Hi fight fans, welcome to Inside Fights’ live coverage of UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. In the main event of the evening, lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will clash with a potential title shot on the line.
Our live coverage will begin today at approximately 4 PM ET with the preliminary fights and 5 PM ET for the UFC on FUEL undercard. The main show kicks off at 8 PM ET.
Kick back and enjoy the show!
Preliminary card (Fuel TV)
Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
Round 1 – Garza is out in an enormous sombrero. Guess that might be the first of many Cinco de Mayo references today. Touch of gloves to start. Bermudez the early aggressor with a big right into a big slam takedown. Standing guillotine from Bermudez is unsuccessful but he retains control against the fence. There’s another enormous slamm and the crowd goes nuts. Great grappling portion as Garza tries for a triangle. Up kicks from Garza almost knock Bermudez clean out, so he steps away a moment, allowing Garza to rise. He then shoots in for another takedown. Solid control from Bermudez but he allows Garza up again. Big front kick from Garza lands clean, but Dennis Bermudez dives in, grabs another takedown for a big, big slam to end the round. 10-9 Bermudez
Round 2 – Bermudez with control against the fence. After a brief scuffle, it’s Bermudez with another slam. More of what happened in round one – “slam, ground and pound, Bermudez eats an upkick, he goes into half guard and rains blows, repeat”. Bermudez lets Garza back to his feet and misses a flying knee. Quick, but huge, slam from Bermudez. Maybe there’s a better word for that? 10-9 Bermudez
Round 3 – Bermudez and Garza both come out on fire to start. Big slam again from Bermudez, who retains control with his ground and pound. Garza gets pressed against the fence before the ref stands them up. Bermudez takes the back of Garza while on the mat but Garza gets free. Bermudez gets into mount. Garza quickly gives up his back and is trapped in a rear naked choke to end the fight. 10-9 Bermudez
Winner: Dennis Bermudez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary card (Facebook)
Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis
Round 1 – Good exchange in the clinch to start the fight. Denis eats a left from Delorme. Delorme goes for a trip takedown and Denis reverses into side control. Denis rains down blows, but Roland is able to fight him off and tries for an armbar. He is promptly dumped on his head and both fighters scramble to their feet. Right uppercut stuns Delorme and Denis smells blood and is going for the kill. Hooks, knees and elbows almost put Delorme out, but he’s able to hang in. Delorme manages to go on a rampage of his own and gets Denis on the ropes, so to speak. Delorme finally gets his takedown and takes Denis’ back, locking in a rear naked choke for the win.
Winner: Roland Delorme via submission (R1, 4:59, rear naked choke)
Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
Round 1 – Massenzio shoots for an early takedown, but it’s stuffed by Vemola. Vemola in control with both fighters sprawled out. Back on their feet, a punch connects for Massenzio that staggers Vemola. Vemola ends up pinned against the fence with clubbing blows. Massenzio is pulled to the mat with a guillotine but he quickly escapes and regains control. Vemola flips out of a North-South choke and is back on his feet. Big scoop and slam to end the round for Vemola. 10-9 Massenzio
Round 2 – Takedown is stuffed and Vemola ends up on top. Massenzio is caught in a rear naked choke from this position and is forced to tap.
Winner: Karlos Vemola by submission (R2, 1:07, rear naked choke)
Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish
Round 1
Some circling to start as first 15 seconds are spent stalking. Castillo goes for the takedown and gets Cholish against the cage. Throws some knees but mainly plays the leverage game as Cholish does a good job at keeping him away. Eventually pushes him away and gets back to center. Some nice strikes but Cholish slips. Castillo slips but can’t get him to the ground. Cholish goes for the takedown and gets Castillo against the cage, Castillo reverses position. Cholish goes for a throw across his body but can’t finish as Castillo defends it, Cholish circles away back to center. Neither fighter is throwing any power strikes; both are being tentative with jabs. Striking exchange and Cholish grabs the Thai clinch, lands a knee and Castillo backs out. Cholish with a couple of nice jabs and Castillo winds a looping overhand right that misses. Wild striking exchange and Castillo goes for the takedown, can’t quite finish it as the scramble leaves both men on their feet.
