GSP defends his Welterweight Championship against number 1 contender Jon Fitch, Brock Lesnar faces a very game Heath Herring, KenFlo takes on Roger Huerta. Join us tonight for our UFC 87 live coverage! 

Demian Maia vs. Jason MacDonald

R1. MacDonald takes it right ot the ground. Joe Rogan tells us they aren’t sweaty so there is more friction. Maia has a triangle locked in early on and MacDonald is working hard not to tap, but he is in a lot of trouble. He takes a few elbows to the back of the head, MacDonald rolls over and takes his back! Very exciting, he has deep hooks an a rear naked choke! Maia rolls into it and pulls half guard, now the full guard. MacDonald up and trying to find a way to attack Maia. He has a guillotine from the top, which is dangerous against a BJJ guy. Maia rolls oer to get MacDonald on his back, but the choke is in deep. Maia is bleeding and slips out into halfguard and rolls him into backmount, into a RNC! He had his finger in MacDonald’s eye, but you know, whatever. MacDonald gets out! We get a second round! Amazing round, might even be one of the best ground fighting rounds we’ve seen in UFC in a long time.

R2. They start off with some sloppy standing and MacDonald goes for a takedown, pushing Maia to the cage. Maia with some knees and he takes MacDonald down. Some GNP and it might have opened MacDonald up. Some more GNP that doesn’t look to much damage. MacDonald finally rolls, but Maia has his arm! MacDonald rolls through to get on top, gets out of the guard into half guard and trying to pass.

R3. MacDonald wants to stay standing, but Maia takes him down, MacDonald briefly had a guilllotine, sliips out, then takes Maia back down. MacDonald has Maia against the cage, has his back again, going for a choke from side control, then gets on top, only for Maia to sweep and get a full mount. This is a very awesome ground battle, I just want to toss that out. Maia has his back, arm under the chin, RNC and MacDonald taps out, he had no choice, but comes away looking great.

27% of the fans voting think Fitch has a chance. I think they have bet on him and are holding out hope for a payout.

Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian

Roger Huerta has actually been one of the most talked about fighters coming into this event, and here is hoping he looks as good as he can talk. The irony is that Clay Guida is in the front row right where Huerta is getting checked out before the fight cheering him on. Huerta is one of their only spanish-speaking, Latino stars, too. Goldberg just compared Florian to a Samurai, I guess because of the Bruce Lee track suit?

R1. Both guys start off slow, Huerta with some nice leg kicks. Huerta looks comfortable and confident on his feet. Huerta is pushing the pace, but Florian catches a kick and takes him down. Kenny has Huerta down near the cage, Huerta spins around, Florian has his back, Huerta defending well and gets up!  Huerta getting a very loud chant from the crowd here as they are doing some, we’ll call it careful standup.  Huerta with a great flurry, right, left and a knee, then pushes Kenny up against the cage and lands a few quick jabs. Huerta with a knee and Florian with a signature short elbow that he likes to cut people with. Huerta fighting off another takedown and gets Kenny back against the cage. Kenny with some knees to the body. Huerta keeps up the pressure with leg kicks and superman punch feints to get Kenny to back up.

R2. Kenny comes out more aggressive like his corner told him, but this isn’t stopping Huerta who comes forward with some wild shots. Florian fought for a takedown but Huerta had none of that. Huerta with some good elbows to the side of the head, but Florian takes his back and he is very high, Huerta pops out again! Kenny comes in and just sweeps his leg. Huerta back up and back on the attack. Huerta blocks a Florian mid-kick and hits a leg kick. Some clinching with neither guy doing much and some stand up to finish the round.

R3. Front kick by Florian, rushes in and takes Huerta down. Knee by Florian, flying knee. Huerta takes another knee, gives one to Kenny. Kenny in Huerta’s guard, and this is not good for Roger.  Huerta trying to get to his feet and he does, Florian against the cage and Huerta with a nice knee. Huerta with a few uppercuts. Knee by Kenny followed by a kick that Huerta blocks. This is starting to look like Shamrock/Le now for them kinda congratulating each other on their shots. Huerta has 2 minutes to do something or he loses a decision. Big right by Huerta, but a clinched knee by Kenny. Florian takes Huerta down and Huerta gets back up.  This is going to the judges, my guess? Florian.

UD, 30/27 for Florian.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson

R1. Emerson rushes in, catches Manny, Manny tries to get his head up and Emerson just kinda plonks him in the head, flooring him to finish this.

Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring

This is very much do-or-die for Lesnar, and I think he knows that. UFC will not want to keep him around, especially for the kind of money he makes if he loses to Herring. For Herring, he can prove he isn’t going to back down, ever. Lesnar is sponsored by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. I swear.

