ANAHEIM, Calif. — This is the UFC on FOX live blog for the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC on FOX event from the Honda Center.
For tonight’s special, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos will air on FOX at 9 p.m. ET, while the remaining nine bouts will not be televised, but streamed instead on Facebook and FoxSports.com.
Round 1: Referee Larry Landless, sporting a bleached mohawk, get us started. Bradley appears to be the slightly quicker fighter right off the bat. He’s bouncing around, firing off combos and Pierce is struggling to keep up. Bradley comes forward behind a quick combo and forces Pierce back. Pierce starts to settle into his striking, and Bradley disrupts him by dropping down and looking for the takedown. He can’t quite finish it, but he does briefly take Pierce’s back in the ensuing scramble. Good left hook by Bradley after they separate, and there’s less than a minute to go. Bradley lands a nice knee to the body in the clinch, and it’s Pierce who’s looking the worse for wear after one. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Bradley.
Round 2: Bradley starts the second with a quick combo that jacks Pierce’s jaw to the side. Pierce comes forward behind a right hand and looks for the takedown, but Bradley stops him and fires off a couple good knees in the clinch. They separate and again Pierce looks for the takedown, but he’s not even getting close. Bradley’s takedown defense looks solid. Two straight jabs from Pierce force Bradley’s chin dangerously high, but he again looks for the takedown and gets stuck in the clinch. Pierce clams a big right hand into Bradley’s jaw, but instead of following up with more strikes his instinct seems to be to lunge right into the clinch, halting his own momentum. Bradley nearly gets a takedown of his own, and they’re back to the clinch, leaning on one another in the final minute and looking for a breather. Bradley attempts to get some offense started in the final ten seconds, but it’s Pierce who lands more effectively. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Pierce.
Round 3: Both men start the final round firing off combos and looking full of life all of a sudden, but before long they’re back to the clinch. Bradley’s corner is screaming at him to “work the full five minutes,” and if he could do it he might take this fight on the basis of that alone. Bradley gets busy with a combo, then shoots for a takedown that comes up short. They’re mired in the clinch again, and Bradley is taking some deep breaths before Landless moves in to restart them. Pierce lands a good right hand and this time resists the urge to clinch immediately afterward. Bradley times a takedown just right and gets Pierce to the mat, but can’t ever fully get control of him and has to let him up. Bradley’s corner is imploring him to get to work in the final minute, but Pierce is doing a good job of countering him right up until the final bell. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Pierce.
Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Round 1: Lucas lunges forward with a couple lefts to start us off, then works his way into the clinch before flinging Rosa to the mat for a brief scramble. Rosa tries a headkick that’s blocked, then walks right into a decent left from Lucas. Lucas clinches again and then punches his way out. Lucas lands another left and thinks about dropping for a takedown, but abandons the idea and settles for a clinch. Rosa lands a nice knee, his best strike of the fight so far. Referee Big John McCarthy pauses the bout to replace Lucas’ mouthpiece. On the replay it sure looks like he spit it out on purpose. Hard left from Lucas after the restart, and then it’s back to the clinch. Rosa lands a knee to the body, and I’m starting to wonder why Lucas insists on clinching so much when he’s doing well enough when he strikes from a distance. Lucas seems obsessed with getting a takedown before the round ends. Rosa isn’t having it, and he batters Lucas with kicks to the body before the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Lucas.
Round 2: After nearly eating a kick to the face, Lucas successfully times a Rosa right hand and drops under it for a takedown. His corner is pretty pumped about it, but again Rosa is back up in a hurry. Lucas continues to pursue the same strategy, however, going straight into the clinch and looking for the single-leg that he’s been unable to complete thus far. His corner shouts at him to “get active” as Rosa is elbowing him about the head and body, but Lucas can’t oblige them. Rosa breaks the clinch with a standing kimura, and almost right away Lucas stuns him with a right hook. Rosa clinches up and lands a knee to the body with a minute left in the round. Lucas seems to be waiting for an opening to shoot the double-leg, and McCarth again stops the bout to replace Lucas’ mouthpiece. This time McCarthy is hip to Lucas’ game and deducts a point from him. That’s costly, but also justified. Lucas gets a takedown before the round ends, but can’t do anything with it and Rosa is back up before the round ends. With the point deduction, MMA Fighting scores the round 9-9.
Round 3: They come out guns a-blazing to start the final round. Rosa stings Lucas with straight punch right on the nose, then Lucas is back to the clinch and looking for that elusive takedown again. Rosa lands a couple sharp elbows in close and Lucas is starting to look worn just as his corner is starting to look frustrated. Good knee by Rosa, and Lucas’ cornerman throws his water bottle down in disgust. Lucas continues looking for that takedown, but Rosa is doing all the damage now. He turns Lucas’ back to the cage and peppers him with short strikes. Rosa follows up another good knee with a two-punch combo. There goes that mouthpiece again. This time there’s no point deduction, but McCarthy restarts them in the clinch after Lucas’ corner sends him off with the instruction to “swing away, Matt!” It’s Rosa who’s doing most of the swinging in the final minute, and the fight ends with another unsuccessful takedown attempt by Lucas. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Rosa.
Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas via majority decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)
ANAHEIM, Calif. — This is the UFC on FOX live blog for the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC on FOX event from the Honda Center.
