JDS enters the arena to the Rocky theme song and a chorus of boos, bouncing and looking ready to go. The crowd switches to cheers when Velasquez’s mariachi music hit the speakers. Big John McCarthy will be the third man in the cage for tonight’s main event, a battle for the UFC heavyweight championship.

Round 1: No glove touch to start, dos Santos takes the center. Velasquez gets off first with a leg kick. Dos Santos countering well while Velasquez looks to weaken his legs. Dos Santos avoids a takedown. Velasquez putting the pressure on now with kicks. Dos Santos drops Velasquez with an overhand right and follows up with a series of left hands that put him out cold. Big John steps in and calls it.

Just like that, Junior dos Santos is your new UFC heavyweight champion.

Junior dos Santos defeated Cain Velasquez via TKO (strikes) at 1:04 of round 1

An emotional dos Santos celebrates the new belt around his waist. “I have no words to say what I’m feeling,” said dos Santos. “It’s amazing, my life. I wanna say thank you to my team and family, I got a lot of good people around me.”

“I think Cain Velasquez was for sure my toughest opponent,” he added. “I was afraid to fight with him, because he’s very tough. I was not one hundred percent for this fight, so I was scared.”

“I just want to say sorry to all the fans, my family and friends that I disappointed you,” said Velasquez. “I’m much more than this. I will come back and I will get this belt back, for sure.”

“He kinda messed up my equilibrium,” he continued. “It was a good shot, he has a lot of power. I waited too much for him. He went in and did what he was supposed to do, my hat’s off to him tonight.”

INTRODUCTION:

We are live at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

Mike Goldberg and Kenny Florian (who is filling in for Joe Rogan) are of course on the mic tonight as we go to the octagon for our first fight.

FACEBOOK.COM/YOUTUBE.COM PRELIMINARY MATCHES

Bantamweight bout: Yves Jabouin (135 lbs. 15-7) vs. Ian Loveland (135 lbs. 14-8-1)

ROUND ONE: Loveland comes straight across and looks for the early KO. Jabouin clinches and drives him back. Loveland comes forward, clinches and knees Jabouin. Jabouin throws a series of kicks but the last one causes him to get taken down by Loveland. Loveland works from halfguard. He stands up, drops a few punches and dives back in Jabouin’s guard again. Loveland can’t get it done so the ref stands them up. There’s a brief pause to deal with Loveland’s hand tape. Jabouin kicks Loveland and drives him back. Loveland smashes him back. Loveland lands a front kick. Jabouin lands a switch kick. Loveland runs across and lands a combination and then backs out of the pocket. Jabouin lands right hook and follows up with a flying knee nearly ends this one before the horn sounds.

SCORECARD: Loveland 10-9

ROUND TWO: The two fighters go straight to the mat to start off round 2. Loveland attempts a guillotine but can’t finish it, which allows Jabouin to get top position. Loveland reverses and gets into half guard. Jabouin escapes and tags Loveland. Jabouin lands a series of kicks and punches. Jabouin kicks Loveland in the groin. Loveland tries to blitz Jabouin. Jabouin lands a spinning back fist. Loveland tackles Jabouin but he’s countered with a guillotine attempt. Jabouin is back on his feet. Jabouin lands a head kick. Jabouin connects with a shot in the liver. Jabouin gets a takedown to end round 2.

ROUND TWO: The two fighters go straight to the mat to start off round 2. Loveland attempts a guillotine but can’t finish it, which allows Jabouin to get top position. Loveland reverses and gets into half guard. Jabouin escapes and tags Loveland. Jabouin lands a series of kicks and punches. Jabouin kicks Loveland in the groin. Loveland tries to blitz Jabouin. Jabouin lands a spinning back fist. Loveland tackles Jabouin but he’s countered with a guillotine attempt. Jabouin is back on his feet. Jabouin lands a head kick. Jabouin connects with a shot in the liver. Jabouin gets a takedown to end round 2.

SCORECARD: Jabouin 10-9

ROUND THREE: Both men start out trading strikes. Loveland tries a takedown but is denied. Jabouin gets a takedown but can’t keep him down. Loveland connects with a counter right punch. Loveland plants another one on the chin of Jabouin. Jabouin hits another spinning back fist. Jabouin is kicking Loveland at will. Loveland is denied for another takedown. Jabouin lands a side kick. Jabouin has a slight advantage despite a very close round.

SCORECARD: Jabouin 10-9

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Yves Jabouin by split decision (30-27 Loveland, 20-28X2 Jabouin).

Featherweight bout: Felipe Arantes (145 lbs. 13-3) vs. Yuri Alcantara (144 lbs. 21-3)

ROUND ONE: Arantes comes out kicking. Alcantara grabs a Thai plum and knees Arantes in the face. Alcantara checks Arantes’ kicks and smacks him back. Alcantara is trying to find a way inside but Arantes keeps covering him. Alcantara takes him down. Alcantara works from half guard and eventually gets side control. Arantes nearly gets mounted but gets out by nearly leg locking Alcantara. The ref stands them up. Arantes resumes kicking Alcantara.

SCORECARD: Alcantara 10-9

ROUND TWO: Both men start of trading kicks. Arantes goes to well once too often as he’s taken down off of a kick. Alcantara breaks the close guard and smashes Arantes. Alcantara gets side control. Alcantara then gets to mount. Alcantara attempts a mounted triangle. Alcantara stands and then descends back into the guard. The ref stands them up again. Arantes circles away from Alcantara. Arantes knees Alcantara while being taken down by him again. Alcantara works from half guard.

SCORECARD: Alcantara 10-9

ROUND THREE: Arantes throws a kick, which is caught and results in him being taken down immediately. Alcantara gets his back and attempts a rear-naked choke. Arantes reverses and gets top position. Arantes grounds and pounds Alcantara. Arantes needs to finish this fight as he’s lost the first two round for sure. Arantes stands up but Alcantara doesn’t follow. Arantes resumes attacking from full guard. The ref stands them up for a third time. Arantes attempts a flying knee but is caught and down he goes again. Alcantara controls Arantes from the top position. With 45 seconds remaining they are stood up once more. Alcantara gets a single leg takedown. I’d say it’s all over but the shouting.

SCORECARD: Alcantara 10-9

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Yuri Alcantara by unanimous decision (30-27X2, 29-28).

Welterweight bout: Erick Silva (169 lbs. 12-1) vs. Luis Ramos (171 lbs. 19-6)

ROUND ONE: Silva comes out swinging and then tries a takedown. Ramos wails on Silva in return. Silva comes back with a right cross that sends Ramos’ jaw into the front row of the arena. Back to Jungle Fights with ya buddy. Silva finishes Ramos off and that’s the end.

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Erick Silva by TKO (strikes) at :40 of round 1.

Bantamweight bout: Raphael Assuncao (134 lbs. 15-4) vs. Johnny Eduardo (135 lbs. 25-8)

ROUND ONE: Assncao gets a kick off first. Eduardo plants two on the face of his opponent. Assuncao tags him back. Both men are trading strikes. Assuncao attempts a single leg takedown. Eduardo is pressed against the fence. Assuncao drives Eduardo down. Assuncao drives elbows into Eduardo’s face. The ref stands them up. Eduardo looks to take Assuncao’s head off. Assuncao ends the round with a last punch in the face.

SCORECARD: Assuncao 10-9

ROUND TWO: Now both men are trading kicks. They clinch and Eduardo tries to use it to take Assuncao down. Assuncao scrambles and presses Eduardo against the fence. Assuncao lands a knee before letting go of the clinch. Eduardo nails Assuncao but the punch gets shaken off. Assuncao ducks a punch and tries to take Eduardo down. That doesn’t work so he settles for the clinch. Eduardo denies him and so he gives up the clinch. Spinning back kick from Eduardo. They clinch again and after a few knees Assuncao gets Eduardo’s back. With 30 seconds left of this round Assuncao tries for a rear-naked choke.

SCORECARD: Assuncao 10-9

ROUND THREE: Eduardo needs to get aggressive and so he does. Eduardo and Assuncao trade punches and kicks. Eduardo backs Assuncao against the cage but then let’s up on him. Eduardo lands a hard knee. Assuncao dives in for a takedown and both go down. Then both go for a leg lock. Assuncao gives up his attempt and just smashes on Eduardo. Eduardo keeps grabbing the cage. The ref stands them up. Eduardo smacks Assuncao. Assuncao attempts a high kick but slips and falls backwards. A few more shots are traded before the horn sounds.

SCORECARD: Assuncao 10-9

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Raphael Assuncao by unanimous decision (30-27X3).

Welterweight bout: David Mitchell (171 lbs.11-1) vs. Paulo Thiago (169 lbs. 10-3)

ROUND ONE: Thiago plants a few punches right on the chin of Michell. Thiago lands a leg kick and then a takedown. Thiago has side control. Thiago couldn’t make something happen so he lets him up. Thiago lands a spinning back kick. Thiago ducks under, gets back control and takes Mitchell down again. Thiago is once again in side control. Thiago goes for a crucifix. Mitchell defends but at this point he appears to be just trying to get out of the round. Thiago lets him again. Mitchell finally lands an uppercut.

SCORECARD: Thiago 10-9

ROUND TWO: Mitchell presses forward throwing combinations. Thiago counters with an uppercut. Thiago throws another spinning back kick and falls down. Mitchell presses Thiago against the fence. Thiago reverses and throws Mitchell down. Thiago attempts an arm triangle but Mitchell defends and gets out of it. Thiago takes Mitchell down again. Mitchell defends with a triangle defense but Thiago escapes and they are back on their feet. Thiago takes Mitchell down again. Thiago is practically living in Mitchell’s side control. Thiago lets him up. Thiago lands another uppercut. Mitchell lands a kick. Both men are trading punches and kicks, but Thiago is doing more damage.

SCORECARD: Thiago 10-9

ROUND THREE: Thiago is pressing the action against Mitchell with strikes. Thiago nails him again with a left hook. Mitchell clinches to save himself but that only allows Thiago to drive him into the mat. Thiago lets Mitchell up. Thiago lands a side kick. Mitchell needs to turn it on because he’s down two rounds. Mitchell is trying to utilize his kicks to overtake Thiago. Thiago tee’s off on Mitchell. Mitchell clinches to keep from being pummled. Thiago has Mitchell’s back. Thiago tries to choke out Mitchell with 10 seconds on the clock. Thiago runs out of time

Someone tell Mitchell to put his hands down because the only way he wins this is if he’s got relatives on the judging panel.

SCORECARD: Thiago 10-9

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Paulo Thiago by unanimous decision (30-27X3).

That’s a wrap folks. We will now transition to Spike TV for continued coverage of UFC 134.

SPIKE TV PRELIMINARY CARD MATCHES

Middleweight bout: Dan Miller (184lbs. 13-5) vs. Rousimar Palhares (185lbs. 12-3)

ROUND ONE: Miller and Palhares circle and paw at one another. Palhares pulls guard and nearly armbars Miller. Miller escapes and they are back on their feet. Palhares front kicks Miller in the face a la Steven Segal Anderson Silva and then scoop slams him for the near victory. Miller scrambles and puts Palhares on his back. Miller stands up and allows Palhares to stand as well. Palhares lands a roundhouse kicks and nearly KO’s Miller. Palhares decides the fight is over and goes to celebrate until Herb Dean reminds him who the ref actually is. They resume the fight and Miller nearly KO’s Palhares with a straight left. Palhares recovers and slams Miller again to end the round.

SCORECARD: Palhares 10-9

ROUND TWO: Palhares and Miller are going toe to toe. Palhares is all over Miller. Miller is driven down against the fence. Palhares is standing over Miller smashing him. However, Palhares is also grabbing the fence despite being warned by Dean not to. Palhares is still working over Miller. Palhares is pummeling Miller. Palhares seems to have gassed himself out as he’s just laying in Miller’s guard. Palhares finally stands up and continues to drive punches into Miller’s face. Miller is in danger of having this fight stopped (for real real, not for play play). Miller’s eye is all bloodied up.

SCORECARD: Palhares 10-9

ROUND THREE: Despite being really really tired, Palhares is still scoring on Miller. Palhares is landing punches and kicks. Miller is absorbing them but not responding with much. Miller is finally able to land a few on Palhares’ chin. This is starting to resemble heavyweight boxing. They slug it out to the end.

SCORECARD: Palhares 10-9

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Rousimar Palhares by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-25 {WTF}).

Lightweight bout: Spencer Fisher (156 lbs. 24-7) vs. Thiago Tavares (156 lbs. 15-4)

ROUND ONE: Tavares lands a series of kicks and then takes Fisher down. Tavares has Fisher pressed against the fence. Tavares works Fisher over from guard. The ref stands them up. Tavares lands two more high kicks. Tavares drives Fisher against the fence. Tavares trips Fisher down. Tavares attempts to pass the guard and eventually takes Fisher’s back. Fisher stands up.

SCORECARD: Tavares 10-9

ROUND TWO: Tavares ducks a punch and takes Fisher down. Tavares tenderizes Fisher’s face from guard. Tavares finally breaks Fisher down and tee’s off on his face until the ref stops, I mean really stops it…not like the last fight.

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Thiago Tavares by TKO (strikes) at 2:51 of round 2.

They replay the previous Silva vs Ramos KTFO from the Facebook prelims.

And with that it’s on to the PPV!

PPV MAIN CARD MATCHES

Light Heavyweight bout: Luiz Cane (204 lbs. 11-3) vs. Stanislav Nedkov (203 lbs. 11-0)

ROUND ONE: Cane lands a leg kick. Nedkov lands a right hand. Cane is landing more punches and kicks. Cane falls over trying to kick Nedkov but recovers and resumes smacking Nedkov. Cane drops Nedkov but he bounces back up. Nedkov recovers and murderizes Cane. He nails him right in the nose and Cane looks like he is trying to make a run for it. Cane is done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Stanislav Nedkov by TKO (strikes) at 4:13 of round 1.

Brazil will now declare war on Bulagaria…and now for the fight I’ve been looking forward to all night!

Heavyweight bout: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (243 lbs. 33-5-1) vs. Brendan Schaub (247 lbs. 8-1)

ROUND ONE: Nog takes the center and after a few trades Schaub presses him against the fence. Nog comes forward and looks to put this one away early. Schaub lands an uppercut. Schaub lands another shot and shakes up Nog. Nog Presses him against the fence. Nog is slipping punches. Schaub lands a few more shots. Schaub drops his guard and Nog knocks his block off. So ends the streak of the legend killer. Congrats and welcome back to Big Nog.

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by KO at 3:09 of round 1.

Lesnar vs Big Nog New Years Day? Just sayin…

Lightweight bout: Edson Barboza (155 lbs. 8-0) vs. Ross Pearson (155 lbs. 12-4)

ROUND ONE: Barboza comes out throwing very fast kicks. Pearson turns up the heat. Pearson lands some hard shots. Barboza’s kicks look good but aren’t connecting. Except for a spinning back kick that nails Pearson in the mush. Pearson lands a punch that sends Barboza crashing in to the fence. Pearson and Barboza trade strikes. Pearson lands a high kick and then clinches with Barboza.

