UFC 127: Penn and Fitch Hit a Stalemate as Bisping Stops Rivera
On February 27, 2011, B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch fought to a majority draw at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia. Their three-round welterweight main event at Acer Arena ended without a winner, while Michael Bisping stopped Jorge Rivera in the co-main event.
Neither Penn nor Fitch gets the nod
Fitch finished strongly, but the judges’ combined verdict left the headliner level. A draw meant neither man could add a victory from their Sydney meeting. The main event’s inconclusive result stood in contrast to the clear decisions and early submissions elsewhere on the card.
Bisping defeated Rivera by TKO from punches at 1:54 of round two. Dennis Siver defeated George Sotiropoulos by unanimous decision after three rounds, and Brian Ebersole also won unanimously against Chris Lytle. Those results gave the main card two decision winners alongside Bisping’s stoppage.
Noke and Gustafsson secure first-round submissions
Kyle Noke submitted Chris Camozzi with a rear-naked choke at 1:35 of the opening round. Alexander Gustafsson used the same hold to submit James Te Huna at 4:27 of round one. Ross Pearson defeated Spencer Fisher by unanimous decision, and Nick Ring received a unanimous decision against Riki Fukuda.
The leading stories in Sydney were therefore distinct: Penn and Fitch could not be separated by the overall verdict, Bisping finished Rivera, and Siver took a three-round decision over Sotiropoulos. The supporting action added quick submissions and distance fights around a main event that left both headliners without the victory they sought.
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UFC 127, BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Michael Bisping, Dennis Siver, MMA history
