UFC 104 LIVE BLOG CAGESIDE WITH THE YACMAN

UFC 104:

(5:48PM PST) An exciting under-card is well underway. While I have been here observing and enjoying the action since the onset, my troubles getting the wireless Internet to work has kept me offline until now. Thanks to my man Justin in NJ for solving it from across the continent.

(5:56PM PST) 4 bouts are in the books and the Sonnen vs. Okami fight was great. And while I will ONLY post results when I know that everyone else in creation has as well. That said, Chael Sonnen apparently was not under the impression that Yushin Okami was allowed to fight back because he barely let him do any of it. One-sided win, unanimous decision.

(6:05PM PST) Pat Barry vs Antoni Hardonk is on! As expected we're seeing more stand up than an evening at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. An accidental eye poke by Hardonk. Barry recovered quick from it.

(6:08PM PST) It now seems Pat Barry is being bothered by the eye that was poked, but only temporarily as he know assumes dominant position on the ground. Nice hustling. Moments after both men are back standing up and Hardonk is getting pelted with shots. A bloody nose on Hardonk, a swollen poked eye on Barry as the action presses on.

(6:13PM PST)  Obviously its OBVIOUS HOUR here at Staples Center, as one fan yells "Hey Rogan is here!" Ok who else is shocked by this...? Anyone? Anyone? Right.

(6:15PM PST) As seen on Spike TV now, Pat Barry threw a series of hard right hands and put Antoni Hardonk away like a winter coat in summer. Yes, I used to live where there were seasons.

(6:33PM PST) Ryan "Darth" Bader and Eric "Red " Schafer are underway! And my congratualtions to Bader for being the one and only man in history to make a Star Wars reference cool and very un-nerdy. And yes, even if it had a hint of nerd to it, would YOU tell him? I think not...

(6:36PM PST) Schafer is a a tough dude. He is being, what the culinary arts call, "tenderized" by Bader and yet carries on, almost securing an arm bar just now. Is the force strong with this one Bader?? (see when I do it, nerdy)

(6:43PM PST) Bader winging right hands like a sugar deprived kid in front of a full pinata! Wow.

(6:47PM PST)  Bader lands a loooooooooooping right hand and possibly erased a childhood memory from Schafer as it connected. Eric however STILL held on and was able to continue...well until a momentary stoppage for the evaluation of a cut, compliments of the Dark Sith Bader. Action now resumes...

(6:50PM PST) Bader vs Schafer is sincerely quality matchmaking. No quit in either guy and both of them did MMA proud. Again, as seen on Spike TV, Bader by clean sweep! Kudos to Schafer for putting it in the judges hands. That's one tough dude.

(7:00PM PST) Like clockwork, this fine-tuned machine that is the UFC is starting the PPV portion of the event. To say it's loud in here is to say the Sahara Desert is dry. Can't imagine anyone here being low on energy now...you can feel the hype!

(7:10PM PST) Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. Anthony, as most know, dropped weight too last minute and came in over the weight limit by 6 lbs. He looked glazed over in the eyes at the weigh ins too, so one can only hope we see the same wrecking machine with good cardio, should Yoshida take him into the late portion of the fight.

(7:16PM PST)  Anthony "Rumble" Johnson KO's Yoshida in what looked like a replay of a Roy Jones Jr. boxing clinic. Clean, crisp shots that land with laser-like precision.  At 41 seconds of round 1, Rumble beats his opponent and the clock with impressive style.

(7:25PM PST) Spencer Fisher vs Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is about to begin. Fisher is in the cage...Stevenson coming next. I don't know if this is a bad blood fight, but let's just say they won't be exchanging facebook pokes when its done. This is yet another testament to the matchmaking of this event. I'd be hard-pressed trying to find anyone who knows MMA here, who isn't expecting this fight to be intense.

(7:33PM PST) Stevenson and Fisher both take a tactical and measured start to what they talked up as a bang em up war. Apparently fans remember all the talk, as a wave of BOO rolled through the arena in a direct response to the fight. Stevenson has since stepped it up and fans cheer his pounding of Fisher as round one ends.

(7:36PM PST) Eavesdropping pays off, even when unintentional. I am now aware about the presences of Anthony Kiedes (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Films). Oh and take down by Stevenson simultaneously.

(7:40PM PST) Joe Stevenson pays the bloodied up by elbows plan that BJ Penn dished out to him, onto Spencer Fisher. TKO win by Stevenson, @ 4:03 Round 2...and both fighters show the unparalleled sportsman ship MMA is known for more and more.

