Sanchez Nips Guida by Split Decision

[WTV News]

Clay Guida made Diego Sanchez earn his lightweight stripes.



In what was easily one of the year’s most competitive fights, Sanchez notched a split decision against the shaggy Chicagoan in the featured bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale on Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Two of the three judges sided with Sanchez by 29-27 and 29-28 scores; a third scored it 29-28 for Guida.

Believed to be on a short list of potential contenders for the UFC lightweight crown, Sanchez (21-2) roared out of the gates. He wobbled Guida with wicked, compact uppercuts against the cage and quickly established a foothold in the bout. Later, Sanchez dropped Guida with a head kick that would have left lesser men unconscious. Guida, however, refused to go away.

“You can’t hurt this guy,” Guida said. “I come for days.”

The manic Guida bounced off the stool for round two and employed a strategy that was far more effective. He took down Sanchez early and worked ground-and-pound from the top. Guida ate some elbows to the top of his head for his troubles, but he kept Sanchez pinned to the mat for much of the round.

Round three was almost too close to call. They traded briefly before Guida ended up in top position after a scramble. Sanchez worked for a kimura and an armbar from the bottom, but the blood flowing from Guida’s nose, mouth and head made it virtually impossible to secure anything of consequence against the former Strikeforce lightweight champion. They finished in a stalemate.

“The weight cut was a little tough on me,” Sanchez said following his second UFC appearance at 155 pounds. “The guy has a tremendous chin. There’s a reason he’s never been knocked out. He’s an animal. That’s what the UFC is all about, bringing battles like this to the Octagon.”

Sanchez has put together an impressive string of four consecutive wins since his split decision loss to welterweight stalwart Jon Fitch at UFC 76. Guida (25-10), meanwhile, saw his three-fight winning streak come to an end.

“He’s a stud,” said Guida, his trademark locks drenched in blood. “I took him down. He cut me up. I think it was a really close fight.”

James Wilks stands alone on the reality television pedestal.

The Englishman served Damarques Johnson a well-rounded platter of punishment in “The Ultimate Fighter 9” welterweight final before downing the Jeremy Horn protégé with a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of round one. The end came 4:54 into the first period.

Wilks (6-2) welcomed the energetic Johnson to the Octagon with a stiff left-right cross combination and never looked back. He showed off an advanced skill set, as he worked from the clinch, battered Johnson standing and short-circuited his efforts on the ground.


James Wilks stopped Damarques Johnson in style.

After threatening with heel hooks and an omaplata, Wilks scored a takedown from behind, sank his hooks and went to work on the choke. Johnson (9-7) defended well to start, but Wilks trapped his arm with one of his legs -- ala B.J. Penn -- and cinched the choke. The tapout followed almost immediately.

“This is the best moment of my life, for sure,” said Wilks, who used his appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter” as a springboard to opening his own MMA training facility in Laguna Hills, Calif.

Welterweight masochist Chris Lytle turned away Kevin Burns in an entertaining war of attrition, as he survived a grueling battle that turned bloody late and notched a unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 29-28.

Rocked by a right uppercut in the first round, Lytle -- who has never been knocked out in 49 professional bouts -- withstood the charge from Burns. He wobbled into his corner, cleared the cobwebs and came out with a renewed sense of urgency.

“I didn’t see [the punch],” Lytle said. “He caught me with my head down, but I’m an experienced fighter and I just tried to weather the storm.”

Lytle (27-17-5) invested heavily in body shots, and his winging punches began to pay dividends in the second round. The pace from Burns slowed noticeably and his hands sank lower and lower as time wore on. Lytle opened a nasty gash near the former Victory Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder’s eye with the first punch of round three. To his credit, Burns (7-3) stayed in the fight, even as blood poured down his face and onto his chest. The two gladiators embraced once they finished their violent encounter in the Octagon.

“That’s exactly why I wanted that fight,” Lytle said. “I knew he was going to try and take me out.”

Add Ross Pearson to “The Ultimate Fighter” pantheon.

