This is the UFC 189 live blog for Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens, a catchweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Bermudez, who has won four of his past five fights, will face Stephens, who has won three of his past five fights, on the main card.
Check out the UFC 189 live blog below.
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Round 1: Marc Goddard is the third man. There are NINE Octagon girls. It’s impressive. Bermudez immediately shoots low for a takedown, but Stephens deflects him to the fence. And they break. They exchange in the middle, and Bermudez takes a hard right hand! Blood is already flowing here, can’t tell from who. Stephens is bleeding. Now Bermudez lands a big shot on Stephens, and they go to the fence. Bermudez working knees into Stephens’ thighs, and now he stoops low and grabs his legs and drops him softly to the canvas. Now Bermudez gets his back, he is landing punches to the left side of Stephens’ face. Blood continues to pour out of Stephens’ head. I guess it was a headbutt that got him bloodied up, they are leaving a smear of it down the length of the links. Bermudez is fishing for Stephens’ neck, and with the slickness of all the blood slips off. They stand. Leg kick from Bermudez. They both wing overhands and each of them land! Wow. That was a great exchange right in the middle. Bermudez, the wrestler, drops in for a takedown and Stephens sprawls. To the fence they go. Again, Bermudez doing the work, knees and elbows. He has Stephens posted there, and he is trying to drop him on the fence. They break, and exchange kicks as the round ends. MMA Fighting scores R1 for Bermudez, 10-9.
Round 2: Stephens has been squeegeed off. They comes out slinging leg kicks, and he hits bone on the knee. Bermudez sort of buckled there. Nice right hand from Bermudez, and as he comes in to deliver more Stephens drops him with a big right hand! Now Stephens is pouring it on. Bermudez is able to recover. Bermudez is limping. Stephens seizing control of this round so far. Another leg kick from Stephens, and Bermudez is favoring his left leg. Another counter left cross from Stephens as Bermudez came in. That leg is hurt, clearly. Uppercut from Stephens there, and now drops him with a left. Bermudez is in trouble. This is an action fight! Damn. Bermudez bulldozes Stephens into the fence and he goes back to work. Might be a smart play. But they break, and Stephens lands a knee on the parting, right to the head. Superman punch from Bermudez lands! Wow. What a fight. Bermudez ducks under a big overhand and lands a counter, and now ducks down again and tries for a takedown. Again, Stephens sprawls. They go to the fence. Bermudez very busy with small punches on the fence, trying to trip the stout Stephens down. They break. Leg kick from Bermudez. Both swing, and Bermudez gets the better of that exchange. Takedown from Stephens there, and they tumble momentarily, but back up — and they roll to the fence at round’s end. MMA Fighting scores R2 for Stephens, 10-9 (19-19 overall)
Round 3: