Hello everyone, Andre Harrison here with a review of last night's UFC 127 Pay-Per-View, from Sydney, Australia! Crikey! On this card, BJ Penn took on Jon Fitch in a Welterweight Title Eliminator fight, Michael Bisping took on Jorge Rivera in the Middleweight Division in a massive Grudge Match (If you've been on Youtube, you'll know what I mean...), and Undefeated in the UFC George Sotiropoulos fighting on his home turf against Dennis Siver in the Lightweight Division. Let's review UFC 127, here, on The Harrison Analysis!
On commentary, Mike Goldberg's goatee, and Joe Rogan.
Chris Camozzi (14-3) vs Kyle Noke (18-4-1) (Middleweight Division)
ROUND ONE: Noke threw the first right but it was blocked. They traded kicks. Camozzi landed a hard leg kick. Noke threw one high but it missed. Camozzi pressed in with a hard right. He overshot and Noke hit him with a nice combination, then grabbed a body lock and took him down into full mount. Huge for Noke there. Camozzi tried to buck him off but Noke stayed on him, took his back, and locked in the choke, Camozzi taps! The Aussie crowd goes nuts!
Winner: Kyle Noke via Submission (Rear Naked Choke, 1:35 of Round 1)
Harrison's Analysis: A big win for the home boy Kyle Noke. He transitioned very well between positions, had a great choke and the crowd went nuts for the finish there. Submission of the Night methinks.
Chris Lytle (40-17-4) vs Brian Ebersole (46-14-1-1nc) (Middleweight Division)
ROUND ONE: Ebersole tried a cartwheel kick that was blocked. Capoeira FTW! Lytle walked him down and landed a combo. Ebersole threw a straight kick and another one. Lytle walked him down and landed a right. Ebersole threw a left and ate a right. Ebersole shot and Lytle stuffed it. Lytle landed a hard body punch and a hook to follow. Lytle caught a kick and landed a right. Lytle walked Ebersole down again and landed the hard right. Ebersole shot again and Lytle grabbed a guillotine as he dropped to the ground. Ebersole flipped over and loosened the hold. Lytle held the choke and as Ebersole flipped again Lytle reversed him and got on top. He landed some punches and moved to side control. Ebersole rolled under and tried to scramble. Lytle grabbed for the guillotine again and pulled guard but Ebersole got out. Lytle got immediately to his feet. Ebersole pressed him against the cage. Lytle again dropped down attempting the guillotine but Ebersole got out. He went for a triangle and Ebersole got out. He rolled for a knee bar but Ebersole got out. Ebersole got in his guard and drove some shoulder strikes down. He stood up before the round ended and the horn sounded.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Lytle. Landed some hard shots there and had good aggression with the Submission attempts, despite the cut he got towards the end of the round.
ROUND TWO: Ebersole landed a kick. Lytle responded with a combo ending in a kick. Lytle landed a combo after eating a body kick. Ebersole landed a leg kick. Lytle landed an overhand right. Ebersole got in a spinning back kick to the body. Lytle barely missed a big overhand right. He landed a nice uppercut. Lytle walked him down and landed a hook and an uppercut in succession. Lytle again walked him down and landed a couple strikes but ate an elbow. Ebersole shot in and Lytle stuffed it. Lytle pushed in with a nice uppercut to the body. The action is slightly tentative thus far. Ebersole ran in and got a brief takedown but Lytle popped up. But Ebersole ran in and dropped him with a knee to the jaw! Lytle recovered and grabbed for a knee as Ebersole tried to choke him. Lytle got out and scrambled to his feet. Ebersol grabbed for the Thai clinch and looked to deliver a knee. Ebersole landed a huge right hand. He picked Lytle up and slammed him down. Lytle's in trouble here but time is running out in the round. Lytle grabbed guard. Ebersole landed more shoulders as the round ended. Big round for Ebersole.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Ebersole. That knee came pretty darn close to ending the fight, but Lytle is one tough cookie to finish. Great stuff.
