We’re still live from the United Center as now we progress to tonight’s undercard fights televised on FX. You can view our coverage of the Facebook portion of the undercard by clicking here and the FX portion of the undercard by clicking here.
Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas
Round 1: Ricardo Lamas gets the homecrowd treatment. Eric Koch gets quite a mixed reaction.
Lamas starts out looking to set up a takedown and Koch is using his footwork to keep him at distance. Lamas is moving backward as he’s lookign to set up a shot and Koch is the aggressor, almost baiting him to do it. Koch is walking him down with some nice kicks as Lamas uses his jab to keep him at distance. Lamas dives in for the takedown and gets Koch against the cage but can’t finish. Koch is defending it well as Lamas has a single and is right back up after Lamas runs the pipe on him. Lamas is clinging to it like a dog to abone as Koch is defending well off one leg. Lamas lets it go for some clinch work as he’s looking for a trip takedown. He can’t get it as Koch uses a whizzer to pry him off. This is first rate takedown defense from Koch. He gets away and lands a nice strike on the exit. Koch has found his range as he’s using a jab to set combinations attempts. Lamas is aware and is looking to get in quick for the clinch. He gets it with 30 seconds left, and has a single leg, but Koch defends it well and is right back up to his feet again. Round expires as they clinch against the cage.
10-9 Koch
Round 2:
Koch comes out more aggressive as Lamas is looking to stand with him instead of go for the takedown. He’s letting his hands go more and is looking for a good punch as opposed to change levels. Koch goes for the clinch and we’re against the cage and then backs off when he can’t get anything. Lamas hits a nice leg kick and gets the takedown, Koch comfortable in guard. Lamas postures up and unloads some nice shots before landing in guard with some nice elbows. Koch is taking some big shots and is bleeding. Lamas finishes him with strikes at 2:33 of the second round.
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone
Round 1: Pettis and Cerrone stared at each other with menace. These guys want to fight. Cerrone gets booed and Chicago has adopted Anthony Pettis. Milwaukee is close to Chicago, right?
No feeling out as they throw some big strikes to start. Cerrone gets Pettis to slop with a punch, and then a kick. Cerrone’s pushing the pace and Pettis is on the defensive. Pettis with a nice combination but Cerrone still the aggressor. Pettis hasn’t figured out Cerrone’s reach yet but lands some nice counters, including a nice knee. Pettis with a nice use of the cage to land a knee. Pettis with a MASSIVE liver kick and Cerrone is down. Pettis with a couple of strikes and it’s over. Anthony Pettis wins via TKO at 2:35 of the first round.
It also marks the first loss by Cerrone due to strikes.
Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira
Round 1: Rampage gets a ton of love … Glover not so much.
Both guys come out firing. Rampage is looking to avoid the clinch as Glover looks to make the cage small for him. Not a lot of big shots; Rampage is using his jab to keep him at range and Glover is looking to grab a takedown. Which he does and immediately grabs back. He’s in full back mount and in trouble. He switches to an arm triangle as Rampage rolls to his stomach, then back to his back and Glover is controlling him with his hooks in. Rampage gets back up and back to our feet. Glover with a nice head kick. Rampage answers it with a nice combination. These guys are throwing some leather. Rampage aiming wild as Glover is keeping him at bay. Both guys are looking to set up big combinations with jabs and neither is landing solidly after the jab. Rampage goes for the takedown and misses, Glover grabs him against the cage. Glover lets him out but keeps him close, walking backwards. Glover with a big strikes that drops Jackson, Rampage recovers and we’re back to our feet. Rampage is throwing big shtos with out a set up to get him away. Glover with a nice hook to stagger him somewhat. Round ends as Glover catches a leg and nearly tips him over.
Glover 10-9
Round 2:
Glover with some tentative strikes and Rampage wings some shots that misses. Glover with a beautiful single and drags Rampage to the ground in half guard. Rampage is shrimping inside to get a standup and herb Dean allows it as Glover works out of half guard still. Rampage with a beautiful job getting back and we’re on our feet. Rampage with some beautiful uppercuts our of the clinch. Rampage is cut underneath the eye now as both guys are throwing jabs to gauge distance. Rampage is trying to use his footwork to get back to the center and Glover is doing a great job cutting off the cage. Rampage’s footwork has been really solid here, though. He’s not getting trapped, even if he’s eating a good chunk of punishment. Glover is keeping him at bay as the two are throwing some serious leather now. Rampage with some taunts, too, that the crowd is eating up. Glover walks him down some more as he’s winning the position war some more, despite eating some great shots from Rampage. Round ends with both swinging wild
Glover 10-9, 20-18
Round 3:
Rampage is a little gimpy, that knee is a little wobbly. Both guys come out slinging leather as Rampage is baiting him into a brawl. Glover grabs a double leg a minute in and drags Rampage to the ground fairly easy. He’s in half guard against the cage as Glover unloads some elbows on him. Rampage up and we’re back standing. Rampage with some wild strikes and a takedown attempt of his own that goes nowhere. Glover is walking him down and letting his hands go. Rampage looks gassed at this point. Glover is beating him to the punch and kick as he’s throwing wild but not hitting anything, eating a lot of strikes to do so. Glover with a single and Rampage is up quickly. Couple of nice body strikes and the a big knee to the face. Rampage is landing on the arms when he is connecting as Glover is hitting flush. Glover with a beautiful single leg, runs the pip down and grabs mount. 20 seconds left and he’s looking for an arm triangle. Round ends as he’s unloading on him.
