Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson vs Miguel Torres

Round 1:
Johnson opened the fight with two quick leg kicks and stuffed a takedown. Torres landed two knees in close, but Johnson took him down. Torres swept and wound up on top in Johnson’s half-guard. Torres threw short punches from the top, but Johnson kept him tied up and answered with punches from his back. Torres looked for a Brabo Choke and Johnson escaped back to butterfly guard.

Torres passed to side control, but Johnson reversed and wound up on top. He landed punches until Torres scrambled into a heel hook. Johnson escaped and was drilled by an upkick. He was unfazed and tried to take Torres’s back. Torres regained full guard and threw elbows from the bottom. He scrambled out briefly, but Johnson remained on top. Torres attempted a guillotine choke in the final seconds. 10-9 Torres.

Round 2:
Johnson again opened round two with quick kicks and he followed with a flurry of punches. Torres answered with a combination, but Johnson took him down. Torres used a triangle choke attempt to scramble to his feet and landed knees, but Johnson took him back down. Torres elbowed from the bottom and swept. Another scramble ensued and Torres locked on an inverted triangle choke.

Johnson escaped and wound up in Torres’s guard. Both fighters landed strikes and Torres worked for a Kimura on Johnson’s right arm. Johnson powered out, but could not pass Torres’s guard. He stood up and tried to spin into a kneebar, but Torres countered with a heel hook. Johnson moved to side control and landed short strikes. 10-9 Torres by a very small margin.

Round 3:
The final round began with a quick takedown from Johnson, but Torres defended with a shoulder lock and nearly transitioned into an armbar. Johnson escaped and moved to side control. He punched from a top-side crucifix, but Torres scrambled back to butterfly guard. Johnson moved to half-guard again, then spun into a front headlock position. Johnson let it go and moved to back control.

The ground battle continued as Torres used submission attempts to counter Johnson’s guard passing. Torres swept into mount, but Johnson scrambled and tried for a kneebar. Torres wound up in Johnson’s guard and secured a tight guillotine choke as Johnson tried to stand. Johnson managed to free himself and stood up. He landed a knee and punches as Torres retreated, and Torres attempted another guillotine choke before the bell. 10-9 Torres.

Winner: Demetrious Johnson by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 9-1-0.

 

Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch vs Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove

Round 1:
Boetsch clinched and looked for a takedown early on. He got Grove down on the second try and punched from the top, but Grove kicked him off and the fighters stood. Grove landed front kicks to the body and Boetsch responded with a lead left hook. He took Grove down again and moved to side control. Boetsch scored with short elbows and punches, but Grove regained full guard.

Grove attempted a triangle choke, but Boetsch stood up and escaped. The fight was stood up and Boetsch clinched against the cage. Boetsch threw knees to Grove’s thighs and Grove looked to counter with knees of his own. More knees followed for Boetsch as the round came to a close. 10-9 Boetsch.

Round 2:
The fighters clinched in round two and resumed exchanging knees in close. Boetsch got a takedown near the cage and struck from the top. Grove rolled and Boetsch punched from a partial back control. Grove got to his feet briefly, only to be taken down again. Boetsch punched from side control and again kept him down as Grove attempted to scramble free. Grove stood and Boetsch tripped him again. Boetsch escaped a triangle choke and the round ended on the feet. 10-9 Boetsch.

Round 3:
Boetsch clinched and scored another takedown in the final round. He landed on top in side control and threw knees to the body as Grove attempted to stand up. Grove got to his feet and stuffed a takedown. He jabbed as Boetsch appeared to slow down. Boetsch tripped Grove and fought out of a triangle. Grove scrambled and stood, but Boetsch was relentless with takedown attempts.

Boetsch got Grove down once more and worked from Grove’s half-guard against the cage. He looked to set up an arm-triangle choke, but let it go and switched to short punches instead. Grove regained guard and attempted a triangle choke, but Boetsch powered out and both fighters stood. Grove took Boetsch down, but Boetsch immediately reversed with a front headlock. He punched until the bell. 10-9 Boetsch.

Winner: Tim Boetsch by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 13-4-0.

 

Gleison Tibau vs Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira

Round 1:
The fighters exchanged punches to open the fight and Tibau scored a brief takedown, but Oliveira swept and the fight returned to the feet. Oliveira landed kicks and a right hook, then sidestepped a looping overhand left from Tibau. A follow-up left landed for Tibau and he took Oliveira down. Oliveira stood and ate a short left hand. He countered with a lunging left before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Tibau, just barely.

