UFC on Fox 2 ‘Evans vs. Davis’ Results and Play-by-Play
Jan 28, 2012
Sherdog.com will report from the United Center in Chicago at
approximately 4:30 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of
UFC
on Fox 2, which is headlined by a light heavyweight clash
between Rashad
Evans and Phil
Davis.
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.
Click
here for quick results.
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Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Round 1
Johnson wants to touch gloves but Beltran shakes him off. The Strikeforce veteran’s first punch drops Beltran, but he pops back up and Johnson presses him into the cage, his forearm across Beltran’s throat as he looks for knees to the body. They break off and then tie up again, winding up in the same position until Beltran pops Johnson with a quick shot. Johnson flicks out a leg kick, then peppers his man with four or five solid jabs behind it. Another outside leg kick has Beltran moving backward again. Johnson follows and rips a big right hand to the body. Johnson is keeping the punches coming midway through the round, walking the “Mexicutioner” down with a consistent jab. Beltran lands one over the top, but his flailing punches aren’t finding their target on the larger man. An uppercut and a right hook have Beltran badly dazed against the fence. Another quartet of right uppercuts have Beltran out on his feet, slumping to the ground unconscious as referee Robert Madrigal steps in for the stop at 4:24 of the opening round.
Shane Roller vs. Michael Johnson
Round 1
After 20 seconds of feeling out, Roller shoots a long double-leg and gets stuffed. Johnson stays on his feet and on his toes, flashing quick punches and sprawling on another shot from the former Oklahoma State wrestler. They tie up and work for control along the fence, Johnson getting the dominant position with an underhook. He denies a guillotine try from Roller with wrist control, breaks off and pops Roller with a quick combination. Another shot from Roller fails and Johnson goes back to pressing him on the cage, landing some clean punches and elbows before they split again. A long left hand splits Roller’s guard and Johnson lands a nice flying knee just before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Round 2
Johnson gets inside with another bunch of punches and muscles Roller into the cage again. Roller shucks him off and trudges forward, looking for a big right hand. One gets through behind a left hook and Johnson digs another underhook to slow the offense. Johnson sprawls on a double-leg and clinches on the cage again, drawing boos from the Chicago crowd. Roller pulls guard and tries to wrap up at the base of the fence, but Johnson manages a couple hard forearms to the face. Roller uses the fence to stand and comes straight forward, throwing punches with ill intent. A couple undercuts land and this time Roller grabs Johnson to tie up, though he still can’t take the “Ultimate Fighter” alum down. Johnson reverses into the fence, exits with a couple standing elbows. Roller walks into range and eats a knee, a left hook. Roller’s moving backward now and Johnson lays a hard three-punch combo on him. Roller gets a waist-lock and walks Johnson to the fence, can’t get the takedown before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Round 3
Johnson opens up with more combinations and stifles another shot from Roller. This time, however, Roller gets his man down to his knees and tries to hop on his back. Johnson is flattened out on his stomach with Roller punching away. Referee Herb Dean warns the wrestler not to punch to the back of the head, but Roller keeps doing just that. Dean steps in and issues Roller another verbal warning, but does not deduct a point. Things still look grim for Johnson with Roller now on his back with a body-triangle, still punching away. Roller’s trying for a rear-naked choke but Johnson’s defending well and manages to twist around with just under a minute to go. When they scramble back to their feet, Johnson charges with punches and kicks; one of the latter catches Roller in the cup and they pause. They restart with only seconds to go and both men are swinging to finish, Roller getting the better of the exchange with a couple hard lefts.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Roller (29-28 Johnson)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Roller (29-28 Johnson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Roller (29-28 Johnson)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Michael Johnson.
Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Round 1
Oliveira, the former lightweight prospect who’s making his featherweight debut in this bout, gets busy with leg kicks in the early going. He catches a kick from Wisely and stands over him, looking to pass guard but taking his time, careful not to catch an upkick. Oliveira drops back for a heel hook and it looks deep, but Wisely twists out. Oliveira’s still got a hold of the American’s left leg and he’s not letting go. Wisely tries to escape, even grabbing the fence in an attempt to stand up. It’s for naught, though, as Oliveira has turned the hold into a painful-looking modified calf slicer. Wisely is forced to tap out at 1:43 of the first round.
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
Round 1
There’s no touch of gloves and Roop flicks out a teep kick to the body as his first strike to keep his smaller foe at bay. Swanson inches forward, though he’s quick to backpedal anytime Roop throws. Swanson absorbs a number of kicks and uppercuts before finding his spot about two minutes in, clipping Roop with wild punches. Roop recovers on the fence, ties up and stomps on Swanson’s feet before disengaging. Swanson loses his mouthpiece and stifles a takedown from Roop, landing on top in the scramble. When the action slows, ref John McCarthy replaces the mouthpiece. Roop’s on his back, looking for a long upkick, but Swanson stays out of danger.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Round 2
Roop goes back to his long-range attack, with straight punches followed by hard outside thigh kicks. Swanson keeps coming forward though, landing a leg kick of his own before wading inside to clinch up. Roop takes a knee to the thigh before digging an underhook and extracting himself. Swanson’s grinning ear-to-ear as he slips Roop’s punches and walks him down. A massive overhand right sends Roop’s mouthpiece bouncing off the cage and the big man collapses to the floor. Swanson pounces and drops another half-dozen right hands on Roop before ref McCarthy waves it off. The official time of the TKO stoppage is 2:22 of round two.
John Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Round 1
Russow charges in with a left hand and spins Einemo down with a single-leg. The grappler keeps an open guard and shoves Russow away to stand, but Russow comes right back in for another try. Einemo stays up this time and cracks Russow with a knee in the clinch. Russow slings a few more punches on his way in to tie up, then walks Einemo into the middle of the cage, where they break. Einemo stings Russow with a crisp right cross, an uppercut, another pair of hooks when Russow tries to come inside. Russow gets another single-leg and goes down to Einemo’s open guard, looking to pass. Einemo closes up guard and grabs for the American’s wrists, then leans toward Russow’s left arm for a kimura momentarily. Russow stands up with a minute to go and tries to step into side control, but he’s blocked and winds up in Einemo’s open guard again. Einemo sweeps into full mount just as the horn sounds.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Russow
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Russow
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Russow
Round 2
The big men trade uppercuts in the clinch until Russow gets another takedown, this time in the center of the cage. Einemo swings his legs up, hunting for an armlock, but he can’t get anything going as Russow stays heavy on top and drops punches to the body. Russow stands to try and pass, stalls out and stands again. The next dive lands him once again in Einemo’s open guard as ref Herb Dean calls for action. Einemo closes up his guard and grabs on to Russow’s wrists to prevent offense as the pace slows further. Dean calls for work again and Russow lands a couple elbows to the body; the official brings the heavyweights back to their feet with 30 seconds to go. Russow scores another single-leg on Einemo, who finishes the round on his back, his nose and mouth bloodied.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Russow
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Russow
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Russow
Round 3
Russow looks to come inside for another takedown at the 30 second mark and is fended off with a knee. The next try is unsuccessful as well and it leads to another, bigger knee from Einemo. A third knee and Russow pushes the “Viking” to his back, then stands up and dives back down to grab a headlock. Einemo extracts his head and Russow stands out-of-range of his man’s upkicks. Dean tells them to work and Russow goes back to the ground. With one butterfly hook, Einemo nearly sweeps and takes Russow’s back, but Russow stuffs him down. Two minutes to go in the final frame and it’s back to the familiar position, Russow dropping sporadic punches from Einemo’s closed guard. The ref wants them back on their feet with 1:45 remaining and Einemo is slow to get there. Einemo’s looking for knees again and they lead to another takedown for Russow, who tries in vain to pass the guard of his exhausted opponent for the final minute.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Russow (30-27 Russow)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Russow (30-27 Russow)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Russow (30-27 Russow)
Official result: The scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Mike Russow.
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Round 1
Lentz moves forward on the southpaw Dunham, throwing punches over the top and some stinging leg kicks. Dunham goes high with a kick, puts a few hard rights on Lentz’s chin, but the “Carnie” keeps coming and gets his takedown with three minutes to go in the round. Lentz snares a guillotine as Dunham stands back up, but it’s not tight and Dunham is defending well on the fence. Lentz abandons the hold and gives Dunham a knee. Dunham reverses into the cage, puts a few short punches on Lentz’s ribs and takes a front kick to the body as they split. Dunham grabs a standing guillotine of his own now, but Lentz extracts himself. A pair of hard elbows connect for Dunham and he slams Lentz to the mat with a high double. Lentz keeps active from the bottom, isolating Dunham’s right arm and socking him in the face with left hands. Dunham can’t muster much offense from the top as he tries to navigate Lentz’s open guard, finally landing a right hand at the horn and another a split-second after.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Round 2
Dunham gets a takedown and steps into side control, only to be stuffed back to half-guard. Lentz gets some space and grazes the standing Dunham with an upkick, but Dunham keeps him on the floor. Lentz gets back on his feet 90 seconds in and zaps Dunham with a flurry of uppercuts in the clinch. Dunham takes a leg kick from Lentz to land a left straight up top. Lentz is moving forward, throwing the greater volume until he gets caught in another Dunham headlock. Dunham has Lentz pinned on the cage and unloads with a dozen punches, answered in kind by Lentz. The lightweight grin at one another and Dunham hits another takedown, this time with Lentz’s left side to the fence. Dunham postures up and drops some hard lefts on Lentz’s face, then drops down and grabs another headlock. He lets it go and sets up in high side-control on Lentz’s left. Bleeding from his nose and mouth, as well as a cut near his left eye, the Carnie sticks Dunham back in his guard. Dunham keeps active, landing punch after punch as they scramble back up, and a big knee once they get there. Lentz presses forward with 20 seconds left, connects with a left hand, an uppercut. He clinches Dunham into the cage and pops him with one more uppercut at the end.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham
The doctors are taking a long, hard look at Lentz, who’s got a nasty, cut-open mouse under his left eye. They advise ref John McCarthy to halt the contest and he does, giving Evan Dunham the TKO victory after two rounds.
