By Matt Boone on November 19, 2006 at 9:52 PM EST

THE FOLLOWING REPORT WAS WRITTEN BY MATT BOONE FOR MMANEWS.COM AND WAS RE-PRINTED HERE WITH PERMISSION:

FULL PRELIM RESULTS:

Fight #1:
-Jake O'Brien vs. Josh Shockman

Round 1: First round was all O'Brien. He got a couple takedowns and controlled most of the action in the round - using effective ground and pound to probably win the round 10-9.

Round 2: Similar round, with O'Brien controlling where the action goes with his takedown ability. Most of the round was slow-paced, which the crowd shit on. Lots of restarts by the referee for stalling, but the action would ultimately end up in the same place all the time. 2-0 O'Brien going into the third and final round, most likely.

Round 3: Another round very similar as the previous two. O'Brien getting takedowns, not doing much with them, referee restarting them standing - and then it winds up right back where it started. Looking like a shut out, albeit a boring one, for O'Brien.

Jake O'Brien def. Josh Shockman via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after 3 Rounds.

Fight #2:
-James Irvin vs. Hector Ramirez

Round 1: Round opens with Ramirez pushing the action on the feet, and Irvin trying to slow it down with leg kicks. Ramirez early on takes Irvin down and gets his back. Irvin gets out of it and on the feet misses a wild spinning back fist. The two trade, nothing big landing, and Ramirez gets a takedown to end the round.

Round 2: Irvin begins round two working the leg kicks again, and lands a superman punch. Those are always cool to see. Ramirez lands a decent punch but it's immediately followed by a bomb from Irvin that rocks Ramirez. Irvin follows up with a nice body kick and ground and pound until the referee stops the bout.

James Irvin def. Hector Ramirez via TKO (strikes) at 2:36 of Round 2.

Fight #3:
-Antoni Hardonk vs. Sherman Pendergarst

Round 1: Round begins with a quick Pendergarst takedown. Pendergarst is working furiously with ground and pound, having decent effect. After a lull in the action, the fight is restarted on the feet where Pendergarst seems winded. Eventually, Hardonk lands a great punch followed by a solid leg kick and it's all over.

Antoni Hardonk def. Sherman Pendergarst via KO (strikes) at 3:15 of Round 1.

Fight #4:
-Nick Diaz vs. Gleison Tibau

Round 1: Tibau avoided a takedown from Diaz early and got Diaz on the ground. Diaz has guard, but Tibau is staying busy on top with ground and pound. Diaz curls up and Tibau goes for his back, but Diaz reverses and gains dominate position. Tibau goes for an oma plata, and then goes for a kimura. Diaz eventually sweeps Tibau and gets on top, working ground and pound of his own. Round ends like that, so it's a close round. Tough round to score, maybe Diaz.

Round 2: Tibau pushed Diaz against the cage and tried desperately for a takedown. He didn't get it. He looked visably tired and pulled guard. Diaz eventually got the mount and finished the fight with ground and pound.

Nick Diaz def. Gleison Tibau via TKO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 2.

FULL PPV RESULTS (more detailed):

Fight #5:
-Joe Stevenson vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima

Round 1: Round opens with Stevenson trying a clinch, Mishima uses his judo skills to throw Stevenson down and gain top position. He's in Stevenson's half guard and he's now caught in a deep guillotine choke. Looked to be done and lasted seemingly forever, but Mishima got out. He gets side mount. In a scramble, Stevenson gains guard. We got a stupid patrotic U-S-A chant. Stevenson secures a guillotine again and this time had it too tight, Mishima taps.

Joe Stevenson def. Dokonjonosuke Mishima via Submission (guillotine choke) at 2:07 of Round 1.

Fight #6:
-Brandon Vera vs. Frank Mir

Round 1: Very quick and completely one-sided fight. On the feet, Mir looked to be better than usual, but honestly so did Vera. He was utilizing almost only boxing skills, hurting Mir with simple stiff-jabs, until he really caught him with a punch and almost knocked him unconscious with knees in the thai-clinch. On the ground, Vera followed in with pin-point strikes and Mir was bleeding down onto himself. Vera changed position a bit, pounded some more and Mir just covered up and layed there being hit until the referee stopped it.

Brandon Vera def. Frank Mir via TKO (strikes) at 1:09 of Round 1.

Fight #7:
-Alessio Sakara vs. Drew McFedries

Round 1: Coming up next (change in live fight order, this was supposed to be the bridge match and the "swing bout" for the PPV. If the two title fights don't go the distance, we'll get some prelims tonight.)

