Tagged Knockout of the Night

While everyone wondered if Jeremy Stephens would be released from jail and fight Yves Edwards at UFC on FX 5, the rest of the fight card played out. While the drama behind the scenes unfolded the fighters inside the Octagon put on a solid card in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Most of the UFC on FOX 4 talk surrounded the two light heavyweight bouts headlining the card but when it was all said and done, Joe Lauzon stole the show as well as two fight night bonuses. That isn’t anything new though because when you put Joe Lauzon on a fight card you can almost guarantee that he is going to get a UFC fight night bonus.

Tonight UFC 149 was one of those nights; some will call it an off-night while others will refer to it as crap. While the final four fights couldn’t live up to the rest of the card, UFC 149 did have its moments and a few of the fighters were rewarded for them.

The night was supposed to be concluded with a fight of the night bout between Gray Maynard and Clay Guida, but UFC on FX 4 ended with anything but that. Guida’s game plan appeared to involve moving even more than normal, including moving backwards more than forwards. The strategy would frustrate Maynard as the fight entered the extended rounds and he couldn’t contain his emotions.

The UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall main card saved the day tonight and the bonuses they collected is all the proof needed. The prelims dragged on at a grinding pace, saw the referees make several questions calls and one judge see a fight in the complete opposite direction as the others.

The UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson fight card was one of the best cards of the year thus far and featured many memorable moments. With all the great fights the UFC brass had some tough decisions to make tonight regarding the “Fight Night” bonuses.

After coming out on top for the first two rounds by barely out pointing Terry Etim, Edson Barboza turned on the style with a spinning heel kick that connected perfectly sending Etim tumbling to the ground out cold from the second he connected. The explosive kick is the early front-runner for the best knockout of 2012, improved the Brazilian's record to 10-0 and earned him knockout of the night.

UFC 142 was filled with equal parts decisions, knockouts and submissions that made picking the Fight Night bonuses a little more difficult than normal. Take away the questionable disqualification Erick Silva that gave Carlo Prater the win there were there decisions, (T)KO’s and submissions.