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
Round 1
The middleweights feint and bounce in the middle of the cage, Maia in the southpaw stance and Weidman orthodox. Weidman misses with a snapping front kick and knocks Maia over when they clash in an exchange of punches. Maia gets back to his feet and they’re back to stalking around the cage, Weidman in the center firing off jabs and long kicks. Ref Herb Dean warns Weidman to watch his fingers on the punches. Maia thuds a kick to Weidman’s body and the wrestler gives chase with a combo, misses with a superman punch. Weidman ducks under a punch and tries a rear waistlock but Maia scoots away. Maia is missing with overhand lefts while Weidman lands a couple long rights and a kick to the body. Weidman is really leaning into his punches and keeping a low stance as he feints in front of the Brazilian. Weidman ducks a punch and rips a right into Maia’s body. They clash in an exchange and Weidman takes the opportunity to change levels and floor an off-balance Maia. The BJJ black belt stands right back up and they’re throwing again. Weidman wades in with a left hook and Maia makes him pay with a knee in the clinch.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Round 2
Weidman wraps Maia up and gets a takedown, landing straight into side control. Maia won’t stay down this time either, and he’s momentarily back up, pawing with a jab and a kick to Weidman’s body. Weidman throws an uppercut to Maia’s beltline, misses with a straight punch over the top. The right side of Maia’s face has reddened around the eye as Weidman switches to body punches, throws a slapping low kick. Both men are pulling up short on punches, trying to remeasure the distance as the round enters its last two minutes. Maia scores with a solid left, flicks out a leg kick and partially blocks a right high kick from the wrestler. Weidman grabs a double-leg in center cage and drives Maia into the fence. Maia escapes though and puts a knee, a kick and a left hand on Weidman’s face. Another pair of knees in the clinch have Weidman looking for a takedown. He gets it with 20 seconds to go and nearly takes Maia’s back in a scramble, grabbing for a guillotine at the end.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Round 3
Both men are breathing heavy at the start of the third, but it’s Maia looking more depleted. Weidman opts not to go to the floor when he gets a body lock, but brings Maia down moments later with a double-leg. Maia uses the fence to work back up, tries a takedown of his own but abandons it in favor of a hard uppercut. Another takedown try from Maia fails, and the next finds him caught in a headlock. Weidman lets it go and they’re throwing tired punches, Maia mixing in a knee. Maia flops to his belly on a weak takedown attempt but Weidman’s too exhausted to capitalize. The crowd is booing the fatigued fighters with two minutes left in the bout. Maia is getting the better of the tired punching exchange with uppercuts inside until Weidman comes on strong with a series of knee strikes. Maia gives a knee back and they trade jabs. Weidman snaps a few jabs off on the bloodied right eye of Maia; the Brazilian jabs back as the boos rain down again. Weidman gets the last word with a right high kick.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Weidman (30-27 Weidman)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Weidman (30-27 Weidman)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Weidman (30-27 Weidman)
Official result: Judges Sal D’Amato and Gabriel Sabatis score the bout 29-28, while Patrick Morley has it 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Chris Weidman.
Updated at 10:28 p.m. ET: This bout was incorrectly announced as a split decision.
Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen
Round 1
Sonnen charges straight forward and Bisping backs him off with punches. Sonnen gets an easy double-leg but Bisping quickly scrambles back up. Sonnen gets an underhook and muscles the Englishman into the cage but Bisping breaks off and creates some space. Undeterred, Sonnen ties up and whips Bisping to the ground again. He postures up and lands three or four solid lefts to Bisping’s face before the “Count” pops back up. The middleweights exchange knees in the clinch and Bisping changes levels for a takedown. It doesn’t come, and when Bisping stands back up, Sonnen is waiting with a knee. Sonnen runs Bisping into the fence and lands another knee with 2:30 gone now. Bisping reverses and ref John McCarthy warns the fighters to mind the clash of heads as they fight on the inside. They split and Bisping misses with a flashy spinning kick. Sonnen backs out of the way and then moves forward, clinching Bisping into the fence. Bisping is twice warned not to hold Sonnen’s trunks as he spins the American into the cage and deals out some knees. Bisping just misses an uppercut but lands with a crisp combination led by a straight left. They tie up with Bisping on the outside, fighting for position and breaking off before the end of the frame.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 2
Bisping clinches Sonnen into the cage and they resume their close-quarters fighting, Sonnen looping an arm around Bisping’s neck to slug with left hands. Ref McCarthy warns Sonnen to watch the back of the Bisping’s head before they slow down and he splits them up. Sonnen gets a takedown at the base of the fence and gets to work from Bisping’s half-guard. Sonnen can’t mount much offense before Bisping scrambles back up, but he gives the Brit a solid knee on the way up. Bisping is cut beneath his eye but it doesn’t look like a fight-ender at the moment. He shoves Sonnen into the cage again with 90 seconds left and McCarthy is almost immediately calling for action. Sonnen throws tired punches with his back to the fence while Bisping mostly opts to control position and throw a few knees up the middle. Sonnen escapes and tries to attack with combos, but it’s Bisping getting the better of him with knees to the body.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Round 3
Sonnen connects with a left hand, ducks a right from Bisping and plows him down with a double-leg on the fence. The crowd doesn’t like it and lets them hear it as soon as the middleweights hit the ground. Bisping tries to scramble up again, but the escape allows Sonnen to hop on his opponent’s back. Sonnen works for the position a moment before rolling Bisping and sinking in both hooks. The rear-naked choke won’t go for Sonnen, so he changes to an arm-triangle and hops into full mount. He gives up the choke and throws short punches, then raises up and slams his chest into Bisping’s face. Bisping pushes Sonnen back to full guard, then Sonnen advances to half-guard. Bisping scoots back into the fence and gets to his knees, but he stalls out and is dragged back down by a Sonnen body lock. Sonnen keeps the control on front as Bisping stands up with only seconds remaining. Bisping gets the last takedown of the fight and manages to drop a couple elbows on Sonnen before the horn.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Sonnen (29-28 Bisping)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Sonnen (29-29 Draw)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Sonnen (29-28 Sonnen)
Official result: The scores read 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Chael Sonnen.
