UFC Fight Night 26 Results: ‘Shogun vs. Sonnen’ Play-by-Play & Updates

• Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Chael Sonnen LATEST UPDATE
• Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne
• Urijah Faber vs. Iuri Alcantara
• Matt Brown vs. Mike Pyle
• Uriah Hall vs. John Howard
• Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson
• Michael McDonald vs. Brad Pickett
• Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor
• Mike Thomas Brown vs. Steven Siler
• Diego Brandao vs. Daniel Pineda
• Manny Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller
• Cody Donovan vs. Ovince St. Preux
• Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick

Sherdog.com reports from the TD Garden in Boston at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET with live UFC Fight Night 26 updates.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Have a question for Sherdog.com's medical expert? Tweet The Fight Doctor via @FightMedicine.

Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick

Round 1
Nijem lands a pair of leg kicks before shooting on a single and being stuffed by his rangy opponent. Vick tries to grab a guillotine choke and winds up on his backside, but he stands back up. Vick switches to a “power guillotine” and drops Nijem to his knees, then rolls on top. The choke is fully sunk in and Nijem has no choice but to tap, giving James Vick the submission win after just 58 seconds.

Cody Donovan vs. Ovince St. Preux

Round 1
St. Preux comes out swinging hooks, but Donovan grabs hold of the former college football player and presses him against the fence. Donovan scores with some good knees to the breadbasket which are enough to frustrate St. Preux into slapping with palm strikes. Donovan keeps working for a trip takedown and eventually gets it, but he botches the landing and St. Preux is able to roll on top with a whizzer. St. Preux immediately sits up in Donovan’s guard and begins smashing away with big left hands. A few shots to the temple have Donovan going limp, and referee Herb Dean steps in to rescue him. Ovince St. Preux picks up a knockout victory at 2:07 of round one.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller

Round 1
Miller sets up on the outside and pushes Gamburyan away with a front kick, but “The Anvil” keeps close and scores with an inside leg kick. Gamburyan swings and misses with a big overhand right, then paws with jabs and is warned by ref Yves Lavigne to mind his fingers when punching. Miller’s jab is working now as he continues to circle away from Gamburyan’s power hand. The ATT product steps into the center and pops Gamburyan with another jab and a front kick to the chest. Halfway through the round, Gamburyan charges forward throwing power punches, but Miller sidesteps them with a long guard. Good movement in and out from Miller as he continues to dodge punishment and pepper Gamburyan with punches. Gamburyan gets in on a high double-leg and rushes Miller against the fence, then elevates and slams him to the canvas. Miller locks up a body triangle to keep Gamburyan in his guard, so Gamburyan sits up and elbows him in the face. Another hard elbow connects for Gamburyan before he stands and tries to take the back of the standing Miller. He can’t get it, but Gamburyan does pop Miller with a knee. Just before the horn, Gamburyan shoots and Miller pops him with a pair of elbows. Gamburyan stays on the ground when the horn sounds, indicating that Miller elbowed him in the back of the head. Gamburyan is given one minute to recover, after which he is examined by the doctor and cleared to continue.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Miller
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gamburyan
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 2
Miller flicks out punches and is warned by ref Lavigne to mind his fingers. Gamburyan shoots and gets clipped by a straight right and a knee, but he keeps after the takedown and gets Miller to his knees at the base of the fence. Miller stands back up and cracks Gamburyan with a pair of knees, then tries to leap on his back in a scramble. Gamburyan slips out the back door and keeps Miller on the fence to work for another takedown. He gets it, and Miller again closes his guard before working back to his feet. In a repeat of the end of round one, Gamburyan is trying to pry Miller’s legs out from under him while Miller drills him with elbows to the side of the head. Gamburyan gets another takedown, but Miller quickly gets back up and is socked by a pair of punches. Back on the feet with 30 seconds left, Miller sticks a jab and Gamburyan finishes the round with a leg kick.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gamburyan
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Miller
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 3
Miller catches Gamburyan ducking with a short right hook, but Gamburyan comes back with a no-look overhand right. The jabs keep coming from Miller, who is still sticking to the outside and keeping Gamburyan at bay with long front kicks. Again, Gamburyan ducks in and gets caught, this time with a hard knee to the head. Two minutes into the round, Gamburyan scores a takedown in the center of the cage and postures up in Miller’s open guard. Miller, whose face is stained with blood from a cut on Gamburyan’s head, is keeping busy from his back, throwing little punches with both hands while Gamburyan keeps sitting up to throw single power shots. Miller scoots backward to the fence but can’t get out from underneath as the fight enters its final 90 seconds. Miller nearly stands, but Gamburyan controls his legs and slams him back to the floor with 30 seconds to go. Miller immediately goes back to throwing little punches while Gamburyan gets off a couple body shots before the horn.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Miller (29-28 Miller)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gamburyan (29-28 Gamburyan)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller (30-27 Miller)