ROUND THREE: Ebersole tried the cartwheel kick again. Lytle walked him down and landed a huge combination. He stuffed a shot from Ebersole. Ebersole came right back in and took him down on the cage. Lytle couldn't grab the guillotine and then popped to his feet. Lytle again grabbed for a guillotine but Ebersole tried to turn out. Lytle used it to get on top, but Ebersole rolled it over. Lytle again rolled him and almost finished it but Ebersole got out again. Ebersole finally popped out into Lytle's guard. Lytle then scrambled and got to his feet. Ebersole grabbed for a double leg and Lytle went down as he grabbed for a kimura. Ebersole stayed on him on the cage in the clinch and Lytle is losing this fight right now. Ebersole went for the Thai clinch again but Lytle got out. The ref separated them to put Ebersole's mouth piece back in. Lytle landed a right. He needs to finish right now. Lytle landed a kick. Ebersole shot in and got Lytle down again. Lytle dropped down and went for the knee bar again and couldn't get it. Ebersole stayed on him in his guard and landed a big elbow. With time running out, Ebersole is going to pull off a huge upset. Lytle is bleeding badly as the round ends.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Ebersole. Lytle looked like he had nothing left and that knee must have still been having an effect on him. Ebersole should have the victory here for sure. I think that's Lytle's last chance for a Middleweight Title Shot gone...
Winner: Brian Ebersole via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Harrison's Analysis: Very good fight and a major upset that I didn't see coming in great fashion. That knee in Round 2 was probably the clincher and that's a big loss for Lytle. I don't think he'll ever get his momentum back now. Still, very entertaining.
They show the Tiequan Zhang Submission win from the prelims. Very good performance as he wins in just 48 Seconds.
Dennis Siver (17-7) vs George Sotiropoulos (14-2) (Lightweight Division)
ROUND ONE: Siver landed a kick to the body early. He threw a high kick but it was blocked. He landed a leg kick and avoided the first shot from Sotiropoulos. Sotiropoulos landed a nice right. Sotiropoulos tried to close the distance and kept Siver on the outside. Sotiropoulos caught a kick and grabbed the leg, driving Siver to the ground. Siver landed a few jabs as he held off the takedown. Well done. Siver got a good combination in close. He landed a good leg kick. Sotiropoulos shot and Siver stuffed him again. Great takedown defense shown thus far by Siver. Sotiropoulos landed a combo. Siver threw a spinning high kick but missed. They exchanged punches and Siver got the better of it. Sotiropoulos landed a nice right in an exchange. Siver dropped Sotiropoulos with a right but wouldn't got to the ground with him. Sotiropoulos stood again and Siver dropped him a second time. He got down and landed some good strikes on the ground but then got back to his feet and made Sotiropoulos stand. Siver landed another left hook and landed another right. Sotiropoulos threw a turning kick high but missed and the round came to an end.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-8 Siver. Holy cow, two big knockdowns by Siver there and George is in bad shape. Big damage from Siver and a dominant round. 10-8 surely judges?
ROUND TWO: Sotiropoulos landed a few strikes and missed a couple. Siver then took the center. He landed a left. Sotiropoulos ducked under a punch but couldn't grab his body. Siver landed another overhand right but Sotiropoulos took it. Siver landed a good straight kick and a leg kick right after. Sotiropoulos grabbed for a clinch and Siver shoved him aside. Siver with another hard right. Sotiropoulos grabbed for a leg and Siver shook him off again. Siver with a nice right. Sotiropoulos landed a straight kick. Sotiropoulos tried to press in and he landed a nice counter rightl. He landed a nice left. He got in again and went for a single leg. Siver shook it off and Sotiropoulos pressed him to the cage with a combo. Siver landed another right. Siver has slowed down this round. Sotiropoulos landed a nice combination and a then followed with a head kick. Siver ended the round with a high kick.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Siver. Close round, George almost had it at the end with the late takedown, but Siver's Takedown defence at the start, as well as his superior striking, won him the round to me. Let the debate about scoring takedowns recommence!