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Round 1
Evans takes the center of the cage while the rangy Davis stalks around the outside, both in the orthodox stance. “Mr. Wonderful” lands a hard outside leg kick then knocks the ex-champ backward with a blocked high kick. Davis slips on a spinning attack and they tie up momentarily. Davis ducks a punch and shoots low, but Evans is all over it and grabs a front headlock. Davis removes himself from the situation and shoots again, can’t find the takedown. He’s feinting kicks to keep the smaller Evans out of range. Evans gets a couple punches off before Davis shoots again. Evans isn’t giving an inch on the takedown tries and forces Davis to stand back up. Evans catches a kick and sweeps the leg of Davis, landing in half-guard on the former Penn State wrestler’s right side. Davis tries to hip escape but Evans is keeping control as he tries to extract his leg. He does, and now he traps Davis’ right arm in the crucifix position, dropping punches as Davis squirms and bucks. Davis finally gets out from underneath with 10 seconds left and that’s where the frame ends.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 2
Davis whiffs on a spinning kick and it’s Evans this time taking the outside. Davis gets in behind some punches but can’t keep Evans tied up for more than a few seconds. He lands a few solid leg kicks but eats some straight punches from Evans in return. They’re still playing a long-range striking game until Davis dips in to clinch. He lets Evans go after a few seconds and now Evans puts the pressure on, throwing fast, long punches and shoving Davis into the cage; he corks Davis with a right hand as they break. Evans once catches another kick and hustles Davis to the ground, passing to side control with ease and getting the crucifix again.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 3
Davis tries some leg kicks before shooting on Evans and once again being stalled out. His back to the fence, Evans sits down and shoves Mr. Wonderful off his legs in an attempt to stand. Davis keeps hold of the ex-Spartan’s leg, but Evans gets the sweep and holds Davis on the fence. Davis works back to his feet and lands a knee up the middle as the 205-pounders clinch on the cage. Evans comes with a hard uppercut and Davis drops to his knees for another shot. Evans denies him and keeps throwing punches on the fence in the tie-up. Davis drives forward and hits a double-leg with a minute left on the clock. Evans nearly escapes to his feet, gets dragged back down, then hops up again. Davis drives some knees into Evans’ thighs in the clinch and Evans reverses just before the round ends.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 4
Davis is trying to keep the fight long-range with lanky kicks and punches, and it’s working through the first minute of the fourth frame. Davis scores with a few leg kicks but Evans is quickly closing the distance, throwing combinations to Davis’ single arm punches. Evans gets a front headlock and Davis puts a hand on the mat to avoid knees to the head. They stay vertical and Davis misfires on a shot, getting caught on his knees with Evans grabbing his ankle. Evans is landing some hard rights under the armpit, misses with left hands over the top. More uppercuts from Evans in the clinch; Davis gets stuffed out on another shot. A right uppercut from Evans backs Davis up with seconds to go.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 5
Davis’ mouth hangs wide open as he emerges for the final frame, but he’s still keeping active, looking for kicks and straight punches. As he has before in the bout, Evans catches a slow kick from Davis and socks him in the face four or five times before shoving him to the ground. Davis is bleeding from a cut on his left leg and is lumped up on his face. Evans stalls out in half-guard momentarily but soon works to side control, and then the crucifix yet again. Davis slips out this time before he absorbs too much damage but it’s not looking much better for him on the feet. A right hand jacks Davis’ jaw and a low kick chops the base out from beneath him. Evans muscles him into the cage as they stand and holds him there for a moment. Davis misses on a high kick, lands a slow right hand. Evans is firing back with murderous overhand rights; those miss, but a pair of clean right hooks finish the round and the bout, which should be a clean sweep for the former champ.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans (50-45 Evans)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans (50-46 Evans)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans (50-45 Evans)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 50-45 for the winner by unanimous decision, Rashad Evans.
