UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin
Preliminary Fight Results

Corey Hill vs. Justin Buchholz
Lightweight Fight

Round One:
Hill's ready to go as the action begins, and he successfully trips his opponent to the mat. The action quickly returns to the feet, however, and Buchholz delivers some kicks. Buccholz pulls guard, but the action once again remains on the ground for a brief period. On their feet, Hill connects with knees from clinch. Hill tosses Buccholz to the mat late in the round.

Round Two:
Buccholz endures more striking from Hill and then connects with a big kick. Hill takes the action to the mat and manages to advance to side control. Buccholz escapes from this position, takes Hill's back and ultimately wins with a rear naked choke.

Justin Buccholz won via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:57 of Round Two.

Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver
Lightweight Fight

Round One:
The explosive Guillard opens with a punch that drops Siver. He tries to capitalize, but Siver defends and locks in an armbar. Guillard escapes and quickly connects with another shot that scores him a KO victory.

Melvin Guillard won via knockout at :36 of Round One.

Jorge Gurgel vs. Cole Miller
Lightweight Fight

Round One:
Miller, using his reach advantage, controls the early stand-up trading. But Gurgel finds his mark with a right hand. He tries to finish, but Miller defends well. Round ends with more trading, slightly in the favor of Gurgel.

Round Two:
Gurgel is having no trouble landing leg kicks, but it is Miller who is controlling the aggression. Miller scores a takedown and then unloads a barrage of punches, but Gurgel hangs on. After some scrambling, Gurgel ends up locked in a guillotine. He pulls out and is on top; the action returns to the feet, and Gurgel ultimately scores a takedown of his own.

Round Three:
Gurgel takes an early advantage, scoring some takedowns. Miller, however, persists and locks in a triangle during a scramble. Gurgel tries to get out, but he fails, and Miller picks up a late submission victory.

Cole Miller won via submission (triangle choke) at 4:48 of Round Three.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully
Heavyweight Fight

Gonzaga drops McCully to the mat with a leg kick. Gonzaga works for position on the ground; after some scrambling, he applies a kimura. McCully taps out.

Gabriel Gonzaga won via submission (kimura) at 1:57 of Round One.

UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin
Main Card Results

Tyson Griffin vs. Marcus Aurelio
Lightweight Fight

Round One:
UFC 86 is underway.

They circle to get things going. Both miss on punch attempts. Griffin fakes a body shot, and then connects with one as a counter to a left from Aurelio.

The crowd boos the lack of activity, a rarity for a Tyson Griffin fight. Aurelio connects with a jab but then misses on a bigger combination attempt. Griffin misses on an attempted combination; Aurelio delivers a right hand.

Griffin moves forward and catches Aurelio's body; he tosses his opponent to the mat and then tries to strike from atop without getting caught in the BJJ expert's guard. Griffin throws some big shots from a standing position. He connects with a big right hand, while Aurelio tries to find a triangle or armbar opportunity.

Aurelio gets a high guard on Griffin, forcing Griffin to drop down. Aurelio loses control of Griffin's body on an armbar attempt, allowing Griffin to rain down more blows from the top.

Griffin backs off, bringing the action back to the feet.

Griffin connects with a combination to Aurelio's head. Aurelio is keeping his distance, preventing Griffin from doing much damage but not doing much of his own work. Griffin moves forward with an uppercut and a body shot. Right hand from Griffin. Leg kick from Griffin.

They clinch up as the round ends.

Round Two:
Griffin starts throwing a bit as the round opens. He almost drops Aurelio with a big leg kick. Bodyshot from Griffin, followed by a right handed counter. Griffin misses on a counter kick, but follows up with a right hand to the face.

Griffin moves in and delivers a left then right. Aurelio is occasionally throwing, but Griffin's definitely got the timing advantage. Aurelio then moves forward with a combination and tries for a takedown, but Griffin clinches up and forces Aurelio into the cage.

Griffin is active with knees from the clinch. Aurelio tries for an advantageous position, but Griffin is simply showing too much strength. Griffin grabs a leg for a possible takedown, and uses it to secure a big slam.

Aurelio grabs a leg from this position, however, and slams Griffin to reverse position. He hops on Griffin's back, but Griffin grabs one of the legs, which allows him to roll back on top of Aurelio.

