UFC Division Snapshot: UFC 119 Edition

After every UFC event, TapouTVTC.com takes a look at how each division shapes up. For more information on the Division Snapshot, take a look at our first snapshot

Frank Mir:  +6 (Was 13, now 7) (heavyweight)

Can you be a loser and still win? Mir came as close as you can, turning in a lackluster 14-minute performance before an out-of-nowhere finish. Win or lose, Mir is usually an exciting fighter, so this could be an aberration, but the fact that Dana White refused to give him a Knockout of the Night bonus goes to show that Mir will need to come through in spades in his next bout.

 Mirko 'Cro Cop': -11 (Was 4, now 15) (heavyweight)

Tentative. Uninterested. Boring. These are not the words that should be used to describe a legend like 'Cro Cop,' and yet he was all those things on Saturday. If the head kick specialist decides he wants to fight again (and all indications say he does) he has been relegated to gatekeeper status.

Ryan Bader +1 (Was 2, now 1) (light heavyweght)

It wasn't a statement win, but Bader used his superior wrestling to best Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The "Ultimate Fighter" winner remains unbeaten at 12-0, including a 5-0 mark in the Octagon. A collision course with fellow rising star Jon Jones seems inevitable.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: -15 (Was 7, now 22) (light heavyweight)

Any time 'Little Nog' started to find his rhythm on the feet, Bader was able to stifle with a takedown. Hailed as a potential contender when he entered the UFC, Nogueira could very well be 1-2 in the UFC had his decision victory over Jason Brilz swung the other way (which many people think it should have).

Chris Lytle: +5 (Was 7, now 2) (welterweight)

It was redemption of sorts for Lytle, who defeated Serra in a rematch of their "Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale" bout. Lytle battered Serra on every exchange, and has now won four in a row in the UFC.

Matt Serra: -11 (15, now 26) (welterweight)

Rather than work to get the fight to the mat, where he held a distinct advantage, Serra elected to fight in a boxing match he lost from bell to bell. It's one thing to try and be exciting, it's another to do so at the complete expense of winning.

Sean Sherk: +9 (Was 21, now 12) (lightweight)

Let's be clear; Sherk lost this fight. That doesn't mean, however, that he deserved to be booed after the fact. Sherk went back to the wrestling base that made him a killer earlier in his career, and opened up a nasty cut on Evan Dunham's face in the first round. "The Muscle Shark" might have one more title run left in him after all.

 Evan Dunham: -21 (Was 4, now 25) (lightweight)

Dunham did everything in this fight that you want to see a young prospect do except win. Rather than wilt after sustaining a massive cut, Dunham came out energized for the second round, battering Sherk on the feet and threatening with guillotine attempts that would have tapped most lightweights. Even after being robbed by the judges, Dunham was humble and gracious. This is a kid to take notice of going forward.

Melvin Guillard: +1 (Was 5, now 4) (lightweight)

Fans of Guillard's swing-for-the-fences style are bemoaning his UFC 119 performance, as he was content to stick and move against Jeremy Stephens. He got the job done, though (with a little help from the judges), and Guillard is starting to creep into the title hunt.

 Jeremy Stephens: -15 (Was 9, now 24) (lightweight)

Stephens seemed to land the harder punches, but the judges saw it differently (heard that one before?).  Now he will begin the long climb back up the lightweight ladder.

CB Dollaway: +3 (Was 7, now 4) (middleweight)

Since his time on the "Ultimate Fighter," Dollaway has started to mature in the Octagon. Instead of gassing himself out with a futile guillotine attempt, Dollaway stayed calm, created a scramble, and eventually snagged a choke that almost popped Doerksen's head off. Dollaway has quietly gone 5-1 in the UFC since losing the TUF 7 finale to Amir Sadollah, and is on a three-fight win streak.

Joe Doerksen: -12 (Was 19, now 32) (middleweight)

Who would have predicted that submission specialist Doerksen would be the one tapping out? This loss should spell an end to the journeyman's most recent UFC stint.

Matt Mitrione: +3 (Was 7, now 4) (heavyweight)

He always has a grin on his face, and he hits like he has cement in his gloves. Mitrione bounced back from losing the first round to pound Joey Beltran en route to a unanimous decision. 'Meat' is fast becoming a heavyweight prospect to watch, but will his age (32) and NFL wear-and-tear be his biggest obstacles?

