Eddie Wineland vs Brad “One Punch” Pickett
Round 1:
Both fighters scored with right hands early in the fight. Pickett snuck in two short hooks, but Wineland rocked him with an uppercut and follow-up rights. Pickett recovered and walked forward with punches. Wineland dropped him to a knee with two more counter rights, but Pickett again recovered quickly. He landed a lunging right hand of his own, but Wineland continued to tag him with counters. 10-9 Wineland.
Round 2:
Pickett was able to land a combination in the opening seconds of round two. Wineland circled out and countered an uppercut with pawing right hands. Pickett kicked at Wineland’s leg and Wineland threw quick punches in return, to varying degrees of success. A short uppercut landed for Wineland and he followed with jabs. Pickett cut Wineland near the right eye with a left hook and the fighters traded hard right hands in the dying seconds. Close round. 10-9 Wineland.
Round 3:
Pickett pressed the action with punches in the final round. Wineland countered and kept his distance. A nice leg kick scored for Pickett and he followed with a lunging right hook. Pickett continued to mix up his strikes with kicks and punches, but Wineland remained effective with his counters. Wineland began to catch kicks from Pickett and immediately answered with right hands. Pickett stayed active and Wineland landed another counter combination before the final bell. Another close round. 10-9 Wineland.
Winner: Eddie Wineland by Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 20-8-1.
Erik “El Goyito” Perez vs Byron Bloodworth
Round 1:
Bloodworth landed overhand rights that prompted Perez to clinch early in the fight. Perez threw knees to the body and Bloodworth reversed against the cage. A knee to the body dropped Bloodworth and Perez punched from the top in Bloodworth’s guard. More punches and elbows scored for Perez as the round progressed. Perez cut Bloodworth with elbows and battered him with punches. Bloodworth turtled and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Erik Perez by TKO (Punches & Elbows) at 3:50 of round one. He improves to 13-4-0.
Jamie “C-4” Varner vs Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard
Round 1:
Guillard kept his distance and landed leg kicks early in the fight. Varner pushed forward with a one-two that partially landed. Guillard looked to clinch and Varner punched his way free. Varner tried to counter leg kicks from Guillard with lunging punches, but came up short. Guillard missed with a combination and Varner landed one in return. Guillard avoided a takedown attempt, but Varner landed a right hook and a left-right to the body and head. He rocked Guillard with punches and locked on a guillotine choke at the bell. 10-9 Varner due to the late rally.
Round 2:
Varner took Guillard down in round two, but Guillard scrambled up and threw Varner to the ground. Varner stood and fought free of a guillotine choke, but Guillard landed a knee on the break. He followed with a head kick and a stiff jab. A combination scored for Varner and Guillard answered with an uppercut. Varner took him down and landed punches as Guillard stood up. Guillard jabbed and kicked at Varner’s leg. Time was called after Guillard was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and Guillard landed punches and a body kick. 10-9 Guillard.
Round 3:
Varner was able to take Guillard down in the early goings of round three and landed punches. He dropped back for a Peruvian Necktie attempt, but lost the position and Guillard struck from Varner’s guard. Guillard landed a knee to the body as Varner stood up, but Varner scored another takedown. He landed short punches until Guillard stood up. Varner took him back down and avoided an armbar, but Guillard swept into top position. Varner reversed again and landed more punches. The fighters stood and Guillard landed a hard knee. Varner slammed him on his head and the fight ended with Guillard attempting a leg scissor choke. 10-9 Varner.
Winner: Jamie Varner by Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 21-7-1, 2 NC.
Myles “The Fury” Jury vs Michael “The Menace” Johnson
Round 1:
Johnson countered early leg kicks from Jury with quick left crosses. Jury took Johnson down and briefly passed to mount. Johnson scrambled and Jury tried to take his back. He wound up in Johnson’s half-guard and postured up with big left hands. Johnson did little to defend and Jury mixed in elbows. He continued to strike from the top and looked for a Kimura on Johnson’s right arm. Jury moved to mount and forced Johnson to give up his back by raining down punches. Johnson defended against a rear-naked choke until the bell. 10-8 Jury.
