Hey fight fans! Welcome back to our continuing coverage of UFC 164. I’m still live here at the Bradley Center … thanks for sticking around since the Facebook prelims. Welcome to the Fox Sports 1 prelims.
-Chico Camus (12-4) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (11-6)
Round 1: Camus is the local boy and gets a big reaction. Kang gets a negative one from the Milwaukee crowd, of course, as apparently Korea and Wisconsin are sports rivals. Chico is using a lot of movement but Kang is using front kicks to keep him away. Kang’s kicks look really crisp but Camus lands a nice right hand. Kang’s gameplan is to keep him with the kicks and use his reach advantage. Camus goes in and Kang with a beautiful level change, landing in Camus’ half guard. He’s looking to pass and Camus is wrapping him up. Kang postures up and lands some big shots and then tries to pass. Camus tries to set up the scramble and Kang stops him, lands in half guard. He’s posturing up and landing but Camus is doing a good job of making it one shot, not multiple ones, with his scrambles. Kang in side control after a scramble goes nowhere. Kang’s top game is first rate as he’s landing some big shots, including some nice elbows from inside Camus’ guard. The round has been posturing by Kang and attempts at a scramble by Camus. Round ends with Camus in a scramble that winds up with him standing and Kang down. Crowd went wild but he lost the round. 10-9 Kang
Round 2: Kang with the takedown early and we’re back to playing the same game as before. Kang is using a good top game to smother Camus, who tries to scramble when Kang postures. He lands a nice upkick two minutes into the round. Kang is latching into half guard, looking to pass, and does after using his leg to get Camus to move. Camus scrambles and reverses position; Kang into full guard as he lands some nice ground and pound. Kang is tryiing to set up a scramble but Camus is using top position well. Knag with the wall walk but camus is glues to him, roll and Kang is on his bck. Camus grabs a rear naked and can’t finish, scramble and in top. Roll by Kang and camus has back, landing some nice strikes. Kang rolls to his back and the crowd is nearly deafening for him. Lands some nice strikes from top as the round ends. 10-9 Camus, 19-19
Round 3: Lots of striking to start as Camus is winnign the exchanges now. He’s confident and the crowd is egging him on. Kang goes for the outside single and a nice sprawl from Camus. Kang completes the takedown and camus is in half guard. Kang is content to ride tit out as he’s not posturing up, looking for strikes. He knows the score is tied and is content to get riding time right now. He’s doing just enough to keep a standup. Camus in full gaurd and Kang postures up at 2:15, Camus going for a scramble but Kang defending well. Camus is up and we’re back standing. Kang with the takedown and can’t complete, Camus tries to get him down and Kang with the roll, getting top position with a minute left. Camus in full guard and Kang is grinding this out some more. Kang with the posture and doesn’t commit fully; he’s looking to pass and eats a big up kick for his efforts. He’s rocked as Camus is launching bombs. Round ends before Camus can finish. This is going to be insanely close. 10-9 Kang, 29-28 Kang … but the third is going to be tough to score. That’ll decide the fight and Camus is in his hometown.
Official Result: Chico Camus def. Kyung Ho Kang by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
-Pascal Krauss (11-1) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (11-3-1)
Round 1: Krauss is the aggressor early, landing some nice leg kicks. Both guys are looking to throw some big hands and it’s a bit wild early. Krauss is using some good footwork to get in and out fairly effectively. Lim with a nice front kick that misses. Lim catches it and tosses him to the ground, landing a nice strike before letting Krauss back up. He wants to stand and throw and Krauss is obliging him. Krauss is looking to set something big up and Lim isn’t giving him enough to throw it. Lots of quick combos but nothing substantial. Lim is turning this into a firefight and Krauss is getting out; Lim lands a big shot and Lim pounces, alnding some big shots. krauss is still wobbly and Lim attacks again. This is a firefight and Krauss is losing; he goes for a double, Lim defends and lands some more strikes. Big knee to the face and some more strikes and its over at 3:58 of the first round.
