UFC on Fox Results and Play-by-Play
Nov 12, 2011
Sherdog.com will report from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.,
at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of
UFC
on Fox, headlined by a UFC heavyweight title clash between
champion Cain
Velasquez and challenger Junior dos
Santos.
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Click here for quick results.
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Round 1
Lucas wades forward with wide right hands which Rosa sidesteps, then Rosa is forced to defend a takedown. Lucas drags him down, but Rosa pops back up and flicks off a blocked high kick. The 205-pounders tie up and exchange uppercuts in the clinch before Rosa snuffs out another takedown try and is leaned into the fence by Lucas. Referee “Big” John McCarthy warns Rosa to keep his knees up and the two break off. Rosa charges with a combination and gets pushed against the cage again. He puts a knee on Lucas’ chin in the clinch and follows up with a pair to the gut. Lucas loses his mouthpiece and the action is paused momentarily. When they resume, Lucas walks into a flurry of punches from Rosa to clinch up again. Rosa throws short punches to the body and a few knees in the clinch while Lucas digs for the single-leg. Rosa keeps landing elbows to the head in the final 40 seconds of the opening round, breaking away at the end and staggering Lucas with punches.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Rosa
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rosa
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rosa
Round 2
Clearly the fresher fighter at the start of the second, Rosa looks to set up combinations and kicks, taking his time on the feet. Lucas, meanwhile, waits for a takedown opportunity and finally explodes about a minute into the round. Once again, Rosa jumps back up almost as soon as he hits the ground, then tags Lucas with uppercuts in the clinch before they split. It’s not long before Lucas is at it again, trying to force the single-leg on the fence while Rosa sprawls and elbows away at the body and head. Lucas is verbally warned twice for grabbing the fence and again loses his mouthpiece, though he replaces it by himself this time. Rosa lands dozen of short elbows and punches before they finally break. Lucas sneaks a left hand through but it’s all single punches from “Luke Duke,” who’s breathing with his mouth wide open. With 45 seconds left, referee McCarthy stops the action again to replace Lucas’ mouthpiece, this time deducting a point for the infraction. Upon resuming, Lucas gets a takedown in the center of the cage, but Rosa is back to his feet before the end of the round.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-8 Rosa
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Rosa
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Rosa
Round 3
The big men come out throwing heavy leather to open the final, but neither man goes down in the exchange. Lucas is soon back to pushing Rosa into the cage, while Rosa is back to defending, landing knees and elbows in the clinch. After tasting a few level elbows, Lucas backs away and goes back to hurling big, single punches. Rosa gets inside, grabs the Thai plum and lands a few brutal knees to the body. In response, Lucas goes low again and shoots the single-leg on the fence. Rosa elbows him in the ribs and then forces Lucas to exit with a knee to the face and a right hand. Lucas is spent, just grabbing on to Rosa while Rosa piles on strikes in the clinch. Lucas loses his mouthpiece again with 90 seconds to go, but referee McCarthy waits to halt the action as Rosa pushes the action in the clinch. Rosa racks up some more knees and punches to the body before McCarthy calls a break with 45 seconds to go. No point is deducted this time and they resume in the same position, Rosa pushing Lucas into the cage with over-under hooks. Lucas takes some more punishment before exploding forward with a desperate final takedown, which Rosa stuffs to finish the fight on top.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Rosa (30-26 Rosa)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rosa (30-26 Rosa)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rosa (30-26 Rosa)
Official result: One judge scores the bout a 28-28 draw, while the remaining two officials have it 30-26 for the winner by majority decision, Aaron Rosa.
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Round 1
Pierce takes the center of the cage and pushes outward with punches, quickly shoving Bradley into the cage. Bradley breaks off and tries to keep Pierce at bay with a push kick and a quick left hook. Pierce chops with leg kicks and gets inside again, but can’t get anything going. Bradley pushes Pierce into the fence and similarly fizzles out. A nice right straight from Pierce nearly takes the legs out from under Bradley, and Pierce follows up with some more nice low kicks. Two minute to go and Bradley explodes forward with a combo, landing a left hook. Pierce gets underhooks and ties up, exiting with an elbow. Bradley is cut along his hairline, though it doesn’t look too serious. With less than 90 seconds left, Bradley dives for a takedown, can’t keep Pierce there and instead shoves his fellow wrestler into the cage. Pierce keeps his hand on the mat so he can’t be knees and Bradley lets him go with a punch. At the 30 second mark, Pierce comes inside with a bunch of punches and clinches with Bradley, who answers with knees to the body.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Round 2
Pierce wings a combination to get inside and ties up. They walk around in the clinch for a moment before Bradley escapes with a punch. Bradley gets the clinch this time but it’s Pierce who drills his man with a knee to the belly and a few punches inside. Pierce shoots a long single-leg which is easily stifled by Bradley, who holds Pierce in the clinch before pushing him off with a left hook. Pierce sticks Bradley with a few stiff left jabs before tying up again. Bradley walks him off the cage and lands a few knees to the body, but Pierce surges forward. Bradley is sporting a number of cuts on his forehead now and even one on his ankle as he shoots awkwardly and gets stuffed. Pierce sticks another pair of left jabs and a nice inside leg kick in the last 30 seconds.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Round 3
Pierce is on the attack as the final frame begins, leg-kicking and throwing hard punches. The welterweights clinch up and stall in the center of the cage a few times. When they break, it’s Pierce landing his jab again and sprawling all over the double-leg of Bradley. The pace slows as they work from over-under position and referee Larry Landless splits them up. Bradley hits a right hand counter as they tie up again, followed by knees to the body. Landless urges the pair on again and they break by themselves this time. Pierce is caught off-balance by the next Bradley takedown attempt and winds up with “The Gentleman” wrapped around his legs. Pierce uses his hands to hammerfist, then crawls away, frees his legs and scrambles to his feet. Pierce is throwing single left hands and stepping off now while Bradley pushes forward. A solid left hand gets through for Pierce, then a right just before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pierce (30-28 Pierce)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierce (30-27 Pierce)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierce (30-27 Pierce)
Official result:One judge scores the bout 29-28 for Pierce, while another sees it 29-28 for Bradley. The remaining judge has the bout 30-27 for the winner by split decision, Mike Pierce.
