Author: By Laura Gilbert

SYDNEY, March 3 – Perhaps inspired (or intimidated) by the debuting flyweights’ reputation for exciting fights, the men of the UFC on FX:
Alves vs. Kampmann prelim card turned in thrilling performances,
opening the event in Allphones Arena with five jaw-dropping  finishes
and two crowd-pleasing wars.

James Te Huna vs. Aaron Rosa
A
Texan took out an Aussie earlier in the night, and Penrith-based Kiwi
James Te Huna repaid the favor by TKOing the Lone Star State’s Aaron
Rosa at 2:08 of round one.

After testing the waters with some low
kicks, light heavyweight Te Huna bulled his opponent against the fence,
headhunting with his right hook the entire time. Two of those landed
against the fence, and he scored with a nasty left hook on the exit.
That same hook dropped Rosa seconds later, and Te Huna easily followed,
issuing direct hit after direct hit until the ref intervened.

Te Huna’s record ascends to 16-5; Rosa departs 17-5. Watch Te Huna’s post-fight interview

Anthony Perosh vs. Nick Penner
Anthony
Perosh scored the first win of the night for the Australians on the
card, ruining Nick Penner’s Octagon debut with a first-round TKO.
“Position before submission,” said the light heavyweight BJJ specialist
after the ground-and-pound win that was all about the mount.

Standing
as mirror images – Perosh 6-foot-3 in orthodox stance and Penner
6-foot-4 in southpaw – it appeared to be Penner who landed the best
counters early on, yet the Canadian was also bleeding from under the eye
after only a minute. Perosh dove for a takedown and got a few elbows in
before Penner reversed, got on top and got to his feet. Perosh was
briefly wobbled by another Penner fist, and he took the fight to the
fence again where the two struggled for position.

Again Perosh
dove for a takedown, and though it took a while to get, it spelled the
beginning of the end. Perosh used elbows to further damage Penner, then
moved into mount and unloaded brutal strikes as Penner covered up,
bucking and spinning away in an attempt to escape the punishment as the
ten-second warning sounded. Though Penner tried to survive, he had no
defense for Perosh, forcing the ref to wave it off with just one second
left in the round.

The win brings the now-13-6 Perosh to three
in a row, all of them finishes. It was Penner’s first loss since 2008,
his record slipping to 12-2. Hear why Perosh says it’s taken him ten years to become an overnight sensation

Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler
Cole
Miller loves a good grudge, and so there was no better opponent for his
first featherweight fight than TUF 14 underdog Steven Siler, who beat
Miller’s brother Micah in the qualifying fights for that season. But
whether it was the weight cut or simply Siler’s striking, the bad blood
wasn’t enough to win the fight, as Siler took the unanimous decision.

At
5’11”, Siler is used to having a reach advantage on his opponents, but
even thought his 70” wingspan couldn’t match the 6’1” Miller’s 76”
reach, he was able to get inside and score regularly. Miller attempted
to establish the distance with jabs and kicks, but Siler found his own
range and scored with kicks of his own. Three clinches against the cage
were mostly stalemates, but Siler twice caught Miller’s kicks and
delivered punches, one that briefly dropped Miller. Late in the round,
Siler stunned Miller with a left-uppercut-hook combo, leaving Miller
running backward for safety. Miller took Siler down with a backward trip
to end the round, but wound up on the bottom in a Siler guillotine,
then ate some blows.

Both men had their moments in round two,
with Miller landing a good knee to start, then finding his range and
peppering Siler with a few strong jabs and rights. But Siler scored
throughout with blistering body shots as part of the lighting-fast
combinations that kept Miller moving backward. Though Siler later
described his standup during the bout as “sloppy,” the crowd loved his
unrelenting pace and the frenetic exchanges that erupted with Miller.

Miller
seemed drained by round three. Though Siler’s strikes connected with
less frequency, the shorter man remained the aggressor. Miller worked
twice to control the clinch and push Siler against the fence. During the
second prolonged struggle on the cage, Miller took the round by
dragging Siler to the ground and climbing into mount. He delivered some
ground and pound and briefly moved for a rear-naked choke, but with less
than 30 seconds left, Siler survived the lanky Miller’s dangerous
ground threat.