Aurelio throws his legs up for a triangle, but Griffin pulls out with ease. As Aurelio looks for submission attempts, Griffin keeps throwing strikes to the face and body. The round approaches its final seconds with Griffin in charge yet again.

Round Three:
Griffin starts throwing a bit more creatively, nailing Aurelio with a nice leg kick and then a solid right hand. Aurelio shoots for the takedown and then knees a sprawling Griffin, but it does not do much damage. They're back facing off in the middle of the ring.

Another leg kick from Griffin, followed by two body shots. Left hook from Griffin just misses, but a left-right combination hits.

Left hook followed by a kick to the midsection for Griffin. Aurelio connects with a counter shot. Leg kick from Griffin, followed by more uppercuts to the body. Aurelio misses on a big right hand, and then shoots for a takedown. Griffin easily defends it and separates himself.

More shots from Griffin, including a pair of big right hands to Aurelio's face. Kick to the body from Griffin followed by another punch.

Aurelio answers with a combination of punches, but Griffin creates more distance and then returns with another leg kick. Left and right go undefended for Griffin; he repeats the combination twice. Aurelio is missing on a number of his punch attempts, throwing telegraphed punches towards his opponent's face. Griffin fires through with a takedown and easily lands on top.

Aurelio uses his legs to try and set up an armbar, but the short-limbed Griffin is able to pull out. Aurelio again secures an arm for a potential submission, but Griffin is able to neutralize the threat.

Griffin is on top as the fight ends, and it will definitely be in his favor.

Tyson Griffin won via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle
Welterweight Fight

Round One:
Lytle moves forward with punches and a kick attempt, but Koscheck evades them.

Lytle is firing; he tries two really hard right hands. He follows with another one that also misses. Leg kick from Lytle. Koscheck tries to return a high kick, but it doesn't really land. Lytle fires with a hard kick to the midsection.

Lytle is definitely the aggressor, but Koscheck is being evasive enough to avoid taking any damage. Lytle fires with a left-right combination, and then a leg kick. Koscheck scores with a shot to the body and then a high kick. He trips on the high kick attempt but bounces up before Lytle can capitalize.

Lytle moves forward with some shots. Koscheck ducks down for a takedown attempt. Lytle defends with a guillotine, but a composed Koscheck works out of it and is in Lytle's half guard.

Koscheck drops some shoulders as he attempts to pull his leg out of the half guard. Koscheck stands up to create some distance, but Lytle refuses to give up the half guard. Koscheck throws some short elbows from on top. Koscheck positions himself for some nice ground and pound, but Lytle is doing a decent job of controlling his opponent.

Koscheck steps over Lytle's legs and almost has mount for a second, but Lytle scrambles to avoid falling victim to that advantage. Lytle rolls around and gets Koscheck into his full guard. Koscheck quickly moves to half guard, but he's unable to really do anything, sans one big shot at the very end of the round.

Round Two:
They touch gloves for the start of the second round. Lytle moves forward right off the bat. Koscheck throws a short-range kick to Lytle's upper leg.

Another inside leg kick from Koscheck, followed by some throwing. Koscheck shoots for a takedown; Lytle struggles but manages to successfully defend it. On his way up, he eats some knees and elbows from Koscheck. Lytle uses the guillotine to defend another Koscheck takedown attempt; once again, Koscheck pulls out of is and is on top.

Koscheck postures up from this half guard position and starts throwing some bombs from on top. Koscheck is actively trying to pass, and Lytle will not allow it, so Koscheck is forced trying to throw from this position.

Lytle is bleeding as Koscheck has decided to focus more on relentless elbows and punches from the top. Trapped against the cage, Lytle is unable to do much to defend Koscheck's ground and pound.

Koscheck spins to move to side control, but Lytle throws his legs back in very quickly. Koscheck continues the assault from the top, which has Lytle bleeding buckets. Lytle is intelligently defending himself, however, and he manages to make it through the round. He got busted brutally open, however.

Round Three:
Lytle aimlessly moves towards Koscheck with blows. Koscheck dances around and then finds a takedown opportunity. He shoots, but Lytle successfully sprawls and gets back to his feet.

