UFC 112 Fight Results: UFC 112 Fight Card, Rumors & Results

UFC 112 took place on April 10, 2010 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and was broadcast on Pay Per View at 10 pm ET. The UFC 112 fight card featured 11 fights with 10 taking place and all of the fight results are listed below. Also be sure to check back for the official UFC 112 results here at ProFighting-fans.com after the fights are complete and don't miss our UFC 112 predictions & fight previews.

UFC 112: Invincible took place this past Saturday Night at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It featured six televised bouts, two pound for pound champions, and two legends of the sport. In the span of three hours, we saw a Gracie dismantled once again by Matt Hughes, a bizarre Anderson Silva performance, and the crowning of a new UFC Lightweight Champion in Frankie Edgar. The MMA universe was changed forever as 12 fighters entered the Octagon hoping to fulfill their dreams and propel themselves to the top of the UFC. Some succeeded, some failed. Here is where the 12 mixed martial artists stand now in their respective divisions, the UFC, and MMA following the event.

Phil Davis vs. Alexander Gustafsson

Loser: Alexander Gustafsson – Gustafsson’s a solid prospect who got thrown in there with an even more promising fighter. His takedown defense was surprising and surely caught “Mr. Wonderful” off guard, but it was only a matter of time before the 2008 NCAA Collegiate Wrestling Champion took the fight to the mat and kept it there. I would have liked to seee Gustafsson try to outlast Davis’ anaconda choke with only five seconds remaining in the first round, but it’s possible that the position was also putting a dangerous amount of pressure on the young fighter’s neck. Gustafsson didn’t suffer much damage in the fight, so I hope to see him back in the Octagon as soon as possible so he can put this fight behind him.

Winner: Phil Davis – Phil Davis continues to impress with each and every fight. He’s gone from a one-dimensional wrestler to a wrestler with jiu-jitsu skills good enough to finish UFC quality opponents. According to post fight interview with Ariel Helwani, “Mr. Wonderful” also has some stellar striking skills that he’s been hiding as well. Whether or not Davis can strike adequately remains to be seen, but for now, he’s more than proven that he can hold his own against quality opponents. If Davis does have some worthy striking skills that he’s concealing, look out 205, a new star has been born.

Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz

Loser: Kendall Grove – For the first round, Grove looked like a complete MMA fighter, showing prowess on the feet and on the ground. His devastating uppercut and multiple submission attempts had many believing Grove had finally turned the corner in his development. But as quickly as the praise was given, it was taken away. In the second round, Grove was pounded so heavily into the mat he almost became a sponsor. An unsuccessful armbar attempt cost Grove positioning and allowed for Munoz to gain top control, from there Grove appeared to be either too comfortable or just inadequate defensibly from the guard as Munoz rained down powerful blow after powerful blow. While Grove remains a threat to middleweights with his dangerous striking and submission skills, if he doesn’t improve his defense from the guard he will forever be just a gatekeeper known for winning the Ultimate Fighter 3 and not much else.

Winner: Mark Munoz – The nastiest ground and pound of the night belongs to Munoz, as he decimated Kendall Grove in his guard in what was credited at the Fight of the Night. However, as devastating as his ground and pound was, he looked completely inept on his feet, and unable to takedown a vulnerable Kendall Grove. With only 9 fights under his belt, Munoz is still learning, but at 32 years of age, time isn’t on “The Filipino Wreaking Machine”s side. As the level of competition continues to increase, Munoz will struggle more and more to get the fight on the mat, and therefore wins will be harder and harder to come by. Munoz is a one-dimensional fighter whose one dimension, wrestling, isn’t all that strong. A rematch with Matt Hamill, to avenge his lone loss, will give him an opportunity to show just how much he’s improving under the tutelage of renowned fight team Black House.

Terry Etim vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Loser: Terry Etim – Etim is a legitimate prospect who’ll one day be a contender at 155, but Saturday night he was up against another top prospect whose wrestling and jiu-jitsu neutralized the British fighter’s strengths. Etim’s aggressive striking was unable to flourish against Anjos, as the fear of being taken down was far too real. And Etim had good reason to fear being on the bottom, as once Anjos took Etim down in the second round, he passed to full mount with ease and secured the Submission of the Night victory transitioning from a kimura attempt to an armbar. Even though Etim had back to back Submission of the Night victories coming into Saturday night’s fight, his jiu-jitsu was nowhere near the level of Anjos. If Etim is to live up to his potential, he’ll need to strengthen his wrestling so that he, and not his opponent, can control where the fight takes place; such a luxury that might have given the British fighter his 15 th victory Saturday night, instead of his 3 rd loss.