Judges scored the bout 29-28 for Siler, who is now
20-9 (2-0 against the Miller brothers of Macon, Georgia). Miller falls
to 18-6 in his 145-pound debut. Get Siler’s thoughts on his performance here

Kyle Noke vs. Andrew Craig
Aussie-born
Kyle Noke received a hometown hero’s ovation, walking in to Men at
Work’s classic “Down Under.” His Texan opponent Andrew Craig earned boos
during the Octagon introductions and ref Herb Dean a second set of
cheers.  But after an early onslaught, UFC newcomer Craig got his
composure and made it a tough homecoming for Noke, racking up a 29-28
unanimous decision in the middleweight bout.

The first round was
impressively the Aussie’s. Noke immediately came forward for a takedown
and trapped Craig against the fence. Noke moved from front guillotine
to a rear-naked, but Craig managed to stand up with Noke still on his
back. Noke then took Craig for a second ride to the mat, took his back
and worked again unsuccessfully for a rear-naked against the fence.
Craig survived and ended up with Noke in his guard, where he threw up
one triangle attempt as Noke scored with a few punches and elbows. The
two finally worked to their feet, Craig landing a knee as they split.
Back in the center, Craig began putting together more powerful
combinations and counterstrikes that mostly kept Noke at bay.

Craig
pushed the pace more in the second, his left arm mostly down or batting
forward and his right fist winding up for a big punch. Noke kept his
distance using kicks. Noke bulled Craig against the fence with one leg
caught, but Craig stayed busy issuing punches and eventually wound up on
top in Noke’s half guard then full guard. Noke did his best to tie up
Craig’s arms, but the American got a few big blows and ‘bows through
before Noke tried an armbar of his own. Noke pushed Craig off with his
feet, and Craig allowed him to stand before the two engaged in an ugly,
crowd pleasing brawl with 40 seconds left. Noke slipped and went to the
ground, and Craig pounced with hammerfists until ending the round on
top.

The wild crowd applauded the beginning of round three, the
first action coming from Noke’s on-target front kicks. But Craig
continued to own the center of the Octagon, connecting in particular
with a right hook. Twice more Noke dove for single-legs but again came
up short, getting only hammerfists in the head for his trouble.  After
some struggle against the fence, Noke secured the double-leg and dumped
Craig on his butt against the fence. In the last half of the round, Noke
took the center of the Octagon and it was Craig who shot across the
Octagon for a solid takedown. Craig crowded Noke against the fence and
punched away as Noke moved to his hands and knees, and then to his side,
trying to escape but unable to do much to escape Craig’s top game.

Craig,
who started training in 2008 because, he says, “I wanted to do at least
one amateur fight before I got my big boy job,” remains undefeated at
7-0; Kyle Noke moves to a 19-6-1 record. Watch Craig’s post-fight interview

TJ Waldburger vs. Jake Hecht
If
the 2:05 submission in Semerzier vs. Pineda seemed fast, the next
bout’s 55-second finish made that look practically plodding. Texan TJ
Waldburger took less than a minute to improve his record to 15-6 (3-1 in
the UFC) while sending Jake Hecht back home to the Midwest 11-3.

The
two well-rounded welterweights, both entering the Octagon off
submission wins, didn’t spend much time feeling each other out.
Waldburger moved forward twice – once with a kick and once with a punch,
but Hecht’s counter-combinations were lightning-fast.

Having
had enough of that, Waldburger took his opponent to the mat with a trip,
isolated an arm from the back and rolled to his back with the limb.
Hecht flipped over to try and escape but was tapping before he’d made a
full rotation. Hear what Waldburger had to say in his post-fight interview

Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel Pineda
Two
freestyle featherweights put on a can’t-blink performance in the first
televised bout of the UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann prelims, with late
replacement Daniel “The Pit” Pineda tapping out Mackens “Da Menace”
Semerzier via armbar in just 2 minutes and 5 seconds.

In the
first 70 seconds alone, Pineda charged forward with strikes, trapping
Semerzier against the cage; Semerzier landed several solid knees in that
same time span.

In a close exchange, Pineda dropped Da Menace,
then immediately followed him to the ground. High in mount, he secured a
triangle and rolled over. Semerzier stood to try and escape, but the
triangle was locked, and Pineda pulled his opponent’s arm to get the
win.

Pineda’s record now stands at 17-7 with first round
submission wins in both of his Octagon appearances; Semerzier drops to
8-4 with 1 no contest. Watch Pineda’s post-fight interview

Oli Thompson vs. Shawn Jordan
Score another win for the Strikeforce heavyweights, as Shawn “The Savage” Jordan followed in the successful footsteps of Lavar Johnson and Alistair Overeem, finishing England’s Oli Thompson by TKO early in the second round of the event’s first bout.

