UFC 71 is under way at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The buzz around the city of Las Vegas has been palpable, this is by far the biggest event in the city this weekend.

The American Top Team's Wilson Gouveia scored a solid win over Philadelphia's Carmelo Marrero in the opener, winning with a guillotine at 3:06 of the first round.

After a minute or so of pacing in center octagon, Gouveia (9-4) opened up his game with low leg kicks. Gouveia pushed the pace and hit a nasty knee that dropped Marrero (6-2). A big flurry of right hands led to the opening for the submission.

Gouveia said he wanted Chuck Liddell in his postfight interview, which got a mixed reaction from the crowd. Speaking of the crowd, they were quick to boo the lack of action in the early going.

In the second match, veteran Din Thomas (23-7) taught Iowa youngster Jeremy Stephens (13-2) a lesson with a spectacular armbar victory at 2:44 of the second round in a lightweight showdown.

Stephens sprawled to defend an attempted Thomas takedown and mounted his opponent. Thomas managed to nearly sink in an armbar, but Stephens picked him off the mat and slammed him hard.

Thomas hung on, however, and sunk in the armbar. Referee Big John McCarthy stopped the fight and Stephens claimed he didn't tap, but he was seconds away from a broken arm.

"I'll tell you what, if Big John didn't stop that, I was gonna break that arm off and take it with me," said Thomas, who put the Ft. Lauderdale-based American Top Team at 2-0 on the evening.

In the first round, Thomas feigned left then scored a takedown, then spent most of the rest of the round in control. Twice he got side control and twice he got Stephens back, nearly sinking in a guillotine at one point. Stephens reversed position late and landed a couple big bombs to the downed Thomas for a huge reaction from the crowd, but Thomas carried most of the action.