By Dave Meltzer

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Welcome to our live coverage of UFC 92 from the MGM Grand Garden  Arena in Las Vegas.  We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Pat Barry vs. Dan Evensen opens the show. 

There is a new octagon girl.  It's Arianny's younger sister.  Picture a 19-year-old Arianny and you'll have a good idea.  Her name is Angelica Celeste.  That's a shoot name and it's better than the last 100 fake names the WWE writing team has come up with.  They are the Funk family when it comes to quality of ring girls.  Bad analogy, but I'm hardly going to call them the Jackson family or Manning family. 

Barry,  a San Shou guy, threw Evensen down and let him back up.   Pat Barry has some explosive low kicks.  Barry is on top.  They wre back up and Barry connected with a kick to the thigh that appeared to send his thigh off his knee and Evensen couldn't stand up and it was over.

Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn is up now.

Good body kick by Chonan.  Good left by Chonan.  Nice combo by Blackburn.  Blackburn hurt him with a left.  Blackburn with another combination.  Chonan has dyed red eyebrows.  Chonan with more body kicks.  Blackburn back with an uppercut and straight right.  Left connected by Blackburn.  Blackburn with another right.  Blackburn missing with some punches.  Now hit a combo.  Chonan missed a flying knee and went down.  Blackburn let him back up.  Match slowed late in the round.  Blackburn with another good uppercut.  Another good combo by Blackburn.  Easy 10-9 Blackburn.  Good round.

Blackburn dropped him with a right and is on top in the guard.  Chonan with a few elbows from the bottom and Blackburn let him back up.  Slower round.  Good combo by Blackburn and ent for a takedown but Chonann spawled and avoided it.  Chonan cut on the left eyebrow, or it's his eyebrow being dyed.  Chonan with a few low kicks.  Chonan connecting more with more kicks late.  Blackburn won the round but Chonan was winning the late part of the round.  20-18 Blackburn.

Chonan connecting with body kicks.  Blackburn moving backwards trying to ride out of the time.  Chonan walking him down, hitting him with some punches and body kicks but nothing damaging.  Chonan tried a takedown off a kick but couldn't get it.  Choinan hurt him with a right and Blackburn came back with a hard right.  Blackburn staggered again.  Blackburn moving backwards.  Blackburn's nose may be broken  from a forearm or elbow standing.  Another good uppercut by Chonan.  Chonan's round but I think it's 29-28 for Blackburn.

All three judges had it 29-28.  Crowd booing the hell out of it bad because he ran in round three, but it was the right call.  Blackburn in his interview said he won the first two rounds and lost the third.  People weren't happy with that honest assessment.

Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy is next in a battle of wrestlers.

Hamill continues his streak of great entrance music.  People treat Hamill like he's a big star.  Crowd not full yet but place is already 85% full.  Steve Mazzagatti is your referee.  Takedown by Hamill off a kick but Andy is right back up.  Andy with a good body kick.  Knee to the head by Andy.  Andy connecting with a lot of punches.  Andy buckled Hamill's leg with a kick.  Hamill cut under the right eye.  Hamill looking lethargic and robotic.  Body kick by Andy.  Andy's left eye is swelling as well and starting to close.  Hamill connected late, but still 10-9 for Andy.

Both guys are looking tired.  Andy more than Hamill.  Hamill connnecting with punches and knees.  Andy with a good punch but he's done.  Hamill is pounding on him from the back.  More punches on the ground.  Andy has nothing left.  Hamill just isn't hurting him, but Andy is just turtling and offering no defense.  Mazzagatti stopped it.  Crowd loves Hamill. 

They just showed Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson on the screen.  Crowd booed Jackson.

Antoni Hadonk vs. Mike Wessel, a former strength coach at the University of Arkansas

Wessel knocked him down with an accidental head-butt.  Wessel was sloppy on top.  Hardonk nearly got an armbar.  Wessel pulled out.  Hardonk with a knee to the belly welly.  Wessel tiring fast.  Still throwing tho.  Good trade.  Hardonk with hard knees.  Anohter good knee by Hardonk.  Hardonk with more knees from a Muay Thai clinhch.  Wessel is tough and can take a licking.  Another hard knee by Hardonk.  Wessel took him down and got on top again.  Wessel bleeding from the nose.  Wessel with short elbows to the head.  Yves Lavigne is working them.  Crwod wants a stand-up but Wessell throwing punches and Harodnk trying to get a triangle as time is running out.  Wessel got the mount just as time expired.   10-9 Hardonk

Wessel tripped Hardonk down and is on top.  Hardonk reversed and got Wessel's back.  He's trying to flatten him, which he's now done.  Hardonk with punches and crossfacing looking to get a choke.  Nasty crossface by Hardonk.  Now he's got a mount and throwing.  Elbows to the face and punches and  Yves Lavigne stopped it.

