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411’s UFC 204 Bisping vs. Henderson Report 10.08.16

October 9, 2016 | Posted by Robert Winfree

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC 204. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the evening, relaying to you all of the action just as I see it. This isn’t a terribly compelling card on paper, but hopefully the fights themselves will turn out to be good. The main event sees newly crowned middleweight champion Michael Bisping trying for his first title defense against MMA legend Dan Henderson. These two met previously at UFC 100 and Henderson violently knocked out Bisping in the second round of that encounter, Bisping will be after revenge tonight. Fun fact for this event: none of the winners of The Ultimate Fighter who went on to win UFC titles, and there are five of them, have managed a single successful title defense so Bisping will be trying to break that particular curse here as well. The co-main event will see Vitor Belfort try to get back on the horse against one of the most consistent and well rounded fighters in the world, Gegard Mousasi. Elsewhere Ovince Saint Preux and Jimi Manuwa will fight and top featherweight prospect Mirsad Bektic returns to action after over a year on the shelf. This event comes to the world from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England and has the duo of Mike Goldberg and Brian Stann on commentary.

Leonardo Santos is undefeated in the UFC, in fact he hasn’t lost since 2009, but hasn’t fought since December of last year and despite being talented is somewhat lost in the shuffle in the lightweight division. Santos is looking to run his UFC record to 5-0-1 here, and a four fight winning streak would certainly merit a step up in competition if not a top fifteen spot. Adriano Martins has a similar record of 4-1, that loss coming to Donald Cerrone, and has won three in a row. Martins could also prove himself with a win here and earn a similar spot against a more recognized opponent or an official ranking with a win. The odds are with Martins at -205 to the +165 for Santos.

Lightweight Bout: Adriano Martins (28-7, 155 lbs.) vs. Leonardo Santos (15-3-1, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Santos has two inches of height and three of reach on Martins. Touch of gloves, Martins fighting southpaw. Santos slowly backing Martins towards the fence, has a body kick blocked. Martins lands an inside leg kick. Santos really trying to work the right kick to the body early, he either thinks Santos is soft to the body or is setting up a high kick. Martins tries another inside leg kick, those aren’t really working. Santos misses a high kick. Martins moving forward now. Martins misses a left and eats a knee to the head for his trouble. They both land glancing body kicks. Santos lands a hard body kick. Another body kick lands for Santos. They both miss power hand punches then Martins lands a glancing right uppercut. Martins misses a couple of hooks then lands an outside leg kick as the last blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Santos

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Santos lands a body kick. Very low output fight so far. Santos lands a hard inside leg kick, Martins lands one to the outside. Santos misses a body kick, Martins lands a couple of outside leg kicks. Martins lands a bit of a straight left. Santos lands an inside leg kick, Martins lands an outside leg kick. Martins lands an inside leg kick. Santos lands a bit of a right. Neither guy wants to commit and get countered, and neither is working feints to draw out those counters. Martins lands a jab to the body. Santos lands a bit of a high kick. Santos lands a hard inside leg kick. Santos slips a right hook, Martins lands a bit of a body kick. Martins lands an inside leg kick. Martins misses a leg kick, Santos tries a jumping switch kick high that’s blocked. Martins blocks a body kick. Santos lands another inside leg kick and the round comes to an end.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Santos, 20-18 Santos overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Martins lands a bit of an outside leg kick. Santos has a high kick blocked. Martins misses a body kick. Santos lands another inside leg kick. Lots of circling here, Santos lands another body kick. Santos ducks a left and tries a double leg but Martins is able to block that one. Santos lands an inside leg kick. Martins lands a straight left to the body. They both miss rights, Martins starting to pressure Santos now, lands a bit of a left. Martins lands an inside leg kick, then another one. Martins misses a right uppercut then lands another inside leg kick. Santos slips a couple of punches. Martins lands an inside leg kick but eats a head kick. Martins doesn’t care about that kick and lands a right hook, Santos is bleeding from the eyebrow now. Martins lands an inside leg kick then lands a left to the body as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Martins, 29-28 Santos overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Leonardo Santos via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)

Not a good way to get things going for this event. Santos gets an interview as the crowd expresses their general displeasure. Santos says this was his game plan and puts over Martins as a tough guy and someone he’s known and respected for a long time. Asked who he wants next he calls out Michael Chiesa.

Danny Roberts is 3-0 in the UFC and has an impressive seven fight winning streak going on, he’s looking to keep that momentum going here and potentially earn a higher profile spot for his next fight. Mike Perry scored a substantial upset in his UFC debut when he stopped Hyun Gyu Lim in the first round with strikes and is undefeated as a professional, if he can keep that streak alive here he’ll prove that his debut was no fluke and cement his status as a legitimate prospect in the welterweight division. The odds here are dead even at -115 each.

Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry (8-0, 170 lbs.) vs. Danny Roberts (13-1, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Roberts has three inches of height and reach on Perry. Roberts fighting southpaw, tries a high kick that’s blocked. Perry walking in on Roberts, trying to get him on the fence. Perry lands a left hook. Roberts lands an inside leg kick. High kick from Roberts is blocked. Perry lands a bit of a left and a right uppercut. Perry lands an outside leg kick. Roberts just misses a left. Perry methodically walking Roberts down, Roberts looking to circle and counter. Roberts lands a body kick. Perry lands a hard body kick but eats a counter left. Another left from Roberts lands. Perry lands a right, he’s getting Roberts on the fence with surprising regularity. Roberts lands a knee to the head. Perry misses a couple of hooks, Roberts lands a couple of lefts. Perry has absolutely no head movement. Perry lands a couple of lefts then a knee and a right. Roberts tries a takedown but Perry sprawls and then gets the ride position. Roberts tries to roll, Perry winds up in side control. Perry lands some elbows and hammer fists then gets the back. Roberts trying to sneak out the back but Perry is riding him well. Roberts gets one of the hooks out and regains his feet. Roberts misses a couple of kicks. Perry eats a left then lands a right. Roberts lands a left then has a high kick blocked. Perry lands a couple of hooks against the fence, he drops Roberts with an uppercut and lands a few more blows from the ride position as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Perry

ROUND TWO: Perry back to walking forward, Roberts lands a body kick. Roberts lands a right hook. Perry’s lack of defense is becoming a liability as Roberts lands a couple of lefts then an inside leg kick. They both miss side kicks, Perry lands a leg kick then a bit of a left. Roberts misses a left then lands a left to the body. They clinch and Perry lands a knee to the head as they break. Roberts slips a left. Roberts lands an inside leg kick. Perry doing a lot of following this round instead of cutting Roberts off. Perry lands a couple of rights in close that stumble Roberts. Perry lands a right uppercut then a right that wobble Roberts again. Roberts tries a takedown but Perry gets him on the fence and lands a couple of more rights before he slips away. Roberts lands a couple of inside leg kicks then a left. Perry lands a left hook. Roberts lands a straight left then another one. Roberts lands a right and a left. Perry misses a couple of hooks. Roberts lands an inside leg kick then a hard one two combination. Roberts lands another couple of straight lefts, Perry wobbles Roberts with a hard right hook! Roberts tries to tie up but Perry gets on top in full mount. Roberts gives up the back, Perry lands elbows from the mount and some punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Perry, 20-18 Perry overall

ROUND THREE: Roberts bleeding from an eyebrow after that last flurry from Perry. Roberts lands an inside leg kick. Roberts lands a right hook then a straight left. They trade lefts. Perry lands a hard counter right and backs Roberts into the fence. Perry with knees to the head and elbows as Roberts covers up and then escapes. Roberts lands a jab. Roberts misses a high kick. Roberts lands a straight left. They split jabs and Roberts lands a left to the body. Roberts lands a bit of a straight left. Perry ducks a left and lands a left hook. Roberts lands an inside leg kick. Roberts lands a one two combination. Perry lands a hard left then a right that opens up the cut on Roberts again. Roberts lands a left. Roberts tries a takedown, winds up on the fence and Perry lands a couple of hooks. Roberts bleeding under the left eye as well now. Perry misses a wheel kick. Roberts lands a head kick. Roberts misses a high kick but he’s clearly the more technical fighter now. They trade power hand punches. Roberts again with the inside leg kick. Perry lands a right. They trade rights, Perry lands a knee and a right, Roberts drops and a couple more rights from Perry put him completely out. Actually a slightly late stoppage there.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Mike Perry via KO, knee and punches, at 4:40 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Perry for his work this evening, and cordially tells the First Round Finish Club that we’re on the board first. Roberts is still down flat on the mat as Perry gets his mic time. He puts over Roberts for fighting him like that, and gives shout outs to Orlando because of the hurricane. He says this was the first time he’s been in the third round and needs to work on his cardio, he can’t think of someone specific to call out because he doesn’t want to call out someone who just lost but says someone in the top twenty seems about right. That’s it for Fight Pass prelims, now to Fox Sports 1.

Lukasz Sajewski is in a rough spot being 0-2 in the UFC, he needs a win here as a loss will almost certainly mean getting cut from the UFC. Marc Diakiese is making his UFC debut here but is undefeated as a professional fighter and there’s no better way to make your debut than with an impressive win. The odds have Diakiese as a -300 favorite while Sajewski is a +230 underdog.

Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese (9-0, 156 lbs.) vs. Lukasz Sajewski (13-2, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Diakiese has two inches of height and an inche and a half of reach on Sajewski. Diakiese charges out but they clinch and Sajewski gets a body lock takedown and lands in side control. Sajewski lands a knee to the body. Sajewski passes to full mount. Diakiese able to shrimp to half guard. Sajewski trying to set up another pass, Diakiese trying to lock down the trapped leg of Sajewski. Sajewski lands a couple of short elbows. Diakiese up and hits a full on body slam on Sajewski. Sajewski back up and they trade a couple of blows. Diakiese switching his stance frequently, Sajewski punches his way into the clinch. Sajewski gets an outside trip and lands in half guard. Sajewski lands a couple of knees to the body. Sajewski with two more knees to the body, then a third. Diakiese tries a heel hook, nothing doing but he uses that motion to regain his feet and land a heavy leg kick. Diakiese lands an inside leg kick. Diakiese misses a wheel kick then lands a leg kick. They clinch and the round ends with Sajewski holding Diakiese on the cage.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Sajewski

ROUND TWO: Sajewski misses a couple of punches, he’s already sucking some wind. Diakiese stalking forward, slips a right. Diakiese lands a right htne a left. Left to the body from Diakiese lands. Diakiese lands a leg kick, he looks sharp on the feet this round. Diakiese tries a jumping knee that misses. Diakiese lands a bit of a right. They clinch, Sajewski gets Diakiese on the fence. Diakiese is able to spin free without incident. Diakiese lands a left body kick. Stepping right uppercut from Diakiese lands. Sajewski ducks a high kick. Diakiese lands a right. Sajewski is turning into a sparring partner here. Diakiese lands a couple of front kicks to the body. Diakiese lands a couple of rights, eats a counter left though. Sajewski lands a right but eats a counter left hook. Diakiese backs Sajewski into the fence and starts teeing off. Knees and hooks from Diakiese, Sajewski covering up and drops to a knee after a left to the body which prompts the ref to stop this one.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Marc Diakiese via TKO, knees and punches, at 4:40 of Round 2

Good debut for Diakiese, definitely someone to keep an eye on. Diakiese gets an interview now. He says he feels amazing and that the support has been awesome then thanks the fans. He says this is where he’s meant to be. He talks us through the finish to close out his time on the mic.

If you missed the big scoop slam from round 1, here it is.

And here’s the finishing sequence.

Leon Edwards is 3-2 in the UFC and is coming off of a win over Dominic Waters, he’ll be looking to take out a ranked opponent for the first time in his UFC run and begin climbing towards contention. Albert Tumenov is is 5-2 in the UFC but is coming off of a loss to Gunnar Nelson that snapped his five fight winning streak, tonight he needs a win to defend his top fifteen ranking and begin rebuilding his momentum if he wants to continue moving up the ranks of the division. Tumenov is a hefty -230 favorite while the comeback on Edwards stands at +180.

Welterweight Bout: Leon Edwards (11-3, 169 lbs.) vs. #14 Albert Tumenov (17-3, 169 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Edwards has an inch of height and one of reach on Tumenov. Edwards fighting southpaw. Edwards has a high kick blocked. Tumenov moving forward and feinting. Edwards misses a couple of punches. Edwards lands a body kick, tries a takedown but can’t keep Tumenov down and winds up getting him on the fence in the clinch. Edwards trying to get Tumenov down, Tumenov tries to fight them off but about the third outside trip attempt from Edwards finally gets him down. Edwards in half guard. Edwards passes to side control, Tumenov immediately back to full guard. Edwards passes to half guard then side control. Edwards into full mount now, Tumenov to half guard quickly. Tumenov able to roll and regain his feet, Edwards on another double leg attempt and trips Tumenov into a sitting position on the fence. Tumenov tries to wall walk but gives up the ride position. Edwards looking to get the second hook in, Tumenov blocking that so far. Edwards lands a few knees to the butt then gets the second hook in and flattens Tumenov out with ten seconds left. The round ends in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edwards

ROUND TWO: Tumenov lands a jab. They both trade punches, Tumenov is walking Edwards down again. They trade kicks and Tumenov lands a left. Tumenov lands a right and a glancing left uppercut. Tumenov lands a bit of a right. Tumenov lands a left uppercut. Edwards ducks a right and tries a double leg that Tumenov stuffs. Tumenov lands a left hook and an inside leg kick. Tumenov again using that left uppercut as the third punch in a combination with success. Tumenov lands a left hook. Tumenov slips a left. Tumenov lands a straight right. Tumenov tries a high kick that’s blocked. Tumenov lands a couple of jabs. Tumenov lands a left hook but eats a straight left. Hard left hook lands for Tumenov. Another left hook lands for Tumenov and drops Edwards to a knee for a moment. Tumenov lands the left uppercut, not flush but he’s finding the target. Tumenov lands a hard series of hooks to the body and head. They clinch as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Tumenov, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Tumenov resumes moving forward, Edwards backing up and circling. Tumenov lands a straight right. Tumenov lands a jab then misses a high kick. Tumenov switches to southpaw and lands an inside leg kick. Tumenov lands a couple of lefts then goes back to orthodox. Back to southpaw now for Tumenov, he lands a glancing left. Edwards tries a takedown, Tumenov blocks it. Edwards lands a body kick, Tumenov returns it. Edwards trying a single leg and trips Tumenov down and winds up in the ride position. Tumenov quickly trying to turn into him, Edwards grabs under the neck with a choke and forces Tumenov to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Leon Edwards via Submission, rear naked choke, at 3:01 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Edwards for his work this evening. Edwards on the mic now. He says he knew Tumenov was a good striker so he took him down and worked on the mat. He says he wants top ten or top fifteen next and that his eventual goal is the big gold belt.

Here’s the finish there.

Damian Stasiak is 1-1 in the UFC but is coming off of a win and looking to elevate his UFC record above .500 with a win here and potentially move up in competition for his next fight. Davey Grant is also 1-1 in the UFC and coming off of a win, he’s going to be trying to make a similar move up in competition at the expense of Stasiak. Grant actually has the odds makers favor at -185 to the +150 of Stasiak.

Bantamweight Bout: Davey Grant (10-2, 135 lbs.) vs. Damian Stasiak (9-3, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Grant has three inches of height on Stasiak but the reach advantage goes to Stasiak by one inch. Touch of gloves to get things going. Grant swithcing his stance frequently. Stasiak catches a kick and spins Grant down to the mat. Stasiak working to pass, can’t clear the guard but lands a right and stands then another right as Grant regains his feet. Stasiak lands a right. They both miss spinning attacks. Grant punches into the clinch and starts looking for a takedown. Grant gets a double leg against the fence. Grant lands a right but Stasiak is able to elevate him and reverse to get the clinch. Stasiak tries a trip but Grant stifles it and lands on top. Stasiak after another reversal and they’re standing in the clinch again. They break without incident. Grant misses a right. Stasiak lands a spinning kick to the leg of Grant. Grant lands a left body kick. They clinch again, Stasiak lands a knee to the body then they break. Stasiak misses a wheel kick. Grant lands a left hook. Grant dives into a double leg attempt that stalls on the fence. Grant is able to spin him down but Stasiak reverses and gets on top in half guard. Stasiak lands a couple of short elbows as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-10 DRAW

ROUND TWO: Grant circling to start this round. Stasiak lands a spinning back kick to the body. Stasiak ducks under a left and gets the clinch but Grant quickly spins free and lands a body kick. Grant ducks a right and lands a right to the body. Overhand right lands for Grant. Hard right to the body then a knee to the head from Grant and Stasiak tries to clinch but Grant escapes. Stasiak lands a body kick. Grant lands a right to the body then a left to the head. Grant lands a spinning outside crescent kick and a couple of punches. They clinch then trade knees and disengage. Grant lands a front kick to the body. Stasiak is hurt to the body here, Grant pushes into the clinch then disengages and lands some punches including a couple of uppercuts before breaking. Grant lands a right to the body. Stasiak grabs a single leg and spins Grant down to the mat. Grant back up and lands a knee to the head. Grant with another right to the body. Grant has Stasiak on the fence and lands a combination. Stasiak tries a single leg and gets Grant down but Grant actually takes the back off of it and starts looking for an armbar. Grant lands some elbows then bails on the armbar attempt and Stasiak winds up on top in half guard. Stasiak into full mount and looking for an arm triangle choke. Grant blocks that attempt and tries to bridge off of the fence, he does so successfully and Grant lands a couple of rights but Stasiak takes him back down and lands in side control. Stasiak after an armbar, can’t finish it before the round ends though.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Grant, 20-19 Grant overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Stasiak lands a body kick. Grant lands a right to the body in close. Grant misses a couple of punches then blocks a takedown attempt. Grant lands a left. Stasiak misses a spinning back fist. Stasiak ducks a left and tries a takedown then gets Grant down again. Stasiak steps into north/south position, Grant able to get to his knees and then separate. Stasiak tries a double leg, Grant pushes him over and lands in his guard. Stasiak tries an armbar, it’s tight and fully locked in. Grant trying to roll through, Stasiak blocks it with his leg pressure and Grant finally has to tap out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Damian Stasiak via Submission, armbar, at 3:56 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Stasiak for his work this evening. Stasiak gets an interview after that nasty armbar. He says that Grant was aggressive as he was, he mentions that Grant talked some smack but he doesn’t care largely because he won. He says he felt Grant’s arm break during that armbar and knew he’d need that to get Grant to tap.

And here’s that finish again, seriously just watching that hurts my arm.

Brad Pickett is a veteran of the sport but is in a bit of a slump as he just broke a three fight losing streak and is just 2-4 in his last six fights, a win here would be his first winning streak since 2012 and a necessary step if he’s going to make another run at the top of the division. Iuri Alcantara has been a staple of the bantamweight division for some time now but is coming off of a loss to top contender Jimmie Rivera, he needs a win here to potentially climb back into the rankings and avoid what would be the first losing streak of his professional career. Alcantara is a -140 favorite to the +110 comeback on Pickett.

Bantamweight Bout: Iuri Alcantara (33-7 1 NC, 136 lbs.) vs. Brad Pickett (25-11, 136 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Alcantara has three inches of height and reach on Pickett. Touch of gloves to start things, Alcantara fighting southpaw. Alcantara lands a body kick. Another body kick from Alcantara. Alcantara lands a long right then a jumping double knee that lands flush. Pickett doesn’t care, misses a left hook after eating a body kick. Alcantara again with a body kick then a knee to the body from the clinch while Pickett lands a couple of body shots. Alcantara lands a spinning back elbow that stuns Pickett, he falls and Alcantara is all over him on the mat. Alcantara in full mount, mounted triangle that he switches to an armbar then back to the triangle and Pickett has to tap to the triangle choke.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Iuri Alcantara via Submission, triangle choke, at 1:59 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Alcantara for his work this evening, and is happy to finally be on the scene after some shady characters prevented our entry into the arena. We suspect these individuals were hired by a certain other club currently using our same initials. Very nice stuff from Alcantara, who’s on the mic now. He thanks God and appreciates the welcoming attitude of the fans and says he trained harder for this one than any other fight. He says he wanted to show off his black belt in jiu-jitsu because he heard some criticisms of his submission game and is glad he could display those skills here. Asked who he’d like next he says he doesn’t choose the opponent he’ll fight whoever is in front of him but he does want to fight one more time before the end of the year and puts over the live crowd to close out his segment. That does it for the prelims, we’re on PPV for the remainder of the night.

Here’s the entire finishing sequence, from spinning elbow to submission.

We open the PPV with a dedication to Josh Samman who passed away this week.

Mirsad Bektic is a top prospect in the featherweight division, unfortunately injuries have kept him out of action since May of 2015. Despite that Bektic retains a top fifteen spot, making a win here a necessity if he wants to keep that spot and begin making the transition from prospect to contender. Russell Doane took this fight on short notice, Bektic’s original opponent got injured then that replacement fighter got injured as well, and normally fights at bantamweight. Doane is on a three fight losing streak, he might be hoping that a short notice fight up a division wont mean getting the ax but even if considerations are made for that going 0-4 is horrible for your career while a win would be monumental for it. Bektic is the biggest favorite on the card at -600 while Doane’s +400 payout should appeal to a few degenerate gamblers.

Featherweight Bout: #15 Mirsad Bektic (10-0, 144 lbs.) vs. Russell Doane (14-6, 145 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Betkic is an inch taller but Doane has half an inch of reach on him. Doane fighting southpaw. They get close and trade power hands quickly. Doane misses a left. Bektic lands a bit of a right. Bektic lands a counter right to the body kick of Doane. Bektic lands a right and left in close, his close quarters hooks look very sharp. Bektic ducks a right and takes Doane down with ease, landing in his guard. Bektic lands some body shots while Doane tries to control his posture. Doane to his knees but Bektic has the back standing and elevates then slams him. Doane back up again, again Bektic rides him down again. Doane up yet again but still in the grip of Bektic. Bekitc looking for trips from the back, Doane staying upright. Doane tries to roll under but Bektic stuffs that and lands some rights as Doane gets back up, Bektic still has the rear waist lock going. Bekitc drags Doane down and gets the back with both hooks in. Doane trying to spin into Bektic, Bektic blocking that and looking for the choke. Bektic lands a few more punches, still mostly after the choke. Bektic is under the chin and Doane has to submit.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Mirsad Bektic via Submission, rear naked choke, at 4:22 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Bektic for his work this evening, and would like to inform the general public that the Final Round Finish Club has been ejected from the building. Bektic on the mic now. He talks about the long layoff but says he’s been in training for virtually the whole time and says he works exceptionally hard. He says he’s beaten every style of opponent in the UFC and clearly belongs here. He says that he was ranked number 14 before this fight, and tells everyone ranked ahead of him to watch out because he’s getting better and believes the championship is his destiny. He asks for a post fight bonus and then thanks his coaches and family for sticking with him through his recovery then thanks the crowd.

Stefan Struve is 2-3 in his last five fights but is coming off of a win and is looking to get his first winning streak since 2012 going here and possibly move up the ironically thin heavyweight ranks. Daniel Omielanczuk has a 4-2 UFC record and is on a three fight winning streak and finally cracked the top fifteen ranks of the division, he’s looking to climb those ranks by taking out Struve here and continue his winning ways en route to possible contender status. Struve has a slight edge in the odds at -185 to the +150 comeback on Omielanczuk.

Heavyweight Bout: #14 Daniel Omielanczuk (19-5-1 1 NC, 239 lbs.) vs. #12 Stefan Struve (27-8, 265 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Struve has a massive eleven and a half inches of height and ten and a half of reach on Omielanczuk. Touch of gloves to get us going. Omielanczuk lands a leg kick. Omielanczuk misses a couple of hooks then lands a bit of a body kick. Omielanczuk goes southpaw and lands an inside leg kick. Another inside leg kick from Omielanczuk. Omielanczuk lands a bit of an overhand left. Struve working rear leg front kicks to the body. Omielanczuk bulls forward and lands an overhand left. Struve lands a knee to the body and a right hand. Body kick from Struve lands. Omielanczuk lands a left then a right. Struve lands a head kick but eats a couple of counters from Omielanczuk. They clinch up, Struve tries a trip but Omielanczuk is back up and has him on the fence now. Struve tries another trip, lands in the half guard of Omielanczuk. Struve looking to mount, and does so. Omielanczuk gives up the back and gets to his knees, Struve rolls him over and begins looking for the choke. Struve back to full mount, back mount again. Omielanczuk just trying to defend here. Struve looking for the choke as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Struve

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. They clinch quickly and Omielanczuk gets Struve on the fence. Omielanczuk looking for a takedown, Struve defending. Struve spins Omielanczuk. Struve gets the Thai clinch and lands a knee but Omielanczuk spins him into the cage. Struve again with that judo trip and he lands in north/south this time. Omielanczuk able to reverse position but Struve has a d’arce choke locked up and Omielanczuk has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Stefan Struve via Submission, d’arce choke, at 1:41 of Round 2

Struve on the mic now, he says he didn’t perform to his best here and puts over Omielanczuk as being tough and strong. He says he wasn’t fast with his footwork so he took him down and he felt the rolling d’arce choke which is one of his favorites. Asked who he wants next he just wants a top five guy then reminds everyone he knocked out current champion Stipe Miocic and wants to get back to that level then puts over the crowd.

Ovince Saint Preux is 3-3 in his last six fights and is coming off of a loss to Jon Jones, but in the wide open light heavyweight division he’s going to be looking to prove that was a learning experience and get back on the winning side of things here. Jimi Manuwa is 2-2 in his last four fights and coming off of a violent loss to Anthony Johnson, despite that he still holds a top ten ranking because the division is so bereft of depth. Manuwa could improve on that ranking here though as Saint Preux is ranked above him and begin moving towards the top of the division. Saint Preux is a -155 favorite to the +125 underdog Manuwa.

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8 Jimi Manuwa (15-2, 205 lbs.) vs. #5 Ovince Saint Preux (15-2, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Saint Preux has two and a half inches of heing on Manuwa but just half an inch of reach on him. Saint Preux fighting southpaw. Saint Preux lands a bit of a left then a body kick. Manuwa lands an inside leg kick then a body kick. They clinch up and Saint Preux gets Manuwa against the fence. They trade some knees to the body and thigh. Some more knees go back and forth then they break. Saint Preux lands a body kick. Manuwa lands a body kick then an inside leg kick. Manuwa ducks a left and they clinch up again. Saint Preux is on the fence, Manuwa lands some knees to the body then one to the head as they break. Saint Preux rushes with some punches, he swithces to a takedown and gets Manuwa down against the fence in the ride position. Manuwa back to his feet but Saint Preux takes him down and Manuwa tries for a guillotine choke. It’s an arm in guillotine attempt and Saint Preux breaks the grip and gets the ride position again as Manuwa moved to his knees. Saint Preux trying to get his hooks in, just one so far. Saint Preux lands a couple of lefts. Manuwa back to his feet and lands a right in the clinch. They trade knees in the clinch as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Saint Preux

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Manuwa lands a counter right then Saint Preux lands a front kick to the body then a couple of leg kicks. Manuwa lands a left hook in close that gets Saint Preux backing up. Saint Preux tries a takedown that stalls out on the fence. Manuwa able to break the clinch then lands a left hook. Saint Preux ducks a spinning back fist. Manuwa tries a left hook that’s mostly blocked. Saint Preux’s hand position leaves a lot to be desired. Saint Preux lands a body kick but Manuwa responds with a high kick then a leg kick. Manuwa digs a couple of lefts to the body. Manuwa lands an inside leg kick. Manuwa lands a right then tries a jumping knee. Saint Preux is starting to fall behind here in a big way. Manuwa with another left to the body then an overhand right that drops Saint Preux. Saint Preux back up but Manuwa clobbers him with a left that absolutely ENDS his night.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jimi Manuwa via KO, punches, at 2:38 of Round 2

Nice stuff from Manuwa there, who gets an interview now. He says he brings the pain because no one likes pain and puts over Saint Preux. He says he saw that Saint Preux was open to the body and he went after that to set up the rest of his offense. He talks us through the finish and being patient through that sequence, then compliments his own body shot. Asked who he’d like next he defers to the UFC brass and says he’s ready to go again.

We get a very cool promo for UFC 205, watch it again right here.

Vitor Belfort is in a bit of a rough spot, he’s just 2-2 in his last four and both of those wins are against Dan Henderson and he looked pretty bad in his last fight when he was mauled by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Belfort needs a win here to prove he’s still relevant towards the top of the middleweight division as a loss would relegate him to gatekeeper status. Gegard Mousasi is 4-1 in his last five fights and on a two fight winning streak. Despite having a better recent record Mousasi is trying to unseat a man ranked above him here and prove himself a top fighter in the division. Mousasi is a hefty favorite at -325 while Belfort’s +250 payout will likely attract some value bets.

