Frank Mir knocks out Mirko Filipovic in heavyweight bout at UFC 119

Mir knocks out Filipovic at UFC 119

INDIANAPOLIS — The crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse booed for much of the 14 minutes that Frank Mir and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic battled in the main event at UFC 119.

In an instant, Mir landed two blows and sent everyone home happy. He waited for the right moment, then knocked out Filipovic with a hard knee to the face and a strike to the chin late in the third round of their bout on Saturday.

Mir earned an important victory in his quest to return to heavyweight championship contention. He had been knocked out in his previous fight against Shane Carwin.

Mir felt he didn’t perform well against Filipovic.

“I’ll make the statement that a shooting win is better than a shooting loss,” he said. “With that being said, other than that, I’m not happy at all.”

The most significant action early in the fight came in the first round when a knee from Filipovic inadvertently hit Mir in the groin, causing him to double over in pain.

Mir used his 25-pound weight advantage to keep Filipovic against the cage and effectively avoid getting caught by one of Filipovic’s feared kicks.

Filipovic trailed 20-18 on all three scorecards heading into the third round, and he knew he had to do something to avoid defeat. He appeared to have gained momentum before Mir caught him with the knee, knocking him flat on his back. Mir assumed dominant position and hit a solid right-handed shot to the chin before the fight was stopped at 4:02 in the third round. Filipovic did not show up for the post-fight news conference.

Ryan Bader remained unbeaten by dominating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a light heavyweight bout. He won all three scorecards 30-27 by using superior striking and several takedowns to keep the Brazilian off balance.

Hometown fighter Chris “Lights Out” Lytle defeated Matt Serra by unanimous decision in the welterweight division. The crowd stood and cheered as the final seconds ticked away in the third round, knowing their hero had dominated.

“The crowd was amazing,” Lytle said. “Every time they said my name, I feel like I had to do something for them. I have to go forward.”

Lytle’s fight with Serra was a rematch of “The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback” finale, which Serra won by split decision.

Lytle used his reach advantage to keep Serra at bay for much of the fight. A flurry by Lytle late in the second round looked as if it might end the fight, but Serra fought back.

The stronger, thicker Serra continued unsuccessfully trying to push past Lytle’s jab in the third round.

Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk defeated previously unbeaten Evan Dunham by split decision. It was Sherk’s first fight in 16 months.

Sherk gained dominant position in the first round, then landed an elbow to open a gash over Dunham’s right eye.

Sherk was unable to land anything major afterward though. Dunham tried to push the offense, while Sherk counterattacked against the fence. The crowd booed Sherk during his post-match interview, but he felt he did more damage in the first round than Dunham did in the third.

Melvin Guillard defeated Jeremy Stephens by split decision in a lightweight bout.

Guillard fought defensively, but he caught Stephens coming in enough times to do damage. Stephens chased Guillard around the octagon for much of the fight, to the dismay of the near-sellout crowd. Stephens had his arms raised in victory when it was announced that Guillard won.

“It was a great fight,” Guillard said. “I felt like my speed was the difference. Whether it was a jab or a kick, I saw it all coming.”

Former Purdue football player Matt Mitrione followed up his win over Kimbo Slice in May by defeating Joey “Mexecutioner” Beltran by unanimous decision in a heavyweight bout.

Mitrione never felt threatened in his bout as he improved to 3-0.

“I felt great for all three rounds,” he said. “I feel like I could do two more. He had a really good game plan, but I felt like my cardio was better and I wasn’t letting him do what he wanted to do.”

C.B. Dollaway defeated Joe Doerksen by guillotine choke submission after the two rolled several times.