Winner: Rafael dos Anjos – With his Submission of the Night victory Saturday night, Anjos puts himself into the mix at 155 as he hopes to crack into the top 10 of UFC’s lightweight division. Early in the first round, Anjos found himself deep in a guillotine, but with his superior knowledge of submissions he was able to ease the grip of the choke and pop his head out. From there on, the fight was all Anjos as he implemented his wrestling and jiu-jitsu with such control and precision that it truly was beautiful to watch. While Etim is no slouch, he’s still a young prospect trying to make a name for himself. For Anjos to really start making some noise in a division that got pretty loud when Edgar defeated Penn later that night, he’ll need to fight someone with an established name, like Joe “Daddy” Stevenson or fellow jiu-jitsu extraordinaire George Sotiropoulos.

Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie

Loser: Renzo Gracie – The statement can be made that Royce Gracie’s last fight in the Octagon against Matt Hughes, and Renzo’s fight last Saturday night, were just as much a “freak show” as Kimbo Slice or any future James Toney fight. The truth is, Gracies’ are one-dimensional fighters fighting in a three-dimensional sport. It’s fun for nostalgic reasons to see the Gracies’ fight, but until a Gracie can combine adequate striking or wrestling to go along with their terrific jiu-jitsu, they don’t belong on the sport’s highest stage. The Gracie name will forever be a part of the UFC for the sole fact that Royce was responsible for building the foundation of the organization, and the sport of MMA in America, but whether or not a Gracie can compete in the now highly evolved sport of mixed martial arts remains to be seen.

Renzo put up a good fight for the first round, hitting Hughes with some nice punches, but his inability to check leg kicks is what did him in when the third and final round came about. The fact that Renzo was landing some leather on the former UFC welterweight champ could give some reason to proclaim that he is becoming a good all-around fighter, but the truth is, Renzo’s ability to land on Hughes says more about Hughes’ deteriorating skills than it does about Renzo’s improving striking. Don’t get me wrong, Renzo’s striking has improved, but not nearly enough to be a threat to any fighter in the UFC’s 170 pound division. The end of the fight was a sad sight to see, as Hughes kept knocking Renzo down with leg kick after leg kick and then finally took mercy on the legendary fighter when he unloaded with a barrage of punches late in the third round. I don’t know where Renzo goes from here, maybe a drop down to 155, a weight which would be better suited to his body size, and a fight with a young grappler who will present Renzo with the opportunity to showcase what Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is all about.

Winner: Matt Hughes – Matt Hughes, as a great Canadian champion once said, “I’m not impressed with your performance.” With each passing year, Hughes seems to get more and more cautious as a fighter. It’s a shame he waited until there was under a minute left in the fight to unload a combo on Renzo, as the opportunity was present the entire fight. Hughes’ leg kicks were impressive, but his inability to capitalize on a defensively inept 41-year old fighter who hadn’t fought in over 3 years doesn’t bode well for the former king of the welterweight division. Combined with the fact that Renzo was able to land some flush shots early in the fight, Hughes’ future as a top 10 fighter in the welterweight division seems bleak. Fighters are younger, faster, hungrier, and much more powerful than ever before. While this fight served as an indicator that Hughes can still put the whooping on fighters his age and older, it also clearly indicated that age has caught up to the legendary Matt Hughes.

BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar

Loser: BJ Penn – When Bruce Buffer read out the scorecards, 50-45, 48-47, 49-46, I was shocked that one judge had actually given the fifth round to BJ Penn. But then, Buffer said, “For the winner, And new UFC Lightweight Champion of the World…” my jaw dropped. I don’t know if this was a reaction to the controversy that was the Machida/Shogun decision and the whole notion of having to “beat the champion,” but I just can’t comprehend how one judge, Douglas Crosby, can give all five rounds to Edgar. I personally scored the fight 48-47 for Penn, and can understand a score of 48-47 Edgar, but any difference of more than one round becomes hard for me to believe. Douglas Crosby is typically a good judge, who posts on the Underground Forum regularly, and is not afraid to give a round a 10-10 when required. There has been much backlash regarding his scorecard, even Dana White himself tweeted about it, so be on the lookout for Crosby to give some insight into how he saw such as close fight as 50-45 Edgar. (Douglas Crosby has in-fact started a new thread over at the Underground Forums, where if you can wade through his narcissism, you might get some insight into how he saw the fight 50-45 Edgar.)