SCORECARD: Pearson 10-9

ROUND TWO: We’re barely in to round 2 and Barboza drops Pearson, nearly ending the fight. Barboza is circling away while Pearson tries to land a KO punch. Pearson lands a duo of punches. Pearson is backing Barboza up. Pearson is giving Barboza chase. Pearson tries for a takedown but gets nothing. Barboza lands a left hook and then loses his balance, falling over. Pearson lands superman punch. Barboza lands two hard kicks. Pearson tries another superman punch. Barboza misses the spinning back kick to end the round.

SCORECARD: Pearson 10-9

ROUND THREE: Barboza lands more hard kicks. Barboza tries a flying knee but Pearson catches it. However, he can’t use it to put Barboza down. Pearson smashes Barboza against the fence. Barboza is still circling away. Pearson lands a chopping leg kick. Pearson fails another takedown attempt. Pearson stuns Barboza but he recovers. Barboza bloodies Pearson. Barboza lands a flying knee to end the round.

SCORECARD: Pearson 10-9

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Edson Barboza by split decision (29-28X 2 Barboza, 29-28 Pearson).

I think that’s crap…the man ran backwards for rounds 2 and 3…sigh.

Light Heavyweight bout: Forrest Griffin (205 lbs. 18-6) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (205 lbs.19-5)

ROUND ONE: Griffin starts off with a high kick. Rua lands an uppercut. Both fighters exchanges strikes. Rua tattoo’s Griffin upside his head and finishes him off before you can say rubber match. Griffin looks to have slipped but that was all Rua needed to do what he needed to do.

WAR RUA!!!!!

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by KO at 1:53 of round 1.

Okami coming out to the theme from Kill Bill = AWESOME SAUCE!

Main Event Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva (184 lbs. 28-4) vs. Yushin Okami (183 lbs. 25-5)

ROUND ONE: Silva lands a kick. Silva is throwing a series of jabs that get pawed away by Okami. Okami clinches and looks to uppercut Silva before Silva pulls away. Okami is jabbing now. Silva is circling away now. Okami clinches. Okami does some dirty boxing. Silva elbows and knees in the clinch. Uppercut from Okami. They exchange knees. Okami attempts a single leg and then lets it go. Okami is leaning all over Silva. Okami backs off. Silva is slipping Okami’s jabs. Silva lands a head kick but doesn’t KO Okami. We’re off to the second round.

SCORECARD: Silva 10-9

ROUND TWO: Silva is juking and jiving. Silva is trying to end this thing ASAP. Okami lands a punch and gets knocked straight down. Silva lets him back up again. After a long stare down Silva clubs Okami and finishes him off with punches to the noodle.

OFFICIAL RESULT: WINNER – Anderson Silva by TKO (strikes) at 2:04 of round 2.

Rashad Evans ended his 14-month layoff in impressive fashion as he finished fellow former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz with a knee to the body and punches in the second round in a rematch of their 2007 draw.

Middleweight contender Vitor Belfort returned to form in the UFC 133 co-main event with a first-round KO of Yoshihiro Akiyama.

MMAFrenzy.com’s round-by-round coverage of UFC 133, which took place Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, is below:

Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz

 Round 1- Rashad starts the fight crouched in the corner. Tito fires a kick but Evans was already gone. Tito moving a little better in this fight. Tito is loading up his hooks early and it is allowing Rashad to slip them. Rashad lands a big overhand right before they clinch. Tito works in on a shot but Evans escapes. Rashad tags Tito hard and warms quickly. Tito clinches and the pace slows again. Rashad with a brutal shot before slamming Tito down with a hard double. Rashad moves to side control and lands multiple strikes to close out the round. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Evans.

Round 2- Round opens with Rashad showing good movement early on. Tito is laboring. Rashad shoots and Tito is throwing everything he has into a guillotine from half-guard. Rashad passes easily into side control and Tito looks exhausted. Rashad begins dropping hard lefts from side control before moving into the Salaverry position. Tito recovers side control but is in a lot of trouble here. Tito is covering up. Tito briefly rolls for a leglock but did not actually have anything. Rashad unleashes a brutal knee to the body and takes back side mount with :25 left and tees off on Ortiz until referee Dan Miraglotta steps in at the 4:48 mark.

Dominant performance from Evans tonight. Evans tells the Philadelphia crowd “I’m getting my belt back.”

Tito praises Rashad Evans and is very gracious in defeat.

Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

 Round 1- Both fighters take their time feeling each other out for the first minute and a half before Belfort unloads on Akiyama with an overhand right. Akiyama briefly recovers but Belfort swarms the wounded Japanese fighter and knocks him out cold with a shot that looked to be directly to the back of the head at the 1:52 mark.

An extremely excited Belfort tells Rogan he wants another shot at Anderson Silva.

Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole

 Round 1- Hallman distracts Ebersole with what we’ll call his “shorts” and gains a quick takedown. Hallman quickly takes Ebersole’s back. Ebersole finally turns into Hallman and ends up in a guillotine choke. Ebersole finally works free and lands a few hard shots on Hallman. Ebersole lands a massive elbow that hurts Hallman but he briefly recovers. Ebersole lands another hard shot and unloads on Hallman until the referee steps in at the 4:28 mark.

Ebersole insists he wants to be on “Fear Factor” to Joe Rogan.

Jorge Rivera vs. Constantinos Philippou

 Round 1- Costa pins Rivera to the cage after brief striking exchange. Costa scores a takedown and works to half guard. Rivera finally gets back to his feet but eats a lot of solid shots from Costa. Referee Mario Yamasaki restarts the fighters in the middle and Costa goes back to pressing the action. Rivera lands a nice right hand but Philippou seems unfazed. Costa clips Rivera with an uppercut releasing the clinch with :30 left. Round ends with a Philippou combo and a clinch against the cage. MMAFrenzy scores a close round to Philippou 10-9.

Round 2- Philippou rocks Rivera with a hard uppercut. Philippou tries to finish with an exhausting barrage of strikes but sacrifices good positioning an Rivera scores a desperation takedown and rocks Costa around the cage. Costa gets back to his feet and pins Rivera to the cage. Costa shows his Serra roots by unleashing a few foot stomps. Rivera reveres and hits a foot sweep but falls into a deep omoplata attempt from Philippou. The finish is so close but Philippou doesn’t appear to know a sit-up finishes Rivera. Philippou switches to a footlock but misses it and Costa finishes the round on top. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 for Philippou (20-18).

Round 3- Round opens with our announcers trying to imitate Matt Serra. Rivera rocks Costa with a hook but cannot follow up. Costa lands a hard left hook before taking Rivera down. Serra is screaming for short elbows. Jorge attempts a triangle but misses. We’re back on our feet and Philippou lands a hard knee to the body. Philippou clinches against the cage and lands a few foot stomps before Yamasaki restarts. Philippou misses a takedown and Rivera ends up with a takedown of his own against the cage. Philippou works his way back up to his feet with :20 to go. Philippou lands a nice combo and Rivera misses a trip attempt causing Philippou to end up on top. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Philippou (30-27).

The judges see the bout for Costa Philippou 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Costa says he thought he didn’t fight great but Joe Rogan insists he did.

Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle

Round 1- Pyle gets caught off balance by a trip from MacDonald punch. MacDonald get’s taken down by Pyle and uses the cage to escape. MacDonald lands a nice combo before attempting a guillotine choke. Pyle rolls out but MacDonald follows him down to the mat briefly MacDonald jumps back into Pyle’s guard after standing briefly. MacDonald rocks Pyle on the ground with a left hook to the jaw and follows up with repeated strikes before the referee jumps in to save Pyle at the 3:54 mark.

Quick Results:

• Rashad Evans def. Tito Ortiz via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:48
• Vitor Belfort def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via KO (strikes)  - Round 1, 1:52
• Brian Ebersole def. Dennis Hallman via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:28
• Constantinos Philippou def. Jorge Rivera via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Rory MacDonald def. Mike Pyle via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:54

Dan Henderson scored a first-round knockout of Fedor Emelianenko in Saturday’s Strikeforce main event outside Chicago, but the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion first had to survive a flurry from the fellow former PRIDE champ.

The pair came out swinging, then briefly settled into a battle in the clinch before letting their leather fly again. Henderson connected first with several looping punches, but Emelianenko answered with a barrage of his own.

Henderson would weather the storm and immediately turned the tide as he blasted Emelianenko in a scramble and Fedor hit the canvas face-first. “Hendo” followed with a pair of punches on the ground that appeared to land behind the head of “The Last Emperor,” but weren’t deemed illegal as referee Herb Dean halted the fight.

Henderson improves to 28-8 with three-straight wins following the TKO at 4:12 of the first, while Emelianenko falls to 31-4 with three-straight losses after a 10-year winning streak.

In the night’s co-main event, Miesha Tate submitted champion Marloes Coenen with an arm triangle after three lackluster rounds to win the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title. The Showtime-televised main card also saw Tim Kennedy top Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley edge Paul Daley, and Tarec Saffiedine dominate Scott Smith.

The complete Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson results were:

MAIN CARD

• Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:12
• Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen (c) via submission (arm triangle) – Round 4, 3:03
  Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship
• Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante def. Bobby Green via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Tyler Stinson def. Eduardo Pamplona via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:15
• Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
• Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 3, 1:19

Event: UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber (UFC Bantamweight Championship)
Airdate: Saturday, July 2nd, 2011 (Pay-Per-View)
Location: The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV

Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker
Round 1
Referee Mario Yamasaki starts the contest. Hougland lands an inside leg kick and follows with a jab. Hougland lands a body kick and then shoots for a double. He completes the takedown and is now standing over Walker and dropping shots to the body and head. Walker is active off his back, preventing the pass and landing several elbows. Stalemate now as both men jockey for position. Hougland lands a pair of elbows and then stacks Walker against the cage. With Walker seated against the cage, Hougland snatches an arm-in guillotine, but he can’t finish the fight. The round ends with Hougland on top, but Walker is landing elbows from the guard.

Round 2
The pair trade tentative strikes to start the second, but Hougland is more active, landing multiple leg kicks. Hougland lands a spinning back fist to the side of the head. Walker is really looking for the big shot. Hougland shoots a takedown, but it’s stuffed. Hougland lands a nice outside leg kick and then a pair of jabs. Walker is cut over his right eye. Hougland ties a head kick, but it’s blocked. Walker continues to press forward, whiffing on a body kick and then a left hook. Hougland lands a looping counter left hook, but it’s answered by a leg kick from Walker. Walker rushes in and takes an incidental knee to the groin. Yamasaki calls for time, but restarts them quickly. Hougland continually lands a well-timed jab and then tags Walker with a big shot coming in that hurts him. Hougland tries another guillotine and jumps into guard. Walker seems safe, however. Now Hougland switches to a no-arm variation, and it looks close to being over. The horn sounds, and we’ll go to round three.

Round 3
The fighters touch gloves to start. Hougland lands a right cross, but walker answers with a lead-right hook. Walker clinches and presses Hougland against the cage. Both men land knees before Hougland shoots for a double. Walker sprawls, and Hougland pulls guard. Hougland is trying a straight armbar from bottom. Walker stacks him and drops Hougland on the back of his head. Hougland now threatening with a triangle, but Walker squirts an arm through Hougland’s legs and escapes. Yamasaki stands them up after a few seconds of inactivity. Walker lands a nice leg kick and then a pair of right hands. Hougland tries a double, but Walker again sprawls. Walker is setting up a D’arce from top control in Hougland’s half guard. Hougland sweeps from half and winds up in Walker’s guard. Both men are landing shots – Hougland with punches, Walker with elbows off his back. Both men continue to throw as the round expires.

Official scores: 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for Houghland, winner by unanimous decision. Judges names are not announced.

Andre Winner vs. Anthony Njokuani
Round 1
Referee Yves Lavigne kicks off this lightweight contest. Njokuani leads with an inside leg kick, but Winner responds with a hard one-two that is blocked. Both men gauge distance with front kicks. Njokuani digs a left hook to the ribs. Winner leads with a left hook, but Njokuani responds with another leg kick before trying a spinning elbow. Winner tries a lead uppercut. Njokuani counters with a knee and a pair of leg kicks and follows with a knee to the ribs from the clinch. Njokuani lands a sweet counter uppercut to the jaw. Winner rushes for ward, then whiffs on a high kick. Njokuani circles to his right and lands another leg kick and then goes upstairs. Winner blocks the head kick and charges forward with a hook that is countered with a body punch. Njokuani counters with another uppercut. Njokuani lands a leg kick and then a teep to the gut. Njokuani lands a jab and then another front kick. Njokuani lands a pair of knees to the face and follows up with a murderous flurry. Punches, knees come from everywhere, but Winner is somehow still alive. Winner is out on his feet. Referee Yves Lavigne is looking hard at this one. Winner somehow survives another burst and is taken down with a trip. He bounces back to his feet as the horn sounds.

Round 2
Incredibly, Winner comes out aggressive to start round two. Njokuani stays on the outside, gauging distance. Winner leads with a left hook. Njokuani responds with a high kick. Both shots are mostly blocked. Deliberate pace through the first minute until Njokuani lands a hard overhand right that knocks Winner into the cage. More knees from Njokuani to Winner’s ribs and face. Winner escapes to the center of the cage. Winner secures a body lock and executes a hip toss, but Winner bounces back to his feet again. The men exchange knees in the clinch against the cage until Lavigne restarts them in the center. Both men land punches, then Winner lands a lead left hook. Njokuani lands an outside leg kick, then an inside variation. Another inside leg kick from Njokuani followed by a high kick that is blocked. Winner whiffs with that lead left hook. Njokuani lands a body kick. Winner misses on a right hand lead. Njokuani tries another spinning elbow, but hits nothing but air. Jab from Njokuani, then a flurry of kicks that push Winner out of punching distance.

Round 3
Njokuani lands another inside leg kick to start the third. Winner blocks a high kick and tries one of his own. Winner leads with an uppercut and follows with a body jab. Njokuani lands a nice right hook to the jaw. Winner lands a nice body jab. The Brit tries an uppercut, but it’s blocked. Winner just misses on a head kick. Njokuani fires a four-strike combination and then lands a hard leg kick to the lead thigh. Left hook to the ribs from Njokuani and then a lead-leg body kick. Winner is trying to get on the inside, but Njokuani continues to frustrate him on the outside. Another leg kick from Njokuani. And another. Njokuani tries a takedown, but it’s stuffed. Winner lands a left hook from the clinch, but Njokuani responds with a combination before circling away from the fence. Njokuani switches briefly to southpaw and seems content to ride out the decision. Scratch that. Njokuani lands a left hook and then a body kick. Winner is still game and looking for a big shot, but it’s not there. The horn sounds to end the bout.

Official scores: 30-26 (twice) and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Njokuani.