The 24-year-old Englishman edged one-time FX3 champion Andre Winner by unanimous decision in “The Ultimate Fighter 9” lightweight tournament final. All three judges scored it 29-28 in Pearson’s favor.

The two Team UK stablemates spent much of their time in the cage in the clinch. Effective from distance, Pearson (9-3) had trouble keeping Winner at arm’s length but fought well in the trenches nonetheless. All square after two rounds, Pearson maintained a frenetic pace and slowly wore down Winner with well-timed punches, takedown attempts and strikes against the cage. He finished strong, as he landed a knee and elbow in tight that opened a cut under Winner’s left eye and had the Team Rough House product on one knee at the end of round three.

The 24-year-old Pearson has posted eight wins in nine fights. Winner (9-3-1), reality television’s resident thumbsucker and a training partner of UFC welterweight contender Dan Hardy, has not tasted victory since November 2007.

“He’s a tough fighter,” Pearson said, blood trickling from a small cut on his forehead. “I’ve trained with him. You could have put anyone in front of me, and I would have trained for them. It was a tough fight.”

Finally, Joe Stevenson mixed power with technique, as he snapped a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory against Nate Diaz in a showdown between former “The Ultimate Fighter” winners. Scores were 29-28 from all three judges.

Stevenson (30-10) dodged several bullets en route to his first victory in almost a year, as Diaz threatened him twice with modified guillotine chokes. The 27-year-old father of four took down Diaz in every round, pressed him against the cage and peppered his body and legs with knees. He set the tone early in round one, as he stifled Diaz with a backside crucifix and irritating but effective ground-and pound. Having famed mixed martial arts trainer, strategist and motivator Greg Jackson by his side made a difference for Stevenson.

“It’s like having Chuck Norris in your corner,” he said. “It’s a little unfair.”

Faced with the second three-fight losing streak of his career, Stevenson persevered and solidified his position in the UFC. A Cesar Gracie protégé, the volatile Diaz (10-4) has dropped back-to-back bouts for the first time as a professional.


PRELIM RESULTS:

Jason Dent vs. Cameron Dollar
Round 1
They touch gloves. Dent paws a left jab. Dollar lands an overhand right. Dent lands a decent leg kick. Hard right to body from Dollar. The crowd is heavily behind Dollar. Dollar lands a hard right uppercut and scores a takedown when he blocks a Dent knee. They're up. Another hard right to dent's body. Dollar is starting to be more aggressive. Nice straight left to the face from dollar. A right hand begins a flurry from Dollar as Dent covers up. A left to the body from Dent and Dollar shoots in. Dent sprawls but locks up an anaconda choke. It's deep. Dollar is fighting it. Dent rolls over and sinks it deeper. Dollar is struggling to get out. Dollar has no choice but to tap out. The official time is 4:46 of the first.

Nick Osipczak vs. Frank Lester
Round 1
The fight starts with a right leg kick by Lester. Lester misses a ”Superman” punch. Osipczak lands a straight right and Lester slips down onto his back. Osipczak quickly goes to side control. Lester scrambles and pulls guard. Lester scrambles again and gets back up, but Osipczak pins him along the fence. Lester reverses control and now has Osipczak pinned against the cage. Referee Kim Winslow restarts them. They plug away and Osipczak tags him with a right hand. Lester gets his back and tries to Suplex, but Osipczak's balance is strong. They separate and go toe-to-toe. Osipczak hurts Lester with a straight right and lands a glancing right knee as the American shoots. Osipczak quickly seizes his back and locks in a rear-naked choke. Perfect execution without the hooks, causing Lester to tap at 3:40 of round one.

Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Tomasz Drwal
Round 1
Drwal scores a takedown and is in Ciesnolevicz's half guard. Very little action. Ciesnolevicz scrambles up. They clinch. Drwal pressed him against the fence. Drwal scores another takedown and again is in Ciesnolevicz's half guard. Ciesnolevicz scrambled up again and eats a left hook from Drwal. Drwal scores another takedown but can't keep the American down. Drwal has his opponent pressed against the cage again. They separate. Hard straight left from Drwal. Drwal flurries and hurts Ciesnolevicz. Drwal chases him down and lands a perfect knee to Ciesnolevicz's face, dropping him onto his back. Drwal unloads onto his woody foe. Referee Herb Dean steps in at 4:48 of the opening frame.

