In another grueling war Court McGee made his welterweight debut as he makes the cut down from middleweight. Josh Neer was the welcome party and he was able to go the distance but this fight was almost all McGee other than the second round. McGee unleashed the strikes in bunches never settling for one when he could land as many as five in row. McGee hurt the body or more precisely the liver of Neer at the end of round but once he had Neer on the ground he was punching away at the head and not the body. Round 2 was the same from McGee but Neer was able to get off a few good series when he would start the exchange rather than try to counter. In the third round McGee continued the relentless pace and set a new record for strikes landed for a welterweight by eclipsing the 234 mark. McGee took the unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 from all three judges. This was his first time fighting at 170 I can’t wait to see what he does after he makes that cut a few more times.

The rematch between “The California Kid” Urijah Faber and Ivan Menjivar was up next and Menjivar started it off with a beautiful throw. Faber was able to roll over and get side control. Faber spends the next few minutes pounding away on Menjivar. Menjivar gets some space and tries to get up but Faber hopes on his shoulders side ways than spins the right leg around the waist of the standing Menjivar to get the body triangle. Faber locks in the standing rear naked choke and Menjivar taps out at 4:34 of round 1.

In the co-main event a number one contender for the Light Heavyweight champion was decided and that man will be Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. Machida took the split decision 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 over Dan Henderson in a fight that never really got started it seemed. First round was close but went to Machida as he got the trip take down in the last 10 seconds. Both men seemed to have a great deal of respect for one another but they never fell for each others feints so not much happened other than circling. Hendo got the one take down he went for in the third but was never able to land that big over hand right of his. Hendo did out strike Machida to the body and legs but Machida out struck Henderson with the head shots. Machida landed 30 I think which is a low output especially compared to McGee who earlier landed 100 strikes in one round. Machida tried some of his karate techniques but nothing that ever seemed to hurt Henderson or land cleanly. It would have been interesting to see it go two more rounds but I am not sure if that would have even changed a thing. Machida will now face the winner of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen bout after this season of TUF wraps up.

In the main event Rowdy Ronda Rousey is able to end another fight in the first round by arm bar to make it 7 pro fights,  and 7 first round submissions by arm bar. Rousey locked on a headlock almost immediately and worked to get the fight to the ground. Liz Carmouche gave her a hell of a fight though including at one point taking Rousey’s back standing and locking on a neck crank she didn’t have the body triangle only the hooks in and that would lead to the end as Rousey was able to shake her and eventually get that leg across the face. Rousey started cranking on that arm and Carmouche defended for about a minute but Rousey was able to keep prying then eventually pops that arm free and Carmouche has to tap out and taps out quickly.  Joe Rogan when complementing Rousey after the mentioned all she is doing for women not just women in combat sports but added at the end that those are the sexiest cauliflowered ears in mma.

In the second prelim fight on Facebook Neil Magny kept his opponent Jon Manley from ever implementing his money technique the take down. Magny defended 11 of 12 take downs and Manley never tried to strike with him. Manley had no other plan than to take the fight to the ground. Magny would make him pay with knees to the body and short punches as he spent most of his time pressed against the cage by Manley as he worked for the take down.  Neil Magny took home the unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.

The final Facebook fight didn’t last long as Kenny Robertson went for a quick take down and finished it with his head in the guillotine choke of Brock Jardine. Robertson was able to defend and pop his head free from there he quickly moved to side control than eventually took Jardine’s back. Robertson sunk both hooks in and went to work for the RNC. Jardine tried to dump him off his back over the top but Robertson shocked everyone when he was able to submit Jardine by grabbing the foot of Jardine and pulling it forward till he had no choice but tap or rip his hamstring. Dana White went on to tweet “How sick was that!!!! Love the evolution of this sport.” Great to get complements like that from the president.