Joey Beltran: -12 (Was 6, now 18) (heavyweigt)

Beltran dominated the first round, but had no answer for Mitrione's reach after that. You can't question Beltran's toughness, but he desperately needed to get the fight back to the mat, and he never did.

Preliminary bouts and full snapshots after the jump...

UFC 119 Post-Fight Thoughts

- I've spent all weekend trying to formulate the best way to describe Mir vs. 'Cro Cop' to someone who was fortunate enough to miss it. It was, in short, a black hole for entertainment. Not only did those 14 minutes completely suck the life out of everyone in the arena, but they sucked the life out of everyone watching at home too. One viewer at my house actually fell asleep halfway through the second round. This fight was so bad that when Mir connected with a big knee (that would have been a highlight finish in most fights), it was met with one big, collective shrug.

- Need proof that the UFC was not happy with Mir's performance? Look no further than Dana White electing to give two Fight of the Night bonuses in lieu of awarding Mir Knockout of the Night for the only KO on the card. Even in victory, Mir seems to be moving further and further away from a title shot.

- It seems like after most Mirko 'Cro Cop' performances over the last two years, we are left questioning his will to fight, and Saturday night was no different. 'Cro Cop' was tentative on the feet, never threw more than two punches, and only threw one head kick. Sadly, the days of 'Cro Cop' being a relevant heavyweight have long passed.

- I loved the maturity that Evan Dunham showed in his fight. A lot of prospects would have wilted after sustaining the cut that he did, but Dunham was fired up and dominated the rest of the fight (awful judging be damned).

- How did the only two people in the world that scored the second round for Sean Sherk happen to be two of the three judges?

- Sherk proved that he is still a dangerous lightweight. I was happy to see Sherk go back to his wrestling, rather than sticking to a boxing strategy that had lost him some recent fights.

- Matt Serra should have been doing everything in his power to get Chris Lytle to the mat. Instead, Serra was battered repeatedly on every exchange, and never deviated from a failing game plan.

- Should we be surprised that the same two judges that scored the fight for Sherk also gave Melvin Guillard the decision over Jeremy Stephens? Guillard landed nothing of substance during their three-round affair, while Stephens landed leg kicks and the harder punches. It was not as egregious as the Sherk/ Dunham fight, but it was close.

- C.B. Dollaway is starting to show a maturation in his fight game. Old Dollaway would have squeezed that arm-in guillotine until his arms gassed out. New Dollaway was patient, adjusted position, and eventually created a scramble that resulted in a brutal choke that earned him Submission of the Night honors.

- I really enjoy watching Matt Mitrione fight. What worries me, though, is his combination of keeping his hands low and his chin high. Against some of the harder strikers in the division, that's a recipe for an early exit.

UFC 119 Quick Results and Bonuses

Main Card:
Frank Mir def. Mirko 'Cro Cop' by KO (knee) at 4:02 of round 3
Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Spike TV Card:
C.B. Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:47 of round 1
Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card:
Thiago Tavares def. Pat Audinwood by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:47 of round 1
Waylon Lowe def. Steve Lopez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
T.J. Grant def. Julio Paulino by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sean McCorkle def. Mark Hunt by submission (kimura) at 1:03 of round 1

$70,000 bonuses:
Fight of the Night: Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham
Fight of the Night: Matt Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran (given in lieu of Knockout of the Night)
Submission of the Night: C.B. Dollaway

15,811 fans attended for a live gate of $1.6 million

UFC 119 - Live Commentary and Results

The Spike TV portion of UFC 119 is live!


Joey Beltran vs. Matt Mitrione
Round 1 -  Mitrione closes quickly. Mitrione looks very loose, throwing straight punches from his waist. Good flurry from Mitrione. Another combination from Mitrione. Beltran tags Mitrione, and now he's landing punches in numbers. Body shots from Beltran and now he takes Mitrione down to the guard. Mitrione working for a kimura but loses it. Beltran landing punches from top. Beltran in north south now. Body shots from Beltran, and Mitrione spins and looks for a triangle, but loses it. 10-9 Beltran. Round 2 - Head kick from Mitrione, then an inside leg kick. Short punches from both fighters, and Beltran pushes Mitrione against the fence. They exchange punches again. Mitrione tags Beltran hard and wobbles him. Mitrione misses with a wild uppercut, and Beltran tags him. Ref Herb Dean calls time, and they cut some tape off of Beltran's glove. Both fighters exchange again, and Beltran pushes against the fence. Mitrione lands a hard head kick as the round comes to a close. 10-9 Mitrione. Round 3 - Some jabs from Mitrione, then a head kick. Beltran tries to wade in, and eats a few punches. Neither fighter has landed much of substance, but MItrione has been the busier fighter. Another head kick from Mitrione blocked. Again Beltran tries to wade in and gets tagged. Beltran answers with a good shot and tries for a takedown, but loses it. They break and end with a flurry. 10-9 Mitrione and 29-28 Mitrione on our card. Great fight!
Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)


