WEC 53 Results & Live Play-by-Play
Dec 16, 2010
Sherdog.com will report from the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale,
Ariz., at approximately 6:10 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live
results of WEC
53, which is headlined by two championship title bouts.
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.
Click here for quick results.
Renan "Barao" Pegado vs. Chris Cariaso
Round 1
Bantamweights start our night out in Phoenix. Overseeing this contest is Neil Sarembock. The two men touch gloves to start the bout. Cariaso fires a kick to the body but the Brazilian answers with a stiff jab. Cariaso fires another kick to the body but slips to the floor. Barao follows him to the floor and settles in to the guard. Barao passes to side mount briefly before Cariaso manages to regain half guard. In a scramble, Barao takes the back of his opponent and locks in a body triangle. He fishes for the rear-naked choke and quickly sinks it. Cariaso is forced to tap at 3:37 of the first round.
Round 1
Alcantara starts the action of the lightweight bout with a knee to the body of Lamas, which initiates the clinch. The two men separate and Lamas lands a stiff jab to the face. Lamas clinches and pushes the Brazilian in to the fence. Lamas uses some dirty boxing to pepper the side of his opponent. Lamas disengages and the two men separate. From there, Alcantara puts an end to Lamas night, landing a crushing overhand left to the jaw. Alcantara walks away before referee Ron Nation can intervene to save the unconscious Lamas. The end comes at 3:26 of the first round.
Danny Castillo vs. Will Kerr
Round 1
Overseeing this lightweight tilt is referee Herb Dean. Kerr starts aggressive with a flying knee that misses. Castillo gets a takedown but fights off a guillotine. Kerr gives it up and tries for an armbar. When that fails, he switches to a leglock. The Team Alpha Male product fights it off. Castillo stands and rains down punches while Kerr still attacks the leg. Kerr's sub attempt goes by the wayside as Castillo knocks him cold with three vicious right hands. Herb Dean stops the punishment at 1:25.
Eddie Wineland vs. Ken Stone
Round 1
Referee Sarembock is overseeing the action. Wineland eats a Stone low kick to the inner part of his lead leg. Stone fires another and it finds the mark as well. Stone wings a spinning-back fist that finds the face of the former champion. Wineland clinches and Kerr frames up a guillotine. Jumping to guard Stone locks up the body triangle but Wineland walks him to the fence. Wineland gets his hands on the chest of his opponent and slams him violently to the mat. The fight is over at 2:11 as Stone is out. The scene is grim as Stone is put on a stretcher. He is put on a bed and wheeled out.
Brad Pickett vs. Ivan Menjivar
Round 1
Bantamweights are in the cage with the third man being Ron Nation. The two fighters touch gloves to start the bout. A jab lands for Menjivar but he misses with the right cross. Pickett shoots in and take Menjivar to the floor. The Canadian makes space and gets back to his feet. They clinch and Menjivar finds a home to the side of Pickett's face for a left elbow. Pickett digs a left to the body of Menjivar. A right lands by Menjivar. Picketts tries to answer with a flying knee. The Englishman misses, and he is cut. Menjivar misses a spinning-back fist and "One Punch" ducks under and secures a takedown. The round ends. 10-9 Menjivar.
Round 2
Pickett starts the round with a left low kick that catches Menjivar low. For a brief moment a respite is called, but Menjivar is game quickly. In the break you can see Menjivar is the man with a cut. Earlier in round one it appeared the Pickett was cut, but it is not the case. Back at it, Pickett lands a combination that staggers Menjivar. "The Pride of El Salvador" responds with a flurry of punches that has Pickett on the run. The crowd is oohing as Pickett is hurt. Wise to the situation, he shoots and puts Menjivar on his back. Menjivar goes for an armbar, but it fails. The attempt opens up a chance for Pickett to take the back. From there he goes for an armbar on Menjivar that is deep. However he gets free and the fight goes back to the feet. The round ends. 10-9 Menjivar.
Round 3
The two men clinch to start the third round. Menjivar throws some knees from the inside and Pickett gets free and circles. The two fighters exchange jabs and circle. Pickett lands a low kick to the lead leg of Menjivar. Pickett eats a jab but answers with a left hook. Menjivar is on his heels for a moment and recovers. Pickett launches a left uppercut that misses. Menjivar fires a jab and Pickett answers with a jab of his own. The fight ends. 10-9 Pickett.
The judges see 29-28 for Brad Pickett across the board. The crowd is mixed in its opinion of the official decision.
Jamie Varner vs. Shane Roller
Round 1
Herb Dean will officiate this lightweight tilt. Varner starts the contest pawing the jab. A stiff one finds the face of Roller. Another followed by a right cross lands for the former WEC champion. Roller responds with a jab of his own. Varner goes high with a right kick but Roller defends. A hard left drops Roller, but he is coherent and shoots in on Varner. In the scramble, Roller takes the back of his opponent. Varner is stands and is in no danger. Varner then tries to slam Roller but it's to his detriment. Roller secures the choke and Varner is forced to tap. The end comes at 3:55 via rear-naked choke.
