The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah tonight for UFC Fight Night 92: “Rodriguez vs Caceres.” The event was headlined by a featherweight matchup between once-beaten prospect Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez and Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres.

In tonight’s featherweight co-main event, Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez took on Rony “Jason” Mariano Bezerra. Strawweight rising star Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz battled UFC newcomer “Dynamite” Danielle Taylor in featured action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the main card.

 

Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez vs Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres

Round 1:
Caceres opened the action with a Superman Punch and Rodriguez returned fire with a jumping switch kick to the body. Caceres threw a spinning back kick and followed with a spinning backfist, but Rodriguez clipped him with a head kick and a right hand. Another head kick landed for Rodriguez and he rushed forward with looping punches. The process repeated itself and Caceres took Rodriguez down, but Rodriguez countered with a rolling kneebar and stood up. A spinning kick grazed Caceres’s jaw and Rodriguez swarmed on him with right hands. He wobbled Caceres with a right hand late in the round. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Round 2:
Rodriguez stunned Caceres with a spinning backfist in the second round and he narrowly missed with a cartwheel kick. A standing backfist and a barrage of punches landed for Rodriguez, and Caceres was forced to circle away. Caceres countered a body kick with an overhand left. Rodriguez spun him around with a side kick to the body. More spinning attacks landed for Rodriguez, but Caceres answered back with another left hand. Rodriguez landed a series of body kicks in the final minute. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Round 3:
Rodriguez pressed forward with a combination in round three and followed with knees in close. He spun Caceres around with a hard left hand to the jaw. Rodriguez missed with a spinning hook kick but landed a quick leg kick. He began to slow down somewhat, but still landed a side kick to Caceres’s face. Caceres replied with a barrage of punches and a knee to the body. Rodriguez rolled for another leglock attempt, but wound up on the bottom and Caceres dropped punches from the top. He stacked Rodriguez and cut him near the right eye with an elbow before Rodriguez kicked him off. 10-9 Caceres.

Round 4:
Rodriguez kept the pace high with strikes in the fourth round, but Caceres landed jabs and mixed in leg kicks. Rodriguez targeted the body with kicks of his own and both men landed punches in close. Caceres countered a leg kick with a straight left hand, but Rodriguez backed him up with a flurry of punches and a kick to the upper body. Caceres regained his footing and lunged in with jabs. Step-in jabs landed for both men and Rodriguez snapped Caceres’s head back with a short right hand. Close round. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Round 5:
The final round began with Rodriguez landing punch-kick combos and he briefly backed Caceres up against the cage. Caceres responded with a crucial takedown, but Rodriguez scrambled up and countered with a takedown of his own. Caceres stood and Rodriguez cracked him with a left hand. Time was called to fix tape on Rodriguez’s glove and he remained aggressive after the restart. Caceres avoided Rodriguez’s spinning attacks, but Rodriguez connected with a left-right combo. He threw flashy kicks in the final minute and the fight ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Winner: Yair Rodriguez by Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 46-49) after five rounds. He improves to 9-1-0.

 

Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez vs Rony “Jason” Mariano Bezerra

Round 1:
Both men landed kicks to the legs and upper body early on. Bermudez took Bezerra down against the cage and landed punches and elbows from the top. Bezerra attempted a triangle choke and Bermudez escaped. Bezerra continued to posture for triangles, but Bermudez punished him with elbows. One opened a bad cut on Bezerra’s forehead and blood pooled on the mat. 10-9 Bermudez.

Round 2:
Bezerra dropped Bermudez with a counter right hook as Bermudez threw a flashy but careless head kick in round two. Bermudez immediately recovered and he took Bezerra down. Bezerra battled back to his feet and ate a hard leg kick. Another leg kick scored for Bermudez and he hurt Bezerra with a one-two to the body and head. Bermudez took Bezerra down, but Bezerra rolled and escaped to his feet. He targeted Bermudez’s body with kicks and fought off takedowns, but Bermudez slammed him down in the final seconds. 10-9 Bermudez.

Round 3:
Bermudez put together flurries of punches and leg kicks in round three while avoiding a fading Bezerra’s counters. Bezerra stuffed a takedown and landed a hard right hand. He reversed a takedown and mounted Bermudez on the mat. Bermudez gave up his back and Bezerra nearly finished him with a rear-naked choke. Bermudez escaped and he spun into Bezerra’s guard. He re-opened the cut on Bezerra’s forehead with elbows and landed more ground and pound before the end of the fight. 10-9 Bermudez.

Winner: Dennis Bermudez by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 16-5-0.

 

Thales Leites vs Chris Camozzi

Round 1:
Leites took Camozzi down and hopped on his back early in the opening round. Camozzi stood, but Leites dragged him down and jumped on his back as the fight returned to the feet. Leites worked for standing rear-naked chokes and locked on a body triangle. Camozzi defended well, but Leites landed numerous left hands to the side of his face. 10-9 Leites.

