Denny Burkholder

Every fighter on the card for Saturday's UFC 81 made weight on Friday.

Also, a reminder that we'll be live blogging the UFC 81 PPV tomorrow night. Check back around 9:45 p.m. ET for the updates to begin.

The weigh-in results:

Main card:

Tim Sylvia -- 261
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- 237

Notes:

Sylvia actually got cheered by the crowd, and seemed genuinely happy about it when Joe Rogan mentioned it. "I couldn't believe it," he said. "What's going on?"

Rogan created an awkward moment when he started to ask Sylvia about the chance to become the first three-time heavyweight champion in UFC history. Sylvia grinned and shook his head "no." Rogan then looked around confused. "Randy is?"

Frank Mir -- 255
Brock Lesnar -- 265

Mir looked very subdued on his way to the scale. Lesnar and Mir didn't butt heads, but they didn't shake hands either.

Jeremy Horn -- 185
Nate Marquardt -- 185

Ricardo Almeida -- 185
Rob Yundt -- 185

Gleison Tibau -- 156
Tyson Griffin -- 155

Undercard:

Chris Lytle -- 170
Kyle Bradley -- 170

David Heath -- 205
Tim Boetsch -- 205

Marvin Eastman -- 185
Terry Martin -- 186

Eastman butted heads lightly with Martin, who returned the pleasantries with a shove.

Keita Nakamura -- 155
Rob Emerson -- 155

The main event is up: BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson for the vacant UFC lightweight title.

Round 1: Penn overwhelmed Stevenson right out of the gate with a flurry of punches. Stevenson rocked back into a sitting position and ate more punches on the ground. Penn slowed down a bit and Stevenson took half guard. Penn moved Stevenson back against the cage and took full mount with a pair of grapevines. Stevenson escaped the mount but ate some hard strikes in trying to get back to his feet. Penn took full mount again. Stevenson put together some nice strikes to Penn's face from the bottom, which Penn answered from the top. Penn landed a grazing right elbow and busted Stevenson wide open. There was a ridiculous amount of blood spilling from Stevenson's head as the round came to a close. The fight will continue, but the corner never did get the cut to stop bleeding.

Round 2: Stevenson and Penn stand and trade for a while. Other than the blood, Stevenson looks to be of sound mind and not all that shaken. The blood is going down the middle of his face, so his vision isn't in too much jeopardy. Penn dropped Stevenson and took full mount again, and punished Stevenson with strikes. Penn gets Stevenson's back and finishes it with a rear naked choke for the tap.

Winner: BJ Penn defeated Joe Stevenson via submission to a rear naked choke at 4:02 of Round 2 to become the new UFC lightweight champion.

Since three of the five main card fights were finished 45-50 minutes into the broadcast, the UFC aired the Paul Kelly-Paul Taylor fight to kill time. I must say, it was an entertaining scrap.

The first round in particular started with both guys throwing bombs. Kelly opened a nasty cut on Taylor's forehead in the second round with an elbow, and from that point on, Kelly had Taylor in control for the unanimous decision. Nice debut for Kelly, who will certainly pop up again on the next UFC stop in England.

The heavyweights are up next: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum.

Round 1: Firmly Gonzaga's round as he starts by controlling Werdum on the ground, then lets him up to punish him with leg kicks. Gonzaga threw right leg kicks on two occasions that were powerful enough to buckle Werdum to the ground. Gonzaga went for a head kick and Werdum was able to capitalize and get Gonzaga to the mat. Werdum worked from Gonzaga's half guard. Gonzaga tried for a kneebar and Werdum clenched his hands to defend the move as the round ended. I have it 10-9 for Gonzaga, although Werdum was giving him some headaches at the end of the round.


Round 2: Werdum threw some punches but got stuffed on a takedown attempt. Gonzaga would't follow Werdum to the mat, so they stood again. I missed a minute or so of the fight due to satellite problems. When the signal is back, Gonzaga was still throwing leg kicks and Werdum's left thigh was turning purple. Werdum began to do some damage with punch combinations and a pair of knees. Werdum held Gonzaga against the cage and forced him to the ground. Gonzaga started to look really tired. Werdum began pounding Gonzaga's right ear with fists and Gonzaga couldn't defend, so the referee stopped it. Gonzaga is now 0-2 against Werdum.

Winner: Fabricio Werdum defeated Gabriel Gonzaga via TKO due to strikes at 4:34 of Round 2.

Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis is next up at welterweight.

Round 1: Good lord. Liaudin came out with some leg and high kicks, and then Davis sees an opening, steps forward with a left hand, and Liaudin flattened out like a board. Liaudin is completely out. Total highlight-reel stuff.

Winner: Marcus Davis defeated Jess Liaudin via KO due to a left hand at 1:04 of Round 1.

Up next, the light heavyweights: Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason Lambert.

Lambert came out to Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down," which has been Spencer Fisher's theme music lately.

Round 1: Lambert chased Gouveia around the cage to start as Gouveia got in a couple of shots. Lambert with a takedown, and Gouveia tried for a guillotine but couldn't hold it. Lambert pushed Gouveia up against the cage while in his guard and started throwing punches. Gouveia got up to his feet and Lambert took him down again, with Gouveia still looking for a guillotine. Gouveia almost sunk in a triangle choke but Lambert was able to turn out of it. Lambert landing more punches and elbows from Gouveia's guard, but has yet to do serious damage. The round ends, and I've got it 10-9 for Lambert so far.

Round 2: The start of the round was delayed because Gouveia couldn't find his mouthpiece. Lambert came out confident and resumed stalking Gouveia around the cage. Lambert dropped his right arm briefly before throwing a punch, and Gouveia connected with a left hook to the jaw that dropped Lambert instantly. Lambert was winning the fight, but winds up losing via knockout.

Winner: Wilson Gouveia defeated Jason Lambert via KO due to a left hook at 37 seconds of Round 2.