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Featherweight Chad Mendes vs. Darren Elkins
Referee: Herb Dean
Round 1 – Here we go with the last fight of the undercard. Mendes comes out as the crowd favorite. Elkins with a noticeable size advantage. A couple of punches exchanged between the guys. Mendes with a solid leg kick and Elkins with a body punch to answer. Mendes catches Elkins coming in and follows up with two big rights. Elkins is dazed and Mendes lands another huge right hook and Elkins has no chance. Herb Dean steps in and Mendes has yet another first round KO. Mendes is psyched up and does his customary backflip, then calls out Jose Aldo on the camera.
Official Result: Chad Mendes def. Darren Elkins by KO (punches) at 1:08 of Round 1
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Middleweight Francis Carmont vs. Lorenz Larkin
Referee: Mike Beltran
Round 1 – Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre in the corner of Carmont. They touch gloves to start. Feeling out process and Carmont with a jab. Carmont in a Muay Thai stance and throwing kicks, using his length well. Blocked body kick from Carmont and a nice body kick from Larkin in return. Carmont shoots for a takedown, gets a single. Nothing doing, but he gets him down for a second and Larkin right back up. Carmont with a single leg against the cage. Carmont raises Larkin’g leg above his shoulder but Larkin with amazing balance for a guy his size. He just won’t go down. In the clinch against the cage now, exchanging knees and they finally break. A few punches exchanged, but both guys a little tentative. Big punches from both guys miss and the round is over.
10-9 Carmont
Round 2 – Carmont comes out with two punches, lands a nice right. Missed high kick from Larkin and a swinging punch misses from Carmont. Carmont pursuing and a spinning back kick from Larkin blocked by Carmont. Stiff counter jab from Larkin catches Carmont. Spinning kick connects with Carmont’s thigh. Larkin’s countering is winning the round, excellent countering, catches Carmont coming in again. Carmont with a single now, against the cage. Briefly takes Larkin down but Larkin bounces back up and throws some vicious elbows down on Carmont. They break and back to the stand up. Strong outside leg kick from Larkin. Another, and a front leg kick connects to Carmont’s thigh. Larkin with a quick leg kick and spins into another leg kick. Carmont wraps up his waist for a takedown and finally drags him down. Carmont eats a few punches for his troubles and the round ends.
10-9 Larkin
Round 3 – Carmont with some wild punches. Larkin evades and misses with a big counter hook. Carmont with another single and lifts it high to flip Larkin over, who manages to stay upright. Carmont jumps to his back and gets a leg hook in. Larkin defends yet again and manages to separate himself. Larkin with an outside leg kick, Carmont grabs him and slams him into the ground. Larkin in full guard, looking for a submission but Carmont escapes. Carmont on top but not mounting any offense. Larkin displaying amazing flexibility and locks Carmont up for a minute. Carmont throws a a few punches and gets his arm caught by Larkin in a kimura attempt. Carmont rolls over to escape and Larkin ends up on Carmont’s back for a second before he slides out. Back to the feet now after that excellent display of ground offense/defense. Larkin with a harmless airbone capoeira spinning kick to end the round.
10-9 Larkin in a very close round
29-28 Larkin (and the booing fans would agree)
Official Result: Francis Carmont def. Lorenz Larkin by unanimous decision (29-28)
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Lightweight – Ramsey Nijem vs. Myles Jury
Referee:
Round 1 – Nijem swinging wildly and Jury with a takedown. Jury on Nijem’s back, but Nijem manages to defend and has Jury in the clinch standing up. Good knee from Nijem. Jury turns him and gets Nijem down. He gets the back and throws some hammer punches to the head. Jury gets a body lock but slips and Nijem is over him, a potential armbar for Jury but Nijem is defending. Nijem escapes and transitions to Jury’s back. They end up sitting and then going horizontal, and Jury turns and ends up on top. Lots of interesting grappling going on here. Jury on top again and has Nijem in a turtle position. Nijem defends and picks up and slams Jury. They end up in the middle of the cage with Nijem on Jury’s back. Ultra close round with Jury slightly more dominant.
10-9 Jury
Round 2 – Nijem gets eye-poked and walks away without a ref stoppage and Jury throws a head kick that doesn’t connect. Foolish decision by Nijem and McCarthy steps in. They start after a quick break. Exchange of punches and Nijem throws wildly. Nijem comes in wild again and Jury beats him to the punch with a brutal right hook to the jaw. Nijem collapses and Jury gets another one in for good measure before Big John can slide in. This one’s over.
Official Result: Myles Jury def. Ramsey Nijem by KO (punches) at 1:02 of Round 2
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Flyweight – Joseph Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Referee: Herb Dean
Round 1 – Both CA fighters get good ovations from the crowd. Brief feeling out process. Swing and a miss leg kick from Benavidez. Lots of lateral movement from Uyenoyama. Benavidez catches a leg kick and a huge hook to the head of “DC”. Benavidez jumps into DC’s guard for a moment but stands back up and lets DC up as well. Low kick from JB stops the fight for a few seconds. Back at it with the cat and mouse. Joseph with a big right hand and DC falls down again. JB lets him up, probably so he can keep punching him. Darren throws a few strong body kicks. Benavidez with a HUGE head kick that drops Uyenoyama, almost out cold but DC is still in there. DC back to his feet, amazingly and they clinch. JB takes him down and stays in his guard for a moment. JB back up and lets DC up yet again. They dance around until the round ends.