Brad Blackburn vs. Edgar Garcia
Round 1
Blackburn rocks Garcia with a right cross immediately. Garcia shakes it off. Blackburn misses a punch and Garcia ducks under. Blackburn tries a standing guillotine, but Garcia lifts him up and slams him hard onto his shoulders. Blackburn gets back up and rocks Garcia again with a right. Nice short left hook by Garcia finds its target. The pace slows a bit but Blackburn lands two good leg kicks. They both land hard left hooks at the same time and smile. Garcia lands three stiff left jabs. Blackburn lands another decent left leg kick. And another. Garcia lands a solid right hand and knee on Blackburn in a frenzy at bell. The round ends and Blackburn is limping. Replays show the knee was to the groin. 10-9 Garcia.

Round 2
Blackburn was given no time to recover from the groin shot. Both guys are pawing out jabs. Slow pace. Hard left jab by Blackburn smacks the face of Garcia. Hard right leg kick by Blackburn. Garcia is very tentative. An errant kick grazes Garcia's groin. He's OK. Blackburn is now moving around well, giving Garcia all sorts of angles. The crowd is now getting a bit restless. Garcia finally opens up with a right cross, right-leg kick combo. Nice short left hook lands for Blackburn very late. The second is an easy round for Blackburn, 10-9.

Round 3
They hug at start of the third. A very tentative round to start. A minute in and nothing has landed. Both guys are pawing out jabs. Hard short left hook by Garcia. Garcia misses a huge left and then another. Nice right hand by Blackburn follows a leg kick. Garcia now has a small trickle of blood on the right side of his hairline. Blackburn lands a left kick to the body followed by a right-low kick and a left hook. A right hook lands for Garcia. 20 seconds left and it's anybody's fight. Blackburn scores a single-leg takedown, but Garcia quickly scrambles back to his feet. A short left hook drops Blackburn with five seconds left. It might have won him the round. 10-9 Garcia.

Official scores:
Adalaide Byrd: 29-28 Garcia
Patricia Morse Jarman: 29-28 Blackburn
Tony Weeks: 29-28 Blackburn

The crowd hates the verdict. The boos are intense. Blackburn said he hurt his shoulder early in the fight.

Melvin Guillard vs. Gleison Tibau
Round 1
Guillard just misses a right and a left. He misses again. Tibau lands a stiff-straight left onto Guillard's chest and then pins him against the fence. Tibau scores a single leg from there, but Guillard gets right back up. They separate. Guillard is very active on his feet, but he can't land anything clean. Guillard lands a hard-leg kick but Tibau catches it and takes him down. Guillard scrambles back up, but Tibau scoop-slams him back down. Guillard scrambles back to his feet. Guillard misses a whizzer at the horn. 10-9 Tibau.

Round 2
A right hand by Guillard lands early, but Tibau charges his foe into the fence. Guillard defends the takedown well. Guillard stuffs another single leg. They separate. A right leg kick by Guillard connects. Tibau again presses Guillard against the fence. Guillard misses another whizzer and stumbles onto his back, but he scrambles back up. Good right head kick, right cross by Guillard. Tibau shakes it off. A stiff right jab by Tibau followed by a double-leg takedown late. Tibau is in half guard at the horn. 10-9 Guillard.

Round 3
A hard “Superman” punch by Guillard lands immediately. Tibau scores a takedown and is in Guillard's half guard. Tibau scoots to full mount. Guillard pulls back to half guard. Back to full mount for Tibau. Some decent strikes by Tibau follow a missed kimura. Guillard pulls back to half guard. Very little action. Guillard scrambles up to his feet. Guillard missed a double leg and is then pinned back against the fence. Tibau scores another takedown. Tibau lands some decent elbows from within half guard. 10-9 Tibau.