Brad Tavares vs. Aaron Simpson
Round 1
Josh Rosenthal starts the middleweight bout. Tavares lands a body kick as Simpson clinches and hunts for a takedown. Knees to the thigh courtesy of Simpson. Tavares is hanging onto an overhook and defending the takedown successfully thus far. Simpson elevates Tavares briefly, but he can’t quite get him up for a slam or trip. More knees from the clinch from Simpson. The crowd boos the clinch work. Tavares defends another trip attempt. Midway through the round, and Simpson is still pounding Tavares against the cage. Rosenthal restarts them due to inactivity. Tavares lands a nice right straight, but Simpson eats it and fires a leg kick before bulling forward to clinch against the cage again. Simpson whirls Tavares around again, but Tavares uses his whizzer to defend, ending up back in the clinch against the cage. Both men trade shots as the round expires.

Round 2
Simpson lands a leg kick, but Tavares counters with a heavy right hand. Tavares pops Simpson coming in and drops him momentarily. Simpson springs back to his feet and manages to secure a body lock that he turns into a waist-cinch. Tavares turns into his foe to prevent full back control and the fighters are back in the over-under clinch once again. Both men jockey for position while Rosenthal asks them to increase their work rate. Tavares is now digging for a double-leg, but Simpson defends well before landing a nice pair of knees from the Thai plum. Tavares tries again, and this time he executes the takedown, elevating Simpson and slamming him hard. Simpson springs back to his feet immediately, however, and pins Simpson against the cage. Now Simpson tries for a guillotine with Tavares seated against the cage. Tavares escapes the choke and works his way out of a front headlock before recovering to the Greco clinch. Tavares defends a takedown as the round expires.

Round 3
Simpson whiffs on a huge right hand before closing the gap and clinching again. They separate. Tavares lands a counter combination as Simpson charges forward. Tavares defends another takedown attempt with a whizzer. Back in the clinch, Simpson continues to work with short punches. Simpson gets a body lock and tries to drag Tavares down, but Tavares’ base is still stout. Even so, it’s Simpson dictating everything so far this round. Simpson finally gets his takedown, but Tavares stands up. Simpson trips him down, but Tavares again stands. Simpson is relentless, grinding his foe down with this constant pressure. Simpson tries another double, but Tavares again defends well. Rosenthal separates the men. Simpson lands a nice overhand right and transitions into an outside trip to score the takedown. Tavares escapes to his feet and tries another takedown that’s stuffed. The fighters are still scrapping as the horn sounds.

Official scores: 30-27s across the board for Aaron Simpson, winner by unanimous decision.

Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Round 1
Mario Yamasaki starts the bantamweight bout. Both men tentative to start. Bowles tosses out a jab, and Mizugaki tries an overhand right before landing an outside leg kick. Bowles circles to his left and fires a jab, but Mizugaki cracks him with a right hand for his efforts. Mizugaki blocks an uppercut and lands another right before finding a home for another leg kick. Another leg kick from the Japanese fighter. Bowles lands a jab and Mizugaki whiffs on another overhand. Bowles still sticking his jab out there, but Mizugaki is still looking to counter. Bowles lands a glancing jab. Bowles still circling left. Mizugaki times him with a right hand and catches Bowles coming in. Bowles lands a right of his own, but there’s little power behind it. Both men launch a three punch combo, and the American lands his best punch of the fight so far. Bowles clinches up and now presses Mizugaki against the cage. Bowles now cinches up a body lock and begins to knee the ribs. Yamasaki breaks them with 10 seconds left in the frame.

Round 2
Both men tentative again to start the second before Mizugaki initiates the action with a right cross and then a leg kick. Bowles lands a pair of stiff jabs and then a right hand. Bowles’ movement has picked up, and he lands another jab. Bowles lands a one-two, but Mizugaki counters with a jab. Body jab by Bowles. Mizugaki lands a sharp right hand on the counter. Mizugaki lands another right hand before eating a Bowles jab. Hard leg kick from Mizugaki. Nice counter right hand from Bowles. Mizugaki fires back with a right, but Bowles seems unfazed. Bowles catches an outside leg kick and cracks Mizugaki with a right straight. Bowles jumps on his foe and takes his back. Bowles now cinches a body triangle and is searching for a rear-naked choke. Mizugaki defends well, but Bowles is trying to soften him up with punches from the back. Mizugaki wants to turn Bowles, but the triangle keeps him in place. Bowles is trying hard to finish with the rear-naked, but Mizugaki is still calm as the horn sounds.

Round 3
Bowles may have broken his hand once again in round two. Mizugaki tries a left hook to start the frame, but Bowles smothers him and presses his foe against the cage. Mizugaki lands a high knee to Bowles’ face from the Greco clinch. Bowles lands short knees to Mizugaki’s legs. Mizugaki catches a knee and fires a combination to escape the position. Bowles shoots a double and completes it in a big way. Suddenly, Bowles again has Mizugaki’s back, this time from a standing position. Bowles clings to Mizugaki’s back like like a monkey as he thinks about a rear-naked choke. Mizugaki is calm with wrist control, but Bowles is still on his back. Mizugaki tries to land short blows to Bowles’ face, and the crowd boos the stalemate. Yamasaki separates them with 50 seconds remaining. Mizugaki is pressing forward and lands a combination. Bowles lands a right hand, but it looked uncomfortable. Bowles is on his bike as the round expires.

Official scores: 30-27 (twice) and 29-28 for Bowles, winner by unanimous decision.

Rafael dos Anjos vs. George Sotiropoulos
Round 1
Referee Yves Lavigne signals the start of the Spike TV card. Sotiropoulos presses immediately. Dos Anjos fires a combination, but he’s countered by a Sots combination. The Aussie lands a light outside leg kick, and Dos Anjos retaliates with a hard one. The pair exchange looping hooks, and the Brazilian’s clips Sotiropoulos on the chin. The Aussie collapses, his skull bouncing off the canvas. Lavigne steps in to stop the contest at only 59 seconds of the first frame, saving Sotiropoulos from further punishment.

Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller
Round 1
Josh Rosenthal starts the lightweight contest. Guillard tries a pair of flying knees to begin and follows up with a left hook and a right hand. Guillard is on his toes and looks very comfortable. Guillard lands a hard leg kick and follows with a combination. Guillard lands a nice body kick as Roller rushes in, but it looks like Roller was poked in the eye in the process. Roller is fine, and the bout continues. Roller checks a leg kick, but gets clipped with a punch to the body. Roller lands a nice left hook as both men throw. Guillard did not enjoy that, and he circles out. Roller now presses forward but gets caught with an uppercut, left hook combo that drops him. He struggles to his feet but gets blasted with another straight shot to the chops that puts him back on the mat. There is no escape this time, as Guillard pounds him into unconsciousness. The end comes at 2:12 of the first frame, as Josh Rosenthal declares Guillard the winner by knockout.

Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Round 1
Kim gets in close and slams Condit to the mat authoritatively. However, Condit quickly pins Kim’s arm, and sweeps to full mount, and tries to lock up a guillotine. Kim peels Condit’s hands, and they resume standing. Low kick lands for Condit. Neither guy locating hard strikes. Condit flicks a front kick, and then explodes with a furious flying right knee that wrecks Kim. Kim falls to his seat, and “The Natural Born Killer” is all over him, taking mount and punching away, wracking Kim’s head from side to side. Steve Mazzagatti rescues the shattered Kim at 2:58 of the first round. Incredible knockout.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader
Round 1
Both men start with an active jab. Bader lands an overhand right that stumbles Ortiz briefly. Dueling low kicks whiff for each man. Ortiz rushes with a two-piece, but Bader circles away. Low kick for Bader. Both men trade turns pumping their hands and landing a low kick. Ortiz jumps in with a right hook that crushes Bader, folding his legs over one another. Ortiz smells blood, and attacks with punches. Bader fights to a single-leg attempt, but Ortiz locks up a guillotine and jumps guard. It’s deep, and Ortiz strains hard to finish the choke. Bader tries to wriggle free, but is caught, and feebly taps. A jubilant Ortiz leaps to his feet, instantly recreating his famous “Gravedigger” routine with gusto. The end comes just 1:56 into the first round. Incredible win for Tito Ortiz.

Matt Wiman vs. Dennis Siver
Round 1
Hard low kick by Siver lands, and his overhand follow whizzes by Wiman. Wiman low kicks. Siver launches a one-two that snaps Wiman’s head, and “Handsome” shoots a double, which Siver soundly defends. Hard right for Wiman, and they swing away wildly. Very aggressive fight from both through the first minute. Low kick for Siver lands, a Wiman head kick sails wide. Hard low kick for Siver. Inside low kick for Wiman, double roundhouse kick by Siver, and more intense swinging. Very rugged, offensive fight. Wiman grabs a waistlock and throws Siver to the mat. Siver gets back up to his feet, as Wiman tries to pull him back down with a single-leg takedown. Wiman drops down, tries to take the back, and Siver thwarts him. The Russian-born German is showing off great takedown defense. Siver tries to sneak a guillotine in on Wiman, and Wiman breaks Siver’s grip. They break, and a Siver combination is blocked on the way out. Hard outside low kick by Siver lands. Swinging right hook by Siver misses Wiman, but he changes levels and puts Wiman on the mat. Siver tries to pass, but Wiman shuts him down. The German stands, pounding briefly before Wiman regains his feet. Wiman quickly attempts a single-leg, but Siver shuts him down again. Heavy combination punching from Siver, and Wiman shoots another double, finally getting Siver on the mat with under 15 seconds to go. Wiman gets into guard and punches at the bell.

Round 2
Wiman attacks Siver’s legs with another double, and Siver sprawls along the fence. Wiman switches to a single, and Siver stands. Wiman continues to drive Siver into the fence, prompting boos from the crowd. Siver threatens a guillotine, Wiman pulls out and shoots in a single again. Wiman switches to a double, gets his head low, and turns Siver over to finish the workmanlike takedown. Wiman lands a short elbow that cuts Siver’s forehead open. Another hard elbow for Wiman lands. Three heavy right elbows follow. Wiman continues to drill Siver with elbows, slashing his face wide open. Siver is pouring blood. Wiman with a torrent of hammerfist that force Siver to cover up. Five elbows for Wiman smash into Siver’s brow. Wiman tries for two double axehandles, but Siver blocks them. The horn ends a firm Wiman round.

Round 3
Inside low kick lands for Wiman, and Siver throws a slow one-two that Wiman blocks. Wiman catches a Siver push kick, bulling him into the fence and shooting another single. Siver splits his legs along the fence, and Wiman tries to step over his leg, but the German escapes to his feet. Left high kick is blocked by Siver. He attempts to follow with his trademark spinning back kick, but Wiman sidesteps it. The lightweights trade low kicks. Wiman stumbles Siver with a low kick, and touches him with a long Superman punch. Siver kicks, and Wiman tries to land a kneetap, but Siver avoids, and fights Wiman’s advance off with powerful hooks. Wiman continues forward, and ducks under a left hook to shoot another single. Siver punches away on Wiman’s head, and tries to break his grip. Siver forces Wiman back to the feet, and turns him into the fence. Wiman grabs a guillotine, and pulls guard. Siver escapes, but Wiman sucks him into an omoplata. Siver. Pulls his arm out, and Wiman gets back to his feet. Siver kicks, and Wiman catches his leg again, tripping him to the mat. Siver kicks him away, and turns him over, standing up. Wiman attacks again, and Siver kicks his leg out, forcing him into a takedown. Wiman drives for it and Siver pounds away until the horn. Fun fight.

All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Dennis Siver.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben
Round 1
Leben kicks, and Silva glances him with a right hand counter. Silva attacks with a flurry of hooks. Leben throws a left hook that tags and stumbles Silva. Leben goes to attack, but Silva clinches. “The Crippler” responds with a torrent of left uppercuts. Silva goes down on his face. Leben attacks and punches away until referee Josh Rosenthal dives in to save Silva. The Brazilian continues to fight the referee Rosenthal for several seconds before coming to his senses. The official time of the fight is 27 seconds.

UFC Bantamweight Championship
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber
Round 1
Cruz’s right hand lead snaps Faber’s head back. Both men moving actively, darting in and out. Cruz lands another right, and Faber looks for the takedown. He tries to spin Cruz around to take his back, but Cruz shakes him off. Low kick for Faber lands. Cruz responds with a one-two and a kick of his own. Kicks from Cruz are absorbed on the arms and body of Faber. Cruz continues to shuck and jive, throwing low and high kicks. Cruz continues to dance in and out. Hard low kick for the champion lands, but Faber decks him right a right that drops him for a moment, as the crowd roars. Cruz jumps back to his feet, and the fight continues at its frenetic pace. They flurry, and Faber lands a right on the exit. Faber jumps into the pocket, and Cruz smacks him with a heavy uppercut. Cruz dances in, ducks a Faber hook, and lands one of his own. Double jab and a hard low kick for Cruz. Faber drives Cruz into the fence in pursuit of a takedown. Cruz knees Faber to the head and gets an underhook. Faber breaks and flurries, and Cruz blocks it. More punches exchanged, each landing hard rights, and Faber lands a hard knee to boot. Cruz throws a flying knee which glances, and Faber and he spill to the mat in an attempted hip throw at the end of an exciting round.

Round 2
Cruz continues to be active with kicks, but can’t land clean on Faber through the first minute. A “Faber, Faber” chant breaks out. Two kicks for Faber glance. Left hook and a right cross land clean for Cruz. Cut kick for Cruz lands under Faber’s attempted check. Inside low kick for Cruz land, and Faber lands a right. He responds with another hard right that finds its mark on the champ. Stiff jab from the ever-dancing Cruz. Cruz darting in and out with feints, but Faber simply backs away. Flailing three-punch combo lands for Cruz. Faber attempts a single, and Cruz glances with a pair of countering hooks. Head kick blocked by Faber, but Cruz throws an outside low kick on the other side that lands firm. Another jab lands for Cruz, and his swiping right tags Faber. Faber responds with a right of his own that stumbles Cruz. Cruz feints, Faber throws a right hook, and Cruz immediately changes levels and double-legs him. However, Faber quickly works back to his feet with 15 seconds to fight. Double outside low kicks are followed by three hooks that land for Dominick Cruz, ending another great round.

Round 3
Slapping low kick for Faber lands, but Cruz lands a clean right-handed lead in response. Cruz dives in with another right that misses its mark. Galloping body kick for Cruz lands. Cruz attempts another kneetap, but Faber blocks it, and the champion lands a series of short rights rather than trying to finish the takedown. Combinations for both guys sail wide. Cruz is walking down Faber more intently now with his dancing, and nails him with a three-punch combo. Two more low kicks. Cruz’s volume is starting to define the fight. Faber swipes with a body shot. Cruz swings and Faber ducks under, taking him to the mat. Cruz sweeps and initiates the scramble, but Faber attempts to take his back. Cruz rolls through and gets to side control before they both stand up in a sensational scramble. Stiff jab from Cruz connects. Faber kicks to the body, Cruz catches it, but can’t land a hard punch. A Cruz head kick is blocked, but his right-handed follow smacks Faber. Solid right hook for Faber lands, and Cruz responds with a left before shooting a double. Faber stuffs the takedown, and they clinch along the cage. Cruz tries for the single, but Faber stuffs it again. They clinch until the horn.

