This is the UFC on FOX 11 live blog for Brad Tavares vs. Yoel Romero, a middleweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Tavares, who has won five straight fights, will face Romero, who has won three straight UFC fights, on the main card.
Check out the UFC on FOX 11 live blog below.
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Round 1: The referee in charge of the action is Jorge Ortiz. Romero is southpaw, but switching stances while Tavares is orthodox. Left hook from Tavares misses as Romero ducks. The fighters trade inside leg kicks, but neither lands that well. Two hard lefts from Romero crack Tavares and he is absolutely ragdolled to the ground by Romero. They clinch as Tavares tries to stand and Romero, off of one underhook, is smashed to the mat with authority. Tavares is able to stand, but Romero is on his back with strong wrist control. Romero drags him back down. Tavares stands again and actually drills Romero with a hard right and knee, but Romero takes him back to the mat. Romero is trying a kimura from the crucifix position, but it’s way too lose.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Romero
Round 2: Immediately Romero changes levels, takes Tavares down and passes to side control. Tavares pushes behind Romero’s tricep to stand and Tavares lands a hard right hand plus an outside leg kick. Tavares lunges in and Romero only grazes Tavares with an elbow, but it’s enough to cut the Hawaiian wide open. Leaping left hand scores for Romero and he’s pressing Tavares into the fence. Off of a whizzer, Romero postures up and cracks Tavares with a left and right. Now Tavares is pressing Romero into the fence, but almost loses it on a kimura sweep. They stand. Flying knee from Tavares partially lands, but he eats a right hand from Romero for his efforts.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Romero
Round 3: Head kick from Tavares misses. Side kick lands lightly for Romero. Romero sprawls off a double attempt from Tavares and now he’s pressing him into the fence. They disengage and separate. The fighters trade body kicks. Romero leaps in and nails Tavares with a left hand, but Tavares responds with two leg kicks. Romero, in turn, responds with a double leg from hell and drills Tavares into the mat. Tavares is able to stand, but is being pressed into the fence. The referee separates them for perceived inactivity. Leaping left hand and another body lock slam from Romero, moving him into side control as the bell sounds.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Romero and the bout 30-27 Romero
Official result: Yoel Romero def. Brad Tavares via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)