The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its first trip to CotaiArena in Cotai, Macau tonight for UFC on Fuel TV 6: “Franklin vs Le.” The event was headlined by a middleweight matchup between former UFC champion Rich “Ace” Franklin and one-time Strikeforce 185-pound titleholder Cung Le.

Also on the card, Thiago Silva faced unbeaten Bulgarian prospect Stanislav Nedkov in a light heavyweight showdown. Paulo Thiago faced Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim at welterweight, while Takanori “Fireball Kid” Gomi battled Mac Danzig at 155. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

 

Cung Le vs Rich “Ace” Franklin

Round 1:
The opening round began with cautious kicks and jabs from both fighters. Franklin threw lead right hooks and landed a nice left, followed by a combination. Le came up short with his kicks, but he landed a crushing right hand that sent an unconscious Franklin crashing to the canvas. Vicious knockout win for Le.

Winner: Cung Le by KO (Punch) at 2:17 of round one. He improves to 9-2-0.

 

Thiago Silva vs Stanislav Nedkov

Round 1:
Nedkov rushed in with punches that backed Silva up to the cage to start the fight. He clinched and both fighters threw knees. Silva punched over the top, but fell while throwing a knee. Silva stood and both men teed off with big punches before clinching again. Silva backed away after landing a knee and avoided Nedkov’s punches. Two hard leg kicks from Silva prompted Nedkov to answer back with a flurry of punches.

Back in the clinch, Nedkov kneed the body and Silva punched with his free hand. More knees were exchanged and Silva landed a big one to the chest. Nedkov punched his way into another clinch and Silva countered with more knees. Nedkov punched over the top and held Silva against the fence. The round ended in the clinch. Close opening round. 10-9 Silva.

Round 2:
Silva opened round two with another hard leg kick, but his second kick struck Nedkov in the groin and time was called. Action resumed and Silva threw a kick to the upper body. Nedkov clinched and Silva tried to counter with knees. Referee Steve Perceval separated the fighters and both landed winging punches before clinching yet again. Silva landed knees to the body and circled away.

Nedkov slowed down and Silva took advantage by kicking and kneeing to the body. Nedkov flurried and clinched, but Silva was the more active fighter and he continued to land knees. Silva escaped the clinch again and kicked to the body. Nedkov appeared to be fatigued and struggled to counter as Silva kicked at his leg. Finally, a big right hand from Nedkov dropped Silva and Nedkov ended the round on top. 10-9 Nedkov, barely, due to the late knockdown.

Round 3:
Silva was more aggressive with his punches in the final round and he rocked Nedkov with a combination and a head kick. Nedkov turned his back and Silva took him down. Silva landed punches from the top and moved to mount, then locked on an arm-triangle choke. He passed to the side to complete the choke and Nedkov tapped out, marking the first finish of the night.

Winner: Thiago Silva by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 1:45 of round three. He improves to 15-3-0, 1 NC.

 

Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim vs Paulo Thiago

Round 1:
Kim tried for a takedown right away and Thiago countered with a standing Brabo Choke. He let it go and Kim took him down. Kim transitioned to Thiago’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke. Thiago defended against the choke and Kim threw punches from the back. He switched between punches and rear-naked choke attempts all the way until the final 15 seconds. Kim then locked on a tight neck crank, but Thiago survived until the bell. 10-9 Kim.

Round 2:
Kim again tried to take the fight to the mat in round two, but this time Thiago countered with a Kimura and he maintained his grip as he fell to his back. Kim moved to partial back control and threw knees to the thigh as Thiago refused to relinquish his grip on Kim’s right arm. The fighters eventually scrambled and Kim briefly got to Thiago’s back, but Thiago stood and landed a knee. Kim swept out his leg and threw short punches with his left hand. He closed out the round with a Brabo Choke. 10-9 Kim.

Round 3:
The pace slowed somewhat in round three as the fighters traded single kicks and punches. Kim eventually initiated a clinch and dragged Thiago to the mat. Kim took Thiago’s back and held on as Thiago tried to shrug him off. Kim postured up and landed punches from the back as Thiago covered up and attempted to defend. More punches landed for Kim and he began to rain down Mongolian chops that brought the crowd to life. 10-8 Kim.

Winner: Dong Hyun Kim by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 16-2-1, 1 ND.

 

Takanori “Fireball Kid” Gomi vs Mac Danzig

Round 1:
Gomi looked to set up a big left hand early on as Danzig kicked from a distance. Gomi began to mix in kicks of his own and flurried with punches to the head and body. After an exchange of left hooks, Danzig secured a Thai clinch and landed knees. Gomi took him down, but he could not hold him there for long and Danzig returned to his feet. Gomi continued to mix up his strikes with punches and leg kicks. Danzig scored a takedown and landed punches in the final 15 seconds. Gomi countered with a heel hook before the bell. 10-9 Gomi.

