Demian Maia vs Jorge “The Sandman” Santiago

Round 1:
The fighters exchanged punches early on, then traded power punches. Neither landed cleanly and Maia took Santiago down. Santiago kicked him off and landed a right hook as he stood up. Santiago landed a right cross and Maia answered back with a wild looping hook. He sent Santiago off-balance with a counter right and followed with kicks. Santiago threw a flying knee and Maia took him down. Maia could not pass Santiago’s guard, but he landed short punches and an elbow. Santiago answered with upkicks as Maia stood over him. 10-9 Maia.

Round 2:
Santiago opened round two aggressively with kicks and scored with one to the body as Maia threw a left hook. Maia jabbed and kept his distance, then landed a knee and a hook as Santiago moved in. Maia missed with wild punches and Santiago landed a counter hook. Santiago closed in with punches and Maia answered with two of his own before taking Santiago down.

Santiago used butterfly guard to keep Maia at bay, but Maia managed to pass to half-guard. Maia stood and dropped down with a left hand. He struck from Santiago’s guard, but Santiago defended well from the bottom. Maia remained on top until the bell, but was unable to mount much offence or pass Santiago’s guard. 10-9 Maia.

Round 3:
Maia clinched and looked for a takedown in the final round, but Santiago freed his leg and circled away. Santiago pushed forward with punches, but Maia stayed out of range. A right hand landed for Santiago and Maia took him down. He secured back control as Santiago stood and tried to drag him down again. Santiago stayed up, but Maia finally got him down.

Maia managed to land short elbow strikes and punches to the body from the top, then stood up. Santiago upkicked from the bottom and Maia returned to his guard. Maia moved to side control and then to North-South position, but was unable to set up a submission. Santiago got back to butterfly guard and Maia closed out the round with strikes. 10-9 Maia.

Winner: Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 15-3-0.

 

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens

Round 1:
Stephens landed a leg kick early on and Pettis replied with a front kick. Stephens flurried, but Pettis blocked the strikes. A leg kick landed for Stephens and he took Pettis down. Pettis worked back to his feet and time was called after he kicked Stephens in the groin. The fight resumed and Pettis landed a nice right cross. Both fighters landed leg kicks and Pettis threw one to the upper body.

Stephens clinched and put Pettis up against the cage. He tried to take Pettis down and Pettis defended with punches. Stephens got him down, but Pettis punched to the body. He stood and reversed the clinch against the cage, then backed away. Stephens landed a one-two and Pettis closed out the round with a flashy kick. Very close opening round. 10-9 Stephens.

Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of kicks and time was called after a kick from Stephens strayed low. Action resumed and Pettis landed a kick and took Stephens down. He landed knees as Stephens tried to stand against the cage. Pettis kept Stephens down and punched from the top in half-guard. Stephens scrambled up, but Pettis landed a knee and dragged him back down to the mat.

Stephens stood and was takedown down again. He battled back up and tried for a standing Kimura, but gave up his back in the process. Pettis secured a body triangle from the back and tried for a rear-naked choke. Stephens defended and managed to spin into Pettis’s guard very late in the round. He stood and threw punches until the bell, but Pettis blocked most of them. 10-9 Pettis.

Round 3:
Stephens clinched early in the third round and took Pettis down. Pettis tried for a triangle choke and the fighters stood up. A pair of kicks to the leg and body landed for Pettis, but Stephens reversed a takedown attempt and wound up on top. Pettis swept and the fight returned to a clinch against the cage. Pettis tripped Stephens, but Stephens quickly got back to his feet.

Two kicks landed for Pettis and he took Stephens back down again. Stephens stood and countered a takedown attempt. Pettis wound up on the bottom and attempted an armbar. He gave up his back to Stephens, but scrambled to his feet. Pettis threw knees to the thigh, but Stephens took him down momentarily. Pettis stood and missed with a kick at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Pettis.

Winner: Anthony Pettis by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0.