Round 4
Cruz lands a quick combination to start the championship rounds. A left hook followed by two right hooks jack Faber’s jaw. Cruz sidesteps a Faber right, but steps right onto a hard low kick. A heavy Faber right hand smacks Cruz, and drops him to the mat for a moment. As Faber steps in to attack, Cruz tries for a takedown, but Faber shuts him down. Feint and a single-leg attempt for Faber. Cruz shuts him down, but “The California Kid” lands a stiff uppercut on the break. Lunging body hooks for Cruz land. Two more Cruz punches glance Faber, and the champion adds a knee. Both men are slowed, but continuing to fight with aggression. Cruz attempts another kneetap, but Faber pancakes him. When Cruz tries to reshoot, Faber shucks him off. Great takedown defense by Faber. Left hook to the body and a right hook over the top land for Faber as Cruz backs up and plays defense for a moment. Faber kicks inside, and Cruz steps inside, landing a knee to the head. Cruz changes levels again looking for a late takedown, but Faber stuffs him. Cruz gets double underhooks and grinds Faber into the fence until the bell.

Round 5
A heavy Cruz rocks Faber. The champion looks to leap in with an attack, but Faber flurries in response. Heavy action to start the fifth and final round. Cruz fakes a jab and shoots, getting Faber to the mat. However, Faber scrambles back to his feet, and Cruz hangs on with a rear waistlock. They separate. Cruz doubles Faber to the mat again, but the former WEC featherweight champ quickly leaps back to his feet. Faber kicks to the body, and the kick is caught, but Cruz can’t capitalize. Cruz lands another double-leg, but Faber slickly sits out and slides back to his feet, another display of brilliant defensive wrestling. Cruz attempts a foot sweep, but Faber again scrambles and remains standing, as Cruz rams him into the fence. Faber breaks Cruz’s grip, and the champion steps away with under two minutes to fight. Hard inside low kick by Cruz. Faber responds with a tired head kick but can’t land. One minute left, and Cruz digs to the body. Faber swings hook counters, but can’t land. Cruz hits two consecutive knee taps, but Faber keeps his hips low and defends both expertly. Faber breaks free with 20 seconds to fight. Front kick by Faber allows Cruz to shoot again, but he can’t get the takedown before the bell.

Official scores: Sal D’Amato sees it 50-45, Patricia Morse-Jarman reckons 49-46, and Glenn Trowbridge has it 48-47 for the winner by unanimous decision and still the UFC bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz.

Darren Elkins vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Round 1
Elkins lands a few glancing right hands over the top as the featherweights bounce and weave in the opening minute. The southpaw Omigawa scores with short lefts of his own before changing up his stance. Omigawa ducks out of the way of the American’s punches and clips him with a left on the way out. Elkins clubs Omigawa with a one-two and the judoka drops to a knee for a split-second before bouncing back to his feet. Omigawa ducks inside and winds up tripped to the mat beneath Elkins. From there, Omigawa grabs at a leglock and Elkins immediately escapes to the feet. Hard left hook lands from Elkins with 70 seconds left in the round. Elkins continues to score with the left, landing three or four more down the stretch.

Round 2
The firefight resumes, both men throwing punches exclusively. Omigawa moves forward early and further damages the already reddened face of Elkins, who tries to keep the Yoshida Dojo product at range with straights. Omigawa finally throws an outside low kick 90 seconds into the round. Omigawa clinches, looking for a trip, but gets shucked. He keeps pressing and drops another crisp left on the bloodied side of Elkins’ face. Omigawa winds up his right hand as he walks Elkins down, but it’s Elkins who slugs him with a right. Elkins gives chase now, clipping Omigawa with a short right in the pocket. Omigawa bobs and weaves, walking forward and putting combinations on Elkins, then playing matador when he comes forward.

Round 3
Elkins comes out looking to score and eats a short left as he wings punches. Omigawa ducks inside, lifts his man up with a high double and drives Elkins to the floor. Elkins holds a headlock momentarily, then lets it go and tries to escape from Omigawa in his open guard. Omigawa mashes and flattens, pushing Elkins into the fence. Elkins throws up a triangle and nearly gives up his back in the ensuing scramble. Instead, the 145’ers go back to standing midway through the final round, Elkins’ face now an even more grisly sight. Omigawa steps in from the center, pops Elkins with a left, dips out, and repeats. Elkins continues to lean low with his punches, leaving his head exposed to Omigawa’s left hand.

Official scores: Two judges have it 29-28, while one sees it 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Darren Elkins. The Vancouver crowd in attendance for the evening’s first contest voices its disapproval of the verdict.

Aaron Rosa vs. Joey Beltran
Round 1
The big men come out swinging, and it’s Beltran who connects first with peppering lefts. Beltran shoves the taller Rosa into the cage with an underhook and lands a few hard lefts when they disengage 20 seconds later. The “Mexicutioner” clinches again and digs a few hooks to the body. Referee Jerin Valel tells them to work and Beltran responds with a hard right hand over the top, then another. The heavyweights stand in the pocket winging punches wildly, neither connecting much but both throwing with all they have. Rosa, who’s pawing at his nose repeatedly, steps forward and lands a right. Beltran backs him down, though, and puts his back to the fence before unloading with a hard combo. Rosa steps away briefly, but Beltran follows, lands a leg kick and puts a few punches on Rosa’s ribs. They go back to all-out slugging for the final 10 seconds; this time, it’s Beltran landing cleaner right hands to the face and body, though Rosa gets in a stiff uppercut.

Round 2
Rosa lands a left jab-overhand right combo, and Beltran responds by throwing leg kicks. Beltran plunks Rosa with a big right and clinches up to throw knees inside. The ref tells them to work and they split. Another right lands for Rosa, then a one-two followed by an inside thigh kick. Again, Beltran initiates the clinch and throws knees low inside. One knee lands straight on Rosa’s groin, and Beltran connects with another to Rosa’s face as he’s collapsing in pain. Ref Valel calls for the doctor, who clears Rosa to continue. Rosa stuns Beltran with a right over the top and smells blood, giving chase. He leaps at Beltran with a knee against the fence and now Beltran takes a low blow. He soon recovers and they get back to work with just over a minute to go. Long left lands for Rosa and Beltran rushes him into the cage again. They trade phone-booth punches, split, and then clinch again to the final horn. Beltran lands a late right hand and the crowd jeers, though no action is taken in the cage.

Round 3
Rosa comes forward swinging and gets caught in a loose guillotine. Beltran lands a knee, abandons it, and has Rosa on his knees against the fence, where he unloads with a flurry of hard punches from the standing position. Rosa looks to be out of it, but struggles back up. Beltran ragdolls Rosa onto his back and Rosa’s cut badly now, likely from the knee. Beltran goes wild and thumps Rosa with solid ground-and-pound until referee Valel steps in for the save at 1:26 of the third.

Dustin Poirier vs. Jason Young
Round 1
Young scores with leg kicks early, but Poirier keeps coming forward, hurling punches. He puts Young’s back to the cage, but Young grabs hold of Poirier’s right arm and tries to lock up a standing kimura. It doesn’t work, but Young does spin Poirier around and drive a knee to the gut. They exchange control a few more times before breaking off and each landing hard shots in a wild exchange. Young catches Poirier coming in and tags him with a right, then leaps at the American with a round kick. Poirier goes to his kicks now, both to the body and legs, and Young leaps in with a knee. Poirier slugs Young with a great left hook, but his follow-up punches can’t find the mark. The featherweights clash leg kicks a few times; Young is now cut above the left eye. A kick seems to graze Poirier low, but he doesn’t want to stop when asked by ref John McCarthy. Young slips on a jumping kick. He stands and puts a hard right on the jaw of Poirier, who answers with some crisp inside leg kicks before the horn.

Round 2
Great leg kicks from Young early in the second. He puts a hard right on Poirier, but Poirier’s simultaneous kick is on Young’s cup. Young recovers and they go back to headhunting. Poirier is sticking his left hand straight down the pipe, but eating more and more leg kicks from Young. Now, Young comes forward and plants a one-two on Poirier. Right hand comes over the top from Young, followed by a left hook. Another right hand is chased with a leg kick. Young slips out of the way of Poirier’s right and pops him with a left. The Brit leaps inside with a knee, but it misses and Poirier snaps his head with a left hand. Poirier scores a takedown in the final seconds and holds down Young, whose face is streaming blood at the end of the frame.

Round 3
Young emerges from his corner with a big gob of Vaseline over his left eye, and the fighters trade for a moment before he has to pause and wipe it off. They restart and Young comes forward, hunting for lefts, but instead eats a few strong Poirier shots. Poirier puts Young against the cage with a high double-leg, can’t finish and switches to a single. Young stifles the move by underhooking Poirier’s left arm and the two are at a stalemate with three minutes left. Poirier gets his takedown, but his face is buried so low that Young is able to stand. Poirier drags him down again, and Young pops right back up, socking Poirier with right hands in the clinch. Poirier tries for another takedown and Young sprawls on the fence, elbowing to the American’s side. Another takedown for Poirier, but he’s mounting no offense, only looking to improve position as Young digs in with unanswered elbows. Poirier finally gets Young on his back, away from the fence with 30 seconds left, but Young lifts Poirier’s left arm and slugs away from underneath.

Official scores: The judges at cageside have it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Dustin Poirier.

Nick Ring vs. James Head
Round 1
Ring flicks outside leg kicks as he circles around Head, who tries to come forward and is punished with a right hand. Ring clinches and drills Head with knees to the gut. Head answers with a nice right hand down the middle, but he already seems to be bloodied around the eye from Ring’s offense. The Canadian plants Head on the canvas in the center of the cage and works from side control with three minutes left. Ring goes to north-south and Head gets loose. Ring lets him up and Head makes him pay with a right hand on the temple that drops Ring to a knee. Head pounces, can’t finish with punches, and attacks with hard knees in the clinch when Ring stands back up. Ring appears to be recovered until he takes a head kick and a right hand at the one-minute mark. Ring gets a takedown into half-guard and the American breathes hard, laying his head back on the canvas. Ring finishes strong on top.

Round 2
Ring lands a takedown and spends a minute flattening and pounding Head with big punches and elbows before being stuffed back to half-guard. Ring stands and Head kicks, creating enough space to stand. It doesn’t last long, as Ring dumps Head back down against the fence. Head uses the fence to push off and puts the cage on his left side. Head’s badly bloodied, but resists when Ring nearly takes his back, dumping the Canadian off onto his head. Ring winds up on top in the scramble and ref Herb Dean calls time for the cageside physician to inspect the cut on the bridge of Head’s nose. Dean tells Head the doctor cannot stop the bleeding, and that the cut will continue bleeding into his eyes. He asks Head if he wants to continue and Head responds in the affirmative. Dean restarts them in the center of the cage with Ring in side control. “Reverse side control,” Dean points out when Ring tries to secure a more advantageous starting position. No matter: Ring is suffocating Head from half-guard, Head simply grimacing in pain and dripping blood, unable to escape.

Round 3
It’s not long before Ring is back in Head’s guard, throwing away. Head is a mess, his blood all over the canvas, but he works to control Ring’s wrists and looks for an opening for a submission. Ring simply bullies him, advancing to side control and slamming Head with elbows. He shucks Head’s legs over the top and goes to north-south position with two minutes remaining. Head can’t do anything from the bottom as Ring continues to assault with elbows. Head tries to turtle and nearly gives up his back, but winds up in north-south. Head turtles again, and this time Ring wastes no time sinking in a rear-naked choke. Ring doesn’t have hooks in, but it is tight and Head nonetheless submits as soon as the choke is in place. The official time is 3:33 of the third period.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Mike Massenzio
Round 1
Soszynski comes forward and Massenzio puts him on his back at the base of the fence. The “Polish Experiment” threatens with his favorite submission from underneath — the kimura — and Massenzio backs out. Massenzio clinches on the fence, but can’t do much. The larger Soszynski starts putting left hands on Massenzio, who gets another takedown, but again finds Soszynski back on his feet. Massenzio lobs inside leg kicks and he’s cut now from Soszynski’s punches. Massenzio shoots a double and finds no success. He combos are blocked by Soszynski, who thrusts his right hand straight into the American’s grill. Massenzio gets another takedown, Soszynski pops up and they stall out in the clinch. Referee Kevin Dornan restarts them with a minute left and Soszynski walks down Massenzio, then sprawls on a shot. A pair of left hands from Soszynski sting Massenzio, causing him to shoot a double which Soszynski easily sprawls on.

Round 2
Soszynski lands a chopping outside leg kick, Massenzio shoots, and Soszynski sprawls, sinking in a loose guillotine. It’s not a real threat immediately, but Massenzio is stuck under the sprawl, on his knees against the cage. Soszynski drives knees into the shoulder of the downed Massenzio, who gets back to his feet and puts Soszynski’s back on the fence. Soszynski lands knees to the breadbasket, they split and he sprawls on yet another Massenzio shot, and then another and another. Soszynski’s back is to the cage, but he punches underneath the far-side armpit of Massenzio until referee splits them up. Soszynski lands hard rights and sprawls again at the horn.

Round 3
Soszynski parries the jab, sprawls on Massenzio and winds up on top this time. Massenzio turtles with control of Soszynski’s left wrist, trying to prevent the kimura. Soszynski drops punches and then hard knees to Massenzio’s body and shoulder. Massenzio is trapped, just eating the knees, clinging on to Soszynski’s wrist with nowhere to go. Soszynski snakes his arm around and Massenzio bucks, landing in a bulldog choke. Massenzio briefly gets on top and goes for a choke of his own, then tries in vain for a double-leg on the fence when Soszynski stands. Referee Dornan splits them up and calls for action. The clapper sounds and Massenzio shoots in desperation, only to be stuffed one last time.

Official scores: All three judges score it a clean sweep — 30-27, 20-26 and 30-27 — for the winner by unanimous decision, Krzysztof Soszynski.

Chris Weidman vs. Jesse Bongfeldt
Round 1
Weidman goes high with a blocked head kick first and misses with a spinning attempt. Bongfeldt throws a left high kick of his own and it lands right on Weidman’s jaw, and he chases the “All-American” down with further kicks and punches. They clinch and tumble with Weidman landing in side control on Bongfeldt’s left. Now the wrestler mashes with elbows and punches from top control, looking for a crucifix, but Bongfeldt stuffs him back to guard. Weidman stands and tosses the legs aside, passing to Bongfeldt’s right. North-south position now and Weidman’s corner, Matt Serra, screams for a kimura. Bongfeldt rolls through and puts Weidman in half-guard, where Weidman does look for a kimura. He can’t get it, but he’s all over Bongfeldt, passing to the side and north-south again. Bongfeldt is trying to mount offense from beneath, but Weidman’s grinding elbows on top are doing much more. Weidman steps in with a knee to the solar plexus and grabs a standing guillotine as Bongfeldt tries to shoot. It’s extremely tight and Bongfeldt is forced to tap out with only seconds remaining, the end coming officially at 4:54 of the opening round.