Round 2:
Both fighters jabbed in round two and Gomi followed with left hooks. Danzig clinched, but Gomi punched his way free. Gomi flurried to the body and head and he kept Danzig backing up. Stiff jabs and leg kicks landed for Gomi, who continued to throw punches in succession. Danzig snuck in a left hook, but it seemed to have little effect. Gomi jabbed again and avoided a front kick. Danzig took Gomi down and passed to half-guard, then locked on a guillotine choke in a scramble. Danzig pulled guard with the choke, but Gomi survived until the bell. 10-9 Danzig.

Round 3:
Gomi rocked Danzig with a counter right hook just seconds into the final round and Danzig stumbled backwards. He fell to the ground and Gomi punched from the top. Gomi stood and tried for a toe hold as Danzig attempted a heel hook and then a toe hold of his own. Gomi wound up in Danzig’s guard and Danzig battled back to his feet.

Danzig stuffed a takedown and tried to take Gomi’s back. Gomi stood and the fighters clinched against the cage. They separated and traded big punches. Danzig shot in for a takedown, but Gomi defended. Danzig landed a series of uppercuts and Gomi answered with hooks. 10-9 Gomi.

Winner: Takanori Gomi by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 34-8-0, 1 ND.

 

Jon “Super Saiyan” Tuck vs Tiequan “The Wolf” Zhang

Round 1:
Tuck threw a flying knee early in the fight and both men landed hooks in close. Zhang scored a big takedown, but Tuck countered with an armbar from the bottom. The fighters rolled on the ground and Zhang managed to escape the armbar by trapping Tuck in an inverted triangle choke. Tuck scrambled and took Zhang’s back in search of a rear-naked choke. He switched to mount, but Zhang kicked him off.

Tuck moved to side control and then back to mount. Zhang gave up his back and Tuck looked for a rear-naked choke once more. He nearly got it, but Zhang managed to break Tuck’s grip. Tuck punched from the back and tried to transition to an armbar late in the round. Zhang escaped to his feet and Tuck threw a head kick just before the bell sounded. 10-9 Tuck. Close to a 10-8.

Round 2:
The second round began with a huge exchange of punches and Zhang landed a vicious left hook that opened a cut on Tuck’s forehead. He took Tuck down and struck from the top until Tuck tried for an armbar. Zhang quickly escaped, but Tuck took top position. He used a straight armbar attempt to set up a move to mount and worked for a top-side triangle choke. When that didn’t work, Tuck switched to back control and he stayed there until the end of the round. 10-9 Tuck.

Round 3:
Zhang flurried with punches in the final round, but Tuck countered nicely with jabs that repeatedly found their mark. Zhang rocked Tuck with a three-punch combo, but Tuck quickly recovered and rushed in with a flying knee. Zhang landed more punches and Tuck attempted another flying knee. Looping hooks scored for both fighters and Zhang remained the aggressor as Tuck began to slow down. In the final seconds, Tuck tried for a flying knee and Zhang answered with an uppercut. 10-9 Zhang.

Winner: Jon Tuck by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 7-0-0.

 

Takeya Mizugaki vs Jeff “Hellbound” Hougland

Round 1:
Both fighters landed right hooks to open the fight and Mizugaki retreated after he was poked in the eye. The fight continued on and more punches were exchanged. Hougland countered Mizugaki’s leg kicks with a right hook and a takedown attempt. He managed to get Mizugaki down to a knee, but Mizugaki stood and reversed the takedown. Hougland worked for an armbar from the bottom and Mizugaki punched free.

Mizugaki rained down more big shots and briefly passed to side control as Hougland tried to stand. Hougland flopped to his back and Mizugaki teed off with punches. Hougland managed to tie up Mizugaki in an arm-triangle choke from the bottom, but Mizugaki broke free and continued his assault from the top. In the final 20 seconds, Mizugaki landed more punches to close out the round. 10-9 Mizugaki.

Round 2:
Hougland clinched against the cage in the second round and Mizugaki countered with a standing elbow. He used a body-lock takedown to get Hougland down and picked up where he left off in round one with more punches and elbows. Hougland rolled, but Mizugaki kept him pinned down and continued to strike from the top. The fighters were stood up and Mizugaki landed a big left hook that forced Hougland to dive for a takedown. He wound up on the bottom and Mizugaki punched until the bell. 10-9 Mizugaki.

Round 3:
Mizugaki dropped Hougland with a right hook in round two, but Hougland got back to his feet and slammed Mizugaki to the mat. Mizugaki scrambled and wound up on top. Mizugaki methodically worked from the top until referee Steve Perceval stood the fighters up. Mizugaki promptly took Hougland back down and opened a bad cut on Hougland’s eyebrow with an elbow. He continued to punish Hougland with punches until the end of the one-sided fight. 10-9 Mizugaki.

Winner: Takeya Mizugaki by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 16-7-2.

 

Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres vs Motonobu Tezuka

Round 1:
Tezuka countered a lead right hook with a takedown attempt in round one and got it against the cage. He avoided a Caceres triangle choke attempt and moved to side control. Referee Marc Goddard stood the fighters up and Tezuka attempted another takedown. Caceres reversed, but had to fight off an armbar and a heel hook attempt. Caceres secured back control and closed out the round with two hard elbows from the top. 10-9 Caceres.