 

Stipe Miocic vs Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran

Round 1:
Miocic opened the fight with leg kicks and a right hand. He followed with a nice one-two and pawed out with jabs. Miocic took Beltran down and landed short punches, but Beltran got back to his feet against the cage. The fighters separated and Miocic landed another right hand and two leg kicks. Both fighters landed right hands and Miocic followed with more leg kicks. Beltran connected with a right hook and ate a flurry late in the round. 10-9 Miocic.

Round 2:
Beltran was more aggressive with punches in round two, but Miocic easily took him down and punched from the top. He postured up and landed hammerfists, but Beltran got back to his feet. Beltran caught a knee and took Miocic down. He landed some good punches from the top, but Miocic fought back to his feet. Miocic landed a standing elbow and Beltran backed him up with a left hook.

Beltran targeted the body, but Miocic took him down and punched from the top again. He moved to side control, but Beltran scrambled up. Miocic landed a knee and ate a body kick. Right hands landed for both and the fighters clinched. Huge punches were exchanged on the break and Miocic clinched again. Big right hands landed for both and Beltran threw elbows at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Beltran, barely.

Round 3:
The fighters clinched after a brief exchange of strikes in round three and Miocic tried for a takedown. Beltran began to bleed heavily from the nose after a flurry of punches from Miocic and he turned his back in the clinch. Miocic threw knees, but Beltran landed a nice right hand after the fighters separated. Miocic resumed kicking at Beltran’s lead leg and took top position after Beltran fell while defending a takedown. Miocic landed knees to the body and moved to mount, then punched from back control until the bell. 10-9 Miocic.

Winner: Stipe Miocic by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 7-0-0.

 

Darren “The Damage” Elkins vs Tiequan “The Mongolian Wolf” Zhang

Round 1:
Both fighters landed big punches to open the fight and Zhang countered a takedown attempt with a guillotine choke. He tried to use it to move to mount, but Elkins escaped and wound up on top. Elkins landed punches and stood up, then dove back into Zhang’s guard with an elbow. He moved to half-guard and threw short punches as Zhang held on.

Elkins used a butterfly neck crank to move to mount. Quick punches landed for Elkins and Zhang gave up his back. Elkins tried for a rear-naked choke and he alternated between punches and choke attempts. Elkins secured a body triangle and landed more punches to the head and body. Zhang survived until the bell. 10-9 Elkins.

Round 2:
Zhang attempted another guillotine choke in round two, but Elkins easily escaped and took top position in side control. He took Zhang’s back once again and tried for rear-naked chokes. Elkins alternated between mount and back control until Zhang got back to half-guard. Elkins passed to side control, but Zhang scrambled to his feet.

Elkins took Zhang down and easily avoided a guillotine. He worked from the top until Zhang managed to sweep. Elkins reversed again and landed knees to the body before retaking top position on the ground. Zhang tried to get up and Elkins kept him pinned down against the cage. He landed more short knees to Zhang’s ribs until the bell. 10-9 Elkins.

Round 3:
Elkins landed a right hook in the final round and Zhang answered with a quick flurry. He countered an Elkins takedown with a tight guillotine choke, but Elkins managed to spin out and wound up in Zhang’s guard. Elkins postured up and landed solid punches. Zhang attempted to roll to his side to escape, but Elkins kept him down and landed more short strikes.

Zhang gave up his back and Elkins punched to the sides of his head. Elkins secured a body triangle and tried once again to set up a rear-naked choke. Elkins threw punches as Zhang simply covered up. Zhang defended well against Elkins’s choke attempts, but was unable to escape to his feet. Elkins landed more punches in the final seconds. 10-9 Elkins.

Winner: Darren Elkins by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 13-2-0.

 

Aaron “A-Train” Simpson vs Eric “Red” Schafer

Round 1:
Simpson dropped Schafer with punches early in the fight, but Schafer held on and recovered. He got back to his feet and Simpson fired a combination to the body. He followed with a left hook and a looping right. Schafer clinched, but Simpson punched his way free. Simpson remained the most effective striker and scored with a series of punches in close.

