UFC 114: Evans Outpoints Rampage as Russow Stuns Duffee

Rashad Evans won the grudge match that headlined UFC 114, but the supporting card supplied an upset just as memorable. On May 29, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Evans defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by unanimous decision, Michael Bisping beat Dan Miller, and Mike Russow knocked out Todd Duffee after spending much of their fight under pressure. Eleven bouts filled a card with rivalries, close decisions and unexpected turns.

Video: UFC’s contemporary extended preview of the rivalry between Jackson and Evans.

Evans survives the danger to beat Jackson

The headliners had built their rivalry as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. Both were former light heavyweight champions, and the meeting carried plenty of personal tension. Evans had returned to winning form by defeating Thiago Silva at UFC 108; Jackson was trying to reassert himself after time away from competition.

Evans used movement, clinch pressure and the threat of takedowns to disrupt Jackson’s boxing. Much of the early fight was more restrained than the buildup promised, but that restraint served Evans’ plan. He could score while making Jackson hesitate, then close distance before the standing exchanges became too comfortable for his opponent.

Jackson created the biggest scare in the third round, hurting and dropping Evans with a right hand. He followed with ground strikes, but Evans survived, got back up and recovered his own offense. Late takedowns and punches helped the former champion secure the finish to a contest that could briefly have slipped away.

The unanimous decision belonged to Evans. The result echoed his previous win in one respect: a wrestling-based lead still had to survive late punching danger. Jackson’s power made the final round dramatic, but Evans’ recovery and renewed control determined who left with the victory.

Russow reverses Duffee’s momentum with one opening

Duffee had made a spectacular UFC debut with a seven-second knockout at UFC 102. Against Russow, he again appeared to possess the more dynamic offense, landing repeatedly as the fight progressed. Russow absorbed the attacks and stayed in the contest, even while a comeback seemed increasingly unlikely.

In round three, Russow found the punch that changed everything. Duffee went down, and the follow-up brought a knockout. UFC’s event archive and contemporary report give the finishing time as 2:35 of the round. The result was one of the clearest reminders that accumulated success does not become a win until the fight has actually ended.

The contrast made the upset compelling: Duffee had supplied most of the visible activity, while Russow supplied the final decisive moment. It was not a close decision or a gradual takeover. A fight moving in one direction abruptly acquired a different winner.

Bisping wins, Nogueira edges Brilz, Hathaway breaks through

Bisping defeated Dan Miller by unanimous decision, recovering from his loss to Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira won a split decision over Jason Brilz in a closely contested light heavyweight bout. Brilz’s performance made the verdict controversial, even though Nogueira remained the official winner.

John Hathaway produced a major welterweight win by defeating Diego Sanchez unanimously. Sanchez was returning to the division after his lightweight title challenge at UFC 107. Hathaway’s result showed that his earlier UFC successes could carry into a matchup with a much more established name, giving the main-card opener significance beyond simply starting the broadcast.

Kim controls Sadollah and Guillard strikes to the body

Dong Hyun Kim defeated Amir Sadollah by unanimous decision through sustained ground control. Efrain Escudero also won unanimously, beating Dan Lauzon. These televised preliminary bouts continued a theme seen in the headliner: denying an opponent clean standing time could be an effective way to secure the scorecards.

Melvin Guillard knocked out Waylon Lowe with a knee to the body, while Cyrille Diabate stopped Luiz Cane with punches. Aaron Riley defeated Joe Brammer by unanimous decision, and Ryan Jensen submitted Jesse Forbes with a first-round guillotine. The six preliminaries supplied three decisions and three finishes, rounding out a card remembered for both careful game plans and sudden reversals.

Complete UFC 114 results

Main card

• Rashad Evans def. Quinton Jackson — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Michael Bisping def. Dan Miller — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Mike Russow def. Todd Duffee — KO (punches), round 3, 2:35 (UFC’s listed time).
• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Jason Brilz — split decision, round 3, 5:00.
• John Hathaway def. Diego Sanchez — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.

Preliminary card

• Dong Hyun Kim def. Amir Sadollah — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Efrain Escudero def. Dan Lauzon — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Melvin Guillard def. Waylon Lowe — KO (knee to the body), round 1, 3:28.
• Cyrille Diabate def. Luiz Cane — TKO (punches), round 1, 2:13.
• Aaron Riley def. Joe Brammer — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Ryan Jensen def. Jesse Forbes — submission (guillotine choke), round 1, 1:06.

Sources

• UFC: Evans–Jackson report.
• UFC: main-card report.
• UFC: preliminary-card report.
• UFC: Evans’ career context.
• UFC 114 archive, including Russow’s listed finishing time.
• Sherdog: additional results archive.

Article Tags

UFC 114, Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson, Mike Russow, UFC Results