Tie Quan Zhang vs. Daniel Downes
Round 1
Ron Nation starts our final preliminary bout of the evening. Downes flips a lead left low kick out to the lead leg of Zhang. "The Mongolian Wolf" shoots in and passes to side. From there, he executes a straight armbar with his legs. Downes yelps in pain but moves and is free. In a scramble, Zhang takes the back and looks for a rear-naked choke. Zhang has the forearm under the chin, but Downes will not go down without a fight. After a few minutes of defending it, Downes is able to roll free from the choke and into his opponent's guard. Downes stands and the fight continues on the feet. It is only there for a moment though, as Downes takes the fight back to the floor. Zhang shoots his hips high and bellies out with the armbar. Downes is a warrior and survives this attempt too. The round ends. 10-9 Zhang.
Round 2
Downes throws light punches and kicks at Zhang until the Chinese fighter shoots in for a takedown. Downes sprawls and gets on top of Zhang. Downes stands above the grounded Zhang, who looks to be tired. Downes passes the legs and takes the back of Zhang. With a body triangle locked in, Downes is fishing for the choke but Zhang defends and is able to force "Danny Boy" back to half. With a minute remaining in the frame, Zhang looks to have little to nothing left in the gas tank. Downes finishes the round landing a hard elbow from guard. Which has opened up the face of Zhang. 10-9 Downes.
Round 3
The final frame sees Zhang throw a hard right hand that misses and he flops to his back. Downes follows him to the floor and a scramble ensues. Zhang is on top for a brief moment, but Downes makes space and gets on top himself. Zhang locks up a full guard, but Downes stacks. He passes the legs of Zhang, who turtles. Downes takes the back and secures a body triangle. Ninety seconds remain and Downes frames up an arm-triangle and tries to move to side, but is forced to settle for half. He then loses the choke but secures the back again. The round expires. 10-9 Downes.
The judges see it 29-28 (twice) and 30-27, all for Danny Downes, the winner by unanimous decision.
Bart Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus
Round 1
Neil Sarembock officiates the first televised bout of the evening. Shalorus opens up with a big left hand, then puts Palaszewski on his back as they tie up. Working from Palaszewski’s guard, Shalorus slams hard right hands to the body and head. Palaszewski is against the base of the cage and tries for an armbar, but Shalorus stands and escapes danger. Shalorus stacks Palaszewski up and wails away with powerful punches. Palaszewski covering up well, but not offering much in return. Sarembock twice warns Palaszewski for grabbing the cage to spin himself around as Shalorus stands over him. Back into Palaszewski’s guard goes Shalorus and Sarembock warns Palaszewski again. Palaszewski gets back to his feet and lands a hard left, responding with some nice leg kicks. The lightweights exchange low kicks to the end of the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Round 2
Straight back to the kicking battle as the second round opens. Palaszewski’s look to be more effective, though Shalorus is not slowing down. Shalorus is maintaining the center of the cage as Palaszewski circles right along the fence. Shalorus airmails a murderous overhand right. Glancing head kick lands for Palaszewski, who’s relocated to the middle now. Shalorus moves in for a takedown, but eats a right hand and can’t finish the shot. Shalorus picks Palaszewski’s left leg standing and brings him down with ease. Butterfly guard for Palaszewski as Shalorus lands short punches to the ribs. Shalorus scoots Palaszewski against the base of the fence and tees off with punches as Palaszewski gets to his feet. Palaszewski lands another glancing head kick and taunts Shalorus to bring the fight as the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Round 3
Shalorus charges with a flurry and lands a hard, looping right. He fakes a shot and Palaszewski steps backward. A few seconds later, he shoots for real and dumps Palaszewski to the mat with a single. Palaszewski is up against the fence, though, and pops right back up. Now Palaszewski is finding his jab, coming forward with two- and three-piece combos. Solid left hook connects for Palaszewski and Shalorus replies by dumping him down with another single-leg in the middle of the cage. Two minutes to go in the fight and Shalorus is looking to pass to Palaszewski’s left. Short punches from Shalorus and elbows from Palaszewski on the bottom. Shalorus now landing some short, hard elbows from half-guard. Palaszewski gets to his feet with a minute left and hits a head kick, then a step-in knee. Right hand from Palaszewski finds the jaw of a fatiguing Shalorus with ease before the fight ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Judge Chris Flores scores the bout 30-27 Shalorus; Nelson “Doc” Hamilton scores it 29-28 Palaszewski; and Craig Harmon scores it 29-28 for Kamal Shalorus, the winner by split decision.
According to data from CompuStrike, Shalorus out-landed Palaszewski 95-85 in total strikes, and 49-0 in power ground strikes.