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Chris
Camozzi def. Dustin
Jacoby via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 1:08
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Round 1
Johnson wants to touch gloves but Beltran shakes him off. The Strikeforce veteran’s first punch drops Beltran, but he pops back up and Johnson presses him into the cage, his forearm across Beltran’s throat as he looks for knees to the body. They break off and then tie up again, winding up in the same position until Beltran pops Johnson with a quick shot. Johnson flicks out a leg kick, then peppers his man with four or five solid jabs behind it. Another outside leg kick has Beltran moving backward again. Johnson follows and rips a big right hand to the body. Johnson is keeping the punches coming midway through the round, walking the “Mexicutioner” down with a consistent jab. Beltran lands one over the top, but his flailing punches aren’t finding their target on the larger man. An uppercut and a right hook have Beltran badly dazed against the fence. Another quartet of right uppercuts have Beltran out on his feet, slumping to the ground unconscious as referee Robert Madrigal steps in for the stop at 4:24 of the opening round.
Shane Roller vs. Michael Johnson
Round 1
After 20 seconds of feeling out, Roller shoots a long double-leg and gets stuffed. Johnson stays on his feet and on his toes, flashing quick punches and sprawling on another shot from the former Oklahoma State wrestler. They tie up and work for control along the fence, Johnson getting the dominant position with an underhook. He denies a guillotine try from Roller with wrist control, breaks off and pops Roller with a quick combination. Another shot from Roller fails and Johnson goes back to pressing him on the cage, landing some clean punches and elbows before they split again. A long left hand splits Roller’s guard and Johnson lands a nice flying knee just before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Round 2
Johnson gets inside with another bunch of punches and muscles Roller into the cage again. Roller shucks him off and trudges forward, looking for a big right hand. One gets through behind a left hook and Johnson digs another underhook to slow the offense. Johnson sprawls on a double-leg and clinches on the cage again, drawing boos from the Chicago crowd. Roller pulls guard and tries to wrap up at the base of the fence, but Johnson manages a couple hard forearms to the face. Roller uses the fence to stand and comes straight forward, throwing punches with ill intent. A couple undercuts land and this time Roller grabs Johnson to tie up, though he still can’t take the “Ultimate Fighter” alum down. Johnson reverses into the fence, exits with a couple standing elbows. Roller walks into range and eats a knee, a left hook. Roller’s moving backward now and Johnson lays a hard three-punch combo on him. Roller gets a waist-lock and walks Johnson to the fence, can’t get the takedown before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Round 3
Johnson opens up with more combinations and stifles another shot from Roller. This time, however, Roller gets his man down to his knees and tries to hop on his back. Johnson is flattened out on his stomach with Roller punching away. Referee Herb Dean warns the wrestler not to punch to the back of the head, but Roller keeps doing just that. Dean steps in and issues Roller another verbal warning, but does not deduct a point. Things still look grim for Johnson with Roller now on his back with a body-triangle, still punching away. Roller’s trying for a rear-naked choke but Johnson’s defending well and manages to twist around with just under a minute to go. When they scramble back to their feet, Johnson charges with punches and kicks; one of the latter catches Roller in the cup and they pause. They restart with only seconds to go and both men are swinging to finish, Roller getting the better of the exchange with a couple hard lefts.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Roller (29-28 Johnson)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Roller (29-28 Johnson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Roller (29-28 Johnson)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Michael Johnson.
Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Round 1
Oliveira, the former lightweight prospect who’s making his featherweight debut in this bout, gets busy with leg kicks in the early going. He catches a kick from Wisely and stands over him, looking to pass guard but taking his time, careful not to catch an upkick. Oliveira drops back for a heel hook and it looks deep, but Wisely twists out. Oliveira’s still got a hold of the American’s left leg and he’s not letting go. Wisely tries to escape, even grabbing the fence in an attempt to stand up. It’s for naught, though, as Oliveira has turned the hold into a painful-looking modified calf slicer. Wisely is forced to tap out at 1:43 of the first round.
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
Round 1
There’s no touch of gloves and Roop flicks out a teep kick to the body as his first strike to keep his smaller foe at bay. Swanson inches forward, though he’s quick to backpedal anytime Roop throws. Swanson absorbs a number of kicks and uppercuts before finding his spot about two minutes in, clipping Roop with wild punches. Roop recovers on the fence, ties up and stomps on Swanson’s feet before disengaging. Swanson loses his mouthpiece and stifles a takedown from Roop, landing on top in the scramble. When the action slows, ref John McCarthy replaces the mouthpiece. Roop’s on his back, looking for a long upkick, but Swanson stays out of danger.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Round 2
Roop goes back to his long-range attack, with straight punches followed by hard outside thigh kicks. Swanson keeps coming forward though, landing a leg kick of his own before wading inside to clinch up. Roop takes a knee to the thigh before digging an underhook and extracting himself. Swanson’s grinning ear-to-ear as he slips Roop’s punches and walks him down. A massive overhand right sends Roop’s mouthpiece bouncing off the cage and the big man collapses to the floor. Swanson pounces and drops another half-dozen right hands on Roop before ref McCarthy waves it off. The official time of the TKO stoppage is 2:22 of round two.
John Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Round 1
Russow charges in with a left hand and spins Einemo down with a single-leg. The grappler keeps an open guard and shoves Russow away to stand, but Russow comes right back in for another try. Einemo stays up this time and cracks Russow with a knee in the clinch. Russow slings a few more punches on his way in to tie up, then walks Einemo into the middle of the cage, where they break. Einemo stings Russow with a crisp right cross, an uppercut, another pair of hooks when Russow tries to come inside. Russow gets another single-leg and goes down to Einemo’s open guard, looking to pass. Einemo closes up guard and grabs for the American’s wrists, then leans toward Russow’s left arm for a kimura momentarily. Russow stands up with a minute to go and tries to step into side control, but he’s blocked and winds up in Einemo’s open guard again. Einemo sweeps into full mount just as the horn sounds.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Russow
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Russow
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Russow
Round 2
The big men trade uppercuts in the clinch until Russow gets another takedown, this time in the center of the cage. Einemo swings his legs up, hunting for an armlock, but he can’t get anything going as Russow stays heavy on top and drops punches to the body. Russow stands to try and pass, stalls out and stands again. The next dive lands him once again in Einemo’s open guard as ref Herb Dean calls for action. Einemo closes up his guard and grabs on to Russow’s wrists to prevent offense as the pace slows further. Dean calls for work again and Russow lands a couple elbows to the body; the official brings the heavyweights back to their feet with 30 seconds to go. Russow scores another single-leg on Einemo, who finishes the round on his back, his nose and mouth bloodied.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Russow
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Russow
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Russow
Round 3
Russow looks to come inside for another takedown at the 30 second mark and is fended off with a knee. The next try is unsuccessful as well and it leads to another, bigger knee from Einemo. A third knee and Russow pushes the “Viking” to his back, then stands up and dives back down to grab a headlock. Einemo extracts his head and Russow stands out-of-range of his man’s upkicks. Dean tells them to work and Russow goes back to the ground. With one butterfly hook, Einemo nearly sweeps and takes Russow’s back, but Russow stuffs him down. Two minutes to go in the final frame and it’s back to the familiar position, Russow dropping sporadic punches from Einemo’s closed guard. The ref wants them back on their feet with 1:45 remaining and Einemo is slow to get there. Einemo’s looking for knees again and they lead to another takedown for Russow, who tries in vain to pass the guard of his exhausted opponent for the final minute.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Russow (30-27 Russow)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Russow (30-27 Russow)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Russow (30-27 Russow)
Official result: The scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Mike Russow.
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Round 1
Lentz moves forward on the southpaw Dunham, throwing punches over the top and some stinging leg kicks. Dunham goes high with a kick, puts a few hard rights on Lentz’s chin, but the “Carnie” keeps coming and gets his takedown with three minutes to go in the round. Lentz snares a guillotine as Dunham stands back up, but it’s not tight and Dunham is defending well on the fence. Lentz abandons the hold and gives Dunham a knee. Dunham reverses into the cage, puts a few short punches on Lentz’s ribs and takes a front kick to the body as they split. Dunham grabs a standing guillotine of his own now, but Lentz extracts himself. A pair of hard elbows connect for Dunham and he slams Lentz to the mat with a high double. Lentz keeps active from the bottom, isolating Dunham’s right arm and socking him in the face with left hands. Dunham can’t muster much offense from the top as he tries to navigate Lentz’s open guard, finally landing a right hand at the horn and another a split-second after.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Round 2
Dunham gets a takedown and steps into side control, only to be stuffed back to half-guard. Lentz gets some space and grazes the standing Dunham with an upkick, but Dunham keeps him on the floor. Lentz gets back on his feet 90 seconds in and zaps Dunham with a flurry of uppercuts in the clinch. Dunham takes a leg kick from Lentz to land a left straight up top. Lentz is moving forward, throwing the greater volume until he gets caught in another Dunham headlock. Dunham has Lentz pinned on the cage and unloads with a dozen punches, answered in kind by Lentz. The lightweight grin at one another and Dunham hits another takedown, this time with Lentz’s left side to the fence. Dunham postures up and drops some hard lefts on Lentz’s face, then drops down and grabs another headlock. He lets it go and sets up in high side-control on Lentz’s left. Bleeding from his nose and mouth, as well as a cut near his left eye, the Carnie sticks Dunham back in his guard. Dunham keeps active, landing punch after punch as they scramble back up, and a big knee once they get there. Lentz presses forward with 20 seconds left, connects with a left hand, an uppercut. He clinches Dunham into the cage and pops him with one more uppercut at the end.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham
The doctors are taking a long, hard look at Lentz, who’s got a nasty, cut-open mouse under his left eye. They advise ref John McCarthy to halt the contest and he does, giving Evan Dunham the TKO victory after two rounds.
