UFC 125 Results: Edgar Outlasts Maynard and Other Round-By-Round Analysis

We are only a few hours away from the first UFC event of 2011, with a card that has meaningful fights from top to bottom, UFC 125 features a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.

Whether you're short on dough and unable to watch or you're just looking for a place to vent about poor judging or refereeing, this is the place to be for all things UFC 125.

So, finish up that lucky New Year's Day pork dinner early, gather the family around, and let's bring in the new year with some round-by-round UFC analysis.

Un-Aired Prelims

Jacob Volkmann defeats Antonio McKee by split decision

Daniel Roberts defeats Greg Soto by submission at 3:25 in the first round

Diego Nunes defeats Mike Brown by split decision

Phil Baroni Vs. Brad Tavares

Round 1

Brad Tavares lands a few leg kicks early. One minute in, Baroni is still trying to find his range. Baroni drops Tavares and jumps on top. Tavares appears to be recovering quickly. They stand and Tavares pushes off the cage. Baroni is pinned against the cage and eats a few knees to the body. A Tavares takedown attempt is stuffed and Baroni is back against the cage. After a break for a low blow, Tavares lands a left head kick that rocks Baroni. Tavares takes advantage of a wobbly Baroni, landing a knee and a barrage of punches. Baroni curls up and Tavares finishes the fight with several unanswered punches. Tavares takes the win by knockout at 4:20.

Josh Grispi Vs. Dustin Poirrier

Round 1

Both fighter come out agressive. With multiple leg kicks, Dustin Poirier gets the better of the early exchange. Poirier clinches and lands a few knees. Josh Grispi looks overwhelmed and attempts a takedown. Poirier stuffs it and lands on top. Poirier lets Grispi up and knocks him back down with a front kick. Poirier is completely dominating on his feet. Another Grispi takedown attempt fails and Poirier takes Grispi's back briefly. Grispi attempts a kimura, but Poirier fights it off.

Poirier 10-8

Round 2

Grispi pins Poirier against the cage early. Poirier reverses and lands a few shots. Grispi takes the fight to the ground. but Poirier reverses position and lets Grispi up. Now, Poirier pushes Grispi to the fence. Poirier lans a few knees and uppercuts from the clinch, forcing a weak takedown attempt. Poirier sprawls and Grispi pulls guard. Grispi secures a triangle, but Poirier escapes with a waist-high slam. The round ends with Grispi against the fence eating knees.

Poirier 10-9 

Round 3

Yet, Poirier puts Grispi's back against the cage. Poirier lands more knees to the body and head. Another weak takedown attempt and Poirier end up on top. Grispi stands and is pushed right back against the fence. Grispi pushes off the fences and secures a takedown. Grispi transitions to side control, but Poirier quickly regains full guard.

Poirier 10-9

Sean Smith scored the fight 30-26 in favor of Poirier.

Official Decision:  All three judges score the fight 30-27 for Poirier

Marcus Davis Vs. Jeremy Stephens

Round 1

Both fighters throw right hooks that miss, and the fighters clinch. They break and Marcus Davis finds his range with a few short jabs. Jeremy Stephens lands a leg kick and attempts a takedown, but Davis stuffs it and trips Stephens into half guard. Stephens stands without taking any damage. Davis lands a left hook to the temple, but attempts a takedown. The attempt is stuffed and the round ends with Stephens against the cage. Davis' professional boxing background seems to be paying off early.

Davis 10-9 

Round 2

The fighters feel eachother out for the first minute of the round. Davis lands a quick combination, then Stephens answers with a solid leg kick. Stephens presses Davis to the cage and drops down for a double-leg. Davis defends, and attempts a single leg of his own. Stephens attempts a kimura, but Davis defends by jumping to side control. Stephens regains guard, but gives up the submission attempt.

Davis 10-9

Round 3

Stephens comes out agressive, but the pace slows in the second minute of the round. Both fighters trade punches, but none are significant. Stephens lands a wild right and Davis is out before he hits the ground. Stephens win the fight by a devastating knockout at 2:33 of the round.

Clay Guida Vs. Takanori Gomi

Round 1

Guida is using a lot of head movement early, but his hair movement is about the only action early on. Guida lands a head kick, but Gomi recovers quickly. After a few attempts, Guida is finally able to take Gomi down. The round ends with Guida on top.

Guida 10-9 

Round 2

Guida attempts a takedown. Gomi defends and lands a right hook as Guida stands. Guida grabs a hold of Gomi's left leg, but Gomi sprawls and avoids the takedown nicely. Guida lands a kick and follows up with a right hand. Gomi lands a solid knee, but Guida shoots through it and takes the fight to the ground. Guida secures a guillotine choke from the top and rolls into guard. Gomi is forced to tap. Guida gets the vitory by submission at 4:27.

