UFC Fight Night 31 Prelims: Controversial Kick Propels Bobby Green Past James Krause

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Controversy smiled on Bobby Green.

Green survived a point deduction for two low blows in his sophomore Ultimate Fighting Championship appearance, as he finished James Krause with a questionable body kick in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 31 lightweight matchup on Wednesday at Fort Campbell in Hopkinsville, Ky. The former two-division King of the Cage champion closed out Krause (20-5, 1-1 UFC) 3:50 into round one.

The decisive strike -- a kick that landed on the belt line and appeared to graze Krause’s cup -- came on the heels of a pair of low blows that resulted in Green (21-5, 2-0 UFC) being docked a point. This time, Krause collapsed in the center of the cage in apparent agony, and referee John McCarthy awarded Green the victory.

“It was actually [on the] belt line, and ‘Big’ John saw it, too,” said Green, who has won his last six fights. “I don’t want to do it this way. I was saying let us fight. We can do it again and start this all over from the beginning. It was bad luck, man. One time, he stepped in, and I caught him. I do not kick guys low. I hate for the fight to go this way. We can rematch it or do whatever [UFC President] Dana White and [matchmaker] Joe Silva want to do.”

Violent Rivera Volley Buries Roop

Francisco Rivera put away former two-division Rage in the Cage champion George Roop with a wild volley of power punches in the second round of their bantamweight battle. Roop (14-10-1, 4-6 UFC) succumbed to the blows 2:20 into round two, unable to withstand any more punishment.

Rivera (10-2, 3-1 UFC) backed up “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 semifinalist with a violent two-punch combination in the first round, only to surrender a takedown. Roop largely neutralized the heavy-handed Californian on the ground and held his own on the feet. That changed in round two. There, Rivera staggered the Arizonan with a left hook and then teed off with ill intent. Hooks and uppercuts flew, as Roop stumbled backward and ultimately wilted under the barrage.

“Everybody knows me for my heavy hands, and I knew his game plan was to take me down,” Rivera said. “I just had to weather the storm, and hopefully I catch him, and I did. I saw him go limp after a couple of punches. I knew I had to finish it. He’s tough. George has been around for a long time. Much respect to George for fighting me.”

Nunes Grounds, Pounds De Randamie

Promising Brazilian Amanda Nunes dismissed the American Kickboxing Academy’s Germaine de Randamie with mounted ground-and-pound in the first round of their women’s bantamweight clash. Nunes (9-3, 2-0 UFC) polished off the Dutch kickboxer 3:56 into round one.

Nunes closed the distance on the lanky striker, secured the takedown and moved to mount near the cage. Once the position was secure, the 25-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt teed off with elbows, punches and hammerfists. De Randamie (4-3, 1-1 UFC) covered up, failed to answer and led referee Herb Dean to intervene on her behalf.

Larkin Rebounds, Outduels Camozzi

Millennia MMA export Lorenz Larkin rebounded from the first official defeat of his career, as he posted a unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 alum Chris Camozzi in a preliminary middleweight tilt. All three cageside judges scored it for Larkin (14-1, 1-1 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

Camozzi (19-7, 6-4 UFC) leaned heavily on inside and outside leg kicks but failed to slow down Larkin. The 27-year-old Californian peppered Camozzi with straight right hands, short elbows in the clinch and savage kicks to the body. By the end of round two, Camozzi wore the damage. Larkin resumed his attack in the third, where he tore into his counterpart with right hands and punctuated his first Octagon victory with a beautiful spinning back elbow in the closing seconds.

Medeiros Uppercut Dispatches Edwards

Yancy Medeiros put away American Top Team’s Yves Edwards with a ringing left uppercut and follow-up punches in an undercard battle at 155 pounds. Medeiros (10-1, 1-1 UFC) closed out the 64-fight veteran 2:47 into round one.

Edwards (42-21-1, 10-9 UFC) countered effectively throughout the brief encounter, tagging his Hawaiian adversary repeatedly with right hands. Medeiros nodded his approval and moved forward. The once-beaten 26-year-old softened Edwards with front kicks to the body, clipped the Bahamian-born Texan with an uppercut during an exchange in the center of the cage, trailed him to the canvas and finished it there.

Baczynski Withstands Late Surge, Outpoints Magny

Takedowns, ground-and-pound and a steady diet of right hands carried Power MMA Team’s Seth Baczynski to a unanimous decision over Neil Magny in a preliminary welterweight scrap. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Baczynski (19-10, 5-3 UFC), who threw the brakes on a two-fight losing streak.

Magny (8-3, 1-2 UFC) fought well in the clinch and mounted a late surge in the third round, where he had his fatiguing foe reeling in the closing seconds. However, the Miguel Torres protégé spent too much time on his back in the first 10 minutes of the match and even found himself mounted for a brief spell in the opening frame.

Brunson Choke Finishes Houston

Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative Derek Brunson submitted the previously unbeaten Brian Houston with a first-round rear-naked choke in an undercard clash at 185 pounds. A replacement for the injured Antonio Braga Neto, Houston (4-1, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 48 seconds into round one.

Brunson (11-2, 2-0 UFC) delivered a head kick to the temple and then pounced on the dazed 32-year-old Riverdale, Ga., native. Soon, the rear-naked choke was in place, and Houston was left with no choice but to tap out. Brunson, 29, has won back-to-back bouts since entering the UFC as part of the Strikeforce merger.