For tonight’s special, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos will air on FOX at 9 p.m. ET, while the remaining nine bouts will not be televised, but streamed instead on Facebook and FoxSports.com.
Round 1: Referee Larry Landless, sporting a bleached mohawk, get us started. Bradley appears to be the slightly quicker fighter right off the bat. He’s bouncing around, firing off combos and Pierce is struggling to keep up. Bradley comes forward behind a quick combo and forces Pierce back. Pierce starts to settle into his striking, and Bradley disrupts him by dropping down and looking for the takedown. He can’t quite finish it, but he does briefly take Pierce’s back in the ensuing scramble. Good left hook by Bradley after they separate, and there’s less than a minute to go. Bradley lands a nice knee to the body in the clinch, and it’s Pierce who’s looking the worse for wear after one. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Bradley.
Round 2: Bradley starts the second with a quick combo that jacks Pierce’s jaw to the side. Pierce comes forward behind a right hand and looks for the takedown, but Bradley stops him and fires off a couple good knees in the clinch. They separate and again Pierce looks for the takedown, but he’s not even getting close. Bradley’s takedown defense looks solid. Two straight jabs from Pierce force Bradley’s chin dangerously high, but he again looks for the takedown and gets stuck in the clinch. Pierce clams a big right hand into Bradley’s jaw, but instead of following up with more strikes his instinct seems to be to lunge right into the clinch, halting his own momentum. Bradley nearly gets a takedown of his own, and they’re back to the clinch, leaning on one another in the final minute and looking for a breather. Bradley attempts to get some offense started in the final ten seconds, but it’s Pierce who lands more effectively. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Pierce.
Round 3: Both men start the final round firing off combos and looking full of life all of a sudden, but before long they’re back to the clinch. Bradley’s corner is screaming at him to “work the full five minutes,” and if he could do it he might take this fight on the basis of that alone. Bradley gets busy with a combo, then shoots for a takedown that comes up short. They’re mired in the clinch again, and Bradley is taking some deep breaths before Landless moves in to restart them. Pierce lands a good right hand and this time resists the urge to clinch immediately afterward. Bradley times a takedown just right and gets Pierce to the mat, but can’t ever fully get control of him and has to let him up. Bradley’s corner is imploring him to get to work in the final minute, but Pierce is doing a good job of countering him right up until the final bell. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Pierce.
Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Round 1: Lucas lunges forward with a couple lefts to start us off, then works his way into the clinch before flinging Rosa to the mat for a brief scramble. Rosa tries a headkick that’s blocked, then walks right into a decent left from Lucas. Lucas clinches again and then punches his way out. Lucas lands another left and thinks about dropping for a takedown, but abandons the idea and settles for a clinch. Rosa lands a nice knee, his best strike of the fight so far. Referee Big John McCarthy pauses the bout to replace Lucas’ mouthpiece. On the replay it sure looks like he spit it out on purpose. Hard left from Lucas after the restart, and then it’s back to the clinch. Rosa lands a knee to the body, and I’m starting to wonder why Lucas insists on clinching so much when he’s doing well enough when he strikes from a distance. Lucas seems obsessed with getting a takedown before the round ends. Rosa isn’t having it, and he batters Lucas with kicks to the body before the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Lucas.
Round 2: After nearly eating a kick to the face, Lucas successfully times a Rosa right hand and drops under it for a takedown. His corner is pretty pumped about it, but again Rosa is back up in a hurry. Lucas continues to pursue the same strategy, however, going straight into the clinch and looking for the single-leg that he’s been unable to complete thus far. His corner shouts at him to “get active” as Rosa is elbowing him about the head and body, but Lucas can’t oblige them. Rosa breaks the clinch with a standing kimura, and almost right away Lucas stuns him with a right hook. Rosa clinches up and lands a knee to the body with a minute left in the round. Lucas seems to be waiting for an opening to shoot the double-leg, and McCarth again stops the bout to replace Lucas’ mouthpiece. This time McCarthy is hip to Lucas’ game and deducts a point from him. That’s costly, but also justified. Lucas gets a takedown before the round ends, but can’t do anything with it and Rosa is back up before the round ends. With the point deduction, MMA Fighting scores the round 9-9.
Round 3: They come out guns a-blazing to start the final round. Rosa stings Lucas with straight punch right on the nose, then Lucas is back to the clinch and looking for that elusive takedown again. Rosa lands a couple sharp elbows in close and Lucas is starting to look worn just as his corner is starting to look frustrated. Good knee by Rosa, and Lucas’ cornerman throws his water bottle down in disgust. Lucas continues looking for that takedown, but Rosa is doing all the damage now. He turns Lucas’ back to the cage and peppers him with short strikes. Rosa follows up another good knee with a two-punch combo. There goes that mouthpiece again. This time there’s no point deduction, but McCarthy restarts them in the clinch after Lucas’ corner sends him off with the instruction to “swing away, Matt!” It’s Rosa who’s doing most of the swinging in the final minute, and the fight ends with another unsuccessful takedown attempt by Lucas. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Rosa.
Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas via majority decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)
ANAHEIM, Calif. — This is the UFC on FOX live blog for the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC on FOX event from the Honda Center.