Round 2:
Caceres landed a spinning back kick to the body in round two and avoided a takedown attempt. Tezuka caught a kick and took Caceres down. Caceres prevented Tezuka from landing much of anything and scrambled back to his feet. Caceres attempted a flying knee and Tezuka latched onto a leg in search of a takedown. Caceres broke away and pawed out with jabs and lead hooks. Tezuka grabbed Caceres’s leg again and both fighters landed right hooks. A jumping switch knee scored for Caceres at the bell. 10-9 Caceres.

Round 3:
Caceres twice fell to the mat while throwing flashy strikes in the final round. He jabbed and backed Tezuka up with a one-two. Hard punches were exchanged and Tezuka landed a right hook before dropping levels for a takedown. Caceres pushed Tezuka away and landed a left cross. Tezuka ducked into a knee, but he continued to push forward with punches and both fighters landed. Caceres countered a takedown with an inverted triangle choke as time expired. 10-9 Caceres.

Winner: Alex Caceres by Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 8-5-0.

 

John “Hands of Stone” Lineker vs Yasuhiro Urushitani

Round 1:
Quick leg kicks were exchanged in the opening minute and Urushitani landed a head kick that got Lineker’s attention. A knee partially landed for Urushitani and the fighters traded kicks again. Lineker looked to set up a big right hook, but came up short. He landed a counter left, however, and flurried in close. Urushitani landed another knee and a kick to the upper body. Lineker dropped him with a left hook, but Urushitani returned to his feet. Close round. 10-9 Lineker due to the late knockdown.

Round 2:
Lineker opened round two with a spinning back kick to the body and the fighters traded power punches in close. Urushitani kicked to the leg and head, but Lineker countered nicely with punches to the midsection. A left cross from Urushitani snapped Lineker’s head back, but it only seemed to anger Lineker and he swarmed with punches. Urushitani circled out and both fighters landed leg kicks.

Lineker landed a counter left hook and another leg kick. Urushitani kept his distance as Lineker tried to close in. Time was called after Urushitani was poked in the eye. The fight continued and Lineker landed a one-two. After an exchange of jabs, the fighters traded lead hooks and Lineker kicked at Urushitani’s leg. Lineker remained active with more punches and kicks in the dying seconds. 10-9 Lineker.

Round 3:
The fighters went kick-for-kick to begin round three and Lineker sent Urushitani to the mat with a right hook. Urushitani stood and fired off more kicks. Lineker landed a hard left hook and followed with a pair of one-twos that backed Urushitani up. Big punches landed for both fighters and Urushitani followed with a flying knee. Lineker rushed in with punches and Urushitani retreated.

Lineker landed another combination and Urushitani responded with a body kick. Lineker scored with more punches and avoided a takedown attempt. He reversed a clinch against the cage and landed punches with his left hand as a kneeling Urushitani returned to his feet. Urushitani attempted a lunging one-two and Lineker quickly countered. A solid left hook scored for Urushitani late in the round. 10-9 Lineker.

Winner: John Lineker by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 20-6-0.

 

Riki Fukuda vs Tom DeBlass

Round 1:
DeBlass kicked at Fukuda’s legs from a distance early on, but Fukuda closed in and took him down against the cage. Fukuda avoided upkicks and punched to the body. DeBlass worked back to his feet and the fighters traded lead hooks. More punches were exchanged and time was called after DeBlass was poked in the eye. Action resumed and Fukuda tried for another takedown.

DeBlass stayed up and circled out of the clinch. He countered a Fukuda leg kick with a nice right hand and a kick of his own. Fukuda targeted the body with kicks and DeBlass cracked him with a counter left. DeBlass attempted a head kick, but Fukuda took him down and threw short punches to the head and body. He stood over DeBlass just before the bell. Very close first round. 10-9 Fukuda.

Round 2:
DeBlass countered a jab with a quick one-two in the second round and the fighters exchanged knees to the body in the clinch. Fukuda backed away and landed a leg kick that set off an exchange of kicks and power punches. Both fighters landed and Fukuda appeared to pick up the pace. He backed DeBlass up with a leg kick and a lead right hook and clinched against the cage. DeBlass punched his way free.

Both fighters scored with left and right hooks in close. DeBlass countered many of Fukuda’s strikes, but Fukuda landed a hard left hook and clinched again. DeBlass worked his way free and threw a side kick to the body. Fukuda clinched and kneed to the body. He remained active with his strikes and kept DeBlass on the defensive. Fukuda flurried and landed some solid punches in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Fukuda.

Round 3:
Fukuda opened round three with a leg kick and avoided a combination from DeBlass. He backed DeBlass up with punches and DeBlass tried to answer with a flurry in return. Fukuda got the better of the exchange and took DeBlass down. Fukuda punched from the top and eventually moved to half-guard. DeBlass regained full guard and tried for an armbar, but Fukuda easily evaded and landed a hard right hand. The fighters were stood up and Fukuda landed a head kick. He clinched and scored with knees and a solid combination. 10-9 Fukuda.

Winner: Riki Fukuda by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-6-0.