Glover 10-9, 30-27
Official decision: Glover 30-27, 30-27, 29-28
And now … for the UFC Flyweight Championship and tonight’s main event
Demetrious Johnson (c) vs. John Dodson
Round 1:
Dodson charges out like a racehorse out of the corner. These guys move so fast it’s spectacular. Johnson is looking to set up something with leg kicks but Dodson is countering him beautifully. Johnson is throwing more power shots than normal; Dodson looking for a big counter and Johnson is doing everything he can to keep him from setting up for it. Dodson with a big right that drops him, though. Johnson goes for a head kick and Dodson catches him and throws him to the mat. He lets him up though; Johnson is back and he lands a nice counter on Dodson. Dodson is looking for a counter and Johnson is stalking him acorss the cage; his footwork to get Dodson moving is remarkable. Dodson is landing some big kicks though as Johnson walks through a nice counter. Johnson with a nice combination that leads to a drag double but Dodson fights it off … until Johnson decides to slam him for effect. He’s clamped to those legs as Dodson is fighting him off. He’s back up and Johnson catches him before grabbing the clinch. He can’t finish it, though, and Johnson finishes the round by going for it again
Johnson 10-9 … but a very close 10-9
Round 2:
Dodson comes out a bit more aggressive as he’s looking for the big counter some more. He lands one early as he’s finding his range now. Johnson grabs the clinch, though and he goes down for a double and gets it. Dodson wall walks his way back up, though and circles away. Dodson is bleeding a little bit. Johnson is looking for the clinch actively as he doesn’t want to continue trading en masse with Dodson. And as I write that Dodson knocks him down a big right. He’s back up quickly though. Dodson with a big counter again and Johnson is hurt for a moment. He goes for a desperate takedown that’s defended well. Dodson with a big looping left that sends Johnson back again. Johnson is looking to get inside quickly as he wants nothing to do with the power anymore; he’s nearly telegraphing his takedown tries by how he’s holding his hand. Dodson knows he can wobble him and wants to brawl some more. Johnson throws wild for ab it near the 30 second mark. He throws a leg kick that’s get caught and eats a punch for his effort. Round ends as he goes for the clinch against the cage.
Dodson 10-9, 19-19
We got ourselves a fight.
Round 3:
Johnson opens with a nice kick that is countered with a nice switch kick from Dodson. Johnson is moving back as soon as Dodson moves forward and grabbing for legs as soon as he’s hit; he wants to turn this into a NAGA tournament as soon as he can. Johnson with a low single and Dodson fights it off like a boss but gets the Nutcracker treatment for his prowess. Time for a break.
Johnson misses wide and Dodson with a beautiful fling knee. Dodson’s power is a game changer right now; every time he touches Johnson he’s moving clearly out as he wants nothing to do with it. He’s using some nice push kicks to try and set up something. Dodson is throwing big shots as soon as he does, though. Johnson nearly gets a takedown after catching a kick to no avail. Johnson pushes through and gets a takedown, landing in butterfly guard. Dodson wall walks his way back up as Johnson throws him down. Dodson pulls full guard now. He sets up a scramble to get to his feet and Johnson is right back on him again. Dodson gets away and he nearly counters Johnson with a big shot again.
Dodson 10-9, 29-28
Round 4:
Johnson is a bit more aggressive to start but as soon as Dodson is moving his hips to throw something big he’s moving back. Johnson on a double and gets him to the ground. Dodson is up fast though and Johnson lands an illegal knee. Dodson gets time to recover.
Johnson comes out but that knee awakened something in dodson as he’s more aggressive now. Johnson has to be more aggressive now as he’s potentially lost all three rounds so far. He grabs a low single but Dodson defends it well. Dodson circles away and we’re back to the middle. Johnson is landing more as the round goes on but he’s going for the takedown still; Dodson’s takedown defense is special because Johnson hasn’t been able to get him down or keep him down. Johnson corners him on a takedown attempt, though and is teeing off with knees on him. Final flurry to end the round as the two are throwing down.
10-9 Johnson, 38-38
Round 5:
And the crowd is showing them some love … Chicago has gotten a treat of a main card this year.
Johnson gets the clinch early and lands some big knees, turning it into a takedown with Dodson against the cage seated. Dodson up and Johnson lands some strikes. Dodson reverses position and the two are throwing down in the clinch. Dodson grabs the clinch on a scramble across the cage and Johnson fights out of it. Dodson goes for a takedown of his own and the tempo of the match seems to indicate both fighters think its tied. Both fighters want to grind this round out and potentially take the fight. Johnson does a great job getting back up, though, and we’re back to our feet.
90 seconds left and Dodson is looking to counter with a takedown, Johnson countering with thai clinch and knees.Big knee rocks Dodson and Johnson is pounding on him. Dodson is hurt and he’s clinging for life.Johnson with some more knes to the face and he chases him down some more. 30 seconds left and Dodson is holding on; he looks like the cobwebs haven’t quite cleared yet and Johnson is doing his best to take the round and the fight. 10 secods left and Dodson moves for a takedown but can’t complete it.
10-9 Johnson, 48-47 Johnson
Insanely close … can see it going either way
Official decision: 48-47, 49-46, 48-47 Johnson
