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Welcome to the PWInsiderXtra.com live coverage of the UFC 144 Pay-Per-View Card, live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Fight #6 - UFC Lightweight Division Fight
Joe Lauzon (20-6-0) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-2-0)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Round One
The round begins with Pettis immediately attacking Lauzon with a high kick, Lauzon then charges at Pettis while throwing punches. Pettis then catches Lauzon with a side kick to the ribs, Pettis then catches Lauzon with a head kick and he follows it up with several strikes until the referee jumps in.
Fight Result: Anthony Pettis def. Joe Lauzon by KO via strikes (1:21, R1)
Post fight interview with Anthony Pettis, who says he is the best in the lightweight division and the UFC is where he belongs.
Fight #7 - UFC Featherweight Division Fight
Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) vs. Bart Palaszewski (35-14-0)
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
The round begins with Hioki immediately dropping Palaszewski with a right, Hioki then catches Palaszewski with a kick to the midsection. Palaszewski then starts attacking Hioki with some leg kicks, Hioki then powers Palaszewski up against the cage wall. Hioki then scores a takedown on Palaszewski and he gets the half guard, Hioki then transitions to side control on Palaszewski. Hioki then starts attacking Palaszewski with some ground and pound, Hioki then gets back control on Palaszewski aftera short scramble. Hioki then goes for an arm bar and Palaszewski scrambles to escape, Hioki then attacks Palaszewski with elbow strikes. Hioki then postures up and he starts nailing Palaszewski with a ton of punches and hammer fists as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Hioki attacking Palaszewski with some push kicks, Palaszewski then pops Hioki with a two punch combination. Hioki then lands a head kick on Palaszewski, Hioki then starts catching Palaszewski in the face and body with a series of jabs. Hioki then lands a head kick on Palaszewski after landing a push kick, Palaszewski recovers to land a punch to the belly of Hioki. Palaszewski then starts attacking Hioki with a series of leg kicks, both fighters then kick each other in the balls. The fight resumes after a short break with Palaszewski landing a right, Hioki then lands two straight push kicks on Palaszewski. Hioki then scores a takedown with back control on Palaszewski as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Palaszewski charging at Hioki while throwing punches, the fighters then clinch up and Hioki scores a takedown on Palaszewski. Hioki then gets to the side control position on Palaszewski, Hioki then attacks Palaszewski with some short range punches. Palaszewski then gets Hioki in the half guard after a failed full mount attempt, Hioki then returns to side control on Palaszewski. Hioki then starts attacking Palaszewski with some elbow strikes, Hioki then gets back control on Palaszewski after a short scramble. Hioki starts using ground and pound on Palaszewski to weaken him further, Hioki tyries for the rear naked choke as the round ends.
Fight Result: Hatsu Hioki def. Bart Palaszewski by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Post fight interview with Hatsu Hioki, who says there is room for improvement in his game and he showed his true talent to UFC fans tonight.
Fight #8 - UFC Middleweight Division Fight
Tim Boetsch (14-4-0) vs. Yushin Okami (27-6-0)
Referee: Leon Roberts
Round One
The round begins with Boetsch quickly attacking Okami with leg kicks, Boetsch then catches an incoming Okami with a right. Okami then nails a charging Boetsch with a straight right, Okami then starts peppering Boetsch with a series of jabs. Boetsch then charges at Okami and he connects with a right, Boetsch tries to keep Okami at bay by throwing a ton of kicks. Okami then rocks Boetsch with a two punch combination, Okami then barely lands a head kick on Boetsch. Okami and Boetsch then trade strikes in the center of the octagon, Boetsch then backs Okami up before hitting him with a right. Okami responds by connecting with a knee to the belly of Boetsch as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Boetsch barely catching Okami with a right, Okami then catches an incoming Boetsch with a knee strike. Okami then powers Boetsch up against the cage wall, Okami then scores a takedown on Boetsch and he gets the half guard. Boetsch then goes for the guillotine choke on Okami and he eventually has to let it go, Okami quickly moves to half guard on Boetsch. Okami then starts attacking Boetsch with some ground and pound, Okami then transitions to full mount on Boetsch. Okami then attacks Boetsch with more ground and pound until the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Boetsch peppering Okami with a few jabs, Boetsch then catches Okami with a head kick and an uppercut. Boetsch then holds Okami and he clobbers him with some uppercuts until he drops, Boetsch follows it up with some ground and pound until the referee steps in.