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
Round 1
The middleweights feint and bounce in the middle of the cage, Maia in the southpaw stance and Weidman orthodox. Weidman misses with a snapping front kick and knocks Maia over when they clash in an exchange of punches. Maia gets back to his feet and they’re back to stalking around the cage, Weidman in the center firing off jabs and long kicks. Ref Herb Dean warns Weidman to watch his fingers on the punches. Maia thuds a kick to Weidman’s body and the wrestler gives chase with a combo, misses with a superman punch. Weidman ducks under a punch and tries a rear waistlock but Maia scoots away. Maia is missing with overhand lefts while Weidman lands a couple long rights and a kick to the body. Weidman is really leaning into his punches and keeping a low stance as he feints in front of the Brazilian. Weidman ducks a punch and rips a right into Maia’s body. They clash in an exchange and Weidman takes the opportunity to change levels and floor an off-balance Maia. The BJJ black belt stands right back up and they’re throwing again. Weidman wades in with a left hook and Maia makes him pay with a knee in the clinch.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Round 2
Weidman wraps Maia up and gets a takedown, landing straight into side control. Maia won’t stay down this time either, and he’s momentarily back up, pawing with a jab and a kick to Weidman’s body. Weidman throws an uppercut to Maia’s beltline, misses with a straight punch over the top. The right side of Maia’s face has reddened around the eye as Weidman switches to body punches, throws a slapping low kick. Both men are pulling up short on punches, trying to remeasure the distance as the round enters its last two minutes. Maia scores with a solid left, flicks out a leg kick and partially blocks a right high kick from the wrestler. Weidman grabs a double-leg in center cage and drives Maia into the fence. Maia escapes though and puts a knee, a kick and a left hand on Weidman’s face. Another pair of knees in the clinch have Weidman looking for a takedown. He gets it with 20 seconds to go and nearly takes Maia’s back in a scramble, grabbing for a guillotine at the end.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Weidman
Round 3
Both men are breathing heavy at the start of the third, but it’s Maia looking more depleted. Weidman opts not to go to the floor when he gets a body lock, but brings Maia down moments later with a double-leg. Maia uses the fence to work back up, tries a takedown of his own but abandons it in favor of a hard uppercut. Another takedown try from Maia fails, and the next finds him caught in a headlock. Weidman lets it go and they’re throwing tired punches, Maia mixing in a knee. Maia flops to his belly on a weak takedown attempt but Weidman’s too exhausted to capitalize. The crowd is booing the fatigued fighters with two minutes left in the bout. Maia is getting the better of the tired punching exchange with uppercuts inside until Weidman comes on strong with a series of knee strikes. Maia gives a knee back and they trade jabs. Weidman snaps a few jabs off on the bloodied right eye of Maia; the Brazilian jabs back as the boos rain down again. Weidman gets the last word with a right high kick.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Weidman (30-27 Weidman)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Weidman (30-27 Weidman)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Weidman (30-27 Weidman)
Official result: Judges Sal D’Amato and Gabriel Sabatis score the bout 29-28, while Patrick Morley has it 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Chris Weidman.
Updated at 10:28 p.m. ET: This bout was incorrectly announced as a split decision.
Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen
Round 1
Sonnen charges straight forward and Bisping backs him off with punches. Sonnen gets an easy double-leg but Bisping quickly scrambles back up. Sonnen gets an underhook and muscles the Englishman into the cage but Bisping breaks off and creates some space. Undeterred, Sonnen ties up and whips Bisping to the ground again. He postures up and lands three or four solid lefts to Bisping’s face before the “Count” pops back up. The middleweights exchange knees in the clinch and Bisping changes levels for a takedown. It doesn’t come, and when Bisping stands back up, Sonnen is waiting with a knee. Sonnen runs Bisping into the fence and lands another knee with 2:30 gone now. Bisping reverses and ref John McCarthy warns the fighters to mind the clash of heads as they fight on the inside. They split and Bisping misses with a flashy spinning kick. Sonnen backs out of the way and then moves forward, clinching Bisping into the fence. Bisping is twice warned not to hold Sonnen’s trunks as he spins the American into the cage and deals out some knees. Bisping just misses an uppercut but lands with a crisp combination led by a straight left. They tie up with Bisping on the outside, fighting for position and breaking off before the end of the frame.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 2
Bisping clinches Sonnen into the cage and they resume their close-quarters fighting, Sonnen looping an arm around Bisping’s neck to slug with left hands. Ref McCarthy warns Sonnen to watch the back of the Bisping’s head before they slow down and he splits them up. Sonnen gets a takedown at the base of the fence and gets to work from Bisping’s half-guard. Sonnen can’t mount much offense before Bisping scrambles back up, but he gives the Brit a solid knee on the way up. Bisping is cut beneath his eye but it doesn’t look like a fight-ender at the moment. He shoves Sonnen into the cage again with 90 seconds left and McCarthy is almost immediately calling for action. Sonnen throws tired punches with his back to the fence while Bisping mostly opts to control position and throw a few knees up the middle. Sonnen escapes and tries to attack with combos, but it’s Bisping getting the better of him with knees to the body.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Round 3
Sonnen connects with a left hand, ducks a right from Bisping and plows him down with a double-leg on the fence. The crowd doesn’t like it and lets them hear it as soon as the middleweights hit the ground. Bisping tries to scramble up again, but the escape allows Sonnen to hop on his opponent’s back. Sonnen works for the position a moment before rolling Bisping and sinking in both hooks. The rear-naked choke won’t go for Sonnen, so he changes to an arm-triangle and hops into full mount. He gives up the choke and throws short punches, then raises up and slams his chest into Bisping’s face. Bisping pushes Sonnen back to full guard, then Sonnen advances to half-guard. Bisping scoots back into the fence and gets to his knees, but he stalls out and is dragged back down by a Sonnen body lock. Sonnen keeps the control on front as Bisping stands up with only seconds remaining. Bisping gets the last takedown of the fight and manages to drop a couple elbows on Sonnen before the horn.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Sonnen (29-28 Bisping)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Sonnen (29-29 Draw)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Sonnen (29-28 Sonnen)
Official result: The scores read 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Chael Sonnen.
