With the announcement of a MEGA broadcast deal with Fox, UFC have positioned themselves as “the sport that have long wanted to be seen as,” and this unprecedented deal puts them on par with the biggest sports in the U.S. Tonight is their chance to step out onto the stage and prove themselves to a world of fans who might not have normally seen their top athletes and purchased UFC events. In the main event of today’s UFC on Fox debut, UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will make his first title defense against Junior dos Santos.
Join our team beginning at 4:45 PM ET for the preliminary play by play and live results from Anaheim’s undercard (which will be shown on Facebook and FoxSports.com)
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Round 1 A few tie up early on with Lucas getting the better of them. He grabs Rosa’s back and takes a shot but Rosa escapes and they square off in the center of the cage. Lucas backs him up against the cage and tries to grind him down. Rosa grabs him in the clinch and starts throwing knees. Lucas loses his mouthpiece and we get a break in the action. After that Lucas goes for the double leg and Rosa blocks it. He keeps pushing for the takedown but Rosa will not go down and is throwing some shots in as well. Knee from Rosa. Elbows to the head from Rosa. Lucas will not let go of the double leg and because of that he keeps eating elbows. Rogan theorizes that Lucas is tired. They break and both throw shots. The round ends, Rosa stole it near the end, 10-9 Rosa.
Round 2- Rosa throws a few looping shots in the opening seconds. Lucas takes a shot of his own but this round is slow just as the last one was. Lucas comes in and gets a nice double leg but Rosa stands right up out of it. Lucas keeps him tied up Rosa goes back from the Thai clinch. After a quick break Lucas lowers his head and goes back in for another takedown but Rosa will not go down. Again Lucas holds on to the takedown attempt and Rosa uses the opportunity for rain elbows down on him. They break and Lucas connects nicely with a right hand. They tie up again and Rosa grabs the clinch and throws a knee. Lucas is looking pretty sluggish tonight. Another break for the Lucas losing the mouthpiece and this time referee John McCarthy takes a point away from him. Lucas comes out and gets a takedown and this one sticks for longer than a few seconds. Rosa does get back up as the round ends. 10-8 Rosa.
Round 3- Rosa connects with a shot early on. They box some more and Lucas sneaks a shot of his own by. Again Lucas ties him up against the cage. Rose works some short elbows to the face of Lucas that don’t seem very heavy. Thai clinch and knee from Rosa. Weak uppercut from Lucas but Rosa keeps leaning on that clinch and those knees. Again Lucas tries to a double leg and ends up against the cage where Rosa starts to hit him with elbows. Inside leg kick for Rosa. Rose is able to grab the clinch again and hits some knees. These guys have been tied up for most of the fight but Rosa has found a way, time and again, to land shots. Lucas loses his mouthpiece again and McCarthy is obviously upset but does not take another point. At the final bell Lucas gets a sort of takedown but it is far from enough to win the round. 10-9 Rosa giving him the victory on the Inside Fights scorecard 30-26.
Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas via Majority Decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)
Paul Bradley (18-3) vs. Mike Pierce (12-4)
Round 1– They come together with Pierce being the aggressor. Again they come together and Bradley hits a hook. Outside leg kick from Pierce. Bradley comes in with a hook. Pierce shoots and Bradley ties him up and lands a knee. They both take a shot, miss, and Pierce ties him up against the cage. They break. Big right from Pierce. Outside leg kick from Pierce. Pierce misses a big overhand right. Superman punch from Bradley is semi-blocked. Bradley ducks a shot and grabs a takedown and the back. Pierce stands up but Bradley keeps a hold of the back. Pierce spins out of it. Body shot from Pierce. They exchange knees while they are tied up and the round comes to a close. 10-9 Pierce.
Round 2– Inside leg kick from Bradley is checked. Pierce comes in and lands a couple of shots. He then ties up Bradley in the center of the Octagon. Bradley grabs the clinch but cannot do anything with it. They box some more, Bradley is swinging a bit freer. Jab from Bradley is blocked. Pierce picks up the pace and lands a few nice shots. They tie up and Bradley lands a few knees though he does look a little worm down. Pierce pushes in with some more punches and gets Bradley up against the cage. They are tied up and the action grinds to a halt. Pierce moves in but Bradley makes him pay for it. Bradley tries to rush near the end of the round but little comes from it. 10-9 Pierce in an underwhelming round.
