The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 189: “Mendes vs McGregor.” The event was headlined by a UFC Interim Featherweight Championship bout between Chad “Money” Mendes and “The Notorious” Conor McGregor.
In tonight’s co-main event, UFC Welterweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler made the first defence of his title in a rematch against Rory “Red King” MacDonald. Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez battled Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
UFC Interim Featherweight Championship
“The Notorious” Conor McGregor vs Chad “Money” Mendes
Round 1:
Mendes knocked McGregor down in the opening seconds and tagged him with a combination after McGregor returned to his feet. McGregor landed a spinning back kick and a straight left hand. He followed with a one-two and another spinning back kick. A one-two landed for Mendes and McGregor scored with a third spinning back kick to the body. Mendes slammed him down and landed an elbow and a flurry on the way up.
McGregor began to bleed from beside the right eye. He kicked to the body and hurt Mendes with a left hook to the liver. More body shots landed for McGregor, but Mendes took him down again. He moved to side control and briefly struck from a top-side crucifix. McGregor scrambled and got back to half-guard. He used a guillotine choke attempt to try to pass to mount and finished the round with punches from the top. 10-9 Mendes.
Round 2:
McGregor opened round two with kicks and he fought off a takedown attempt. A nice combination scored for McGregor, but Mendes slammed him down. Hard elbows landed for Mendes and McGregor fired back with some of his own from the bottom. Mendes alternated between punches and elbows from the top. In the final minute, Mendes attempted a guillotine choke and McGregor scrambled free. McGregor rocked Mendes with punches on the feet and Mendes collapsed forwards to the mat. A final series of punches from McGregor forced referee Herb Dean to stop the fight.
Winner: Conor McGregor by TKO (Punches) at 4:57 of round two. He improves to 18-2-0 and becomes the UFC Interim Featherweight Champion.
UFC Welterweight Championship
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs Rory “Red King” MacDonald
Round 1:
MacDonald opened the action with body kicks and a straight right hand. He jabbed and threw another body kick. Lawler circled on the outside and MacDonald continued to jab and throw body kicks. Quick punches were exchanged and Lawler stuffed a takedown. He landed a knee on the way up and followed with an uppercut. MacDonald landed two more body kicks late in the tentative round. 10-9 MacDonald.
Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of jabs and the fighters remained cautious. Lawler eventually landed a left cross and MacDonald answered with a three-punch flurry. He landed a head kick soon after and Lawler countered with a hard left hand. He tagged MacDonald with a quick one-two and followed with more punches that bloodied MacDonald’s nose and caused his left eye to swell up. Lawler picked up the pace and he continued to score with punches as MacDonald’s face became a bloody mess. 10-9 Lawler.
Round 3:
Lawler snapped MacDonald’s head back with a right-left combo in round three and he began to mix in kicks and standing elbows. Lawler stuffed a takedown and landed punches to the face of a kneeling MacDonald, who began to bleed from even more facial cuts. MacDonald stood and landed a head kick, but Lawler continued to pick him apart with punches. MacDonald connected with two lunging right hands and he hurt Lawler with a head kick. Lawler retreated to the cage and MacDonald unloaded with punches, knees and elbows. 10-9 MacDonald.
Round 4:
MacDonald hurt Lawler with another head kick in round four and he swarmed on him with knees and elbows. More kicks scored for MacDonald and he continued to punish Lawler with standing elbows. Lawler stuffed a takedown, but MacDonald landed a head kick and a right hand. Lawler countered with a quick combination and he followed with an elbow. He stuffed a takedown and punished MacDonald with a one-two on the way up. In the final 30 seconds, Lawler landed a nice flurry of punches. 10-9 MacDonald.
Round 5:
Lawler backed MacDonald up with punches early in the final round and he dropped him with a left cross that appeared to break MacDonald’s nose. MacDonald lay prone on the mat and Lawler landed two more follow-up shots before the fight was stopped.
Winner: Robbie Lawler by TKO (Punches) at 1:00 of round five. He improves to 26-10-0, 1 NC and remains the UFC Welterweight Champion.
Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens vs Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez
Round 1:
Stephens dropped Bermudez to his knees with a counter right hook in the opening seconds, but Bermudez recovered and stood up. A bad gash opened near Stephens’s right eye from a headbutt and Bermudez landed a series of punches. He took Stephens down and nearly made it to mount. Stephens turned his back and tried to stand up. Bermudez held him down and landed left hands until Stephens battled back to his feet. He narrowly missed with a spinning back elbow in the clinch. 10-9 Bermudez.
Round 2:
Stephens hurt Bermudez with two hard leg kicks in round two and he dropped him with a counter left hook as Bermudez pressed forward. Bermudez stood and ate more big shots from Stephens before clinching against the cage. Stephens broke free and knocked Bermudez down with a leg kick. Bermudez stood and was dropped by a left hook. He regained his footing and clinched again. Stephens landed a knee and a leg kick, but Bermudez knocked him off-balance with a right hand. Both fighters landed hard punches in the final minute and Stephens scored a brief takedown. 10-9 Stephens.
Round 3:
Bermudez walked forward aggressively in the final round and looked to set up a combination, but Stephens floored him with a flying knee and finished him off with a series of punches on the mat.
Winner: Jeremy Stephens by TKO (Flying Knee & Punches) at 0:32 of round three. He improves to 24-11-0.
Gunnar “Gunni” Nelson vs Brandon “Rukus” Thatch
Round 1:
Thatch chopped away at Nelson’s lead leg with kicks early on and Nelson answered with a lunging flurry. Thatch fought off a takedown attempt, but Nelson floored him with a huge one-two. Thatch recovered on the ground, but Nelson passed to side control and then to mount. He tried for a keylock and then took Thatch’s back. Nelson locked on a rear-naked choke and Thatch tapped out.
Winner: Gunnar Nelson by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:54 of round one. He improves to 14-1-1.
Thomas “Thominhas” Almeida vs Brad “One Punch” Pickett
Round 1:
Crisp punches were exchanged in the early goings of round one and Pickett repeatedly found a home for his lead left hook. He dropped Almeida with a counter left hand and floored him again soon after with a knee. Almeida, bleeding heavily from the nose, attempted a heel hook and Pickett easily escaped. On the feet, Almeida dropped Pickett with a big right hook, but Pickett recovered and stood up. Three quick punches landed for Pickett and Almeida replied with a left hook. He finished the round with a nice combination. 10-9 Pickett.
Round 2:
Pickett landed a grazing knee early in round two, but Almeida avoided most of the damage. Seconds later, he jumped in with a flying switch knee that dropped Pickett to the mat and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Thomas Almeida by KO (Flying Switch Knee) at 0:29 of round two. He improves to 20-0-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)