ROUND THREE: After an early exchange, Siver again held off a takedown from Sotiropoulos. Siver popped in with a couple of strikes in combination. Sotiropoulos needs to finish this fight or he's going to lose a decision. Sotiropoulos landed a few good strikes in comibination again. Siver has definitely slowed from the first round. Sotiropoulos caught a kick and pressed in with a couple of strikes. Siver landed a nice leg kick. Siver stuffed another takedown attempt. Siver landed a huge combination. Siver stuffed another takedown. Siver landed another kick. Siver landed a spinning back kick to the body. Sotiropoulos continued stalking. Siver landed a leg kick. Siver with another leg kick. Another kick to the leg. Sotiropoulos landed a couple of punches. Siver with some more kicks. They exchanged punches and kicks.
Harrison's Scorecard: Very close round...I'm going to say 10-9 Siver. They both landed a lot of strikes, but I'm pretty sure Siver landed more. However, George has a case for Rounds 2 and 3 so it could easily swing either way, could be very interesting.
Winner: Dennis Siver via Unanimous Decision (30-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Harrison's Analysis: Another good fight, and another upset! Siver dictated the fight, for sure and his balance and takedown defence was superb. Sotiropoulous had to try and adapt, couldn't, and lost. It'll be interesting to see what he does from here, as its his first loss in the UFC after 7 straight wins.
Michael Bisping (21-3) vs Jorge Rivera (18-7) (Middleweight Division)
ROUND ONE: Bisping took the center and Rivera engaged first. He landed a right but Bisping countered. Rivera threw a right. Bisping came forward with a two punch combo but missed the mark. Rivera landed a nice right. Bisping suddenly shot in and took Rivera down. Rivera grabbed an underhook of Bisping's leg and got up to his feet and taunted him. Bisping landed a left. Rivera landed an nice right. Bisping tried to grab a single leg but Rivera shook him off. Bisping landed an inside leg kick. He shot in again and took Rivera down into his guard. Bisping landed an elbow and Rivera tried to hold him down. Rivera got to his knees and Bisping landed a knee right to the face illegally. The ref halted the action and the crowd booed. Rivera will have five minutes to recover. Rivera wants to keep fighting and the ref deducted a point from Bisping. Rivera moved forward immediately with a right. He landed a high kick. Rivera tried to press Bisping back. He grazed him with a right. Bisping moved forward and shot in. Rivera switched stances and landed a kick. Bisping landed a jab as Rivera switched back. Bisping landed a jab. He shot in again and took Rivera down for a third time. Bisping stood and landed a right. Rivera got to his feet and Bisping landed a couple of strikes against the cage. The round came to an end as Bisping avoided a strike from Rivera and they got in each other's faces before going to the corner.
Harrison's Scorecard: 9-9 after the Bisping deduction. That knee wasn't even an accident. About even, but Bisping's takedowns pretty much secured the round, despite some decent strikes from Rivera. I suspect that knee may play into things.
ROUND TWO: Bisping landed an early leg kick. Rivera landed a nice right and Bisping stumbled, but it looked like a slip. He recovered and put Rivera's back on the cage. He landed an inside leg kick. Bisping landed another combination. He shot in and Rivera stuffed it. Bisping landed a big right to the face. He started teeing off on Rivera. He's landing some big strikes to the head and body and Rivera's hurt. Rivera tried to cover up and Bisping is just destroying him against the cage. He dropped to a knee and Bisping continued the assault and the ref stopped the fight. He went up to Rivera after and told him to apologize and then told him to "go home loser." Very classy.
Winner: Michael Bisping via TKO (1:54 of Round 2)
Harrison's Analysis: Good finish by Bisping, but I can't ignore that knee. Would have it been the same if it wasn't for that knee in the first? Bisping was definitely better don't get me wrong, but the knee was definitely a catalyst in that.