Koscheck will not relent, however, and he drops Lytle to the mat. Lytle goes for a kimura; Koscheck pulls out but then gets trapped in a backwards guillotine. Koscheck rolls out and then lands in a more traditional one. Lytle is forced to let go, and Koscheck is on top, in half guard, with Lytle's head pressed against the cage.

Koscheck starts to unload the vicious elbows from the top. Lytle is bleeding all over the place again, but he is putting up a very impressive showing of heart. Koscheck continues throwing blows; interestingly, the referee stands things up due to inactivity.

Lytle, realizing he is not going to get the decision, throws wildly and actually connects a few times. Koscheck ties things up, however, and keeps Lytle's distance closed. The referee breaks the clinch, and Lytle moves forward with some punches. He and Koscheck start throwing wildly with ten seconds left. Lytle gets the better of the situation, but it is too late, and Koscheck will go on to get the decision victory.

Josh Koscheck won via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 30-28).

Joe Stevenson vs. Gleison Tibau
Lightweight Fight

Round One:
Both men look for striking opportunities as the fight begins. They collide at one point, with both men escaping having been hit.

Stevenson is the aggressor. He moves forward and knocks Tibau down with a punch, but Tibau pops up and tries for his own takedown. Stevenson slaps on a guillotine, but Tiabu rolls out and lands on top. They scramble and get back to the feet.

Stevenson throws an elbow from clinch. Tibau eventually works to an advantage in this position, dropping Stevenson down again. It does not last long, however, as Stevenson gets himself right back up as they re-clinch.

Stevenson throws a nice inside right as they separate. Stevenson moves forward with a right hand and then succeeds with a double leg takedown. Tibau tries for a triangle choke and then moves towards an omaplata, squeezing Stevenson's shoulder in between his leg. Stevenson holds on to avoid bearing significant damage in the hold, but Tibau has it locked in very well.

Stevenson keeps his composure and survives. The round ends.

Round Two:
Stevenson moves forward with strikes and again drops for a takedown, but Tibau uses underhooks to prevent Stevenson from taking him down. He then reverses the clinch and pushes Stevenson into the cage.

Stevenson turns things around in the clinch, but then Tibau reverses and takes Stevenson down. Stevenson pops up, but he catches a few punches from Tibau as he stands up.

Stevenson misses on a right hand attempt and Tibau is able to capitalize with a takedown. Tibau is in side control and starts to force his opponent's body towards the cage.

Tibau advances to mount, but Stevenson is active enough to force Tibau's body off. The action returns to the feet.

They both look for opportunities on the feet, but it is Tibau who scores with a takedown. Stevenson tries for another guilltoine as a counter, and it works this time—Tibau is forced to tap out.

Joe Stevenson won via submission (guillotine) at 2:57 of Round Two.

Ricardo Almeida vs. Patrick Cote
Middleweight Fight

Round One:
The co-main event is underway! Almeida opens with a quick takedown attempt. Cote blocks it, but Almeida pulls guard and brings the action to the mat.

Almeida looks for submission opportunities, but Cote blocks them and gets back to his feet. The two are back on their feet.

Almeida ducks under a right hand and attempts another takedown. Cote stands up, forcing a clinch, which gives Almeida the option of pulling guard. Almeida is instead looking for a normal takedown, however, which allows Cote's defense to have an effect. Almeida is unable to bring the action down.

Almeida switches from a single leg to a double leg and gets the takedown with ease. Cote postures against the cage, but Almeida pulls him away from it. Almeida stands up from Cote's guard and starts connecting from the top. He advances to half guard.

Cote scrambles and throws upkicks, but Almeida is not affected and gets right back on top of Cote. Cote throws the occasional elbow from the bottom, but the round is really belonging to Almeida, who is connecting with shots to the body and the face.

Round Two:
The action gets delayed for a few minutes as the officials work on repairing a tear in Almeida's gloves.

Almeida leads with a punch and then ducks for a takedown, but he cannot get to Cote. Cote fires with a shot of his own. He starts moving forward, but Almeida dodges the blows. Almeida ducks under a punch and then pulls guard. He advances his legs all the way up to Cote's head, but Cote pulls out and the action returns to the feet.

Cote moves forward, but he is largely unable to connect. He clinches with Almeida against the cage. Almeida tries to turn this into a takedown, but Cote uses double underhooks to block the takedown. They separate, and Cote lands a blow.

