The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio tonight for UFC 203: “Miocic vs Overeem.” The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship showdown between newly-crowned champion Stipe Miocic and challenger Alistair Overeem.
In tonight’s heavyweight co-feature, former UFC champion Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum battled Travis “Hapa” Browne. Former WWE champ Phil “CM Punk” Brooks made his mixed martial arts debut against Mickey Gall in welterweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Stipe Miocic vs Alistair Overeem
Round 1:
Miocic pressed forward with punches early on and Overeem circled on the outside. He landed a nice body kick and ducked under a head kick. Overeem dropped Miocic with a left cross and locked on a guillotine choke, but Miocic escaped and got back to his feet. Three punches landed for Miocic and Overeem fired right back with a kick-punch combo.
Miocic stunned Overeem with punches and backed him up against the cage. He kept the pressure on with punches, but Overeem landed a counter hook and a knee. He followed with an overhand left, but Miocic flurried in close again. He got Overeem down and teed off with punches. Miocic stacked Overeem and dropped right hands until Overeem was rendered unconscious.
Winner: Stipe Miocic by KO (Punches) at 4:27 of round one. He improves to 16-2-0 and remains the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum vs Travis “Hapa” Browne
Round 1:
Werdum opened the fight with a jumping side kick and he followed with more kicks to Browne’s lead leg. A somersault kick from Werdum badly missed, but he smiled and remained the aggressor. Time was called after Browne’s right index finger was dislocated, but the fight was allowed to continue after he seemingly popped it back into place.
Werdum rocked Browne with three looping hooks and clinched with him against the cage. Browne broke free and landed a left hook. He caught a kick from Werdum and dumped him to the mat. Werdum stood and floored Browne with a big right hand. He hopped on Browne’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke, then finished the round with punches. 10-8 Werdum.
Round 2:
Werdum remained aggressive with punches in round two and he mixed in kicks to the lead leg and body. Werdum walked forward with a punching flurry and both men landed body kicks. Browne lunged in with a left hook to the liver, but Werdum countered nicely with more kicks. Browne picked up the pace with kicks late in the round and Werdum attempted another somersault kick. 10-9 Werdum.
Round 3:
The pace slowed down in round three and the fighters traded single strikes from a distance. Browne avoided a takedown and circled backward as Werdum pressed the action with a combination. He landed more punches and a knee in close. Browne answered back with head kicks that slowed Werdum’s momentum. A one-two landed for Werdum and Browne countered with a right hand. Werdum landed one more punch-kick combo before time expired. Close round. 10-9 Werdum.
Winner: Fabricio Werdum by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 21-6-1.
Mickey Gall vs Phil “CM Punk” Brooks
Round 1:
Gall shot in for a takedown immediately and got Brooks down against the base of the cage. He rained down huge punches from the top and passed to side control. More punches landed for Gall and he transitioned from mount to back control. He flattened Brooks out and landed more big punches while working for rear-naked chokes. Brooks defended once, but Gall locked on another choke and Brooks tapped out.
Winner: Mickey Gall by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:14 of round one. He improves to 3-0-0.
Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera vs “The California Kid” Urijah Faber
Round 1:
Rivera connected with a counter right hook and an uppercut in the early goings and he used kicks to fend off Faber’s clinch attempts. Faber landed a front kick and Rivera cracked him with a one-two. Hard right hands landed for Rivera and Faber shook out his own right hand as if it was injured. He stuck to left jabs only and Rivera countered with quick hooks. 10-9 Rivera.
Round 2:
Time was called early in the second round after Rivera was inadvertently kicked in the groin. Action resumed and Rivera landed punching combinations. He dropped Faber with a kick to the lower leg and kept the pressure on with punches. Another hard leg kick landed for Rivera and Faber began to limp. Rivera continued to chop away at Faber’s damaged lead leg and he backed him up with a lead left hand late in the round. 10-9 Rivera.
Round 3:
Rivera hurt Faber with more leg kicks and lead left hooks in round three. Faber’s limited mobility prevented him from capitalising with a takedown. Time was called when Rivera was poked in the eye. His vision was clearly impaired, but the fight resumed and Rivera landed a three-punch flurry. Faber lunged in with quick hooks, but Rivera easily shrugged off a clinch attempt and attacked with kicks. He connected with a nice one-two and flurried before the bell. 10-9 Rivera.
Winner: Jimmie Rivera by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 20-1-0.
Jéssica “Bate Estaca” Andrade vs Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood
Round 1:
Calderwood kicked the lead leg and body of Andrade in the opening minute and Andrade fired back with punches and knees. She sustained a cut beside her left eye from Calderwood’s strikes, but managed to slam her down to the mat on two occasions. She dropped punches and hammerfists from top position and slammed her way free of a triangle choke attempt. Andrade passed to side control, but Calderwood scored with elbows from the bottom. Andrade postured up with more punches and locked on her signature guillotine choke in a scramble. She pulled guard with the choke and Calderwood tapped out.
Winner: Jéssica Andrade by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:38 of round one. She improves to 15-5-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)