C.B. Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen
Round 1 - Doerksen with an early leg kick. After a scramble, Dollaway catches an arm-in guillotine. Dollaway still has it locked on, and is trying to adjust. Dollaway looks for a sweep and misses, but keeps the choke and squeezes tight from the top, and it's over!
C.B. Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen by submission (guillotine choke)


And now the pay-per-view card...

Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens
Round 1 - Guillard gets dropped by a big counter right, but Guillard pops back up. Guillard comes over the top with a straight right. Both fighters are putting everything behind their shots, but not much is landing. Stevens looks for a leg kick and Guillard tries to coem over the top again. 10-9 Stephens. Round 2 - Another leg kick from Stephens. Guillard tries for a flying knee, but Stephens grabs hold and then pushes Guillard away. Guillard hits Stephens in the crotch for the second time. Another leg kick from Stephens. Guillard catches a big shot to the crotch. Guillard pushes forward, but misses most of his punches. Stephens connects with a counter left hook, then a body kick. 10-9 Stephens. Round 3 - Stephens opens with a leg kick. Stephens tries to clinch, but Guillard pushes him off. Guillard with a body kick. Stephens connects with a right. Stephens hits a body shot, then misses a flying knee. Guillard connects with a kick. A flurry at the end but it's too little, too late. 10-9 Stephens and 30-27 Stephens on our card.
Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) That is a TERRIBLE decision

Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk
Round 1 - Sherk lands a quick leg kick. Sherk drops for a double leg and slams Dunham, but Dunham has a guillotine. Sherk pops the head out and is in half guard. Dunham working from butterfly guard. Dunham works up against the fence and stands. Sherk drops for another double leg and slams Dunham again. Dunham works up, then snags a tight guillotine. It pops off, but Dunham has the back. He slips off and Sherk is in guard. A good elbow from Sherk cuts Dunham. The ref calls time with :10 left in the round to check the cut. It's ok, and the round ends. 10-9 Sherk. That cut is DEEP Round 2 - Sherk drives Dunham against the cage and works for a double leg. Dunham has a tight guillotine, but Sherk pops out again. Dunham has a guillotine again, but Sherk gets out again and transitions to a single leg. Dunham tries for another guillotine but loses it. A good exchange by Dunham. Head kick from Dunham. Dunham pushing forward with punches and front kicks. Knee from Dunham that connects. 10-9 Dunham. Round 3 - Dunham with a combination, and finishes with a leg kick that drops Sherk briefly. Sherk takes Dunham down, but Dunham back up quickly. Dunham with a three punch combination. Head kick from Dunham. Dunham trying for a standing guillotine, then throws a knee. Dunham pushing forward with straight punches. Dunham connects with a knee, and another! Another knee. Sherk pushing forward with hooks. 10-9 Dunham and 29-28 Dunham.
Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29 28) Two awful decisions in a row, the judges are certainly on point tonight.

Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle
Round 1 - Both fighters are throwing wild punches to start. Serra is trying to work the body. Serra connects with a right, then another. Serra is connecting to the body. Lytle connects with a combo. Lytle is finding a lot of success coming over with straight rights. 10-9 Lytle. Round 2 - A right drops Serra to his knee, but he catches Lytle on the way in. Lytle swinging away with hooks. Lytle with some hard rights that wobble Serra but he stays up. Lytle wailing away. Serra pushes forward and answers, but Lytle counters with two hard uppercuts. Lytle wailing away and Serra looks in trouble, but then Serra answers back! 10-9 Lytle Round 3 - Every time Serra tries to close, he eats a few punches. Lytle slips and Serra tries to close, but Lytle tags him. Serra looks for a takedown but can't get it. Serra trying to mix in leg kicks, but it doesn't look like he has much left. 10-9 Lytle, and 30-27 Lytle on our card.
Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)


Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader
Round 1 - Bader with a takedown, and is landing big punches from the top. Nog is keeping Bader's posture down, Bader looking for short elbows, and Nog works back to the feet. Bader tries for another takedown, but Nog defends it well. Nog connects with a big left. 10-9 Bader. Round 2 - Both fighters trying to feel each other out. Bader tries for a takedown but it's stuffed. Bader catches a kick and takes Nog down. Bader shoots again, and Nog is able to defend. Nog lands a knee, but Bader throws Nog down, and Nog springs back up. Bader lands a stiff right as Nog wades in with hooks. 10-9. Round 3 - Bader catches an eye poke, and he'll get some time to recover. Back at it, and Bader lands a body kick. Hard exchange with both fighters landing. Bader tries twice for takedowns, and is stuffed twice. Bader gets a takedown, but Nog right back up.   Bader throwing some bombs, and Nog answers with a stiff punch. Nog throws a knee, and Bader times it and takes him down. 10-9 Nog, but 29-28 Bader on our card. Then again, anything can happen with these judges tonight.
Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)


Frank Mir vs. Mirko 'Cro Cop'
Round 1 - Cro Cop with some quick punches. Mir presses in, but Cro Cop stuffs it. Mir drops to his knees, he got kneed in the crotch, and the ref calls time. Back at it. Cro Cop pushes forward with two punches, then stuffs a takedown. Elbow in the clinch by Mir. Mir with a short left and they clinch again. 10-9 Mir. Round 2 - Mir works Cro Cop against the fence again. Herb Dean breaks them apart. Again they clinch. And again, Dean breaks them a part. 10-10, and a painful fight to watch so far. Round 3 - More clinching. Cro Cop connects with a two-punch combo. And more clinching. Dean breaks them again. Aaaaannnnddd more clinching. AND OUT OF NOWHERE, MIR DROPS HIM WITH A KNEE AND KNOCKS HIM OUT COLD. No action for 14 minutes, and then boom. Only in MMA...
Frank Mir def. Mirko 'Cro Cop' by KO at 4:02 of round 3

UFC 119 Weigh-In Highlights

Props: MMAweekly

UFC 119 Weigh-In Results

Main Card:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic (227 lb) vs. Frank Mir (252 lb)
Ryan Bader (205 lb) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205 lb)
Chris Lytle (171 lb) vs. Matt Serra (170 lb)
Evan Dunham (156 lb) vs. Sean Sherk (155 lb)
Melvin Guillard (155 lb) vs. Jeremy Stephens (155 lb)

Spike TV Card:
C.B. Dollaway (186 lb) vs. Joe Doerksen (186 lb)
Joey Beltran (239 lb) vs. Matt Mitrione (253 lb)

Preliminary Card:
Pat Audinwood (156 lb) vs. Thiago Tavares (155 lb)
Steve Lopez (156 lb) vs. Waylon Lowe (154 lb)
T.J. Grant (170 lb) vs. Julio Paulino (170 lb)
Mark Hunt (265 lb) vs. Sean McCorkle (263 lb)

UFC 119 Betting Odds

Looking to make some last-minute bets? TapouTVTC.com has you covered with the complete lines from UFC 119, courtesy of Bodog.com.

Main card:
Frank Mir (-280) vs. Mirko 'Cro Cop' (+220)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (+145) vs. Ryan Bader (-175)
Chris Lytle (-150) vs. Matt Serra (+120)
Evan Dunham (-250) vs. Sean Sherk (+190)

Spike TV card:
Joey Beltran (+120) vs. Matt Mitrione (-150)
CB Dollaway (-275) vs. Joe Doerksen (+215)

Preliminary card:
Jeremy Stephens (+140) vs. Melvin Guillard (-170)
Julio Paulino (+125) vs. T.J. Grant (-155)
Mark Hunt (-250) vs. Sean McCorkle (+190)
Steve Lopez (even) vs. Waylon Lowe (-130)
Pat Audinwood (+260) vs. Thiago Tavares (-340)

Who Needs A Win: UFC 119 Edition

For every UFC event, TapouTVTC.com chronicles the fighters who have their backs up against the wall. These articles are speculation, and do not represent any sort of insider information.

Name: Joe Doerksen

Fighting: CB Dollaway

Record: 2-5 UFC, 45-12 overall, currently on a one-fight win streak in the promotion

How he got here: Doerksen made his UFC debut all the way back at UFC 49, submitting to Joe Riggs due to strikes. Since then, he has bounced in and out of the organization. Most recently, he replaced an injured Tim Credeur to face Tom Lawlor at UFC 113, submitting Lawlor by rear-naked choke after getting rocked in the first round. Doerksen added a TKO win over Shawn Marchand at Canadian Fighting Championships 5 a month later.