Round 3– Outside leg kick for Pierce and then he comes in throwing punches. They tie up again and Bradley lands a shot to the stomach. Hook from Bradley lands. Bradley is starting to turn up the heat, peppering Pierce with some shots. He tries for a takedown but Pierce will have none of it. Again they are tied up in the center of the cage. They break and then come back together again. Knee from Bradley. Bradley tries to throw a knee to the face but it doesn’t land. Jab from Bradley. Pierce comes in and Bradley grabs the takedown and moves to the back. Pierce tries to hammerfist his way out of it. Pierce escapes. He takes a big swings but eats one from Bradley instead. Pierce lands a nice hook. Bradley is much more aggressive thus far this round. Pierce tries to return the favor and lands a left hook to end the fight. 10-9 Bradley but we have Mike Pierce winning 29-28 on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Alex Caceres (5-4) vs. Cole Escovedo (17-8)
Round 1– Front kick for Caceras to start. Outside leg kick for Caceras. Caceras is doing a good job of avoiding damage thus far. Big inside leg kick from Caceras. Outside leg kick from him. Escovedo moves in and Caceras dashes. Spinning back fist for Caceras. Push kick for Caceras. Escovedo tries to grab the clinch, misses goes for the takedown but Caceras ends up on top. He lands a shot or two and gets out of dodge. Beautiful switch kick from Caceras. 2 kick combo from Escovedo. Kick from Escovedo. Outside leg kick for Caceras, Escovedo moves in with a straight of his own. Head kick from Escovedo is blocked. Nice outside leg kick for Escovedo. They tie up and Caceras lands a knee. The round ends, 10-9 Caceras.
Round 2– Inside leg kick for Caceras. A nice flurry for Caceras but Escovedo kicks his way out of it. Escovedo comes in with a body kick, somewhat blocked by Caceras. The action slows down but Caceras is remaining light on his feet. Caceras gets Escovedo down again but is scared to go into Escovedo’s guard. They exchange punches and Escovedo tried for a triangle but he misses it. Caceras backs him up with a 1-2 combo against the cage. Escovedo gets a shot in but as per usual Caceras basically runs across the cage to get away from it. Caceras begins to hit Escovedo with a series of jabs. Body kick for Escovedo. Escovedo hits a short elbow. Another punch from Escovedo. 10-9 Caceras again.
Round 3– Kick from Escovedo early on and he then transitions into a takedown. Escovedo tries to move into side control but caceras catches him in a triangle. Escovedo escapes and tries to keep Caceras on the ground. That doesn’t work well for him either as caceras grabs ahold of a nice arm bar. They change position and Cacreras goes for the omaplata but Escovedo escapes again. Caceras tries for another triangle but that goes nowhere and Escovedo hits a knee. Leg kick from Caceras. Escovedo lands a nice punch. Inside leg kick for Caceras. Push kick for Caceras. Caceras throws a wild looking three shot combo, doesn’t really land anything but who cares. Caceras tries to hit a knee from the clinch but it is blocked. Escovedo gets a takedown and then takes the back. He tries for a triangle and then an arm bar but Escovedo escapes. They box to finish the fight. 10-9 Caceras giving him a 30-27 win on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Alex Caceras def. Cole Escovedo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mackens Semerzier (6-3) vs. Robert Peralta (15-3)
Round 1– Semerzier ties Peralta up against the cage early on using his size advantage. HE continues to bully throughout the round. With about a minute or so he wrestles the fight to the mat but he has trouble moving into top control as Peralta is doing a good job at keeping him at a distance. Semerzier lands a big right near the end of the round. 10-9 Semerzier.
Round 2– Boxing to start, Semerzier lands a nice jab but Peralta lands an even better one that floors Semerzier. Peralta pounces and starts pounding him with massive shots to the face. Semerzier grabs the leg to hold on for dear life and it keeps him alive. They break and Semerzier seems no worse for wear. LEg kick from Peralta. Peralta moves in swinging wildly. Semerzier grabs the clinch and starts landing knees, Peralta wisely gets out of there. Peralta uses a side kick to keep Semerzier at a distance. Semerzier seems to be gaining the upper hand and is putting pressure on Peralta. Rogan believes that Peralta may have broken his hand. They tie up and Semerzier and hits a few knees. Peralta hits a nice left to end the round. Close round, we’ll say 10-9 Peralta.
Round 3– Inside leg kick for Semerzier. Looping punch followed by a kick for Peralta. Outside leg kick for Semerzier. Leg kick for Peralta. They come together again and clash heads with knocks Semerzier to the mat. Peralta pounces on him again and this time there is no escaping for Semerzier as John McCarthy steps in and waves off the fight.
