(Luckily, Josh is no stranger to awkwardly intimate encounters. / Photo via MMAJunkie)
The UFC is back on network television tonight with a four-fight FOX broadcast, live from Chicago’s United Center. In the main event, former lightweight champion Benson Henderson attempts to rebound against Josh Thomson, who may earn a title shot with a win here. Plus, heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and Stipe Miocic throw bombs until one of them needs to sit down for a while, Donald Cerrone fights some guy he’s never heard of, and Darren Elkins and Jeremy Stephens face off for the right be taken seriously in the featherweight division.
Handling our liveblog of the UFC on FOX 10 main card broadcast is Aaron Mandel, who will be tossing round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and be sure to tell us how you feelin’ in the comments section. Thanks for coming.
Preliminary Card Results
– Alex Caceres def. Sergio Pettis via submission, 4:39 of round 3 (rear-naked choke)
– Eddie Wineland def. Yves Jabouin via TKO, 4:16 of round 2
– Chico Camus def. Yaotzin Meza via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
– Hugo Viana def. Ramiro Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Daron Cruickshank def. Mike Rio via TKO, 4:56 of round 2
– George Sullivan def. Mike Rhodes via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Nikita Krylov def. Walt Harris via TKO, 0:25 of round 1
Alright PotatoHeads, it’s time for the main card, refresh early and often for round by round commentary and results, and if you were lucky enough to hear it on the prelims, perhaps Joe Rogan will repeat his hilarious critiques of the FOX robot.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Darren Elkins
Round 1- Low kick lands from Stephens. Body kick from Stephens. Shot by Elkins easily stuffed, which does not bode well for the wrestler. Uppercut lands from Stephens. Low kick from Stephens. Two huge punches miss from Stephens. Takedown from Elkins misses badly. Elkins slips and Stephens lands on top and hits an elbow as he works to half guard. Stephens stands up to put it back to striking. Good right-left from Stephens. Single from Elkins and Stephens fights it off by jumping three feet in the air trying to knee him while Elkins holds him aloft. They push against the cage and Stephens is able to fight Elkins off and separate back to striking range. Uppercut and a left from Stephens. Left from Elkins grazes Stephens who just took a deep breath. Huge punches from Stephens but not landing clean and he is putting everything behind them. Right lands for Stephens as does a knee. Good body kick by Stephens. Elkins comes forward with two strikes but they don’t land and the round ends, all Stephens. 10-9 Stephens.
Round 2- Elkins lands a right but Stephens cracks him right back and Elkins seems a little wobbled. Left high kick grazes Elkins. Takedown easily stuffed by Stephens. Right lands from Stephens. A left tags Stephens and Elkins shoots for a takedown against the cage, Stephens fighting it off. Stephens separates and starts winging punches again. Low kick by Stephens as Elkins shoots and it looked painful, although MMA in general looks painful to a wimp like me. Front kick partially lands by Elkins and he follows it with a left. Right kick by Elkins and Stephens cracks a right uppercut. Elkins shoots for a single leg takedown, stuffed again by Stephens. Head kick by Elkins partially blocked. Body kick by Elkins. Body kick by Stephens now. Left hand lands from Stephens and Elkins is cut under his right eye. 10-9 Stephens.
Round 3- Stephens is in control here, let’s see if he coasts or looks to finish. Low kick by Stephens. Body kick by Elkins is caught by Stephens who takes him down but lands in a guillotine. Stephens works out of the guillotine but it was close and Elkins rolls for the guillotine again, has it for a moment but Stephens rolls out and smartly stands up. Kick from Stephens caught and Elkins tries to take him down but Stephens throws him off. Right to the body, left to the head by Stephens. Another takedown stuffed by Stephens and his sprawl and brawl is really working. Headkicks miss by both fighters. Left hook lands from Stephens. Elkins may have clipped Stephens, he ran back and seemed tentative, Elkins charges in swinging and Stephens takes Elkins down, Elkins immediately goes for another guillotine and it is tight but the horn sounds and we are done, wow that was almost a last second hail mary but should be a comfortable decision for Stephens.
Jeremy Stephens defeats Darren Elkins by unanimous decison (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Donald Cerrone vs. Adriano Martins
Martins is sponsored by a sushi delivery company and an oil company, this guy has nothing to lose!