R1. Lesnar with a big right hand, Herring seriously rolls over and Lesnar going for a guillotine, but Herring is laying down some punches to the thigh. Herring pushes off and hits a nice uppercut and avoids a hook from Lesnar. Lesnar with a huge takedown. Herring is on all 4s next to the cage and Lesnar is trying to figure out what to do. Herring tries to roll to put Lesnar into a guard, and Lesnar is, guess what, doing some nice lay n’ pray, he musta been a wrestler. Lesnar with a nice set of knees to the body. Lesnar controlling Herring but not doing much. Herring simply can’t stand up as Lesnar is a freaking giant.

Jesse Ventura is in the crowd.

R2. Herring able to sprawl a bit and keep things standing. Lesnar through a leg kick that looked comical for a dude his size. A stand up battle is a lot better for Herring, and as I say that, Herring gets taken down. Some ground work, and Lesnar more or less just staying on him in the 4-point position. Heath acctually able to get to his feet and lays in a few body shots, only to take a Lesnar knee. Herring with a good knee of his own and an uppercut and Brock takes him down.

R3. Lesnar with a mid kick, but Herring is still pushing the pace with a few straights and a knee. Herring knows this round is do or die for him, and he can’t get taken down and have Lesnar la on him for another round. Exchanging knees, and Lesnar ends up on top of Herring, not a take down, but just his weight pushing on him. Knees to the body by Lesnar. Herring going for a kimura, but not sure how that will work out. Lesnar turns him over and mounts him. Herring scrambles out and its back into the 4-point. Herring is indeed running out of time. Knees to the body from Lesnar. Herring gets up, a few knees and uppercuts and Lesnar just takes him back down. Some more just laying and striking for points. Brock gets his back and has no idea what to do with him. Full mount by Brock, and Herring is perfectly OK rolling to give Brock his back as he knows Brock has nothing. Bell rings and Brock points and laughs at Herring and makes fun of Herring’s lasso thing. Yeah, I don’t know, a dude who won on sheer size and wrestling ability alone with no idea how to finish, he should probably, you know, learn how to finish before he starts mocking fighters.

Hey, Lesnar via UD.

GSP vs. Jon Fitch

R1. Down on the ground early on. Fitch is fighting, fights his way up to his feet but GSP simply takes him down again. Fitch up and GSP with a big right hand after a leg kick. GSP is staying on him, but Fitch is doing his best to pull guard and survive. Fitch somehow holds on and does get guard. Fitch scramblinb to get to his feet but GSP raining down punches. Eventually he does get up, and GSP with some great punches that floor him agian, and somehow Fitch is still holding on and has guard on him. GSP with some huge elbows from said guard and Fitch is busted the hell open. Side control for GSP now, which apparently Fitch has never given up in UFC. Fitch somehow survives to see a second round.

R2. The first two minutes or so is simply GSP picking him apart from a distance more or less. GSP with a very nice jab and leg kick combo, followed by another leg kick. Fitch has the hooks in a lands a nice knee. Remember when GSP wore those funny purple trunks? Yeah, that was hilarious. Fitch is swinging for the fences. Fitch actually lands a left and pushes the pace a bit. This round has been GSP picking Fitch apart from a distance. Fitch pulls together a combo and then lands some nice shots, but not enough to get GSP stunned even.

R3. I’m half expecting Lesnar to run in and F5 these little guys with his massive arms. GSP catches Fitch again, but Fitch won’t die. GSP has his back, goes for a mata leo and Fitch rolls into GSP’s guard. Mike Goldberg has been hitting up some stat websites or something, because he is all about talking about stats and percentages in this fight. Sweep and we have GSP now on top of Fitch. Fitch back to his feeet and a lot of shots by him just completely miss. Leg kick by GSP. GSP pushes Fitch into the cage, Fitch with a knee and some kidney punches to defend himself, then a hook that actually lands, only for him to eat a few strikes form GSP, knee by GSP, headkick! Knee! Fitch is down but holds onto GSP to protect himself. Fitch more or less moving himself around to avoid further punishment. GSP with some great shots and then a pretty straight up awesome takedown.

Fitch has survived to the next round.

R4. Poor Fitch, he looks like a giant mess. Fitch with a body kick, but this is more or less GSP picking him apart from a distance again. Fitch gets stuffed on a takedown attempt. GSP body kick that came close to a ball shot. Its on the ground now with GSP on top, in Fitch’s guard.  Fitch’s face is a mess, and that is that round. Fitch survives to the final round.

R5. Fitch is basically just tossing anything he can, while GSP is still picking him apart. He should probably just finish all of our suffering now. On to the ground with GSP landing some shots from Fitch’s guard. Back up to the feet for a few jabs and then GSP just takes him down again. GSP dominates him on the ground a bit, and that is that. GSP will get a decision.

UD.

BJ Penn is in the ring, he is challenging GSP, whose Gi looks more like a smoking jacket while he is not wearing any undies. He looks like a flasher, basically. Joe denies GSP the mic.