Light heavyweights
Houston Alexander (7-1) vs. Alessio Sakara (15-5, 1 NC)
Round 1 - Well, that didn't take long. Alexander fed Sakara a vicious standing knee to the face and then pounded out a TKO win just one minute into the fight. Not much to that fight. Alexander looks like he could be a contender down the road (I think he still looks a little stiff), but at 35-years-old, he better hurry before he hits the wall.

So much for no commercials ...

Welterweights
Paul Taylor (8-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (17-4)
Round 1 - Wow, what a fight! Marcus Davis should get two victories added to his record for the amount of heart he showed. A little over a minute into the round, Taylor dropped Davis with a Gonzaga-like kick to the head and looked like he was going to pummel his way to a win. But Davis survived, held on and eventually got top position and looked like HE was going to pummel his way to a win. Taylor was able to buck him off, but Davis slipped an armbar onto Taylor and it was over. Great fight.
Decision: Two judges had it 29-28 for Bisping, the other judge 30-27 for Hamill. It's scoring disparities like that are why the sport needs trained judges.

I'm a big fan of "The Ultimate Fighter" series, and I have to say the upcoming season looks outstanding. I've often wondered how much the damage done to that house each season costs UFC. Some of that chaos reminds me of deadline at the Press-Telegram during high school football season!

Heavyweights
Mirko Cro Cop (22-5-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (20-3-1)
Round 1 - Interesting round. I was curious to see if Cro Cop would be tentative at all, considering the devastation of his last loss. He looked good and seemed a little more comfortable inside a cage, using it to his advantage on the takedown. I'd give the round to Cro Cop.
Round 2 - Excellent round for Kongo, who came out and backed down the normally-stalkerish Cro Cop. I thought it was curious that Kongo took the fight to the ground, where, while he looked improved, he still looks very awkward. When the fight went back standing, Kongo landed some Anderson Silva-like knees to Cro Cop's midsection. Cro Cop didn't look nearly as confident as he did the first five minutes and I thought Kongo won this round rather easily. Looks like the winner of the next five minutes will decide it.
Round 3 - More of the same as the second round. Kongo looked strong, while Cro Cop looked tentative. Kongo received a warning for low blows, but he was dominating before he landed them. With all of Cro Cop's outside interest (Croatian police, government) it wouldn't shock me at all if this was the last time we see him competing in MMA. He's clearly not the same fighter. Let's wait for the official decision.
Decision: All three judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Kongo. Definitely the right decision. Cro Cop's legend loses a bit more luster.

Light heavyweights
Michael Bisping (14-0) vs. Matt Hamill (5-0)
Round 1 - Opening round went nothing like I expected. I underestimated Hamill's size as he looks markedly bigger than Bisping. Hamill's striking isn't pretty, but when his hands land, they're awfully effective. Bisping has to hope Hamill will wear down as the fight goes on. Bisping seemed to come on as the round closed, but Hamill finished strong and won the round on my card.
Round 2 - Closer round, really could go either way. Hamill took Bisping down early and I thought that was great strategy ... IF he could've kept him there. Dominate the first round standing, dominate the second on the ground. But Bisping was able to get back to his feet relatively quickly and fought an even round with Hamill. If I had to vote, I'd give the second round to Bisping, but barely. Again, the last round should decide it. I think Hamill should concentrate on taking Bisping down and try to ground and pound his way to a win.
Round 3 - A very tough round to call. Bisping outstruck Hamill, who seemed to be tiring, but Hamill was able to take Bisping down twice, and landed some good shots with the second one. Each landed one good shot as the round closed. It depends on the judges and how much they value takedowns. If I was a judge, I guess I'd give it to Bisping, but it wouldn't upset me at all to see Hamill get the decision. We'll wait for the judges' scores.

Bisping telling Hamill to go back to wrestling is one of the main reasons why I don't think he'll ever become a major superstar in the United States. Sure, there was bad blood, but be the bigger man and admit Hamill gave you all you could handle.

Great show of class by the fans in England, applauding Hamill's effort, after booing him during the fight. If only Bisping had shown that kind of class during his post-fight interview.

Light heavyweight title fight
(C) Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (27-6) vs. Dan "Hollywood" Henderson (22-5)
Round 1 - While there was plenty of action to start and end the round, most of the first five minutes was pretty methodical and Henderson had control for most of the round. He should win the first round.
Round 2 - Better round for Quinton, though still a close fight. Crowd's kinda quiet as all this is going on, after the slugfests on the undercard. Fight should be all even after two rounds.
Round 3 - Real tough fight to score. Most of it is being fought on the ground, but neither fighter is claiming a clear advantage. Jackson got the better of it when the fighters were on there feet. Another round for the champion.
Round 4 - This fight really could be fought inside a phone booth ... well, if the phone booth were laying on its side. Not much distance between the two fighters, though "Rampage" is starting to take control of the fight. I think Henderson needs a KO or TKO to win the title.
Round 5 - A lot more standing in this round than the previous four. Though this was a tough, hard-fought fight, I think Jackson wins the decision easily. He landed better punches throughout and wasn't dominated on the ground by the superior wrestler. We'll wait for the decision.

Decision: Jackson by unanimous decision - 48-47, 49-46, 49-46

Overall, an entertaining show. Taylor-Davis was a great fight. Hamill-Bisping was compelling. Sad to see the fall of Cro Cop, but Kongo has some real potential as a star. Jackson is a superstar and deserves the spotlight. This isn't the last we'll see of Henderson.