BJ Penn (16-7-1) vs Jon Fitch (26-3-1nc) (Main Event, Welterweight Title Eliminator)
ROUND ONE: Penn shot in immediately and pressed FItch to the cage. He looked to take Fitch down but Fitch held him off on the cage. They traded knees in the clinch and B.J. grabbed for a single leg. Fitch turned him around and dropped for a double leg on Penn. Not sure about this early strategy from Penn. Fitch moved to a single leg. Fitch backed off and landed a couple of punches before shooting back in. Penn continued to hold off the takedown attempt. Fitch held him against the cage and Penn turned it around. He then shot in and took Fitch down. Wow. He took Fitch's back and looked to trap Fitch's arm. He put the body triangle on and Fitch tried to curl up. Penn got his hook back in and looked to get the rear naked choke in. Fitch fought it off, however. Fitch turned and got into Penn's guard. He landed an elbow. Penn kicked him off and got to his feet. Fitch tried to take him back down and Penn held him off. Fitch again dropped down and Penn held him off on the cage. Penn landed an uppercut. Fitch landed a knee. Penn landed another punch as the round ended.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Penn. Penn trying to take down Fitch? Interesting strategy. Appeared to work so far, got the takedown, and almost locked in a choke.
ROUND TWO: Penn ran in and blocked a high kick from Fitch. Penn got overzealous with a knee and overshot it and Fitch took him down. Penn got his back to the cage. Fitch landed some knees to the shin and tried to pull Penn down. Penn worked back to his feet and landed an elbow. Fitch held Penn on the cage in the clinch. Fitch landed an uppercut in the clinch. He separated with an elbow and shot in for a double leg. Penn landed a couple of elbows and held off the takedown. Penn landed a nice short elbow. Fitch backed off with a couple of punches and tried to shoot again. Fitch is opened up from the elbow from Penn. Penn turned Fitch around and pressed him to the cage. Fitch landed a knee to the body. Penn landed a left uppercut. They separated with a nice exchange. Penn pressed in and took Fitch down a second time. That's incredible. Didn't see this gameplan coming from Penn. He took Fitch's back again. He landed a couple of strikes as Fitch tried to grab wrist control. Fitch turned it back over into Penn's guard with a minute left. Fitch landed an elbow. He turned to some body punches. He landed a couple of hard strikes to the face. Fitch continued working from top control as the last minute wore down. Penn popped to his feet as the round ended and we're even into the third.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Fitch. Penn came close again, but Fitch did some heavy damage late on and controlled the pace for the majority of the round. Should be even going into Round 3.
ROUND THREE: Fitch landed a big right hand at the start of the round and shot in, completing a takedown into Penn's guard. He pressed Penn to the cage and started working his ground and pound game. Penn pushed him off and got to his feet. He landed a combo but Fitch shot back in. Penn got to his feet but Fitch took his back standing. He landed some knees to the thighs. He forced Penn to the ground and landed some strikes. Penn needs to get off his back. Fitch continued working his ground and pound to the body and head. Lot of good work from Fitch, but the crowd started booing for some reason. Fitch continued to work, landing a lot of strikes on Penn. Penn can't win the fight from this position at all. Fitch continued landing strikes and he's working really well here. Fitch is smothering him with punches and elbows here. This round has been all Fitch. He's battering Penn's face here with tons of punches. Penn's taking a ridiculous beating right now against the cage. Fitch briefly attempted an arm triangle but let it go. Fitch locked up an arm and landed a few more punches. Fitch continued the assault to the bell and this should be his fight.
Harrison's Scorecard: 10-9 Fitch. That was ground and pound 101 from Jon Fitch there. Not enough damage for a 10-8, as Penn took everything Fitch threw, it was all Fitch and a superb ground display.
Winner: Majority Draw (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28)
Harrison's Analysis: A majority draw? That's like rocking horse shit. So let me get this straight, two judges thought that Fitch won Round 3 10-8, and Penn the other two? Because if my maths is right, that's what must have happened. Awkward. I think the 29-28 call for Fitch is the correct one. Can't see how Penn won Round 2 there. Anyway, very good fight here. Penn was impressive at the start, and Fitch was very good at the end. So despite the result, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Harrison's Final Analysis of UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch
While nothing on the card really blew me away, I thought that it was a solid night overall, with some good fights and the occasional upset. Great performances from BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Dennis Siver and Brian Ebersole make this an an enjoyable show, one you could easily go out and watch and have no complaints. Pick up the DVD. See you in 3 Weeks for UFC 128, Shogun vs Jones! I've been Andre Harrison, thanks for reading, and Sayonara!
Harrison's UFC 127 Rating: 7.5 out of 10 - Very Good
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