UFC 97: "Redemption" is set to go off TONIGHT (April 18) from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The pay-per-view (PPV) offering features middleweight champion Anderson Silva, putting his 185-pound title on the line against number one division contender, Thales Leites. In the co-main event, Mauricio Rua — fresh off his less-than-thrilling victory over Mark "The Hammer" Coleman at UFC 93 — will challenge former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell.
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of all the action, beginning with the 10 p.m. ET PPV telecast. In addition, up-to-the-minute quick results of the under card action will begin to flow earlier around 7:30 p.m. ET.
Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the PPV broadcast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment or 10 before you leave and chat with many of our readers during the show — it always turns out to be a great discussion.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "Redemption."
Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 97 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action!)
UFC 97 QUICK RESULTS:
Anderson Silva defeats Thales Leites via Unanimous Decision
Mauricio Rua defeats Chuck Lidell via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Cheik Kongo defeats Antoni Hardonk via TKO (Strikes) Round 2
Luis Banta Cane defeats Steve Cantwell via Unanimous Decision
Krzysztof Soszynski defeats Brian Stann via Submission (Kimura) Round 1
Sam Stout defeats Matt Wiman via Unanimous Decision
Denis Kang defeats Xavier Foupa-Pokum via unanimous decision
Nate Quarry defeats Jason MacDonald via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
Ed Herman defeats David Loiseau via unanimous decision
Mark Bocek defeats David Bielkheden via submission (rear naked choke) in round one
TJ Grant defeats Ryo Chonan via split decision
Eliot Marshall defeats Vinny Magalhaes via unanimous decision
UFC 97 BLOW-BY-BLOW LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY:
Druby here
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites (185-pound limit)
Round one: One minute gone by and literally no action yet just dancing. Leites tries for a flying knee but nothing. 2 minutes and not one punch thrown. Jab from Silva. Inside leg kick from Leites and Leites goes for a head kick. Body shot from Silva. Silva with a uppercut, then lands a good sweep kick. Leites falls. Leites pulls half guard and is going for the take down, Silva with a good punch but Leites now clinched against the fence. Thats the bell, horrible action. Extremely boring, you have to give it to Leites b/c of the brief take attempt.
Round two: Inside leg kick from Leites. Head kick from Silva missed and Leites capitalizes with a take down. Silva with half guard. Silva to full guard now. Silva using a body triangle. Silva now working good elbows from the bottom. Silva scrambles to his feet. Body kick from Leites. Leg kick from Silva. The crowd is booing loud as can be and rightfully so. Id have to give that round to Leites again for his take down, but up to this point this is a painfully boring fight.
Round three: Good inside leg kick from Leites. Nice right from Leites. Leites falls to the ground and from a poke in the eye but the ref is not doing anything. Leites just laying on his back. Silva now chasing Leites around. Leites with a shot and Silva sprawls out. Silva with kicks to the thigh. Leg kick from Silva. Another leg kick from Silva. Leg kick from Silva. Body kick from Silva. Right from Leites. Leites for the 3rd time in a row literally falls to his back once against the cage to avoid having to strike. SICK kick to the knee from Silva and then a switch kick to the face. Silva now lands a good combo and is slowly picking up the pace. Good right from Silva then a leg kick. Leg kick from Silva. Leites with a lazy take down and falls and seems content to just lay on the floor. Thats the bell and that round goes to Silva for sure. Leites is beginning to embarrass himself.
Round four: Kick to the knee from Silva. Two more front kicks to the knee by Silva. Another kick to the knee from Spider. Leg kick snaps from Silva. Another leg kick. Nice right from Silva. Head kick from Silva another knee kick from Silva. Another stiff kick to the knee. Leites is content to just not engage what so ever. Leg kick from Silva and Leites looks to shoot but Silva sprawls out. Silva playing chase now. Leites shoots and misses and proceeds to lay on his back. Thats the bell and another round to Silva, but this is a miserable fight to watch. The fans are booing and for good reason. This is a mind numbingly boring fight thus far.
Round five: Leg kick from Silva. Leg kick from Silva. Leites throws a right then shoots but Silva tosses him off. Leites shoots again and Silva spins out and now is on top throwing some punches. Leites is bleeding from the nose now. Side kick to the body from Silva. The crowd starts chanting "bullshit" and loud and then they follow is up with the usual Canadian GSP chants. Knee kick from Silva. Leites shoots and nothing. Leites with a lunging right and misses and lays on the ground. Thats the bell, and Silva definitely won but it was a painful fight to watch. Leites refused to exchanges and collapsed to his back at any sign of trouble and Silva seemed content to dance, shuck, and jive throughout the contest to grab the win. Horrible main event from a viewers prospective, but in the big scheme of things Silva did win and is still champion and is his camp im sure thats the only thing that matters.