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Round 1
Caceres pushes Escovedo away with a front kick and uses long punches to back the “Apache Kid” into the fence. The “Ultimate Fighter” alumnus is keeping the punches coming, looking for spinning attacks, while keeping his trademark smile on his mug. Caceres rips a hard right hand to Escovedo’s body and nearly chops his leg out with a low kick. Escovedo’s throwing awkward left hands which Caceres is easily bouncing out of the way of. A spinning back-fist grazes Escovedo’s head and a follow-up straight left hits his chin. Caceres comes flying in with a knee and gets tied up by Escovedo, who falls to his back and tries to bring Caceres with him. Caceres lands a few punches from on top before backing out and hitting a flashy switch kick on the feet. Caceres is taking his time, mixing up kicks and punches while he keeps Escovedo on the outside. A push kick sends Escovedo into the fence; he walks forward with a frustrated shrug, waving Caceres on. With 15 seconds left, Escovedo is struck low but wants to continue, rushing Caceres to the canvas. When Caceres scrambles to his feet, Escovedo just misses on a head kick.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Round 2
Caceres keeps to his game plan in the second, sticking Escovedo with quick punches and kicks while keeping the former WEC titleholder on the perimeter. Twice in succession, Caceres scores with four-punch combinations to the body and head. Escovedo times a spinning kick and wraps Caceres up, spinning him to the ground. Escovedo wants a submission from his back, but Caceres won’t have it and escapes, lighting Escovedo up with a combo and just whiffing on another head kick. Escovedo gets a standing arm-triangle and tries to jump guard, but instead falls to his back while Caceres steps out. The punches keep coming from Caceres to the body and head of Escovedo, who’s moving slowly around the cage and seemingly throwing one strike for every five from his opponent. A front kick sends Escovedo into the fence again and Caceres tags him with three or four clean punches. Nonetheless, Escovedo is moving forward when the horn sounds.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Round 3
Escovedo dips inside and plows Caceres to the ground, but Caceres nearly traps him in a triangle choke. Escovedo frees his head, but leaves his left arm dangling, allowing Caceres to slap on an armbar. Stacking Caceres up, Escovedo defends well and takes a knee to lessen the tension. Caceres loses the armbar and briefly transitions to a shoulder lock before going to his back and throwing up another triangle. It doesn’t come and Caceres instead scrambles to his feet, eating a knee from Escovedo on his way up. Midway through the last round, Caceres is finally showing signs of wear, his bouncy stance slightly less bouncy as he continues to pepper Escovedo with punches and inside leg kicks. A crisp right straight splits Escovedo’s guard before he’s sent backward with yet another push kick. Caceres finishes a combination with a flashy kick, earning a smile and a nod from Escovedo. The veteran keeps moving forward, trapping Caceres on a cage post and putting him on the ground. Escovedo leaps on Caceres’ back with 45 seconds left, but he’s too high and Caceres is able to slip him off. The tired bantamweights throw to the last horn with Caceres getting the better of the punching exchange.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Alex Caceres.
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Round 1
Only seconds into the bout, Semerzier catches Peralta with a kick to the groin. Peralta quickly recovers and gets back to business, only to be shoved into the fence by the bigger man. Semerzier digs for a double-leg, switches to a single-leg and lifts Peralta into the air, but still can’t bring him down. Semerzier blocks a head kick from Peralta and instantly snaps off a counter right which sends Peralta tumbling. Semerzier muscles Peralta into the cage again, this time landing some hard right hands over the top before Peralta breaks out. Semerzier keeps the pressure on, catching Peralta slipping and keeping him on the ground by controlling the legs from a standing position. Semerzier dodges upkicks and shucks the legs to throw a few hard punches, then goes down to Peralta’s guard with 30 seconds left. He zaps Peralta with a few more punches from the top before the end of the frame.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Semerzier
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Semerzier
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Semerzier
Round 2
Semerzier pumps his jab and fires off leg kicks to begin the second, but he’s sent falling backward by a Peralta right hand. Driving forward for a single-leg, Semerzier absorbs a flurry of punches from Peralta before he can finally put him back on the fence. Peralta waits it out and circles away, stalking Semerzier while switching stances. Semerzier keeps his guard high, takes a leg kick from Peralta and then catches Peralta with another kick south of the border. Referee John McCarthy verbally warns Semerzier and they get going again. Semerzier fires off a combo to the body, but Peralta’s counterpunches are beginning to find their gaps. Peralta takes a pair of left high kicks on the chest, steps out of the way of a Superman punch and tags Semerzier with a right hand. Semerzier ducks under a punch to get underhooks and shove Peralta against the cage. Peralta widens his base and avoids the takedown, eating some knees in the clinch before exiting with one of his own. Semerzier finishes the round with three or four solid leg kicks while Peralta’s last strike is a hard left hook.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Peralta
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Peralta
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Peralta
Round 3
Peralta inches forward, trying to stay out of the range of Semerzier’s hard low kicks and big, airmailed right hands. Peralta throws outside thigh kicks of his own and mixes up combinations to the body and head. An accidental clash of heads sends Semerzier crashing to his back, a gash opened near his left eye. Peralta tries to take his head off with a big right hand and misses. Semerzier is still conscious, trying to pick the ankle of Peralta, but Peralta is all over him with punches and ref McCarthy steps in to wave off the bout at 1:54 of round three. Peralta is awarded the win by way of technical knockout, a result which will surely need to be reexamined after the event.