Round 1- Body kick by Martins and it may have hurt Cerrone ala his Pettis fight. Cerrone recovering and throwing kicks of his own. Good leg kick by Cerrone. Head kick misses by Cerrone who follows with a front kick and leg kick. Martins landing some shots in a good exchange. Another leg kick by Cerrone whose corner is urging him not to wait. Martins lands a good shot and Cerrone shoots for a takedown, goes right into full mount but Martins bounces back to the feet all in about 15 seconds. Body kick by Cerrone. Right jab lands for Cerrone along with another body kick. Right head kick lands on the button from Cerrone and Martins falls forward and is out. Good sportsmanship from Cerrone who avoids any unnecessary strikes.
Cerrone was looking rather pedestrian until the kick, but BOOM, that was all it took. It was well set up with the steady diet of body kicks and this could be KOTN and yet another bonus for Cerrone.
Donald Cerrone defeats Adriano Martins via KO, 4:40 round 1
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Stipe Miocic
This should be an interesting style matchup, Gonzaga is clearly more accomplished on the ground but can tend to fall in love with his striking, where Miocic has had his success. The winner of this will jump near the top 5 at heavyweight.
Round 1- Leg kick by Gonzaga thuds into Miocic to start and Miocic sends one of his own back. Right hand lands for Gonzaga but Miocic takes it and fires back. Another leg kick from each fighter and they are hard ones. Left jab by Gonzaga. Overhand right by Gonzaga and another low kick. Overhand right again by Gonzaga but Miocic is blocking and absorbing and firing back. Miocic slips on a kick and Gonzaga closes the distance and tries for a takedown but Miocic spins away. Big right hands lands from Gonzaga but Miocic seems fine. Gonzaga catches a Miocic leg kick and fires a few clean punches back. Gonzaga shoots a double leg and brings Miocic down but Miocic pops back up. Gonzaga breathing heavily now after that mostly failed takedown and it could be a factor as Miocic looks fresh despite eating lots of kicks and punches. 10-9 Gonzaga.
Round 2- Leg kick to start by Gonzaga. Stiff jab by Miocic and an inside leg kick. Gonzaga looks for a takedown but Miocic sprawls and defends, blocking a Gonzaga high kick on the way out. Left hook by Gonzaga and pawing jabs and a straight by Miocic. Gonzaga appears to be fading a bit with three minutes left. Miocic is picking his volume up. Gonzaga has thrown nothing in the last minute. Left head kick from Gonzaga blocked and he sends one low before going back into a largely defensive shell. Gonzaga falls forward for a takedown but it isn’t pretty and Miocic sprawls out with ease. Miocic has been teeing off for the last three minutes, Gonzaga blocked most of it but he just stopped throwing early in the round, this could get ugly in the third round. 10-9 Miocic.
Round 3- Leg kick from Gonzaga and a punch, he needs to finish in the early going here because he looks faded. Miocic working a high rate of punches but nothing landing clean. Leg kick by Miocic. Gonzaga shoots for a takedown which fails. Gonzaga tries some kicks and punches but nothing lands, Miocic keeping up a good work rate. Gonzaga slips and falls back to guard. Miocic stands over him landing punches. Gonzaga gets up but slips again and lays back in guard with Miocic standing over him. Gonzaga seems content to lay down and rest which is also my plan tonight. Miocic finally dives in with hammer fists sitting up in half guard. Gonzaga ties up from the bottom but he’s gassed. Miocic postures up and lands some big strikes. Gonzaga gets up with twenty seconds left and throws a few desperate strikes as the round ends. The Gonzaga from round 1 and round 3 don’t even seem like the same person, fatigue is a powerful beast. 10-9 Miocic.
Stipe Miocic defeats Gabriel Gonzaga via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
And as predicted at the beginning, Joe Rogan clowns on the FOX robot, “they should throw that thing in the garbage.”
Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson
They check Henderson for a toothpick at the prep point and it’s main event time! Winner of this may get a title shot and settle all of those WEC/Strikeforce debates that no one had, ever.
Round 1- Something tells me I might be furiously touch typing for 5 rounds here…and we’re set, touch of the gloves and high kick from Henderson to open but it’s blocked. Punches from Henderson as he flurries in on Thomson who ties up Henderson and throws him to the ground! Thomson takes Henderson’s back with a body triangle locked in. Henderson turtles up and Thomson flattens him out. Henderson rolls and Thomson still has his back but is pressed against the fence. Thomson wrenches the shoulder joint looking for an armbar or a choke. Henderson staying calm but not in a good place. Henderson stands up with Thomson still attached to his back. Henderson leans against the fence giving Thomson a free ride on his back. Henderson maneuvers out out into a clinch with over/under. Henderson puts Thomson against the cage in the clinch but Thomson reverses. Henderson works knees and then takes Thomson down. Thomson stands back up but Henderson applies a standing arm triangle! Henderson cranks it and then falls to his back with the arm triangle locked in. Thomson frees himself, stands back up and then picks up Henderson and slams him down as the round ends. Wild round, great grappling! 10-9 Thomson.
