Chad “Money” Mendes vs Darren “The Damage” Elkins

Round 1:
Mendes scored with two leg kicks and he rocked Elkins with a right hook soon after. Another right hand sent Elkins careening to the mat and Mendes unloaded with punches until the bout was stopped.

Winner: Chad Mendes by KO (Punches) at 1:08 of round one. He improves to 14-1-0.

 

Francis “Limitless” Carmont vs Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin

Round 1:
Larkin opened the action with leg kicks in round one and Carmont responded with three kicks to the body. Carmont caught a kick and tried for a takedown. Larkin hopped on one foot to defend and he landed elbows to the side of the head. Carmont held Larkin’s leg on his shoulder, but he still could not trip Larkin to the ground. Larkin landed more leg kicks late in the round. 10-9 Larkin.

Round 2:
Larkin landed a grazing head kick in round two and he continued to kick at Carmont’s lead leg. Carmont threw a switch kick to the body and Larkin responded with a stiff jab. Two spinning leg kicks connected for Larkin and he targeted Carmont’s knee. Larkin shrugged off a takedown and landed an uppercut. Carmont clinched again and got Larkin down for a split second.

Larkin punished Carmont with elbows and Carmont was forced to give up the shot. A nice leg kick landed for Larkin and Carmont slowed down. He landed an overhand right, however, and followed with an uppercut. Larkin chopped at Carmont’s lead leg with more kicks and he landed more elbows to the temple in the clinch. Carmont took him down before the bell. 10-9 Larkin.

Round 3:
Carmont worked for a takedown in round three and briefly took Larkin’s back on the feet. Larkin escaped and backed away. A one-two and a leg kick scored for Larkin and he countered a takedown with a triangle choke attempt. Larkin switched to an armbar and Carmont used the opportunity to pass to side control. Larkin got back to guard and nearly trapped Carmont in a gogoplata.

Carmont powered out and settled into Larkin’s guard. Larkin held him in place with rubber guard. He exploded into a Kimura and used it to sweep into top position. Larkin took Carmont’s back, but Carmont scrambled out and the fighters stood. Larkin missed with a flashy spinning kick just before the final bell. Close round. 10-9 Larkin.

Winner: Francis Carmont by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 21-7-0.

 

Myles “The Fury” Jury vs Ramsey Nijem

Round 1:
Jusy landed a right hook and a body kick right away and he took advantage of Nijem’s wild striking by taking him down. Jury nearly secured a crucifix from back control and Nijem scrambled. Jury got to his knees and Nijem landed a knee to the body. Jury tripped him with took his back again. He used punches to try to set up a rear-naked choke.

Nijem stood with Jury on his back and shrugged him off. Jury wound up on the bottom and attempted an armbar. Nijem defended and fought free. He took Jury’s back and dragged him backwards to the mat. Jury exploded to the side and landed hammerfists to the side of a kneeling Nijem’s head. Nijem scrambled again and took Jury’s back late in the close round. 10-9 Jury.

Round 2:
Time was called in round two after Nijem was poked in the eye. The fight continued and Jury landed a right-left to the body and head. Ramsey walked in with wild looping punches and Fury landed a massive right hook counter that sent him crashing backwards. He landed one more punch on the ground and referee John McCarthy intervened to rescue an unconscious Nijem.

Winner: Myles Jury by KO (Punch) at 1:02 of round two. He improves to 12-0-0.

 

Joseph Benavidez vs Darren “BC” Uyenoyama

Round 1:
Benavidez connected with a lunging one-two and a body kick early on. He caught a kick from Uyenoyama and tripped him, then punched from the top. Benavidez stood and kicked at Uyenoyama’s legs. Uyenoyama got back to his feet and time was called after he was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and both fighters landed body kicks. Benavidez caught one and sent Uyenoyama to the ground with a counter right hook.

Uyenoyama quickly stood and he landed two kicks to the upper body. Benavidez walked him down with looping punches and dropped Uyenoyama with a head kick. Uyenoyama recovered and battled back to his feet. Beanvidez took him down and briefly passed to half-guard. Uyenoyama regained full guard and both fighters stood. Benavidez landed a short right hook late in the round. 10-9 Benavidez.