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Round 1
There’s no touch of gloves between the bantamweights, as southpaw Kid goes bouncing around the outside, anticipating Uyenoyama’s shot. When it comes, Yamamoto throws a flurry, stuffs it and circles out. Uyenoyama tries to tie up, gets rejected and blocks an ill-intentioned overhand right. Uyenoyama digs an underhook and gets turned into the fence by Kid, who throws short knees at the bigger man and whips him to the ground. Uyenoyama uses the fence to pop back up and is hip-tossed to the mat again. Yamamoto works from Uyenoyama’s open guard until “BC” throws up his legs and Kid backs out. Kid dips inside with a speedy uppercut and backs out. He throws a high kick which Uyenoyama catches and uses to bring the Japanese slugger to the ground. Kid uses butterfly hooks to create space and put Uyenoyama on the bottom, but Uyenoyama stays glued to his man and secures Yamamoto’s back. Uyenoyama locks up a body-triangle and works for the rear-naked choke in the final 30 seconds of the round. Uyenoyama slaps it on but can’t get it under the chin and Yamamoto is just barely saved by the bell.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Round 2
Hopping around the outside, Kid ducks a head kick from Uyenoyama and slugs him with a big left hand. His nose gushing blood from the punch, Uyenoyama keeps Kid pressed on the fence and works until he drags the Krazy Bee leader down with a double-leg. Uyenoyama works from half-guard on Kid’s right side, then whips around to Yamamoto’s back. Again, Uyenoyama cinches up the body-triangle and throws punches from the back to soften Kid up for the choke. Yamamoto rolls toward the fence and Uyenoyama rolls him away, snaking his right arm between the canvas and Kid’s chin. Uyenoyama continues to work from the back with two minute left in the middle period, eventually whipping his right arm around Yamamoto’s throat with 90 seconds to go. Kid continues to defend against the left wrist, freeing up Uyenoyama’s right arm to punch away at the head and ribs. Yamamoto is mounting zero offense, only defending against the relentless grappler, who goes wild with punches to the body at the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Round 3
Yamamoto still looks fresh as he circles the outside, tentatively flicking at the legs and trying to counter. Uyenoyama won’t take the bait, instead moving inside to jump guard and control Kid’s top position with rubber guard. Uyenoyama has both feet looped around the neck of Kid, his right arm trapped tight inside Uyenoyama’s guard. Kid tries to posture and shake Uyenoyama loose, and Uyenoyama eventually lets him out, grazing with an upkick on the way. With two minutes to go, they’re back on the feet, but Yamamoto still isn’t letting his hands go, instead looking to load up for a homerun punch. He charges Uyenoyama into the cage with a minute left and struggles to bring the fight to the floor. Referee Larry Landless splits them up with 30 seconds to go and Uyenoyama fakes a spinning kick. Kid tags Uyenoyama with a charging right hand, blocks a head kick and finishes by missing a jump knee.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama (30-27 Uyenoyama)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama (30-27 Uyenoyama)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama (30-27 Uyenoyama)
Official result: Two judge have the bout 30-27, while one sees it 30-26, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Darren Uyenoyama.
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Round 1
Harvison is looking for right hands and leg kicks early while Johnson stands tall in the center, firing off jabs and hooks. Johnson keeps sticking his left hand in the face of Harvison, who counters with lunging punches and leg kicks. Johnson comes inside with a left uppercut that puts Harvison on his back, then raises his hands in victory. Referee Herb Dean isn’t convinced, so Johnson further scrambles Harvison’s circuits with a pair of right hands. Dean steps in to wave it off, the end officially coming just 94 seconds into the first round.
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Round 1
The right-handers square off in the center, Lamas feinting and flicking punches while Swanson dances on the outside. Cub thuds a few hard kicks to Lamas’ body, then catches one from “The Bully” and sweeps him to the floor. Lamas pops back up and they resume throwing, Swanson continuing to attack with low kicks. One kick catches Lamas in the cup and referee John McCarthy calls for a break in the action. They soon resume and each man whiffs on a low kick. Lamas shoots low, digs underhooks and drags Swanson down in the middle of the Octagon. Controlling Swanson’s legs, Lamas tries to spin around to side control but Swanson keeps him in place. Hard ground-and-pound from Lamas opens up a small, trickling cut on the forehead of Swanson, who snares Lamas in a guillotine under his left arm. Swanson takes a moment to adjust and cranks the choke, staying with it as Lamas slams him to the ground. Lamas stands with Swanson attached to him and extracts his head, grinning and nodding as he waves Swanson in to exchange. They exchange flashy kicks, Swanson drilling Lamas hard in the guts with a turning strike. Swanson keeps the pressure on with punches then ties up, stifling a takedown attempt from Lamas to land in side control. Swanson moves to north-south position and tries to apply leg scissors, but Lamas pops his head out and finishes the busy first round on his feet, hitting Swanson with a late punch just after the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Round 2
Swanson grins and twitches, switching stances and backing Lamas up with spinning kicks and punches. He gets knocked off-balance and nearly has his head taken off by a Lamas punch, then charges forward. Lamas times a shot and drives Swanson to his back, landing in the open guard. Swanson isolates Lamas’ right arm and creeps his leg up, but Lamas stays calm and pulls out. Lamas tries to take the back of the kneeling Swanson, who puts his back on the mat. Lamas already has an arm-triangle applied and cranks the choke while Swanson flops and attempts to push off the cage with his feet. There’s no escape for Swanson, who is forced to capitulate at 2:16 of the second round.
