UFC 106: Forrest Griffin Edges Ortiz
UFC 106 revisited an old rivalry and gave several contenders a fresh opportunity on November 21, 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Forrest Griffin reversed his earlier loss to Tito Ortiz with a split-decision victory, Josh Koscheck submitted Anthony Johnson, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira made a striking first impression in his UFC debut. The final card contained ten bouts, with five on the main card and five preliminaries.
Video: UFC’s later Forrest Griffin documentary preview, providing career context for the former champion rather than a replay of UFC 106.
Griffin levels the rivalry with Ortiz
Ortiz had won their first meeting by split decision in 2006. The rematch offered Griffin a chance to settle that score and recover from his knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 101. Ortiz, meanwhile, was returning after an 18-month absence that included spinal fusion surgery. Both men had reasons to treat this as a new starting point.
The styles again made the contest difficult to separate. Ortiz looked to put his wrestling and ground offense to work, while Griffin sought to keep the action moving and accumulate strikes. Neither former light heavyweight champion produced a finish. After three rounds, Griffin’s hand was raised on scores of 30–27, 29–28 and 28–29.
The split verdict fit a rivalry already defined by close margins. It did not award Griffin another belt, but it gave him a meaningful recovery win and brought the series to one victory apiece. Ortiz’s return showed that his career could continue, though the loss left him searching for a result that would make that comeback convincing.
Koscheck turns a striking threat into a submission
Koscheck and Johnson brought enough punching power to suggest a quick knockout, yet the co-main event ended with a choke. Interruptions for fouls complicated the contest, including eye pokes suffered by Johnson in the second round. Once the action resumed, both fighters exchanged hard shots before Koscheck brought the fight back to his strongest territory.
His wrestling created the opening for ground strikes and then a rear-naked choke. Johnson tapped at 4:47 of round two. The finish illustrated the difference between possessing a dangerous standing attack and controlling where a fight takes place. Koscheck could threaten with punches while still using takedowns to remove some of Johnson’s advantages.
The victory kept Koscheck prominent in the welterweight discussion, although Dan Hardy had just earned the next championship opportunity by beating Mike Swick at UFC 105. Johnson’s quick finish of Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104 had shown his striking potential; this defeat exposed the challenge of navigating an experienced wrestler’s full game.
Nogueira debuts, Thiago and Sadollah win decisions
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira stopped Luiz Cane in 1:56 of the opening round. The light heavyweight newcomer was the twin brother of heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but his debut belonged to his own skill set. Accurate punches gave him an immediate UFC win against a respected opponent and added another experienced name to the division.
Paulo Thiago beat Jacob Volkmann by unanimous decision, while Amir Sadollah defeated Phil Baroni over three rounds. Sadollah’s result provided a recovery from his rapid loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 101. Their decisions balanced the main card’s dramatic finishes with contests that demanded a complete fifteen-minute performance.
Saunders’ knees headline the preliminaries
Ben Saunders used knees in the clinch to knock out Marcus Davis. Davis could threaten with boxing, but coming closer brought him into Saunders’ most dangerous range. Kendall Grove supplied a different kind of finish, submitting Jake Rosholt with a triangle choke, and George Sotiropoulos caught Jason Dent in an armbar.
Brian Foster stopped Brock Larson through strikes in round two. Caol Uno and Fabricio Camoes fought to a majority draw, the only bout of the evening without a winner. These results belong alongside the headliners: they show a card with submissions, a distinctive clinch knockout and a draw, rather than one simple story of redemption.
Complete UFC 106 results
Main card
- Forrest Griffin def. Tito Ortiz — split decision, round 3, 5:00 (30–27, 29–28, 28–29).
- Josh Koscheck def. Anthony Johnson — submission (rear-naked choke), round 2, 4:47.
- Paulo Thiago def. Jacob Volkmann — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Luiz Cane — TKO (punches), round 1, 1:56.
- Amir Sadollah def. Phil Baroni — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
Preliminary card
- Ben Saunders def. Marcus Davis — KO (knees), round 1, 3:24.
- Kendall Grove def. Jake Rosholt — submission (triangle choke), round 1, 3:59.
- Brian Foster def. Brock Larson — TKO (submission to punches), round 2, 3:25.
- Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes — majority draw, round 3, 5:00.
- George Sotiropoulos def. Jason Dent — submission (armbar), round 2, 4:36.
Sources
Article Tags
UFC 106, Forrest Griffin, Tito Ortiz, Josh Koscheck, Anthony Johnson, UFC Results
