UFC 97: Results
Silva vs. Lietes and Rua vs. Liddell
Apr 19, 2009 Mellissa Scotland
Anderson “The Spider” Silva retained his middleweight championship belt and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua ended the era of “The Ice Man” Chuck Liddell.
UFC 97: Redemption Main Card Results
Steve Cantwell vs. Luis Arthur Cane
Round One
The round starts off with Cantwell making the first move, with a left. Cantwell continues with the leg kick; Cane gets in a kick to the body, then follows up with a few combos. Cane has the clinch and connects with a knee. Cantwell comes back with a high kick that is blocked. Cane presses the action landing shots on Cantwell, controlling the remainder of the round.
Round Two
A nice left from Cane connects to the face of Cantwell to start the second round. Controlling the round Cane continues to push the action landing a variety of jabs to Cantwell, who is bleeding from the nose. Cantrell lands a left that connects and follows up with a few more combinations. A high kick from Cantwell brushed off the face of Cane. Cantwell gets a right-left combination in. A few more low leg kicks and jabs take Cantwell out of round two as the aggressor.
Round Three
Cane comes back out aggressive, landing shots on Cantwell. Cantwell tires to throw back but gets a knee from the clinch. Cantwell recovers and backs Cane up with punches. Cane goes for the takedown, but Cantwell defends. Cane lands a right and knee to the body of Cantwell to end round three.
The winner by Unanimous Judges Decision: Luis Cane
Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk
Round One
Both fighters throw legs kicks, Hardonk’s connects. Kongo lands a right while Hardonk comes back with another leg kick. Kongo tries for the takedown, which Hardonk defends; resilient Kongo attempt a takedown and gets Hardonk down. He works the ground and pound, dropping hammer fists and elbows from Hardonk’s guard.
Round Two
Kongo catches a body kick from Hardonk, and takes him down. Kongo once again is back with the ground and pound, working both the body and face of Hardonk. Kongo relentlessly continues his ground and pound of Hardonk until referee Yves Lavigne steps in and ends the fight.
Cheick Kongo wins at 2:29 of the second round via TKO
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann
Round one
Stann starts the action throwing blows, and lands the inside leg kick. Soszynski tries for the clinch but gets nothing out of it. Soszynski gets the take down, Stann tries to stand back up but Soszynski takes him back down. Working from Stann’s guard, Soszynski gets side control. Stann is up, but Soszynski takes him back down and locks in a failed Kimura attempt. Stann frees himself as Soszynski locks in the Kimura, forcing Stann to taps.
At 3:53 of the first round Soszynski walk away with the win.
Mauricio Rua vs. Chuck Liddell
Round one
Rua starts off with a leg kick to Liddell and a right hand. Liddell counters with a combo, but Rua answers back with another right. Rua takes Liddell down with no trouble. Liddell scrambles to get back up, but Rua catches his left foot for a failed submission attempt. Both fighters stand after Liddell breaks free. Liddell connects with a right. Rua comes back with a left that drop Liddell, Rua rushes in and drops seven hammer-fists on Liddell until ref Mario Yamasaki steps in.
Rua is victorious in 4:28 of the first round, via TKO.
Anderson Silva vs. Thales Lietes
Round One
Both fighters feel each other out. Silva starts the action with a missed left. The fighters are back to stalking each other around the octagon. Lietes lands the leg kick and high kick that barley misses Silva. Silva returns with a big right to the body. Lietes goes for the knee but slips. Silva sauces him up with a few leg kick. Referee Yves Lavigne stands Lietes. Lietes gets a take down of Silva who quickly gets to his feet before the end of the round.
Round Two
Lietes get the leg kick and the takedown. Working from Silva’s guard he is able to get to half guard before ending back up in full guard. Both fighters work on the ground before Silva get’s back to his feet. Trying to push the action, Silva goes forward with a right-left combination that misses Lietes, then goes for the high kick and misses again; round two ends on that note.
Round Three
A frustrated Silva presses the third round, starting with a leg kick and jab. Lietes comes back with a right of his own. Lietes drops to guard, Silva does not follow. Lietes tries to tell ref, Lavigne, he was poked in the eye; the ref does not notice and stands him back up. Silva gets the low kick, and Lietes drops to guard again, and then stands up. Silva tires to press with a jab, Lietes drops to guard once again. The ref stands Lietes up but Lietes drops to guard again as Silva tries to attack. A visibly frustrated Silva does not follow. On his feet again, Lietes tries for the takedown and fails, he drops to guard. The bell rings, ending round three.
Round Four
Silva starts by punishing the left leg of Lietes and lands a few good stiff kicks to his knee. Lietes goes for the takedown, Silva defends. On their feet again Silva goes after the legs again. Lietes tries for a left then drops to guard; ref, Lavigne stands him up. Same song and dance continues for the remainder of the round.
Round Five
Lietes goes for the takedown; Silva defends and drops a few bombs on Lietes. Back on their feet, Lietes goes for the kick, but Silva catches his foot. Leites drops to guard. Ref stands him up. Much like round one, two, three and four, there is not much action in the fifth and final round; both fighters continue to throw lifeless blows. Round ends.
Silva retains his middleweight title after five antagonizing rounds.
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