UFC 137: Nick Diaz Outstrikes B.J. Penn in Vegas Showdown
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz took place on October 29, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nick Diaz returned to the UFC with a unanimous decision over B.J. Penn in a three-round welterweight main event. Cheick Kongo handed Matt Mitrione his first professional loss, Roy Nelson stopped Mirko Cro Cop, and Donald Cerrone delivered a fast submission on the preliminary card. Eleven bouts made up an event whose final headliner differed substantially from the original plan.
How Penn and Diaz became the main event
The card was initially built around Georges St-Pierre defending his welterweight title against Diaz. After Diaz missed promotional press conferences, Carlos Condit replaced him as the challenger, and Diaz was matched with Penn. St-Pierre then injured his knee and withdrew, elevating Penn versus Diaz into the headlining position.
The changes matter when reading the event’s history: St-Pierre did not compete, Condit did not fight, and no championship changed hands at UFC 137. Penn and Diaz remained scheduled for three rounds. The eventual main event offered substantial title implications without becoming a title fight itself.
Diaz builds momentum after Penn’s strong opening
Penn started well, landing sharp punches and taking Diaz down before reaching his back during a scramble. Diaz returned to his feet, but Penn’s early success gave him a foundation to build on. The fight changed in the second round as Diaz found sustained offense at close range.
Diaz’s body attack and combinations kept Penn under pressure, particularly along the fence. Penn continued to answer, yet Diaz increasingly dictated the pace. The third round remained competitive in moments, with Penn producing a late burst, but Diaz’s volume carried him to scores of 29–28, 29–28, and 29–27. The pair earned Fight of the Night honors.
It was Diaz’s first UFC appearance since 2006 and a prominent return for the former Strikeforce welterweight champion. Penn spoke about retiring afterward, making the evening feel like a possible farewell at the time. His earlier comeback knockout of Matt Hughes at UFC 123 underlined how sharply his fortunes had changed across the following year.
Two heavyweight victories with different rhythms
Kongo’s unanimous decision over Mitrione interrupted the prospect’s unbeaten start. After a cautious opening, Kongo found better offense and used third-round takedowns to secure the contest. The judges scored it 30–27, 30–28, and 29–28. Mitrione left with his first defeat after winning his first five professional fights.
Nelson’s fight with Cro Cop offered more dramatic exchanges. Cro Cop landed meaningful strikes and had a strong attacking spell in the second round, but Nelson weathered it, worked from top position, and regained the initiative. Punches put Cro Cop down in the third, and further strikes brought the stoppage at 1:30.
Nelson returned to winning form after losses to Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir. Cro Cop announced his retirement after the bout, though he later resumed competing and returned to the UFC in 2015. Treating this as a farewell announcement, rather than his final career appearance, preserves that distinction.
Main-card decisions and preliminary breakthroughs
Scott Jorgensen defeated Jeff Curran by unanimous decision at bantamweight. Hatsu Hioki’s UFC debut ended in a split decision over George Roop, with two judges favoring Hioki 29–28 and the third favoring Roop by the same score. Those results gave the main card two close contests beneath its heavyweight and welterweight attractions.
Cerrone hurt Dennis Siver with his striking before taking the back and finishing a rear-naked choke at 2:22 of round one. The win extended Cerrone’s overall streak to six and earned Submission of the Night. Bart Palaszewski knocked out Tyson Griffin in a 148-pound catchweight bout after Griffin missed the featherweight limit, receiving Knockout of the Night.
The remaining preliminaries went to decisions: Brandon Vera survived Eliot Marshall’s late submission threat, Ramsey Nijem beat Danny Downes, and Francis Carmont and Clifford Starks won their UFC debuts. The combination of established names and newcomers gave the undercard consequences beyond the main event’s title discussion.
Complete UFC 137 results
Main card
- Nick Diaz def. B.J. Penn — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Cheick Kongo def. Matt Mitrione — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Roy Nelson def. Mirko Cro Cop — TKO (punches); round 3, 1:30.
- Scott Jorgensen def. Jeff Curran — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Hatsu Hioki def. George Roop — split decision; round 3, 5:00.
Preliminary card
- Donald Cerrone def. Dennis Siver — submission (rear-naked choke); round 1, 2:22.
- Bart Palaszewski def. Tyson Griffin — KO (punches); round 1, 2:45. Catchweight: 148 pounds.
- Brandon Vera def. Eliot Marshall — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Ramsey Nijem def. Danny Downes — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Francis Carmont def. Chris Camozzi — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Clifford Starks def. Dustin Jacoby — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
UFC 137 ultimately became a night of returns, reversals, and farewell announcements, with Diaz’s performance supplying its defining competitive statement. Explore more of our MMA coverage.
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UFC 137, UFC Results, MMA History, Nick Diaz Outstrikes B.J. Penn in Vegas Showdown
