The Ultimate Fighting Championship stayed at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC on ESPN 35: “Font vs Vera.” The event featured a would-be bantamweight bout between Rob Font, who missed weight for the matchup yesterday, and fellow UFC veteran Marlon “Chito” Vera.
In the heavyweight co-main event, former UFC champ Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski took on Jake “The Prototype” Collier. Elsewhere on the main card tonight, Andre “Touchy” Fili returned to face Joanderson “Tubarão” Brito in featherweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Marlon “Chito” Vera vs Rob Font
Round 1:
Font landed a nice one-two in the opening minute and he countered a body kick from Vera with an uppercut. A jab-cross combo and another uppercut scored for Font, who kept the pressure on Vera with punches. Vera landed a leg kick and missed with a front kick. After Vera landed another leg kick, Font answered with a right hand to the body. Font used his jab to set up more right hooks to Vera’s body and head as the round entered its final minute. A big uppercut scored for Font and he followed up with two more. Late in the round, Font landed a knee to the body and Vera replied with a calf kick. 10-9 Font.
Round 2:
Early in round two, Font scored with a lead left hook and he blasted Vera with a right hand after catching a front kick. Vera partially landed with a head kick and Font attacked with a right hook to the body. Vera jabbed and landed a calf kick as Font pressed forward. Font landed a right cross and a body kick. Vera responded with a hard kick to Font’s ribs and he followed with another calf kick. Font backed him up with a flurry of punches. Vera circled to his right and established his jab to keep Font at bay. Vera dropped Font with a lead left hook and tried to finish him with punches and elbows on the ground, but Font made it to the bell. 10-9 Vera.
Round 3:
Font immediately clinched and took Vera’s back, but Vera shook him off and he separated from the clinch. Font blocked a Vera head kick and Vera countered a combination with two calf kicks. Font landed two right hands and ate a stiff jab in return. Vera landed a step-in elbow and went high with another head kick attempt. Font landed a right hook to the body and clinched briefly. Vera broke away and Font walked forward with a four-punch combo. He followed that with another flurry of punches, and then another. Vera dropped Font with a jumping knee and followed with elbows on the ground, but Font once again held on until the end of the round. 10-9 Vera.
Round 4:
Vera landed a knee to the body and two hard jabs in the fourth round. Font closed the distance and he landed a solid right hand. Vera cut Font with an elbow and he countered jabs from Font with a lead left hook. Font connected with a jab-cross combo and Vera floored him with a side kick to the face. A dazed and bloodied Font recovered on the ground as Vera decided to stand over him and kick at his legs. Font was stood up with 50 seconds remaining and he landed a body kick. 10-9 Vera.
Round 5:
Font landed an elbow early in the final round that got Vera’s attention and he backed Vera up with punches. Vera circled to his right and jabbed, but Font remained the aggressor. He landed jab-hook combos while keeping Vera on the defensive. Vera landed a front kick to Font’s face and countered a combination with a lead left hook. Vera snapped Font’s head back with four jabs and then finished with a calf kick. Font landed a right hook and an uppercut, which elicited a taunt from Vera. Font landed a jab and a right cross, but Vera hurt him with another side kick to the face. As Font backed up, Vera chased after him with a flying knee attempt that missed. Close final round. 10-9 Vera.
Winner: Marlon Vera by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 19-7-1.
Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski vs Jake “The Prototype” Collier
Round 1:
Collier tied Arlovski up in an early clinch against the cage. He held him in a body lock and threw knees to Arlovski’s thighs. Arlovski circled away, but Collier quickly secured another clinch and he resumed landing knees. Arlovski pushed Collier away and Collier landed an overhand right. Arlovski landed a right hook and Collier answered with a left. Time was called when the fighters clashed heads. Action resumed and Collier cut Arlovski above his right eye with an elbow. Collier landed an overhand right and a leg kick, but Arlovski replied with a quick flurry of punches late in the round. 10-9 Collier.
Round 2:
Arlovski opened the second round with a leg kick and Collier landed one of his own. He punched his way into a clinch and Arlovski broke away with a knee. Arlovski landed a right cross and Collier responded with a one-two in close. Another right hand scored for Arlovski and that prompted Collier to clinch. He dragged Arlovski down and took his back as Arlovski stood up. Arlovski escaped from Collier’s grasp and landed a jab-cross combo. Collier connected with a right hook and Arlovski landed his best combination of the fight in the final five seconds. Close round. 10-9 Arlovski due to damage.
Round 3:
Collier landed a front kick to the body and another kick that strayed low. The fight continued, but time was called seconds later due to a clash of heads. Action continued and Arlovski landed a quick right hand. Yet another head clash followed, but the fighters fought on and Arlovski threw a head kick that was blocked. Collier, bleeding from the bridge of his nose, landed a combination. Arlovski used his jab to set up a right cross and Collier answered with a lead left hook. He held Arlovski in a front headlock and landed a knee to his face. In the final minute, Arlovski countered a leg kick with a lead left hook. Collier landed an overhand right and a hard one-two combo, then tripped Arlovski to the mat before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Collier by a slim margin.
Winner: Andrei Arlovski by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 34-20-0, 2 NC.
Joanderson “Tubarão” Brito vs Andre “Touchy” Fili
Round 1:
Brito landed two hard jabs and he dropped Fili with a winging overhand right. Brito followed with hammerfists on the ground as Fili appeared to go in and out of consciousness, and referee Herb Dean stopped the fight.
Winner: Joanderson Brito by TKO (Punches) at 0:41 of round one. He improves to 13-3-1.