The
heavyweights circled to open, with the action accelerating throughout
the round. The crowd chanted “Oli Oli Oli!” to the tune of “Aussie
Aussie Aussie” for the Brit, but it was the American Jordan who did the
most damage, bloodying Thompson’s face with several flurries plus a
right-straight-left uppercut combo that connected several times.

In
the bout’s most exciting exchange, an uppercut buckled Thompson, and
Jordan capitalized with a huge knee that sent Thompson to his knees
against the cage. Jordan followed with massive hammerfists, but Thompson
took the fight to the mat, briefly threatening Jordan with an armbar.
The Savage escaped, treating Thompson to another knee on their way to
the feet.

Staying low, smiling, and bobbing his head, Jordan
goaded his opponent forward, catching him this time against the cage
where he unloaded. Thompson covered his head before reacting with combos
of his own, using his 75-inch reach to fight his way out of danger. As
the crowd yelled their appreciation and the two broke in the center of
the cage, the opponents high-fived.

The heavies clinched early in
the second, with Thompson scoring more with leg kicks in round two.
Still it was Jordan who controlled the fight’s geography and moved
forward with combinations. Thompson went for a takedown but was quickly
rebuffed. One cracking uppercut seemed to stun Thompson, but when Jordan
pursued, Thompson came alive and flurried back. When it landed again,
however, Thompson was clearly wounded, and a follow-up knee sent
Thompson to the mat and the ref in to intervene at 1:07 of the second. 

Jordan celebrated with the rarely-seen heavyweight backflip, his record now 13-3; Thompson’s UFC debut left him 9-3.Hear what “The Savage” had to say after his big win

SAITAMA, February 26 – The UFC’s first event in Japan since 2000 started strong, with a loud fan base soundly in place for the event, which began at 9:30 am local time. But if there’s anything that can wake up a crowd, it’s a massive KO from a hometown hero, and from the first fight on, the Saitama Super Arena was in full-on MMA mode. While they politely applauded every win, the cheers for their countrymen were deafening, as Japan eventually went 3-3 in the first five fights (one being a bout between two Japanese fighters).

Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
In the “headlining” bout of the UFC 144 prelims, two Japanese fighters and PRIDE vets met inside the Octagon, with Takanori Gomi ruining the UFC debut of Eiji Mitsuoka via 2nd round TKO.
Though Mitsuoka was heralded as a submission expert, the lightweight appeared to pack power in his hands, too. Gomi started in the center of the cage with his hands down, but one touch from Mitsuoka was all it took to inspire Gomi to keep his hands up. Mitsuoka found a home for his right straight and left hook, then went for a takedown that Gomi avoided. Gomi landed some solid kicks and goaded Mitsuoka forward with some flapping jabs reminiscent of the Diaz brothers, both of whom he has fought.

After scoring with a kick, “The Fireball Kid” came in wild, and Mitsuoka caught him flush with a right, dropping  Gomi. Mitsuoka took his opponent’s back high up and locked him in a mounted triangle choke from behind. Though Gomi looked like he was about to tap, he waited out the round and survived.

The wounded Gomi came alive in the second, as his counters connected regularly and he became much more aggressive with his striking. A wild slugfest left Mitsuoka backpedaling, and uppercuts and knees from the clinch seemed to overwhelm the UFC newcomer. Mitsuoka desperately dove for a leg and tried to drag Gomi to the ground, but Gomi used the cage to stay in control and chipped away at his opponent with body shots. Finally, the former PRIDE champion spun into top position and hammerfisted away at Mitsuoka, who could do little more than curl up as the ref called the fight at 2:21 of the second round.

Gomi’s latest win leaves the legend with a 33-8 (1 NC) record; Mitsuoka departs 18-8-2.

Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee
Birmingham, England’s Vaughan “Love” Lee got his first Octagon win against one of his heroes, the hugely popular Dream, K-1 and Shooto vet Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.

Lee staked out the center of the Octagon to begin, as Yamamoto circled. Though each one tested his range, there was no clear advantage between the two bantamweights. But that quiet two-minute feeling-out process paid off for the fans as Yamamoto connected with a punch that rocked Lee. Sensing that his opponent was hurt, Yamamoto swarmed, unleashing lefts, rights and knees as the crowd screamed and Lee covered up against the cage.

