Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva shown in the crowd. There’s Stefan Bonnar as well, who appears pleased that his name was used in a Savage Science analogy in the prior fight writeup. Jamie Varner being interviewed now, another guy who should be a much bigger star than he is. If the UFC is looking for a younger version of Chuck Liddell this could be the guy. Asked about the main event he doesn’t equivocate and gives a good explanation of why.

Grigsby at 6′6″ has mad height for the 205 weight class. Grigsby has been below the radar but he’s a big, powerful looking dude. Munoz is a handful–two time NCAA champion wrestler at Oklahoma, multiple time all-American, undefeated MMA record. Grigsby impressively breaks the stereotype that African American fighters have to use hip-hop entrance music with his choice of ‘Rage Against The Machine’ doing ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’ which was recently used by Jeff Monson in his WVR matchup against Josh Barnett. There’s Clay Guida in the crowd and since the UFC ignores him despite his talent and charisma he’s not pointed out. Munoz enters to a DMX song that is hard to ID since they’ve got the entrance music sampled so low. Can’t miss DMX’s distincitive voice though. Munoz looks scary calm–like he just woke up from a nap. Munoz not as tall as Grigsby–6″ shorter with 7″ less reach. Munoz is not exactly short armed but Grigsby has a freakish 78″ reach. Grigsby has been studying Antonio Tarver tapes of prefight glaring. For a fighter with 3 professional bouts making his major promotion debut in front of a sold out hometown crowd Munoz is insanely calm. Obviously with the physical disparity Munoz will be looking for the takedown.

ROUND 1:

First real action of the fight is Munoz going for the takedown and Grigsby using his height to sprawl out of it. Grigsby lands a big uppercut but Munoz takes it well. He goes for another takedown and when it doesn’t work he pushes him against the cage. Somehow he gets the takedown and Munoz doesn’t look good inside the guard. The submission computer in Mir’s brain whirls into action as he runs through about a dozen submissions that the fighters could do–that is, they could do if they were Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt submission masters like Mir. Munoz doing well with the ground and pound, though he’s been surprisingly poor at controlling his opponent on the ground. Grigsby attempted a kneebar and misses when Munoz dives in again and lands about a half dozen uncontested punches to the noggin before Steve Mazzagatti dives in to stop it.

MARK MUNOZ WINS BY TKO

Munoz gives some ‘by the book’ shoutouts to Sacto after the fight. Announcer suggests he’s a ‘bigger Urijah Faber’ which has to be the stretch of the year. He does train with Faber, though fights nothing like him. Next up is a taped fight from the undercard invovling Danny Castillo and Donald Cerrone. Its a short fight but I won’t tell you who wins just in case you want to watch it. We’ll pick up the coverage when the live action resumes…