Round 2- Body punch from Henderson to start and then another. Stepping knee lands to the body for Henderson, Thomson catches the leg and tries to work a takedown but cannot. Henderson clinches again and looks for the standing arm triangle but it’s not there. They clinch along the fence trading knees and kicks. Big John McCarthy splits them up and Henderson comes in with a knee, they clinch and Thomson picks him up and slams Henderson down, takes his back again and puts on the body triangle! Henderson stands up with Thomson on his back, Thomson releases his hold and they separate. Running body punch from Henderson. Thomson seems content to wait for Henderson to come in and then try to grapple. The action heats up with an exchange and Henderson runs in with another body punch and kick to the left side of Thomson’s body. Thomson catches the kick and tries for a takedown but Henderson shows great balance and stays up. Close round, 10-9 Henderson?
Round 3- Henderson comes out flying with a superman punch and strikes and drives Thomson to the mat. Henderson on top in full guard but Thomson works back to the feet. Henderson takes Thomson’s back standing and Rogan thinks Thomson broke his right hand last round which might explain his lack of striking engagement. They separate back to the feet and Henderson works another strong right hook to the body, he’s thrown a lot of those and they appear to be landing effectively. They clinch along the cage and then spin out to the middle of the cage. Thomson throws a right elbow. Henderson with a body kick that Thomson tries to catch but can’t. Thomson goes for a takedown but cannot complete it and they clinch along the cage. Henderson cracks Thomson with an elbow. Good knee from Henderson, Thomson tries for a takedown but can’t get it. Thomson slips on a kick and Henderson lands on top in side control. North-south for Henderson and Josh spins out, grimacing noticeably as he pushes off the ground with his presumably broken hand. Thomson throws a cartwheel kick that misses and he is slowing down, maybe due to the hand. 10-9 Henderson.
Round 4- Powerful body kick by Henderson which Thomson catches. Another kick from Henderson. Low kick from Henderson. Thomson closes the distance and hits a trip takedown on Henderson, on top in half guard. Henderson uses rubber guard from the bottom and works strikes from the bottom as well as elbowing the shoulder of Thomson who is stuck. Thomson pulls his head out, briefly stands, dives back in with punches and rolls for top control. Henderson powers up and hits a takedown and elbows of his own. Henderson on top with Thomson against the cage. Thomson climbs to his feet as Henderson knees his thighs. Henderson front kicking Thomson’s calves against the cage, weird! They separate and Thomson clinches and gets another takedown and the body triangle. Never seen Henderson taken down this much. Henderson stands again, fixes his hair, and oh yea Thomson is still attached to his back. Thomson hypes the crowd from Henderson’s back and then falls back down to the mat, wild! 10-9 Henderson.
Round 5- By my very amateur scorecard it’s 3-1 in rounds for Henderson going into the 5th, Ariel Helwani has it exact opposite, 3-1 Thomson. Henderson misses with a right hook and lands one to the body. Another huge knee to the body for Henderson. Leg kick from Henderson. Thomson cracks Henderson with his right hand! Leg kick by Thomson drops Henderson but he pops right up. Three high kicks in a row from Henderson followed by a low kick and you know it’s hurting Thomson to block these. Rogan thinks Thomson is down and needs to go for broke, thanks for having my back! Josh catches Hendo’s kick and throws him violently to the ground, takes his back but Henderson stands. Thomson on Henderson’s back against the cage. Josh desperately trying to spin Henderson to the ground as they clinch with one minute left. Clinch grappling all the way here. They split with 20 seconds left and the horn sounds. 10-9 Henderson. I think it will be 49-46 Henderson but shit, who knows? The closest the fight came to being finished was in round 1 by Thomson but there were never any real fight changing moments, just a solid back and forth war.
Benson Henderson defeats Josh Thomson via split decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-48)
And instead of an interview with either fighter we get a UFC 169 promo, wtf?
And that’s all folks!