Middleweight Bout: #5 Vitor Belfort (25-12, 186 lbs.) vs. #9 Gegard Mousasi (39-6-2, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Mousasi has two inches of height and reach on Belfort, he’s also eight years younger. Belfort fighting southpaw. Mousasi stalking forward, lands a leg kick. Mousasi has a high kick blocked. Mousasi lands an inside leg kick. Belfort lands a couple of straight lefts. Mousasi lands a jab. Belfort lands a body kick. Mousasi lands a stiff one two combination. Mousasi lands a jab then tries to clinch but Belfort immediately spins out of the clinch. Mousasi lands a leg kick. Belfort doing a lot of circling and Mousasi doing sniping from the outside. Mousasi lands a leg kick then tries a high kick that’s blocked. Mousasi lands a body kick then a couple of jabs. Mousasi lands a body kick. Mousasi lands a jab. Belfort misses a high kick then a couple of punches. Mousasi lands a leg kick. Mousasi lands a right. Mousasi lands a hard combination then gets the clinch on the fence. Mousasi lands a knee to the body. Another knee to the body from Mousasi before Belfort spins and escapes the clinch. Mousasi hits a double leg as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Mousasi

ROUND TWO: Mousasi resumes stalking forward, Belfort backing up. Mousasi lands a side kick to the thigh. Mousasi lands a couple of jabs. Belfort lands a hard body kick but eats a counter right. Mousasi in on a double leg atttempt, Belfort blocks it and slips free. Mousasi lands an inside leg kick and a series of jabs. Mousasi lands a head kick and a series of punches. Belfort leaning on the fence and Mousasi tees off on him, somehow Belfort remains upright and throws back but Mousasi takes him down and starts landing blows from the guard of Belfort. Belfort trying to tie him up but Mousasi passes into full mount and resumes landing punches. Belfort gets to half guard, Mousasi back to mount again. Mousasi postures up and starts landing rights until the ref saves Belfort from taking more damage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Gegard Mousasi via TKO, punches, at 2:43 of Round 2

Mic time for Mousasi now. He says Belfort is a legend and it was an honor to fight him, says Belfort is a nice guy and it was an honor to fight. He talks us through the head kick technique, then gets asked who he’d like next and he says they all make sense specifically Anderson Silva or anyone ranked 1 through 4.

Dan Henderson is both a veteran and legend of the sport, he’s the only man to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously and has won titles in every organization he’s been in. The only prize that eludes the inevitable hall of famer is a UFC title. Despite those accolades Henderson is only 3-6 in his last nine fights and gets his second crack at the middleweight title here based more on past history than recent merit, but nabbing the one belt that has eluded him through his illustrious career here no matter the circumstances would cement his legacy as one of the very best to ever grace the sport. Michael Bisping is actually riding a four fight winning streak that includes his last fight when he scored a stunning upset to become the middleweight champion. Bisping is a veteran as well and looking to avenge a prior career loss to Henderson and get a successful title defense to his name all in one fell swoop. A loss would be horrible for Bisping as failing to secure a successful defense and losing the title to an opponent ranked outside of the top ten would almost certainly begin talk of his win being a fluke while a win solidifies his position as champion and grows his personal legacy in the sport. Bisping is a notable favorite at -240 while Henderson’s comeback stands at +190.

Middleweight Title Bout: (c) Michael Bisping (29-7, 185 lbs.) vs. #13 Dan Henderson (32-14, 184 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Bisping has two inches of height and an inch and a half of reach on Henderson. Bisping is also nine years younger. Touch of gloves to get things going. Bisping creeping forward early, Henderson backing up and circling. Bisping lands a left body kick. Bisping lands a couple of jabs, Henderson lands an inside leg kick. Henderson blocks a head kick. Bisping lands a bit of a jab. Henderson lands a jab. Henderson lands another inside leg kick. Henderson misses a right. Henderson tries the inside leg kick to right hand combo but misses both. Bisping probing with the jab now, tries a left high kick that’s blocked. Bisping lands an inside leg kick. Henderson misses another right. Bisping tries the left high kick again but misses. Both men working jabs, Bisping is bleeding from around the bridge of his nose. Likely a clash of heads earlier but it bears watching. Bisping lands a couple of jabs. Henderson lands a bit of a right. Bisping lands a left body kick. Henderson misses another right. Both men being very disciplined so far. Henderson misses two rights. Henderson lands the right, Bisping drops! Henderson on top but Bisping is trying to recover. Henderson in side control throwing rights. Bisping back up and Henderson tries to finish him again but Bisping separates. He’s bleeding more now. Bisping has a left high kick blocked to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Henderson

ROUND TWO: Bisping is now cut under the left eye and that same eye is swelling, plus the cut on his forehead is leaking more. Bisping moving forward again, working the lead hand. Bisping lands an inside leg kick. Bisping with another inside leg kick then tries a left high kick that’s blocked. Henderson misses a right. Henderson lands the inside leg kick. Bisping lands a bit of a left hook. Bisping lands a right. Henderson backing up now. Bisping tries another left high kick that’s blocked. Bisping lands a right. Henderson might be gassed already. Bisping lands an inside leg kick then a right. Bisping lands a left high kick, Henderson is pretty tired. Henderson misses a right. Bisping lands a left high kick, Henderson lands a leg kick. Bisping lands a right. Bisping lands a left knee to the head. Henderson is turning into a heavy bag this round. Bisping lands a bit of a right. Bisping lands a counter right then a left body kick, Henderson is hurt and backing up. Henderson lands the right again and again drops Bisping. Henderson on top in the guard of Bisping. Henderson lands a left elbow. Bisping holding on to Henderson and recovering. Henderson can’t posture up, Bisping defending well from the bottom as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Henderson, 20-18 Henderson overall