Having weathered the onslaught, Lee came out more confidently, charging forward with his own combos. A right hand clipped Yamamoto, and as Lee moved forward to capitalize, the wrestler in Yamamoto took over. Despite being jarred, Yamamoto instinctively and easily got the takedown. From the bottom, Lee quickly worked for a triangle choke, delivered elbows to Yamamoto’s head, then locked in an armbar and got the tap 4:29 in.

The win – Lee’s seventh by submission – improves the Brit’s record to 12-7-1; Yamamoto slips to 18-6 (1 NC). Watch Lee’s post-fight interview

Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell
A US vs. Asia middleweight matchup between a striker and a wrestler sounds like a recipe for three rounds of lay and pray, but when the American in the formula is the striker and the Asian fighter the grappler, things can look mighty different. Such was the case as Riki Fukuda took on Steve “The Robot” Cantwell  in a three-round war that featured the kind of non-stop action usually seen between bantamweights.  Fukuda brought the night to 2-1 for the Japanese fighters by outstriking and grappling the American to a unanimous decision win.

In the wild first round, Fukuda immediately caught a Cantwell kick and bulled him to the mat. Fukuda came on hard, relentless with blows to the body, then elbows and finally hammerfists to the face, the crowd reacting happily to each connect. Cantwell alternated between submission attempts and survival mode, and eventually Fukuda let him up and pushed Cantwell against the cage briefly before returning to the center of the cage. From there it was a back-and-forth stand-up match, with Fukuda moving forward but Cantwell connecting with strikes of his own, “The Robot” closing the round with a loud kick.

The second round started with an emphasis downstairs, as both men scored with huge leg kicks. Fukuda  got a single-leg that landed him squarely in a guillotine, with one leg caught in Cantwell’s guard. Cantwell rolled to shore up the choke, but apparently decided it wasn’t going to work and stood up. From there, Fukuda took the offensive on the feet, and though both landed throughout the round, Fukuda pushed the action. Twice Fukuda stunned Cantwell into dropping his hands, but the Las Vegan’s inhuman chin let him weather the storm despite an increasingly swollen, bloodied face. As Cantwell moved forward despite the punishment, the crowd – nearing 20,000 – cheered loudly mid-round.

The combatants’ power began to fade in the third, but their pace didn’t, with more of the same from both and an impressive head kick from Cantwell. Fukuda used the fence to drive the exhausted Cantwell to the mat, where again a struggle for an armbar ensued. Fukuda briefly took Cantwell’s back in the scramble, but both men were back on their feet soon after. With about 90 seconds left, Cantwell stood with his arms down, and Fukuda came forward with hooks and uppercuts. For the last 40 seconds, the crowd screamed as Fukuda unloaded punches, body blows and kicks as the former WEC light heavyweight champion struggled to muster up any sort of offense (or, at times, defense) .
Judges scored the bout 29-28 and 30-27 twice for Fukuda (one judge gave the first round to Cantwell). The loss was Cantwell’s fifth in a row, sending him to a 7-6 record; Fukuda is lifted to 18-5. Hear why Fukuda felt nervous going into the fight

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso
The television portion of the preliminary card opened with what’s usually a surefire recipe for fireworks – two bantamweight strikers. Kanagawa, Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki faced fellow WEC vet Chris Cariaso, and while Cariaso scored few Japanese fans with the nickname “Kamikaze” and his stifling ground defense, he did enough to please the judges, who gave him a 29-28 unanimous decision win.

Mizugaki set the pace to open, as the two tested one another with an assortment of kicks and jabs. Cariaso fired off a few successful strikes from the clinch, countered well when Mizugaki whiffed, and shook off a takedown attempt. More confident with the reach differential, the shorter Cariaso then chased Mizugaki backward until – bulled against the fence – Mizugaki scored from the inside with a huge trip. With Mizugaki positioned low in his guard, Cariaso rolled into a convincing armbar, but Mizuagki stood up and shook him off. For the rest of the round, the two struggled for position, the biggest action coming as Mizugaki postured up on his knees to land one crowd-pleasing blow from the top.

In the standup to start the second round, Mizugaki got off a few more combos and kicks, while Cariaso scored more on the exits. Another takedown attempt from Mizugaki landed them back on the cage, but this time it was Cariaso working harder for the takedown until Mizugaki got the trip. Again, Mizugaki was able to land a few big shots from inside guard, but was otherwise smothered by the NorCal fighter’s close guard.