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Round 1
Lanky southpaw Garza hops along the outside while Poirier stays in the center, trudging forward in orthodox stance. Garza flicks out a few leg kicks, blocks a high kick from Poirier and covers up on the cage as his opponent rushes with punches. A nice low kick from Garza turns Poirier by landing on the back of the thigh. Poirier catches Garza slipping on a hard kick but can’t keep him down. He catches another, and again Garza jumps back up. Now, Garza catches a kick from Poirier and zaps him with a straight right. They tumble to the ground and Garza grabs at a leglock, but Poirier scrambles back up. Poirier puts a two-punch combo on Garza, then takes a kick on the cup. When they resume, he bullies the “Scarecrow” against the fence and drops him with a three-piece combo, a big left doing the damage. Poirier sits in Garza’s half-guard, dropping short punches and a few hard elbows against the fence. Garza uses his long limbs to stifle the offense and create space, but Poirier finds room to land punches. Garza throws a few short elbows from the bottom and is warned to watch the back of the head, then throws up a triangle just before the round ends.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Poirier
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Poirier
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Poirier
Round 2
Garza swings and misses on a low kick, a spinning elbow, then falls to the ground. He stands back up and pulls guard, much to the displeasure of the crowd. Referee Larry Landless implores the featherweights to keep fighting as Garza tries to tie up and slow the offense of Poirier. A few hard elbows get through before Garza tries to sit up and escape. He leaves his neck wide open for Poirier to lock up a brabo choke, and it’s a deep one. Poirier rolls Garza to his back and Garza has no choice but to tap at 1:32 of round two.
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Round 1
The lightweights bounce around one another in the middle of the cage, Guida trying to find the range with long right hands. He pops Henderson and backs him into the fence, but it’s Guida who goes down in the ensuing exchange. Henderson swings to finish as Guida scrambles on his knees, but the “Carpenter” regains his senses and slows Henderson down with a single-leg against the fence. Henderson widens his base and uses a hand to post on the cage while Guida drives forward on his knees. Henderson does a split to nullify a takedown and pop back to his feet, Guida still glued to his front. A guillotine attempt from Henderson forces Guida to give up the dominant position and Henderson gets busy with knees to the body and short punches in the clinch. Henderson goes high with a knee and fends off a strong single-leg try. He slaps a kick to Guida’s ankle and dodges a charge. They trade punches in the pocket and this time it’s Henderson who drops, with Guida trying to apply a guillotine. Henderson soon has his head free and winds up sprawling on Guida, punching to the body and landing a few kicks before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 2
There’s more circling and bouncing to open the second round until Guida comes inside and is met with the knees of Henderson. The lightweights go to their knees and Henderson keeps the pressure as they stand back up, popping Guida with a punch and taking him to the base of the fence. Guida gets to his knees and Henderson stands, keeping a steady diet of punches coming for the grounded fighter. Henderson scores with a knee, ducks a punch and keeps the now-standing Guida pinned to the fence. Guida lands a hard knee to the body and Henderon gives him three in return. Henderson decks Guida with a level elbow and goes low, but Guida grabs Henderson’s leg and brings him down. Back on the fence, Henderson stands up, pinned to the cage by Guida. The Chicagoan drills a few knees to Henderson’s thighs before Henderson turns the position and they split. Guida tries a spinning back-fist and tumbles to the ground, Henderson rushing in to attack. With less than a minute left, Guida jumps guard with a guillotine and loses the choke on the way down. Henderson scrambles and takes his back, locking up a body-triangle with 30 seconds to go and punching away to the end of the round.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 3
Henderson swings and misses with a high kick while Guida bounces toward him. Not much action in the opening minute, as Henderson keeps Guida at bay with long axe kicks. Guida gets inside with a knee to the body and Henderson quickly shuffles him into the fence with an underhook. Henderson puts a knee on Guida’s jaw before Guida runs him to the other side of the cage with a single-leg attempt. Staying on his feet, Henderson reverses the position and mugs Guida on the cage. Henderson’s strikes in the clinch are slowing, but he still gets off a couple hard knees to the gut. Guida tries to kick high and gets put on his back with Henderson in side control. Henderson tries to step into full mount, then appears to reconsider and works for a crucifix. When this doesn’t work and Guida gets to his knees, Henderson turns the corner and takes his man’s back, applying a loose body-triangle. Guida pops out with a minute to go and plows Henderson to the mat when they clash punches. Guida’s got a deep-looking guillotine on top and he’s trying every position to finish. Henderson hangs in there, pulling his head loose and finishing the fight on his feet, throwing punches downward at Guida. Referee Herb Dean warns Henderson at the final horn about punches to the back of the head.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Henderson (30-27 Henderson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson (30-27 Henderson)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Guida (29-28 Henderson)
Official result: The judges score it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Ben Henderson. After the bout, it is confirmed that Henderson will be the next challenger for UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1
Referee John McCarthy is the third man for this heavyweight title bout, with judges Nelson “Doc” Hamilton, Lester Griffin and Abe Belardo scoring at cageside. The big men touch gloves after a respectful staredown and then meet in the center, dos Santos in his long boxing stance. The challenger lands a right hand early while the champion kicks low. Velasquez tries to score a takedown off a caught leg kick and can’t. He keeps chopping at the lead leg of the Brazilian. Dos Santos uncorks with a massive overhand right behind the champion’s ear and Velasquez goes down. Dos Santos pounces and wallops away with powerful lefts until the belly-down Velasquez is rescued by McCarthy. Junior dos Santos hands Cain Velasquez his first career loss and takes the UFC heavyweight title in stunning fashion after only 64 seconds.
