Thiago Tavares vs Spencer “The King” Fisher
Round 1:
Tavares opened the fight with a head kick, but fell. He got back to his feet and landed a right hook, then took Fisher down against the cage. Fisher tried to work back to his feet, but Tavares held him down. Fisher began to throw elbows from the bottom and Tavares punched to the body. Tavares kept Fisher down until the fighters were stood up.
Tavares threw kicks to the upper body, but Fisher blocked them and rushed in with punches. Tavares clinched and put Fisher up against the cage. He took him down and worked from the top while trying to pass to mount. Tavares took Fisher’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke, but Fisher managed to stand up before the bell. 10-9 Tavares.
Round 2:
Tavares opened round two with more kicks and dropped levels for a takedown. Fisher defended initially, but Tavares got him down and punched from the top. Fisher tried to work back to his feet and ate a series of punches and elbows for his efforts. As in the first round, Tavares prevented Fisher from standing up and peppered him with punches for over a minute.
Fisher rolled to his side and Tavares took his back. He flattened Fisher out and unloaded with punches. Fisher defended and continued to roll, but gave up mount in the process. Tavares threw more punches and referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight. Fisher, who blocked nearly all of the strikes, was not pleased with the stoppage.
Winner: Thiago Tavares by TKO (Punches) at 2:51 of round two. He improves to 16-4-1.
Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares vs Dan Miller
Round 1:
Miller landed a stiff jab early on and countered a leg kick with a right cross. Palhares fired back with a body kick and a big right hook, but Miller took him down. Palhares quickly worked for a triangle choke and an armbar, but Miller escaped and the fight returned to the feet. Palhares landed a leg kick and Miller jabbed.
Palhares floored Miller with a front kick and dove in with punches, but Miller quickly recovered and wound up on top. He threw punches briefly and stood up. Palhares landed a leg kick and Miller countered with a right cross. Two right hooks and a knee scored for Palhares and he followed with a leg kick.
Chaos ensued in the final 30 seconds, as Palhares dropped Miller with a head kick and fired off punches on the ground. He apparently thought that the fight was over and ran and jumped to the top of the cage. The fight was never stopped and Palhares had to be coaxed down from the cage. The fight then continued and Miller dropped Palhares with punches. Palhares recovered and wound up on top at the bell. Crazy end to the round. 10-9 Palhares.
Round 2:
Punches were exchanged in round two and Palhares countered a knee with a takedown. He fought off a triangle choke attempt and slammed Miller down, then punched from the top. Palhares landed more punches, but repeatedly grabbed the cage and was warned. Miller looked for an armbar from the bottom and Palhares slammed out again. He punched from the top and mixed in elbows.
Palhares postured up and stood over Miller while landing more punches. A bloodied Miller’s head bounced off the mat, but he held on and tried to defend as Palhares continued to tee off with strikes. More and more punches landed for Palhares and Miller rolled to the side to survive. He managed to hold on until the bell, but his left eye was in bad shape. 10-9 Palhares. Maybe 10-8.
Round 3:
The fighters circled in round three and traded single strikes as Palhares kept his distance and appeared content to jab only. Miller landed a jab of his own and countered a leg kick with a right cross. The pace slowed as both fighters landed occasional punches and kicks. Miller began to score with more jabs and Palhares responded with right hooks. Another solid jab landed for Miller and Palhares began to target the body. Right hooks and left jabs landed for both late in the round. 10-9 Miller, barely.
Winner: Rousimar Palhares by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-27, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 13-3-0.
Paulo Thiago vs David “Daudi” Mitchell
Round 1:
Thiago landed two winging hooks early on and the fighters traded punches. Thiago landed a body kick and a pair of hard leg kicks. He took Mitchell down and landed in side control. Thiago tried to set up a North-South Choke, but Mitchell defended against the choke and Thiago stood.
Mitchell followed and Thiago landed a glancing spinning back kick. Thiago took Mitchell’s back and slammed him down to the mat. He struck from side control and tried to move to mount, but Mitchell once again defended well. The fighters traded punches on the feet late in the round. 10-9 Thiago.
Round 2:
Thiago landed a leg kick and an uppercut in round two and Mitchell clinched against the cage. Thiago reversed and took Mitchell down, then worked from the top in half-guard. He bloodied Mitchell with strikes on the ground, but stood up and backed away. Mitchell followed, but was promptly taken back down again.
The fight returned to the feet and Thiago missed with a lead left uppercut. He landed to the body as Mitchell pressed forward and followed with a pair of leg kicks. Thiago threw a head kick and blocked a Superman Punch and little transpired in the final seconds. 10-9 Thiago.
Round 3:
The fighters traded strikes in the final round and Thiago scored with right hands against the cage. Mitchell circled out and was hit by a lunging left hook. Mitchell clinched, but Thiago tripped him to the mat. He struck from the top and Mitchell attempted a leg submission. Back on the feet, Thiago landed a head kick and Mitchell tried to counter with a flurry.
Thiago missed with an overhand right and Mitchell shrugged off a clinch attempt. Both fighters landed jabs and Thiago connected with a right hook. More big punches landed for Thiago and he backed Mitchell up. Thiago followed with a one-two in close and took Mitchell’s back while standing. He nearly secured a rear-naked choke before the bell. 10-9 Thiago.
Winner: Paulo Thiago by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 14-3-0.
Raphael Assuncao vs Johnny Eduardo
Round 1:
Assuncao landed kicks early on and Eduardo answered with a hard right hook. A kick from Assuncao strayed low, but the fight continued and the fighters traded strikes. Assuncao clinched and took Eduardo down near the cage. He landed elbows from the top until referee Marc Goddard called for a standup. Eduardo landed a glancing one-two and missed with a spinning hook kick. Both fighters landed punches at the bell. 10-9 Assuncao.
