UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt Results

Main Card Results

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7naahhihSs I will never, ever tire of that entrance video. Coffee levels are running dangerously low at this point. First up on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt was TUF Smashes winner Robert Whittaker (11-4), looking to get back in the win column after a loss to Stephen Thompson. Taking on Mike Rhodes (6-2), the story of this fight, which went the distance, was Whittaker's improved striking, which was far more dynamic than in the past. Adding a number of kicks to his arsenal, the Australian (who was born in New Zealand) didn't take the fight to the mat til the third, and won all aspects of the bout. Whittaker scored a unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three scorecards. During this fight, the line of the night was uttered by Kenny Florian as the commentary unfolded: "with all the biting in the world cup, it might be safer in the Octagon." The second bout of the main card saw Hatsu Hioki (27-7-2) taking on Charles Oliveira (17-4, 1NC). Hioki, who once turned down a title shot against Jose Aldo, has struggled for relevance in the featherweight division. Oliveira has traditionally struggled against higher-level opponents. In other words, this fight was going to change the fortune of the winner, and perhaps finish the loser's hopes of making it into the upper ranks of the division for good. The fight started out with some slick grappling exchanges and submission attempts. Later, Hioki had top control but would sit back, and the fight would return to the feet. An accidental eye poke in the second would slow the action down as Oliveira needed time to recover and the doctor was brought in, but the fighters went straight to trading blows once action resumed. However, it came down to Oliveira pulling guard right into a guillotine, taking Hioki by surprise and becoming the first man to submit the Japanese fighter. It was a sudden shift in momentum and seemed to leave Hioki stunned. In the co-main event of the evening, the surging Soa "the Hulk" Palelei (21-3) took on Jared Rosholt (10-1) in a heavyweight bout that few expected to go all three rounds. "The Big Show" had seen both his UFC bouts to date go the distance, but Palelei had never been the distance, win or lose, and since 2011 had been pounding opponents into dust, ending all his fights with punches. Of course, MMA is never about what you expect. Takedown attempts from Rosholt were expected, however in a surprising twist, it was Palelei who would attempt a takedown first, failing to secure it. Rosholt would then get his own turn but wind up stuck against the cage. Rosholt would next go for Palelei's back before working on an arm triange, and suddenly the Big Show was all over the Hulk. Palelei managed to reverse and get on top with about 10 seconds left and got in some short punches but didn't have enough time to do any real damage. That would be all the offence Palelei could manage in the fight. Over the course of the next two rounds, Rosholt would dominate with his wrestling, and just like in his first two UFC fights, the bout would end in decision. Rosholt did land some solid shots at times during the bout, and two decent knees, but the problem seems to be that he's dangerously close to the heavyweight version of Jon Fitch. He's now 3-0 in the UFC, but no one's really talking about him as an exciting fighter. He's going to need to finish a fight to really get noticed. Palelei, meanwhile, who had crept into the top 15 at heavyweight, goes back to the drawing board. In the main event of the evening, James Te Huna (16-7) met up with newly bearded Nate "the Great" Marquardt (32-13-2). Both fighters had lost their last two fights in the UFC, but Te Huna was essentially the biggest name available out of the Kiwi fighters in the UFC. Something of a questionable main event, but one to please the local fans, and with the potential for real fireworks. First off - Te Huna may have outdone himself, if it was his doing, with a Maori war dance preformed prior to his walkout by several Maori dancers in a very impressive display. Maybe it's not Men in Black, but it looked cool (at this point in the morning I'm not 100% sure if that was part of his walkout, or just something the UFC set up). The fight itself started fast and crisp, with Te Huna eating a big knee, then trying to lift Marquardt for a possible takedown only to wind up with Nate on top. Marquardt landed some short shots then worked his way to half guard. Te Huna, bleeding, escaped back to his feet and landed a knee of his own, then unloaded some shots, uppercuts, and pressed Marquardt against the cage. Just as it seemed that the tide was turning, Marquardt dragged things back down, landing in top position, then passed guard, and as Te Huna tried to escape out the back, Marquardt transitioned into an arm bar - rolling with it as Te Huna stood up, forcing the Kiwi fighter to tap. The New Zealand crowd was perhaps silenced for the first time in the night, as Marquardt defeated their fellow countryman for his first win since July 2012. Main Card Results: MW Nate Marquardt defeated James Te Huna via arm bar (round 1 - 4:34) HW Jared Rosholt defeated Soa Palelei via unanimous decision (30-27) FW Charles Oliveira defeated Hatsu Hioki via guillotine choke (round 2 - 4:32) WW Robert Whittaker defeated Mike Rhodes via unanimous decision (30-27)