Round 2:
The pace slowed somewhat in round two until Jury landed a head kick 70 seconds in. The fighters traded kicks and Jury took Johnson down. From the top in Johnson’s guard, Jury landed punches and elbows and avoided Johnson’s attempts to set up a submission. Jury landed more elbows in the final minute. 10-9 Jury.
Round 3:
Johnson was aggressive with punches in the final round, but Jury stayed out of range. He backed Johnson up against the cage and tripped him to the mat. Jury alternated between half-guard and side control in his pursuit to make it to full mount. He stood up and dropped three elbows on Johnson’s face, then moved to S-mount. Jury stayed on top and continued to punish Johnson with punches and elbows until just before the end of the fight. 10-9 Jury. Borderline 10-8.
Winner: Myles Jury by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 11-0-0.
Todd Duffee vs Philip De Fries
Round 1:
Duffee landed a hard leg kick and swarmed with knees early on. De Fries took Duffee down and landed big right hands. The fighters separated and traded punches. Duffee landed a right uppercut that stunned De Fries and rushed in with more punches. He teed off until De Fries finally fell to the mat.
Winner: Todd Duffee by TKO (Punches) at 2:04 of round one. He improves to 8-2-0.
Max “Blessed” Holloway vs Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia
Round 1:
Holloway landed leg kicks early on and followed with a right hook. Garcia answered with an overhand right, but Holloway dropped him with a lunging left. Garcia recovered and stood up. The fighters traded more punches and Holloway targeted the leg with kicks again. Holloway landed a one-two in close, but Garcia countered with a flurry and a hard right hook. Holloway scored with two spinning back kicks and three left hooks. Garcia pushed forward with more right hands and a head kick. Close round. 10-9 Holloway.
Round 2:
Holloway flurried in round two and just missed with a spinning hook kick. He began to target the body and put together another combination of punches and a kick to the chest. Hard punches were exchanged and Garcia took Holloway down. Holloway stood and landed a short right hand counter. Garcia answered with a hook to the body and both fighters landed right hands. Holloway jabbed, but Garcia cracked him with two looping hooks and clinched. Holloway broke away and both fighters landed knees before the bell. 10-9 Garcia.
Round 3:
Garcia was the aggressor in the final round and he walked Holloway down with looping punches. Garcia threw shots to the head and body until Holloway began to counter. Garcia walked right through them and landed more punches, but Holloway scored with a nice right hook. Garcia took him down and landed knees on the way up. Holloway slowed down and Garcia kicked at his lead leg. Holloway flurried to the head and body and avoided a standing elbow. He fell while throwing a kick and tried for a triangle choke on the ground. Garcia slammed free. 10-9 Garcia.
Winner: Max Holloway by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 7-1-0.
John Moraga vs Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso
Round 1:
Cariaso opened the fight with a leg kick and a head kick. Moraga countered another leg kick with a right cross and a head kick of his own on the way up. He took Cariaso down, but allowed him to stand back up. A short left hook landed for Moraga and Cariaso answered with another head kick. The fighters clinched briefly and traded knees. Cariaso scored with a trio of body kicks and ate a right hand counter. He landed more kicks late in the close round. 10-9 Cariaso, barely.
Round 2:
The fighters exchanged kicks in the opening minute of round two and Moraga backed Cariaso up against the cage. Cariaso countered with knees and Moraga landed a standing elbow. Cariaso continued to throw kicks to the leg and body and followed with one to the head. Cariaso landed another head kick and Moraga replied with two right hands. Moraga threw Cariaso to the mat, but Cariaso stood back up and threw a head kick and a left hook. He took Moraga down and struck from the top. 10-9 Cariaso.
Round 3:
Moraga landed a hard left hook counter and a knee in round three. Cariaso avoided a clinch and threw a head kick. Moraga closed the distance and Cariaso reversed against the cage. Moraga latched onto a guillotine choke and switched to a modified power guillotine. Cariaso sat down to try to escape, but he could not and was forced to submit.
Winner: John Moraga by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:11 of round three. He improves to 13-1-0.