Donald Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki
Round 1
Herb Dean is the ref for this lightweight contest. Horodecki fires a head kick off the bat, then begins swinging away with combinations as Cerrone looks to tie up. Horodecki steps in and takes an inside thigh kick to the cup. Horodecki recovers quickly, but he’s already cut around the inside of his right eye. Cerrone catches Horodecki coming in, gets an underhook and bulls Horodecki down. Cerrone looks to hop into mount, but Horodecki escapes to his feet. Right hand from Horodecki lands over the top. Cerrone going to work with kicks to the outside of Horodecki’s left leg, then ties up and lands a knee to the breadbasket. Cerrone steps in with an uppercut, eats a leg kick from Horodecki, then hits the “Polish Hammer” with a stiff jab. Nice punch to the body by Horodecki, who catches a telegraphed kick from Cerrone. Horodecki trips Cerrone down with 90 seconds left in the round, but “Cowboy” is quickly back on his feet. Cerrone trips Horodecki now, but winds up on his back, where he tries for an armbar that doesn’t come. Back on the feet, Horodecki slaps a left kick to the ribs of Cerrone, who plows Horodecki down and takes his back as the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Round 2
Horodecki tries another head kick early, but this one is easily blocked by Cerrone. Horodecki with a takedown and Cerrone quickly gets an omoplata. “Cowboy” moves to the side briefly, then back to guard. From there, he locks up a triangle, but it’s not tight enough to force the tap. Nonetheless, Horodecki isn’t going anywhere, even as Cerrone releases the hold, adjusts, and reapplies it. Finally, after about a minute in the position, Cerrone rolls to his left and squeezes, increasing the pressure on Horodecki’s throat. Horodecki is forced to submit to the triangle choke at the 2:43 mark.
WEC Bantamweight Championship
Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgensen
Round 1
Referee Neil Sarembock is in charge of the first of two title bouts. Lots of feints and footwork from the champion early, then lands a speedy three-piece to the body and head. Kick to the body and two pawing right hands by Cruz. The champion’s punches are coming right through Jorgensen’s low guard, and Jorgensen’s counters aren’t landing. Jorgensen goes for a takedown and winds up with a rear waistlock on Cruz, kneeing to the legs. Cruz shucks him off and goes back to dancing, making Jorgensen swing and miss. Cruz slams a few hard kicks to Jorgensen’s lead leg. Cruz bobs and weaves, lights Jorgensen up with an uppercut and another hard low kick. Jorgensen pushes Cruz into the fence with underhooks, but soon disengages. Cruz charges in with punches, sprawls on a shot, but is taken down with Jorgensen powers through. Jorgensen takes the back of the champion momentarily. He’s too high and Cruz slips out, finishing the round on top.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 2
Cruz pops Jorgensen with a stiff jab, then adds a follow-up three-punch combo. The champ looks to have a small cut on the bridge of his nose early in the round. Cruz shoots in for a takedown and gets it with ease, straight into Jorgensen’s closed guard. Left hands to the body by Cruz as Jorgensen ties up his right. Jorgensen’s guard is opened up now and Cruz lands a few short elbows. Cruz punching away with his head down and Jorgensen is warned about his counters hitting the back of Cruz’s head. Jorgensen uses the cage to get back to his feet with 30 seconds left. Solid jumping knee by Cruz. Jorgensen misses with a head kick as the round expires. According to CompuStrike, Cruz landed 71 total strikes to Jorgensen’s eight in the second frame.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 3
Cruz drops Jorgensen with a right straight, but the challenger pops right back up. Now a wide right connects for Cruz, who follows up with a three-punch combo and a kick to the right leg. Cruz bounces a right high kick off Jorgensen’s dome and Jorgensen doesn’t budge. Phenomenal job by Cruz of evading Jorgensen’s every strike as the challenger tries to back the champ into the fence. Low kicks from Cruz seem to be taking their toll on the left leg of Jorgensen. Cruz picks the leg of Jorgensen in an exchange and puts him on his back with a minute left. Short punches to the body by Cruz, followed by hard elbows to the grill. Jorgensen sweeps and takes Cruz’s back again, but Cruz escapes quickly and the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 4
Hard right hand from Cruz opens the championship rounds, followed by another takedown. Cruz puts his head down and works from the closed guard of Jorgensen, who sits up and tries to grab a guillotine. Nothing doing for Jorgensen and he’s back on the defense, being jammed up against the base of the cage while Cruz pours on volume shots. Jorgensen escapes to his feet and chases Cruz down. They clinch along the fence, jockeying for position. There’s a good-sized mouse under the right eye of Jorgensen now. They tie up in the center of the cage and Cruz once more taps the knee to put Jorgensen on his back. Back on the feet, Cruz lands a one-two and a knee to the body. Cruz with yet another takedown to close out the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 5
Cruz sticking Jorgensen with jabs early in the last period. Credit to Jorgensen, he still hasn’t stopped coming forward. The champion is just piling on punch-kick-punch combinations through the first half of the round. Jorgensen ties up and scores a trip takedown, but can’t hold Cruz down for long. Cruz gets another takedown of his own with two minutes left and keeps busy with little shots to the body. Jorgensen doesn’t even close his guard now, tries for a weak guillotine and abandons it almost immediately. The fight ends on the feet with Cruz still punching away, and it should be a clean sweep for the champ.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
All three judges score the bout 50-45 for Dominick Cruz, the final WEC and first ever UFC bantamweight champion.