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Aaron Rosa
vs. Matt
Lucas
Round 1
Lucas wades forward with wide right hands which Rosa sidesteps, then Rosa is forced to defend a takedown. Lucas drags him down, but Rosa pops back up and flicks off a blocked high kick. The 205-pounders tie up and exchange uppercuts in the clinch before Rosa snuffs out another takedown try and is leaned into the fence by Lucas. Referee “Big” John McCarthy warns Rosa to keep his knees up and the two break off. Rosa charges with a combination and gets pushed against the cage again. He puts a knee on Lucas’ chin in the clinch and follows up with a pair to the gut. Lucas loses his mouthpiece and the action is paused momentarily. When they resume, Lucas walks into a flurry of punches from Rosa to clinch up again. Rosa throws short punches to the body and a few knees in the clinch while Lucas digs for the single-leg. Rosa keeps landing elbows to the head in the final 40 seconds of the opening round, breaking away at the end and staggering Lucas with punches.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Rosa
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rosa
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rosa
Round 2
Clearly the fresher fighter at the start of the second, Rosa looks to set up combinations and kicks, taking his time on the feet. Lucas, meanwhile, waits for a takedown opportunity and finally explodes about a minute into the round. Once again, Rosa jumps back up almost as soon as he hits the ground, then tags Lucas with uppercuts in the clinch before they split. It’s not long before Lucas is at it again, trying to force the single-leg on the fence while Rosa sprawls and elbows away at the body and head. Lucas is verbally warned twice for grabbing the fence and again loses his mouthpiece, though he replaces it by himself this time. Rosa lands dozen of short elbows and punches before they finally break. Lucas sneaks a left hand through but it’s all single punches from “Luke Duke,” who’s breathing with his mouth wide open. With 45 seconds left, referee McCarthy stops the action again to replace Lucas’ mouthpiece, this time deducting a point for the infraction. Upon resuming, Lucas gets a takedown in the center of the cage, but Rosa is back to his feet before the end of the round.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-8 Rosa
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Rosa
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Rosa
Round 3
The big men come out throwing heavy leather to open the final, but neither man goes down in the exchange. Lucas is soon back to pushing Rosa into the cage, while Rosa is back to defending, landing knees and elbows in the clinch. After tasting a few level elbows, Lucas backs away and goes back to hurling big, single punches. Rosa gets inside, grabs the Thai plum and lands a few brutal knees to the body. In response, Lucas goes low again and shoots the single-leg on the fence. Rosa elbows him in the ribs and then forces Lucas to exit with a knee to the face and a right hand. Lucas is spent, just grabbing on to Rosa while Rosa piles on strikes in the clinch. Lucas loses his mouthpiece again with 90 seconds to go, but referee McCarthy waits to halt the action as Rosa pushes the action in the clinch. Rosa racks up some more knees and punches to the body before McCarthy calls a break with 45 seconds to go. No point is deducted this time and they resume in the same position, Rosa pushing Lucas into the cage with over-under hooks. Lucas takes some more punishment before exploding forward with a desperate final takedown, which Rosa stuffs to finish the fight on top.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Rosa (30-26 Rosa)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rosa (30-26 Rosa)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rosa (30-26 Rosa)
Official result: One judge scores the bout a 28-28 draw, while the remaining two officials have it 30-26 for the winner by majority decision, Aaron Rosa.
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Round 1
Pierce takes the center of the cage and pushes outward with punches, quickly shoving Bradley into the cage. Bradley breaks off and tries to keep Pierce at bay with a push kick and a quick left hook. Pierce chops with leg kicks and gets inside again, but can’t get anything going. Bradley pushes Pierce into the fence and similarly fizzles out. A nice right straight from Pierce nearly takes the legs out from under Bradley, and Pierce follows up with some more nice low kicks. Two minute to go and Bradley explodes forward with a combo, landing a left hook. Pierce gets underhooks and ties up, exiting with an elbow. Bradley is cut along his hairline, though it doesn’t look too serious. With less than 90 seconds left, Bradley dives for a takedown, can’t keep Pierce there and instead shoves his fellow wrestler into the cage. Pierce keeps his hand on the mat so he can’t be knees and Bradley lets him go with a punch. At the 30 second mark, Pierce comes inside with a bunch of punches and clinches with Bradley, who answers with knees to the body.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Round 2
Pierce wings a combination to get inside and ties up. They walk around in the clinch for a moment before Bradley escapes with a punch. Bradley gets the clinch this time but it’s Pierce who drills his man with a knee to the belly and a few punches inside. Pierce shoots a long single-leg which is easily stifled by Bradley, who holds Pierce in the clinch before pushing him off with a left hook. Pierce sticks Bradley with a few stiff left jabs before tying up again. Bradley walks him off the cage and lands a few knees to the body, but Pierce surges forward. Bradley is sporting a number of cuts on his forehead now and even one on his ankle as he shoots awkwardly and gets stuffed. Pierce sticks another pair of left jabs and a nice inside leg kick in the last 30 seconds.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierce
Round 3
Pierce is on the attack as the final frame begins, leg-kicking and throwing hard punches. The welterweights clinch up and stall in the center of the cage a few times. When they break, it’s Pierce landing his jab again and sprawling all over the double-leg of Bradley. The pace slows as they work from over-under position and referee Larry Landless splits them up. Bradley hits a right hand counter as they tie up again, followed by knees to the body. Landless urges the pair on again and they break by themselves this time. Pierce is caught off-balance by the next Bradley takedown attempt and winds up with “The Gentleman” wrapped around his legs. Pierce uses his hands to hammerfist, then crawls away, frees his legs and scrambles to his feet. Pierce is throwing single left hands and stepping off now while Bradley pushes forward. A solid left hand gets through for Pierce, then a right just before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pierce (30-28 Pierce)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pierce (30-27 Pierce)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pierce (30-27 Pierce)
Official result:One judge scores the bout 29-28 for Pierce, while another sees it 29-28 for Bradley. The remaining judge has the bout 30-27 for the winner by split decision, Mike Pierce.