Official result: The judges score the bout 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Manny Gamburyan.

Diego Brandao vs. Daniel Pineda

Round 1
After a last-second adjustment to Pineda’s ankle wraps, the featherweights get to work. Pineda has a shot stuffed and then gets clipped with a hook on his way out. A loud body kick from Brandao goes off the arm of Pineda just before Brandao rushes him. Brandao is on the attack, cracking Pineda with knees and uppercuts. A left hand to the body and overhand right from Brandao leave Pineda squinting his left eye. Pineda scores with a leg kick and continues to come forward after absorbing some heavy punishment. Brandao zaps Pineda with a pair of right hands on the ends of combinations. A four-piece combo lands for Brandao, allowing him to shove a dazed Pineda to the ground. Brandao allows him back up, then charges him with a flying knee and a takedown attempt on the fence. Brandao lands on top in Pineda’s half-guard with about 1:40 remaining. Pineda gets to his knees, takes a knee to the body and stands. Pineda connects with a nice right hand-elbow that momentarily slows Brandao’s attack, allowing Pineda to finish the round with body kicks.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Brandao
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Brandao
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brandao

Round 2
Pineda comes out aggressive on the feet but is quickly taken to the floor. The Texan swings his legs for an armbar, can’t latch on to Brandao and has to let go. The next attempt comes closer, but again Brandao pulls out and stands. Brandao clips Pineda with a body shot and Pineda feigns damage to lure Brandao in, then misses with a slashing, backward elbow. Brandao hits another takedown and Pineda starts creeping his legs up, but his progress stalls when Brandao slugs him in the mouth with a right hand. Ref Mario Yamasaki calls for work and Pineda obliges, leaning to his left for a kimura and then using it to sweep straight into full mount. Two minutes left in the round and Pineda is teeing off, dropping heavy punches and elbows on Brandao’s face. Pineda sits up in mount and unloads with both hands, landing shots to the sides of Brandao’s head while the Brazilian just tries to block with his arms. Brandao is able to shrimp out and regain guard, then leans back and grabs the standing Pineda’s leg for a heel hook attempt. Pineda twists his leg free and sits back down in Brandao’s guard to finish the frame.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pineda
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pineda
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pineda

Round 3
Pineda puts a few slow punches on Brandao’s face before Brandao is able to plow him to the ground with a double-leg. After a few seconds, Brandao steps back to allow Pineda up, then steps back in to attack before Pineda is on his feet. Ref Yamasaki steps between them and allows Pineda to reset before they resume the fight. Brandao hits another takedown right away, but Pineda is able to work his way back up on the fence. Brandao connects with a hard right hand and limp-legs out of a long single-leg shot from Pineda. Another single-leg from Pineda fails, followed by a successful double from Brandao. Pineda gets back up with Brandao still stuck to his back; “The Pit” gets off a couple elbows before being taken down again. Again, Pineda stands but Brandao is still attached to him. Pineda gets some distance and pops Brandao with a Superman punch before being taken down once more with 90 seconds left. Brandao leans left to right in half-guard, but he’s not doing anything and ref Yamasaki stands them up. Pineda misses with a pair of wheel kicks and eats a left hand from Brandao after the second. With 25 seconds to go, Pineda sticks a pair of punches on Brandao’s chin, has a single-leg stuffed and slugs Brandao with perhaps his biggest right hand of the fight just before the final horn.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Brandao (29-28 Brandao)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Brandao (29-28 Brandao)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brandao (29-28 Brandao)

Official result: All three judges score the fight 29-28 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Diego Brandao.