Data from CompuStrike illustrates the dominance of Cruz’s performance, as the champion landed 104 power strikes to Jorgensen’s 14, out-striking him 283-55 in total.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean will oversee the final bout in WEC history. Champion and challenger share an intense staredown as Dean gives them their final instructions. No touch of gloves to start the bout. Henderson assumes the center of the cage in a southpaw stance. Flashy switch kick by Henderson lands on the arm of Pettis, and Pettis fires off a high kick of his own. Both men are very tentative through the opening two minutes. Finally, Henderson rushes forward with a nice leg kick and two-punch combo. Henderson muscles Pettis into the cage with double underhooks and knees to the outside thigh. Pettis mimes a yawn, but is tripped to the mat shortly thereafter. Pettis’ back is to the cage and he throws up his legs, hunting for a triangle or armbar, but Henderson steps back and slips loose. Back on the feet and Pettis lands a solid leg kick, then a jab. Push kick by Pettis sends Henderson stumbling backward. Henderson ties up and reaps the leg of Pettis, tripping him to the mat and stacking him up to land a few punches just before the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 2
Pettis presses forward and seems to drop Henderson with a combination, though it may have been a partial slip on Henderson’s part. Henderson falls to the mat momentarily, stands back up, but is tossed back down by Pettis. “Smooth” pops to his feet again and clinches against the fence, landing more knees to the legs of Pettis. Right high kick by Pettis is blocked, but he connects with a straight left hand. Thudding left kick to the body by Henderson. Pettis leaps in with a knee and gets muscled into the fence for his trouble, Henderson landing a knee to the body on the exit. Pettis lands a kick south of the border, but Henderson says he’s fine and they restart straight away. They trade leg kicks and stalk one another to the end of the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10
Round 3
Henderson grazes Pettis with hard overhand right and Pettis trips the champ to the canvas in the center of the cage. Pettis takes the back of Henderson and locks up a body triangle, looking for the rear-naked choke. Henderson postures up and tries to slide Pettis off, then moves to put the right side of his body against the fence. Henderson now standing with Pettis on his back, body triangle still in place. Pettis’ right arm is snaked over Henderson’s shoulder and Henderson is controlling the wrist. Pettis using his free left hand to punch away at the body of the champion with 90 seconds on the clock, then begins sneaking some shots under the arm. Henderson is doing well to defend the choke, but Pettis isn’t going anywhere. Now Henderson begins elbowing the inside right thigh of Pettis where he has the body triangle. Pettis finally gets off Henderson’s back just before the horn signals the end of the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Round 4
The challenger looking to be the aggressor in the opening minute of the round until Henderson pushes forward with a combo. Pettis snares a guillotine and spins to guard, but Henderson slips free and stacks him up. Pettis gives up his back and Henderson jumps on, sinking both hooks in with more than three minutes left on the clock. Henderson puts his left arm under the chin of Pettis and appears to have the choke, but Pettis breaks it off. Switching arms, Henderson continues to hunt for the rear-naked choke. Pettis twists around and into the guard of Henderson, then takes the back of the champion once again. This time, he doesn’t stay on as Henderson stands and the two go back to exchanging on the feet. Body kick by Henderson is countered by a hard right from Pettis. Now Pettis hits a left hook and Henderson shoots. Pettis grabs a guillotine and pulls guard, but Henderson postures up and doesn’t look to be in trouble. His head is still under Pettis’ arm as the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 5
Henderson slips on a combo and pops right back up, then slaps with a leg kick. Pettis kicks to the inside thigh and instead catches Henderson square in the cup. Again, Henderson recovers quickly and they restart. Now Pettis offers up his glove for a touch. Head kick connects for Henderson, but Pettis answers with a heavy one-two punch combo. Henderson feints and slips, and Pettis chases him down to take his back. Pettis is too high and quickly slips off. Henderson shoots and Pettis times it perfectly with a leaping knee, then sprawls as Henderson tries to finish off the single-leg. The champion does get him down, however, and now works from closed guard parallel to the base of the fence. Henderson steps around and now takes the back of Pettis, but Pettis twists free and wants the fight back on the feet. Ninety seconds left and either man could still take this. Pettis charges forward and launches himself off the cage with his right leg, then uses the same foot to smack Henderson right in the face. Henderson falls to the mat and Pettis punches away, trapping the kneeling champion’s right arm and striking to the side of his head. Henderson escapes just before the bell.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-47 Pettis)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-47 Pettis)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-48 Draw)
The judges have it 48-47 (twice) and 49-46 for Anthony Pettis, the winner by unanimous decision and new WEC lightweight champion.