Dean Lister vs. Yushin Okami is the final prelim match. 

They just showed Nogueira and he got good cheers.  Mir got 70% boos.  Evans got booed, but not heavy.  Place exploded for Griffin, as expected.

Lister has a nasty black eye from training. 

They just showed Satoshi Ishii on the screen.  One judge gave the first round to Hamill, but the other two gave it to Andy.  All three judges gave round one to Wessel.  I'd question that one.

Okami got a takedown.  These two are living up to their reputations and making UFC seem pretty smart to make a dark match.  Lister twice has laid on his back and gotten his legs kicked which is never good in what may end up as a points fight.  Lister pulled guard.  He's trying to muscle a kneebar but Okami is under control.  Okami punching the side of the head as the round ended.  Crowd booed the round  10-9 Okami. 

Second round started with a stalemate clinch.  Had body kick by Okami.  Lister tried a takedown, now lying on his back begging Okami to come to the ground.  Crowd booed that strategy and Okami having none of it.  Lister shot, again asking Okami to come to the ground.  Okami is on top on the ground.  Okami connected with some good punches.  Okami connecting with punches as the round ended.  People are booing both guys.  20-18 Okami.

Lister laid on his back.  Okami after his success last round, decided to go down with him and punching him.  Okami scoring with some punches.  Okami is going to win, but he's hurt his chances at a title shot in this match when you play this kind of a game.  30-27 across the board for Okami.  This fight will not air on the live show and for good reason.  Man, all the people who complained about this match not being on the live show are looking bad.

Nothing much on the undercard.   Barry's fight was quick and while Hamill's fight wasn't good, he's at least a star to the public.  Hopefully Okami-Lister is the worst fight of the night, if not, something really bad is heading our way.  

Crowd hot for the start of the show.  Not completely full.  In the open, nobody was booed.  Griffin nce again cheered far more than anyone else.  Maybe 500 empty seats.

Cheick Kongo vs. Mostapha Al-Turk in a battle of France vs. The U.K. in the heavyweight division. 

Al-Turk threw a kick, Kongo caught the foot and threw a punch that put Al-Turk down.  Al-Turk back up trying for a takedown.  Kongo's takedown defense is better and threw a half dozen elbows on Al-Turk.  Kongo went down with a knee to the groin and Mazzagatti is giving Kongo time to recover.  Kongo's hurt.  Kongo's facials were killer as it restarted.  Al-Turk again going for a takedown and getting nowhere.  Kongo threw a low blow when he got Al-Turk in the corner.  That was deliberate.  Crowd popped.  Mazzagatti needs to get control because that one was intentional.  I guess he's thinking he can't take a point away because he didn't when Al-Turk did it.  He yelled at both.  Kongo put him down with a punch and is wailing away at him with elbows and punches from the top.  Al-Turk bleeding bad and getting hammered.  This was stopped way late because Al-Turk was knocked silly.  He seemed okay when he got up.

Kongo said he wants a shot at the title in 2009.  Actually Joe Rogan put the words in his mouth.

There are virtually no empty seats now.

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva is up now.  Yves Lavigne is referee. 

How the hell is CB Dollaway going to be able to follow this?

Jackson was booed as he got to the ring.  During the ring introductions, Jackson was booed heavily at first but a lot of cheers as well.  Jackson is a lot bigger.  Silva threw a few and backed out.  Huge "Silva" chant rocking this place as little happens.  A not as loud "Rampage" chant got booed down.  Quinton shot for a takedown and Silva threw a knee that missed.  We're  past 2:00 with little happening.  Good low kick by Silva.  Jackson tripped Silva and got him down but Silva back up immediately.  Jackson knocked him one punch, a left to the jaw.  Both were throwing punches and Jackson connected in the right spot.  Yves Lavigne jumped right in but Jackson threw two more punches on the ground after Lavigne tried to stop him by hooking Jackson's arm.  Silva got up on his own and left the ring.  Now the crowd loves Jackson.  The old Rampage cameback in the promo. 

Jackson seems a lock for the winner of Griffin-Evans.    

C.B. Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio is next.

Another grudge match as Dollaway pinned Massenzio several years back to in the finals of the Junior College national wrestling championships.