Round 2:
An exchange of single punches and leg kicks opened round two and Leites took the fight to the mat. He took Camozzi’s back and worked again for rear-naked chokes while trapping Camozzi in a tight body triangle. 10-9 Leites.

Round 3:
Camozzi pressed the action with punches in round three, but Leites countered with a quick takedown. He once again transitioned to back control and worked for a rear-naked choke until he was finally able to force Camozzi to submit.

Winner: Thales Leites by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:58 of round three. He improves to 26-6-0.

 

Santiago “Gente Boa” Ponzinibbio vs Zak Cummings

Round 1:
Cummings threw inside-leg kicks and jabs in the opening round and eventually shot in for a takedown against the cage. Ponzinibbio countered with knees and broke free. Cummings landed straight left hands, but Ponzinibbio cracked him with a head kick and two big punches. Cummings recovered quickly and both men landed kicks. Time was called after Ponzinibbio was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and Cummings landed a body kick. He followed with a spinning wheel kick and took Ponzinibbio down very briefly. Close round. 10-9 Cummings.

Round 2:
Cummings landed jabs and straight left hands in round two, but his face began to swell up from the power of Ponzinibbio’s counterpunches. Cummings pressed forward with a series of left hands and he followed with a head kick. More left hands landed for Cummings, but he was unable to take Ponzinibbio down. Three right hooks scored for Ponzinibbio and the fighters traded left hands. Cummings closed out the round with a body kick and a left hook. 10-9 Cummings.

Round 3:
The final round began with both fighters throwing one-twos. Ponzinibbio became the aggressor and he walked Cummings down with quick jabs and right hands. A head kick partially landed for Ponzinibbio and Cummings’s face continued to swell up. Ponzinibbio landed left-right combos at will and he followed with a body kick. Ponzinibbio got the better of the striking exchanges until Cummings connected with a hard left cross. Ponzinibbio scored with more punches before the end of the fight. 10-9 Ponzinibbio.

Winner: Santiago Ponzinibbio by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 23-3-0.

 

Trevor “Hot Sauce” Smith vs “Capo” Joe Gigliotti

Round 1:
Big power punches were exchanged right away and Gigliotti clinched against the cage. He threw knees to the body, but Smith reversed position and scored a takedown. Gigliotti stood and Smith landed a standing elbow while pinning him against the fence. Smith was warned for grabbing the cage and the fighters were separated. Gigliotti pressed forward with punches and Smith countered with a guillotine choke. Gigliotti rolled through and escaped, then tried for a front choke in a scramble. Smith battled free and landed a knee late in the round. 10-9 Smith.

Round 2:
Smith floored Gigliotti with a knee early in round two and he followed with punches on the ground. Gigliotti gave up his back and Smith used punches to set up rear-naked choke attempts. Gigliotti bled heavily from the nose and Smith continued to pepper him with punches. He prevented Gigliotti from getting back to his feet and landed a series of short right hands. Gigliotti finally stood and Smith immediately took him back down. He worked for a Brabo choke until time expired. 10-9 Smith.

Round 3:
Gigliotti opened round three with a head kick and Smith took him down. He postured up with punches and short elbows from half-guard and passed to side control. Gigliotti scrambled up and ate a stiff jab. He tagged Smith with a one-two and Smith replied with knees. Gigliotti landed two more punches before Smith took him down into half-guard. Gigliotti tried to battle back to his feet, but Smith mounted him and dropped elbows from the top. One cut Gigliotti on the forehead in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Smith.

Winner: Trevor Smith by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) after three rounds. He improves to 14-6-0.

 

Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz vs “Dynamite” Danielle Taylor

Round 1:
Taylor landed occasional right hands in the opening two minutes, but Moroz used her reach advantage to keep her at bay with jabs and one-twos. More punches landed for Moroz and Taylor answered with leg kicks. She circled on the outside and landed more kicks until Moroz connected with a counter left hook. She backed Taylor up with a hard one-two and hurt her with a right cross to the eye. Taylor attempted a haymaker right hook before the bell. 10-9 Moroz.

Round 2:
Taylor continued to look for a knockout with overhand rights in round two, but Moroz countered with a nice combination and she pressed the action with jabs. Taylor struggled to find her range until she connected with a massive right hook near the midway point of the round. Moroz staggered, but she stayed on her feet and recovered quickly. Taylor darted in and out with right hands and leg kicks. Moroz threw a head kick and remained the aggressor, but Taylor avoided most of her strikes and fired back with right hands. Close round. 10-9 Taylor.

Round 3:
The final round began with Taylor landing an overhand right. Moroz walked her down with punches and landed a kick to the upper body. The fighters traded jabs and Moroz cracked Taylor with a right hook as Taylor missed with an uppercut. Moroz used jabs and lead left hooks to keep Taylor at range. In the final 20 seconds, Taylor landed a looping right hook that set off an exchange of punches. She took Moroz down just before time expired. 10-9 Taylor, barely. Fight could go either way.

Winner: Maryna Moroz by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 8-1-0.