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Round 1
Caceres pushes Escovedo away with a front kick and uses long punches to back the “Apache Kid” into the fence. The “Ultimate Fighter” alumnus is keeping the punches coming, looking for spinning attacks, while keeping his trademark smile on his mug. Caceres rips a hard right hand to Escovedo’s body and nearly chops his leg out with a low kick. Escovedo’s throwing awkward left hands which Caceres is easily bouncing out of the way of. A spinning back-fist grazes Escovedo’s head and a follow-up straight left hits his chin. Caceres comes flying in with a knee and gets tied up by Escovedo, who falls to his back and tries to bring Caceres with him. Caceres lands a few punches from on top before backing out and hitting a flashy switch kick on the feet. Caceres is taking his time, mixing up kicks and punches while he keeps Escovedo on the outside. A push kick sends Escovedo into the fence; he walks forward with a frustrated shrug, waving Caceres on. With 15 seconds left, Escovedo is struck low but wants to continue, rushing Caceres to the canvas. When Caceres scrambles to his feet, Escovedo just misses on a head kick.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Round 2
Caceres keeps to his game plan in the second, sticking Escovedo with quick punches and kicks while keeping the former WEC titleholder on the perimeter. Twice in succession, Caceres scores with four-punch combinations to the body and head. Escovedo times a spinning kick and wraps Caceres up, spinning him to the ground. Escovedo wants a submission from his back, but Caceres won’t have it and escapes, lighting Escovedo up with a combo and just whiffing on another head kick. Escovedo gets a standing arm-triangle and tries to jump guard, but instead falls to his back while Caceres steps out. The punches keep coming from Caceres to the body and head of Escovedo, who’s moving slowly around the cage and seemingly throwing one strike for every five from his opponent. A front kick sends Escovedo into the fence again and Caceres tags him with three or four clean punches. Nonetheless, Escovedo is moving forward when the horn sounds.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Caceres
Round 3
Escovedo dips inside and plows Caceres to the ground, but Caceres nearly traps him in a triangle choke. Escovedo frees his head, but leaves his left arm dangling, allowing Caceres to slap on an armbar. Stacking Caceres up, Escovedo defends well and takes a knee to lessen the tension. Caceres loses the armbar and briefly transitions to a shoulder lock before going to his back and throwing up another triangle. It doesn’t come and Caceres instead scrambles to his feet, eating a knee from Escovedo on his way up. Midway through the last round, Caceres is finally showing signs of wear, his bouncy stance slightly less bouncy as he continues to pepper Escovedo with punches and inside leg kicks. A crisp right straight splits Escovedo’s guard before he’s sent backward with yet another push kick. Caceres finishes a combination with a flashy kick, earning a smile and a nod from Escovedo. The veteran keeps moving forward, trapping Caceres on a cage post and putting him on the ground. Escovedo leaps on Caceres’ back with 45 seconds left, but he’s too high and Caceres is able to slip him off. The tired bantamweights throw to the last horn with Caceres getting the better of the punching exchange.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Alex Caceres.
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Round 1
Only seconds into the bout, Semerzier catches Peralta with a kick to the groin. Peralta quickly recovers and gets back to business, only to be shoved into the fence by the bigger man. Semerzier digs for a double-leg, switches to a single-leg and lifts Peralta into the air, but still can’t bring him down. Semerzier blocks a head kick from Peralta and instantly snaps off a counter right which sends Peralta tumbling. Semerzier muscles Peralta into the cage again, this time landing some hard right hands over the top before Peralta breaks out. Semerzier keeps the pressure on, catching Peralta slipping and keeping him on the ground by controlling the legs from a standing position. Semerzier dodges upkicks and shucks the legs to throw a few hard punches, then goes down to Peralta’s guard with 30 seconds left. He zaps Peralta with a few more punches from the top before the end of the frame.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Semerzier
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Semerzier
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Semerzier
Round 2
Semerzier pumps his jab and fires off leg kicks to begin the second, but he’s sent falling backward by a Peralta right hand. Driving forward for a single-leg, Semerzier absorbs a flurry of punches from Peralta before he can finally put him back on the fence. Peralta waits it out and circles away, stalking Semerzier while switching stances. Semerzier keeps his guard high, takes a leg kick from Peralta and then catches Peralta with another kick south of the border. Referee John McCarthy verbally warns Semerzier and they get going again. Semerzier fires off a combo to the body, but Peralta’s counterpunches are beginning to find their gaps. Peralta takes a pair of left high kicks on the chest, steps out of the way of a Superman punch and tags Semerzier with a right hand. Semerzier ducks under a punch to get underhooks and shove Peralta against the cage. Peralta widens his base and avoids the takedown, eating some knees in the clinch before exiting with one of his own. Semerzier finishes the round with three or four solid leg kicks while Peralta’s last strike is a hard left hook.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Peralta
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Peralta
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Peralta
Round 3
Peralta inches forward, trying to stay out of the range of Semerzier’s hard low kicks and big, airmailed right hands. Peralta throws outside thigh kicks of his own and mixes up combinations to the body and head. An accidental clash of heads sends Semerzier crashing to his back, a gash opened near his left eye. Peralta tries to take his head off with a big right hand and misses. Semerzier is still conscious, trying to pick the ankle of Peralta, but Peralta is all over him with punches and ref McCarthy steps in to wave off the bout at 1:54 of round three. Peralta is awarded the win by way of technical knockout, a result which will surely need to be reexamined after the event.
