I should have written this right after the fight, because now my memory is a little hazy. I might have some details mixed up between some of the fights. These weren’t the only fights of the night, but I think they were the only ones shown in the PPV broadcast. It was a great set of fights.
Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote
The pre-fight showmanship was a little over the top for my tastes. Maybe it was the stupid mask or something else in his demeanor, but I took an instant dislike to Grove. I was happy to see Cote take a sound victory in the first round.
Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
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This might have been the most interesting fight of the night. Take down, hold, escape, reverse, hold, choke, escape, leg lock, escape, reverse, arm bar, escape, choke, hold, reverse. That lavender hair must have taken something out of Pellegrino. He was extremely slippery, and escaped hold after hold, but he just didn’t seem to have Stevenson’s stamina. By the third round, he looked exhausted. Stevenson won by decision.
Alberto Crane vs. Roger Huerta
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I was surprised this fight went on as long as it did. It ended in one of the strangest maneuvers I have ever seen. Huerta was on his knees, while Crane clung to his back just trying to stay out of reach. Instead of trying to twist around, Huerta used the arena monitor to aim elbows at Crane’s head against his back. Huerta in the third round.
Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre
I thought Koscheck’s best chance was to take it to the mat instead of trying to trade blows with GSP, but the reality was completely different. GSP took Koscheck down almost immediately and tried to keep him down on the mat through the whole fight. Both of these guys could give and take plenty of punishment, but GSP had the upper hand from the beginning.
Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Heads collided in the first round, breaking Gonzaga’s nose, partially blinding and gagging him. I don’t know if that was part of Couture’s plan, but it definitely made the rest of the fight easier for him. Gonzaga delivered a couple of literally bone crushing high kicks, but Couture fought like a tank. Despite a broken arm, he never seemed seriously phased and never let up the pressure on Gonzaga. Forty-four years old and still the best.
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