LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 141 live blog for Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Cerrone (17-3), who is fighting for the fifth time this year, won in UFC fights against Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, Charles Oliveira and Dennis Siver. Diaz (14-7) lost to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald earlier this year before getting back on track with a submission win over Takanori Gomi in September.
Round 1: After the customary display of middle fingers in lieu of the glove touch, referee Herb Dean gives the signal and Cerrone comes charging out with a right hand that Diaz ducks under. After extricating himself from Diaz’s grasp, Cerrone lands a nice right, but Diaz keeps the pressure on. Cerrone’s looking flat-footed and making for an easy target for Diaz so far. Diaz pops his head back with consecutive punch combos, and Cerrone looks lost. He’s got no head movement at all, and Diaz is hitting him at will. Cerrone’s taking it, for now at least. He fires back with a head kick and then one to the thigh, but Diaz keeps coming forward. Cerrone slips off a head kick attempt but it back up quickly. Diaz is all forward movement, and he has no trouble finding Cerrone’s face. Cerrone is bloodied up and sucking air with his mouth open. Ten seconds left. Diaz clinches and Cerrone adds a knee before the horn. So far it’s everything we expected. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diaz.
Round 2: Diaz marches straight ahead to resume his attack, and Cerrone still seems out of sorts. Cerrone lands a nice left hand counter, then pushes/trips Diaz down but declines to follow him. Jumping knee by Cerrone, then another trip. Diaz keeps coming and lands a couple stinging lefts. Now Cerrone is firing back, but it only makes Diaz up his pace. As an aside, all three ring girls are freaking out over this fight. It’s easily the fight of the night so far. Cerrone puts Diaz down again with a kick to his leg, but Diaz is back up quickly. Another leg trip by Cerrone, and Diaz rises just a little bit slower. Diaz stings Cerrone and sends him reeling back, but Cerrone recovers. A chant of ‘Diaz!’ starts up just before the horn. Cerrone is looking bloody and exhausted. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cerrone.
Round 3: Diaz flashes the double-bird from across the cage before the round begins. At least they speak a common language. Diaz gets his punch combos working right away, and he’s talking to Cerrone in there after nearly every punch now. Cerrone can’t do much but bleed at the moment, and Diaz’s confidence is growing with every punch he lands. Cerrone trips him down again, but he doesn’t seem to have the energy to follow with anything. Good knee by Cerrone, but Diaz responds with a flurry of punches. Diaz kicks and Cerrone again kicks his leg out from under him. He’s going down hard on those, and the noise is impressive, but they don’t seem to bother Diaz much. Diaz comes forward behind a hook and Cerrone nails him with a nice jumping knee. Diaz batters Cerrone with more brutal hooks and Cerrone comes back with a head kick. What a fight. They finish as they started: hammering away with wild abandon. Cerrone extends his hand at the horn and Diaz takes it, nodding in begrudging appreciation. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diaz.
Nate Diaz def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 141 live blog for Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Cerrone (17-3), who is fighting for the fifth time this year, won in UFC fights against Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, Charles Oliveira and Dennis Siver. Diaz (14-7) lost to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald earlier this year before getting back on track with a submission win over Takanori Gomi in September.
Round 1: After the customary display of middle fingers in lieu of the glove touch, referee Herb Dean gives the signal and Cerrone comes charging out with a right hand that Diaz ducks under. After extricating himself from Diaz’s grasp, Cerrone lands a nice right, but Diaz keeps the pressure on. Cerrone’s looking flat-footed and making for an easy target for Diaz so far. Diaz pops his head back with consecutive punch combos, and Cerrone looks lost. He’s got no head movement at all, and Diaz is hitting him at will. Cerrone’s taking it, for now at least. He fires back with a head kick and then one to the thigh, but Diaz keeps coming forward. Cerrone slips off a head kick attempt but it back up quickly. Diaz is all forward movement, and he has no trouble finding Cerrone’s face. Cerrone is bloodied up and sucking air with his mouth open. Ten seconds left. Diaz clinches and Cerrone adds a knee before the horn. So far it’s everything we expected. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diaz.
Round 2: Diaz marches straight ahead to resume his attack, and Cerrone still seems out of sorts. Cerrone lands a nice left hand counter, then pushes/trips Diaz down but declines to follow him. Jumping knee by Cerrone, then another trip. Diaz keeps coming and lands a couple stinging lefts. Now Cerrone is firing back, but it only makes Diaz up his pace. As an aside, all three ring girls are freaking out over this fight. It’s easily the fight of the night so far. Cerrone puts Diaz down again with a kick to his leg, but Diaz is back up quickly. Another leg trip by Cerrone, and Diaz rises just a little bit slower. Diaz stings Cerrone and sends him reeling back, but Cerrone recovers. A chant of ‘Diaz!’ starts up just before the horn. Cerrone is looking bloody and exhausted. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cerrone.
Round 3: Diaz flashes the double-bird from across the cage before the round begins. At least they speak a common language. Diaz gets his punch combos working right away, and he’s talking to Cerrone in there after nearly every punch now. Cerrone can’t do much but bleed at the moment, and Diaz’s confidence is growing with every punch he lands. Cerrone trips him down again, but he doesn’t seem to have the energy to follow with anything. Good knee by Cerrone, but Diaz responds with a flurry of punches. Diaz kicks and Cerrone again kicks his leg out from under him. He’s going down hard on those, and the noise is impressive, but they don’t seem to bother Diaz much. Diaz comes forward behind a hook and Cerrone nails him with a nice jumping knee. Diaz batters Cerrone with more brutal hooks and Cerrone comes back with a head kick. What a fight. They finish as they started: hammering away with wild abandon. Cerrone extends his hand at the horn and Diaz takes it, nodding in begrudging appreciation. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diaz.
Nate Diaz def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 141 live blog for Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.