Filed under: UFC
LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 132 undercard live blog for the four non-televised preliminary bouts in support of tonight’s UFC pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The bouts are Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Aaron Simpson vs. Brad Tavares, Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner and Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker.
The first bout is scheduled to begin at 6:15p.m. ET.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: Latest UFC 132 News | UFC 132 Results
Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Round 1:
Aaron Simpson vs. Brad Tavares
Round 1:
Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner
Round 1:
Both men working their punches from a safe, yet not terribly effective distance early on. A sharp right hook from Njokuani catches Winner flush on the jaw. In Winner’s corner, Paul Daley encourages him to get his counters working. Njokuani tries a spinning back elbow that gets jammed up, but then ducks under a Winner punch and lands a nice right hook counter. Njokuani is just a little sharper with his punches right now. Good right uppercut stings Winner. Njokuani slips a jab and fires a right. Daley tells Winner not to jab at his head anymore. Must be nice for Njokuani to know that. Njokuani nails Winner with a hard shot and Winner wobbles back. Njokuani goes in full attack mode now, hammering him with right hands and brutal knees. Winner is reeling, but still on his feet. Njokuani just brutalizing Winner now. Referee Yves Lavigne taking a hard look at it, but somehow Winner survives the round, though he’s not looking so pretty. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Njokuani.Round 2:
Amazingly, Winner seems to have recovered well in the 60 seconds between rounds. His face still shows signs of the beating, but he’s moving well and his punches still have snap. Njokuani stings him with a hard shot that staggers him, and Winner eats another dose of knees against the cage before managing to turn Njokuani. Back to work in the center of the cage after a referee restart, Winner’s corner implores him to feint and move, but it’s all he can do not to get brutalized by Njokuani at the moment. They end the round with Njokuani looking perhaps a little fatigued from his efforts to finish. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Njokuani.Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker
Round 1:
Houghland starts us off with some inside leg kicks. Walker comes in with a right hand and Houghland drops under for a takedown. Walker trying to work the high guard, but Houghland stands up out of it and goes to work with punches from the top. Walker tries to tie him up from the bottom, but Houghland smashes him with a hard elbow in close. Houghland stacks Walker against the cage and sinks an arm-in guillotine. He falls back with it, but Walker doesn’t see too concerned. He holds on and Houghland is eventually forced to relinquish it, with Walker now working from the top. Walker forces Houghland’s ankles up over his head, drawing a titter from the crowd, then works for an anaconda choke, but can’t complete it. Houghland does a nice job of scrambling up off the bottom and puts Walker on his back again. Walker tries for a toe hold in the final seconds, but he’s not even close. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Houghland.Round 2:
It’s back to a kicking contest to start the second round. Houghland is the busier fighter on the feet, which counts for a lot in the judges’ eyes. Nice right hand by Houghland, followed by one from Walker. They’re both opening up with punches now, and Houghland is cut above his eye, near the bridge of his nose. Walker’s trying to come forward behind his left hook, but his punches seem to have lost a lot of their snap. Houghland tries a front kick and Walker seems to think it caught him in the groin. I’ll take his word for it. After the restart Walker attacks Houghland’s legs with kicks, but Houghland hurts him with a punch and knee and then drops immediately into another guillotine. He must think it’s his ace in the hole, but Walker is hanging out in there just fine. Houghland adjusts and squeezes with everything he’s got in the final ten seconds, but Walker lasts until the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Houghland.Round 3:
Walker seems to have a sense of desperation to start the final round. He comes after Houghland hard right off the bat and then stops a Houghland takedown attempt by faceplanting him into the mat. Walker moves for the anaconda again and Houghland goes to his back before locking up an armbar. Walker is in trouble, so he lifts Houghland up and slams his way out. Houghland transitions for a triangle choke, but it’s not there. Walker seems content to survive on top for now, and that prompts a restart by Yamasaki. Houghland goes for another takedown and gets stopped and but on bottom again, but works for the sweep and eventually manages to put Walker on his back. They finish the fight with both men frantically throwing punches and elbows — Houghland from the top and Walker from the bottom — but it’s more light than heat. MMA Fighting scores 10-9 for Walker.Jeff Houghland def. Donny Walker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Former WEC bantamweight champion 
The two best 135-pound fighters in the world will square off some time later this year for the first ever UFC bantamweight title match in what should be a great showcase for what has quietly become one of the UFC’s most talented weight classes.
When the WEC disappears from the series of tubes and dishes that comprise cable TV at the end of this year, there’s some stuff I certainly won’t miss. The local news quality graphics, the budget-saver production values, the pint-sized paychecks – all that can be easily forgotten.