Almeida comes over the top with a right hand. Cote starts to get a bit more comfortable, firing some blows that land, including a bodyshot. Cote and Almeida lock up, and Almeida slips to the mat. Cote's not going to get involved on the ground, so Almeida stands back up.

Almeida ducks under yet another punch and locks up Cote's body. He tries to drag Cote down, but Cote stands firm. They start clinching against the cage. Almeida tries for a single leg attempt, but Cote spins out of it. Almeida applies a guillotine and tries to bring Cote down with a guard, but Cote shakes it off. He stands up to avoid damage. Cote moves forward and connects, dropping Almeida to the mat. But the bell chimes before Cote can attempt to finish things.

Round Three:
They clinch up early in the round. Cote forces Almeida into the cage but then decides to separate.

Right hand from Cote. Cote moves forward with some shots and then connects with a great leg kick. Almeida is circling and throwing jabs, but he is no real threat in the stand-up position. Cote keeps moving forward, but he's also not doing too much damage.

Jab connects for Almeida, followed by another one. Almeida fakes a jab and hits a soft right hand. Cote fires another big leg kick, but he's still not ready to move in and go wild. Right hand from Cote. Almeida moves forward and lands a right hand. Another leg kick from Cote, followed by a combination that grazes Almeida. Left hook from Cote.

Cote misses on a wild swing and Almeida fires back some soft shots. Almeida shoots and lands an important takedown. Cote wildly tries to get back to his feet, but the jiu-jitsu expert is doing a good job of hanging on. Almeida keeps Cote down but then fails on an attempt to control Cote's neck. He pulls guard and Cote lands on top for the final seconds.

Very close fight. The announcers are assuming Almeida took the first round and Cote took the second one, so it all comes down to how heavily the late fight takedown weighed on the minds of the judges.

Patrick Cote won via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

Round One:
Griffin connects with the first jab. He throws a series of punches from outside; none land. He delivers two leg kicks. Rampage comes through with an uppercut; Rampage appears far more composed at the onset.

High kick attempt from Griffin. Right hand from Griffin, followed by two more leg kicks. Rampage appears to be looking for a chance to explode. He grabs Griffin's head and throws a shot or two before Griffin pulls out. Rampage connects on a counter as Griffin tries for a looping right hand.

Rampage moves forward with a left hand and then some shots with a dirty boxing mentality. Rampage conencts with a left hook. Jabs from Griffin. Leg kick from Griffin. Another leg kick that almost trips Rampage.

Kick to the midsection from Griffin, but Rampage moves forward with a left hook that causes Griffin to stumble. Griffin moves right forward, however, and connects with some shots that send Jackson backwards. Another big leg kick from Griffin.

Griffin connects with a nice jab to Rampage's face. Griffin ducks forward as he moves forward and Rampage rocks Griffin with an uppercut. Griffin hits the mat immediately, but he's aware and is ready to defend. Jackson gets in Forrest's guard and moves Griffin towards the cage. He cannot do much, however, and Griffin gets right back to his feet. They start trading, with both men connecting a bit before the bell sounds. An absolutely awesome end to the round.

Round Two:
Griffin hits another leg kick that clearly hurts Rampage's left leg. Jackson blocks the next leg kick attempt, but Forrest comes forward with a guillotine and starts firing knees to Rampage's head. He drags Jackson to the ground and is now working from Rampage's top.

Griffin is in half guard. Griffin starts working Rampage towards the cage, occasionally throwing some shots to Rampage's face and upperbody. Griffin finally passes to side control. He starts throwing some elbows and also looks at Rampage's right arm for a potential submission attempt. He tries for an americana, but he's having trouble gaining leverage on the powerful Champion.

He lets go of the hold and starts throwing more blows to Rampage's face. Griffin advances to mount and starts throwing elbows to Rampage's face. Griffin has not been able to find an opening for serious strikes, but Rampage appears to have no option for escaping (besides a possible stand-up). Griffin is getting a clean look at Rampage's face and starts firing elbows in. Rampage starts trying to force Griffin off, but it doesn't work. Griffin starts throwing shots, but it appears that he's not going to get the stoppage. The round ends, saving Rampage.