Why he needs the win: Doerksen has been mostly dominant outside of the UFC, but has been unable to translate that into Octagon success. A loss to the less-experienced Dollaway could spell another short stint for the Canadian submission artist.

Name: Mark Hunt

Fighting: Sean McCorkle

Record: 0-0 UFC, 5-6 overall, currently on a five-fight losing streak.

How he got here: If you're wondering how a fighter with a less-than-stellar record on a five-fight-losing streak is making his UFC debut, you aren't alone. UFC president Dana White explained that when the UFC acquired PRIDE, a stipulation in Hunt's contract gave him a fight with the organization. A decorated kickboxer, Hunt has lost to Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Melvin Manhoef and Gegard Mousasi during his losing streak.

Why he needs the win: While Hunt's losses have been to some of the best fighters in the world, that doesn't change the fact that he has not won an MMA bout since 2006. In the same Q&A session, White said that they had looked into buying Hunt out, essentially paying him NOT to fight in the UFC. If this isn't a 'win or go home' match, we don't know what is.

Name: Steve Lopez

Fighting: Waylon Lowe

Record: 0-1 UFC, 12-2 overall

How he got here: After amassing a 12-1 record in regional shows, Lopez made his UFC debut against Jim Miller at UFC 103, losing by TKO when he dislocated his shoulder.

Why he needs the win: Lopez's UFC career could probably survive another loss, but standing at 0-2 in the UFC's least-forgiving division is a daunting task.

Name: Waylon Lowe

Fighting: Steve Lopez

Record: 0-1 UFC, 8-3 overall

How he got here: A former D-II national champion wrestler, Lowe made his UFC debut against Melvin Guillard at UFC 114, losing by KO in the first round.

Why he needs the win: Like Lopez, Lowe does not want to be staring up from the bottom of the lightweight division. Couple that with the recent rash of cuts made by the UFC, and the stakes become much high for both fighters.

Name: T.J. Grant

Fighting: Julio Paulino

Record: 2-2 UFC, 15-4 overall, currently on a one-fight losing streak

How he got here: Fresh off of a 'Knockout of the Night' win over Kevin Burns at UFC 107, Grant lost a majority decision to Johny Hendricks at UFC 113.

Why he needs a win: Despite his bonus-earning KO at UFC 107, Grant stands on shaky ground with a .500 UFC record. Grant has alternated wins and losses since his UFC debut, so by that logic he is due for a win. If only it were that simple.

Name: Frank Mir

Fighting: Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic

Record: 11-5 UFC, 13-5 overall, currently on a one-fight losing streak

How he got here: Mir rebounded from his championship loss against Brock Lesnar with a dominant display over Cheick Kongo at UFC 107. His road back to the title was then derailed by Shane Carwin, who pounded Mir out in just under four minutes. Mir was originally scheduled to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a rematch of their UFC 92 bout, but Nogueria was forced off the card with an injury.

Why he needs a win: By no means are we saying that Mir will be cut if he loses this fight, but he needs a win to stay relevant in the heavyweight title picture. On paper, Mir is a heavy favorite, a jiu-jitsu master against an aging striker with no semblance of a ground game. If 'Cro Cop' pulls off the upset, though, it will be a huge setback for Mir's career.

New Blood: UFC 119 Edition

For every UFC fight, TapouTVTC.com introduces you to the fighters making their Octagon debuts.

Name: Pat Audinwood

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Thiago Tavares

Record: 9-0-1 for various regional promotions

Recent body of work: Submitted Al Buck at "American Steel Cagefighting (ASC) 1," then defeated Robert Conner by unanimous decision for "M-1 Selection 2010 - The Americas Round 1" in April.

Name: Mark Hunt

Weight class: Heavyweight

Fighting: Sean McCorkle

Record: 5-6, for PRIDE, DREAM, and Dynamite!!

Recent body of work: Lost his last five fights, all in the first round, to Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Melvin Manhoef and Gegard Mousasi.

Name: Sean McCorkle

Weight class: Heavyweight

Fighting: Mark Hunt

Record: 9-0, with eight stoppages, mostly for Legends of Fighting (LOF)

Recent body of work: TKO'd Bobby Favors at "LOF 38," then TKO'd Johnathan Ivey at "LOF 39" in May.