Mike Thomas Brown vs. Steven Siler

Round 1
Siler strikes first with a hard leg kick outside and then clips a charging Brown with a short right uppercut. Brown loses his footing and falls to the ground, where Siler pounces and pounds him out with a pair of heavy right hands. Brown wakes up just after referee Yves Lavigne jumps in to end the fight, but the stoppage was fair as the replay shows that the former WEC champ clearly lost consciousness. The official time of Steven Siler’s knockout victory is 50 seconds of round one.

Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor

Round 1
McGregor swipes at Holloway with a variety of kicks in the opening moments while the Hawaiian switches between southpaw and orthodox stances. McGregor is sticking punches in the face of Holloway, who’s being backed up toward the fence by the long strikes. A corkscrew uppercut clips Holloway’s chin as McGregor continues to throw all manner of funky strikes. McGregor has a left high kick blocked but lands a left hand behind it. Midway through the opening round and Holloway is still stuck on the outside; he finally comes off it 30 seconds later with some leg kicks that leave McGregor shrugging and waving his opponent forward. An uppercut from McGregor is answered by an overhand right by Holloway, who follows up with a wheel kick that goes off the Irishman’s shoulder. A straight left from McGregor seems to wobble Holloway with seconds left in the opening round. McGregor cartwheels toward the outside and finishes the frame holding Holloway on the fence.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 McGregor
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 McGregor
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McGregor

Round 2
McGregor lunges in with a straight left, steps out and gets touched with a kick to the body. Holloway sticks a couple jabs through McGregor’s guard and continues to circle the outside while McGregor presses forward with kicks both low and high. A straight left from McGregor bloodies Holloway’s nose, and McGregor claps to call Holloway forward. Holloway gets caught leaning with a clean uppercut to the mush, but he catches McGregor coming in seconds later with a nice hook. McGregor catches a kick and slugs Holloway with a straight left before tripping him to the ground. Holloway holds him in half-guard at first, but McGregor swims through in the last 30 seconds and passes to side control on the left.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 McGregor
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 McGregor
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McGregor

Round 3
McGregor has Holloway back on the ground in short order to start round three, and the Irishman advances to full mount after 90 seconds. Just as he gets there, Holloway sweeps and tries to stand, but McGregor is waiting with another takedown to half-guard. McGregor gets back to full mount and flattens out Holloway, using both hands to slap at the sides of the Hawaiian’s head. Holloway starts to roll over, allowing McGregor to sit up and drop heavy punches. McGregor nearly takes the back, but Holloway rolls to his back again and uses his arms to try and negate the space. Holloway slips out the back and eats a knee on the way back up, then catches McGregor with a head kick. McGregor hits another takedown with 35 seconds left and finishes the fight on top.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 McGregor (30-27 McGregor)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 McGregor (30-27 McGregor)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McGregor (30-27 McGregor)

Official result: The judges score the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Conor McGregor.

Michael McDonald vs. Brad Pickett

Round 1
Pickett lands a body-head combination and presses forward on McDonald, who lands a body kick and then stumbles “One Punch” with a left hand on the temple. Pickett is on rubbery legs, staggering all over, falling to the ground and standing back up, all while McDonald is bombing him with vicious punches and knees. Pickett finally regains his footing and stands, but he’s sporting a sizeable mouse on the outside corner of his left eye when he does. Pickett gets taken down with a body lock, but he flips over the top and gets back to his feet quickly. Pickett closes in on McDonald along the fence, and McDonald makes him pay with a big head kick and follow-up right hand. McDonald goes to the ground briefly, then decides to allows Pickett back to his feet. Pickett steps in to punch and gets caught with a knee from the taller man. McDonald is slipping most of Pickett’s offense in the last minute and coming back to counter with clean punching combinations. Pickett, for his part, doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, even after eating dozens of punches and knees in the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 McDonald
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-8 McDonald
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 McDonald

