After a quick cleanup in the ring the Main Event was ready to get underway. This would be Javier Vazquez first trip back to the ring since losing his King of the Cage lightweight belt along with his anterior cruciate ligament this past February. His opponent Robert Emerson was the only thing standing between Vazquez and the promised UFC shot he thought he might have lost when he lost to Alberto Crane.
In a slow first round, Vazquez could not get the takedown and was forced to pull guard to get the match to the ground. The only offense Emerson could muster was a single knee to the face of Vazquez. Neither fighter established themselves in the first round.
The second round saw Vazquez open up a little more as he controlled the standup and scored the only takedown of the round. Emerson was impressive stuffing the shots of Vazquez but seemed to be fighting not to lose rather than to win. He was extremely passive and clearly lost the second round.
The third round began with Vazquez catching a kick attempt by Emerson and taking him to the mat. He quickly moved to side control and right into an armbar attempt. Emerson was having none of this as he launched Vazquez off of him. As the fighters got back to their feet Emerson, bleeding from the nose, still could not pull the trigger and let his hands fly. Vazquez shot in again but was rebuffed as the third round came to an end. In a surprise split decision (it really wasn't that close) Vazquez claims the win and the UFC shot he has long deserved.
