UFC on Fox 12 Prelims: Jorge Masvidal Survives Knockdown, Topples Daron Cruickshank

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The well-rounded skills of Jorge Masvidal proved too great an obstacle for Daron Cruickshank to overcome.

Masvidal paired effective boxing with his underrated and often overlooked grappling chops, as he claimed a unanimous decision over Cruickshank at UFC on Fox 12 “Lawler vs. Brown” on Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. All three cageside judges scored it for Masvidal (27-8, 4-1 UFC): 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27.

Cruickshank (15-5, 5-3 UFC) was effective with his kicks and floored the American Top Team mainstay with a crushing right hand roughly a minute into round one. However, Masvidal quickly regained his senses and proceeded to walk down “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 alum on the feet. “Gamebred” mixed in clinches and takedowns with his punches, battering Cruickshank with ground-and-pound and threatening with the occasional submission; a second-round brabo choke had Cruickshank in legitimate danger. Masvidal put his stamp on the fight late in round three, where he avoided a standing kimura attempt, countered a takedown into top position and assaulted Cruickshank with punches on the ground.

Cummins Dominates Overmatched Kingsbury

Repeated takedowns, a crushing top game and brutal ground-and-pound drove Reign MMA’s Patrick Cummins to a lopsided unanimous decision in an undercard confrontation at 205 pounds. Cummins (6-1, 2-1 UFC) carried all three scorecards, earning 30-27, 30-25 and 30-24 nods from the judges.

Kingsbury (11-6, 4-5 UFC) enjoyed limited success in the standup but could not stay upright long enough to make headway. A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler, Cummins delivered one takedown after another -- he totaled 11 in the fight -- and chewed up the American Kickboxing Academy representative with short elbows, forearm strikes and clubbing punches from top position.

A graduate of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8, Kingsbury has lost four fights in a row.

Means Storms Past Perpetuo

Former two-division King of the Cage champion Tim Means won for the third time in four appearances, as he took a unanimous verdict from Nova Uniao’s Hernani Perpetuo in a preliminary welterweight affair. All three judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Means (21-6-1, 2-3 UFC).

Means threw with more regularity and variety, and he landed more frequently. Perpetuo (17-5, 0-2 UFC) did his best work inside the opening five minutes, but his output dwindled in the second half of the fight. Means staggered the Brazilian with a short left hook in round two and piled up the points with accurate punches and kicks, all while using his lanky frame and excellent footwork to stay out of range. Perpetuo appeared to suffer an injury to his left arm -- perhaps by blocking a kick -- and fought one-handed for the entirety of the third round.

Ortega Choke Submits De La Torre

Former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Brian Ortega submitted Mike de la Torre with a first-round rear-naked choke in an undercard tussle at 145 pounds. De la Torre (12-5, 0-2 UFC) conceded defeat 99 seconds into round one, the MMA Lab product suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time in his professional career.

Ortega (9-0, 1-0 UFC) secured a takedown inside the first minute and transitioned immediately to his adversary’s back. His hooks sunk, the 23-year-old newcomer went to work on the finish. Ortega calmly snaked his arms into position and executed the choke with de la Torre still in a standing position. “El Cucuy” was left with no choice but to tap out.

Silva Wins 10th Straight

Unwavering aggression and unshakable cardio spurred onetime Jungle Fight champion Tiago dos Santos e Silva to a unanimous decision against Akbarh Arreola in a preliminary lightweight battle. Silva (19-4-2, 1-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 marks, recording his 10th consecutive victory.

Arreola (22-8-1, 0-1 UFC) leaned heavily on his kicking game, as he targeted the Brazilian’s midsection with regularity. However, the Mexican veteran ran out of steam in the second half of the match. Silva closed with a flourish, as he swarmed Arreola with punches, knees and standing elbows in the waning moments, putting an exclamation point on his latest triumph.

Blackzilians’ Burns Still Perfect

Blackzilians representative Gilbert Burns kept his perfect professional record intact with a unanimous decision over Andreas Stahl in an undercard duel at 170 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Burns (8-0, 1-0 UFC), who replaced Viscardi Andrade on short notice.

Stahl (9-1, 0-1 UFC) pushed a merciless pace in the first round, pressing the fight with forward movement, clinches and punches. A well-placed uppercut from Burns left the Swede with a damaged nose, compromised his ability to breathe and slowed his advance.

Over the course of the final 10 minutes, Burns established himself with well-disguised knees and crisp punches. The 28-year-old Brazilian struck for a takedown in the second round and cracked Stahl with a spinning elbow on the break in the third, making the most of his opportunities.

Undefeated Jedrzejczyk Decisions Carneiro

Blinding punching combinations and near-flawless takedown defense carried Cage Warriors Fighting Championship alum Joanna Jedrzejczyk to a unanimous verdict over Juliana de Lima Carneiro in a preliminary women’s strawweight encounter. Jedrzejczyk (7-0, 1-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27 marks.

Outside of her commitment to the clinch and a third-round takedown, Carneiro (6-2, 0-1 UFC) executed little in terms of meaningful offense. Jedrzejczyk, 26, operated behind a stiff jab, peppering the Brazilian with multi-punch bursts throughout the 15-minute battle. The Polish import also mixed in close-quarters knees, standing elbows and a front kick to the face.

Once-Beaten Lahat Outlasts Siler

American Kickboxing Academy export Noad Lahat banked two rounds and withstood a late surge from Steven Siler to pick up a unanimous decision in an undercard clash at 145 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Lahat (8-1, 1-1 UFC).

The second Israeli fighter ever to compete inside the Octagon, Lahat neutralized “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 graduate with multiple takedowns and throws. He did his best work in the second round, where he scrambled onto Siler’s back and later transitioned to a triangle choke. Siler (23-13, 5-4 UFC) survived to see round three and made his move there, twice attaching himself to the back of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. The John Hackleman protégé flattened out Lahat in the closing seconds but could not score the finish he needed.