Grant “KGD” Dawson vs Jared “Flash” Gordon
Round 1:
Gordon opened the fight with leg kicks and he ducked under a head kick from Dawson. Gordon got Dawson down to the mat momentarily, but Dawson was able to get back to his feet. He shot in for a takedown of his own and Gordon trapped him in a guillotine choke. Dawson rolled forward and escaped from the choke, and the fighters returned to their feet. Dawson got Gordon down into back control and he kept him trapped in a body triangle. Dawson landed left hands to the side of Gordon’s face while trying to set up a rear-naked choke. He continued to batter Gordon with left hands until the end of the round. 10-9 Dawson.
Round 2:
Dawson ducked under a right hand from Gordon and he took him down into back control. Gordon tried to shake Dawson off, but Dawson secured another body triangle and that prevented Gordon from spinning into his guard. Connelly wrenched on a neck crank, but Gordon was able to break his grip. He rolled to his right and broke the body triangle, then stood up. Dawson tripped him to a knee and Gordon got back to his feet again. He separated from the clinch and landed a left hook and an elbow. Dawson took Gordon down once more and he punched from the top in S-mount. 10-9 Dawson.
Round 3:
Gordon fought off a takedown attempt from Dawson, who landed two right hooks. He dropped levels again and Gordon punished him with a right hook and an uppercut. Gordon landed a one-two and Dawson began throwing lead elbow strikes. One of them opened a large cut on Gordon’s forehead and Dawson took him down. Gordon returned to his feet and Dawson landed a three-punch flurry. He fell down after missing with a spinning backfist attempt, but got back to his feet and held Gordon against the cage. Dawson dove at Gordon’s ankle and then transitioned to his back. He worked for a rear-naked choke on the ground and got it, forcing Gordon to submit.
Winner: Grant Dawson by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:11 of round three. He improves to 18-1-1.
Darren “The Damage” Elkins vs Tristan “Boondock” Connelly
Round 1:
Elkins landed two right hands and took Connelly down into back control. He transitioned to an arm-triangle choke while trying to pass to mount, but Connelly escaped and Elkins worked from the top in his guard. When Connelly tried to stand up, Elkins took his back again and tried once more to transition to an arm-triangle choke. The fighters returned to their feet and Elkins promptly put Connelly on the mat again. He punched from the top and Connelly threw elbows from his back. He got back to his feet and Elkins landed a quick flurry. The round ended with both men landing combinations of hooks. 10-9 Elkins.
Round 2:
Elkins opened the second round with a left-right combo and he tried to take Connelly down. Connelly sprawled and stayed on his feet. Elkins landed a combination in close and he got Connelly down against the cage. When Connelly tried to get back to his feet, Elkins hopped on his back. Connelly was able to shake him off and he stood up with just over 90 seconds remaining. A hard leg kick landed for Connelly, who followed with two knees in a clinch. Elkins landed an overhand right and he took Connelly down to a knee. Connelly grabbed the cage and was warned. He got back to his feet and landed an elbow, then tried for a flying knee in the dying seconds. 10-9 Elkins.
Round 3:
Connelly landed a jumping switch knee to the body and a hard elbow to Elkins’s right cheek in the final round. The fighters exchanged elbows and Elkins landed two big right hooks to Connelly’s jaw. After an exchange of lead left hooks, Connelly landed an overhand right that snapped Elkins’s head back. Elkins got him down into full guard and he moved to Connelly’s back. Elkins landed right hands to Connelly’s ribs and face, then locked on a rear-naked choke. Connelly managed to break Elkins’s grip, but Elkins stayed on his back until the final bell. 10-9 Elkins.
Winner: Darren Elkins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 27-10-0.
Krzysztof Jotko vs Gerald “GM3” Meerschaert
Round 1:
Jotko landed a counter right hook early in the fight and Meerschaert tried to set up a combination. A one-two landed for Jotko and he missed with a back elbow attempt. Jotko landed a front kick to Meerschaert’s face and then took his back in a clinch. Meerschaert turned into it and pushed Jotko away, and Jotko landed a right-left combo. Each time Meerschaert took a step forward, Jotko clipped him with either a lead right hook or a straight left. A clinch followed and Meerschaert held Jotko against the fence. Jotko reversed it and he landed knees to Meerschaert’s stomach. 10-9 Jotko.
Round 2:
Early in round two, Jotko backed Meerschaert up with a combination, but Meerschaert tied him up in a clinch against the cage. Jotko broke free and Meerschaert landed a leg kick. Jotko connected with a right-left combo and Meerschaert clinched again. He got Jotko down very briefly, but Jotko stood and he took Meerschaert’s back. Meerschaert turned into the clinch and kept Jotko’s back against the cage. Jotko turned him around and then took Meerschaert down. Meerschaert tried for a guillotine choke from the bottom and Jotko escaped. He landed short elbows from the top and then postured up with a right hand to Meerschaert’s face before the bell. Closer round. Still 10-9 Jotko.
Round 3:
Meerschaert appeared to hurt Jotko with a left hook to the body as Jotko shot in for a takedown in the final round, but Jotko got Meerschaert down anyway. He avoided a Meerschaert kimura attempt and passed to half-guard, but that allowed Meerschaert to power out and stand up. He held Jotko against the fence until Jotko broke free with just over two minutes to go. He took Meerschaert down and Meerschaert attempted a triangle choke. Jotko passed to side control to escape and a scramble ensued. Jotko wound up in the half-guard of Meerschaert, who got back to full guard. The fighters stood and time expired. 10-9 Jotko.
Winner: Krzysztof Jotko by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 24-5-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)