Quick and dirty from UFC 125, live color from The Octagon

By John Katsilometes

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011 | 6:39 p.m.

• This fight is a draw! One judge 48-46 Maynard, one 48-46 Edgar, one 47-47. What does Edgar remember about the first round? "Not much, man," he tells ring reporter Joe Rogan. A rematch is inevitable, and it would be a hell of a fight.

• Fight ends in a flurry of punches from both fighters. Really entertaining. Crowd roars. Now we need Bruce Buffer -- himself a gladiator of The Octagon -- to impart the decision. I expect great modulation.

• If Edgar wins, credit his resiliency. He's been clubbed and kicked repeatedly, especially in Round 1.

• Sound advice from Maynard's corner, after Round 2: "Just beat him up!" Hmmm. That strategy could well produce the intended outcome ...

• Maynard bloodies Edgar, who staggers around The Octagon like Otis from "The Andy Griffith Show," but man is he tough. Survives a pretty significant beating in Round 1.

• Frankie "The Answer" Edgar and Gray "The Bully" Maynard going at it, and Maynard is just all over him. Might not last the round.

• Main event time. I hope Buffer has one last, blood-curdling performance in him. He starts strong, introducing the officials. Pace yourself, Bruce! Pace!

• In honor Leben's heroic but short-lived effort, we note other famous redheads: Johnny Rotten. Conan O'Brien, Ralph Malph.

• His hair is raspberry red, but Leben has just blacked out. Stann wallops him with something like 114 unanswered blows in the first round. His was a performance to dye for ...

• Chris "The Crippler" Leben has hair the color of raspberry Tang. He's sporting a Dennis Rodman starter kit tonight.

• Buffer needs his own ring men to keep him in action. Good lord, he gets a workout. He needs to be fanned off after every announcement.

• Stann, a military man, looks like an action figure up there. Like a G.I. Joe figure come to life.

• Co-main time. Shouldn't Brian Stann's nickname be "Paki?"

• Know this about UFC: Prolonged grappling will always get you booed.

• Now they're rockin', in Round 2, as Brandon Vera and Thiago Silva swap kicks and slugs and whatnot.

• I haven't heard 12,000 people this quiet since James Taylor asked for a moment of silence before his concert at Mandalay Bay Events Center just weeks after 9/11. ...

• Philadelphia Phillie Shane Victorino is here. Somewhere. From what I hear. Haven't seen anyone by that description just yet, but my buddy Shane who I used to play softball with for Barley Pops tavern is probably here because he loves UFC. ...

• One advantage mixed martial arts bouts have over boxing is the dearth of controversial decisions. Cutting against that advantage is the decision by Dong Hyun Kim, aka "Stun Gun," who just won a decision over Nate Diaz, which is being roundly booed. Or, Octagon-ly booed, in UFC speak. An aside: "Stun Gun" is a remarkably effective nickname. Speaks volumes.

• Randomly, I wonder: Will a UFC fighter ever win Sports Illustrated's Man of the Year? Or will it be an Olympic sport?

• Just got word, officially, that the announced attendance is 12,000. That matches my hand count. ...

• Crowd observations: Not a lot of celebs, aside from Mad Maddy. I've not seen anyone particularly noteworthy, aside from the aforementioned Couture and Dr. Alamo. ... UFC seems to draw an inordinately large number of bald men, both in and out of The Octagon. ... Crowd is not yet super-hyped, possibly because of the communal hangover symptoms.

• From the ring, second-round knockout victor Clay "The Carpenter" Guida quoted from "The Big Lebowski": "If you will it, it is not a dream, Dude." Say this for "The Carpenter," he is a credit to the sport.

• Madison note: She'll be the focus of an "E! True Hollywood" episode that is being reported starting at the end of the month.

• Can I just say, I love announcer Bruce Buffer. I want a poster of the guy. Not since Clint Holmes performed at Harrah's have I seen someone bring the vocals and choreography so effectively

• Our favorite Octagon Girl, Holly Madison, is seated nearby in a robe. Methinks she will be holding a card aloft, to great response, shortly.

• Earlier sighting, not so rare, Dr. Tony Alamo of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He's the city's foremost Vulcan/Trojan, a Trekker who also is a USC grad.

Hello, fight fans, and even those of you who stumbled on this blog looking for college bowl results or a photo gallery of Holly Madison. UFC 125 is happening at MGM Grand Garden Arena, and we'll be pitching notes life from Octagon-side as the action unfolds. At the moment, Marcus Davis is all curled up in an undercard, and underarm, encounter.

Earlier, I ran into Randy Couture, "ran into" being a term meaning "spoke with." To run into him, in fact, would lead to a bruised rib or three. Couture, looking at once menacing and kindly, said he's hoping to be part of the filming of "The Expendables" sequel -- which might be called "They Are Still Not Expendable" -- in May. The location is looking like New Orleans.

"That's what's projected," he said. "But we have not signed on the dotted line yet."

Couture also said he had no New Year's resolutions.

"I had a hell of a year," he said.

Back in a few with more morsels.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.