Cariaso landed a significant head kick at the beginning of the second, but the next couple of minutes were spent against the cage, mostly with Mizugaki on the outside, both men using kicks and working for takedowns. A second high kick from Cariaso caused him to slip to the mat, and Mizugaki followed into guard for more of the moves we’d seen so far. Mizugaki worked his way into half guard for just a second until going back into guard for essentially the rest of the fight.

The decision – resoundingly booed by the Tokyo crowd – lifts Cariaso to 13-3 as a pro, while Mizugaki falls to 15-7-2. Watch Cariaso’s post-fight interview now

Tiequan Zhang vs. Issei Tamura
In the morning’s first bout, Chinese guillotine specialist Tiequan Zhang fought Tokyo’s own Issei Tamura. The Krazy Bee-trained Tamura, a late replacement for the injured Leonard Garcia, turned the one-in-a-million opportunity into a star-making turn, scoring a huge KO win in front of his hometown crowd.

The fight opened with both featherweights swinging wildly — Tamura connected first, Zhang dropped Tamura, and  then Tamura dropped Zhang and followed him to the ground. The Japanese fighter did damage from the top with elbows and hammerfists, but Zhang eventually neutralized him enough that referee Herb Dean called for a standup with two minutes left. Back on the feet, Tamura made an impression with with two counter rights, then worked for a takedown. He succeeded, but landed with his head inside one arm of Zhang’s vicious guillotine. Tamura weathered the risk, popped out and finished the round on top.

Zhang opened round two more cautiously, the China Top Team product throwing several low leg kicks. As he began his flurry, however, Tamura landed a perfect right hand that sent Zhang to the mat for several minutes. Herb Dean called the fight 32 seconds in, and the crowd – nearly at capacity by the end of the first bout — erupted into thunderous cheers.

The loss drops Zhang to a record of 18-3, with all of his losses coming inside the Octagon; Tamura now stands at 7-2. Hear what Tamura had to say in his post-fight interview

OMAHA, February 15 – The final fight on the UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger Facebook prelim broadcast at the Omaha Civic Auditorium Wednesday pitted two featherweights fighting out of Florida: wrestler Jonathan Brookins vs. BJJ ace Vagner Rocha. And after two early bouts that went to the judges, the crowd erupted after the free-spirited Brookins clocked a quick KO win.

Despite being ground specialists, both men showed crisp striking in the opening minute, trading kicks, straights and targeted hooks that stunned one another. When Rocha caught one of Brookins’ kicks and went for a takedown, Brookins landed on top and quickly landed half a dozen powerful blows with his right hand that put Rocha to sleep at 1:32 of the first round.

Brookins, the TUF 12 season winner, upped his record to 14-4, netting his first knockout win since his first pro bout in 2006; Rocha departs 7-3. Hear what Brookins had to say in his post-fight interview

Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas
Two debuting lightweights met in a closely-matched second fight of the night. Using his full arsenal of wrestling skills and strategic striking, Colorado’s Justin Salas bested the Estonian-born, Finland-based Anton Kuivanen by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

Both men started by moving forward, the Finnish Kuivanen opting for more flashy kicks as the Trevor Wittman-trained Salas stuck to power punches. After a few struggles for takedowns, Salas finally scored with a huge one. Unable to pass into mount, he stood over Kuivanen, landing one blow from above before being tripped to the mat by Kuivanen’s long limbs. Bouncing back to their feet, Salas added in low kicks while Kuivanen scored with more shins to the body.

In round two they both circled, and though only a two-inch reach differential separated the fighters, Salas struggled to get inside and found himself throwing far more strikes than Kuivanen and landing far fewer. Kuivanen connected a couple of times early on before being bulled to the fence by the former college wrestler.  As the chessmatch threatened to turn into a stalemate, Kuivanen turned up his standup and Salas answered with another trip to the wall, dragging Kuivanen down to the mat briefly. 

Salas switched it up and controlled the center to start the third, coming out aggressively with fists that backed Kuivanen against the wall. “J-Bomb” used  momentum and speed to lift his opponent and dump him on his back against the wall. As he started to work his ground and pound, Kuivanen went for a heel hook and Salas appeared to be briefly in trouble. Salas worked his way out and as the two stood up, Kuivanen landed one kick, then traded low blows with Salas. Salas again shot in, trapping Kuivanen against the wall, where scored with one connecting fist. As Kuivanen became more aggressive, Salas used that kinetic motion to scoop Kuivanen into the air for yet another impressive slam to end the round.