Round 2
Pickett starts round two walking forward on his opponent, but McDonald is still getting the better of the striking with counters. Pickett hits a single-leg about 90 seconds into the round and gets to work from McDonald’s open guard, dropping some elbows from top position while McDonald shifts his hips and tries to escape. McDonald throws up a triangle and traps Pickett’s left arm for good measure. He breaks Pickett’s posture and loses the armbar, but continues to pull down on the Brit’s head, tightening the choke. Pickett has nowhere to go and taps out, giving Michael McDonald the win via triangle choke submission at 3:43 of round two.

Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson

Round 1
Lauzon takes the center of the cage while Johnson works a tight circle around him, poking at the hometown favorite with jabs. An uppercut on the end of a combination gets through for Johnson, followed by an inside leg kick, a jab and a body shot. Lauzon tries to clinch up and is shoved away. A pair of punches get through for Lauzon, so Johnson circles, resets and sticks a straight punch on his opponent’s gut. A straight left hand from Johnson takes the legs out from underneath Lauzon, but “J-Lau” is quickly back on his feet. Johnson smells blood and swarms on Lauzon with more hooks and uppercuts. Lauzon recovers and backs Johnson away with a right hook, and the lightweights resume their give-and-take on the feet. Johnson is stringing together good combinations now, mixing in leg kicks and keeping outside of Lauzon’s range. Johnson steps in to strike and slugs Lauzon with right hands to the body and head. Another straight left puts Lauzon on the floor; Johnson backs up to allow Lauzon to stand, then tries to move in and gets a verbal warning from ref Yves Lavigne. Another flurry of punches and knees earns Johnson one more knockdown before the end of the frame.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Johnson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Johnson

Round 2
Lauzon closes the distance to grab hold of Johnson and push him against the fence. It seems Lauzon might be able to trip Johnson to the ground before Johnson escapes and circles out to resume his punching attack. Lauzon is inching forward on Johnson now, who is moving in a wider circle around the perimeter as compared to the start of the round. Lauzon stings Johnson with a left hand, but Johnson answers back with a pair of uppercuts to Lauzon’s ribs. Both men land straight punches in the pocket before Johnson tries unsuccessfully to put Lauzon on the fence. Good right straight from Lauzon as he comes in to clinch, but Johnson turns him around and works the Massachusetts native’s thigh with knees. A body-head combo scores for Johnson, but he misses with a pair of uppercuts behind it. With 15 seconds left, Johnson changes levels on an incoming Lauzon and hits an easy double-leg at the fence to close out the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Johnson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lauzon
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson

Round 3
Johnson is off to a quicker start in the final round, moving around Lauzon and picking his punches to both body and head. After 90 seconds, Johnson lets loose with elbows and knees that open up a cut underneath Lauzon’s right eye. A pair of right hooks from Johnson is followed by a left which has Lauzon wilting momentarily. Lauzon recovers and again starts moving forward on Johnson, who is waiting with counters whenever Lauzon wades into range. Lauzon lands an awkward knee to the body, but it’s Johnson who gets the final word with a big double-leg at the end.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Johnson (30-26 Johnson)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson (30-26 Johnson)

Official results: The judges score the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 30-25, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Michael Johnson.