Fight Result: Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami by TKO via strikes (0:54, R3)
Post fight interview with Tim Boetsch, who says he knew he had to finish the fight to get the win and he did what he was trained to do.
Fight #9 - UFC Welterweight Division Fight
Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4-0-2NC) vs. Jake Shields (26-6-1)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Round One
The round begins with Shields keeping Akiyama at bay with some leg kicks and jabs, Shields then powers Akiyama to the cage wall with a single leg. Akiyama reverses positions with Shields before eating a knee strike, Shields then lands a few body kicks on Akiyama. Akiyama then catches Shields with a right uppercut, Shields then powers Akiyama up against the cage wall. Shields then starts pummeling Akiyama knees to the rib cage, Shields then gets standing back control on Akiyama. Akiyama then scrambles to break free from Shields, Shields then starts attacking Akiyama with some leg kicks. Akiyama then scores a trip takedown on Shields before standing back up as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Akiyama popping Shields with a straight right, Akiyama then lands a spinning side kick to the leg of Shields. Akiyama then catches Shields with a spinning back fist, Akiyama then catches Shields with a counter right. Shields then starts landing a series of kicks to the body of Akiyama, Shields clinches with Akiyama before landing a knee strike. Akiyama then clobbers Shields with a leg kick, Shields is quick to respond with a series of his own leg kicks. Akiyama then lands a judo throw takedown on Shields, Shields quickly gets up and forces Akiyama against the cage wall. Shields then gets standing back control on Akiyama as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Akiyama trying to catch Shields with a high kick, Shields then starts peppering Akiyama with some punches. Shields then starts attacking Akiyama with a lot of leg kicks, Akiyama then pops Shields with a right uppercut. Akiyama then blocks a Shields takedown attempt before forcing him against the cage wall, Shields breaks free to land leg kicks on Akiyama. Shields then forces Akiyama up against the cage wall, Shields then scores a brief takedown on Akiyama. Both fighters then battle for position along the cage wall, the referee separates the fighters after inactivity and Shields scores a takedown on Akiyama. Shields then gets back control on Akiyama after Akiyama grabbed the cage twice, Shields goes for the rear naked choke as the round ends.
Fight Result: Jake Shields def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Post fight interview with Jake Shields, who says he was not surprised that Akiyama blocked his takedowns and that his opponent was a monster. Post fight interview with Yoshihiro Akiyama, who says he wants to apologize to all of his fans and he thought the last takedown cost him the fight.
Fight #10 - UFC Heavyweight Division Fight
Cheick Kongo (27-6-2) vs. Mark Hunt (7-7-0)
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
The round begins with Hunt slipping after landing a leg kick on Kongo, both fighters then battle for position on the cage wall. Kongo then keeps Hunt at bay by landing a push kick, Hunt and Kongo then exchange a few leg kicks. Hunt then drops Kongo with a well-timed left to the head, Hunt then drops Kongo with a right and he follows it up with ground and pound until the referee jumps in.
Fight Result: Mark Hunt defCheick Kongo by TKO via strikes (2:11, R1)
Post fight interview with Mark Hunt, who says that he feels good after the victory and he felt he had the striking advantage the whole time.
Fight #11 - UFC Light Heavyweight Division Fight
Quinton Jackson (32-9-0) vs. Ryan Bader (14-2-0)
Referee: Leon Roberts
Round One
The round begins with Bader catching Jackson with a few leg kicks, Bader then powers Jackson up against the cage wall. Bader then catches Jackson with a few knee strikes while on the cage wall, the fighters separate and Bader hits Jackson with an overhand right. Bader then catches Jackson with another right before forcing him up against the cage wall, the fighters split and Jackson catches Bader with an elbow strike. Bader again grabs hold of Jackson to put him up against the cage wall, the split up again and Bader catches Jackson with a knee strike. Jackson then hits Bader with a left hook as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Bader attacking Jackson with leg kicks, Jackson then wins the battle by powering Bader against the cage. Jackson then picks up Bader and slams him on the mat, Jackson then catches Bader with a knee strike and multiple punches. Bader then scores a takedown on Jackson after eating a left hook, Bader then gets half guard on Jackson. Bader then starts attacking Jackson with some ground and pound, Jackson then gets Bader into the full guard. Bader then hits Jackson with a few knee strikes as he stood up, Bader then slams Jackson to the ground and he gets back control. Jackson uses a scramble to get Bader back into the full guard as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Jackson backing Bader up with jabs, Bader then powers Jackson up against the cage wall. Jackson then starts clobbering Bader with a few knee strikes, Bader then scores a takedown on Jackson and he gets side control. Bader then starts catching Jackson with a lot of knee strikes, Jackson then gets Bader back into the full guard. Bader then attacks Jackson with more knee strikes as he stood up, Bader then drags Jackson back to the ground. Bader then starts weakening Jackson with some ground and pound, Bader then goes for a kimura on Jackson as the round ends.
