UFC 102, Viloria/Iribe and more

August 29, 2009

118-110, 117-112, 117-111, winner by unanimous decision and still IBF Light Flyweight Champion. Brian Viloria.

Dave Reardon: Good thing this fight is in Hawaii instead of Mexico.

We’re going to the judges. I’ve got it 116-113 Viloria.

Round 12: FINAL ROUND! Viloria salutes the crowd. Iribe ready to fight. Viloria explodes. A brawl is breaking out in the center of the ring. Viloria has thrown 50 punches. Iribe answers. Absolute slugfest. Place is going bananas. They aren’t stopping. It’s a STREETFIGHT! Wild round. Viloria going to work. Uppecuts galore! Crowd is abuzz. Iribe hurt. But lands a right to the temple. Viloria taking shots now. Viloria back now. THROWING BOMBS! Crowd is getting a treat to end this fight. BIG HOOK BY VILORIA! Both guys look tired. Big shot by Iribe! IRIBE WITH A MONSTER HOOK! Trading uppercuts. Iribe going to work. Big shots up on the ropes. UNREAL. BIG RIGHT! Viloria takes control. Iribe answers. 10 seocnds. PLACE IS ELECTRIC! BOMBS AWAY! ROUND ENDS! UNREAL ROUND (SB scores it 10-10 draw)

Round 11: This was Viloria’s magical round against Ulises Solis. Big shot from Iribe. Iribe connects early but Viloria answers with a shot to the head and a right to the body. Right hook from Viloria and a counter body shot from Iribe. Crowd getting antsy. Iribe countering well. Iribe works the body. Can sense some frustration from Viloria. Viloria needs to finish strong. Not much action. Iribe wants to the counter and Viloria slow to press the action. Right jab from Iribe. (SB scores it 10-9 Iribe)

Best round of the night. Iribe stole the round at the end. I’ve got Viloria up 97-93 as we go to the 11th.

Round 10: This is a 12-round fight. Not 10. Crowd has no idea. Straight left from Viloria. Iribe on his heels. Viloria works inside and hops back out. 1-2 lands by Viloria. Left hook to the head followed by one to the body. Bi straight right. Crowd erupts. Viloria on the offensive. Iribe temporarily stops him with a body shot. Little bit of defense from both fighters. Iribe lands a hook that staggers Viloria. Viloria counters and Iribe hurt. Back and forth round. Iribe throwing more punches now. Viloria snaps a left hook and a shot ot the body. Viloria on the ropes. Iribe landing. Very close round. (SB scores it 10-9 Iribe)

Round 9: Crowd gets loud and Viloria comes out firing. Nice combo from Viloria. Viloria goes to work with the jab. Viloria controlling everything this round with his jab. Ref warns Iribe for low blow and Iribe yells back. Viloria ducks under a big upper cut. 1-2 combo fro Viloria. And another. Iribe motions him to bring it on. Probably means he got hurt. Big body shot by Iribe. Viloria answers. Viloria stepping it up but eats two jabs. Left hook lands by Viloria. Overhand right. Left hook. Viloria wins the round in final 10 seconds. (SB scores the round 10-9 Viloria)

Round 8: As I try to dodge the bodily fluids, Iribe comes out with the first big shot of the round. Viloria has slowed down a little. Iribe’s right jab finding a home. Viloria’s corner yelling at him to GET BUSY. Viloria eats a body shot. Counter left hook by Viloria. Iribe starting to look up to the challenge. Some showmanship now by Iribe and the crowd starts to BOO. Iribe getting confident though. Viloria missing with most of his punches. Big 1-2 from Iribe. Iribe really moving. (SB scores the round 10-9 Iribe)

Viloria getting a tongue lashing from his corner worse than any Iribe right hook. Kawano spills the spit cup right in front of us. GOOD ONE!

Round 7: Viloria continues to work the body but neither fighter is landing much. Holy moly. Brian Viloria just threw 13 punches in 0.4 seconds. Right hook to the body. Big combo by Iribe. Viloria answers. Overhand right moves Iribe back. 1-2-3. Viloria dances in and out. Iribe shaking out his right hand. I wonder if he hurt it. Three left hooks by Viloria but Iribe answers. Ref stops Viloria for a low blow. Overhand right hurts Viloria. Quick dance-off from both guys. Round ends. I gotta give it to Iribe. (SB scores it 10-9 Iribe)

Bruce Kawano doing a wonderful job holding Viloria’s spit cup. Keeping us dry. I appreciate it.