Uriah Hall vs. John Howard

Round 1
Hall double-legs Howard to the canvas less than 10 seconds into the fight, but Howard is quick to wrap up the “TUF 17” cast member’s arms and maintain position with a butterfly guard. Hall scoots him toward the fence, then stands over the prone Howard and decides after a moment to allow him back up. The middleweights trade leg kicks, and Hall follows up with a left hand on Howard’s chin. Howard ducks under a spinning kick and hits Hall with another nice leg kick. Hall pops a jab in Howard’s face and Howard comes right back to swipe Hall with a left hook. They clinch up on the fence and Howard exits with an elbow as Hall releases. Another leg kick lands for Howard, then another left hand before he shuts down a takedown attempt. Howard tries a single-leg of his own and pushes Hall against the fence with 30 seconds left. Hall shoves off with a knee to the body, answered by a Howard leg kick. Hall finishes the round with one more wheel kick which Howard sidesteps.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hall
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hall
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Howard

Round 2
Hall shoots in on Howard and nearly gets snared in a guillotine against the fence. They break and now it’s Howard inching forward, initiating a clinch on the fence and then switching to a single-leg. Howard is scoring with right hands to the body when Hall slows the shots with a big knee to the body up the middle. Hall reverses the position but doesn’t do enough for ref Mario Yamasaki, who breaks them up midway through the round. Hall tries a high knee which Howard catches and uses to clinch on the fence again. Still standing, Hall uses a kimura to spin around and take Howard’s back, but he can’t do anything with the position. Howard chases after Hall with a leg kick and a one-two before hitting a double-leg with 50 seconds on the clock; both men score with punches on the ground in the final seconds.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Howard
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Howard
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Howard

Round 3
Howard is winging wide punches, trying to get inside on the larger man, who backs “Doomsday” away with a knee to the gut. Howard lands a leg kick before Hall muscles him against the fence, looking for a trip. While Hall digs for the takedown, Howard throws right hands to the body before ref Yamasaki splits them up. Howard dodges a high kick and gives one back on the outside of Hall’s lead leg. Howard walks through a knee to take Hall down against the fence, but he’s having trouble getting Hall’s legs out from under him. Hall gets back up, still pressed on the cage by Howard, who throws a couple knees to the thighs as he tries to take Hall’s back. Hall reverses and hits a takedown of his own, then stays clung to Hall’s back when they stand. Howard escapes with 30 seconds left and calls for the Boston crowd get loud. A couple more slapping leg kicks land for Howard before Hall tries a cartwheel kick. He misses and lands on his back, allowing Howard to take mount just as time runs out.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Howard (29-28 Howard)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Howard (29-28 Howard)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Howard (30-27 Howard)

Official result: The judges score the bout 30-27 Howard, 29-28 Hall and 29-28 for the winner by split decision, John Howard.

Matt Brown vs. Mike Pyle

Round 1
Brown lands a shot to the body and a right hook to the temple which takes the legs out from beneath Pyle. As Pyle is falling, Brown tacks on a knee and then stands over his downed opponent and turns out Pyle’s lights with a trio of jackhammer right hands. Referee Kevin MacDonald jumps in and calls a halt to the bout after only 29 seconds, a highlight-reel knockout for Matt Brown.

Urijah Faber vs. Iuri Alcantara

Round 1
Faber rushes in behind an overhand right and tries for an aggressive takedown. Alcantara flips him onto his back and takes full mount, then drops off to try an armbar. Faber gets his arm free but can’t get off the ground, and Alcantara hits him with a couple hammerfists before jumping on the back of “The California Kid.” With both hooks in, Alcantara drops punches to the sides of Faber’s head, then sits back to take Faber’s knees out and put him on his side. Faber scores with some over-the-shoulder punches while Alcantara takes a breather, maintaining tight back control. Alcantara suddenly starts up again and tries another armbar, but Faber slips this one as well. Faber drives forward and slams Alcantara to the ground with a huge double-leg, nearly landing himself in a triangle from Alcantara. Powering out of the triangle, Faber sits up in Alcantara’s half-guard and begins dropping nasty elbows from a high angle. Alcantara closes his guard but can’t escape the strikes of Faber, although they’re coming from close range now. Alcantara deflects the bulk of Faber’s ground strikes in the final half minute and takes a couple hard elbows at the tail end of the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Alcantara
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alcantara
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alcantara