Kuivanen’s nine-fight win streak is snapped as he falls to 16-5; Salas’ pro record now stands at 10-3.
Watch “J-Bomb’s” post-fight interview

Tim Means vs. Bernardo Magalhaes

Two lightweight newcomers tested the Octagon in the night’s first fight,
with Tim “Dirty Bird” Means earning the unanimous decision over
Bernardo “Trekko” Magalhaes via scores of 30-27 and 30-26 twice

The first round built steam, as the two UFC newcomers circled cautiously
for the first minute or so. Means, with a 5-inch height advantage,
tested his range but kept his distance, trying to avoid the BJJ black
belt’s all-but-sure takedown attempts. The first one came two minutes
in, and Means countered with a nasty knee – one of nearly a dozen he
would land in the round.  With that, Means’ confidence grew, and he took
the center of the cage, peppering Magalhaes with punches at will and
grabbing him in the clinch to deliver knees – five in a row at one
point. One knee dropped the intrepid Magalhaes, and Means followed him
to the mat, but when “Trekko” reversed, Means quickly slipped away to
the safety of his feet, and the end of the first round drew cheers from the half-full Omaha Civic Auditorium.

Round two played out much like the recent Diaz vs. Condit did… in the eyes of Diaz’ fervent fans, anyway . Means stalked his increasingly frustrated
opponent around the Octagon, backing him against the fence and
delivering punch combinations. With no luck on his feet, Magalhaes desperately dove for a takedown, earning another
knee in the process, and Means again pulled himself out of harm’s way.
“Come on,” yelled Means, as Magalhaes used lateral footwork to avoid
damage but mounted no real offense on the feet. The goading eventually spurred a couple of wild overhand attacks from the smaller lightweight, and Means cut
off his opponent into closer and closer quarters. Again dropped,
Magalhaes curled up as Means delivered body blows, then returned to his
feet, forcing Magalhaes to follow.

In the third, Magalhaes became more aggressive with his takedown
attempts, and paid for those as well. During two attempts at a
single-leg, Means issued vicious hammerfists and elbows from the top,
until his opponent let go of the hold. Exhausted or out of game plans,
Magalhaes stayed on the ground, and several times had to be directed by
the referee to stand up. At the end of the fight, the bloodiest Magalhaes again
returned to the ground, this time of his own accord.

The Brazilian-born, Aussie-based Magalhaes’ record falls to 11-2 with the loss, while Means returns to New Mexico with a record of 17-3-1.Hear what Means had to say about his performance

OMAHA, February 15 – It would be hard to put together a bout between two tougher, more well-rounded welterweights, but UFC matchmaker Joe Silva managed to do just that in Wednesday’s UFC on FUEL TV </a>main event at the Omaha Civic Auditorium by pairing cardio machine Diego Sanchez against knockout king Jake Ellenberger. The roaring hometown crowd desperately wanted one of Ellenberger’s knockout fists to somehow break through Sanchez’ granite chin, and although that didn’t happen, the local was consistent enough to score the unanimous decision win. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

After a classic Sanchez staredown, the two went right at each other, with Ellenberger swinging for the fences that he saw hidden in Sanchez’ chin. Sanchez kept his distance early, and his every kick and jab was met by Ellenberger’s power punches. Both men’s takedown attempts were neutralized by the other, but they did connect with solid knees and hooks on the exits. As Sanchez surged forward, a left hook from Ellenberger knocked him backward and to the ground. Ellenberger pounced, but Sanchez bounced up with the durability of a man who withstood four-plus rounds of BJ Penn at his best.

Round two was mildly more subdued, with Diego having less luck making contact with his striking and Ellenberger’s footwork keeping him fairly safe. After landing one blow that sent a resounding cracking sound through the arena, Ellenberger shook out his right hand, threw a close-quarters elbow and immediately took Sanchez down. Sanchez did his best to stifle him from the bottom, but Ellenberger worked tirelessly to break free and eventually was able to score, doing the most damage with a massive elbow that left Diego with his traditional bloodied face by round’s end.

Both men meted out their punches in round three, with a left hook knocking Sanchez off balance. Ellenberger increasingly relied on his left jab in this round, plus takedown attempts that – although he didn’t get them – he followed up with solid knees. With time running down, Sanchez’ reckless side came out, chasing Ellenberger with strikes until Ellenberger got his arms around his opponent for a solid double-leg takedown. Sanchez struggled up, then took Ellenberger’s back with just over a minute left, throwing nonstop hooks from back mount as he tried to snake an arm under Ellenberger’s neck for a choke.