10-9 Cholish
Round 2
Cholish ducks under a couple of wild strikes from Castillo and gets the takedown early. Castillo into an open full guard, sits up and ends up getting back to his feet. Castillo is being the aggressor and is connecting some solid shots; he’s throwing wild and missing more than he’s connecting though. Cholish seems to be looking for a counter strike but isn’t throwing. Goes for a double and gets in deep but Castillo sprawls his way out and back to the center of the cage. Not a whole lot of action until Cholish goes for a sloppy double-leg, Castillo sprawls and defends well. Tries to spin to the back with a partial from headlock but Cholish spins out. Back to the center of the cage, not a whole lot of action as the crowd is getting antsy. Cholish is the aggressor this time but eats a big right hand from Castillo. Cholish misses a leg kick. Round ends with Castillo getting a big slam to the ground after some missed strikes.
10-9 Castillo; 19-19 overall
Round 3
Both men come out a bit more aggressive as both seem to think that they’re even at a round apiece. They’re being more aggressive but not connecting; Castillo gets a double and hits a running double-leg slam but Cholish pops up quickly. Castillo presses him to the cage and Cholish holds on to a guillotine for a while, lets it go as they battle against the cage. Cholish drops to the floor and goes for a leglock but can’t finish; Castillo grabs him by the hips and gets on top. Steps into half guard, looking to drag him back but Cholish wall walks his way back to his feet. Cholish gets away and back to the center of the cage. Some light striking exchanges as both are connecting with jabs and missing with any sort of power shot. Not much action as the crowd is getting noticeably agitated. Cholish is throwing a couple of nice jabs but Castillo is being the aggressor, Cholish immediately retreating as soon as Castillo steps forward. Cholish goes for a leg lock again but can’t finish, Castillo lands in his guard and hits some solid strikes from full guard as the round ends.
10-9 Castillo; 29-28 Castillo overall
Winner: Danny Castillo by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Round 1
Both men come out quickly but Lineker lands a flurry. Gaudinot is coming in and being aggressive but Lineker is just unloading on him. They are moving remarkably fast as Lineker is connecting much more than Gaudinot. Lineker is being the aggressor here but is taking a lot of punishment from Lineker on the counter. A nice exchange from the two as Gaudinot lands a couple of nice shots but Lineker is matching him punch for punch. Lineker is landing about two strikes every time Gaudinot throws one; his hand speed is remarkable. Wild exchanging from the two at the two-minute mark as both are just standing and letting their hands fly. Gaudinot grabs a leg and gets the takedown with 90 seconds left, landing in open full guard. Lineker switches to a half butterfly guard as Gaudinot lands some ground and pound. Lineker rolls for a heel hook as Gaudinot stands, then pulls his leg free. Gaudinot with some solid elbows to the head. Round ends with Lineker getting back to his feet.
10-9 Lineker
Round 2: Both men come out swinging again as Gaudinot is getting out fast then he did the first round. Nice head kick from Louis and it’s back to wild punching exchanges; neither man is showing signs of slowing down. Both men are just teeing off on each other; a wild exchange and Lineker hurts Gaudinot, who goes for a takedown. Can’t finish it though and Lineker retreats to the center of the cage and back to the wild exchanges in the center of the cage. Gaudinot seems to be slowing down and Lineker is throwing just as fast; Lineker grabs the clinch but Gaudinot gets out of it quickly. Gaudinot gets a double leg and lands in Lineker’s butterfly guard. He stands up out and tries to pass guard into side control, lands in full guard from Lineker. Gaudinot is landing some impressive ground and pound on Lineker. Lineeker seems to be just trying to weather the storm at this point. Gaudinot gets into half guard and is teeing off on some
punches to the head. Lineker tries for a leg lock and gets a scramble back to his feet; Gaudinot grabs a one arm guillotine in tight. Lineker drops him to the ground and Gaudinot has it in deep. Lineker passes out and the fight is stopped.
