UFN 20: Maynard's Revenge, Dunham Impresses

"The Bully" exacted revenge for his only loss (albeit unsanctioned) to Nate Diaz in the main event of last night's Ultimate Fight Night 20 show.

The former MSU wrestler never even attempted to use the smothering ground skills he's known for to dismantle Diaz, but opted to let the fight play out on the feet, slipping his jackhammer right hand through holes in Diaz' defense to punish the advancing Stockton fighter and land the bigger punches.  Maynard has now won his last six fights by decision, with the last two (Huerta, Diaz) being close split-decisions on the card.

Maynard discusses his strategy in the Diaz fight and how he feels about the possibility of fighting lightweight champion B.J. Penn at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi in this MMAMania video.

The co-main between Evan Dunham and Efrain Escudero unfolded as a coming out party for Dunham.  The momentum was mostly Escudero's in the first round as the TUF-winner planted a jumping knee to Dunham's midsection and then followed up with a volley of right hands that dropped him.  Showing phenomenal composure, Dunham immediately shifted for an armbar from his guard that forced Escudero to reign-in his assault and defend. 

Opening the 2nd round, Dunham was clearly finding his range on the feet, and executed a strong takedown that evened up the score cards.  Escudero committed to a guillotine in the 3rd that looked to be tight, but Dunham again stayed patient, escaped, and nailed another takedown that opened up the armbar opportunity that eventually finished Escudero.  Evan Dunham remains undefeated at 10-0 and registers an incredible performance that won't allow him to fly under the radar any longer.  Dunham also earned an extra $30,000 for "Submission of the Night."

Tom Lawlor showed a solid stand-up game in the first round of his bout with Aaron Simpson by continually clocking Simpson with well-timed right hook counters and a vicious uppercut.  It looked as if Simpson had lost his legs and was prime for the finish, but we did not see a carnivorous killer instinct from Lawlor, who maintained a level pace and allowed Simpson to recover and regain momentum with a strong 2nd round.  It was Simpson's takedowns and more advantageous positioning in the 3rd that most likely shifted the score cards in his favor for a split-decision victory, but Lawlor showed a substantially more complete game than we've seen from him, and the pair earned "Fight of the Night" honors ($30,000 each) for their entertaining, back-and-forth scrap.

I was actually most impressed by Amir Sadollah's stand-up technicality, specifically the way he maintained bulletproof defensive posture when generating his offense.  He kept his hands high and his head perfectly protected when throwing all of his kicks, his footwork was nearly flawless, and if you watched carefully during the lightning-fast striking exchanges in the pocket, he was landing often and negating everything Blackburn had with exceptional defensive skills.  Brad Blackburn is a tremendous step-up in competition for the young and inexperienced Sadollah, and the TUF-product gained an exorbitant amount of credibility and respect in my eyes.

Quick results from the undercard:

Chris Leben defeats Jay Silva by unanimous decision

Rory Macdonald chokes out Mike Guymon with an armbar in the 1st

Nik Lentz and Thiago Tavares fight to a unanimous draw on account of some low blows

Nick Catone takes a split-decision over Jesse Forbes

Gerald Harris wins "KO of the Night" by stopping John Salter with strikes in the 3rd

Rafael Dos Anjos wins a commanding unanimous decision over Kyle Bradley

Rick Story wins a unanimous decision over Jesse Lennox