Crowd is quiet.  Good body kick by Dolllaway and Dollaway hurt him with a knee to the body.  Dollaway badly missed on a whacky kick.   Massenzio hurt Dollway with some punches and grabbed a guillotine.  Dollaway is out.  Dolloway on top doing little.  .  Massenzio tried an armbar.  Dollaway now has a full mount.  Massenzio turned.  Dollway has his back and pouncing and Yves Lavigne stopped it in the first round.  Massenzio was mad at first but you can tell he's a sportsman as he caught himself from arguing.  Crowd thought early stoppage.  They were right.  Boy, compared with the Kongo fight, it was like a completely different inconsistent sport.

Frank Mir vs.  Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is next.

95% cheers for Mir.  Nogueira got no boos and louder cheers.  Mir is physically a bigger guy even though their height and weight are similar.  Mir tried some hihg kicks that went nowhere.  Mir cracked him in the jaw but the Zombie wasn't phased.  Mir pounding him, and took him down.  Mir let him back up after getting nowhere on the ground.  Good uppercut by Mir.  Mir is even shocked but he'd better finish fast.  Nogueira with a jab snapped Mir.,  Mir caught him with another uppcut.  Mir dropped him with a punch and is pounding him on  the ground.  Mir let him up again.  Mir caught him with anoher uppercut and a knee.  Body kick by Mir.  Nogueira back with a jab.  Mir is so happy.  It's like he can't even believe he's doing so well.  Mir decked him again at the bell.  10-8 Mir.

Mir rocked him with more punches but Nogueira came back.  Good low kick by Nogueira.  Mir caught his jaw again.  Mir dancing backwads and looking mostly to counter and conserve entergy.  Nogueira does seem fresher but his chin is gone.  Mir dropped him with a left to the nose and anohter left to the cheek and became the first person ever to finish him with ground and pound.  Brock Lesnar is the front row with Sable got up and smiled and pointed at him.

Tremendous promo by Mir.  He said he didn't even really think he could beat Nogueira.  It was really sad seeing how bad Nogueira looked.  He talked about fighting Lesnar next.

For the record, only one of the three judges, Jeff Mullen, scored round one 10-8, the other two had it 10-9 Mir.  

The company is coming out of this looking good.  Next round is Lesnar vs. Mir, which is very high six figures, and one would think Nogueira vs. Couture.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title ends the show.

Randy Couture is not in Forrest Griffin's corner. 

Mostly cheers for Evans, some boos.  Griffin easily the biggest pop of the night.  Griffin is a lot bigger than he was yesterday.  Loud "Forrest" chant.  They do look in different weight classes and Forrest looks easily 20 pouhds heavier.  Griffin with some body kicks.  Evans threw a scary right that missed.  Griffin starting with the low and midlde kicks.  Evans tried a low kick.  Traded punches that connected.  Griffin's head snapped back.  Good overhand right by Griffihn.  Evans scored with a good low kick.  Forrest taking out the knee and then going up top.  Solid strategy and Evans is trying to react but hasn't figured out how.  Good exchange.  Another one with Griffin coming out better.  Very fast paced and a lot of movement for guys of that size, so conditioning is going to be a huge factor going forward.  Evans with a good counter punch.  10-9 Griffin.

Griffin continuing to kick the left leg.  Evans with a right.  Grfiffin with low kicks and punches.  Griffin with the best punch of the fight.  Griffin going for a finish in the corner.  Evans coming right back.  Griffin tagged him and Evans shook it off.  Good exchange and Evans connected.  Griffin was gulping air a second ago.  Evans with a good counter.  Griffin going for high kicks but Evans blocking.  Good low kick by Griffin.  Evans with a few punches and Griffin with more low kicks.  Traded punches and Evans semed to hit the stronger punch.  Another high kick by Griffin blocked.  Another exchange but neither landed solid.  Griffin with another low kick.  An exchange, Evans got the best punch.  Griffin nailed Evans in he left eye at the end of the round..  Very close round.  I had it for Evans till that last punch, so will call it even 20-19 Griffin.

Evans got a takedown when Griffin wasn't expecting it and landed hard punches on the ground before Griffin tied him up.  Evans left eye is bleeding from the last punch of round two.  Griffin tried some Jiu Jitsu but Evans broke free with some elbows from the top.  Griffin looked at the clock and there's 2:30 left.  Lots of solid punches by Evans from the top.  Forrest is done and Steve Mazzagatti stopped it at 2:46 of round three.  Evans was bouncing his head off the ground and Griffin nwas tapping.  Griffin said he was flailing, not tapping, it was the body motion.  Griffin thanked everyone.  He said he had a pathetic lazy guard so he must have been hurt when he went down, and told people to hand it to Rashad.  Evans is the new light heavyweight champion.