Official Decision: Louis Gaudinot wins via technical submission via guillotine choke at 4:54 of the second round
Welterweight bout: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
Pascal Krauss vs. John Hathaway
Round 1 – Krauss is undefeated coming into this bout tonight. Will he continue his winning streak against the tough John Hathaway? Front kick from Hathaway misses to start. Good combination from Hathaway, but Krauss begins chasing him around the cage. Body kick from Hathaway connects. Big knee from Hathaway drops the German, but he’s able to recover before he gets TKO’d. Krauss gets back to his feet after some groundwork and he eats another big kick. Big right hand connects for Krauss. Solld trip takedown from Pascal Krauss, moving into half guard. 10-9 Hathaway
Round 2 – Krauss connects early and Hathaway responds by driving through with a power double, pinning Krauss against the cage. Hathaway rains down long punches from top position. Krauss slowly works his way back to his feet and takes the center of the Octagon. Big right hand from Hathaway. The two fighters circle and rarely connect to end round 2. 10-9 Hathaway
Round 3 – Right hand connects for Krauss as Hathaway steps in. Superman punch from Pascal misses. Hathaway gets a big slam takedown and the NJ fan turn their boos into cheers. Fickle fans today. Hathaway controls Krauss from side control before he lets him back to his feet. Hathaway flies in for a knee, but Krauss stumbles clear, grabbing Hathaway and clinching onto the fence. Great sequence of punches bloodies up Krauss and the round ends with both men swinging for the victory
Official Decision: John Hathaway def. Pascal Krauss via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott
Round 1 – Spin wheel kick from Elliott is countered by one from Dodson. Single leg attempt is avoided by Dodson, who rolls through. Big knee to the head of Elliott. Left hand finds a home for Elliott. Dodson is finally settling in and is landing more strikes now. Left uppercut misses from Dodson. Dodson catches a body kick and sweeps Elliott to the mat. Elliott is doing a good job of keeping Dodson moving backward and cut off his lateral movement. Accidental cup shot draws a brief stop to the action.
After a brief eye exam in the cage, we’re back. Charging left hook from Elliott but Dodson goes on a tear, landing several blows in succession. Flying knee from Dodson connects as we end the round. 10-9 Dodson
Round 2 – Elliott pulling out all the stops here tonight, breaking out a sidekick into a rolls and the coming at Dodson with a cartwheel kick into a capoeira kick. Crazy athleticism from both these men. Three strike combination from Dodson. Two quick hooks from Dodson hit the mark before Elliott retaliates. Elliott is loading up that big left hook. No sooner do I type that previous line than Elliott comes charging at Dodson with strikes, grabbing a single leg. Dodson rolls through, but eats a big knees in the process. Another break as Elliott takes a punch to the groin. Back in action, Dodson and Elliott hug. Each fighter gets some shots in before the round ends. 10-9 Elliott
Round 3 – Crucial round for both of these fighters. This urgency is illustrated in the way that both men come out of the gate to start. Around the 3 minute mark, Elliott begins stalking Dodson across the cage again. The bigger shots are being landed by Elliott and Dodson is certainly the more accurate of the two fighters. Body kick from Dodson connects. We’re into the final minute of the fight and Elliott catches a kick, raining his hand on the chin of Dodson. 30 seconds later, it happens again. Both fighters circle around and jump for a flying knee to end the fight. Awesome contest. 10-9 Elliott.
Winner: John Dodson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson
Round 1 – Leg kick from Johnson starts the fight. Johnson working the leg kicks early. Ferguson slips while attempting a leg kick in the center of the cage. That’s halfway through the round, so not too much is happening. Big left hooks are testing the chin of Ferguson. Ferguson pulls out a spinning backfist, but stops halfway. Flurry from Ferguson at the end, but not enough to steal the round. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 2 – Ferguson swings wildly with a left hook. Body kick lands for Ferguson. Combination is successful for Johnson. Great round so far, but the fans are not having it. Two body kicks connect for Johnson. Ferguson lands a slick right as he’s moving backwards. Big left from Johnson and Ferguson is trying to recover. Ferguson and Johnson are taking turns landing combinations but nothing that threatens to stop the action. Ferguson uncorks a spinning backfist as the round ends. 10-9 Ferguson
Round 3 – A leg kick from Ferguson is caught by Johnson, who lands a big left hook of his own. Rinse, repeat as the same sequence occurs. Ferguson walks Johnson around the cage – neither fighter is able to land many significant strikes. Left hand from Johnson lands cleanly. Ferguson is able to fight off a takedown. As we hit the 30 second mark, both fighters decide to “go for it,” and Johnson gets the better of Ferguson, landing several jabs that threaten to put him down. The round ends with a whimper. 10-9 Johnson
Winner: Michael Johnson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Round 1 – Lavar gets Barry against the cage, but he exits with a big head kick. Back on the cage, Barry is eating huge knees and punches from Johnson. Barry, in desperation, shoots for a takedown and ends up in mount. Barry, however, quickly switches to crucifix position and works for an Americana. Johnson reaches up and powers his way out of it. Johnson overpowers Barry to the side of the cage and starts leveling him with power shots. Barry turtles up until he slumps to the mat and the referee calls the bout.