ROUND THREE: Henderson sucking a lot of wind between rounds, Bisping’s left eye is swollen pretty visibly. Bisping back to moving forward here. They trade jabs. Bisping lands a double jab then a right. Bisping lands a left high kick. Henderson lands a bit of a left hook. Bisping lands an inside leg kick. Bisping lands a bit of a right. Henderson misses a right. Bisping lands a right. Henderson lands an inside leg kick. Bisping lands a jab. Bisping lands a good leg kick. Bisping tries the left high kick again that’s blocked. Henderson lands a bit of a right then a leg kick but eats several lefts from Bisping. Henderson lands a bit of a jab. Bisping lands a jab then a left body kick. Henderson lands a right, tries a takedown that fails. Bisping tries another left high kick that’s blocked. Bisping lands a right. Henderson lands a bit of a leg kick then eats a counter right. Bisping lands a left. Henderson lands a right. Bisping tries another head kick that’s blocked as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bisping, 29-28 Henderson overall

ROUND FOUR: Bisping back to forward motion, Henderson circling. Henderson lands a leg kick. Bisping lands a front kick to the body. Bisping lands a leg kick, eats a bit of a left for his trouble though. Henderson lands a straight right, Bisping just eats it and smiles. Bisping lands an inside leg kick. Bisping lands a right. Henderson lands a left body kick. We get time for a groin kick from Bisping to Henderson. Henderson has up to five minutes to recover. That’s the second time Henderson got hit in the groin, no point deduction but Bisping got a stern warning. Bisping playing with the crowd while Henderson recovers. Henderson is good to continue and we’re back to fighting. They split jabs as Bisping resumes moving forward. Henderson ducks a right hook. Henderson has a left blocked then lands a leg kick. Bisping tries a couple of left high kicks that are blocked. Henderson lands an inside leg kick. Henderson misses a right. Henderson just misses an overhand right, Bisping has a counter right blocked. Bisping lands a leg kick. Bisping lands a right then a left. Henderson lands a jab. Bisping has a left high kick blocked. Henderson lands a knee to the head to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bisping, 38-38 overall

ROUND FIVE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Bisping stalking forward again, lands a left body kick. Bisping misses a wheel kick. Henderson misses a right and just misses a clinched knee. Bisping misses a left high kick. Henderson misses a right uppercut but lands an inside leg kick. Henderson again working for that knee in close, misses it. Bisping lands a jab. Bisping lands an inside leg kick then a jab. Henderson lands a bit of a left hook, Bisping lands two counters. Henderson just misses a right. Bisping has a high kick blocked. Henderson misses a right and eats a counter left kick to the body. Bisping again lands the left body kick. Bisping misses another wheel kick. Henderson misses badly on a left hook. Bisping lands a right hook. Henderson misses an uppercut. Henderson pushes forward and lands a right. Henderson hits a takedown, Bisping back up but Henderson still has a hold of him and drags him back down in the ride position. Bisping back up and they separate. Bisping has another left high kick blocked. Henderson tries a single leg, Bisping defends. Henderson misses a right. They trade lefts. Bisping tries a jumping knee, Henderson tries a flip kick at the horn that misses.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bisping, 48-47 Bisping overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER and STILL UFC Middleweight Champion – Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47 x2)

Michael Bisping now has more successful title defenses than Matt Serra, Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Frank Mir, Fabricio Werdum, and Conor McGregor combined. Bisping on the mic now. He puts over Dan Henderson to start things off. Bisping puts over the crowd and loves their support then expresses his love for his family including his mother who’s in attendance. He talks about having jitters before this fight, puts himself over for having the guts to fight Henderson. He thanks the United Kingdom then tells the rest of the division he’s the best, running down the other top four contenders to close things out.

Henderson on the mic now. The crowd cheers him after the fight, he jokes that they should have cheered him before. He confirms that this was the last time he’ll fight, says he appreciates the support through the years all over the world, says that fans like this even when they boo him make this worth it. He says he loves the sport and thanks the fans for making this fight happen and says that while he came up short it wasn’t bad for an old man. He jokes that he wishes fights were judged cosmetically because he looks good and Bisping looks like he was in a fight, he closes by expressing love for his family back home.

That wraps up UFC 204 everyone, thanks for being here and reading along. I actually get a week off next week, what was supposed to be Fight Night 97 was canceled earlier this week after BJ Penn suffered a rib injury and had to pull out of the main event resulting in the whole card getting scrapped. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself for a whole Saturday evening. We’ll be reviewing this event Sunday evening at 8pm eastern standard time on the 411 Ground and Pound radio show, the show takes live callers at (323) 657-0901 if you’ve got a question or comment you’d like addressed. I’ll be back in two weeks for UFC Fight Night 98, which doubles as the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America season three, the main event is an awesome fight between Tony Ferguson and Raphael dos Anjos so I’m looking forward to that at least. The rest of the card not so much. I hope you’ll all come back for that one, until next time thanks again for being here and remember to keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.