Nate Diaz Vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Round 1

The fighters trade leg kicks early. Dong Hyun Kim secures a takedown as Nate Diaz attempts a kimura. Diaz released the submission attempt. Kim controls Diaz well, but Diaz is able to attempt kneebars on two seperate occasions. Kim escapes both and the round end with both fighters standing.

Kim 10-9

Round 2

Diaz scores multiple time in an early flurry. Kim secures a takedown. Diaz uses an active guard and Kim struggles to land any effective strikes from the top. Diaz reverses near the end of the round and takes Kim's back, but he rides too high and Kim is shake his opponent off.

Diaz 10-9

Round 3

The fighters trade early. Kim attempts a takedown, but Diaz stuffs it. Another takedown is attempted by Kim. Again Diaz denies it and lands a knee for good measure. Diaz lands another knee. This time the fight is halted, and Yves Lavigne warns Diaz for knee a downed opponent in the head. The replay shows Kim placing his hand on the canvas, but it is questionable whethor or not the strike landed while that was occuring. Diaz pushes Kim to the fence and lands some hard right hands.

Diaz 10-9

Sean Smith scores the fight 29-28 for Diaz

Official Decision: All three judges score the fight 29-28 for Kim

Brandon Vera Vs. Thiago Silva

Round 1

Thiago Silva presses Brandon Vera against the fence and finishes a single leg. Vera controls Silva's posture, but Silva is able to pass guard and land some quick elbows. Silva attempts a heel hook toward the end of the round, but Vera escapes.

Silva 10-9

Round 2

The two fighters trade early. Silva trips Vera for a takedown. For the rest of the round, Silva paces himseld with short, hard shots from the top.

Silva 10-9

Round 3

Silva kicks, but Vera catches it and throws his opponent to the canvas. Vera lets Silva up, which turns out to be a mistake. Silva bodylocks and trips Vera. After gaining Vera's back, Silva lands some unanswered punches and open-handed strikes. An embarassing round for Vera.

Silva 10-8

Sean Smith scored the fight 30-26 for Silva.

Vera shows off his broken nose to the fans as he awaits the decision.

Official Decision: Judges score the fight 30-27, 30-27, and 30-26 for Silva

Chris Leben Vs. Brian Stann

Round 1

After both fighters trade punches, Brian Stann uses the clinch to rock Chris Leben with an uppercut. Stann knocks Leben down twice, brutalizing the fighter that many consider to have one of the best chins in MMA. Finally, Josh Rosenthal calls a stop to the fight at 3:37 of the first round. A huge win for Stann.

Frankie Edgar Vs. Gray Maynard

Round 1

Gray Maynard counters a leg kick with a left that hurts Frankie Edgar badly. Maynard is all over him, but Edgar is able to withstand the storm. Edgar attempts takedowns in an attempt to recover, but Maynard stuffs them easily. A dominant first round for the challenger.

Maynard 10-8

Round 2

Edgar lands a right hook that cuts Maynard. Maynard looks slow this round. He may have exhausted himself trying to end the fight in the first round. Edgar denies a Maynard takedown attempt. Edgar is getting the better of pretty much every exchange, but Maynard shows his granite chin as he shakes off another hard right hook in the final minute of the round.

Edgar 10-9

Round 3

Edgar's right hand lands early. Maynard attempts a takedown, but Edgar is able to defend the single. Maynard lands a right hook, leaving Edgar with a bloody nose. Maynard scores a takedown. Edgar attempts a kimura, but Maynard defends nicely.

Maynard 10-9

Round 4

Edgar shoots and takes Maynard down very briefly. Edgar attempts a guillotine that appears deep initially, but Maynard fights it off. Edgar uses Maynard's desperation to take him down again. Maynard gets back to his feet. The pace slows, but each fight lands a few more shots before the end of the round.

Edgar 10-9

Round 5

Maynard attempts two takedowns, and Edgar stuffs them easily. Edgar lands a knee after the first attempt, and Maynard land a knee of his own after the second. The champion lands on every punch of two three-punch combinations. Two more late, half-hearted takedown attempts by Maynard fail. The fighters clinch and the fight is over.

Edgar 10-9

Sean Smith scores the fight a 47-47 draw

Official Decision: The judges score the fight 48-46 Maynard, 48-46 Edgar, and a 47-47 draw. The decision is a split draw and Edgar remains champion.