10-9 Benavidez
Round 2 – Benavidez getting the better of the stand up, Uyenoyama looks outmatched on the feet. JB with another flurry of kicks and punches. Backs up DC who isn’t mounting any offense. Benavidez with a big combo, but Darren ends up on JB’s back. Knees to the thighs and DC pulls guard without JB. Benavidez lands some big shots then ends up in DC’s guard. Some more punches and he lets Uyenoyama back up. Benavidez in total control right now, basically sparring right now. JB with another 1-2. Uyenoyama is moving back a lot, mounting no offense. JB throwing with bad intentions, but not landing cleanly. Hard liver kick and Uyenoyama in survival mode. Gets FLOORED by big body punches from Benavidez and Dean steps in, this one is in the books.
Official Result: Joseph Benavidez def. Darren Uyenoyama by TKO (punches) at 4:50 of Round 2
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Lightweight – Tim Means vs. Jorge Masvidal
Referee: Mike Beltran
Round 1 – Two of the taller guys in the LW division here. A brief touch and they’re on. A front kick to the body lands for Means. Another front kick blocked by Masvidal. Again, a body kick blocked by Masvidal. Three jabs from Means and they exchange briefly. Two kicks from both guys cancel each other out. Masvidal with a quick jab that catches Means. Masvidal with a 1-2 and a body kick. Spinning elbow from Means touches Masvidal. Big hook from Masvidal grazes Means’ head. Means with a variety of strikes and Masvidal with a small flurry of punches. A body kick lands for Masvidal and Means misses a counter hook. Stiff jab lands for Masvidal. Means right back with one of his own. Masvidal grabs a single and picks Means right up and drops him. Masvidal on his back standing up and gets a single leg hook in. Masvidal with double underhooks against the cage, but they break. Means with a wild spinning elbow that misses. Means shoots for a single but Masvidal defends. Body punch from Means lands cleanly. Masvidal with a quick 1-2 and they end with a short exchange.
10-9 Means
Round 2 – Means comes out looking to strike. Backs Masvidal up, but he comes forward with a few punches. Means using his reach well and picking his shots. Masvidal lands a body punch and shoots for a takedown. He gets Means down and Means is in full guard. Means throwing elbows to Masvidal’s head. Masvidal is up and Means is throwing upkicks. One lands and Means is right back to his feet. Masvidal lands a great body hook and gets behind Means. Means is down again and Masvidal is raining punches down. Means turns over and Masvidal gets his back. Means in a turtle position and Masvidal gets a leg hook in. Means manages to stand back up but Masvidal is all over him. Seures two underhooks and brings Means back down. Jorge is throwing elbows from the top. Means grabs Masvidal’s arms but Masvidal manages to land some more elbows. Jorge landing some punches from the top. Means trying to push him off and looks for an armbar, but Masvidal isn’t having it. Jorge with more elbows. Means throwing elbows at Masvidal’s head from the bottom. Masvidal with punches to the face and body. Masvidal has a nasty cut on the head and is dripping blood, probably from those elbows. Masvidal raining more punches down and the round is over.
10-9 Masvidal
Round 3 – Means comes out the aggressor. Lands a good left counter against Masvidal. Masvidal taking his time and throws a few combinations, but Means comes right back with his reach. A body kick from Masvidal , Means throws a knee but Masvidal catches it and has Means against the cage. Gets his back again and transitions to a double leg. Brings Means down and has his sitting against the cage, then tries to transition to Means’ back. Means defends and they break. Means with an elbow, but Masvidal shoots. Sharp elbows from the bottom and Masvidal is taking punishment from the top. Means in full guard and Masvidal starts throwing punches and elbows. Means looking to defend and throws a nice punch from the bottom. Masvidal raining down strikes but nothing significant. Means looking for an armbar, very active from the bottom. Means with an elbow from the bottom. Means with more elbows, but Masvidal still on top. Masvidal with elbows to the body and face. Means looking for a kimura and a beautiful sweep to get on top of Masvidal. Tables are turned for the last 10 seconds and Means shoots in for some big strikes and that’s how the fight ends.
10-9 Masvidal
29-28 Masvidal
Official Result: Jorge Masvidal def. Tim Means by unanimous decision (29-28)
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Bantamweight – T.J. Dillashaw vs. Hugo Viana
Referee: John McCarthy
Round 1 – The first fight of the undercard is underway. “The Wolverine” Viana is styling with some serious mutton chops. They touch gloves to start. Dillashaw hits and runs with a leg kick. Viana with a few missed jabs. He lands a big left hook on Dillashaw coming in, but Dillashaw grabs a single and lifts Viana’s leg and takes him down. A quick scramble and Dillashaw has his back for a few seconds. Viana postures up and escapes impressively, catching Dillashaw with a hard elbow in the clinch. Dillashaw clinching and they exchange against the cage. They break and back to the stand up. Diallshaw briefly drops Viana, who puts a hand down and gets right back up. A few chasing jabs from TJ. A missed front kick to the face by Viana. A missed head kick from TJ and Viana lands a jab. Another big Dillashaw head kick misses. A right jab lands for TJ and Viana tries to counter with two of his own. Viana with a front kick to the body, blocked by TJ. Dillashaw with a high kick that lands on Viana’s back. TJ lands a huge right hook that drops Viana and Viana is scrambling to recover. Another punch connects and Viana is out on his feet. Viana finally loses his balance and Dillashaw swarms with punches, forcing Big John to step in.
Official Result: TJ Dillashaw def. Hugo Viana by TKO (punches) at 4:22 of Round 1
