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Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sherdog.com reports from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with live play-by-play of UFC 79, which features Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) versus Matt Hughes (Pictures) and Chuck Liddell (Pictures) vs. Wanderlei Silva (Pictures).

Don't forget to check out the MMA Forums to discuss tonight's event.

Live Results Here.



Hit F5 on your keyboard to refresh often, as play-by-play is updated in real time.

Mark Bocek vs. Douglas Evans
Round 1
Bocek came out looking for a takedown from the sound of the bell. Bocek then threw a lazy headkick which was countered by Evans, who landed a left-right combo that buckled his opponent's knees. Several sprawls later, Bocek was able to secure a takedown and move to side-control, but he could do nothing with the position. 10-9 for Evans.

Round 2
Bocek starts the second frame much like the first, shooting for takedowns and getting stuffed by Evans. On his fourth attempt, Bocek swooped in and scored a double-leg takedown. Evans got back to his feet, only to be slammed hard back to the ground, where Bocek punished him with elbows from half-guard. As the round ended, Evans sported a cut over his left eye from Bocek's elbows. 10-9 for Bocek.

Round 3
Bocek got a single-leg takedown to kickoff the final frame. After several minutes of inactivity, referee Herb Dean stood the fighters up. Another takedown from Bocek followed. Evans looked briefly for a triangle and an armbar from the bottom but he could not mount any offense. Dean again stood the fighters up before time expired. 10-9 for Bocek. All three judges score the contest 29-28 for Mark Bocek.

Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza
Round 1
Carneiro came out and executed a beautiful trip takedown early in the first. DeSouza, from the bottom, attempted an omaplata and an armbar before letting go of the holds. Carneiro used the opportunity to pass guard, while DeSouza gave up his back. Carneiro looked for a rear-naked choke and a Kimura before DeSouza reversed the position and ended up on top. The rest of the round saw the fighters trade positions while offering little in terms of offense. 10-9 for Carneiro.

Round 2
A stalemate against the fencing was halted early in the period by referee Steve Mazagatti, who restarted the action in the center of the Octagon. Carneiro then secured a flawless double-leg takedown. DeSouza stood up, only to find his opponent on his back with both hooks in. Carneiro drug him down and pounded away until Mazzagatti stepped in to save DeSouza at 3:30 of the seconds round.

Jordan Radev vs. Dean Lister
Round 1
Lister and Radev offer a dull first round of action. Lister landed a few kicks to the body and leg, but spent most of the round trying to shoot and pull guard. Radev showed good takedown defense and did not allow Lister to fully pull guard. Lister takes the uneventful frame 10-9 on the Sherdog.com scorecard.

Round 2
The first 4:30 of the second round is a carbon copy of the first, with little action displayed and the crowd showering the cage with boos. Lister then got underhooks and slammed Radev powerfully to the canvas. Lister moved to mount and looked for an armbar, but he gave it up to throw elbows at Radev's head. The round ended with Lister in complete control, 10-9.

Round 3
More of the same in the final period. Lister looked over and over for the takedown but Radev stuffed them and did little else. At the 2:30 mark, Lister scored with a trip takedown. Lister passed to half-guard, but chose to ride the position out until the final horn sounded. 10-9 for Lister. All three judges agree, offering scores of 30-27 across the board for Dean Lister.

Nate Mohr vs. Manvel Gamburyan
Round 1
Gamburyan looked for takedowns in the opening minute, with Mohr stuffing two in a row. On his third attempt, Gamburyan successfully took Mohr down, then dropped back for an ankle lock that forced his opponent to tap at 1:31 of the first. Mohr appeared to injure his right knee during the final moments of the bout when Gamburyan secured the hold.

Luis Arthur Cane vs. James Irvin
Round 1
Cane came out rocking with two hard left hooks that stunned Irvin. Not one to back down from a brawl, Irvin answered with a hard left hook of his own, which prompted Cane to retreat against the fence. Irvin rushed forward and tried a guillotine, but Cane escaped and kneed Irvin in the head while he was still on the ground. Irvin, who was knocked out by the illegal maneuver, is awarded the win via DQ at 1:51 of the first.

Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
Round 1
A hard inside low kick from Clementi starts the first televised bout. Guillard opened up with his hands and cracked Clementi with a right hand. Clementi answered with a stiff kick to the body and another inside leg kick. Guillard landed a right hand as Clementi picked his foe up into the air and slammed him to the canvas. Clementi briefly had Guillard's back with a full-nelson applied, but Guillard escaped to his feet. Guillard slipped and ended up on the top position after Clementi tried to pounce. Clementi twisted around and took Guillard's back with a body-triangle before forcing him to tap with a rear-naked choke at 4:40 of the first.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Lyoto Machida
Round 1
Sokoudjou entered the cage wearing a mask from "The Predator." Sokoudjou rocked Machida with a right hand in the opening minute. Sokoudjou scored a takedown but was quickly swept by Machida. Machida, from top in half-guard, looked for a Kimura but Sokoudjou escaped. Machida elbowed from the top position but landed nothing flush. Referee Mario Yamasaki stood close and stood the fighters up just as Machida worked for an arm-triangle. A body kick landed for Machida. Sokoudjou judo-tripped Machida to the canvas but Machida quickly got to his feet. Close, but uneventful round.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 Machida.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 Machida.

Round 2
The fighters exchange sloppy strikes as Machida showed superior footwork as he circled away. Machida caught Sokoudjou with a punch that dropped him to the canvas. With a strand of Sokoudjou's dreadlocks detached and laying on the ground, Machida looked for an arm-triangle before moving to the mount. Another arm-triangle try from Machida, but the Octagon newcomer had none of it. After passing to side-control, Machida again went for the arm-triangle, but this time the improved position forced Sokoudjou to tapout at 4:20 of the second.

Soa Palelei vs. Eddie Sanchez
Round 1
Palelei came out swinging for the fences before he clinched with Sanchez and drug him to the floor. Sanchez used his back against the fencing to get to his feet. Sanchez then accidently kneed Palelei in the groin. He was given time to recover.Sanchez backed Palelei against the cage and hit him with annoying punches to the face. Palelei turned Sanchez around and returned the favor. Mario Yamasaki separated the fighters but they clinched again immediately. Sanchez threw some straight punches down the pipe and landed an outside low kick. Palelei taunted in return.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 Sanchez.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 Sanchez.

Round 2
A brisk uppercut landed for Sanchez. Palelei, who is showing little in his UFC debut, landed a superman punch. The fighters exchanged jabs and went back to the clinch. The crowd is growing restless. Sanchez then connected with an uppercut, the best of the fight. A tired Sanchez put his head down and landed another uppercut.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 Sanchez.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 Sanchez.

Round 3
Palelei, bleeding from his mouth, again ran in to clinch with Sanchez. Having found his range, Sanchez lands more leather followed with -- you guessed it -- an uppercut. Blood is pouring from the mouth of the now badly swollen Palelei. He complains about his eye; which is swollen, and the fight is stopped. Sanchez is awarded the victory via TKO at 3:24 of the third frame.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell
Round 1
The fighters circled in the center of the Octagon, patiently waiting for the other man to strike. Silva got off first with a low kick and a left hook. Solid low kick landed for Silva. Chuck rushed forward and teed off with a flurry. Silva was hurt but he recovered quickly. Right straight landed for Liddell. One-two landed for Liddell. Silva countered with a right hook and smiled. Another right landed for Liddell. Chuck then went to the inside of Wanderlei's left leg with a low kick.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 Liddell.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 Liddell.

Round 2
Silva swung for the fences to start round two. Silva, bleeding from his right ear, looks wilder with his striking tonight then usual. Two body kicks found their target for Silva. Wanderlei picked up the pace and landed a right hand. Silva then sent Liddell to the canvas with another glancing right hand. Liddell stepped forward in the pocket and got hit with a left hook. Silva is cut above his right eye. A brawl insues, with both fighters getting tagged, but Liddell got the best of the exchange. Silva cracked Liddell again but Liddell landed the best punch of the fight and then scored a lazy takedown. Incredible action in the second round.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 Liddell.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 Silva.

Round 3
At the start of the round, Liddell dropped levels and scored a quick single-leg takedown. Silva got right back to his feet, looking for a knockout blow. The winded fighters echanged left hooks in the center of the cage. After landing a spinning-back fist, Liddell crushed Silva with a right hand that sent him retreating to the cage. Liddell followed with a flurry of punches that rocked Silva. A right hand landed for Silva. Liddell dropped down and took Wanderlei Silva to the ground just before time expired. Great fight.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 Liddell.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 Liddell.

The judges see it 29-28 and 30-27 (twice) for Chuck Liddell.

Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
Round 1
Hughes shot in for a takedown but St. Pierre used footwork to avoid danger. St. Pierre landed a kick to the body and tripped Hughes to the mat. St. Pierre struck the body with his left hand from the top position in full guard. Hughes went high with his hips looking for an armbar, but St. Pierre postured up and punched Hughes away. Now trapped against the fence in half-guard, Hughes ate several hard right hands on the chin. St. Pierre moved to the mount, where he punished Hughes by punching the head and slamming his weight down on Hughes. Complete domination by GSP.

Josh Gross score: 10-9 St. Pierre.
Mike Fridley score: 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 2
The fighters' heads collided seconds before St. Pierre muscled Hughes to the canvas with a single-leg takedown. Both athletes were lucky not to have gotten cut. The action slowed to a crawl as St. Pierre looked to elbow from Hughes' full-guard. St. Pierre moved to half-guard and mount seconds after. Hughes gave up his back, but escaped quickly to his feet. Hughes looked for a single-leg, but GSP had none of it. St. Pierre threw Hughes to the mat and went immediately to a Kimura from side-control. Hughes tried to muscle out, but was caught in an armbar. Hughes submitted verbally to the technique at 4:54 of the second frame. A superb performance by Georges St. Pierre.

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I think Hughes is an arogant ass. I hate French Canadians (only slightly better than the French themselves) but seriously, who can hate Georges? The guy is nothing but class.

I can't get into UFC/MMA/Pride, I have watched several events live on Sopcast, but the matches just seem to lack the intensity of a big boxing event.

I just don't like all the grappling and holds, and takedowns. It seems like I am watching round after round of two guys rolling around on the mat.

Whereas in boxing, the two guys beat each other with their fists. Without all the dead time on the floor. Sure there is a lot of clinching. But the amount of blows delivered by each fighter seems to make the match more exciting than ultimate fighting.

Just my .02

French Canada women are beautiful... Ive had some good times in Montreal

UFC is the kind of thing that takes getting to know the fighters, once you understand the subplots UFC becomes an obsession..

Count me as a big fan

i was always a boxing fan. My Granpa who foufht as an amatuer and while in the service taught me starting at about age 6. I stopped watching boxing after getting fed up with Don King. I loved watching fights like Duran vs. Leonard, Leonard vs. Hearns ( probably my all time favorite) as well old Ali fights. I only became interested in mixed martial arts once I became invoved in martial arts myself. I was a wrestler in school so I understand the ins and outs of the sport. There is so much more involved then just two guys pounding on each other.

You can't become one of the greats without being well rounded in grappling, submissions and stand up. It is a more violent sport than boxing. Having being hit by an elbow myself, I can attest to the fact it is much more damaging then a straight right with an 8 oz. glove. Nothing is more painful than being put into a submission hold that breaks bones.

Note... I have never fought in any mixed martial arts competetion. I am too old, too fat, too smart and quite frankly, too chicken.

The mixed martial arts has many low class fighters. They are also bringing in a breed of athletes that are more than just street thugs. Liddell, Cotoure, St. Pierre, Hughes, the whole Gracie family, most people named Silva to name a few.

Seriously, what is not to love about a 180 pound, noodle armed fighter making a 300 pound muscle bound freak tap and cry like a baby?

Good fights,

Chuck put up a good show again, FINALLY.. BUT, the dude needs to wrap it up, his legs are starting to look old..

If he wins the title again, I think he retires on top.

I know who Liddel and Hughes is. But which fighters are St. Pierre and Silva. I always get Silva mixed up with someone else. Is he the big white dude that lost the belt to Courter or is he that big black guy. Also a quick explanation on St. Pierre would make me remember who he is. Was he one of the big names that came over from Pride?

St. Pierre was a coach on the TV show with Serra as the winner. He is bald, very well mannered and not full of tatoos. I don't think I have ever even heard him swear. I believe Hughes beat him the first time when St. Pierre had him in a submission hold and Hughes picked him up and slammed him while passing out.

There are multiple Silvas in MMA. I believe it is a fairly common name. The very dark skinned middle weight champ beat Franklin for the title and then again in Cincy last month. The Silva that Liddell just beat came straight from Pride and was a champ over there.

Rish...I know that was the old UFC, before it was bought out and changed to the format they use now with weight classes, rounds and 10 point scoring system. The point I was trying to make is that with the different styles and techniques it makes outcomes much less predictable. MMA does not have the feel of the huge boxing matches but unfortunetely I don't feel there are near enough good fights.