(7:25PM PST) Add Comedic Actor CHRIS TUCKER to the notables list for tonight's UFC event. Though he did help enforce the Hollywood stereotype with the whole sunglasses indoors thing happening. Really Chris? And how'd that anonymity part of it work out for ya?

(8:12PM PST) Gleison Tibau vs Josh "The Dentist" Neer is about to get started...painless dental work, I think not

(8:18PM PST) Tibau and Neer is very much like a Matador and Bull going at it. Tibau is the bull, charging in for double leg take downs and slamming them home. Neer is the Matador, trying to fend him off, minus the red cape, but with an increasingly red face.

(8:25PM PST) OK seriously Josh Neer. Here is the moment, going into round 3 where the elite fighters adapt and find a way. Clearly the current plan execution is being trumped by Tibau...change it.

(8:29PM PST) Neer shoots repeatedly for the wide right hand shot to Tibau's head. Came close, but no cigar. It's gotten to the point that I can look away, hear a slam or take-down and know its Tibau taking Neer to the mat. No significant damage done on the ground once Tibau gets it there, so he'll likely win a UD on take downs alone.

(8:32PM PST) OK - Tibau by unanymous decision, no shocker. But one judge scoring it 29-28, giving a round to Neer, is harder to explain than astronomy. Josh Neer did not win a round, period. Oh well...as I squeal about it, the big screens are blasting the promo for Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez fight, which is coming up next! Yes!

(8:38PM PST) Cain comes out to the most festive latin music I may have ever heard. What a juxtaposition to have so lethal a fighter making an entrance to happy music. Perhaps a tactic to soothe Rothwell. Ok I just saw Rothwell's face...it isn't working if so...This one is going to be good. Both men with a real purpose to prove something about where they stand in the division.

(8:42PM PST) Ok ok stop the action!! Janet Jackson is here...and yes, I called her Miss Jackson...you tell me if that makes me nasty.

(8:12PM PST) So far round one looks a lot like Cain and UnAbel (unable). Take downs by Velasquez, then ground and pound work. They stand. Repeat. Rothwell needs to stop the momentum before the man in black officiating does. Round 2 is not a happy place to look forward to if you're Rothwell now. He needs to take this fight back or his time is going to be done tonight, quick.

(8:50PM PST) Round 2 and it's more of the same. I have been telling my fellow journalists here, that Rothwell, no matter what position he and Cain are in, is being tagged by Cain's one free hand...and that it needs to stop or he'll be done. Sure enough TKO win by Velasquez as the ref, Steve Mazagatti has seen enough.

I don't if I am or not but I know I saw him caution Rothwell between rounds. So when fans here saw the ref not allowing the abuse to pile up enough to stop it, the ref came into the round with some of his acceptable amount of damage, used up already.

(8:52PM PST) Hey what's that Danicing with the Stars guy doing at a UFC event?...Chuck Liddell!! Hey also add Michael Clarke Duncan to the list of celebrities here.

(9:00PM PST)  Main Event time people!! Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida! What a great main event. Only way it ends up a downer, is a quick win where we don't get to see these two superb athletes display their individual arsenals.

(9:18PM PST) One round down and Machida may have lost his first. Not horribly, but he waited on countering a lot and Shogun pushed the action more, taking the fight to him.

(9:22PM PST) Closer round as Machida opened up his offense more. However, if he operates at the present level of activity per round, he'll watch his title go bye-bye. I doubt he will do that, rather, expect him to start stepping it up. Shogun continues to push the pace, as one would expect, and on the scorecards it will not hurt him.

(9:29PM PST) Machida stepped it up - nailed Shogun with some shots - ate a hard left hook in the process. Seems Shogun is up 2 rounds to 1 now...and that Machida is pacing himself for a full 5 round match...opening up gradually, in bursts.

(9:35PM PST) Ok so here's the thing...if your plan is to counter, Mr, Machida, you actually have to do it. Shogun is not beating you up but he is outworking you. Judges may likely be seeing it that way too. It comes to a point when it has to be a fight, pure and simple.

(9:41PM PST) It is more than likely that the UFC is about to crown a NEW Lightheavyweight Champ. Some here in press row are calling it for Machida and I find that more inexplicable than Bigfoot. He simply did not put out enough work to retain a title. Shogun wins or this arena will boo so loud that folks in NJ will hear it.

MACHIDA WINS!! I did not see how, why or anything to support that. This is the type of judging that has hurt the sport of Boxing so much. Too bad.