Judges’ scores were 29-28 across the board for Ellenberger, who received a thunderous ovation from his hometown crowd. Sanchez falls to 25-5, Ellenberger improves to 27-5, with both men praising the other as the toughest opponent they’d ever faced. Watch Ellenberger’s emotional post-fight interview

Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
Two fascinating and well-rounded heavyweights, Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Dave Herman, promised to be one of the most unpredictable matchups in memory. And after a slow start for the 23-year-old Struve, he showed the full power that his 83-inch reach can wield when precision meets potential, TKOing Herman in two. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Round one was as much a staring contest as an MMA match. The two stood face-to-face with Herman – who had allegedly dyed his body hair to seem more dramatic – showing more movement as he tried to back Struve against the cage. He launched an uppercut-right combo there, but Struve slunk away. After that, the two traded occasional kicks and strikes – including a few more of Herman’s uppercut-right combos – with nothing of any real effect landing from either man.

Perhaps sensing that he’d experienced the best Herman had to offer, Struve found his range and his rhythm in round two. Striking his way to the clinch, Struve easily tripped Herman backward and took mount, threatening with a rear-naked choke as Herman spun away. Struve’s long limbs provided a sizable back door through which Herman escaped, and Struve reluctantly got back to his feet. But he became more aggressive, landing a few solid kicks and blows, and by mid-round, it was Struve standing in the center of the cage, controlling the fight as Herman retreated.

An inside leg kick from the Skyscraper took Herman off balance, and Struve worked with physics to deliver a perfectly-placed uppercut that dropped the smaller man. Pouncing on his prey, Struve stayed in mount this time, using the full weight of his 6-11 frame to paralyze Herman as he swung down lefts and rights. Herman curled with his hands over his face and tried to spin away to no avail, forcing Josh Rosenthal to intervene.

The official win came at 3:52 of the second round and bumps Struve’s record to 27-5, including seven wins in the UFC. Herman slips to 21-3. Hear what Struve had to say after the fight

Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
Brazilian finisher Ronny Markes’ first challenge at a new weight class of 185 was a test against the always tough, wrestling-based Aaron Simpson, but he managed to pull off the victory by split decision. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Squared off in orthodox stances, Simpson threw one punch, only to be chased around the Octagon by a wild flurry of punches from the Brazilian. Markes got Simpson to the wall but couldn’t take him down, so the ref moved the action to the center of the cage again. This time, it was leg kicks followed by strong combinations from both men, until a perfect right uppercut from Simpson dropped Markes. Simpson followed him to the mat and though the ground and pound was plentiful, Markes survived, and eventually returned to his feet. He again played the aggressor, chasing Simpson around the Octagon while swinging, until the two wound up in a clinch on the cage as the round ended.

Simpson circled his opponent in the second until grabbing hold and, unable to get the trip, pushed him against the cage. Back in the center, Markes responded with a leg kick, and Simpson came in with more frantic combinations before going for a double-leg that – you guessed it – ended with him pushing Markes against the cage. And then it happened again, with the two struggling primarily for outside control. Eventually it was Markes who got the trip and wound up on top of Simpson, where he used his one free elbow to punish as Simpson worked to control from below. As Simpson curled away, Markes was able to get in a few more punches, before ending the round back on the wall.

Simpson came out with a massive right, which ended in a clinch and Markes again defending a takedown. Markes then pushed Simpson into the cage, where he used some footstomps and quad kicks to try to further weaken his opponent until the ref returned them to the center. Both men threw combos that didn’t connect until Markes pushed the action, such as it was, back to the fence, prompting the ref to move them yet again to the center and instruct “let’s fight!” This time, both complied – if briefly – with  powerful strikes before returning to the safe embrace of the crowd-displeasing clinch. But then Simpson went down to the mat and Markes followed him to the ground with some hammerfists, controlling Simpson from behind as they rose before dumping him double-legged back on the mat.

The war of attrition – scored 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 – improves Markes’ record to 13-1, while Simpson hits 10-3. Hear what Markes had to say during his post-fight interview

Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries
No one expected the battle of undefeated heavyweight finishers to go to decision, and Stipe Miocic didn’t disappoint, scoring a signature KO finish inside a minute. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

It was grappler Philip De Fries who came out swinging, and his windmilling punches kept Miocic on his heels. But Miocic watched and then countered with a straight right that connected and wobbled his foe. It was then the Ohio-born Miocic who moved forward, connecting again with a right that dropped De Fries against the cage. Powerful follow-up strikes from the top were all it took for the ref to wave things off after just 43 seconds.