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.
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Renan "Barao" Pegado vs. Chris Cariaso
Round 1
Bantamweights start our night out in Phoenix. Overseeing this contest is Neil Sarembock. The two men touch gloves to start the bout. Cariaso fires a kick to the body but the Brazilian answers with a stiff jab. Cariaso fires another kick to the body but slips to the floor. Barao follows him to the floor and settles in to the guard. Barao passes to side mount briefly before Cariaso manages to regain half guard. In a scramble, Barao takes the back of his opponent and locks in a body triangle. He fishes for the rear-naked choke and quickly sinks it. Cariaso is forced to tap at 3:37 of the first round.
Ricardo
Lamas vs. Yuri
Alcantara
Round 1
Alcantara starts the action of the lightweight bout with a knee to the body of Lamas, which initiates the clinch. The two men separate and Lamas lands a stiff jab to the face. Lamas clinches and pushes the Brazilian in to the fence. Lamas uses some dirty boxing to pepper the side of his opponent. Lamas disengages and the two men separate. From there, Alcantara puts an end to Lamas night, landing a crushing overhand left to the jaw. Alcantara walks away before referee Ron Nation can intervene to save the unconscious Lamas. The end comes at 3:26 of the first round.
Danny Castillo vs. Will Kerr
Round 1
Overseeing this lightweight tilt is referee Herb Dean. Kerr starts aggressive with a flying knee that misses. Castillo gets a takedown but fights off a guillotine. Kerr gives it up and tries for an armbar. When that fails, he switches to a leglock. The Team Alpha Male product fights it off. Castillo stands and rains down punches while Kerr still attacks the leg. Kerr's sub attempt goes by the wayside as Castillo knocks him cold with three vicious right hands. Herb Dean stops the punishment at 1:25.
Eddie Wineland vs. Ken Stone
Round 1
Referee Sarembock is overseeing the action. Wineland eats a Stone low kick to the inner part of his lead leg. Stone fires another and it finds the mark as well. Stone wings a spinning-back fist that finds the face of the former champion. Wineland clinches and Kerr frames up a guillotine. Jumping to guard Stone locks up the body triangle but Wineland walks him to the fence. Wineland gets his hands on the chest of his opponent and slams him violently to the mat. The fight is over at 2:11 as Stone is out. The scene is grim as Stone is put on a stretcher. He is put on a bed and wheeled out.
Brad Pickett vs. Ivan Menjivar
Round 1
Bantamweights are in the cage with the third man being Ron Nation. The two fighters touch gloves to start the bout. A jab lands for Menjivar but he misses with the right cross. Pickett shoots in and take Menjivar to the floor. The Canadian makes space and gets back to his feet. They clinch and Menjivar finds a home to the side of Pickett's face for a left elbow. Pickett digs a left to the body of Menjivar. A right lands by Menjivar. Picketts tries to answer with a flying knee. The Englishman misses, and he is cut. Menjivar misses a spinning-back fist and "One Punch" ducks under and secures a takedown. The round ends. 10-9 Menjivar.
Round 2
Pickett starts the round with a left low kick that catches Menjivar low. For a brief moment a respite is called, but Menjivar is game quickly. In the break you can see Menjivar is the man with a cut. Earlier in round one it appeared the Pickett was cut, but it is not the case. Back at it, Pickett lands a combination that staggers Menjivar. "The Pride of El Salvador" responds with a flurry of punches that has Pickett on the run. The crowd is oohing as Pickett is hurt. Wise to the situation, he shoots and puts Menjivar on his back. Menjivar goes for an armbar, but it fails. The attempt opens up a chance for Pickett to take the back. From there he goes for an armbar on Menjivar that is deep. However he gets free and the fight goes back to the feet. The round ends. 10-9 Menjivar.
Round 3
The two men clinch to start the third round. Menjivar throws some knees from the inside and Pickett gets free and circles. The two fighters exchange jabs and circle. Pickett lands a low kick to the lead leg of Menjivar. Pickett eats a jab but answers with a left hook. Menjivar is on his heels for a moment and recovers. Pickett launches a left uppercut that misses. Menjivar fires a jab and Pickett answers with a jab of his own. The fight ends. 10-9 Pickett.
The judges see 29-28 for Brad Pickett across the board. The crowd is mixed in its opinion of the official decision.
Jamie Varner vs. Shane Roller
Round 1
Herb Dean will officiate this lightweight tilt. Varner starts the contest pawing the jab. A stiff one finds the face of Roller. Another followed by a right cross lands for the former WEC champion. Roller responds with a jab of his own. Varner goes high with a right kick but Roller defends. A hard left drops Roller, but he is coherent and shoots in on Varner. In the scramble, Roller takes the back of his opponent. Varner is stands and is in no danger. Varner then tries to slam Roller but it's to his detriment. Roller secures the choke and Varner is forced to tap. The end comes at 3:55 via rear-naked choke.
