UFC 107 executed quite a successful launch last night.  We were treated to a full seven fights in the pay per view timeslot, and five of those were finished in rather dramatic fashion.  Of the two bouts that were decided on the judges' cards, only one followed an average and meandering course.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for star welterweight Jon Fitch, but it sounds like it worked out well that his scrap was the only that I wasn't able to see all of.  His unanimous decision over Mike Pierce was Fitch's sixth-straight fight that stretched to the score cards, but  in an admirable move, Fitch has already manned-up by acknowledging to MMAFanhouse that it's time to start finishing fights.

In a highly satisfying main event, "Baby Jay" Penn added another brick to the wall that’s currently separating him from every other lightweight on the MMA radar screen by mangling contender Diego Sanchez badly.  Establishing the fact that he could clearly read and disassemble Diego's forward volley of punches, Penn staggered Sanchez with a right hand in the first round that set the tone of dominance for the remaining five.

Diego showed the heart of a lion by refusing to slow, tire, or relent to Penn’s frighteningly methodical performance by continually shooting for takedowns and engaging to trade blows.  I actually thought Diego was inching towards a respectable comeback on the cards by pressing Penn against the fence and forcing him to defend his shots, but he only succeeded in temporarily steering the fight to a stalemate by avoiding punishment.

A highly uncharacteristic high-kick in the fifth split Diego’s forehead wide open and marked the beginning of the end for the challenger.  Diego closed distance and tried to weather the storm, but a few more punches from Penn inspired referee Herb Dean to intervene and call the contest a TKO win for “The Prodigy” in his second defense of the title.

Frank Mir walked his volumes of pre-fight talk by planting a well-timed left on the cheek of Cheick Kongo shortly after the first round bell sounded, and then commenced to quickly pounce on the crumpled French fighter, latching on a vice-like guillotine that eventually sent Kongo into a peaceful slumber.  Although there are a handful of higher ranked and more challenging heavyweights in the mix, Mir’s stock will surely rocket upwards as a result of such a commanding co-main event showing.

Clay Guida was once again a pleasure to watch despite being bested by the exemplary stand-up technicality of Kenny Florian.  “KenFlo” remained resilient with his takedown defense, and in a furiously paced first round, the machete elbows came into play as the Boston native was able to open a nice-sized gash on Guida’s head that warranted a cut-check from the doctor.  Not long into the second stanza, Florian complimented a left jab with a crushing right hand that found its mark squarely, and Florian followed up immediately by securing a rear-naked choke that Guida succumbed to.  With no other choice, Florian trudges onward in his quest to justify another title shot with B.J. Penn.

In the event opener, Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve replaced Todd Duffee in a bout with veteran Paul Buentello, which unfolded in a spirited brawl between two adept strikers of two very different statures.  Buentello openly struggled to close distance and find his range with the extensive height and reach advantage of Struve, and was dropped by a long right uppercut delivered from Struve.  Buentello’s experience paid off as he regained his composure and fought off the rear-naked choke to regain top position and drop the double-axe handle to close the first.

Struve got sloppy in the second by continually closing distance with the telegraphed intention of a flying knee, until Buentello made him pay for dropping his guard by literally leaping off of his feet to connect with the towering Hollanders chin.  Struve was also able to sort out the confusion and battle back, setting the stage for an even fight going into the final chapter, where Struve began utilizing leg kicks in succession to thwart Buentello’s advances.  The young “Skyscraper” takes an impressive decision victory and makes his mark as a newcomer to watch out for.

Preliminary action made it to the live broadcast with Alan Belcher looking sharp in a 1^st round TKO of ATT’s Wilson Gouveia, and TUF-finalist Damarques Johnson showed a lot of poise and maturity against the dangerous and heavy-handed Edgar Garcia with a first round triangle.

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