Official Result: Hyun Gyu Lim def. Pascal Krauss by TKO (strikes) at 3:58 of Round 1
-Louis Gaudinot (6-2) vs. Tim Elliott (9-3-1)
Round 1: Gaudinot has cut off his hair, still dyed green mind you … that could factor in. Gaudinot’s hair has gotten in his eyes his last couple fights and had been a distraction. Without it could be an advantage for him. Gaudinot is looking to counter early, comes in for a takedown off a leg kick from Elliott 16 seconds in gets eye poked. Time to recover and we’re back. Gaudinot comes forward with some strikes and Elliott with the double, gets Gaudinot down and has a nice guillotine in. Elliott loses it but goes after the body. Gaudinot goes for a triangle and Elliott pulls out, letting him back up. He’s really having trouble with Elliott’s length so far. Nice inside leg kick and Gaudinot goes to the body clinch, pushing Elliott against the cage. He’s now looking to get inside and Elliott is doing a good job with distance. Cartwheel by Elliott as he goes for a leg lock, pretty but doesn’t connect. They start throwing wild and Elliott grabs the double, takes the body and gets a trip. He’s unloading as soon as Gaudinot gets on his back with super fast hammer fists. Gaudinot is in full guard, looking for that triangle again, as he’s eating a ton of punishment to do so. Gaudinot is looking for submissions off his back but is eating a lot of strikes to do so. Elliott lets him back up but not out of the corner. Elliott grabs the clinch and lands some big knees, Gaudinot pulls guard and Elliott is back on top. Gaudinot is bleeding as Elliott is teeing off on him. Round ends with Elliott looking dominant. Elliott 10-9
Round 2: Elliott plays to the crowd between rounds and they like it. Gaudinot comes out throwing and Elliott is using kicks to keep him at bay. Gaudinot throws a high kick of his own that doesn’t connect. Gaudinot doesn’t have any quit in him, I’ll tell you what. He’s responding to the volume of strikes he’s eating by coming back and throwing. Elliott grabs the clinch against the cage and lands some nice short elbows out of it. Gaudinto with a nice knee and both guys are turning up the pace. Elliott is using a nice push kick that’s aimed at Gaudinot’s head to measure distance and it’s working really well. Gaudinot is landing flush but he’s not htting with a ton of power; Elliott with a nice combination of hands and knees as Gaudinot retreats to the corner. Elliott is using a lot of kicks; Gaudinot throws one and Elliott takes him down off it. Elliott is resuming some nice ground and pound on Gaudinot; Gaudinot is going for a submission off his back but Elliott is doing a better job this round of managing his posture. Elliott is looking to move to side control but Gaudinot is stopping him with movement; Elliott is teeing off on him, though, as Gaudinot is looking for a hail mary as Elliott is making him pay. He’s taking a lot of punishment. Elliott dives for a heel hook as the round ends. 10-9 Elliott, 20-18 Elliott
Round 3: Elliott gets him down early again and we’re back to more of the same as Gaudinot is looking to grab a submission somehow and Elliott is making him eat a ton of punishment for it. Gaudinot manages to get up by Elliott is landing in volume. nice head kick from Gaudinot and Elliott drags him down to the ground. Gaudinot rolls to his back and Elliott is on top of him, roll and Elliot is in half guard. Takes mount and lands some big strikes; Gaudinot manages to get back into half guard and is eating a lot of punishment for his efforts. Elliott is unloading on him but Gaudinot is doing enough to not get this fight stoppped. He’s trying to scramble but Elliott is doing a good job with top position. 10-9 Elliott, 30-27 Elliott
Official Result: Tim Elliott def. Louis Gaudinot by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
-Jamie Varner (21-7-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (27-9)
Round 1: Tibau’s corner is over by press row and the guy is an absolute monster. Does not look like he weighs 155 lbs at all. Both guys come out a bit tentative, nothing major thrown. Varner with a pair of nice leg kicks early as he’s movement to keep from Tibau. nice combination from varner as Tibau is looking to counter. Varner is trying to wade in and avoid the big power of Tibau but isn’t landing all that much. Varner with a nice right that connects but can’t land anything else. Tibau is doing a good job of moving out of the way if Varner lands with anything. Not a lot of action from either guy. Varner goes in for the body clinch but Tibau is just too strong and shrugs it off. Tibau gets in on the single and gets Varner to the ground, Varner doin a good job of locking up Tibau’s hands. Varner moves to the cage to wall walk up as Tibau isn’t doing much. Varner back to his feet and Tibau lands some knees to the legs. 10-9 Tibau
Round 2: Not much action to start as neither fighter is throwing all that much. Varner goes for a flying knee and Tibau catches him, dragging him to the ground. Varner moves into half guard as Tibau lands some strikes. Tibau is looking for an arm triangle but Varner is doing a good defensively off his back. Varner rolls to his back and Tibau grabs back mount, moves into full mount as Tibau is landing to the body. Varner is trying to explode but Tibau is using his hips well. Varner tries to roll through and Tibau keeps him in mount. Varner rolls to his stomach and Tibau has the hooks in. He flattens him out and Varner rolls to his back. Tibau’s not doing much but Varner us preventing him from doing anything by clinging tight. 10-9 Tibau, 20-18 tibau
Round 3: Varner comes out swinging and very aggressive; he knows he’s down two rounds and is going for broke. Tibau is playing defense this point. He’s looking to counter and land something big when Varner over commits. Varner goes in wild with a strike a minute in and Tibau level changes into a double for the takedown, Varner is back up quickly quickly. varner goes for a double off a wild exchange but can’t hit it; he’s landing to the body because tibau is defending his head well. Varner is wading in and throwing at this point; he goes for a double that doesn’t hit and Tibau goes for a single that doesn’t land. Varner with a big right and gets the takedown with two minutes left. Odd strategy as he’s grinding now when he’s down two rounds, most likely. He postures up and starts landing strikes but he’s almost content to lay in half guard right now. Varner is looking for position to land strikes and Tibau is willing to ride out the clock right now. He postures up with 20 seconds in and starts showing some urgency. 10 seconds and Tibau pushes him off, Varner lands a strike as the fight ends. 10-9 Varner, 29-28 Tibau
Official Result: Gleison Tibau def. Jamie Varner by split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)