Fight Result: Ryan Bader def. Quinton Jackson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Post fight interview with Ryan Bader, who says this is the biggest victory of his career and his gameplan was to avoid the striking game.
Main Event - UFC Lightweight Title Fight
Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) (Champion) vs. Ben Henderson (15-2-0)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Round One
The round begins with Edgar nailing Henderson with some inside leg kicks, both fighters then simultaneously throw kicks at each other. Edgar then quickly shoves Henderson to the ground, Henderson then accidentally kicks Edgar in the groin. The fight resumes with Edgar catching a Henderson kick and kicking him back in return, Henderson then catches Edgar with a knee to the rib cage. Henderson then catches Edgar with a few lefts to the face, Henderson follows it up by hitting Edgar with another kick and knee strike. Edgar then tosses Henderson back to the ground, Edgar lands a strike on a standing Henderson as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Edgar popping Henderson with a short right, Edgar then hits Henderson with a few kicks after catching his. Edgar then starts attacking Henderson with some leg kicks, both fighters exchange wild punches after another caught leg kick. Henderson catches Edgar with a knee strike after being forced on the cage wall, Henderson then lands a kick to the belly of Edgar. Edgar then catches Henderson with a left hook, Edgar then stuffs a Henderson takedown attempt and he control his head afterwards. The fighters stand up and Edgar resumes his leg kick attack on Henderson, Edgar then scores a takedown on Henderson and he gets the full guard. Edgar then starts attacking Henderson with ground and pound, Henderson catches Edgar with an up kick and some strikes as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Edgar landing a kick to the midsection of Henderson, Edgar then catches a charging Henderson with a two punch combination. Edgar then catches Henderson with a left after eating a few strikes, Henderson then kicks Edgar in the rib cage. Edgar then catches Henderson with a counter right after eating a knee strike, Edgar then backs Henderson up with a right. Henderson then scores a takedown on Edgar and he quickly postures up, the fighters stand back up and Edgar then pops Henderson with a right. Edgar lands again after catching Henderson with a multi punch combination, Edgar then scores a flash takedown on Henderson. Edgar then scores another takedown on Henderson as the round ends.
Round Four
The round begins with Edgar immediately attacking Henderson with leg kicks, Edgar then hits Henderson with a punch after a failed kick attempt. Henderson then lands a kick to the rib cage of Edgar, Henderson then accidentally kicks Edgar in the balls. The fight resumes with Edgar charging at Henderson while throwing strikes, Edgar then pops Henderson with a few rights. Edgar then scores a takedown on Henderson and he gets caught in a guillotine choke, Edgar breaks free and stays on top of Henderson. The fighters eventually stand up and Edgar catches more Henderson kicks, Edgar then eats a knee strike before landing a right. Edgar then gets nailed with a body kick after scoring a flash takedown, Henderson then lands a leg kick as the round ends.
Round Five
The round begins with Edgar immediately landing a right on Henderson, Edgar then goes back to catching more Henderson kicks. Henderson then nails Edgar with a counter left, Edgar responds by landing an uppercut on Henderson. Edgar follows that up by landing a straight left on Henderson, Edgar then tries to get Henderson to the ground and he fails. Edgar then goes back to attacking Henderson with leg kicks, Henderson responds by catching Edgar with a right. Both fighters then slip at the same time after throwing kicks at each other, Edgar then drops Henderson with a right. A scramble forces both fighters back to their feet, Henderson then attempts a few head kicks on Edgar. Henderson then lands a knee strike to the ribs on Edgar, Henderson then drags Edgar to the ground and lands a few strikes as the round ends.
Fight Result: Ben Henderson def. Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)
Post fight interview with Ben Henderson, who says he learned the up kick from Donald Cerrone and he thanked God for everything. Post fight interview with Frankie Edgar, who says that he thought he did enough to win and he does not know if he will drop to featherweight.
