Join us here at Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, and play-by-play (main event) as UFC Fight Night: Cruz vs. Vera goes down from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
The main event for this fight night will take place in the bantamweight division, with former champ Dominick Cruz trying to make one last run at another title run when he takes on the surging Marlon Vera. The co-main comes at featherweight, with Nate Landwehr meeting David Onama.
This will be an ESPN show and is going down at the usual time. The seven-fight preliminary card is scheduled to start at 4pm ET/1pm PT on ESPN and ESPN+. The six-fight main card will stay on ESPN and ESPN+ and that is scheduled to start at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Marlon Vera vs. Dominick Cruz
Round 1 – Cruz presses forward right away as Vera staying ducking down for a second after the fight started. He presses with a three-punch combo. Jab from Vera. Cruz feinting a ton. Low kick from Cruz knocks Vera off balance. Front kick from Vera and Cruz catches it to take Vera down. He lets him up though. Vera almost catches a kick. Vera drops Cruz with a left! He’s up right away though and resets. Low kicks and mad pressure from Cruz. High kick. Jab to the body. Vera backs off as Cruz throws five or six in a row. Cruz with a wide right and he’s faking knees. Low kick. Frot kick to the belly from Vera. Cruz backs him all the way across the cage with a barrage of punches, some of which land. Vera with a straight right. Cruz with a takedown. He’s in Vera’s closed guard. Vera with elbows from the bottom. He almost secures an armbar but Cruz flips out of it. He’s kicking the legs on a downed Vera now. 10-9 Vera for the knockdown, but Cruz controlled.
Round 2 – Cruz with a right. Hard low kick from Cruz. They exchange. Two body kicks from Cruz are blocked. Vera presses with a kick and they exchange. Oblique kicks rom Vera. Cruz attacks, Vera slides away. Hard body shot and right from Cruz. Another big right. Inside leg kick. Back to the body. Body kick from Vera. Low kick from Vera. They trade punches. Front kick from Vera. Low kick and a combo from Cruz. Cruz digs to the body and comes over the top. Vera clubs him back. Vera lands a body kick as Cruz misses with the right. He lands the next one though. Straight right from Cruz. Cruz shoots but gets stuffed. Left from Vera. Cruz returns it. 10-9 Cruz.
Round 3 – Inside leg kick from Cruz. Low kick and a huge combo from Cruz! Short right from Vera. Side kick from Vera. Cruz slips on one of his juke moves. Leg kick from Vera. Vera clubs Cruz and drops him again!! He’s right back up again an coming forward. Side kick from Vera. Vera with a straight right. Low kick from Cruz, and a body kick. Vera with a left. Cruz shoots, Vera sprawls and cracks him with a left. Vera much more confident now. Vera deftly avoids a combo. Cruz lands the next right though. Front kick from Vera. Jab from Cruz as Vera circles. Cruz with two rights and shoots. Big elbows from Vera. Cruz spins and misses and they break. Two lefts from Vera. 10-9 Vera.
Round 4 – Front kick from Cruz. Cruz shoots, Vera sprawls again. Nice right from Cruz and a leg kick stumbles Vera. Cruz staying very active, as expected. Cruz to the body. Jab from Vera drops Cruz AGAIN! He’s back up but he’s a little wobbly this time. He presses back. Counter jab from Vera. Left from Vera. HEAD KICK FROM VERA KNOCKS CRUZ CLEAN OUT! OH MY GOD!
Marlon Vera defeated Dominick Cruz via KO (head kick), 2:17 of round 4
Main Card (7 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN+)
Nate Landwehr def. David Onama via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28
Yazmin Jauregui def. Iasmin Lucindo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Azamat Murzakanov def. Devin Clark via TKO (punches), 1:18 of round 3
Priscila Cachoeira def. Ariane Lipski via TKO (punches), 1:05 of round 1
Gerald Meerschaert def. Bruno Silva via submission (guillotine choke), 1:39 of round 3
Preliminary Card (4 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN+)
Angela Hill def. Loopy Godinez by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Martin Buday def. Lukasz Brzeski by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Nina Nunes def. Cynthia Calvillo by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Gabriel Benitez def. Charlie Ontiveros by TKO (punches) at 3:35 of Round 1
Tyson Nam def. Ode’ Osbourne by KO (punches) at 2:59 of Round 1
Josh Quinlan def. Jason Witt by KO (punch) at 2:09 of Round 1
Youssef Zalal vs. Da’Mon Blackshear ends in majority draw (28-29, 28-28, 28-28)