Yves Edwards vs. Sam Stout
Round 1
The lightweights snipe early, Stout using a one-two-leg kick and Edwards mixing lefts, uppercuts and kicks of his own. Nothing much of substance lands in the opening 90 seconds, but the fighters then exchange glancing head kicks and Edwards drives for a takedown. He spins Stout to the mat after a brief struggle and Stout tries to shove Edwards off with a butterfly guard. Stout keeps busy with elbows from underneath and eventually does create space to scramble to his feet. Edwards scores with a straight left and slips on a head kick, but jumps back up. Stout clinches and tries a partially blocked knee outside. They stand in the pocket and Edwards puts a right hand behind Stout’s ear. At the same time, Stout throws a picture perfect left hook which snaps Edwards’ head and sends him crashing to the ground. Edwards is out cold already, but his head bounces off the canvas and his eyes are wide open as Stout walks away. It’s a vicious finish from “Hands of Stone” at 3:52 of the first round, one that will no doubt appear on highlight reels for years to come.

Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha
Round 1
Cerrone gets straight to work with chopping leg kicks, but the second grazes Rocha on the cup. Herb Dean stops the action, but Rocha is quick to recover. Cerrone times a shot from Rocha and lands a knee, continues bouncing and fires off a few more leg kicks. The next kick from Cerrone is caught and Rocha plows him down, but Cerrone’s guard is up instantly. Rocha stands over Cerrone and fires off a few solid shots before Cerrone scrambles up. Rocha tries a single-leg, then an ankle pick, but Cerrone spins away. More leg kicks from Cerrone and Rocha is stepping a little more gingerly at the 2:30 mark. Rocha lands a right and lands a slapping leg kick of his own. Cerrone answers with more rough kicks to Rocha’s lead leg and Rocha shoots from a mile out. Cerrone sprawls on it, lands another half-dozen low kicks and stuffs another takedown. Rocha tries a kick to the body and Cerrone catches it, then sweeps the grappler to the mat. Cerrone snaps back Rocha’s head with a left and keeps chopping away to the horn.

Round 2
Rocha’s legs may be banged up, but he charges forward nonetheless, looking to put hands on Cerrone, who dodges and kicks away. Rocha brings Cerrone down with a low double, but Cerrone’s immediately back up. They clinch against the cage a moment before Cerrone spins out. Rocha puts a few solid right straights on Cerrone, and the “Cowboy” just keeps kicking. Cerrone easily slips another takedown attempt from Rocha, who then slips as he stands and runs toward Cerrone. The lightweights don’t stay on the floor long; Cerrone is soon back to stalking, mixing leg and teep kicks with punches. Rocha’s legs are clearly failing him as he tries to check and slips on a takedown try. Cerrone sprawls all over another takedown in the waning seconds and Rocha is slow to stand up.

Round 3
It’s more of the same from Cerrone, who sprawls on every shot from Rocha and doesn’t stop moving forward with offense. He attacks the rear leg of Rocha now and begins to taunt his opponent with a dance. He catches a kick and sweeps down Rocha, who just stands keeps looking for overhand bombs. Rocha tries another takedown to no avail, and is similarly unsuccessful with an attempt to pull guard. Cerrone is landing hard punches in the final minute, snapping Rocha’s head back. One left hand around the 0:10 mark puts Rocha on his rear end. Rocha sits against the fence and claps as Cerrone walks away at the horn.

Official scores: The judges have it 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for the winner by unanimous decision, Donald Cerrone.

Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman
Round 1
Einemo goes low immediately and appears to catch a kick from Herman. After a moment, Einemo goes inside again and clinches “Pee Wee” into the fence, trying to spin him down with underhooks. Herman stays up and lands a hard knee from the Thai plum, countered by a punch from Einemo. Another right straight down the pipe from Einemo has Herman grinning. He’s still smiling and dancing as he dips inside to put combos on Einemo. The ADCC champ responds with single, straight punches, behind which he tries to clinch. Herman feigns injury at a right hand from Einemo, stumbling backward and bouncing off the cage. Leg kicks are landing for Herman, as well as kicks to the body and step-in knees. One kick is caught by Einemo, who wastes no time in dragging Herman down and moving to side control with two minutes to go in the round. Herman tries pushing off the cage with his feet, but Einemo is keeping him down. Herman finds an opening and shoves Einemo off, then stands, where he resumes leg-kicking and circling out. The big men trade hard knees to the body in the clinch. Einemo scores a takedown at the end, but Herman is flipping him over as the horn sounds.

Round 2
Einemo is landing hard lefts in the early going here. The men clinch and Herman gets a good knee off to the body, while Einemo connects to the head. Herman’s in trouble and Einemo gives chase, looking to finish. Einemo slips throwing a right, jumps back up. Herman’s lost his mouthpiece and quickly has it washed out by his corner. Einemo lands another big knee, but now it’s Herman turning the tide with a knee of his own and a left hook. Einemo eats shots on the ground, but regains his footing. Another knee lands for Herman and the follow-up right hand has Einemo in a bad way. Herman pounds away and referee Kevin Dornan calls it at 3:19 of the second round in the evening’s new frontrunner for “Fight of the Night.”

Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz
Round 1
The middleweights come out with tentative exchanges, Munoz looking for a right hand and Maia sticking a left straight. A left hand behind the ear appears to wobble Munoz, but he recovers quickly and Maia does not pounce. Maia wades in with strikes to clinch and lands inside knees as he tries to pry Munoz off the fence. Referee Jerin Valel does it instead, restarting them in the center after some inactivity in the clinch. Maia comes forward with aggression, mixing up combos, left hands and high kicks. Munoz backpedals and lands a nice counter left as Maia comes in to strike. Munoz tries a spinning kick and eats a punch, then waits against the fence for Maia, who’s twitching and faking but doesn’t throw. Munoz comes alive in the last 20 seconds, charging on Maia and connecting on a few lefts.

Round 2
Munoz pounds right hands into the thigh and body of Maia, who’s driving forward on a single-leg. Maia creates space to pull guard and then stand back up. Once on his feet, Maia is instantly on the offensive, backing Munoz up with winging punches. Munoz lands a left of his own and sprawls on another shot from Maia. The wrestler tries for a brabo choke, but the Brazilian slips out. Maia tries again for the shot, only to be shut down and have Munoz land more body blows. Munoz sits in Maia’s guard with two minutes to go in the middle frame. Maia stands up, but Munoz has a leg and drives him back down. Half-guard against the fence for Munoz, but Maia is sitting up and holding tight to negate the space. Munoz is mounting some offense on top, but not enough for referee Valel, who stands them up just in time for the round to end.

Round 3
Munoz gets Maia down after a minute of circling. Maia’s right back up with control of Munoz’s right arm, which he uses to get on top. Munoz’s arm is trapped between Maia’s legs as Maia applies a neck crank. It looks bad for Munoz, but he twists loose and stands back up. The “Wrecking Machine” clinches and gets reversed as the pace slows in the last half of the final round. The crowd boos as Munoz puts Maia on the cage and simply stalls out, and referee Valel restarts them. Maia has a shot sprawled on, makes the best of it with a knee to the body, but then gets spun down by Munoz. They clinch on the fence with a minute to go, Munoz in control, both men looking for a trip. Munoz lands a body kick and Maia returns fire. Munoz sprawls on one last shot and strikes to the body of Maia. The men look for home run shots in the last seconds of what should be a very tight decision.

Official scores: It’s a unanimous verdict with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for Mark Munoz, winner of his third straight Octagon start.

Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
Round 1
Florian takes the center while Nunes stalks the outside, both men missing with leg kicks and tight combinations. Nunes lands a low kick outside and Florian ducks under a punch to clinch. He backs Nunes into the cage, drags him down after a struggle, but Nunes gets back up. The Brazilian is warned for grabbing the fence by referee John McCarthy. Double-leg attempt from Nunes yields results, but in the brief time the lightweights are on the ground, Florian digs some elbows into his man’s ribs. They clash looking for one-hitters and clinch up briefly. Nunes takes the leg out from under Florian with an inside low kick. Spinning backfist lands for Nunes, though not flush, and a head kick from the Nova Uniao fighter has Florian stumbling backward. With 45 seconds on the clock, Florian ducks a punch and drives Nunes into the canvas. Nunes rolls free, though, and they go back to trading. A left on the jaw from Nunes puts Florian on his rear at the horn, and the Massachusetts native throws up a triangle attempt.

Round 2
Florian presses in on Nunes, who keeps the larger fighter at bay with whipping high kicks. Just as in the first frame, Florian goes under a punch from Nunes and tries for a takedown. Nunes resists it and is again warned for grabbing the fence. Florian nearly brings Nunes down with a single-leg and Nunes somehow stays upright. Referee McCarthy issues another warning to Nunes for fence-grabbing. Nunes scores the takedown now and Florian tries another triangle from the bottom. Rather than sit in guard, Nunes stands and dives back in with a big punch. Back on the feet, Florian walks Nunes down and ducks low for another powerful takedown. “KenFlo” tries to extract his left leg from Nunes’ half-guard, can’t find the space and is pushed back to full guard.

Round 3
Nunes looks for spinning kicks that don’t land and soon finds himself on his back thanks to another Florian takedown against the fence. There’s not much Nunes can do beneath the bigger, stronger Florian, except eat elbows and try to turn off the cage. Nunes does get free and Florian nearly takes his back, but instead they clinch. They split and Florian wards Nunes off with front kicks and jabs. Nunes charges forward, head down, winging three-punch combos. Florian’s strikes are more precise, though, and he drives a single hard knee into Nunes’ gut from the clinch. Seconds before the horn, Nunes puts Florian on one knee with a clipping right, but there’s no time to pounce.

Official scores: The scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for Kenny Florian, who takes a unanimous decision in his featherweight debut.

Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1
Former interim champ Carwin enters first to Eminem’s “Till I Collapse,” while Dos Santos follows with Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from ‘Rocky’).” The third man in the cage for the heavyweight main event is Herb Dean. Both men paw and feel one another out, their right hands loaded. Carwin shoots in after about 40 seconds and shoves Dos Santos into the cage. The Brazilian hits a knee upon exit and then slides out of the way when Carwin tries to rush him with a right hand. “Cigano” plunks the American with a right hook and steps out, then does the same with a lead jab while dodging a punch from Carwin. Overhand right partially connects for Dos Santos as the opening round heads into its second half. Cigano flicks out a left jab to find the range and Carwin ducks under to trip his man down. Dos Santos is right back up and snaps off a few left jabs to Carwin’s nose. He doubles up the jab now and finishes with a right cross. Carwin is in bad shape and he turtles up as Cigano pounces. Carwin motions to ref Dean that he’s being it in the back of the head, but Dean doesn’t take action. Dos Santos lands 20 or more unanswered shots and Carwin’s face is badly bloodied, a cut under his left eye as he walks to his corner.

Round 2
Carwin bounces in his corner at the start of round two and touches gloves with Dos Santos again as they meet in the center. Cigano misses with a head kick and sticks a hand in Carwin’s face as the American bull-rushes. Dos Santos uncorks his killer uppercut, just missing the mark, and flicks out an inside leg kick. Mean hooks from Cigano dig into the body of Carwin. Leg kicks are the response from Carwin, but he’s eating way more jabs in return from Dos Santos. Nonetheless, Carwin moves straight at his opponent and zaps him with a left hand. Another lands with just less than two minutes to go, but Dos Santos doesn’t look to be in trouble. Cigano lands a flush left high kick and goes back to sticking the jab inside the last 30 seconds, finishing with more strong hooks to the body.

Round 3
Carwin is cut deeply beneath both eyes and looks to be sporting a broken nose as the last round starts. He takes only one jab before shooting a single-leg and dragging Cigano to the base of the fence. Dos Santos stays down only a few seconds before using the fence to work up and slamming a knee into Carwin’s midsection. The Brazilian continually circles right, lands shots and circles again. Left hooks land to the head and ribs of Carwin, then a straight right. The tired Carwin continues moving forward with single shots, all of which are sidestepped by Dos Santos. A jab stumbles Carwin and a left jab-right hook combo has him moving backward again. Left cross, left jab for Dos Santos and referee Dean steps in between the heavyweights with about a minute to go. He calls for the cageside doctor, who asks Carwin if he can see. Carwin responds in the affirmative and is allowed to continue after passing a quick vision test. They restart and Dos Santos ducks a punch to plow Carwin to the floor. He lets Carwin right back up and picks away with leg kicks and left hooks, scoring another takedown just as time expires.

Official scores: The scorecards hold no surprises, reading 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for Junior dos Santos, the winner by unanimous decision and No. 1 contender to Cain Velasquez’s UFC heavyweight title.

Renan “Barao” Pegado vs. Cole Escovedo
Round 1
Steve Mazzagatti is the referee for the night’s opening contest. Barao has Escovedo tied up and slammed to the canvas in the first 30 seconds. The American pushes off the Brazilian’s hips and works a butterfly guard, closing up as Barao scoots him into the cage. Escovedo uses his feet to push off the cage and Barao stands. Back on the feet, it’s Barao firing one-twos down the pipe, stalking outward as Escovedo circles the perimeter. Right low kick from Barao lands with a loud crack. Escovedo puts his back to the cage and jumps guard, tying up Barao with his lanky limbs and angling for his favorite submission, the triangle choke. Two minutes to go in the opening stanza. Escovedo throws elbows from underneath and tries to minimize the damage from Barao’s minimal top assault. The bantamweights aren’t active enough for Mazzagatti, who stands them back up. Escovedo lands a glancing head kick, then a stiff left straight that stuns Barao. The “Apache Kid” jumps guard again, looks for an armbar, and throws another bunch of elbows from the bottom as the round expires.

Round 2
Barao is coming forward again as round two begins and walks straight into a hard punch, then a follow-up knee from Escovedo. Disguising any trouble he may be in, Barao puts Escovedo on his back, but they don’t stay there long. Barao stands in center cage again and snaps off push and leg kicks. Escovedo answers with a hard kick to the body. Midway through the round, Barao grabs a waist lock and trips Escovedo down at the base of the fence. Escovedo throws horizontal elbows from his back as Barao tries unsuccessfully to pass guard. Barao not doing much from the top with 90 ticks to go and Mazzagatti tells the fighters to get busy. They’re restarted on the feet with a minute left. Barao catches a leg kick and ties up with Escovedo, who jumps guard once more. The round expires with Escovedo sweeping out from underneath.

Round 3
Escovedo landing good, straight right hands in the opening minute of the final frame, attacking the body of Barao with kicks. Barao charges with a high flying knee which can’t find Escovedo’s jaw. A big right hand seems to stun Escovedo, who is hurled to the mat in short order with a Barao double-leg. Escovedo throws up a triangle and Barao stands, dodging an upkick. Another flying knee grazes for Barao, then a spinning kick. Barao scores another takedown with 20 seconds to go and one more for good measure just before the horn.

Official scores: The judges at cageside have it 30-27 (twice) and 29-28, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Renan “Barao” Pegado.