Regardless, Penn lost in what was a razor close fight, and the weak mental state that he showed against St-Pierre showed its head once again. Penn looked defeated going into the fourth round, odd considering that many, myself included, had him up at least one round. I think the fact that Penn was expected to blow out Edgar, and that Penn himself probably believed he would blow out Edgar even though he said he was taking his challenger seriously, created lofty expectations that when the fourth round came about and Edgar was still standing tall and as quick as ever, Penn’s fragile mindset collapsed.

The story of the fight was Edgar’s speed, footwork, and head movement. He was not the easy target that Diego Sanchez was, and you could tell as Penn began loading up on his punches, that Edgar was frustrating him. Why Penn never tried to take the fight to the ground and work his brilliant jiu-jitsu is a question only he can answer. My couch psychology assumes that Penn’s ego got the best of him, and that he felt taking the fight to the ground was, in a way, conceiting victory to Edgar on the feet. A proud Penn, who likes to lick the blood of his victims, didn’t want to take his corner’s advice, and instead opted to try and prove, mostly to himself, that his boxing was better than Edgar’s. Tragically for Penn, on Saturday night, the judges didn’t think it was.

Winner: Frankie Edgar – Edgar put on the most impressive performance of the night, defeating BJ Penn precisely at the time when everyone was beginning to think Penn unbeatable. A great game plan, terrific boxing, and speed are what got Edgar the win and the UFC lightweight title. For the first couple of rounds it appeared Edgar was at a disadvantage on his feet, as Penn clearly had more power. But as the fight continued on and Penn’s eyes bruised, the tides began a turning. It’s as if something broke in BJ during those middle rounds, as Penn began to slow down and Edgar maintained his frantic pace. Penn just couldn’t get off, as he loaded up on shots and whiffed, while Edgar danced in like a cat, hit Penn with a few shots and danced back out. It was Frankie’s night, there no doubt about it, but did he do enough to beat the champ? Some would argue no, while others will say he did just enough, either way, Frankie Edgar is the UFC Lightweight Champion and in the fifth and final round, Edgar did something no lightweight has been able to do in over 6 years, he took BJ Penn down. What was looking like a moral victory for Edgar, became an absolute victory. Although two of the judge’s scorecards, especially the 50-45 score, brought controversy to the fight, no one can say Edgar didn’t deserve to win the fight.

A rematch with Penn would be a big money fight, whether or not the UFC wants to grant Penn an immediate rematch is another story. I could see the UFC giving everyone the Penn-Gomi fight we’ve been wanting to see, and giving Edgar a fight against Gray Maynard, all to set up a potential rematch between Edgar and Penn in December 2010 or early 2011.

UFC 112 Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia

Loser: Demian Maia – I almost wrote Anderson Silva’s name here, because he was the real loser of this fight, but when people look through the record books ten years from now, it will read, “Anderson Silva via Unanimous Decision.” For three rounds, Maia was clowned by Anderson Silva, and even had the red nose to show for it. But as the fourth round came about, Silva’s antics got old and tired, and it was Maia who brought the fight to Silva. There were brief moments in the final two rounds where it looked like the impossible may actually happen, where Maia had caught Silva with some nice punches and could potentially have ended the top 3 pound for pound champion’s night, but it wasn’t meant to be.

How the judges didn’t award Maia the last two rounds is beyond me, but either way, Maia, who fought through a broken nose, showed why he’s not Thales Leites. Much to his credit, he never gave up, even though his face was a crimson mask and his opponent was making fun of him on the biggest stage of his career. Maia survived, and in the process, earned himself a lot of respect from the fans, and I’m sure, the top brass of the UFC. He won’t be getting another shot at Silva anytime soon, but if his striking continues to improve (Silva even commented on Maia’s surprising power) we could see Maia fighting for the title again in two years time.

