The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California tonight for UFC Fight Night 71: “Mir vs Duffee.” The event was headlined by a five-round heavyweight showdown between former champion Frank Mir and hard-hitting knockout artist Todd Duffee.
Also on the card tonight, Josh “The Punk” Thomson battled Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson in the lightweight co-feature, and Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm took on Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau in a bantamweight contender’s bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Frank Mir vs Todd Duffee
Round 1:
Both men landed big punches right away and Mir hurt Duffee with a knee and a series of looping hooks. Duffee staggered against the cage, but he fired back punches and knees of his own. Mir continued to land with left hooks, but Duffee recovered and pressed forward. He missed with a right hook and ate a devastating counter left hand that froze him in place and dropped him unconscious to the mat.
Winner: Frank Mir by KO (Punch) at 1:13 of round one. He improves to 18-9-0.
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson vs Josh “The Punk” Thomson
Round 1:
Ferguson kept Thomson at bay with kicks in the opening minute, but Thomson caught a kick and tripped him to the mat. Ferguson stood and Thomson jumped in with knees. He took Ferguson down again, but Ferguson quickly returned to his feet and landed more kicks. He mixed in jabs as well and Thomson circled on the outside. He landed right hands and a lead left hook, but Ferguson continued to score with kicks. Ferguson threw a flying knee, but Thomson caught it and blasted him with punches on the ground. Ferguson countered with an inverted triangle choke attempt and an armbar. Thomson finished strong with elbows. 10-9 Ferguson by a slim margin.
Round 2:
A series of front kicks from Ferguson led to a big exchange of power punches in round two and Thomson sent Ferguson rolling forward with a right hook behind the ear. Ferguson stood and dropped Thomson with an elbow. He dove in with punches on the ground as Thomson tried to recover. During his ground assault, Ferguson grabbed the fence and referee Herb Dean stood him up.
The fighters traded more big shots and Thomson attempted a takedown after catching a kick. Ferguson cut him badly with another standing elbow and a bloodied Thomson fell into a triangle choke. Thomson escaped and Ferguson switched to a kimura. He wrenched Thomson’s arm behind his back, but Thomson refused to submit. He scrambled up and chased down Ferguson with punches. 10-8 Ferguson.
Round 3:
Thomson was more aggressive on the feet in the final round and he landed combinations early on. Ferguson opened another cut on Thomson’s forehead with a lunging elbow. He hurt Thomson with a liver kick, but Thomson recovered and circled on the outside. Ferguson dropped him with a knee and attempted a Brabo choke. Thomson escaped and stood up. He landed two spinning backfists and clinched against the cage. 10-9 Ferguson.
Winner: Tony Ferguson by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 19-3-0.
Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm vs Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau
Round 1:
Cautious leg kicks were exchanged early on and Reneau backed Holm up with a head kick. Holm regained her footing and pressed forward with punch-kick combos. She landed two side kicks to the body and followed with more kicks. Reneau came up short with a lunging one-two and Holm kicked at her lead leg. Reneau rushed forward with punches that missed and Holm immediately answered with another body kick. Reneau landed a body kick of her own, but Holm clipped her eye with a head kick. 10-9 Holm.
Round 2:
Holm countered a body kick with two head kicks in the second round. She sidestepped Reneau’s punches and landed a lunging left. Reneau clinched and Holm broke free with a hard kick to the ribs. She remained on the offensive and landed punching flurries punctuated by more body kicks. Holm continued to score with kick-hook combos as Reneau struggled to find her range. Body kick after body kick landed for Holm, but Reneau connected with a kick-punch combo of her own. She tried to jump guard, but Holm slammed her down. 10-9 Holm.
Round 3:
Reneau caught a kick and landed a body kick in the final round, but Holm backed her up with an uppercut. Holm kept the pressure on with punches followed by body and head kicks. She knocked Reneau off-balance with a counter hook and she remained effective with side kicks. Reneau eventually jumped guard again and this time she was able to pull Holm down. Holm escaped from a triangle choke attempt and stood up. She hurt Reneau with a flurry and a body kick late in the round, but Reneau made it to the bell. 10-9 Holm.