Robert Peralta def. Mackens Semerzier via TKO (Strikes)- Round 3 (1:54)
Norifumi Yamamoto (18-4) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3)
Round 1– They dance to start with Uyenoyama stalking his prey. They come together but Yamamoto escapes. Yamamoto is trying to stick and move as best he can but is not doing much damage early on. Yamamoto gets him up against the cage. Uyenoyama tries to a guillotine but gets nowhere with it and is quickly taken down. Big hip toss from Yamamoto which lands him on top but in full guard. Yamamoto lands a shot as Uyenoyama goes for a triangle. Yamamtoto runs away from that. Back in the stand up Yamamoto throws a head kick but Uyenoyama catches it and takes him down and lands some vicious shots. They grapple on the ground and Uyenoyama is clearly getting the better of it and moves into full back mount, believe it or not. Only 20 seconds left however but with 10 seconds left he locks on the rear naked choke. Yamamoto goes on to be saved by the bell, he loses the round easily though. 10-9 Uyenoyama.
Round 2– Uyenoyama comes in but Yamamoto catches him with a massive shot then drops him and causes a lot of blood to start flowing from his face. Uyenoyama powers through it though and scores a double leg takedown. I can’t see where the blood is coming from yet. Yamamoto tries to buck him off to no avail though. Uyenoyama moves seamlessly from side control to full mount to full back mount. Yamamoto is defending it well but he is in a bad place. Uyenoyama is landing shot to the side of his opponents head. Uyenoyama has a nice body triangle on. He tries for another rear naked choke but cannot get it on like he did at the end of the last round. He lands some more shots to the face of Yamamoto and then gets another rear naked choke on. The hold is broken so Uyenoyama goes back to the body shots. Yamamoto has done nothing this round except for that one shot right after the bell. Uyenoyama just keeps plastering Yamamoto in the face with shots. The round ends and this one was even more dominant for Uyenoyama. 10-8 Uyenoyama.
Round 3– Uyenoyama stalks Yamamoto acorss the cage again. Kick from Uyenoyama. They come together and Uyenoyama pulls guard. He goes to rubber guard and starts to throw elbows from the bottom. Yamamoto seems to be totally immobilized. Yamamoto is totally stuck and his head is just hanging out there begging to get elbowed. Yamamoto escapes but gets clocked with an up kick on the break. After they both stand up we get a significant break in the action as neither is willing to come ahead. Uyenoyama gets ahold of Yamamoto but Yamamoto tries to gets a takedown. He cannot and the ref breaks them apart due to lack of action. Yamamoto throws a desperate right with 10 seconds left. The fight comes to an end and it seems to be a shut out for Uyenoyama. 10-9 Uyenoyama giving him a 30-26 victory on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Darren Uyenoyama def. Kid Yamamoto via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
DaMarques Johnson (12-9) vs. Clay Harvison (9-3)
Round 1 – Jab by Johnson connects to open the striking. Harvison attempts to counter and misses. Harvison goes for a big counter and steps backward. DaMarques Johnson connects with a huge left hook and begins to celebrate as Harvison hits the canvas. Johnson lands another shot before referee Herb Dean steps in to end the bout.
DaMarques Johnson beat Clay Harvison by TKO (R1, strikes, 1:34)
Cub Swanson (15-4) vs. Ricardo Lamas (10-2)
Round 1 – Leg kick from Lamas is caught by Cub Swanson. Lamas gets swept and pops back to his feet. Body kick from Lamas crunches the ribs. Lamas shoots and gets Cub to his back. Swanson tries for a switch and Lamas Lamas tries to slam his way out of a guillotine, but Swanson merely tightens up. From a standing position, Lamas pushes the arms of Cub Swanson so that he can pop free. Swanson lets go of the submission and Lamas raises his hands for the fans. Capoeira kick from Lamas. Spinning back kick from Cub. Swanson comes with several high kicks and lands a left hook. Lamas looks to pull guard, but Cub maintains top mount. Lamas ends up back on his feet as the round ends. 10-9 Swanson
Round 2 – Swanson misses a headkick and slips. On the way to his feet, Lamas lands two left high kicks to Swanson’s head. Lamas and Swanson end up down on the mat with Swanson working in mission control. Lamas pulls free and rains long punches. Cub scoots over to the fence and tries to wall walk but Lamas pulls him back to the mat. Cub Swanson gets caught with his arm out looking for the guillotine. Ricardo Lamas squeezes deep with an arm triangle and Cub Swanson has no option but to tap out.
Ricardo Lamas defeats Cub Swanson (R2, arm triangle, 2:16)
Dustin Poirier (10-1) vs. Pablo Garza (11-1)
Round 1 – The two start off feeling each other out. Leg kick from GArza. Poirier throws a head kick but it is blocked. Garza connects with another leg kick. Another leg kick. Garza throws a kick but it is blocked and Poirier tosses him to the ground and lands a few shots. Garza has another kick blocked and Poirier throws a few more blows. Straight from Garza. Poirier has a kick of his own blocked and turned in to a takedown. Garza grabs a nasty looking leg lock but Poirier escapes. He stands up. Garza throws a kick but it lands below the belt so we get a break in the action. Poirier gets a takedown, he is noticeably stronger than his opponent. Poirier gets some short punches in to the face of Garza. Poirier stands up and starts pounding Garza and then moves back in to top control. The round draws to a close with Garza looking for a submission. 10-9 Poirier in a good first round.