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Round 1
Evans takes the center of the cage while the rangy Davis stalks around the outside, both in the orthodox stance. “Mr. Wonderful” lands a hard outside leg kick then knocks the ex-champ backward with a blocked high kick. Davis slips on a spinning attack and they tie up momentarily. Davis ducks a punch and shoots low, but Evans is all over it and grabs a front headlock. Davis removes himself from the situation and shoots again, can’t find the takedown. He’s feinting kicks to keep the smaller Evans out of range. Evans gets a couple punches off before Davis shoots again. Evans isn’t giving an inch on the takedown tries and forces Davis to stand back up. Evans catches a kick and sweeps the leg of Davis, landing in half-guard on the former Penn State wrestler’s right side. Davis tries to hip escape but Evans is keeping control as he tries to extract his leg. He does, and now he traps Davis’ right arm in the crucifix position, dropping punches as Davis squirms and bucks. Davis finally gets out from underneath with 10 seconds left and that’s where the frame ends.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 2
Davis whiffs on a spinning kick and it’s Evans this time taking the outside. Davis gets in behind some punches but can’t keep Evans tied up for more than a few seconds. He lands a few solid leg kicks but eats some straight punches from Evans in return. They’re still playing a long-range striking game until Davis dips in to clinch. He lets Evans go after a few seconds and now Evans puts the pressure on, throwing fast, long punches and shoving Davis into the cage; he corks Davis with a right hand as they break. Evans once catches another kick and hustles Davis to the ground, passing to side control with ease and getting the crucifix again.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 3
Davis tries some leg kicks before shooting on Evans and once again being stalled out. His back to the fence, Evans sits down and shoves Mr. Wonderful off his legs in an attempt to stand. Davis keeps hold of the ex-Spartan’s leg, but Evans gets the sweep and holds Davis on the fence. Davis works back to his feet and lands a knee up the middle as the 205-pounders clinch on the cage. Evans comes with a hard uppercut and Davis drops to his knees for another shot. Evans denies him and keeps throwing punches on the fence in the tie-up. Davis drives forward and hits a double-leg with a minute left on the clock. Evans nearly escapes to his feet, gets dragged back down, then hops up again. Davis drives some knees into Evans’ thighs in the clinch and Evans reverses just before the round ends.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 4
Davis is trying to keep the fight long-range with lanky kicks and punches, and it’s working through the first minute of the fourth frame. Davis scores with a few leg kicks but Evans is quickly closing the distance, throwing combinations to Davis’ single arm punches. Evans gets a front headlock and Davis puts a hand on the mat to avoid knees to the head. They stay vertical and Davis misfires on a shot, getting caught on his knees with Evans grabbing his ankle. Evans is landing some hard rights under the armpit, misses with left hands over the top. More uppercuts from Evans in the clinch; Davis gets stuffed out on another shot. A right uppercut from Evans backs Davis up with seconds to go.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans
Round 5
Davis’ mouth hangs wide open as he emerges for the final frame, but he’s still keeping active, looking for kicks and straight punches. As he has before in the bout, Evans catches a slow kick from Davis and socks him in the face four or five times before shoving him to the ground. Davis is bleeding from a cut on his left leg and is lumped up on his face. Evans stalls out in half-guard momentarily but soon works to side control, and then the crucifix yet again. Davis slips out this time before he absorbs too much damage but it’s not looking much better for him on the feet. A right hand jacks Davis’ jaw and a low kick chops the base out from beneath him. Evans muscles him into the cage as they stand and holds him there for a moment. Davis misses on a high kick, lands a slow right hand. Evans is firing back with murderous overhand rights; those miss, but a pair of clean right hooks finish the round and the bout, which should be a clean sweep for the former champ.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evans (50-45 Evans)
Freddie DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Evans (50-46 Evans)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evans (50-45 Evans)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 50-45 for the winner by unanimous decision, Rashad Evans.
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