Chris Cariaso vs. Michael McDonald
Round 1
Josh Rosenthal is in charge of this bantamweight tilt. McDonald cracks Cariaso with a kick and Cariaso shoots. They clinch up briefly and McDonald cracks his man with a right hand as they disengage. Cariaso flicking out nice leg kicks, but McDonald is timing them and answering with hard combos down the middle. McDonald lands an outside thigh kick of his own, then stumbles Cariaso with a left hook. Cariaso gets off a good right hand as he wades inside, but McDonald grabs the neck and considers jumping guard with a guillotine. He doesn’t and circles away from the cage, where Cariaso continues to give chase with low kicks. The momentum from one kick causes Cariaso to slip and McDonald gives chase. Hard elbow from “Mayday” on top and he stands back up with a minute to go. McDonald ducks under a high kick just before the horn and plows Cariaso to the floor, where Cariaso tries for a heel hook as the round ends.

Round 2
Kicks continue to comprise the bulk of Cariaso’s offense as round two begins; McDonald continues to try and time it for a takedown or home run shot. Cariaso ducks inside on the much taller McDonald with a one-two and Rosenthal warns them about clashing heads. McDonald times a kick and sweeps the back leg out from underneath Cariaso. He pops right back up. McDonald is keeping his distance, using his range as he picks his shots. Left inside thigh kick from Cariaso finds McDonald’s cup and the Californian is given time to recover. Cariaso’s corner tells its fighter that they believe McDonald has injured an arm. McDonald recovers and they resume with two minutes to go. McDonald takes a kick on the forearm, goes for a shot and is stuffed. He bullies Cariaso against the fence and exits with a sharp right inside. He times a kick and takes Cariaso straight down, then moves to side control. McDonald nearly gets mount, but Cariaso squirms out and stands just before the end of the round.

Round 3
Kicks to the body are again the weapon of choice for Cariaso. McDonald tries to catch another, but winds up on the underside with Cariaso in his half-guard. McDonald ties up the right arm of Cariaso, who’s being kept at bay by McDonald’s long butterfly guard. McDonald regains full guard and closes it up. McDonald throws up a triangle that forces Cariaso to stand. Two minutes to go in the fight. McDonald drives Cariaso down and gets his right arm trapped in an omoplata. Cariaso has the limb triangle with 90 seconds to go, but McDonald stays calm and is able to extract it quickly. Cariaso tries to close it out with more kicks, but McDonald stays away and the final minute winds down without much landed.

Official scores: One judge has it a clean sweep for Cariaso, 30-27. However, the remaining two see it 29-28 for Michael McDonald, the winner by split decision.

Gleison Tibau vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Round 1
Referee Kim Winslow is in the cage for this lightweight bout. It’s hard but somewhat tentative striking in the early going with Tibau taking the center of the cage. He puts Oliveira on his back, but “Tractor” doesn’t stay there for more than a moment, shoving Tibau off the top. They go back to standing and Tibau is scoring with left hooks while Oliveira kicks to the body. Two minutes to go. Tibau wades forward with a huge overhand right that glances. He drives Oliveira to the floor again, and this time, Tibau holds him there. Oliveira is active underneath, shrimping and kicking, regaining guard, and ultimately standing back up. Tibau scores with a hard left hand and plays matador as Oliveira rushes forward.

Round 2
Oliveira looks to play aggressor in the second, but Tibau is keeping his countryman at range with murderous left hooks. Tibau executes a perfect takedown with 3:30 on the clock. On the ground, referee Winslow warns someone to “watch the eyes.” Oliveira slips an armbar attempt and works back to his feet, whereupon he looks for a takedown of his own. A short left uppercut from Tibau sends Oliveira buckling to the mat, his back to the cage. Tibau gives chase. Back mount for Tibau as Oliveira turtles. Tibau has his hooks in and bangs away with left hands to the side of Oliveira’s head. Just as the storm seems to relent, Tibau sees an opening and snakes his right arm around Oliveira’s throat. Oliveira is trapped and forced to submit to the rear-naked choke at 3:28 of the second round.

Kendall Grove vs. Tim Boetsch
Round 1
Boetsch dips inside for a single-leg and is spun around by the lanky “Spyder.” The second attempt yields a better result and Boetsch stuffs Grove down against the base of the fence. Boetsch grinds there a minute and then backs out, allowing Grove to stand. The middleweights trade teep kicks and clinch up, where Boetsch drops Grove with a smooth double and takes side control. Grove shrimps and Boetsch deals him a few punches to the back of the head, for which he is verbally warned by ref Steve Mazzagatti. Grove throws up his legs for an armbar, forcing Boetsch to retreat. The “Barbarian” stands over Grove, who kicks at Boetsch’s knees from his back. Boetsch lets him up and they engage against the fence with over-unders. Grove gets a front headlock and knees to the thigh and gut of Boetsch, who extracts his head with about 90 seconds remaining. Boetsch is breathing heavy as he tries to neutralize the more active Grove in the clinch. Grove scores with knees to the stomach and one up high. Another lands to the body of Boetsch at the horn.

Round 2
The middleweights find themselves back in the clinch after a moment of light exchanging. Grove scores with a few strikes in close quarters, but Boetsch decides to take it to the floor and does so at will. Hard, short right hands score as Boetsch leans from Grove’s left to right in side control. Grove gets to his knees and stands, but is single-legged straight back down. Grove appears to be cut near the right eye as he struggles beneath the powerful wrestler. Boetsch has head-and-arm control on Grove as the Hawaiian works to his feet. Grove uses the fence and a wide base to stuff a single-leg with a minute on the clock. A few elbows to the side later, Boetsch gets his way and Grove is again on his back. They and Grove has a long high kick blocked as the round ends.

Round 3
Boetsch drags Grove down with a high single inside the first 20 seconds. Grove gets back up and finds himself pinned to the cage. He reverses the position and puts a few hard right hands on Boetsch’s face. Boetsch gets his hips in front, though, and tosses Grove to the ground. Grove is on his knees now with Boetsch looking to hop on his back. He can’t get there and instead knees to Grove’s body. Grove finds an opening and scrambles up with three minutes left in the fight. Thirty seconds later, Grove is on his back once more. He throws up a triangle; it’s not tight, but it’s enough to get Boetsch to stand. Another easy takedown from Boetsch and Grove is now sporting a more significant cut beneath his right eye. Boetsch lays in half-guard on Grove’s right side, framing up the far-side arm. Grove scrambles up and executes a double-leg of his own on the fence, but Boetsch quickly sweeps and grabs a headlock. The match ends with Boetsch bullying Grove on the cage.

Official scores: All three judges have it 30-27 for Tim Boetsch, who takes a unanimous decision in his middleweight debut.

Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson
Round 1
Torres flicks out some leg kicks and looks to keep his range early. They soon tie up, however, and the diminutive Johnson brings the fight to the floor. They scramble and Torres winds up on top. Johnson traps him in half-guard and digs short heels into the back of Torres’ thigh. The former WEC champ looks to be framing up an arm-triangle as he tries to extract his left leg and hop to the side, but “Mighty Mouse” is keeping him at bay. Johnson sits up and Torres grabs a headlock, then threatens to slink the second arm around for a brabo choke. Johnson senses danger and extracts his head, and Torres passes to side control with two minutes to go. Lovely sweep from Johnson finds the positions suddenly switched, but Torres uses his legs to sweep right back. Torres drops back for a heel hook and Johnson matches him. Johnson stands and rushes to take Torres’ back, but Torres drops back to guard and throws up a triangle. Johnson pulls loose and Torres rolls, keeping Johnson in guard. Guillotine attempt from Torres before the horn.

Round 2
Johnson uses quick hands and feet, ducking in and out with combinations before driving Torres down with a double. Torres drives his heels into Johnson’s back and is warned to mind the spine by referee Josh Rosenthal. Torres tries to roll with a triangle, can’t find it and they pop back up. Another takedown for Johnson, but Torres is doing work from his back, elbowing and boxing the ears of Johnson. Torres is put down again, but he slaps on a reverse triangle choke. He doesn’t have it tight and releases Johnson after a moment, going back to striking from his back. Johnson can’t pass the long guard of Torres, nor land much in the way of meaningful offense up top. Torres leans to his left and isolates the right arm of Johnson, then rolls through, putting Johnson back in full guard. Torres looks to push off the cage with his feet, but Johnson is in his face now. Johnson hops up and into reverse-mount. Torres throws his legs up and Johnson jams him up, finally passing to half-guard, but the round ends there.

Round 3
Johnson clubs Torres with an overhand right; it doesn’t seem to do much damage, but Johnson scores on an ankle pick nonetheless. Torres quickly closes his guard and ties up the right arm of Johnson, who stays calm and pulls it loose. Side control for Johnson with 3:30 to go, but 15 seconds later, Torres has him stuffed back in his full guard. The battle for position goes on with Johnson taking side control. Once he gets there, though, Torres grabs for a leg lock and Johnson has to take flight. Torres tries to stand, but gets caught on his knees and is forced to roll back to guard. Torres posts up on his left arm and simply uses his length and leverage to sweep Johnson. Torres has full mount with two minutes left, but the ex-champ isn’t rushing. He flattens Johnson but can’t get anything off before Johnson sneaks his leg through the middle and reclaims guard. Torres is in half-guard, tying up the collar of Johnson. It turns to a guillotine, but Johnson escapes to his feet. Another takedown for Johnson and another guillotine attempt from Torres at the horn ends it.

Official scores: Judges Dave Hagen, Glenn Trowbridge and Tony Weeks all see it 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Demetrious Johnson.

Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean makes his first appearance of the evening to officiate this middleweight affair. Stann moves forward, whipping hard kicks to the upper thigh of the Brazilian. Stann connects with punches as Santiago lowers his head and ducks inside. Santiago slips coming in for a takedown, dusts himself off and stands back up. Outside thigh kick from Santiago lands with a thud; Stann returns fire. Stann kicks the lead leg out from under Santiago. A huge left from Stann puts Santiago on his rear and Stann gives chase, shoving his man into the fence. Big elbows and hammerfists from Stann bust through Santiago’s guard. Stann smothers the mouth and then drops more elbows as Santiago gets his wits about him with a minute left. Santiago is warned for grabbing the fence as he spins to his feet, taking more punishment from Stann.

Round 2
Before the second round begins, referee Dean warns the Brazilian about leaving his hand open when he strikes. Santiago rushes Stann into the cage early and drives a knee up the gut. Stann muscles out of the position and it’s back to boxing. Half-hearted takedown attempt from Santiago is shucked easily by Stann, who’s headhunting with big right hands while continuing to chop away at the left leg of Santiago. Spinning backfist lands for Santiago, but Stann retaliates right away with a stinging left hook. Stann catches a slow-moving kick, shoves Santiago away, and lands another leg kick of his own. Santiago tries a flying knee and slips. Stann still working the leg kicks with a minute left, then drills one to the body. Overhand right from Stann lands behind the ear of Santiago and the Brazilian falls to his back. Stann stands over him, blasting away with straight shots to the face. Herb Dean sees Santiago’s lights flickering and steps in for a righteous save at 4:29 of the second round.

Rick Story vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1
Story gets Alves doubled over and pinned against the cage, where the American drills knees into Alves’ thigh. Strong waist lock for Story, who continues to assault with the knees as Alves has nowhere to go. Now Alves puts Story on the front side and trips him down, but Story whips right around and back to his feet. The crowd cheers the first two minutes of heavy action. Story comes forward, winging punches and backing Alves into the fence before changing levels. Alves defends the double leg and the welterweights pummel for control with over-unders. Story knees to the inside thigh; Alves punches short shots to the body. Referee Kim Winslow splits them up with two minutes on the clock. Story wings combos, but an Alves knee to the gut seems to make the wrestler think better of the exchange. He whips Alves into the fence and doubles over, but again is stuffed. Story takes a step back and unloads with a half-dozen hard punches, two or three of which find their marks. Alves ties back up and then shoves Story off. They clinch and Story comes with knees up the gut.

Round 2
Story lands a glancing head kick and snaps Alves’ head back with a right hand. The wrestler goes low, can’t find a takedown and settles for a waist lock. Alves puts his back to the cage and gets an underhook to shove Story away. Another takedown attempt from Story appears to stall out at the fence, but a second effort finds Alves on his back. The Brazilian pops right back up and trips Story to the canvas, quickly advancing to half-guard. Story powers his way out and stands, placing Alves’ back on a cagepost. Story leans his full weight on Alves, stifling any potential offense from the striker. Story goes back to his thigh-kneeing of the first frame before the pair is split again by Winslow. Alves slips on a kick and simultaneously eats a punch to the gut. As he gets back up, Story rushes him and throws his arms around Alves’ waist, eliciting boos from the audience. Wild exchanges end the round with neither man landing much of significance.

Round 3
It’s a firefight in the early going, both men winging punches in close quarters. Alves gets off a few hard ones, then a knee, and suddenly Story’s pace slows. A weak single-leg attempt follows; this time, Alves doesn’t take long to shuck Story off. Story keeps pressing forward, though, throwing to body and head before going for another single. No takedown for Story. Alves comes over the top with a crisp left hook that jacks Story’s jaw. Alves stuffs another single from Story, puts Story’s back on the cage and shoves off with double underhooks. Alves just trying to keep his distance now, sidestepping every time Story comes forward. Alves with a one-two, an uppercut, another left; Story lands a right hand of his own and tries again in vain to bring the fight to the floor. Alves puts a right straight on Story’s nose and wilts him with a knee. Story ties up with 40 seconds to go, but Alves breaks free. He smacks a right high kick off the side of Story’s face. Story goes wild with punches in the waning seconds, but Alves does, too, and the Brazilian’s strikes land cleaner to the final horn.

Official scores: All three judges have it 29-28 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Rick Story.

Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
Round 1
Struve gets off with an early knee and uses his massive frame to pin Browne to the cage. Browne gets off a short elbow, reverses the position, and gets a separation from ref Steve Mazzagatti. Browne ducks in and out with punches, but Struve uses a huge push kick to keep him away. Struve has a big right kick to the body caught, but Browne can’t do anything with it. Struve ducks big punches, kicks Browne in the body again. The big men tie up and Browne trips the “Skyscraper” down. Struve turns his hips and tries to put his back to the cage. Browne goes to stand and Struve picks the ankle, tripping the American to his knees. Lighting fast, Struve latches an anaconda choke on the neck of Browne, but he can’t roll for the finish. Browne wants it back on the feet with a minute to go. Browne times a right-handed Superman punch perfectly and Struve bends over backward like a tree in a strong wind. Browne gives chase, but it’s a done deal. The official time of the highlight-reel knockout is 4:11 of the opening frame.

Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Round 1
The southpaw Mir takes to the center of the cage, but Nelson rushes forward and initiates the clinch. Mir puts Nelson’s back to the fence and looks for a double-leg that doesn’t come. Nelson swaps positions and puts hands to Mir’s gut, but Mir is doing well to frustrate and stall “Big Country.” The former champ exits with a hard knee, then just misses with a big head kick. Nelson lands a solid right hand and clinches up again, this time using underhooks to immobilize Mir. Knees inside from Nelson draw a warning from referee Josh Rosenthal to “keep ‘em clean.” Mir connects with two or three hard, high knees and Nelson backs away. More knees from Mir back Nelson up further, but not for long. Nelson puts Mir on the fence again, hold him there a moment, then backs up, slugging. Mir strikes with more knees and then tosses Nelson to the ground beautifully. Mir takes full mount and Nelson craftily twists around, scrambling to his feet. The round ends with Nelson trying to mount offense against the cage.