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Round 1
There’s no touch of gloves between the bantamweights, as southpaw Kid goes bouncing around the outside, anticipating Uyenoyama’s shot. When it comes, Yamamoto throws a flurry, stuffs it and circles out. Uyenoyama tries to tie up, gets rejected and blocks an ill-intentioned overhand right. Uyenoyama digs an underhook and gets turned into the fence by Kid, who throws short knees at the bigger man and whips him to the ground. Uyenoyama uses the fence to pop back up and is hip-tossed to the mat again. Yamamoto works from Uyenoyama’s open guard until “BC” throws up his legs and Kid backs out. Kid dips inside with a speedy uppercut and backs out. He throws a high kick which Uyenoyama catches and uses to bring the Japanese slugger to the ground. Kid uses butterfly hooks to create space and put Uyenoyama on the bottom, but Uyenoyama stays glued to his man and secures Yamamoto’s back. Uyenoyama locks up a body-triangle and works for the rear-naked choke in the final 30 seconds of the round. Uyenoyama slaps it on but can’t get it under the chin and Yamamoto is just barely saved by the bell.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Round 2
Hopping around the outside, Kid ducks a head kick from Uyenoyama and slugs him with a big left hand. His nose gushing blood from the punch, Uyenoyama keeps Kid pressed on the fence and works until he drags the Krazy Bee leader down with a double-leg. Uyenoyama works from half-guard on Kid’s right side, then whips around to Yamamoto’s back. Again, Uyenoyama cinches up the body-triangle and throws punches from the back to soften Kid up for the choke. Yamamoto rolls toward the fence and Uyenoyama rolls him away, snaking his right arm between the canvas and Kid’s chin. Uyenoyama continues to work from the back with two minute left in the middle period, eventually whipping his right arm around Yamamoto’s throat with 90 seconds to go. Kid continues to defend against the left wrist, freeing up Uyenoyama’s right arm to punch away at the head and ribs. Yamamoto is mounting zero offense, only defending against the relentless grappler, who goes wild with punches to the body at the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama
Round 3
Yamamoto still looks fresh as he circles the outside, tentatively flicking at the legs and trying to counter. Uyenoyama won’t take the bait, instead moving inside to jump guard and control Kid’s top position with rubber guard. Uyenoyama has both feet looped around the neck of Kid, his right arm trapped tight inside Uyenoyama’s guard. Kid tries to posture and shake Uyenoyama loose, and Uyenoyama eventually lets him out, grazing with an upkick on the way. With two minutes to go, they’re back on the feet, but Yamamoto still isn’t letting his hands go, instead looking to load up for a homerun punch. He charges Uyenoyama into the cage with a minute left and struggles to bring the fight to the floor. Referee Larry Landless splits them up with 30 seconds to go and Uyenoyama fakes a spinning kick. Kid tags Uyenoyama with a charging right hand, blocks a head kick and finishes by missing a jump knee.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama (30-27 Uyenoyama)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama (30-27 Uyenoyama)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uyenoyama (30-27 Uyenoyama)
Official result: Two judge have the bout 30-27, while one sees it 30-26, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Darren Uyenoyama.
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Round 1
Harvison is looking for right hands and leg kicks early while Johnson stands tall in the center, firing off jabs and hooks. Johnson keeps sticking his left hand in the face of Harvison, who counters with lunging punches and leg kicks. Johnson comes inside with a left uppercut that puts Harvison on his back, then raises his hands in victory. Referee Herb Dean isn’t convinced, so Johnson further scrambles Harvison’s circuits with a pair of right hands. Dean steps in to wave it off, the end officially coming just 94 seconds into the first round.
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Round 1
The right-handers square off in the center, Lamas feinting and flicking punches while Swanson dances on the outside. Cub thuds a few hard kicks to Lamas’ body, then catches one from “The Bully” and sweeps him to the floor. Lamas pops back up and they resume throwing, Swanson continuing to attack with low kicks. One kick catches Lamas in the cup and referee John McCarthy calls for a break in the action. They soon resume and each man whiffs on a low kick. Lamas shoots low, digs underhooks and drags Swanson down in the middle of the Octagon. Controlling Swanson’s legs, Lamas tries to spin around to side control but Swanson keeps him in place. Hard ground-and-pound from Lamas opens up a small, trickling cut on the forehead of Swanson, who snares Lamas in a guillotine under his left arm. Swanson takes a moment to adjust and cranks the choke, staying with it as Lamas slams him to the ground. Lamas stands with Swanson attached to him and extracts his head, grinning and nodding as he waves Swanson in to exchange. They exchange flashy kicks, Swanson drilling Lamas hard in the guts with a turning strike. Swanson keeps the pressure on with punches then ties up, stifling a takedown attempt from Lamas to land in side control. Swanson moves to north-south position and tries to apply leg scissors, but Lamas pops his head out and finishes the busy first round on his feet, hitting Swanson with a late punch just after the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Round 2
Swanson grins and twitches, switching stances and backing Lamas up with spinning kicks and punches. He gets knocked off-balance and nearly has his head taken off by a Lamas punch, then charges forward. Lamas times a shot and drives Swanson to his back, landing in the open guard. Swanson isolates Lamas’ right arm and creeps his leg up, but Lamas stays calm and pulls out. Lamas tries to take the back of the kneeling Swanson, who puts his back on the mat. Lamas already has an arm-triangle applied and cranks the choke while Swanson flops and attempts to push off the cage with his feet. There’s no escape for Swanson, who is forced to capitulate at 2:16 of the second round.