Winner: Anderson Silva – Bizarre. If I were to sum up Silva’s antics in one word it would be bizarre. For two rounds Anderson Silva amused the crowd with his proficient striking and clown-like antics, but much like a comedian who keeps using the same joke, it only took a third round for Silva to become hack. If you’re going to taunt a fighter and act like he doesn’t belong in the cage with you, then you sure as hell better back it up. Silva didn’t. Instead, he almost got dropped in the later rounds due to his gas tank imploding, and if the fight was more than 5 rounds, who knows, we might have seen Silva lose legitimately for the first time in over six years. It’s one thing to be a showman, and put on a spectacle for the crowd, but when you start to embarrasses yourself and the sport you represent, it becomes a whole different story.

I do think Anderson was surprised himself when Maia was connecting with shots in the later rounds, and I doubt Silva’s intentions were to have the fight end the way it did. It was clearly the sign of a fighter’s hubris getting the best of him, and also a little ring rust. Since the fight’s conclusion, Dana White, who left cage side in the fourth round and handed the middleweight belt to Ed Soares, telling him he didn’t want to put it around Silva’s waist, has been very vocal about how embarrassed he was by Silva’s performance. Part of that embarrassment is an overreaction, as Dana I’m sure felt a tremendous pressure to put on a great show in front of his new partners, but part of it is understandable. This is not the first time Silva has seemingly toyed with a fighter in the main event and failed to engage, he has now done it three times. First against Patrick Cote at UFC 90, then against Thales Leites at UFC 97, and now against Demian Maia at UFC 112. Silva has every right to fight how he chooses, but if he is going to complain about being paid more money and wanting bigger money fights, he needs to put on performances that make the fans want to buy his PPVs. So far, in the past year and a half, save the Forrest Griffin fight, he hasn’t.

When you see a fighter with Anderson’s ability and skill, a fighter who only comes around every 25 years or so, if that, it becomes increasingly frustrating to see him sell himself short like this. But that’s the thing, maybe Anderson Silva isn’t the fighter we think he is, maybe he’s a great fighter, but not one of the greatest. Maybe Anderson Silva hasn’t been truly tested since he fought Dan Henderson over two years ago in March of 2008 at UFC 82, and maybe when someone does come along who is a true test, like Chael Sonnen or Vitor Belfort, we’ll see just that. That Anderson Silva is a great fighter with flaws, who’s pound for pound greatness was as much a byproduct of marketing hype as his fighting ability, that Anderson Silva isn’t a fighter who comes around once every 25 years, but every 5.

Rising Prelim Fighter: Phil Davis

Biggest Loser of the Night: Anderson Silva

Biggest Winner of the Night: Frankie Edgar

By Jeffrey Concerto
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer

Fight Card Results for UFC 112 Fights:

> View more UFC results online listed here by Pro Fighting Fans and check out the UFC 113 fight card and future UFC event fight cards!

PPV Televised UFC 112 Fight Card:

• Anderson Silva (c) defeats Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision - Silva retains the UFC Middleweight Championship belt

• Frankie Edgar defeats BJ Penn (c) by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 48-47, 49-46) - Edgar becomes the new UFC Lightweight Champion

• Matt Hughes defeats Renzo Gracie by TKO (Strikes) - Round 3 @ 4:40

• Rafael Dos Anjos defeats Terry Etim via Submission (Armbar) - Round 2 @ 4:40

• Mark Munoz defeats Kendall Grove by TKO (Strikes) - Round 2 @ 2:50

Fight Card for Preliminary UFC 112 Fights:

• Phil Davis defeats Alexander Gustafsson via Submission (Anaconda Choke) - Round 1 @ 4:55

• John Gunderson (22-7) vs Paul Taylor (10-5-1-1) - fight cancelled after Taylor was not medically cleared to fight

• Rick Story defeats Nick Osipczak by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

• Demarques Johnson defeats Brad Blackburn via TKO (Strikes) - Round 3 @ 2:08

• Paul Kelly defeats Matt Veach via Submission (Guillotine Choke) - Round 2 @ 3:41

• Jon Madsen defeats Mostapha Al Turk by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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