Guillard takes a split decision. The scores are not announced.

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Joe Stevenson vs. Nate Diaz
Round 1
Diaz immediately closes on Stevenson, looking to throw hands, but Stevenson drops levels and gets a single-leg takedown. Diaz immediately goes for a guillotine, and switches to a “Cromado”-style figure-four grip, but Stevenson escapes, and stands above Diaz’s open guard. Stevenson weakly punches his way to half guard. Diaz rolls to quarters position, but Stevenson controls his body, and stays on top. Stevenson gets a back crucifix on Diaz, and tries to figure four his arm on the other side. Diaz gets up to his feet, and tries to pull his arms free, but Stevenson hooks his far leg, and rolls into a modified cradle position that ties up Diaz awkwardly. As Diaz escapes and rolls to top position, Stevenson locks up a deep guillotine that forces Diaz into defensive action. Diaz gamely rolls and momentarily gives up mount, but escapes and gets back to guard with Stevenson on top of him. Fantastic technical grappling so far. Stevenson scores another takedown, and works to pass to half, but Diaz bucks and scrambles back to his feet. Stevenson gets a front headlock and looks for knees, and Diaz drops to a knee so Stevenson can’t knee him in the head as the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson
Loretta Hunt scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson

Round 2
Southpaw Diaz stalks Stevenson with his hands open, taunting him. Stevenson shoots again, as Diaz locks on another guillotine, and rolls to a partial mount. Stevenson has arms under Diaz’s legs and rolls back to top position, but Diaz continues to work for the guillotine. Stevenson gets to his feet, and controls Diaz with another front headlock, and again Diaz drops to a knee to limit Stevenson’s attack, forcing him to knee to the body. Stevenson gets a leg, and rolls to finish the takedown. Diaz prevents Stevenson from passing to side control. Diaz’s gets his legs in a triangle position, but Stevenson quickly postures up and breaks his legs apart. Diaz gets back to his feet, and Stevenson pushes him against the fence. Stevenson pushes for a single leg, while Diaz looks both for a guillotine, and a far side kimura to defend. Stevenson hits a single leg, and as Diaz attempts to hit a switch, Stevenson sits back on him and takes top position. As Stevenson chips away, Diaz again uses his long legs to attempt a triangle, but Stevenson again postures out. Diaz gets up, and Stevenson fights for a single as the horn sounds.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson
Loretta Hunt scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson

Round 3
Diaz comes out and shakes his head as Stevenson attempts to touch gloves with him. Stevenson again gets position for a single, and as he attempts to roll to finish it, Diaz uses control on his farside arm to prevent finishing the takedown. Stevenson rolls again, and the same sequence unfolds. Diaz gets back to his feet, and as Stevenson looks to get rear waist control, Diaz hits a pretty harai goshi throw and Diaz stands over Stevenson, raking him with long punches, and Stevenson scrambles to his knees. Diaz goes for an arm-in guillotine which Stevenson escapes, and Diaz quickly looks to take his back and go for a rear-naked choke, which again, “Joe Daddy” escapes. After the wild scramble, Stevenson controls Diaz’s upper body, and delivers more knees to the body. Stevenson fights for a single-leg takedown, and Diaz again looks to figure four his right arm. They disengage with 50 seconds to go. Diaz punches to Stevenson fruitlessly, and as Stevenson clinches up, Diaz nearly hits an uchimata. As Diaz pumps his hands, Stevenson feebly looks for a trio of takedowns, as Diaz thwarts him, and punches his head until the bout ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Stevenson)
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Stevenson (30-27 Stevenson)
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Stevenson (30-27 Stevenson)

All three judges score the bout 29-28 for Joe Stevenson, who takes the win via unanimous decision.