Tie Quan Zhang vs. Daniel Downes
Round 1
Ron Nation starts our final preliminary bout of the evening. Downes flips a lead left low kick out to the lead leg of Zhang. "The Mongolian Wolf" shoots in and passes to side. From there, he executes a straight armbar with his legs. Downes yelps in pain but moves and is free. In a scramble, Zhang takes the back and looks for a rear-naked choke. Zhang has the forearm under the chin, but Downes will not go down without a fight. After a few minutes of defending it, Downes is able to roll free from the choke and into his opponent's guard. Downes stands and the fight continues on the feet. It is only there for a moment though, as Downes takes the fight back to the floor. Zhang shoots his hips high and bellies out with the armbar. Downes is a warrior and survives this attempt too. The round ends. 10-9 Zhang.
Round 2
Downes throws light punches and kicks at Zhang until the Chinese fighter shoots in for a takedown. Downes sprawls and gets on top of Zhang. Downes stands above the grounded Zhang, who looks to be tired. Downes passes the legs and takes the back of Zhang. With a body triangle locked in, Downes is fishing for the choke but Zhang defends and is able to force "Danny Boy" back to half. With a minute remaining in the frame, Zhang looks to have little to nothing left in the gas tank. Downes finishes the round landing a hard elbow from guard. Which has opened up the face of Zhang. 10-9 Downes.
Round 3
The final frame sees Zhang throw a hard right hand that misses and he flops to his back. Downes follows him to the floor and a scramble ensues. Zhang is on top for a brief moment, but Downes makes space and gets on top himself. Zhang locks up a full guard, but Downes stacks. He passes the legs of Zhang, who turtles. Downes takes the back and secures a body triangle. Ninety seconds remain and Downes frames up an arm-triangle and tries to move to side, but is forced to settle for half. He then loses the choke but secures the back again. The round expires. 10-9 Downes.
The judges see it 29-28 (twice) and 30-27, all for Danny Downes, the winner by unanimous decision.
Bart Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus
Round 1
Neil Sarembock officiates the first televised bout of the evening. Shalorus opens up with a big left hand, then puts Palaszewski on his back as they tie up. Working from Palaszewski’s guard, Shalorus slams hard right hands to the body and head. Palaszewski is against the base of the cage and tries for an armbar, but Shalorus stands and escapes danger. Shalorus stacks Palaszewski up and wails away with powerful punches. Palaszewski covering up well, but not offering much in return. Sarembock twice warns Palaszewski for grabbing the cage to spin himself around as Shalorus stands over him. Back into Palaszewski’s guard goes Shalorus and Sarembock warns Palaszewski again. Palaszewski gets back to his feet and lands a hard left, responding with some nice leg kicks. The lightweights exchange low kicks to the end of the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Round 2
Straight back to the kicking battle as the second round opens. Palaszewski’s look to be more effective, though Shalorus is not slowing down. Shalorus is maintaining the center of the cage as Palaszewski circles right along the fence. Shalorus airmails a murderous overhand right. Glancing head kick lands for Palaszewski, who’s relocated to the middle now. Shalorus moves in for a takedown, but eats a right hand and can’t finish the shot. Shalorus picks Palaszewski’s left leg standing and brings him down with ease. Butterfly guard for Palaszewski as Shalorus lands short punches to the ribs. Shalorus scoots Palaszewski against the base of the fence and tees off with punches as Palaszewski gets to his feet. Palaszewski lands another glancing head kick and taunts Shalorus to bring the fight as the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Round 3
Shalorus charges with a flurry and lands a hard, looping right. He fakes a shot and Palaszewski steps backward. A few seconds later, he shoots for real and dumps Palaszewski to the mat with a single. Palaszewski is up against the fence, though, and pops right back up. Now Palaszewski is finding his jab, coming forward with two- and three-piece combos. Solid left hook connects for Palaszewski and Shalorus replies by dumping him down with another single-leg in the middle of the cage. Two minutes to go in the fight and Shalorus is looking to pass to Palaszewski’s left. Short punches from Shalorus and elbows from Palaszewski on the bottom. Shalorus now landing some short, hard elbows from half-guard. Palaszewski gets to his feet with a minute left and hits a head kick, then a step-in knee. Right hand from Palaszewski finds the jaw of a fatiguing Shalorus with ease before the fight ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Judge Chris Flores scores the bout 30-27 Shalorus; Nelson “Doc” Hamilton scores it 29-28 Palaszewski; and Craig Harmon scores it 29-28 for Kamal Shalorus, the winner by split decision.
According to data from CompuStrike, Shalorus out-landed Palaszewski 95-85 in total strikes, and 49-0 in power ground strikes.