Round 2:
Both fighters landed punches and leg kicks in round two and Eduardo countered a takedown. Assuncao swept and the fight returned to the feet. He backed Eduardo up to the cage, but Eduardo broke free and landed a right hook and leg kicks. Eduardo stuffed a takedown and Assuncao again pressed him up against the cage as the crowd grew restless.
Eduardo escaped the clinch and landed a one-two, but Assuncao countered with a right hook. Another right landed for Assuncao and Eduardo answered with a leg kick. Assuncao took Eduardo’s back while standing and dragged him to the mat. He flattened Eduardo out and worked for a rear-naked choke until the bell. Close round. 10-9 Assuncao.
Round 3:
The fighters once again traded punches and leg kicks in the final round. More leg kicks followed and Assuncao jabbed his way into a takedown. Eduardo countered with a leglock attempt and Assuncao worked for one of his own. He stood up and rained down punches with his free hand while defending against Eduardo’s heel hook.
More punches landed for Assuncao until referee Marc Goddard brought the fighters back to their feet. Assuncao jabbed and threw a front kick to the body. Assuncao fell after a right hand from Eduardo, but jumped back up to his feet and the fighters traded punches in the final seconds. 10-9 Assuncao.
Winner: Raphael Assuncao by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 17-4-0.
Erick “Indio” Silva vs Luis “Beição” Ramos
Round 1:
Ramos countered an early takedown attempt with a leg kick and a nice combination, but walked into a jab and a devastating right hook seconds later. He collapsed to the mat and Silva pounced with more punches on the ground. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight, giving Silva a quick and impressive victory.
Winner: Erick Silva by KO (Punches) at 0:40 of round one. He improves to 13-1-0, 1 NC.
Yuri “Marajo” Alcantara vs Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes
Round 1:
Alcantara opened the fight with a body kick and swarmed with punches and knees against the cage. Arantes answered with a spinning back kick and Alcantara scored with a standing elbow. Another body kick landed for Alcantara and he caught one from Arantes. Alcantara took him down, but Arantes landed punches from the bottom.
Alcantara connected with an elbow from the top and postured up to land harder punches. He moved to side control and tried to move to mount as a bloodied Arantes countered with a heel hook attempt. The fighters were stood up and Alcantara landed a standing elbow. Arantes threw a spinning backfist late in the round. 10-9 Alcantara.
Round 2:
The fighters traded head kicks early in round two and Alcantara followed with a one-two. He took Arantes down and threw short elbow strikes, then passed to side control. Alcantara moved to mount and threw punches as Arantes covered up to defend. Alcantara attempted a triangle choke from the top, but lost it and stood up.
Alcantara returned to Arantes’s guard and the fighters were stood up. Arantes threw high and low kicks and Alcantara replied with a one-two. Arantes secured a Thai clinch and landed a knee to the body, but was promptly taken down. Alcantara tried for a kneebar and moved to mount just as the round came to a close. 10-9 Alcantara.
Round 3:
Alcantara caught a kick to begin the final round and sent Arantes to the mat with a left cross. He immediately took Arantes’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke, but Arantes spun and wound up on top in Alcantara’s guard. Arantes landed some solid punches and elbows and continued with more strikes until Alcantara kicked him off. Arantes returned to Alcantara’s guard and landed punches briefly.
Alcantara tried to kick Arantes off again, but Arantes remained aggressive and struck from the top until Mario Yamasaki stood the fighters up again. Alcantara took Arantes down and landed short strikes to the body until Yamasaki stood them up again. Alcantara took Arantes back down and moved to mount as the bell sounded. Close final round due to the questionable standups. 10-9 Arantes.
Winner: Yuri Alcantara by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 26-3-0.
Yves “Tiger” Jabouin vs Ian “The Barn Owl” Loveland
Round 1:
Loveland landed punches early on and he fought through a spinning kick to clinch. Jabouin broke free and landed a head kick, but Loveland caught it and took him down. Loveland stood and landed punches, then dove back into Jabouin’s guard. He passed through Jabouin’s butterfly guard to side-control and worked for a Kimura, but referee Marc Goddard stood the fighters up to fix tape on Loveland’s glove.
The fight continued on the feet and Jabouin landed a switch kick, but Loveland stunned him with a counter right hook. More right hooks landed for Loveland, but Jabouin answered with a hard right of his own. Loveland stumbled and Jabouin rushed in with a flying knee and more punches. Loveland recovered and made it to the bell. Good round. 10-9 Loveland.
Round 2:
Loveland quickly took the fight to the mat in round two and looked to work from the top, but Jabouin reversed and wound up in Loveland’s guard. Loveland looked for an armbar and swept into mount. Jabouin regained half-guard and Loveland punished him with punches and elbows. Jabouin stood and landed two nice right hands and a kick.
Jabouin landed a kick that strayed low and time was called to allow Loveland to recover. The fight quickly resumed and Jabouin landed more spinning back kicks. Loveland took him down, but Jabouin stood and just missed with a head kick. He landed a big uppercut to the body and took Loveland down before the bell. 10-9 Jabouin.
Round 3:
Jabouin opened the final round with leg kicks and Loveland answered with a combination. Loveland looked to clinch and Jabouin shrugged him off. Jabouin scored a brief takedown, but Loveland stood and ate a spinning backfist. Loveland again looked to close the distance, but Jabouin kept him at bay with quick strikes.
The fighters traded jabs on the feet and Jabouin defended against a takedown attempt. He landed leg kicks and more jabs, then followed with a spinning back kick and a head kick. Jabouin very briefly took Loveland down against the cage, but Loveland stood and the fighters traded right hands. Jabouin tried for a takedown at the bell. 10-9 Jabouin.
Winner: Yves Jabouin by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 16-7-0.