Vera alternated between some good striking and grinding control against the cage for 10 minutes, but got dropped by solid shot early in the third. Marshall took his time, but ended up taking his back and coming close to sinking in a choke, before he transitioned to a beautiful armbar. It appears that Vera's arm popped, but he didn't tap and rode out the fight to get the W. The final scores were 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. The light heavyweight bout was the fourth fight on the UFC 137 preliminary card, and aired live on Facebook. It was also shown on the Spike TV broadcast.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Marshall's huge shot that dropped Vera, or the armbar that almost ended Vera's night. It's not often that the top two highlights of a fight were from the guy that actually lost.
Where do these guys go from here?
Vera has brought his UFC career back from the dead successfully, but it definitely wasn't the defining victory he was looking for. He was a huge favorite in terms of betting odds, and he didn't live up to expectations. It will be interesting to see what direction the UFC takes when it comes to booking Vera next. Will he get a top guy? Or another marginal UFC fighter?
I thought the loser of this bout was just about guaranteed to get released, but Marshall might have saved his job with that dominant third round. It certainly wouldn't surprise me if he got released because his style is generally not fan-friendly, but if he has earned another fight, a bout with someone like Fabio Maldonado would probably work. Light heavyweight has very few bottom-tier guys, so it's going to be tough for him no matter what.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Later and only for the third round if you do that. The first two rounds were nothing special, but the third was very interesting. Waa it a 10-8 round to you? Because I thought it should have been.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/7/2350504/mma/fight-card/74507/ufc-133-evans-vs-ortiz
More BE coverage of UFC 137 in the full entry.
UFC 137 Results: Donald Cerrone's Destruction of Dennis Siver Vaults Him Into Relevancy - Leland Roling
UFC 137 Results: Mirko Cro Cop Retires, but What Is His Legacy? - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz Punches His Way to Momentous Opportunity - Leland Roling
UFC 137 Results: Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Fights To Make After The Card, Where Do We Go From Here? - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Biggest Winners, Losers, and Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Dana White Announces Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137 Results: Mirko Cro Cop Announces Retirement After Loss - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz Starches BJ Penn To A Decision In A FOTY Candidate - Matthew Roth
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 93: UFC 137 Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC 137 Results: B.J. Penn Retires After Loss to Nick Diaz - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Pay-Per-View Fights - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137 Results: Cheick Kongo Decisions Matt Mitrione In A Lackluster Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Roy Nelson Stops Mirko Cro Cop In The Third Round - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Scott Jorgensen Wins Unanimous Decision Over Jeff Curran - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Hatsu Hioki Wins Split Decision Over George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Donald Cerrone Forces Dennis Siver To Submit - Matthew Roth
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Spike TV Prelims - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137 Results: Bart Palaszewski Knocks Out Tyson Griffin In UFC Debut - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Brandon Vera Wins Close Decision Over Eliot Marshall - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Results: Ramsey Nijem Dominates Danny Downes - Matthew Roth
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Facebook Prelims - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137: Francis Carmont Dominates Chris Camozzi In UFC Debut - Matthew Roth