In the battle of perfect records, Miocic keeps his at 8-0, as the Brit De Fries tastes his first defeat and moves to 8-1. Watch Miocic’s post-fight interview

TJ Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson
After being upset in the TUF 14 Finale by John Dodson’s lethal hook last December, bantamweight TJ Dillashaw came to Nebraska with a vengeance to win. Though Walel Watson possesses impressive-looking striking skills and submission wins, his long limbs were no match for the Urijah Faber-trained wrestling of Dillashaw, who dominated throughout and got the decision win.

The 5’11” bantamweight Watson was able to use his length to avoid being finished in the first round, but that was about all that could be said for his output in the opening stanza. Wrestler Dillashaw opened with a wild superman punch to move Watson backward, then struggled against the cage for a takedown. Thirty seconds in, he slammed Watson to the ground, and though Watson bounced up, 10 seconds later he was slammed again. The rest of the round took place on the ground. With Dillashaw postured up on top, Watson tried to roll away, allowing Dillashaw to sink in a rear-naked choke. Watson was consistently able to pry off one of Dillashaw’s hands and roll out far enough to escape the choke – and his length did give him the leverage to do so – but Dillashaw would follow with another choke.

In round two, Dillashaw’s poison was ground and pound, but the pattern was the same. Dillashaw came out with strikes that were met with Watson’s signature kicks before Dillashaw got his takedown. He worked his way through wild upkicks, finally smothering his way into top position, where he spent the rest of the round elbowing and punching Watson in the head – at one point midway through the round, the in-arena stats showed Dillashaw with 110 strikes to Watson’s 2. Though Watson again used his length to stay alive – pushing away time after time – it only served to give Dillashaw different perches from which to issue punishment.

Down but not out, Watson came out with his dramatic high kicks in the third, and the two had several crowd-pleasing exchanges on the feet. This time when Dillashaw went for his single leg, Watson caught him in a guillotine, but Dillashaw muscled his way out on the ground again and the two rose to the cheers of the crowd. Again Dillashaw worked for a single-leg, and Watson pulled him down in a triangle, which turned into an armbar and then a kneebar as the Team Alpha Male product worked to disentangle himself. Out of danger and back in Watson’s guard, Dillashaw transitioned into yet another RNC attempt to finish the round in back mount, then full mount.

The scores of 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26 win brought Dillashaw’s record to 6-1, Watson is now 9-4. Get Dillashaw’s reaction to the fight

Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
UFC veteran Ivan Menjivar has fought at weights ranging from 135 to 170 against opponents including Georges St-Pierre, Urijah Faber and Joe Lauzon – all outside Zuffa organizations – but Wednesday night it was his skill at bantamweight that netted him his third UFC win in a row. He and his opponent, TUF 14’s John “Prince” Albert put on a wild show that saw Albert nearly score a TKO, not to mention a half dozen limb-locks (all inside a single round), but it was Menjivar who came out with the submission win. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Both men exchanged early and often with kicks and frantic combinations. In the clinch, Albert threw two knees and a body shot that made Menjivar visibly wince. But he rebounded immediately with a spinning backfist that took Albert off-balance. After a struggle for a takedown, Menjivar wound up on top, brutalizing Albert’s body with elbows as Albert controlled his hands. But the lankier Albert went for a triangle, then an armbar as the crowd roared.

Menjivar’s experience showed as he used his knee to get leverage over his opponent and hammerfisted his opponent with his free hand until he was out of danger. But the wily Albert again went for a kneebar as Menjivar simultaneously tried for a heel hook, then spun out and kicked his downed opponent for good measure.

Back on the feet, Albert got Menjivar against the fence and unleashed a torrent of blows that buckled the shorter man, who seemed to be near defeat as he huddled against the fence and took more punishment – including several knees. As he struggled to his feet, Albert jumped for a standing front guillotine, which took both men to the ground. Although Albert was still working for an armbar, Menjivar took the back of Albert, where he softened him up with elbows to the ribs. He expertly sunk in one hook, then another, flattened out the taller man, and locked in a rear-naked choke that drew a tap 3:45 minutes in.

“The Pride of El Salvador” Menjivar returns to his training base in Montreal with a record of 24-8; Albert now stands at 7-2. Find out what was going through Menjivar’s mind during the fight