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Length: 4hrs 33 mins
Discs: 2
There was realistically no way that this show could top the spectacle that was UFC 100, however the 08/08/2009 show from a packed Wachovia Center did exceed some expectations and proved to be a memorable debut for the group in Philadelphia. Most importantly coming out of the show it was firmly established that Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn are legitimate PPV draws as well as undeniable killers in their respective divisions.
Prelim fights:
- Jesse Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort
- George Sotiropolous vs. George Roop
- Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer
- Alessio Sakara vs. Thales Leitis
- John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory
Main card:
- Kurt Pellegrino vs. Josh Neer
- Ricardo Almeida vs. Kendall Grove
- Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah
- Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson
- Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin
- B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian
In the live show opener Kurt Pellegrino beat Josh Neer via unanimous decision in a lively contest of which the crowd was firmly behind the victor. Ultimately it was Pellegrino’s strength on the ground and superior wrestling ability that enabled him to secure the more dominant positions for the majority of the fight.
Next up Ricardo Almeida scored another unanimous decision over the inconsistent Kendall Grove in a largely dull fight with the exception of an impressive power slam from Almeida at the end of round one.
Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah was over before it began after a bad call from referee Dan Miragliotta. The crowd were not happy and you had to feel sorry for Sadollah who had the fight waved off after taking a very little amount of damage from some fast punches.
Aaron Riley outlasted Shane Nelson en route to another unanimous decision victory in a lacklustre match up. At this point the show was on course to being a real dud. It really only had been saved up to this point by an enthusiastic crowd. However the seventeen thousand plus in attendance were having their patience stretched thin by the ninth fight of which six had gone the distance. However the two main events would thankfully turn the show around as both delivered in spades.
First up was Anderson Silva’s embarrassing destruction of Ultimate Fighter journeyman Forrest Griffin in just over 3 minutes of what was one of the most one sided exhibitions of superior striking skills in UFC history. Griffin approached the fight with a seemingly ridiculous game plan, to attempt to stand off in a striking contest with the most revered striker in MMA history. The results were almost comical as Silva just completely tooled him with counter punches to the point that Griffin almost begged for no more after being dropped repeatedly. The finish of the fight where Silva, with his hands by his sides, dodged two punches from Griffin and then knocked him down with a nonchalant jab while moving backwards was certainly a highlight reel finish. It was the final stamp on a night Griffin would be happy to forget.
In the lightweight championship main event B.J. Penn outclassed Kenny Florian over four rounds to cement his status as the king of 155lbs. Penn finished the fight and the show with a rear naked choke after proving to be the superior competitor on both the ground and their feet. Florian could find no way to take Penn down and was punished every time he tried which would become a recurring pattern throughout the fight. As soon as Penn got the fight to the floor the finish seemed almost inevitable. As Joe Rogan said in the pre fight video package, “he’s gonna beat the shit out of Kenny Florian.” Unfortunately for ‘Ken-Flo’ that’s exactly what he did.
Prelim highlights were few and far between with only Australian George Sotiropolous looking particularly impressive with his second round kimura finish of George Roop.
The second disc of this set featured the now expected weigh-ins, countdown special and behind the scenes footage which featured Silva and Penn complimenting each other on their awesomeness and Kenny Florian showing all the personality of a bag of sand.
Points: 6/10
Andy Jefferson
Buy It:
UK: DVD
USA: DVD