By Joe Fernandez
Newsday.com
According to UFC.com, all 18 fighters made weight for Saturday's card in Newcastle, England.
Here are the official results:
BJ Penn (154) vs Joe Stevenson (154)
Fabricio Werdum (247) vs Gabriel Gonzaga (255)
Jess Liaudin (170) vs Marcus Davis (169)
Wilson Gouveia (205) vs Jason Lambert (204)
Jorge Rivera (185) vs Kendall Grove (186)
Antoni Hardonk (244) vs Colin Robinson (238)
Paul Kelly (170) vs Paul Taylor (170)
James Lee (206) vs Alessio Sakara (206)
Per Eklund (155) vs Sam Stout (155)
I still don't see someone finishing that Penn/Stevenson fight. Of course anyone could get caught with a punch or a submission, but I just don't see anyone tapping or knocking those two fighters out right now. As long as he doesn't get too comfortable on his back, letting Stevenson punch away from inside his guard, I still think Penn will grind out the five-round decision.
Submission of the night: With more than just a handful of submission experts on the card, I still think the sub of the night will go to the former professional boxer, Marcus Davis. But there is a chance that Kendall Grove could wrest this award away as well; he's facing striker Jorge Rivera.
Knockout of the night: Ironically, this one might come from the Gabriel Gonzaga/Fabricio Werdum fight, a matchup between two Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts. Look for these two to trade on the feet early on. Also watch out for the Jason Lambert/Wilson Gouveia matchup. I have a hunch they might respect each other's ground games and stand and trade.