UFC 56: Full Force

UFC 56: Full Force featured the most exciting card we've had since UFC 52. The main card exemplified the full range of mixed martial arts. Some were fast-paced, others were slow; some ended by KO and some by decision. The event was perfect sample of what MMA has to offer.

Jeremy Horn beat Trevor Prangley in a very interesting chess match of a fight. Horn is one of the most skilled trainers and submission artists in the UFC, and he put this to use against Prangley. Horn and Prangley battled for 15 straight minutes, leading to a decision for Horn.

In one of the most anticipated bouts of the evening, Georges St. Pierre met Sean Sherk. Rush was able to take down the take down expert at will, pounding him into the fence for the two rounds during which the fight lasted. George also exhibited superior stand up skills and an excellent sprawl, making the current Lightweight champion look completely overmatched. St. Pierre had lost his previous fight (to Matt Hughes) and he certainly looked like he had something to prove during this bout. St. Pierre bloodied Sherk and got the fight called at 2:51 in the 2nd.

This was followed by another display of stand up and ground as the Welterweight champion Matt Hughes took on 23-year-old Joe Riggs. Diesel, although 9 years younger, was overwhelmed by Hughes' consistent stamina and work rate. Matt worked Joe to the ground a number of times, eventually finishing him off with a perfect kimura. This submission was later named the "submission of the night."

In the swing bout, Gabriel Gonzaga took on Kevin Jordan. For the majority of three rounds, neither man wanted to engage...and so they didn't, circling around and drawing boos from the fans. Chants of "you suck" and "go home" were so loud, they could easily be heard on the television broadcast. However, the boring majority served as a fitting build up to a shocking end. With just a minute left in the final round, Gonzaga faked a body kick and landed a Superman punch, immediately knocking Jordan out. The punch hit a blood vessel, causing blood to literally pour out of Jordan's head. Despite the extremely entertaining finish, most fans refused to clap at the end of the fight.

In the main event, Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin met Nate Quarry in a fight which Ace dominated. Franklin picked Quarry apart, and knocked him down once before the final KO, almost prompting Big John to stop the fight well before he actually did. During this process of sniping, Franklin was able to break Quarry's nose with a nasty knee. Eventually, Franklin landed just the right counterpunch at just the right time, sending Quarry flying through the air, unconcious well before he hit the mat.

All in all, UFC 56 features an exciting night of UFC stars, knockouts, and submissions. The only fight that I would call boring happened to have the most exciting finish of all while the other bouts were stellar throughout. This is definitely one to add to the collection!