Winner: Lavar Johnson by TKO (R1, strikes, 4:38)
Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Round 1 – Belcher throws the jab out to start the bout. Palhares shoots in for a takedown and Belcher avoids it, ending up in a pretzel-like position. As he escapes, Palhares grabs his first leg lock, which Belcher fights out of. Another leg lock is avoided by Belcher and he spins into open guard. Belcher spends 30 seconds raining blows down on Palhares before the fight is stopped.
Winner: Alan Belcher via TKO (R1, strikes, 4:18)
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Round 1 – Both fighters test the waters early with kicks. It looks like Hendricks was poked in the eye and Kos is swarming with punches and kicks. Takedown attempt by Hendricks is blocked by Kos and they end up on the fence with Hendricks in control. Johny levels big knees to the thighs before the ref stands them up. Back in the center of the cage, the fighters feel one another out again, touching gloves to find the range. A huge “anti-Koscheck” chant breaks out before the round ends. 10-9 Hendricks
Round 2 – Hendricks swings wildly, connecting on Kos’ chin and driving him backwards. Hendricks goes for a takedown, but Koscheck avoids and quickly swings around and takes Johny’s back. Back on their feet, Hendricks once again shoots in and takes Koscheck down to the mat. Koss stands back up, but is pressed into the cage and Hendricks drops big knees into the quads and hamstrings again. A good scrap ensues along the fence, but after that, neither fighter is pressing forward until Hendricks shoots with 10 seconds remaining. 10-9 Hendricks
Round 3 – Flailing kick from Hendricks catches nothing but air. This might be the third time this has happened, so one could argue that Hendricks isn’t a fan of head kicks. Kos shoots and drives Johny to the cage, stalling until the referee separates them. Koscheck and Hendricks then go on to battle in the center of the Octagon, throwing tight hooks and punches that land. Hendricks is taken down after he lands a big knee that threatened to drop Kos. Hendricks wraps Kos up tight in half guard while he stalls for the restart as well. Koscheck gets in some short hooks while he grounds out the third round. 10-9 Koscheck
Winner: Johny Hendricks by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Round 1: Miller comes out with a nice leg kick. He lands a couple nice ones that Diaz doesn’t check before winding up in the clinch against. Diaz is against the cage and trying to work a whizzer while Miller looks for the single leg. Both exchange knees and Miller misses a wild looking short elbow strike. Miller slips but Diaz doesn’t capitalize on it, circles back to the middle of the cage. Miller is working leg kicks at this point and Diaz is going to work in the clinch to try and stop him. Diaz is working a short boxing game with jabs and straights while Miller is throwing much more powerful, and wild, shots. Neither is connecting much. Diaz gets Miller against the cage at the two minute mark, reversed after a short while by Miller. Miller gets the single leg and tries to elevate it for a trip, Diaz fights out of it. Back to the center and Miller works the same leg game; Diaz is starting to find his range with his slap boxing. Straight left on the chin of Miller and drops him, Miller goes for a double. Scramble on the bottom and Miller gets the back but Diaz fights it off. Diaz with the sweep and the scramble ends the first.
Score: Miller 10-9
Round 2: Both come out with light striking again. Miller with some power shots to the body that don’t connect. Miller pushes forward and to the body lock as Diaz presses Miller against the cage. Diaz into more of a clinch and Miller presses off, eats an elbow for it. Diaz goes back to the clinch and gets Miller back to the cage. Miller looking for a hip toss but Diaz is using movement to keep him from it. He lets go and we’re back to the middle of the cage. Striking exchanges and Diaz taunts Miller, who responds with a flying knee that hits the body. Another taunt and Miller unleashes again; Diaz is really starting to emulate his brother in this fight. Diaz with a clinch and hits a knee to the head, Miller with a hand on the ground and Diaz hits a knee to the body. Diaz uses the clinch to land some more punishment, he lets go and back to the middle. Miller goes for the takedown and Diaz locks him in a power guillotine, rolls him onto his back and lands into mount. Jim Miller taps out at 4:50 of the second.
Official Result: Nate Diaz wins via submission due to a guillotine at 4:50 of the second round.