Round 2
Nelson slugs Mir with a big right over the top. Mir throws a combo and a solid kick to the body, rushing in behind it to beat Nelson to the clinch. Mir drops for a single-leg and deposits Nelson on his back in half-guard. Mir puts his glove over the mouth of Nelson and is warned by referee Rosenthal to watch the eyes. Nelson works to his feet and they clinch again with Big Country scoring on uppercuts. Another knee in the clinch is followed by another Mir takedown. He pins down Nelson’s left arm, but Nelson again powers his way out and to his feet. The crowd approves and Nelson sucks in a deep breath with 90 seconds to go in the middle round. Nelson shoots a single and puts Mir’s back on the fence. Nelson looks wiped as he holds Mir to the cage for the final minute.

Round 3
Mir ducks inside and ties up to score with another high knee; after it lands, Nelson backs away and draws a breath with his hands at his side. A kick to the body and further knees come from Mir before he walks Nelson into a corner and plows him down once again. Mir works from a loose half-guard on Nelson’s right, pinning down Nelson’s arm, laying punches and forearms across the face. Nelson stands and the sequence repeats. Elbows, hammerfists and shoulder shrugs find their way to the exhausted grill of Nelson, but he still manages to climb back up. Another high double puts Nelson on his back, where he’s simply gasping for air. Heavy, heavy elbows from Mir in the last minute, but Nelson is able to end the fight on his feet.

Official scores: It’s a clean sweep for Frank Mir with the judges at cageside turning in scorecards of 30-26 and 30-27 (twice).

Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill
Round 1
Herb Dean is the third man in the cage for tonight’s main event. Judges Roy Silbert, Glenn Trowbridge and Tony Weeks score the bout at cageside. Jackson sports his usual pre-fight grimace during the introductions and final instructions. Hamill attacks with kicks to the head and body early, then has a long shot stuffed by Jackson. Hamill kicks with his left as Jackson circles off in that direction. Rampage paws with punches just out of range; Hamill uses another outside leg kick, then a teep. Jackson explodes with punches only when Hamill comes inside, looking to counter. He reacts to a faked shot from Hamill, but comes forward with a two-piece and finishes with an uppercut on the doubled-over “Hammer.” Long, straight rights from Hamill precede a stuffed shot. Jackson cracks Hamill with a left and stuffs another single-leg a moment later. Now Jackson goes offensive, moving forward with punches, but this soon subsides. Good left-right from Hamill around the 60-second mark. Jackson shucks another shot and blasts away upon exit, landing more uppercuts and an outside thigh kick at the horn. Blood drips from the mouth of Hamill as he walks to his corner, hands on his hips.

Round 2
Hamill comes out with a left head kick, but Jackson blocks it and fires off a crisp combo. Hamill half-shoots, eats a left hand and fakes another shot. Hamill shoots across the center of the cage, but Jackson is backing up before Hamill’s arms are even extended. Jackson bullies his man on the fence, drives a sharp knee to the gut. Uppercut in the clinch from Jackson makes Hamill try a throw. It doesn’t come, so Hamill shoves the ex-champ off. Hamill tries to go low for an ankle pick; again Jackson has it sussed and backs Hamill into the fence with punches. Back in the center of the cage with 2:30 on the clock and Hamill lobs a noticeably slower leg kick. Jackson slips a long, slow jab from Hamill and backs him up with a one-two. Jackson stuffs two more shots from Hamill in short order. He comes inside and digs a heater to Hamill’s body, following up with shots to the head. More body blows come from Rampage and he finishes the frame with a knee in the clinch.

Round 3
Hamill starts the round with a Superman punch, but is punished for the try with a Jackson counter. Hamill continues to try and stick with single jabs that miss and single-legs that are stuffed. He does manage to clinch with Jackson, but it doesn’t last long. Hamill puts a left hand on Jackson’s cheek. It doesn’t do much and Jackson soon moves forward with more rib roasters. Hamill clinches up and Jackson scores with a knee to the gut. The Hammer looking every bit the anvil, taking blows low and high from Jackson, leg kicks and punches. Ninety seconds to go and both men are spent. Jackson puts Hamill’s back on the fence, but gets reversed and eats a few punches to the body. Boos rain down in the last 30 seconds, but Jackson stifles them with a leaping knee and a hard combination to finish the fight.

Official scores: Judges Silbert, Trowbridge and Weeks all score it 30-27 in favor of Quinton Jackson. The crowd boos as the cards are read and throughout Jackson’s interview, surely not in protest of the decision, but the fight itself.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre dominated challenger Jake Shields to retain the 170-pound title by unanimous decision in a luckluster main event to finish an otherwise memorable UFC 129 event on Saturday night in Toronto.

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo also retained the 145-pound belt with a unanimous decision over Mark Hominick in his Octagon debut, while Randy Couture suffered a front kick KO to Lyoto Machida in what is expected to be the hall of famer’s final bout.

The pay-per-view main card also included wins by Ben Henderson and Vladimir Matyushenko, while the record-setting event, which drew more than 55,000 fans, got off to a strong start with an exciting preliminary card highlighted by wins by Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger.

Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch
Round 1
Kevin Mulhall presides over the opening bout. Assuncao with lazy kicks to start. Koch is trying to counter with his right cross but can’t land clean. Hard inside low kick by Assuncao. Koch jabs and Assuncao charges in. Koch lands a right hook that destroys the Brazilian. Assuncao is out cold on his back forcing Mulhall to rescue him. Koch’s brutal UFC debut ends at 2:32 of the first round.

Constantinos Philippou vs. Nick Catone
Round 1
Our referee for the 195 catchweight bout is Kevin MacDonald. A tentative opening minute is filled with pawing and no significant strikes. Catone glances with a jab and the boos start to rain over the cage. A weak Catone shot leads to a clinch along the fence. Short shots land inside for both and Catone separates. Philippou cracks him with a right and Catone responds in kind. More aimless feinting and booing. A Philippou right grazes and Catone drives him to the mat. Catone cracks his foe, prompting Philippou to elbow from the bottom. Catone smashes an elbow into Philippous’ head that rips his skin open at the bell. 10-9 Catone.

Round 2
Both men swing freely to open the second frame but nothing lands. Catone bulls Philippou into the cage and lands a hard knee to the guts. Philippou breaks away but Catone drills him with a knee to the face on the exit. Low kick and a jab connect for Catone. The Jersey Devil lobs a head kick that is blocked and drives his foe into the fence again. The crowd boos and with a minute left, Catone scores a single leg. He quickly gets to half guard and gets mount for a moment. Philippou regains guard and gets socked in the mouth. 10 9 Catone.

Round 3
A more comfortable Catone probes with his right before slamming Philippou to the mat. Catone gets to side for a moment but Philippou reclaims guard. Philippou looks exhausted on the bottom as Catone drives his forearm into his jaw. He tries to use the fence to wall walk but Catone sucks him back down. Catone lands a series of heavy elbows and deftly takes mount. He hammers Philippou, who is able to turn and scramble back to half guard. More Catone elbows rain down until the horn. 10-9 and 30-27 for Catone.

Official scores: 30-27 across the board for Catone, winner by unanimous decision.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
Round 1
Kevin Mulhall is our referee for the bantamweight contest. Loveland advances on Benavidez and backs him into the cage. Benavidez punches his way free but gets stuffed on a shot. Loveland lands a nice uppercut after another missed shot. Benavidez lands a hard low kick then a right hand. He shoots and gets him down for a second, but loveland is back up. Benavidez bullies his way back in but can’t get the takedown and reverts to swinging wild punches that Loveland easily avoids. Benavidez gets busier towards the end of the frame but can’t land anything hard. Loveland counters a low kick with a right cross as the round closes. Sherdog scores the first round 10-9 for Loveland.

Round 2
Benavidez is met with a Loveland combination as round two gets underway. He retreats and then darts back forward to hit a double. Loveland locks up a kimura and uses it to free himself and get back to his feet. Benavidez misses on a double and rolls but Loveland pounces and nearly lands a huge hammerfist. Benavidez, back on his feet, lands a nice one-two and then a hard left in the midst of a four-punch flurry. Loveland rushes in but Benavidez changes levels and plants him. He tries to get some ground-and-pound going but Loveland lands the harder shots, cutting Benavidez somewhere on the top of his head. Blood is trickling from his hairline and Benavidez paws at it. Loveland is back up and slips a head kick at the bell. Sherdog scores round two 10-9 for Benavidez.

Round 3
Benavidez opens the final round with a pair of nice push kicks and right hand follows. He then locks up a single on Loveland, who is only looking for right hand counters at this point. He takes him to the mat and tries for a guillotine but Loveland defends and gets back to his feet. Benavidez the hurts Loveland with a right hand to the face. He pounces and tries to flurry. Loveland gets back to his feet again and lands a right hand and a knee. Benavidez tries to throw him but ends up on the ground on the bottom at the horn. Sherdog scores the round 10-9 for Benavidez.

Official scores: 30-27 (twice) and 29-28 for Benavidez, winner by unanimous decision.

Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau
Round 1
Herb Dean is in charge of the first of two Facebook prelims. Both men are just feeling each other out in the first minute. The southpaw Tibau pops Pellegrino with a short left hand. A moment later, the Brazilian rushes in and grabs at a single-leg. Pellegrino defends and winds up with his back to the cage. They split after a bit of dirty boxing and go back to feinting and pawing. Pellegrino connects with a one-two and eats another left from Tibau in return. The lightweights still look tentative with two minutes left in the round. Now Pellegrino looks for takedown and Tibau defends. Pellegrino gets muscled into the fence again and tripped to the floor. He stands back up and shoots on Tibau, but is stifled again. Pellegrino breaks free of Tibau’s clinch and lands a right hand before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pellegrino
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Tibau
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10

Round 2
Both fighters are letting their hands go a bit more in the opening moments of the second frame, though neither is gaining an advantage. Pellegrino raises his arms, Diaz style, to rile Tibau, to no avail. They resume the slower pace of the first round. Tibau gets through with a one-two; Pellegrino lobs an inside leg kick. With just over three minutes on the clock, Pellegrino opens up with a combination that stuns the Brazilian and takes Tibau to the mat. Pellegrino landing shots from half-guard, looking to pass as the hometown crowd explodes. Tibau is grabbing at Pellegrino’s arms to slow the pace and Pellegrino lays a forearm across his neck. Pellegrino still can’t pass, but is doing well to hold Tibau on the floor. Tibau appears to be bleeding from the mouth and near the eye, and it’s stained Pellegrino’s bleached hair. Tibau finally breaks loose with 40 seconds on the clock. He slugs Pellegrino with a one-two, but Tibau looks to be slightly drained as the round expires.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pellegrino
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Pellegrino
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pellegrino

Round 3
Tibau comes out swinging, the cut near his left eye seemingly repaired for the time being. He contemplates a single-leg, but doesn’t get far with it. Head kick from Tibau is blocked. Pellegrino has the center of the cage, but isn’t throwing through the first 90 seconds. He finally comes forward and gets clipped by Tibau’s left hand. Pellegrino bleeding from the nose now as Tibau pushes him into the fence. “Batman” pushes out and they’re back to trading. Tibau is throwing the same right-left hook combo over and over, but not finding much success. Tibau zaps his man as Pellegrino comes in for a takedown. Tibau stuffs and reverses, taking Pellegrino to the floor and passing to side control. Pellegrino quickly works out of the bad position and tries for a single-leg against the cage with 90 seconds to go. Tibau racking up short left hands as Pellegrino digs for the takedown. Pellegrino opts to let go and soon finds himself on the receiving end of a Tibau single-leg. Tibau desperately pounds from guard as the fight winds down. Pellegrino stands and has his back taken, then rolls for a kneebar at the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Tibau (29-28 Pellegrino)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Tibau (29-28 Tibau)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Tibau (29-29 Draw)

Official scores: One judge scores it 29-28 for Kurt Pellegrino. However, the remaining two judges score it 29-28 in favor of Gleison Tibau, the winner by split decision.

Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
Round 1
Kevin MacDonald is the referee for this welterweight contest. Almeida moves awkwardly from side to side around Pyle, who stands in the center of the cage. Slapping leg kicks from Almeida as he feints the shot. Pyle feels the distance with his left jab, but accidentally pokes Almeida in the eye. Almeida motions, but the action does not stop. They tie up and Almeida looks for the takedown. Pyle instead trips the Brazilian to the floor and walks away. Back on the feet, Almeida has another shot stuffed and gets spun into the fence. Short knees coming from Pyle, until Almeida reverses the position and drives a few knees of his own. Pyle shoves off, then gets driven to the mat, but jumps right back up. Almeida connects with an overhand right that stumbles Pyle, but the Xtreme Couture product recovers as Almeida clinches up. They trade knees in the clinch with Pyle getting the better. Pyle drives an uppercut into Almeida’s ribs and lands another solid knee before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-10
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Pyle
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10

Round 2
Almeida scores with a turning side kick to Pyle’s gut, then drags him to the floor. Pyle scoots up with his back to the fence and the Brazilian does his best to pin him against the post. The men jockey for position with over-unders and stall out. They disengage and Pyle drives a knee into the body of Almeida. Two minutes to go and boos start to come from the crowd as the welterweights trade tentative strikes. Almeida initiates the clinch briefly, but Pyle won’t stay there. Chopping outside leg kick from Pyle prompts Almeida to shoot a double-leg. He drags Pyle to the floor and Pyle immediately turns to his left and frames up a kimura. Almeida extracts his arm and finishes the round on top.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Almeida
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Almeida
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Almeida

Round 3
Leg kicks are exchanged in the early going of the final stanza. Almeida repeatedly fakes a shot on Pyle in the first two minutes, but doesn’t commit. Pyle is throwing combos to the head and body, but not landing much flush. He scores with a kick to the body and Almeida shoots, whereupon Pyle drives a knee into his gut. Pyle slams Almeida to the canvas, but Almeida shoves him right off. Pyle stands over him, slapping with leg kicks, allowing Almeida to drive forward on a single-leg as he gets back up. Almeida digging for the takedown with 90 seconds to go, then fires a level elbow over the top. Pyle loops his right arm over Almeida’s head for a guillotine, can’t get it, and settles for a jumping knee as they separate. Another knee lands and Almeida’s face is showing signs of wear in the final minute. Almeida scores a takedown, but Pyle instantly stands. Pyle finishes with a takedown of his own.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pyle (29-29 Draw)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Pyle (29-28 Pyle)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pyle (29-29 Draw)

Official scores: The judges cageside have it 30-27 (twice) and 29-28, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Mike Pyle.