Once the action moves to FX for the prelims to continue one of the UFC’s most experienced young fighters Sam Stout took to the cage to welcome another Strikeforce transplant Caros Fodor. These two went at it for fifteen minutes in close jockeying for position and taking turns trading shots to the body and head. Good fight but it was one that you could just tell was gruelling as each man was trying to put his weight on the other and the short knees and punches back and forth to the body and head. Stout would take home the ultra thin split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

I know I was blown away with the performance from Burrell and Villefort but the show was stolen once Matt Grice and Dennis Bermudez started it off. Bermudez ended up on top of Grice early and unleashed 40 ground and pound shots on Grice who had one arm pinned which prevented him from blocking them. Grice gets to his feet though and is able to drop Bermudez with a left hook that almost brings the fight to a screeching halt. Herb Dean makes a great decision seeing Bermudez is recovering and lets them continue. Grice gets the better in the second round clearly with that left hand finding a home numerous times. Round 3 begins and Bermudez unleashes an assault to be remembered for all time. Over and over again he connects with uppercuts, elbows, knees and kicks. He is pound away on the ground and when they are on their feet. Dean is watching closely and nearly stopping it again but lets them continue and Grice connects with another of those big hooks and Bermudez is scrambling to get back to his feet. These two stand for the last part of the round just unleash a barrage of hay makers. Dennis Bermudez takes home the split decision 29-28×2, 28-29. Everyone should go and find this fight and watch it! Easily it will get consideration for the year end awards.

Michael Chiesa, the TUF winner, was getting out struck in the fight and was not looking so sharp against Anton Kuivanen in the first round. That all changed in the second as he was able to take the back of Kuivanen while they were on their feet. Chiesa got them to the ground locked in the body triangle and kept working for the rear naked choke until he got it. Which he successfully did at 2:29 of round 2. Than the prelims went on to end on a sour note when Brendan Shaub took on Lavar Johnson. In what everyone was expecting to be ended with a devastating knockout was the exact opposite. Schaub clearly wanted no part of Johnson’s stand up game as he took him down early and often. Schaub spent most of the fight in Johnson’s half guard but did very little as far as offense. Johnson out struck Schaub from the bottom and punished the body of Schaub when they were on their feet. Most of the strikes all came from the clinch as even when they were standing Schaub was locked onto Johnson. Johnson did bust open Schaub in the third when they got a little separation but it wasn’t enough and the judges handed the unanimous decision to Schaub by scores of 30-27×3.

Ronda Rousey will defend her belt for the first time in the UFC against the United States Marine veteran Liz Carmouche. In the co-main event UFC’s number 2 Light Heavyweight Dan Henderson will take on the number 3 ranked Lyoto Machida to decide who the number one contender will be for the winner of the upcoming title bout between Jon Jones versus Chael Sonnen after this season of TUF wraps up.

Also in a marquee match up Bantamweights Ivan Menjivar will get a rematch against Urijah Faber. Last time they fought back in 2006 Menjivar was disqualified in the second round for kicking a downed opponent.

Video of the weigh-ins is available below.

The action starts on Facebook tomorrow at 6:35 pm ET

Nah-Shon “The Rock N Rolla” Burrell 175.8lbs* vs Yuri Villefort 170lbs

Jon Manley 171lbs vs Neil Magny 171lbs

Kenny Robertson 170lbs vs Brock “The Machine”  Jardine 170lbs

UFC 157 prelims move to FX at 8pm ET

Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout 155lbs vs Caros “The Future” Fodor 155lbs

Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez 145lbs vs Matt “The Real One” Grice 145lbs

Michael “Maverick” Chiesa 156.2lbs** vs Anton Kuivanen 156lbs

Brendan “The Hybrid” Shaub 243lbs vs “Big” Lavar Johnson 255lbs

UFC 157 main card on PPV at 10pm ET

Josh “Kos” Koscheck 171lbs vs “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler 171lbs

Court “The Crusher” McGee 170lbs vs Josh “The Dentist” Neer

“The California Kid” Urijah Faber 136lbs vs Ivan “The Pride of El Savador” Menjivar 135.6lbs

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida 202lbs vs Dan “Hendo” Henderson 205lbs

Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey(c) 134.6lbs vs Liz “Girlrilla” Carmouche 133.6lbs

*Burrell missed weight by a long shot and will hand over a portion of his purse to Villefort.

**Chiesa missed weight by .2 pounds but it was clear his beard weighed a couple pounds by its self so before he even tried to weigh in minus his shorts Dana and the commission called it good.