Schafer threw single punches at a time and Simpson immediately answered with flurries to the head and body. A big combination backed Schafer up, but he recovered and landed a nice lead left hook. Simpson landed one more flurry and circled away late in the opening round. 10-9 Simpson.

Round 2:
Simpson scored with more power punches in round two and he followed with another combination soon after. Schafer weathered the storm, but his face continued to swell up. Simpson opened two cuts on Schafer’s cheek with right hands and backed Schafer up with big punches to the body and head. He continued to mix up his strikes and Schafer seemed to have little answer.

Schafer clinched and landed a knee, but Simpson shrugged him off with three punches over the top. A lead left hook landed for Schafer, but Simpson rocked him with two right hands. Schafer tried to close the distance and landed a grazing knee, but ate two more punches for his efforts. Simpson floored Schafer with a huge right hand in the final seconds, but Schafer stood before the bell. 10-9 Simpson.

Round 3:
The pace slowed in round three as Simpson looked to pick his shots. He landed single punches to the head and body, but it was Schafer who began to dictate the speed of the fight. He walked Simpson down and Simpson countered with more right hands. Schafer jabbed and landed a short left hook.

Simpson scored with a stiff jab of his own and Schafer backed up. Simpson continued to circle away, but his counterpunches remained effective. He landed a hard one-two to the head and body. Schafer threw jabs and Simpson landed two right hooks late in the round. 10-9 Simpson.

Winner: Aaron Simpson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 11-2-0.

 

Mike “The Master of Disaster” Massenzio vs Steve “The Robot” Cantwell

Round 1:
Massenzio was aggressive with punches early on and Cantwell circled away. A leg kick landed for Massenzio and both fighters threw kicks to the upper body. Massenzio landed a nice combination to the head and body. Cantwell answered with a three-punch flurry of his own and a good right hand. He stuffed a takedown from Massenzio and landed a one-two to the body.

Massenzio fired back with a combination, but Cantwell rocked him with a right hook and two head kicks. Massenzio tried to clinch and Cantwell shrugged him off. Cantwell threw a flying knee and time was called after a kick from Massenzio strayed low. Cantwell scored with a one-two and a head kick after the restart and sprawled out of a takedown. 10-9 Cantwell.

Round 2:
The fighters traded head kicks in round two, but only Cantwell’s landed. Massenzio scored a takedown against the cage, but Cantwell countered with elbows and the fight returned to the feet. Massenzio connected with two good punches and Cantwell answered back with a right hook. Two hard left hooks landed for Massenzio and Cantwell backed away.

Cantwell landed kicks to the upper body and lead leg of Massenzio, who countered with a left hook. Massenzio swarmed with punches and dropped down for a takedown. Cantwell defended and escaped. Massenzio landed a big flurry and backed Cantwell up to the cage. Cantwell threw knees to the body as his nose bled heavily. The fighters traded punches and Massenzio landed two more hard lefts. 10-9 Massenzio.

Round 3:
Massenzio was aggressive with punches again in round three and landed a nice uppercut. He clinched and backed Cantwell up to the cage. The fighters separated and Cantwell landed kicks. Massenzio answered with punches and tried for a takedown. He backed away and landed two big lefts and a right hook. Cantwell tried for a standing Kimura and fell to the ground.

Massenzio avoided Cantwell’s submission attempts and the fighters stood. Massenzio landed a left hook and rocked Cantwell with more punches. Cantwell stayed on his feet and avoided a takedown. He tried for a standing guillotine choke and landed a grazing knee. Punching flurries scored for Massenzio and Cantwell retreated. Massenzio sprawled out of a takedown and landed elbows. He survived a last-second kneebar from Cantwell. 10-9 Massenzio.

Winner: Mike Massenzio by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-5-0.