Round 2:
Tibau landed combinations early in the second round and Oliveira looked to counter with single hooks in return. Tibau took Oliveira down and struck from the top in Oliveira’s guard. He attempted an arm-triangle choke and Oliveira escaped. The fighters stood and Tibau dropped Oliveira with a left hook.

Tibau followed with big punches on the ground and moved to mount. He took Oliveira’s back and used punches to try to set up a rear-naked choke. Tibau secured the choke and Oliveira was forced to submit.

Winner: Gleison Tibau by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:28 of round two. He improves to 23-7-0.

 

Michael “Mayday” McDonald vs Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso

Round 1:
Cariaso landed a body kick to open the fight and McDonald answered with a one-two and a right hand. Cariaso clinched and looked for a takedown, and the fighters battled for position against the cage. McDonald broke free and Cariaso landed a hard leg kick. Another leg kick landed for Cariaso and McDonald answered with a three-punch flurry. Cariaso threw kicks to the head and body.

Cariaso just barely ducked under a counter head kick from McDonald, who looked for a guillotine. Cariaso landed two more kicks, but fell to the mat after a counter right hook. McDonald dove into Cariaso’s guard, then postured up and rained down a big right hand. The fight returned to the feet and both landed punches. Cariaso scored with a combination and a leg kick, then attempted a heel hook at the bell. 10-9 Cariaso.

Round 2:
The second round began with another leg kick from Cariaso, and McDonald promptly answered with a head kick. Cariaso remained aggressive with kicks, but McDonald elbowed his way out of a clinch. A left cross and a body kick landed for Cariaso. He slipped to the mat while throwing a kick, but quickly got back to his feet.

McDonald pushed forward and landed a straight right hand, then a one-two. Time was called after he was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and both fighters missed with head kicks. The fighters traded more kicks and Cariaso shot for a takedown. McDonald stuffed it, but ate a knee to the body. McDonald scored a takedown and moved to mount, but Cariaso scrambled out. 10-9 Cariaso, barely.

Round 3:
McDonald countered a body kick with a right hook in the final round. A hard left cross and a body kick scored for Cariaso, who took McDonald down. McDonald tied up Cariaso’s right arm and prevented him from landing anything damaging. Cariaso managed to connect with a hammerfist, then stood up to escape a triangle choke.

Cariaso avoided a right hook and landed a quick one-two. McDonald took Cariaso down, but Cariaso immediately countered into an omoplata. McDonald escaped and the fighters stood up. Cariaso just missed with a lunging combination and a kick. McDonald came up short with a flurry and also missed a head kick at the final bell. 10-9 Cariaso.

Winner: Michael McDonald by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 13-1-0.

 

Renan “Barao” do Nascimento Mota Pegado vs Cole “The Triangle” Escovedo

Round 1:
Escovedo opened the fight with a head kick, but Barao answered with a flurry of punches and slammed him to the mat. Barao wound up in Escovedo’s guard and the fighters exchanged short elbows. Escovedo looked for his signature triangle choke, but Barao stood up and Escovedo followed. The fighters traded punches and Barao landed a nice leg kick.

Escovedo pulled guard and Barao threw punches from the top. Escovedo defended well on the bottom and the fighters were stood up. Escovedo landed a stiff jab and Barao took him back down. Both fighters landed elbows on the ground and Escovedo attempted an armbar. Barao easily avoided danger and the round came to an end. Close round. 10-9 Barao.

Round 2:
Escovedo dropped Barao with a punch and a knee in the second round, but Barao recovered and scored a takedown. Barao stood and Escovedo followed. He landed a standing elbow and Barao responded with a leg kick. Barao landed more leg kicks, but Escovedo countered with a kick to the body.

Barao took Escovedo back down against the cage, but it was Escovedo who remained active with elbows from the bottom. The fighters were stood up and Barao landed a combination. Escovedo pulled guard late in the round and nearly swept to mount at the bell. 10-10.

Round 3:
Barao took the fight back to the mat in the final round, but Escovedo battled back to his feet. Escovedo caught a leg kick and landed a right cross. Escovedo followed with a leg kick and Barao answered with a front kick to the face and two spinning backfists. Two more kicks and a right hook scored for Escovedo and the pace remained high as the fighters exchanged strikes.

Escovedo landed two leg kicks and Barao immediately answered with a spinning back kick and a flying knee. Barao landed a nice combination that stopped Escovedo’s forward momentum. He slammed Escovedo down, but Escovedo kicked him off and the fighters stood. Barao landed another kick and took Escovedo down. 10-9 Barao.

Winner: Renan Barao by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 28-1-0, 1 NC.