Round 2– They start off throwing kicks, Garza tries to pull guard but Poirier seems to be in a stronger position on the ground. Garza hits a sharp elbow from the bottom. Poirier moves in and sees an opportunity for a D’Arce choke and he gets in in tightly. It only takes a few moments for Garza to tap out.
Dustin Poirier def. Pablo Garza via Submission (R2, D’Arce Choke, 1:32)
Ben Henderson (14-2) vs. Clay Guida (29-11)`
Round 1 – Leg kick from Guida. Henderson gets Guida on the fence and he’s swinging wildly, trying to finish after a hellacious punch. Guida back on his feet, but Henderson has him in the clinch. Guida reverses against the cage and is working for a takedown. Henderson spins around and has Clay against the cage. Both fighters engage in his dirty boxing against the cage. Guida shoots for a single, but Henderson stuffs it. Guida with a flying knee that misses, but the next punch drops Henderson and Guida tries for the guillotine. Henderson is out and gets Guida against the fence. Two strong knees find Guida’s body. Back on their feet, Henderson misses three high kicks to end the round. 10-9 Henderson.
Round 2 – Guida ends up on his back after his takedown attempt is reversed. Against the cage, Henderson continues to work for takedown. Knee from Guida are countered by two knees from Ben Henderson. Clay catches a knee from Ben Henderson and takes him to the mat. Guida lands several soft knees to the legs that. Henderson reverses position. Back to the center of the cage, Guida misses a spinning back fist and is sent tumbling to the mat. Henderson ends up on top of Guida who reverses into Henderson’s guard and looks to get Ben Henderson in a guillotine. Guida pulls guard with the guillotine, but Henderson slips to the side and escapes the choke. Henderson gets Guida’s back with a body lock triangle, but cannot finish the fight. 10-9 Henderson.
Round 3 – Both fighters come together, but nothing of substance. Outside leg kick from Henderson. Axe kick from Ben catches Guida’s arm. Knee to the body from Guida, but Henderson marches straight through it to the fence. Guida gets a hold of Henderson’s legs but can only walk him across the cage, unable to get him to the mat. Henderson reverses Guida to the fence. Guida gets free and misses a high kick on Henderson. Henderson gets on top of Guida and takes Clay’s back with one arm trapped. Guida gets free and takes Henderson’s neck after both fighters throw shots at the same time. Ben Henderson is trapped in the guillotine and is mounted. Henderson is stuck but is forcing Guida to roll for top position. Ben gets free in another display of “Gumby-like” flexibility for Henderson. Henderson throws three big punches from on high that connect (including one to the back of the head) as time expires. 10-9 Guida.
Ben Henderson beats Clay Guida via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
This is Chris Roberts, pinch hitting the rest of the way for Shawn Smith.
Of course the main event is not scheduled to take place until 9:30-ish and so we have something of another pre-game to get through, this one hosted by Fox’s Curt Menefee and the UFC’s president Dana White. They do a quick run down of Velasquez and Dos Santos before heading to their first commercial break.
When they return Brock Lesnar has joined the booth. They show a graphic which rates the top 5 UFC heavyweights. According to Fox it goes Velasquez, Dos Santos, Lesnar, Overeem (who has never fought in the UFC, mind you), Carwin. Hard to figure how Carwin is ahead of Mir but that is neither here nor there.
They show clips of the UFC 121 fight between Lesnar and Velasquez. White and Lesnar break down the fight with Lesnar firmly believing that Velasquez will be able to take down and dominate dos Santos. From there they cut to a video of dos Santos and his back story.
We also get a video of Velasquez and his life growing up in Mexico. They come back to the desk for a little bit more chit chat before they throw things down to Rogan and Goldberg as they let them, or should I say Rogan, sell the fight in a knowledgeable way. Then they go over the Octagon Rules taking a bit longer than usual.
UFC Heavyweight Title Bout
Cain Velasquez [c](9-0) vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1)
Round 1– Leg kick from Velasquez to start. Another from Cain. Dos Santos throws a kick but it gets caught. Left hook from Velasquez. Leg kick from Cain. Big right from dos Santos to the temple drops Velasquez, dos Santos hops on top and lands about three lefts and Velsaquez ducks and covers and McCarthy jumps in and stops the fight giving the fight and the UFC heavyweight title to Junior dos Santos.
Junior dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez via KO (R1, Strikes, 1:04)
