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Serra Smiles
Matt Serra Defeats GSP to Earn UFC Welterweight Title; Huerta and Garcia Put On a Show |
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Written by Doug Jeffrey |
HOUSTON, Texas - Where do they go from here?
You would think it would be tough for the UFC to top UFC 68. After all, that March evening featured the return of Randy Couture, who dethroned Tim Sylvia as the UFC heavyweight champion, wins by Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes, as well as big attendance and gate numbers.
However, every time the UFC puts on a show that you're convinced can't be topped, they seem to come back with something even bigger. And such was the case at UFC 69: The Shootout, held here April 7. Following is a glimpse of what transpired here at the Toyota Center.
. The fireworks started at the weigh-in (April 6) when Diego Sanchez got in Josh Koscheck's face and shoved him.
. The fight between lightweights Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia and Roger "El Matador" Huerta was action packed, reminiscent of Griffin-Bonnar I and the fight of the night.
. Between fights, UFC prez Dana White announced the signing of Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira.
. Matt Serra dominated GSP and left Houston as the UFC's new welterweight champion.
The UFC sets the bar quite high, but they seem to jump over it every time. Up next is UFC 70.
Following are the winners - in chronological order - from UFC 69.
The Fighters: Josh "Bring the Pain" Haynes (9-7) vs. Luke "The Silent Assassin" Cummo (8-4)
Division: Welterweight
About the Fighters: Cummo trains in Bruce Lee's JKD.
The Winner: Cummo
How/When: TKO 2:45 Round 2
Memorable Moment: After a big overhand right sent him to the canvas, Haynes scrambled to his knees and secured a single-leg takedown ... on the ref. At that point, the fight was called.
The Fighters: Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis (16-4) vs. Pete "The Secret Weapon" Spratt (16-8)
Division: Welterweight
About the Fighters: Spratt, who was on "TUF 4" and is 36, is out of San Antonio.
The Winner: Davis
How/When: Leglock at 2:57 of Round 2
The Fighters: Thales Leites (10-1) vs. Pete Sell (7-4)
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Leites
How/When: Unanimous Decision
The Fighters: Brad Imes "The Hillbilly Hearthrob" Imes (6-3) vs. Heath "Texas Crazy Horse" Herring (27-12)
Division: Heavyweight
About the Fighters: Imes, 260, is a former Division I football player. Herring, 245, lost a decision in his last fight.
The Winner: Herring
How/When: Unanimous Decision
THE MAIN CARD
The Fighters: Alan "The Talon" Belcher (9-3) vs. Kendall "The Spider" Grove (10-3)
Division: Middleweight
About the Fighters: Grove was the winner of TUF 3 and is 6 feet 6.
The Winner: Grove
How/When: Choke at 1:43 of Round 2
The Fighters: Yushin Okami (21-3) vs. Mike "Quick" Swick (10-2)
Division: Middleweight
About the Fighters: Swick, in his first four UFC bouts, took just 5 minutes to take out four fighters. Swick was born in Houston.
The Winner: Okami
How/When: Unanimous Decision
The Fighters: Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia (13-2) vs. Roger "El Matador" Huerta (19-1)
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Huerta
How/When: Unanimous Decision
The Fighters: Josh Koscheck (11-1) vs. Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez (19-1)
Division: Welterweight
About the Fighters:
The Winner: Koscheck
How/When: Unanimous Decision
The Fighters: Matt "The Terror" Serra (16-4) vs. Georges St-Pierre (13-2)
Division: Welterweight
About the Fighters:
The Winner: Serra
How/When: TKO 3:25 of Round 1
Minute by Minute
7:05 Diego Sanchez, wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt, enters the Octagon, kneels in the center and goes through a spiritual pre-fight routine.
7:10 A ZZ Top song blares through the Toyota Center.
7:16 Sanchez, heading back to the locker room, stops and poses for a photo with a fan, about 8.
7:37 Sanchez is shown on the screen, and the crowd cheers loudly.
Quote of the Night
"He hit me harder than anyone who has ever hit me." - Marcus Davis, talking about Pete Spratt
From the Prez
Following are quotes from UFC president Dana White.
. "Since we bought the UFC in 2001, we have been on a mission to bring in the best fighters in the world. Tonight we would like to announce the signing of former Pride heavyweight champ Minotauro Nogueira."
. "We had a good night of fights, as usual, and that is the reason why the sport is exploding."
. "We did it again. The attendance was 15,269, and we had a gate of $2.8 million. We beat the Rolling Stones [here at the Toyota Center]. Who is your daddy?"
. "Where is Kendall Grove? [Not here?] Oh, I love that." - At the post-fight press conference, when he realized the fighter was not present
. "Texas has always been a hot market for us, and we're so excited to be working with the Toyota Center to bring the UFC there. Fans in the south have been asking for the UFC for years, so we expect to pack the venue and have one of the largest UFC audiences ever." - Before the April 7 fight
QUOTES
"What happened tonight is my worst nightmare. I cannot change anything. What happened happened. I will come back stronger next time and claim the belt once again. I am sorry I disappointed everybody. Matt is a great fighter." - Georges St-Pierre
"We dislike each other a lot. After "TUF 1" things turned ugly. We hate each other." - Josh Koscheck, talking about Diego Sanchez
- For more coverage on UFC 69, check out the July issue of Ultimate Grappling magazine
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