But with a hard-fought, unanimous-decision victory - and a strange turn of events involving UFC interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir – Quinton "Rampage" Jackson earned a chance to earn his 205-pound belt back in a May showdown with current champ Rashad Evans.
The bout capped off a night of exciting bouts and furious finishes in the pay-per-view event from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Jardine, written off by many observers in a bout that some considered unnecessary (or even undesirable), utilized a mix of low kicks, his trademark awkward movements, and aggressive punching to frustrate Jackson in the first - and earning the round on two of three judges' scorecards. But the Team Jackson fighter could not parlay the success into the later rounds.
Jackson appeared to find his range in the second frame. A strong left hook dropped Jardine, and the end of the fight appeared to be nearing. But "The Dean of Mean" gathered his wits, returned to his feet and continued on. Jardine stood tough, but Jackson was settling into his comfort zone.
A few surprise takedowns in the second and third rounds scored points, and another combination that dropped Jardine as time expired in the final frame sealed the deal. Jackson earned the clear-cut decision, but the action was far-closer than many had expected.
Following the bout, Jackson told cageside announcer Joe Rogan he was happy with his performance.
"I feel good," Jackson said. "There was a lot of pressure to come in here and fight Keith Jardine. I didn't think the pressure would get to me because I'm so experienced at fighting, I've had so many fights. But there was a lot of pressure.
"Keith is tough, really tough. I didn't expect for him to be that tough."
The win became more significant over the course of the past 24 hours. A knee injury to Mir that required surgery forced the interim champ out of his recently announced UFC 98 main event with heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar. The UFC announced earlier in the evening that a win for Jackson would earn him a 205-pound title shot with Rashad Evans in the May 23 replacement main event.
Jackson's thoughts on the upcoming bout were simple.
"I want my belt back," Jackson proclaimed.
Massive heavyweight prospect Shane Carwin put the UFC's heavyweight division on notice with a stunning knockout of Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Gabriel Gonzaga.
Having never gone beyond the halfway mark of the opening frame in his previous 10 fights, many observers felt Carwin had yet to be tested. Gonzaga's heavy hands and excellent ground work provided a stern examination.
A stiff combination wobbled Carwin. A smooth takedown put the former wrestling champion on his back, and Gonzaga delivered a nice stream of offense from top position. But Carwin battled through the onslaught, moved his back to the cage and worked back to his feet. From there, the momentum took a decided shift.
Carwin regained his composure and delivered a short, but stiff, right hand directly to Gonzaga's chin. "Napao" collapsed to the floor, and a series of follow-up blows forced the stoppage just 69 seconds after the bout began.
Following the bout, Carwin admitted he was rocked, but he credited the thickness of his skull for pulling him through.
"Right off the bat, Gabe caught me a couple of times," Carwin said. "My head's a little extra-thick, so I was able to come back, just re-focus and get after it."
With his third-straight first-round win, Carwin will look to begin challenging the division's elite fighters. The loss for Gonzaga snaps a two-fight win streak.
While Ohio-native Matt Brown came prepared to knock opponent Pete Sell out, the welterweight was visibly upset that he needed to do it twice.
An early combination floored Sell, and referee Yves Lavigne moved in between the two fighter - going so far as to wrap his arm around Brown. When Sell popped his head back up from the canvas, Lavigne decided he had been premature. In a confusing sequence, Brown walked away as Lavigne encouraged the two to reengage.
Brown obliged, but it became quickly apparent that Sell was still struggling. Brown continued to attack, audibly voicing his displeasure to Lavigne that the fight was still being contested. When Brown dropped Sell a second time, Lavigne still hesitated. "The Immortal" delivered a few half-hearted, apologetic shots to his downed opponent before the fight was finally halted at 1:32 of the opening round.
Following the bout, Brown told Rogan he thought the fight was over far before it was actually stopped.
"I thought [Lavigne] stopped the fight, so I backed off," Brown said. "I'm not trying to cause [Sell] no more damage than he deserves. I was just trying to win." Brown said he believed Sell was out, but applauded his courage.
"I could see he was out on his feet," Brown said. "I was pushing him and he was falling. He's a warrior. ... He's tough as hell."
Brown earns his second-straight stoppage win in the UFC.
What happens when two elite-level wrestlers meet in the octagon? If it's Ohio-native Matt Hamill and WEC import Mark Munoz, a stunning high kick, of course.
After riling up the Ohio crowd with a well-orchestrated display of state pride, Hamill remained eerily calm in the cage. Munoz shot in unsuccessfully, and Hamill kept his distance for the remainder of the bout. Munoz scored occasionally with his hands, but "The Hammer" stood in the pocket and returned the rallies. As Munoz retreated, Hamill fired the final salvo.
Munoz dropped his hands briefly and Hamill delivered a stunning right high kick that connected shin-to-temple and left Munoz unconscious on the floor at 3:53 of the first frame. Munoz lie motinless for several minutes, but eventually left the cage under his own power.
An emotional Hamill told Rogan after the bout that he's becoming a better fighter each time he steps into the cage.
"I'm getting better and better each time I fight," Hamill said. "Please give me more time. I'm climbing up the ladder."
Hamill closed with a yell to the supportive audience.
"'The Hammer' is back," Hamill shouted.
Hamill has now won three-straight contests in the UFC, while Munoz suffers the first defeat of his six-fight professional career.
Known for his powerful wrestling, Xtreme Couture lightweight Gray Maynard deftly utilized the defensive aspect of grappling to remain standing and punish opponent Jim Miller on the feet.
The huge 155-pounder refused to be taken down by Miller's repeated attempts, and powerful counter punches left his opponent's face a bloody mess. Miller refused to relent, but the blows continued to accrue damage.
Maynard briefly adjusted his strategy in the third round and took his opponent to the floor. But after being locked into an earnest kneebar attempt, Maynard elected to move back to the feet. Miller was game until the final buzzer, but Maynard had earned a clear-cut decision win.
Following the win, Maynard credited his striking coach for putting together the winning plan.
"That was the gameplan," Maynard said. "[Gil Martinez] got my hands going. I've been with him about a year. This guy did it for me." Maynard also said he was happy to earn the win in front of the Ohio crowd.
"I love this state," Maynard said. "A bunch of blue-collar, hard-working people."
Maynard remains undefeated in his seven-fight career, including six-straight wins in the UFC.
)
)
)
)
)
)