Round Three:
Rampage's left leg is definitely in trouble. Rampage moves forward and connects with a right hand, the first notable strike of the round. Head kick from Griffin.

Griffin is attempting for more leg kicks to the left leg, but Rampage is dodging them successfully. Rampage moves forward and lands an uppercut combination. Griffin wildly tries for more leg kicks; he finally hits one, but it was higher so it didn't do as much damage.

Rampage catches an aggressive Griffin with a left hand; Griffin stumbles a bit.

Griffin ducks and Rampage understands the timing; he fires an uppercut back in Griffin's direction. More leg kicks from Griffin.

They start engaging a bit in the center, with Rampage's strikes appearing to have additional power. Griffin stops an advancing Rampage with a left hook to the face. Rampage then connects with a left-right combination. Leg kick from Griffin.

Rampage fakes upwards and then connects with a clean shot to Griffin's left side. High kick attempt from Griffin. Griffin moves forward with a shot, but Rampage dodges it and then connects to Griffin's face, clearly hurting him. Griffin's right back at Rampage, however, and he shakes Rampage off with a combination. Rampage fires right back, and they trade moments before the round comes to an end.

Round Four:
They collide with blows fifteen seconds in. Rampage appears to be loose on his leg now, and he starts throwing wildly, catching Griffin with about three of five attempted strikes. Rampage starts opening up with uppercuts, and Griffin is forced to clinch up. They drop to the mat, with Rampage on top of Griffin. Griffin, who Joe Rogan has been favoring in the jiu-jitsu department, has his guard locked in.

Forrest looks for a triangle choke; he secures it, and Rampage raises Griffin up for a slam attempt. Griffin hangs on for a second, but as he tries to grab Rampage's head to reset the hold, Rampage slams Griffin and shakes the challenger off. He's back in Griffin's guard.

Rampage tries to throw some strikes, but Griffin is doing a great job of neutralizing Rampage on the ground. Rampage backs up to his feet; Griffin gets caught with a shot as he stands up, but he recovers quickly.

Rampage lands a shot, but Forrest keeps bouncing back. Two straight hick kick attempts from Griffin. Griffin then delivers a combination. Rampage connects with his signature left hook, further opening up a cut on Griffin's face. Rampage again hits a left-right combination.

High kick from Griffin, followed by a forward combination. But Rampage bounces right back. Griffin uses his high kick to lead, almost as a jab, but Rampage is prepared to block it and fires back some very solid punches.

Round Five:
Griffin starts throwing some reaches to try and get something started. Rampage remains composed.

Another leg kick from Griffin. Griffin throws a kick to the midsection, but then ducks into a punch from Rampage. His ducking is opening up an opportunity for Rampage.

Another leg kick attempt from Griffin. Rampage fires back with a shot to Griffin's head. Griffin keeps using his left leg to control the distance. Griffin delivers a big leg kick, but Rampage is able to fire back with a shot. Big right from Rampage, followed by a big right from Rampage.

Left hand from Rampage. Griffin is moving forward, but he's not connecting as solidly at this point (even if he is doing so more frequently). High kick does land for Griffin, but it did not have any power behind it. Griffin lands a long right hand and then follows up with a combination.

He hits Rampage with another jab, finally showing his ability to time out Rampage's left hook. The striking this round has definitely been in Griffin's favor.

Rampage moves forward with some body shots and then a hook to Griffin's face, but Griffin is still ready to bang. Superman punch from Rampage, but Griffin responds with a knee to the body. Big right hand from Forrest, but Rampage is ready to fire back.

Griffin moves in with a left jab, but Rampage gets the better of the exchange with a counter combination of hooks. Rampage throws another left jab.

Thirty seconds remain. Rampage connects with another body shot, but Griffin counters with a knee. Rampage delivers an uppercut and then a left hand. Two more hooks from Rampage. Rampage is active as the round ends, but Griffin steps in and clinches with knees at the very end. An absolutely great fight that should be very close on the judges' scorecards. If one had to pick a holistic winner, it would be Griffin, but on a round-by-round basis, it was a very close fight. It would not be a shock if Rampage pulled off a 48-47 win.

Forrest Griffin won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship via unanimous decision (48-46, 48-46, 49-46).

After the fight, the crowd is booing Griffin, which catches the new champion off-guard. He teases an obvious rematch.


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