Donald Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki
Round 1
Herb Dean is the ref for this lightweight contest. Horodecki fires a head kick off the bat, then begins swinging away with combinations as Cerrone looks to tie up. Horodecki steps in and takes an inside thigh kick to the cup. Horodecki recovers quickly, but he’s already cut around the inside of his right eye. Cerrone catches Horodecki coming in, gets an underhook and bulls Horodecki down. Cerrone looks to hop into mount, but Horodecki escapes to his feet. Right hand from Horodecki lands over the top. Cerrone going to work with kicks to the outside of Horodecki’s left leg, then ties up and lands a knee to the breadbasket. Cerrone steps in with an uppercut, eats a leg kick from Horodecki, then hits the “Polish Hammer” with a stiff jab. Nice punch to the body by Horodecki, who catches a telegraphed kick from Cerrone. Horodecki trips Cerrone down with 90 seconds left in the round, but “Cowboy” is quickly back on his feet. Cerrone trips Horodecki now, but winds up on his back, where he tries for an armbar that doesn’t come. Back on the feet, Horodecki slaps a left kick to the ribs of Cerrone, who plows Horodecki down and takes his back as the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Round 2
Horodecki tries another head kick early, but this one is easily blocked by Cerrone. Horodecki with a takedown and Cerrone quickly gets an omoplata. “Cowboy” moves to the side briefly, then back to guard. From there, he locks up a triangle, but it’s not tight enough to force the tap. Nonetheless, Horodecki isn’t going anywhere, even as Cerrone releases the hold, adjusts, and reapplies it. Finally, after about a minute in the position, Cerrone rolls to his left and squeezes, increasing the pressure on Horodecki’s throat. Horodecki is forced to submit to the triangle choke at the 2:43 mark.
WEC Bantamweight Championship
Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgensen
Round 1
Referee Neil Sarembock is in charge of the first of two title bouts. Lots of feints and footwork from the champion early, then lands a speedy three-piece to the body and head. Kick to the body and two pawing right hands by Cruz. The champion’s punches are coming right through Jorgensen’s low guard, and Jorgensen’s counters aren’t landing. Jorgensen goes for a takedown and winds up with a rear waistlock on Cruz, kneeing to the legs. Cruz shucks him off and goes back to dancing, making Jorgensen swing and miss. Cruz slams a few hard kicks to Jorgensen’s lead leg. Cruz bobs and weaves, lights Jorgensen up with an uppercut and another hard low kick. Jorgensen pushes Cruz into the fence with underhooks, but soon disengages. Cruz charges in with punches, sprawls on a shot, but is taken down with Jorgensen powers through. Jorgensen takes the back of the champion momentarily. He’s too high and Cruz slips out, finishing the round on top.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 2
Cruz pops Jorgensen with a stiff jab, then adds a follow-up three-punch combo. The champ looks to have a small cut on the bridge of his nose early in the round. Cruz shoots in for a takedown and gets it with ease, straight into Jorgensen’s closed guard. Left hands to the body by Cruz as Jorgensen ties up his right. Jorgensen’s guard is opened up now and Cruz lands a few short elbows. Cruz punching away with his head down and Jorgensen is warned about his counters hitting the back of Cruz’s head. Jorgensen uses the cage to get back to his feet with 30 seconds left. Solid jumping knee by Cruz. Jorgensen misses with a head kick as the round expires. According to CompuStrike, Cruz landed 71 total strikes to Jorgensen’s eight in the second frame.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 3
Cruz drops Jorgensen with a right straight, but the challenger pops right back up. Now a wide right connects for Cruz, who follows up with a three-punch combo and a kick to the right leg. Cruz bounces a right high kick off Jorgensen’s dome and Jorgensen doesn’t budge. Phenomenal job by Cruz of evading Jorgensen’s every strike as the challenger tries to back the champ into the fence. Low kicks from Cruz seem to be taking their toll on the left leg of Jorgensen. Cruz picks the leg of Jorgensen in an exchange and puts him on his back with a minute left. Short punches to the body by Cruz, followed by hard elbows to the grill. Jorgensen sweeps and takes Cruz’s back again, but Cruz escapes quickly and the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 4
Hard right hand from Cruz opens the championship rounds, followed by another takedown. Cruz puts his head down and works from the closed guard of Jorgensen, who sits up and tries to grab a guillotine. Nothing doing for Jorgensen and he’s back on the defense, being jammed up against the base of the cage while Cruz pours on volume shots. Jorgensen escapes to his feet and chases Cruz down. They clinch along the fence, jockeying for position. There’s a good-sized mouse under the right eye of Jorgensen now. They tie up in the center of the cage and Cruz once more taps the knee to put Jorgensen on his back. Back on the feet, Cruz lands a one-two and a knee to the body. Cruz with yet another takedown to close out the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round 5
Cruz sticking Jorgensen with jabs early in the last period. Credit to Jorgensen, he still hasn’t stopped coming forward. The champion is just piling on punch-kick-punch combinations through the first half of the round. Jorgensen ties up and scores a trip takedown, but can’t hold Cruz down for long. Cruz gets another takedown of his own with two minutes left and keeps busy with little shots to the body. Jorgensen doesn’t even close his guard now, tries for a weak guillotine and abandons it almost immediately. The fight ends on the feet with Cruz still punching away, and it should be a clean sweep for the champ.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
All three judges score the bout 50-45 for Dominick Cruz, the final WEC and first ever UFC bantamweight champion.
