UFC Fight Night 23: "Fight for the Troops 2," which was held at the Fort Hood Army base in Killeen, Texas, tonight (Jan. 22, 2011) is in the record books.
The special three-hour Spike TV event was put together to raise more money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
In particular, donations, which can still be made by visiting www.FightForTheTroops.com or by calling 1-877-747-HERO, will be used to treat wounded soldiers who suffer from various combat-related head injuries such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
And if the quality of fights on the televised main card is any indicator, those who protect and serve can expect to continue receiving the very best treatment.
Most fans and pundits, UFC announcer Mike Goldberg included, felt that Evan Dunham was undefeated despite a controversial split decision loss in his last fight against Sean Sherk.
His opponent tonight, Melvin Guillard, left zero room for doubt this time around.
"The Young Assassin" -- who was criticized for not letting his hands go in his last fight, a decision win, against Jeremy Stephens -- threw lightning-fast leather that had the resilient Dunham seeing stars.
Guillard did a fantastic job of avoiding the takedown, which Dunham worked hard to secure shortly after the fight started. The submission-prone fighter knew that his best chance to win this fight, or any fight for that matter, is when he's standing.
He did just that, making Dunham pay along the way.
Now the self-proclaimed best fighter in the lightweight division has his sights set on a title shot sometime this year or early next. In the meantime, he promised to keeping knocking dudes down until the promotion recognizes his new-found success under the tutelage of Greg Jackson and Co.
Stay tuned.
Former NFL player Matt Mitrione was out to keep his perfect mixed martial arts record intact when he stepped inside the cage tonight opposite Tim Hague.
He did just that. And he barely broke a sweat.
"Meathead" just overpowered and thrashed the "Thrashing Machine" with big shots early and often, sending him crashing to the canvas on more than one occasion. Hague eventually had enough, curling up in a ball, while eating hard shots to the side of the head, waiting for the referee to stop it.
Mitrione now has four UFC wins under his relatively inexperienced belt. He definitely needs a bigger test his next time out ... he's ready.
Mark Hominick not only needed a win tonight against George Roop, but he also wanted to make a "statement" to secure a future title shot against 145-pound champion, Jose Aldo.
Message heard: Loud and clear.
Hominick was "Machine"-like in his first round destruction of the much larger and aggressive Roop. The Canadian finished his training partner with a wicked left hook, two of them, actually, that had him stumbling across the Octagon like a drunken sailor shortly after the referee saved him.
Once again Hominick demonstrated a disciplined, accurate and effective striking game, which he feels is something that Aldo has never seen before.
Not so sure about that, but we'll find out soon enough.
It's safe to assume that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva booked hard-hitting heavyweights Pat Barry and Joey Beltran to fight one another because he expected it to be packed with fireworks and, more than likely, end violently.
It was certainly exciting and violent, but it didn't end early.
Barry, an experienced and powerful K-1 kickboxer, used his technique and skill to beat Beltran's lead leg "to death." Beltran, who showed remarkable toughness, was somehow able to hang in until the end, but collapsed in a heap as soon as it ended.
It was painful to watch.
Beltran, a tough-as-nails brawler, landed a few solid shots, bloodying the nose of "HD." He had a few bright spots, but, in the end, he dropped a painful unanimous decision.
It was the second straight loss for the "Mexicutioner" under the UFC banner in three attempts, which means that he's on the fence in regard to fighting inside the Octagon again soon. Whatever the future holds, his leg will certainly need time to heal.
Ouch.
Former castmates on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 and fast friends, Cole Miller and Matt Wiman, kicked-off the Spike TV broadcast in an action-packed battle between two surging lightweights.
Both fighters, who didn't seem very friendly during the pre-fight announcements, were riding win streaks, meaning that something had to give when they hooked 'em up this evening.
It was Miller, who had no answers for the aggressive attack of "Handsome" throughout three full rounds.
Punches, kicks, takedowns, ground-and-pound, submission attempts and even "Sakuraba double ear chops" -- You name it, Wiman dished it out to a retreating and defensive Miller. Wiman hurt Miller on several occasions, but never got to close to finishing the fight ... despite his best efforts.
In the end, the eye-opening performance was good enough to earn Wiman a a clear-cut and lopsided unanimous decision win over a very tough opponent, who tonight, didn't look so tough.
Impressive.
That's a wrap. Let’s hear what you have to say, Maniacs, in the comments section below.
For complete UFC Fight Night 23: "Fight for the Troops 2" results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.
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