Ross Pearson vs. Andre Winner
Round 1
The two former training partners touch gloves and smile to start the bout. Winner shoots a jab to the body but misses. Pearson throws a four-punch combo, just landing a chipping right hook. The pair trade inside low kicks. Pearson rushes with another punch flurry, and Winner blocks it. Winner ducks under and fights for underhooks, pushing Pearson into the fence. Both are battling for a takedown, each with over-unders. Winner pushing hard for two underhooks, and referee Herb Dean lets the two continue to pummel. Winner swims to the Thai plumb, but lets it go as Pearson changes levels and goes for a double-leg takedown. Winner lands a sharp right elbow, and a knee to the body, and pushes Pearson’s back to the fence. Each look for a foot sweep, and Winner throws an errant knee to the body that appears to catch Pearson low, as Herb Dean calls for a break to allow Pearson to recover. After resuming the bout, the pair trade uppercuts inside in a very give-and-take round. Winner throws some soft knees in close, as the two continue to pummel inside. Winner lands a flurry of knees and punches as the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-10
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Winner
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Pearson

Round 2
Pearson lands an outside leg kick, and then puts one inside before landing a one-two combination that forces Winner back. Winner ties Pearson up again, and the two head toward the fence to resume their in-fighting battle. As they work hard inside, Pearson drops for a single-leg takedown and pushes Winner across the cage. Winner defends, and pounds to Pearson’s body as he looks for double underhooks. Both continue to pummel hard, as Winner lands sporadic, glancing knees to the body. Pearson launches a knee to the body that misses, but lands a nice uppercut. Winner lands a glancing right elbow. Winner lands a short left elbow as the pair break off the cage. A head kick by Pearson is blocked by Winner. Pearson lands a nice counter right hook as Winner comes forward. The pair tie up to the fence again. Pearson turns Winner and puts his back to the fence. Pearson chops with a glancing right knee to the body. Winner looks to impress the judges with a flurry of punches, putting a right hook to the body of Pearson as the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-10
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Pearson
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-10

Round 3
The two throw hands, but only Winner lands flush, with a left hook. Pearson bulls Winner to the cage, and the two continue their ongoing inside battle for position. Winner chips away right hands and right knees to the body as Pearson pushes into him. Pearson lands a short uppercut, and lands a knee to the body. The two trade hooks in the middle of the cage, but Pearson lands an extra right hook that forces Winner to push him into the fence. Pearson lands hooks to the body and a nice uppercut, and Winner punches back and pushes him back into the fence. Pearson lands a leg kick, and Winner lands a glancing right hand. Pearson drops and looks for a single leg takedown, but Winner is able to land on his knees, and get back to his feet. Pearson lands an uppercut, and a short chopping right in close, and Winner lands two uppercuts. With 40 seconds to go, the pair trade punches in the center of the cage, with Pearson landing the cleaner punches of the exchange. Winner pushes him to the fence, and the pair trade punches inside. Pearson lands a sharp knee right before the horn. As the fight ends, a tired Winner drops to his knees, while Pearson leaps onto the cage.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Pearson (30-29 Pearson)
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Pearson (29-28 Pearson)
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Pearson (30-28 Pearson)

All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the unanimous victor, and “The Ultimate Fighter 9” lightweight winner, Ross Pearson.

Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns
Round 1
The pair begin by winging punches, with nothing landing. Lytle throws an overhand right that misses, but ducks a wild hook from Burns, who slips after throwing it. Lytle lands an awkward overhand right counter as Burns lunges in. Lytle jumps in with a pair of hooks that land on Burns. Burns lands a nice leg kick, and a jab. A winging left hook by Lytle is blocked, and Burns lands a right hook – the only clean punch thus far. Lytle continues rushing Burns with winging punches, but doesn’t land. Lytle puts a sharp hook on Burns’ body. Burns kicks to the body as Lytle loads a right hand. Lytle’s overhand right continues to be blocked. Burns lands a knee as Lytle bends over to fire another overhand. A left inside low kick from Burns catches Lytle on the cup, and Herb Dean calls for a brief respite. A short Burns hook catches Lytle jumping in. Lytle is rocked by another short round hand jumping in on Burns, and Burns puts another right hand on him that puts him on the mat. Burns flurries all over Lytle, who fights his way off his knees, and goes for a double-leg takedown. Burns lands a right elbow that hurts Lytle, and continues to smash Lytle with hooks, uppercuts and knees over the last 10 seconds as a dazed Lytle tries to hang on. Fortunately for the former firefighter, the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Burns
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Burns