Final result: Anderson Silva defeats Thales Leites via Unanimous Decision
-end-
Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua (205-pound limit)
Round one: Leg kick from Rua. Chuck lands a big right and then left and another right. Chuck with a combo and Rua lands a good right. Rua with an overhand right and then leg kick and Chuck lands a right. Right from Rua. Chuck misses with a right and then Shogun takes Chuck down and Lidell scrambles and Rua goes for a leg lock. Lidell again tries to get to his feet and now their clinched against the fence. Nice right from Lidell. Chuck with a right and then shucks off a take down and lands another solid right. Lidell now ducks under and gets a take down. Rua with a HUGE left and Chuck is out, Rua hops on top and pounds away and Chuck is out cold. WOW. I cant help but feel sad watching this. Take nothing away from Shogun Rua a great win for him, but Chuck Lidell's career might have just ended. He obviously is a shell of his former self.
Round two:
Round three:
Final result: Mauricio Rua defeats Chuck Lidell via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
-end-
Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk (265-pound limit)
Round one: Leg kick from Hardonk. Nice left from Hardonk. Nice leg kick from Hardonk. Knee to the thigh from Kongo. Kongo catches a kick and Hardonk goes to the ground. Kongo snapping leg kicks from his feet while Hardonk is on his back. The ref stands them up. Nice straight right and then uppercut from Kongo. Their clinched up against the fence. Knees to the thigh from Kongo. Kongo looking for a double leg to take this to the ground. Kongo gets the take down. Kongo working on some big elbows. Kongo finishing with elbows. Thats the bell, slow pace not to much top level action. But id give the round to Kongo for his ground work and the take down.
Round two: Straight right from Kongo and Hardonk falls and now Kongo pounces on top and lands some good punches. Big right from Kongo. Hammer fists from Kongo. Elbows to the gut from Kongo. Hardonk is cut above his left eye now. Nice right to the head from Kongo. Hardonk trying to cause a stalemate thatll make the ref stand them up. Nice left from Kongo and then Kongo jumps up and lands some hammer fists and thats it this fight is over. It was an odd punch which didnt look to have much mustard on it but Hardonk seemed to be hurt bad, either way Kongo with another win and another step up the ladder of the heavyweight division. He has to be due a title shot in the near future.
Round three:
Final result: Cheik Kongo defeats Antoni Hardonk via TKO (Strikes) Round 2
-end-
Luis Cane vs. Steve Cantwell (205-pound limit)
Round one: Great left uppercut from Cane. Good leg kick from Cantwell. Nice combo from Cane. Body kick from Cane. Cane is moving forward aggressively. Nice right hook from Cane. Body clinch against the fence. Nice combo with Cane on the exit. Cane with the clinch and lands some knees and punches. Jab from Cane. Head kick from Cantwell. Nice body shot from Cantwell but Cane blocks most of it. Nice combo from Cane. Jab from Cane. Nice right from Cane. Leg kick from Cantwell. Nice right from Cantwell. Nice uppercut from Cantwell and thats the round. Cantwell looks game but Cane is the sharper more aggressive fighter to this point and definitely won round 1 10-9.
Round two: Nice right from Cantwell and then Cane lands a good combo. Cane with another big combo. Nice combo from Cane again. Body kick from Cane hits it mark. Jab from Cane then a body kick while Cantwell is on the run. Nice combo then body kick from Cantwell. Cantwell with a big right that stuns Cane momentarily. SICK head kick from Cantwell and then he lands a glancing knee and then a head kick. Nice duck under uppercut from Cantwell. Inside leg kick from Cane. Both fighters exchange simultaneous lefts hooks to end the rd. Id have to give that round to Cantwell 10-9 he found his comfort zone and his big head kick seemed to throw Cane off for the rest of the stanza.
Round three: Leg kick from Cane. Nice combo then body kick from Cane. Cane with a sharp uppercut and then a good body kick. Cantwell answers with a right. One two combo from Cane. Big right hook then head kick from Cantwell. Cane looks to be loosing some juice. Big left and knee to the body from Cane. 3 minutes left. Nice jab then knee to the body from Cane. Nice right from Cantwell. Triple jab from Cane. Cantwell is cut on the bridge of his nose. Good head kick from Cantwell but blocked by Cane. BIG knee and then a HUGE power right from Cane. Jab from Cane and then a knee to the head. Cane with a one two combo which hits its mark. Jab from Cane. Cane unloads to finish the round and Cantwell lands a counter. Thats the bell, great fight good action. Both fighters looked extremely promising but I think Cane stole that last round due to his obvious advantage in the power in his striking and the damage it caused.
Final result: Luis Banta Cane defeats Steve Cantwell via Unanimous Decision
-end-
Brian Stann vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (205-pound limit)
Round one: Inside leg kick from Krzysztof. Now they clinch up and Stann with a good right. Nice left from Krzysztof. Inside leg kick from Stann. Clinched up and Krzysztof with some knees. Krzysztof with a big double leg take down which was basically a tackle. Krzysztof right into full mount. Stann slips his way into side control now. Stann now with half guard, and Krzysztof looking for a Kimura but now he lets it go. But he goes right back to it and gets the submission. An easy win for Krzysztof, he looked solid.
Round two:
Round three:
Final result: Krzysztof Soszynski defeats Brian Stann via Submission (Kimura) Round 1
-end-
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