by acting like he was talking about the follow up shot "there's the big right hand Joe" which in truth was merely academic. He's simply the worst commentator in all of sports.
Ed Herman impressed me. Good to see him back.
Jorgensen is a little monster. Really impressed with him again.
Didn't watch any of the other fights because I was flicking between the two boxing fights(Froch-Johnson and the Chavez fight) but I have to say, the atmosphere was fucking horrendous. Guida vs Pettis deserved a bigger stage than that.
This gatekeeper who is now a bore aint getting anywhere near the title. Pettis is a very talented fighter and very young he will be back im sure of it. 