Round 2
Exchanging punches, Lytle lands a big right hook that puts Burns on his heels. The two flurry wildly, and Burns gets Lytle off of him with a sharp knee to the body. Lytle continues to walk Burns down, and puts two right hook on Burns’ body. Burns shoots in for a takedown, Lytle locks up a guillotine, but Burns passes to the far side to escape. Lytle scrambles back to his feet. Another Lytle right hook to the body hurts Burns. Lytle goes to the well once more with two more right hooks to the body two minutes into the round. Burns appears to be slowing. Lytle lands three more right hooks to the body over the next minute, and though Burns lands a glancing knee, it doesn’t deter Lytle from putting another right hook to his gut. Another inside leg kick from Burns lands on the cup, but Lytle takes only a brief moment to recover before Herb Dean restarts the bout. The two trade kicks to the body. A wide right hand by Lytle misses, and his left hand glances off of a retreating Kevin Burns. Lytle lands two more right hands to the body on a fading Burns. As the pair tie up inside, they miss their respective volleys of punches, but Burns lands another inadvertent shot to the groin with a knee. Lytle again only takes a moment to recover, and Herb Dean opts not to penalize Burns. Burns lands a pair of kicks as the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Lytle
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Lytle
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Lytle

Round 3
Lytle catches a lazy kick from Burns, and hits him right an overhand right. A gash over Burns’ left eye now streams blood down his face. Burns lands a knee to the body that stops Lytle. Lytle walking Burns down, trying to put right hands on the wound. Lytle lands a right hook to the body, and Burns responds with one of his own. A “Superman” punch from Burns misses. Lytle lands a two-punch combination. The left ribs of Burns catch another pop from Lytle’s right hand. A wild overhand right from Lytle stumbles Burns, despite being partially blocked. Burns continues to circle on the outside of the Octagon as Lytle walks him down. Lytle lands a left straight, right hook to the body, left hook combo, and stops Burns’ movement. Another overhand right from Lytle lands, as he looks to finish a game but exhausted Burns with a minute left. A pair of kicks from Burns are blocked. Lytle lands yet another right hook to Burns’ battered body. With 10 seconds to go, the pair wildly wing at one another, neither landing effectively. As the horn goes, they embrace.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Lytle (29-28 Lytle)
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Lytle (29-28 Lytle)
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Lytle (29-28 Lytle)

All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the unanimous winner, Chris Lytle.

Damarques Johnson vs. James Wilks
Round 1
Wilks lands a left-right cross combo that rock Johnson early, and goes for knees as Johnson pushes him to the fence. Wilks lands another two-punch combination, grabs the clinch and attacks with knees again. Johnson tries him up inside. Wilks goes for an uchimata, and when Johnson blocks, he picks the ankle and gets the takedown. Wilks stands above Johnson punching down, and drops back for a heel hook, which Johnson rolls out of, assuming top control. Johnson lands a hard elbow, and Wilks goes for another heel hook. As Johnson punches behind him, Wilks rolls and has an awkward calf slicer on Johnson’s far leg. Johnson escapes, and gets back into Wilks’ guard. Johnson defense an omoplata, but Wilks locks up a triangle choke. As Johnson pulls out, Wilks transitions to an omoplata, and forces to quarters position. Johnson gets up, and Wilks controls his waist, tripping him down to the mat again. Johnson stays turtled, and Wilks looks to take the back. Wilks gets his hooks in, and looks to finish a rear-naked choke with a gable grip, but Johnson shoves his arm off. Wilks continues to fight for the choke. After getting his arm under Johnson’s chin, Wilks figure fours his arms and squeezes for the finish, as Johnson taps out at 4:54 of the first round. A multi-faceted domination by James Wilks, “The Ultimate Fighter 9” welterweight winner.

Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida
Round 1
Sanchez races out and takes the center, and the pair throw dozens of frantic punches. Guida is being raked repeatedly by Sanchez, who continues to fire rights and lefts and knees. Insane action for the first 30 seconds. Guida’s mouthguard has come out in the fracas. Sanchez lunges at Guida with another knee. Only a minute has elapsed thus far, as Sanchez continues to flurry with crosses and uppercuts. Guida finally gets off the fence, and scores a double-leg takedown into Sanchez’s full guard. Sanchez working a high guard, as he controls Guida’s head. Guida tries to leap forward with elbows, with little contact. Sanchez scoots to the cage, but Guida turns him off the fence. Sanchez works rubber guard, and then bucks Guida off of him and scrambles back to his feet. After two minutes of action, Josh Rosenthal finally calls for a break, and gets Guida’s mouthpiece rinsed and put back in. Guida’s nose is bloodied. A crisp, clean head kick absolutely smashes Guida and drops him flat to his back, but Guida shows remarkable recovery, and gets back up. Sanchez puts Guida back on the fence, and unloads with uppercuts and hooks to the head and body. A desperate Guida goes for a takedown, but Sanchez defends, and pushes him into the fence. Sanchez goes for a single-leg of his own. Guida defends, but Sanchez gets rear waist control and slams him to the mat. With 30 seconds left in a dominant round, Sanchez begins to work from Guida’s half guard. Sanchez lands an elbow, and Guida scrambles to his feet. Sanchez lands a right hook as the frenetic round expires.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-8 Sanchez
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Sanchez
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Sanchez

Round 2
Sanchez looks for another head kick, which Guida avoids this time. Sanchez rushes Guida with a four-punch combo, but doesn’t land. Guida shoots a low takedown, and puts Sanchez on the mat. The TUF 1 winner throwing elbows from his back, with one butterfly hook. Guida lands an elbow. Sanchez controlling Guida’s posture with butterfly hooks, but Guida stays on top. Sanchez turns his hips, and digs for a kimura. Guida pulls his arm out, and flurries on Sanchez. Sanchez overhooks Guida’s arms and looks to stagnate his foe, as the crowd chants “Guida, Guida, Guida.” Sanchez launches a salvo of elbows from his back, the cleanest strikes on the ground thus far. Sanchez tries to establish rubber guard, but is unable to land anything meaningful. Sanchez continues to launch elbows at Guida’s head, which is now bleeding from the storm of elbows. Sanchez rotates for an armbar, which Guida slips out of. Sanchez’s face and chest are now bloody from Guida’s head. Round expires.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Sanchez
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Sanchez
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-9 Guida

Round 3
Guida pushes forward with punches and kicks, but can’t close the distance. Sanchez wades in with a right hook, but slips to his knees. Another left head kick from Sanchez, and Guida avoids again. Sanchez lands an uppercut in an exchange, the most significant punch of the most conservative round thus far. Each miss a right cross. Guida leaps in with a glancing hook, but Sanchez circles away. A slapping overhand right from Guida lands, and as Sanchez throws his hands, Guida lands a right hook. Another “Guida, Guida, Guida” chant comes from the crowd. Guida shoots lazily, and Sanchez looks to turn the corner and take his back. Sanchez digs his forearm under Guida’s chin, but loses his position. Sanchez continues to choke Guida, but ineffectively, as Guida escapes and assumes top control. Sanchez works for a kimura from his back with a minute to go in the bout. With 10 seconds to go, Sanchez rotates for an armbar, but Guida pulls his arm out and flurries wildly, mostly missing, as the bout expires.

Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-10 (30-27 Sanchez)
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Guida (29-28 Sanchez)
Loretta Hunt scores the round 10-10 (29-29 Draw)

Judge Patricia Morse Jarman turns in a 29-28 scorecard for Guida. However, judge Glenn Trowbridge scores the bout 29-27, and Nelson Hamilton scores the bout 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Diego Sanchez.