Anthony Njokuani vs. Edson Barboza Jr.
Round 1
Keith Peterson is the referee for the first Spike TV prelim. The lightweights come out whipping leg kicks at one another. Barboza thumps one to Njokuani’s body, then clips him with a right hand. Njokuani lands a left, but eats a brutal right hand that makes him tilt. Barboza doesn’t pounce and Njokuani survives. He slips a right from Barboza and lands a counter right of his own. Njokuani lands a front kick; Barboza retaliates with a punch that makes Njokuani check his mouthpiece. Njokuani is pawing at his left eye, where Barboza has been landing stiff jabs. Peterson steps in as if to pause the action, but then does not. Njokuani sneaking some jabs through, gaining confidence as the round wears on. Right hook connects for Njokuani, then another before the bell.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Barboza
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Barboza
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Barboza

Round 2
Njokuani continues to flash his quick left hand in Barboza’s face at the start of the second. Kicks to the body and head follow, and it’s Njokuani taking the driver’s seat after a rocky start. Turning side kick lands for Barboza, but Njokuani catches a follow-up kick to the body and drives Barboza to the floor. The Brazilian takes a few punches as he stands back up. Njokuani drills his man with a hard spinning elbow. Barboza is having trouble with the range and counters of Njokuani, and is landing mostly leg kicks. Njokuani clinches and they trade knees before splitting. Barboza ducks for a single-leg, lifts Njokuani and slams him against the base of the fence. He flattens Njokuani out with 10 seconds to go, but Njokuani stands just before the end of the round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Njokuani
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Njokuani
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Njokuani

Round 3
The strikers are sniping at the start of the final round. Njokuani looks loose as he counters Barboza’s punches lands inside thigh kicks. Nice flurry from Barboza, but it doesn’t stun Njokuani as it did in the opening frame. Njokuani leaps in with a knee to the gut of Barboza. Jabs and kicks flowing from Barboza, who looks to be in control with 90 seconds to go. Barboza isn’t giving up though, pushing forward and landing turning side-kicks. He catches a knee from Njokuani and finishes a takedown against the fence with 20 seconds to go. Njokuani gets to his feet and eats a massive spinning back-kick just before the horn. He stays vertical, but on wobbly legs. Barboza raises his hands as though he stole the fight with the kick, but it’s going to be a close call.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-10 (29-29 Draw)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Barboza (29-28 Barboza)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10 (29-29 Draw)

Official scores: All three judges have it 29-28 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Edson Barboza.

Luis Artur Cane Jr. vs. Eliot Marshall
Round 1
Dan Miragliotta is the referee for the evening’s final preliminary contest. The 205-pounders are swinging heavy leather early, Cane getting the better of the exchanges as Marshall looks for an opening to attempt a takedown. Cane drops the American with a hard left hand and swarms all over Marshall. Cane lands a dozen punches from the top as Marshall struggles to survive. After a brief break, Cane goes back after it, slamming hammer fists into Marshall’s head as Marshall tries to roll for a kneebar. Marshall is no longer intelligently defending himself from Cane’s assault, and Miragliotta steps in to halt the beating at 2:15 of the first round.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub
Round 1
Schaub comes with a kick to the body and a few short uppercuts. The younger righty ties up with the veteran and they exchange thumping shots to the ribs. Referee Herb Dean splits them up and issues Schaub a “hard warning” for strikes that strayed to the back of Cro Cop’s head. Schaub brings Cro Cop down and eats an upkick as he stands from the Croatian’s guard. The American dives back in and Mirko closes up his guard, tying up Schaub’s arm briefly to stifle the punches. It doesn’t last long, as the “Hybrid” postures up and slams right hands into Cro Cop’s face. Filipovic hits the switch and scrambles to his feet, shoving Schaub into the fence with a minute to go in the round. Schaub drives forward and tries to trip Cro Cop down, but the striker hops backward and stays up. Not much action in the clinch down the stretch. Schaub lands a few knees to the gut and an uppercut before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Schaub
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Schaub
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Schaub

Round 2
Cro Cop fires a left high kick that’s partially blocked and Schaub takes him straight down. As Schaub stands, Mirko lands an upkick to the face. Herb Dean stops the action and issues Cro Cop a warning of his own, as Schaub’s knee was barely touching the mat (while his hand grabbed the fence) when the upkick landed. They resume and go back to the clinch. Schaub bullies Cro Cop into the fence and tries to come over the top with elbows. Cro Cop reverses and the heavyweights trade knees up the gut. Schaub’s bleeding profusely from the nose as they jockey for position along the perimeter. Herb Dean breaks them up and deducts a point from Schaub for further strikes to the back of Cro Cop’s head. Filipovic closes out the round with more elbows from the clinch. Replays show it was one of those strikes that cracked Schaub’s nose and cut him above the left eye.

TJ De Santis scores the round 9-9 (10-9 Schaub)
Chris Nelson scores the round 9-9 (10-9 Schaub)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Filipovic (10-10)

Round 3
Filipovic lands a low kick early in the final round and Schaub needs a break to recover. Upon resuming, he plows Cro Cop to the mat in the center of the cage. Filipovic ties up the right arm of Schaub and scrambles up, only to be taken right back down. Schaub works to pass, can’t and Cro Cop stands again. Two minutes to go and it’s still looking like anyone’s fight. Cro Cop initiates the clinch, but doesn’t do much from the position. They tie up again, and break just as quickly. Cro Cop stuffs a long shot from Schaub and tags him on the way up. Suddenly, Schaub lands a winging right hand behind the ear of Filipovic and the Croatian crumbles to the mat. Herb Dean rushes in to save the helpless Pride vet from further punishment at 3:44 of the third round.

Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller
Round 1
Dan Miragliotta is back in the cage for this middleweight bout. Marquardt rushes in behind a combination, stuffs a single-leg from Miller and looks for a guillotine from the sprawl. It doesn’t come and Miller continues to drive on the takedown attempt, finally depositing Marquardt against the base of the fence. Miller can’t flatten Marquardt and Marquardt gets to his feet. He slams Miller down, but Miller grabs for his go-to guillotine choke on the way. Marquardt turns into the hold and pops his head loose. Miller ties up with rubber guard and they stall out along the fence. Miragliotta stands them up with a minute left in the round. Marquardt decks Miller with corkscrew right hand and then deposits him back on the floor. Miller twists to his left, looking for a kimura on Marquardt’s right arm, but he can’t get it. Marquardt lands a few punches from the top at the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Marquardt

Round 2
Marquardt connects with a combo, goes high with a left kick and then slaps an inside thigh kick. Big right hand and a left high kick from Marquardt, then a flying knee. Miller drives forward and takes Marquardt down, then looks to take the Greg Jackson fighter’s back as they stand. Marquardt is aware of this and keeps his back glued to the fence as he works to his feet. Two minutes left in the round. Marquardt is pumping his jab on a tired-looking Miller before he decides to take the New Jersey native down. Miller grabs another guillotine from guard and falls back, but Marquardt again extracts his head. He finishes the round on top.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Marquardt

Round 3
Miller gets an uppercut through and Marquardt answers with another head kick. Marquardt scores with a leg kick and a one-two to the now-bloodied face of Miller, who retaliates with a combo and leg kick of his own. Marquardt tags his man with a solid right and sprawls on a takedown with three minutes left in the fight. Miller is slow to get up from the takedown attempt, allowing Marquardt to spin around him. Rather than give up his back, Miller falls to guard. He leans to his left and looks for an arm, but Marquardt is smashing with elbows from top position. They scoot into the fence and Miller grabs at the kimura again to no avail. Marquardt grinds and punishes in the final minute, much to the displeasure of the pro-Miller crowd. Miller throws up his legs, hunting for an armbar or a triangle, but he runs out of time.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Marquardt (30-27 Marquardt)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Marquardt (30-27 Marquardt)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Marquardt (30-27 Marquardt)

Official scores: It’s a clean sweep for Nate Marquardt with scores of 30-27 from all three judges.

Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
Round 1
Referee Kevin Mulhall is in the cage for this lightweight bout. Big exchanges early from both men, with Miller landing punches and Shalorus leg kicks. Chants of “U-S-A” start up less than a minute into the bout. Miller ducks in with a stiff left and Shalorus misses his winging counter punches. Shalorus catches a kick from Miller and slugs him with a right hand. Shalorus is throwing more punches, but Miller is landing the crisper, cleaner strikes. Miller comes in with a leaping knee and gets spun to the ground, but he stands right back up. Shalorus keeps the leg kicks coming and Miller answers in kind. Left high kick connects for Miller, but Shalorus doesn’t go down. Instead, he stays up and continues slinging wild, looping punches in Miller’s general direction. Miller scores with a punch and a follow-up knee to the gut, then jumps guard with a guillotine. Shalorus’ head slips right out and the pair scoot around the mat, trading short shots. Shalorus gets Miller against the fence and Mulhall stands them up with 20 seconds left. Miller puts his shin on Shalorus’ face again and dives for another guillotine at the end of the round.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Miller
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 2
Shalorus begins the round with a significant mouse under his left eye. Back to the exchanges of the opening round until Shalorus scores a takedown. Miller may have partially pulled guard there, and he stands right back up. Now Miller takes Shalorus down, instantly taking the back of the “Prince of Persia” and locking up a tight body triangle. Miller complains that Shalorus is grabbing his glove and Mulhall warns Shalorus. Still 2:30 left on the clock as Miller continues to work for the rear-naked choke. Shalorus is looking to twist around and into Miller’s guard, but Miller’s body lock is tight. Unable to slip his arm under the chin, Miller opts for a palm-to-palm RNC attempt. Shalorus grimaces but doesn’t tap. Miller goes for it again; the hold is more of a neck crank than a choke, and Shalorus doesn’t look like he’s going to tap to it. The round ends with Miller firing off punches from back control.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Miller
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 3
Shalorus throws the first dozen or so punches of the round, but doesn’t appear to land any. Miller lands an accidental knee to the groin of Shalorus and they pause momentarily. Shalorus recovers quickly and goes back to lobbing bombs. Miller blasts Shalorus with a left uppercut and drops him with a follow-up knee. Shalorus is in bad trouble, turtling against the cage with blood pouring onto the mat. Miller pounces and finishes the fight with a dozen hard hammer fists. Mulhall steps in for the stoppage at 2:15 of the third round, giving Shalorus his first loss and Miller his seventh straight win.

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
Round 1
Keith Peterson is the referee for tonight’s co-main event. The bantamweights tie up and Wineland shoves Faber into the fence. Wineland controls with underhooks and looks to trip Faber to the floor, but Faber stays up and drops for a shot of his own. Wineland stuffs this and socks Faber on his way back up. Faber charges forward again and brings Wineland down momentarily. Soon back up to his feet, Wineland gets underhooks again and looks for a takedown against the cage. He finally gets it about midway through the round, but Faber stands quickly. Faber trying to time Wineland’s right hand, lands a few counter rights before shooting in. Wineland stuffs the shot once more and Faber goes back to headhunting. Faber is scoring with single right hands and gets Wineland to bite on a takedown fake before the horn.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Wineland
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10

Round 2
Faber continuing to find his range in the first minute of the second round, landing punches and making Wineland miss on his. He floors Wineland with a takedown and postures up in full guard, driving hard, short elbows down into Wineland’s face. Faber picks his man up and drives him back into the mat. More elbows from Faber on top as Wineland tries to tie up and stifle the action. Faber stacks up again and pins Wineland’s throat to the mat with his left hand while punching with his right. Wineland tries to throw his legs up for a submission late, but Faber is just too strong on top.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Faber
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Faber
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Faber

Round 3
It’s clinch work in the early going of the final frame. Faber drills a few knees to the midsection of Wineland, who answers with a slapping leg kick when they break. Faber gets a shot stuffed and Wineland tries to take his back standing. It doesn’t work and they go back to striking. Wineland sticks a left jab in Faber’s face, and Faber socks him with a hard uppercut. More punches follow, then a takedown from the “California Kid” with 70 seconds on the clock. Faber lifts Wineland and slams him down again. Wineland throwing his legs up again and trying to avoid the elbows of Faber, but he can’t scoot free before the fight ends.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Faber (29-28 Faber)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Faber (30-28 Faber)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Faber (30-28 Faber)

Official scores: All three judges see it 29-28, giving Urijah Faber the win in his UFC debut.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Jon Jones
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean is the referee for tonight’s light heavyweight championship bout. Should it go the distance, the judges at cageside are Douglas Crosby, Cardo Urso and Dave Tirelli. The challenger opens the bout with a leaping knee, then a spinning back-kick that misses. The men clinch and Jones scores a trip takedown with ease against the base of the cage. Rua stuffs Jones back to open guard and looks to isolate the arms from the bottom. Jones spins to Shogun’s right and tries to pass half-guard while looking at a guillotine. Rua puts him back in full guard and Jones mashes with elbows from the top as he tries again to pass. Rua scoots free and stands, but eats a barrage of knees and punches on the way up. The champ is dazed against the cage as Jones backs up to give him space. Rua looks absolutely spent coming forward with 90 seconds still to go in the opening round. Jones corks Rua with more long punches, then a kick to the knee. Shogun scores with a one-two of his own and takes Jones’ back staning, but Jones reverses and finishes the round in Rua’s guard.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jones
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jones
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jones

Round 2
Jones whips a leg kick at Rua, then backs him up with a teep. They tie up and Jones blasts him with a spinning elbow as they split. Jones going high and low with his kicks, playing matador to the tired-looking Rua. Now Shogun connects with a combination, but Jones instantly ties up. Jones sticks a hand in Shogun’s face to show the distance and backs up when the champion comes forward. Superman punches, elbows and more low kicks from Jones. Shogun throws a leg kick of his own and gets tripped down, winding up with Jones postured up in his guard. Jones smothers Rua and then drives an elbow into his face. Jones cracks Rua with more elbows, then lays his forearm across the Brazilian’s throat. The right side of Rua’s face looks battered and swollen as the last minute of the second frame ticks down. Herb Dean warns Jones not to elbow Rua’s neck. That’s where the round ends.

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-8 Jones
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Jones
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jones

Round 3
Jones plants a one-two on Rua and misses with a head kick. Rua takes the opportunity to duck inside, then dives for a leg lock. Jones will have none of it and flattens Rua out, then works on advancing past half-guard. Rua breathing heavy on the bottom as Jones opens up with heavy punches and elbows. A series of elbows causes Shogun to cover up. Jones tries to finish but Rua turtles. Jones drives a nasty knee into the body. Rua stands and wobbles backward into the cage. Jones stalks him, finds his opening and drills him with a brutal left hook to the body. Another knee lands on the way down and Herb Dean rescues Rua at 2:37 of the third round, making 23-year-old Jon Jones the youngest champion in UFC history.

MAIN CARD

• Phil Davis def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Anthony Johnson def. Dan Hardy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Amir Sadollah def. DaMarques Johnson via submission (strikes) – Round 2, 3:20
• Chan Sung Jung def. Leonard Garcia via submission (twister) – Round 2, 4:59

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Mike Russow def. Jon Madsen via TKO (doctor stoppage – eye) – Round 2, 5:00
• Mackens Semerzier def. Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 3:18
• John Hathaway def. Kris McCray via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Michael McDonald def. Edwin Figueroa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Christian Morecraft def. Sean McCorkle via submission (standing guillotine) – Round 2, 4:10
• Johny Hendricks def. TJ Waldburger via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:35
• Aaron Simpson def. Mario Miranda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Nik Lentz def. Waylon Lowe via submission (guillotine) – Round 3, 2:24