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Round 1
Lanky southpaw Garza hops along the outside while Poirier stays in the center, trudging forward in orthodox stance. Garza flicks out a few leg kicks, blocks a high kick from Poirier and covers up on the cage as his opponent rushes with punches. A nice low kick from Garza turns Poirier by landing on the back of the thigh. Poirier catches Garza slipping on a hard kick but can’t keep him down. He catches another, and again Garza jumps back up. Now, Garza catches a kick from Poirier and zaps him with a straight right. They tumble to the ground and Garza grabs at a leglock, but Poirier scrambles back up. Poirier puts a two-punch combo on Garza, then takes a kick on the cup. When they resume, he bullies the “Scarecrow” against the fence and drops him with a three-piece combo, a big left doing the damage. Poirier sits in Garza’s half-guard, dropping short punches and a few hard elbows against the fence. Garza uses his long limbs to stifle the offense and create space, but Poirier finds room to land punches. Garza throws a few short elbows from the bottom and is warned to watch the back of the head, then throws up a triangle just before the round ends.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Poirier
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Poirier
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Poirier
Round 2
Garza swings and misses on a low kick, a spinning elbow, then falls to the ground. He stands back up and pulls guard, much to the displeasure of the crowd. Referee Larry Landless implores the featherweights to keep fighting as Garza tries to tie up and slow the offense of Poirier. A few hard elbows get through before Garza tries to sit up and escape. He leaves his neck wide open for Poirier to lock up a brabo choke, and it’s a deep one. Poirier rolls Garza to his back and Garza has no choice but to tap at 1:32 of round two.
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Round 1
The lightweights bounce around one another in the middle of the cage, Guida trying to find the range with long right hands. He pops Henderson and backs him into the fence, but it’s Guida who goes down in the ensuing exchange. Henderson swings to finish as Guida scrambles on his knees, but the “Carpenter” regains his senses and slows Henderson down with a single-leg against the fence. Henderson widens his base and uses a hand to post on the cage while Guida drives forward on his knees. Henderson does a split to nullify a takedown and pop back to his feet, Guida still glued to his front. A guillotine attempt from Henderson forces Guida to give up the dominant position and Henderson gets busy with knees to the body and short punches in the clinch. Henderson goes high with a knee and fends off a strong single-leg try. He slaps a kick to Guida’s ankle and dodges a charge. They trade punches in the pocket and this time it’s Henderson who drops, with Guida trying to apply a guillotine. Henderson soon has his head free and winds up sprawling on Guida, punching to the body and landing a few kicks before the horn.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 2
There’s more circling and bouncing to open the second round until Guida comes inside and is met with the knees of Henderson. The lightweights go to their knees and Henderson keeps the pressure as they stand back up, popping Guida with a punch and taking him to the base of the fence. Guida gets to his knees and Henderson stands, keeping a steady diet of punches coming for the grounded fighter. Henderson scores with a knee, ducks a punch and keeps the now-standing Guida pinned to the fence. Guida lands a hard knee to the body and Henderon gives him three in return. Henderson decks Guida with a level elbow and goes low, but Guida grabs Henderson’s leg and brings him down. Back on the fence, Henderson stands up, pinned to the cage by Guida. The Chicagoan drills a few knees to Henderson’s thighs before Henderson turns the position and they split. Guida tries a spinning back-fist and tumbles to the ground, Henderson rushing in to attack. With less than a minute left, Guida jumps guard with a guillotine and loses the choke on the way down. Henderson scrambles and takes his back, locking up a body-triangle with 30 seconds to go and punching away to the end of the round.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 3
Henderson swings and misses with a high kick while Guida bounces toward him. Not much action in the opening minute, as Henderson keeps Guida at bay with long axe kicks. Guida gets inside with a knee to the body and Henderson quickly shuffles him into the fence with an underhook. Henderson puts a knee on Guida’s jaw before Guida runs him to the other side of the cage with a single-leg attempt. Staying on his feet, Henderson reverses the position and mugs Guida on the cage. Henderson’s strikes in the clinch are slowing, but he still gets off a couple hard knees to the gut. Guida tries to kick high and gets put on his back with Henderson in side control. Henderson tries to step into full mount, then appears to reconsider and works for a crucifix. When this doesn’t work and Guida gets to his knees, Henderson turns the corner and takes his man’s back, applying a loose body-triangle. Guida pops out with a minute to go and plows Henderson to the mat when they clash punches. Guida’s got a deep-looking guillotine on top and he’s trying every position to finish. Henderson hangs in there, pulling his head loose and finishing the fight on his feet, throwing punches downward at Guida. Referee Herb Dean warns Henderson at the final horn about punches to the back of the head.
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Henderson (30-27 Henderson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson (30-27 Henderson)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Guida (29-28 Henderson)
Official result: The judges score it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Ben Henderson. After the bout, it is confirmed that Henderson will be the next challenger for UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1
Referee John McCarthy is the third man for this heavyweight title bout, with judges Nelson “Doc” Hamilton, Lester Griffin and Abe Belardo scoring at cageside. The big men touch gloves after a respectful staredown and then meet in the center, dos Santos in his long boxing stance. The challenger lands a right hand early while the champion kicks low. Velasquez tries to score a takedown off a caught leg kick and can’t. He keeps chopping at the lead leg of the Brazilian. Dos Santos uncorks with a massive overhand right behind the champion’s ear and Velasquez goes down. Dos Santos pounces and wallops away with powerful lefts until the belly-down Velasquez is rescued by McCarthy. Junior dos Santos hands Cain Velasquez his first career loss and takes the UFC heavyweight title in stunning fashion after only 64 seconds.
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