Round 6: Huge combo of punches. Iribe is hurt against the ropes. Jabs, hooks and uppercuts like that. Non-stop from Viloria. Iribe regains himself but eats a jab. Catches VIloria with a hook. Viloria finding a home for his jab now. Iribe lands a low blow and the ref says nothing. Three-punch combo from Iribe lands. Viloria ducks out of the way of a monster right hook and lands his own. Corner wants Viloria to work. Counter straight right connects. Big left jab. Left hook to the body. (SB scores it 10-9 Viloria)

Round 5: Viloria pounds Iribe. Kyle Galdeira is sitting next to me and wips Iribe’s sweat off his brow. Dave Reardon has ran out of poiwer on his laptop. Viloria big shot. Iribe hurt. Viloria explodes. Corner tells him not to get too excited. Viloria working him over this round. Best minute of the fight for Viloria. Viloria doubles up on the jab. Iribe is all defense. Viloria trying to put a hole in Iribe’s stomach. Iribe isn’t moving. Standing right in front of Viloria. Viloria slows up a little bit. More body work. Iribe barely throwing. Big jab connects square by Brian. BRI-AN chants again. Almost a 10-8 round. (SB scores it 10-9 Viloria)

Round 4: Fighters mixing it up in the clinch. (Just heard Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira beat up Randy Couture). Viloria staying just outside of Iribe’s reach. Iribe catches a jab and fires back. Viloria opens up in the corner after stinging Iribe with a body shot. Iribe with a nice counter jab. Six punch combo from Viloria but Iribe answers with a good body shot. Big left hook by Viloria. Jabs connect from both. SEND HIM HOME chants from the crowd. Both guys connect with multiple power shots as round ends. (SB scores it 10-9 Viloria)

The Round 4 ring girl did a full-on sprint around the ring. Come on. Slow down a little bit.

Round 3: Left body shot from Iribe and Viloria lands counter right hook. “Not from far away” Garcia yells at his fighter. Uppercut by Iribe. Another from Iribe. Viloria backs away. Lots of posturing now. Iribe lands a shot. Left/right jab combo by Viloria. Right hook by Iribe. Some dirty boxing by Iribe. Viloria works the body. Left hook by Viloria. Another. Fake jab, right hook lands by Viloria. Overhand right by Viloria. Viloria pulling away late in what was a close round. trade jabs. Double body shot and double hook by both. Referee yells about a low blow. Uncalled for. Let em fight. Round ends. (SB scores it 10-9 Viloria)

Round 2: Corner implores Viloria to stay patient, BRI-AN chants erupt from the crowd. Head movement by Viloria keeps Iribe from landing. Both guys missing on jabs. South-paw stance from Viloria. Iribe is looking for the right. Trade body shots. Trainer Roberto Garcia yelling at Viloria to throw his jab. Big body shot by Viloria. Viloria seems content to work the body. Iribe on the defensive as Viloria pounds away at his gut. Short jab by Iribe connects. Combo sends Iribe into the ropes. Iribe is going to need to come up with more offense if he wants to win a round. (SB scores it 10-9 Viloria)

Round 1: Iribe hesitant to throw early. Body shot from Viloria. Feeling out process by both. Iribe seems to be waiting to counter Viloria. Left jab by Iribe connects. Four-punch combo by Viloria. Hook, body shot combo by Viloria. Crowd erupts with every Viloria flurry. Right hook to the body of Iribe. 30 seconds left. Viloria stays out of Iribe’s reach on the jab. Round ends. (SB scores it 10-9 Viloria)

Jesus Iribe is in the ring. Here we go. Viloria set to make his entrance.

Hawaii 5-0 plays and out walks the champion. Crowd looks between 4-5,000.

7 p.m.: Aj Banal pulls out the unanimous decision victory.

6:05 p.m.: Three fights down here at the Blaisdell. Entertaining fight between Dennis Laurente and Zaid Zavaleta with Laurente winning a unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 99-91).

Viloria fight set to go around 7 and I will have a live play-by-play as it happens. Up-to-the-minute results available on the Star-Bulletin main web site.

Meanwhile at UFC 102, Thiago Silva knocked out Keith Jardine and Chris Leben was submitted by Jake Rosholt.

**************

About to head down to the Blaisdell Arena for tonight’s Island Assault card. If I can get a power cord where I’m sitting, I’ll do a live play-by-play of the Brian Viloria fight, which should start around 7 p.m.

I’ll also be updating the blog with results from UFC 102, featuring Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. I’ve always been a big fan of the PRIDE guys that moved over to the UFC, but I have to go with Couture in this one. Expect a lot of dirty boxing, clinching, and eventually Couture’s ground and pound.

(Update: Just spoke to someone who said BJ Penn will defend his lightweight title against Diego Sanchez in November, but it will not be at UFC 104 in Manchester, England. He said they are in the process of making an entirely new event specifically for a lightweight title fight. Hawaii anyone????)

Posted in Fights