Round one opens with the two exchanging on the feet. Most of this round was on the feet, with early on McFedries actually doing better. As I told my friends, McFedries was out-striking him but had so much respect for Sakara's boxing ability that in the live fight itself, he didn't realize he was doing better early on. Sakara would come in blazing, and to his credit did hurt McFedries a couple of different times. Slowly during the fight you could see McFedries realizing that in the exchanges - when he actually really tried hard and commited to his offense, as opposed to being worried about what Sakara would bring to him, McFedries was really not only getting the better but he too hurt Sakara more than once. In the end, it was an uppercut that caught Sakara flush and landed so quickly that the announce team didn't see it, my friends didn't either. I yelled out as soon as it landed, they were dead silent (they pop when any big strike lands, so they missed it too) and when Sakara dropped for seemingly no reason, I knew it was the uppercut/they-and announcing team didn't. I missed the replays of the finish from typing this up, so I'm not sure if everyone ever saw what really went on.

Drew McFedries def. Alessio Sakara via TKO (strikes) at 4:07 of Round 1.

Fight #8:
-Tim Sylvia (c) vs. Jeff Monson (UFC HW Title)

Round 1: Sylvia starts out trying to establish his jab. Monson tries for a takedown early, and nearly gets it. Sylvia ultimately shucks him off. Not long after that, Monson tries again for a takedown. He's got a leg secured and continues fighting to get him down for a lengthy period of time. He scrambles around, trying to get Sylvia on the bottom in the process - but fails. We're in a lull now, with both flat on the ground, Monson holding onto a leg and Sylvia in a flat-sprawling position. "Big" John restarts them on the feet. Now on the feet, the action stays pretty slow with Sylvia only throwing the occassional jab. Monson trying to get his stand up going. Monson goes for another takedown, again - no dice. Back on the feet, Sylvia continues to avoid takedowns and lands the occassional jab, but no clear cut dominance. Just dominance in the form of one guy not allowing the other to do what he wants. Monson lands a good jab that seems to wake up a bit. He tries another takedown, Sylvia again avoids it with ease. Sylvia being overly caution, and Monson is playing the same game now after trying hard for takedowns earlier on. Monson brushes Sylvia's face with a not-so-powerful hook that doesn't fully land. Lots of circling and posing. Monson lands a decent punch later in the round. Sylvia finishes the round with a kick. Sylvia wins the round based on controlling where and how the action goes, but Monson was more aggressive - pushing forward more and more on the offense in terms of the round as a whole. Despite that, probably 10-9 Sylvia, although personally I would probably go 10-9 Monson - even if not clear-cut.

Round 2: Most of the same earlier on in the second. Sylvia trying to keep the pace slow and keep his established distance. Monson fails at a takedown. Monson's eye is swelling a bit from the jabs of Sylvia. Crowd is boo'ing and "Big" John has repeated his warning to pick up the action several times. Sylvia lands a decent shot, nothing really major and the fight resumes the same pace. Monson fails a takedown again and Sylvia gets back up with Monson going to his back taking leg kicks from a standing Sylvia until he backs up to let him back on his feet. Nothing happening for lengthy periods again, crowd again boo'ing heavily, referee again demanding more action again. Monson loads up for a home run overhand right, but only connects with Sylvia's shoulder. More of a lot of nothing. Really nothing else happens for the next minute-plus, and the horn sounds as a round of boo's from the crowd punctuates the round. From body language and facial expression, towards the end of the round it seemed that both Monson was losing hope and Sylvia was gaining more courage. Could get exciting, but really depends on Sylvia based on the first two.

Round 3: Sylvia lands a decent jab, goes for another and Monson gets his first takedown of the fight. Sylvia has full guard though. Sylvia defending and squirming well to avoid punishment, and despite the crowd popping for most of Monson's offense in the guard, nothing big is landing. This is the longest we've seen Sylvia on the ground in the UFC, and against one of his best submission-fighting opponents too. He's doing better than you'd think. Monson stands up and tries diving into a better position, but Sylvia eventually wraps him up in the guard again. Monson breathing out of the mouth, fatigue-factor could be coming into play now, even though it seems early to say so. Monson stands up, Sylvia remains high guard. The distance for Monson's punches is so great that by the time they get near the target, they don't have much effect. Monson gets side mount! Sylvia goes to scramble up but Monson locks in a guillotine, looking to be dangerous. Sylvia escapes. Monson still on top in side mount again. Sylvia working elbows from the bottom. Monson moves and Sylvia tries scrambling up again. Monson goes for a guillotine again, commits to it and because of that Sylvia gains top position, stuck in the choke but gets out. Sylvia pushes away and stands up. Fight is stopped to check a cut on Monson that was caused by an elbow from Sylvia on the ground. Monson has a bad cut and swelling, but under the eye. Fight resumes. Good jab by Sylvia. A good right and a solid knee that hurts Monson as the round closes. He drops and the horn sounds. Few more seconds, the fight was over and Sylvia would win. Didn't though, so we continue.