Round 2
Faber whiffs on a head kick and takes a left hand to the face, but he’s able to grab hold of Alcantara and spin him to the ground at the base of the fence. Posturing up in Alcantara’s guard, Faber drops a couple hard elbows between moments of grinding Alcantara’s face with his hand and forearm. Faber keeps the rough treatment coming through the middle of the round, slamming Alcantara with elbows and attempting a pair of guillotines. Inside the last minute, Alcantara struggles back to his feet and is held against the fence. Alcantara tries a throw, but Faber sits down on and it’s Alcantara who finishes the round on his back, eating more elbows.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Faber
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Faber
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Faber

Round 3
Alcantara waves Faber forward, and the former WEC champ obliges with a right hand. Faber tries to duck in and clinch behind another wide right hand, but Alcantara sidesteps that attempt and then sprawls on a shot. Faber goes under an Alcantara left and finally gets the takedown he wanted. He moves Alcantara toward the cage and starts throwing elbows up top and left hands to the body. Halfway through the final round, Alcantara posts and tries to sweep, so Faber stands over him and keeps hold of Alcantara’s feet until deciding to come back down into the Brazilian’s guard. Alcantara is trying to walk off the fence but is mounting virtually no offense from his back as Faber continues to elbow his face. Alcantara walks off the fence and grabs an armbar; Faber gets to his knees and pulls his arm free, then steps over to close out the round in side control on the kneeling Alcantara.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Faber (29-28 Faber)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Faber (29-28 Faber)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Faber (29-28 Faber)

Official result: The judges score the bout 30-26, 30-26 and 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Urijah Faber.

Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne

Round 1
Overeem moves in behind a three-punch combo and a knee to clinch Browne against the fence, but “Hapa” shoves him off after a few seconds. Browne loses his footing on a high kick and takes a hard shot to the body as he’s backpedaling away from Overeem. A flying knee from Browne lands him on his knees, where Overeem tries to capitalize with a guillotine. The choke won’t stick, but Overeem lands a knee to the body which sends Browne to the ground in pain. Overeem tries to finish with a barrage of right hands, trapping Browne against the fence and driving a hard knee to the body. Overeem lands a couple more knees until Browne takes a knee again, then lands another to the head which goes unnoticed by referee Mario Yamasaki. Browne gets back to his feet and somehow stays there until a hailstorm of punches from the Dutchman. Still working knees to the body, Overeem changes tactics and hits a takedown, but Browne quickly escapes and stands. Browne pushes Overeem to the other side of the cage with front kicks. Overeem reclaims the space just as quickly, walking in on Browne to push him against the cage. They separate and Browne scores with a knee to the body and a right hand. Overeem puts him on the fence again, they break quickly. A front kick up the middle lands square on Overeem’s jaw, and the “Demolition Man” falls to his back in a daze. Two big hammerfists from Browne are all it takes for ref Yamasaki to dive in. Travis Browne gets the come-from-behind knockout at 4:08 of round one.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Chael Sonnen

Round 1
Sonnen hits an instant takedown and puts Shogun on his back against the fence. Rua works back up with the help of a cage post, keeps hold of Sonnen and drags the wrestler to the ground. Sonnen sits up and grabs a guillotine as Rua tries to pass the legs. Rua has to give up the position to escape from the choke; he scores a trip as they clinch along the fence, but it’s immediately reversed. Rua tries to go underneath and sweep, gets flattened out by Sonnen and winds up absorbing punches from half-guard. The Brazilian sits up with double underhooks and reclaims full guard, but it doesn’t stop Sonnen from sitting up and dropping punches. Rua does well to close the gap, though Sonnen is keeping very active with the punches and is getting through with many. As Rua drives forward and gets to his feet, Sonnen catches him in a tight guillotine and pulls guard. The choke is extremely deep, with Rua’s neck completely trapped under Sonnen’s right arm. Shogun hesitates for a moment and then taps out. At 4:47 of round one, it’s a submission win for Chael Sonnen, who afterward calls for a fight with Wanderlei Silva.