The UFC made its annual pilgrimage to Columbus, Ohio at the Nationwide Arena. No titles were on the line but there were plenty of strong match ups to look forward to for the usually fanatical Ohio fans.

Gray Maynard Vs. Jim Miller
“The Bully” was intent on keeping his undefeated record intact as he took on another undefeated fighter in the form of Jim Miller. Maynard controlled the fight right from the outset. He showed a superior (and continually improving) striking game and when Miller tried to take the fight to the mat, Gray was equal to the task and flat out refused to be put on his back. Miller was gallant and always moving forward, sometimes a little to his own detriment. The only time Maynard was in any real trouble was when Miller (on his back) had a hold of Maynards left leg and was trying for a leg lock. Gray escaped with relative ease and went on to record a unanimous decision victory and move to 7-0-1 overall.

Matt Hamill Vs. Mark Munoz
Hometown favorite Hamill gave the fans what they wanted as he made fairly short work of WEC veteran and fellow former wrestler Mark Munoz. “The Hammer” strode forward with confidence as he tracked Munoz around the cage and landed some good punches. Munoz shot in for a couple of takedowns from a mile away and against the caliber of wrestler that Matt is, the result was never going to favor Mark. Hamill pushed the pace and had Munoz near the cage when he let fly with a nice high kick that put Munoz out (for quite a while). A highlight reel victory as Hamill’s striking moves to another level and if he can add some real speed to his punches, he will unsettle some higher ranked opponents.

Pete Sell Vs. Matt Brown
Matt Brown exploded at the bell, as he immediately unloaded with kicks and punches. Sell was rocked by the barrage and hit the canvas, Yves Lavigne raced in to stop the fight, then realized that Sell wasn’t quite finished and called for the fight to continue. Pete re-gathered himself momentarily and clung to Matt’s leg. Brown delivered a few more crushing strikes and Sell went down again, this time the finish was final and Matt Brown claimed a stunning win via TKO.

Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Shane Carwin
This clash of two big heavyweights would tell a few stories. Is Gonzaga ready for another title shot? And is Carwin a real HW contender? Well they answered both of these questions at the very least!

“Napao” connects with an early right hand that stuns Carwin and Gonzaga takes the fight to the mat. Shane recovers quickly and stands right back up. He then catches Gabriel with a short right of his own that puts the Brazilian down and out, moving Carwin to 11-0 and right into the picture at the peak of the heavyweight division.

Quinton Jackson Vs. Keith Jardine
With a chance at another title shot, “Rampage” brought his usual level of intensity to the octagon. However he would have his work cut out against a tough and unorthodox Jardine. A battle was promised and delivered by both fighters. Jackson went for the clinch immediately and pushed to the fence. Both were a bit tentative and cautious of each others power, Keith was lurching in, punching and then moving away, while Jackson was always moving forward and controlling the octagon. The first round finished without a clear leader but was building momentum.

Round two saw both combatants loosen up much more and engage in regular skirmishes. Rampage caught and dropped “The Dean of Mean” with a hook and pounced to try and finish. Keith sprung back to his feet quickly and had fully regained his composure. Jardine then caught Quinton with some nice shots and wobbled the former champ momentarily. They continued to trade until the end of the round. Jackson was marginally ahead now as he got the knock down and landed the more precise punches in that stanza.

Not wanting to leave it in the hands of the judges, both fighters start the final round confidently. Rampage lands a takedown and tries to improve position, Jardine gets back to his feet with little fuss and they trade strikes once again. Keith should be throwing a lot more leg kicks but isn’t and Jackson is really confidant now and landing plenty of shots. With seconds left in the fight Quinton tags Keith who buckles again but holds on until the final bell.

Jackson gets the nod from all three judges in a tough grueling battle and truly earns his chance to fight Rashad Evans for the LHW belt. The trash talk started early inside the octagon as Evans entered and he and Jackson faced off with an amused Joe Rogan holding the microphone. Rest assured that the hype for their meeting in May will be huge as both warriors are never short of a word!

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