Winner: Holly Holm by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 9-0-0.
Manny “The Anvil” Gamburyan vs Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen
Round 1:
Gamburyan attacked with a guillotine choke early in round one, but Jorgensen freed himself and attempted a guillotine of his own. A scramble ensued and time was called after Gamburyan was kneed in the groin. Action resumed and Gamburyan countered a takedown with a crucifix. Jorgensen escaped to his feet, but Gamburyan dropped him with punches and followed with more hard shots on the ground. Jorgensen survived and stood up, only to be suplexed back down to the mat. He got back to his feet again and both men landed right hooks. 10-9 Gamburyan.
Round 2:
One-two combos landed for both fighters in the second round and time was called after Gamburyan inadvertently kicked Jorgensen in the groin. The fight continued and Gamburyan punched his way into a clinch. Jorgensen attempted a takedown soon after and Gamburyan countered with a guillotine choke. Jorgensen escaped and landed two knees on the feet, but Gamburyan responded with a right hand. He clinched and worked for a takedown against the cage until he was able to get Jorgensen down. Gamburyan closed out the round with knees to the body and punches. 10-9 Gamburyan.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of punches and Jorgensen mixed in kicks to the lead leg and body. He leapt in with quick one-twos before returning to cirling on the outside. Gamburyan cracked him with a left hook and followed with another one. Jorgensen stuffed a takedown and briefly looked for a guillotine choke. Gamburyan broke free and landed another lead left hook. He backed Jorgensen up with a left-right combo and shot in for a takedown. Jorgensen stayed on his feet and the fight ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Gamburyan.
Winner: Manny Gamburyan by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 15-8-0, 1 NC.
Kevin “The Motown Phenom” Lee vs James “Moon Walker” Moontasri
Round 1:
Lee opened the action with body kicks and both men landed overhand rights. Time was called after Lee was poked in the eye and Moontasri countered a flurry with a jumping knee after the restart. Lee took him down and nearly secured a rear-naked choke, but Moontasri defended. Lee locked on a body triangle and got his arm under Moontasri’s chin, then forced him to submit to a tight rear-naked choke.
Winner: Kevin Lee by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:56 of round one. He improves to 11-1-0.
Alan “Brahma” Jouban vs Matt Dwyer
Round 1:
Jouban landed an early body kick and ate a three-punch flurry in return. Dwyer dropped Jouban with a right cross and pulled guard with a guillotine choke as Jouban rose to his knees. Jouban escaped and punched from the top. Dwyer kicked him off and rushed forward with punches on the feet. Jouban replied with two looping hooks and the fighters traded body kicks.
Jouban landed a head kick that set off an exchange of power punches and Jouban dropped Dwyer. He landed an illegal knee on the ground and time was called. Jouban was deducted one point for the infraction. Action resumed and Dwyer landed body kicks and a front kick to the face. The round ended with both men throwing powerful hooks. 9-9.
Round 2:
Dwyer opened round two with lead left hooks and Jouban responded with a body kick. More hard body kicks were exchanged and Jouban landed to Dwyer’s liver. He landed a vicious head kick, but Dwyer stayed on his feet and quickly replied with one of his own. Jouban stuffed a takedown and hurt Dwyer with a liver kick. Soon after, he knocked Dwyer down with a head kick and followed with punches as Dwyer tried for an armbar. Dwyer stood and both men landed power punches to the head and body. A cartwheel kick from Jouban badly rocked Dwyer just before the bell. 10-9 Jouban.
Round 3:
Jouban landed kick-punch combos in the final round and Dwyer fired back with looping hooks. Jouban threw a body kick and Dwyer landed a grazing head kick. He got the better of the striking exchanges until Jouban closed in with a flurry and scored a key takedown. Dwyer worked for a kimura from the bottom and Jouban defended with knees and elbows. The fighters stood and Jouban fell after throwing another cartwheel kick. Dwyer took advantage by landing ground and pound until the end of the round. 10-9 Jouban, barely. Fight could go either way.
Winner: Alan Jouban by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 12-3-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)