UFC Fight Night 17 in Review

You got to love these free events by the UFC especially nights like these that are better than some of the latest Pay Per Views.

My picks were right on the money. Here are how the main card events turned out;

Luigi Fioravanti vs Anthony Johnson - Johnson by TKO(strikes) at 4:39 of the 1st Round

With a reach advantage as large as Johnson combined with the his striking ability, Luigi had an impossible time getting close enough to strike Anthony. He did a decent enough job though darting in a few times through out the match and landing blows before ducking out of the exchange. Still it was just a matter of time before Anthony Johnson would land the blow to finish the match and near the end of the 1st he was able to.

Johnson's humble post fight interview with Joe Rogan where he announced how much he hated his own performance and his desire to improve. As a young welterweight his talents will definitely have a future in the UFC.

Mac Danzig vs Josh Neer - Neer by Submission(Triangle Choke) at 3:36 of the 2nd Round

Josh "the Dentist" Neer earned his nickname within seconds of the match when he dropped Danzig with a headkick that adjusted the teeth of Mac. However the first round definitely went to Danzig as he was able to land numerous combination and drop Neer a couple of times. Still Neer was very persistent and could not be stopped. Even after being worked Neer taunted Danzig challenging him to strike.

The second round was all Neer even if his face was bloody and red. Neer ground and pounded with vicious elbows in the first minute of the 2nd round and even when Danzig was able to sweep Josh and get the better position on the ground, Neer merely mocked Mac as he locked a triangle choke that finished the bout. This match won Fight of the Night honors for good reason.



Cain Velasquez vs Denis Stojnic - Velasquez by TKO(strikes) at 2:34 of the 2nd Round

"Denis you got to work," sums up the entire match as Stojnic was unable to create an offense. For 1 and a half rounds Cain Velasquez gave Denis a beating with every single strike possible. Amazingly Denis just absorbed them. The knees, kicks, hooks, and straights that would have finished a majority of fighters were unable to finish the job against Stojnic. Finally the referee just got tired of watching Denis get worked and ended the match after about a minute of vicious ground and pound from Cain.

It was an excellent performance by Cain. His powerful and technically amazing strikes make his stand up something to reckon with. And although Velasquez has an amazing background with wrestling he was unable to use any take downs successfully. It's disappointing to see that Cain couldn't finish the match but his dominant performance will make for some great matches in the future.

Joe Lauzon vs Jeremy Stephens - Lauzon by Submission(Armbar) at 4:42 of the 2nd Round

This was a beautiful match between a striker and grappler. The technical striking ability of Stephens had him dominate the stand up game even though Lauzon braved through the exchange. On the ground it was Lauzon's game where he often swept into a dominant position. Stephens threw so many power shots hoping to knock out and Lauzon and finish the match and if it weren't for the submission I believe Stephens could have won a decision. But things went to the ground in the 2nd and for awhile Stephens had a dominate position that he lost when Lauzon swept and grabbed the arm and finished Stephens.


This is was probably the best UFC event of the new year so far. Future stars Anthony Johnson and Cain Valasquez had great matches that highlighted their potential and the Mac Danzig and Josh Neer fight was one of the most competitive matches in awhile.

So what was your favorite match of the night? Where do you see these fighters going in the future?