Data from CompuStrike illustrates the dominance of Cruz’s performance, as the champion landed 104 power strikes to Jorgensen’s 14, out-striking him 283-55 in total.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean will oversee the final bout in WEC history. Champion and challenger share an intense staredown as Dean gives them their final instructions. No touch of gloves to start the bout. Henderson assumes the center of the cage in a southpaw stance. Flashy switch kick by Henderson lands on the arm of Pettis, and Pettis fires off a high kick of his own. Both men are very tentative through the opening two minutes. Finally, Henderson rushes forward with a nice leg kick and two-punch combo. Henderson muscles Pettis into the cage with double underhooks and knees to the outside thigh. Pettis mimes a yawn, but is tripped to the mat shortly thereafter. Pettis’ back is to the cage and he throws up his legs, hunting for a triangle or armbar, but Henderson steps back and slips loose. Back on the feet and Pettis lands a solid leg kick, then a jab. Push kick by Pettis sends Henderson stumbling backward. Henderson ties up and reaps the leg of Pettis, tripping him to the mat and stacking him up to land a few punches just before the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 2
Pettis presses forward and seems to drop Henderson with a combination, though it may have been a partial slip on Henderson’s part. Henderson falls to the mat momentarily, stands back up, but is tossed back down by Pettis. “Smooth” pops to his feet again and clinches against the fence, landing more knees to the legs of Pettis. Right high kick by Pettis is blocked, but he connects with a straight left hand. Thudding left kick to the body by Henderson. Pettis leaps in with a knee and gets muscled into the fence for his trouble, Henderson landing a knee to the body on the exit. Pettis lands a kick south of the border, but Henderson says he’s fine and they restart straight away. They trade leg kicks and stalk one another to the end of the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10
Round 3
Henderson grazes Pettis with hard overhand right and Pettis trips the champ to the canvas in the center of the cage. Pettis takes the back of Henderson and locks up a body triangle, looking for the rear-naked choke. Henderson postures up and tries to slide Pettis off, then moves to put the right side of his body against the fence. Henderson now standing with Pettis on his back, body triangle still in place. Pettis’ right arm is snaked over Henderson’s shoulder and Henderson is controlling the wrist. Pettis using his free left hand to punch away at the body of the champion with 90 seconds on the clock, then begins sneaking some shots under the arm. Henderson is doing well to defend the choke, but Pettis isn’t going anywhere. Now Henderson begins elbowing the inside right thigh of Pettis where he has the body triangle. Pettis finally gets off Henderson’s back just before the horn signals the end of the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Round 4
The challenger looking to be the aggressor in the opening minute of the round until Henderson pushes forward with a combo. Pettis snares a guillotine and spins to guard, but Henderson slips free and stacks him up. Pettis gives up his back and Henderson jumps on, sinking both hooks in with more than three minutes left on the clock. Henderson puts his left arm under the chin of Pettis and appears to have the choke, but Pettis breaks it off. Switching arms, Henderson continues to hunt for the rear-naked choke. Pettis twists around and into the guard of Henderson, then takes the back of the champion once again. This time, he doesn’t stay on as Henderson stands and the two go back to exchanging on the feet. Body kick by Henderson is countered by a hard right from Pettis. Now Pettis hits a left hook and Henderson shoots. Pettis grabs a guillotine and pulls guard, but Henderson postures up and doesn’t look to be in trouble. His head is still under Pettis’ arm as the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round 5
Henderson slips on a combo and pops right back up, then slaps with a leg kick. Pettis kicks to the inside thigh and instead catches Henderson square in the cup. Again, Henderson recovers quickly and they restart. Now Pettis offers up his glove for a touch. Head kick connects for Henderson, but Pettis answers with a heavy one-two punch combo. Henderson feints and slips, and Pettis chases him down to take his back. Pettis is too high and quickly slips off. Henderson shoots and Pettis times it perfectly with a leaping knee, then sprawls as Henderson tries to finish off the single-leg. The champion does get him down, however, and now works from closed guard parallel to the base of the fence. Henderson steps around and now takes the back of Pettis, but Pettis twists free and wants the fight back on the feet. Ninety seconds left and either man could still take this. Pettis charges forward and launches himself off the cage with his right leg, then uses the same foot to smack Henderson right in the face. Henderson falls to the mat and Pettis punches away, trapping the kneeling champion’s right arm and striking to the side of his head. Henderson escapes just before the bell.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-47 Pettis)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-47 Pettis)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-48 Draw)
The judges have it 48-47 (twice) and 49-46 for Anthony Pettis, the winner by unanimous decision and new WEC lightweight champion.
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