Round 4: We're through an entire minute, literally nothing has happened outside of two Sylvia jabs. Lots of circling and missed shots with nothing behind them. Monson shoots, Sylvia sprawls and they end up with Sylvia on top in side mount over Monson. Sylvia stays there and works small, but effective, elbows to inflict more damage. Monson turns to his stomach, is up on all fours and Sylvia is seemingly looking for a rear naked choke. After scrambling, the two end up with Monson on bottom and Sylvia on top in half guard, just barely missing the mount position. Sylvia's on top and controlling the action and position, but much like on the feet - when in control, Sylvia has a slow pace. Sylvia tries for a kimura and it looks good so far, after some moving around Sylvia gives up on the submission. Monson reverses and Sylvia looks for a triangle or armbar. He avoids and is now on top in Sylvia's full guard. One minute left in the round and it looks like Monson has lost his mouth piece. Monson stacks up and Sylvia slaps on a triangle that looks good. Sylvia goes to tighten it up and lets it go. That's two submissions Sylvia could have had if he believed in them and commited to them. Fight ends with Monson in Sylvia's guard doing nothing. Monson's eye looks worse.

Round 5: Some jabs and a failed takedown by Monson filled minute one of round five. Sound familiar? Back on the feet, Sylvia is working his jab again and Monson's eye is a complete mess. Sylvia doing a lot of feinting, seeming to try to set something big up. Both guys' mouths are open, but Monson seems the more tired of the two. My friends are enjoying this fight, personally to me it seems the majority of the rounds are dominated by Sylvia doing nothing but using his reach advantage and good jab to keep this fight slow and safe. They have moments here and there that keep you into it though. Standing the ref stops them and says "this is a fight, you guys got to fight." It's that slow-paced. Monson tries another takedown, not even close. Sylvia on the feet with Monson on his back taking leg kicks. Crowd is relentless is boo'ing the action. It's a footsie battle standing and grounded, with the referee coming to the rescue and restarting the fight on the feet. One minute left, the two are circling and posing some more. Monson shoots again, fails again. Same position. Ali-Inoki "buttscoot" position. Still there, 20 seconds to go Sylvia lets him back up to his feet. Sylvia half-ass being busy for the last few seconds. Each land a decent shot to the other as the horn sounds. Sylvia wins by 4 or 5 points in a non-impressive fight. Not just because it wasn't exciting, which Sylvia is now in desperate need of an exciting fight, but Sylvia didn't really do anything but avoid losing as opposed to trying to win. Monson couldn't take him down, outside one time, and couldn't deal with him standing. I have it 4-1 Sylvia.

Tim Sylvia def. Jeff Monson via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) to retain the UFC Heavyweight title after 5 Rounds.

Fight #9:
-Matt Hughes (c) vs. Georges St. Pierre (UFC WW Title)

Round 1: I'm too into this fight, I'll follow up with specifics as soon as it ends. Round one - ALL GSP. He hurt Hughes several times, almost finishing him as the horn sounded. Definitely 10-9, could even be argued 10-8. Hughes did pretty much nothing. 2 low blows from GSP, but they were leg kicks where the shin hit the thigh, but the foot hit the no-no zone.

Round 2: Round went the same, until it ended. GSP was destroying Hughes the whole round again, landed a huge high-kick, in a similar position as Chuck Liddell-Renato Sobral. Hughes was rocked and slumped to his back. GSP followed in with many clean punches. The referee let it go despite Hughes clearly being done already. GSP threw a few more punches and a couple of totally vicious elbows. Referee had no choice. New Welterweight champion, and he completely dominated the most established and respected champion in his weight class. At the same time, he avenged his only loss in his pro MMA career.

Georges St. Pierre def. Matt Hughes via KO (strikes) to capture the UFC Welterweight title at 1:25 of Round 2.