Round 2:
Benavidez landed two hard right hooks in the opening seconds of round two. He threw looping punches and a body kick. Benavidez flurried with punches and finished with another body kick, but Uyenoyama caught it and he took Benavidez’s back. Uyenoyama dropped down for a leglock and Benavidez made him pay for the mistake by punching from the top.

Benavidez postured up with another combination and the fight returned to the feet. Benavidez remained a step ahead in the exchanges and he began to pick Uyenoyama apart with his varied striking arsenal. Uyenoyama blocked a head kick but ate a right hook. Benavidez hurt Uyenoyama with a body kick and landed a left hook to the liver seconds later that dropped Uyenoyama and ended the fight.

Winner: Joseph Benavidez by KO (Punch To The Body) at 4:50 of round two. He improves to 18-3-0.

 

Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means vs Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal

Round 1:
After a cautious opening minute, the fighters traded punching combinations in close and Masvidal targeted the body. He scored with a nice right hand and followed with a one-two, but Means connected with a spinning back elbow. Masvidal flurried with more punches and ended with a body kick. He picked Means up and took his back in the process.

The fighters stood against the cage and Means turned into the clinch. He landed a punch-kick combo and attempted a takedown. Means landed a left hook to the body and tried to follow up with a jumping knee. Masvidal answered with a one-two and a left hook that briefly backed Means up before the bell. 10-9 Masvidal.

Round 2:
Masvidal shot in for a takedown and got Means down in round two. Means punched from the bottom and landed an upkick as Masvidal stood. Punches were exchanged and Masvidal took Means down again. This time, it was Masvidal who dominated the action with punches on the ground and he took Means’s back. Means scrambled and regained full guard in search of an armbar. Masvidal continued to land punches and elbows from the top, but Means cut him on the forehead with elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Masvidal.

Round 3:
A hard left hook snapped Masvidal’s head back in round three and Means followed with another left hand seconds later. Masvidal replied with a body kick and caught a knee. Means fought off a takedown attempt by landing a jumping knee, but Masvidal got him down on his second try. Means stood and landed a knee to the bloodied face of Masvidal.

A step-in elbow scored for Means, but Masvidal took him down once more. Means punished him with elbows from the bottom and prevented Masvidal from passing his guard. Masvidal landed elbows of his own and Means tried to spin into an armbar. He used a Kimura to sweep into full mount, but Masvidal exploded out. Means blasted him with elbows from the top until the final bell. 10-9 Means.

Winner: Jorge Masvidal by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 24-7-0.

 

T.J. Dillashaw vs Hugo “Wolverine” Viana

Round 1:
Viana clipped Dillashaw with a short counter hook early in the fight, but Dillashaw recovered and scored a takedown into back control. The fighters stood and Viana landed an elbow that cut Dillashaw. A knee from Dillashaw was met by a flurry of punches from Viana. Dillashaw knocked Viana off-balance with a one-two and Viana reset.

Viana ducked under a head kick and stuffed a takedown. Dillashaw badly rocked Viana with a right hook and Viana fell to his knees. He stood and backpedalled as Dillashaw closed in with more punches. Dillashaw rocked Viana again and Viana fell against the cage, prompting referee John McCarthy to intervene to stop the fight.

Winner: T.J. Dillashaw by TKO (Punches) at 4:22 of round one. He improves to 8-1-0.

 

Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani vs “Relentless” Roger Bowling

Round 1:
Bowling scored with kicks and a left hook to the body in the opening minute. Njokuani countered with a body shot of his own. The fighters traded hard hooks and more strikes to the body. Bowling landed a kick-punch combo and Njokuani circled away. Bowling shot in and slammed Njokuani down to the mat. Njokuani stood up, but ate left hands on the way. Njokuani scored with a knee and a combination, then followed with a head kick before the bell. Very close round. 10-9 Bowling, barely.

Round 2:
Njokuani landed a kick to the chest in round two and followed with two punches and another kick. He countered a combination from Bowling with a body kick. Bowling lunged in with two left hooks and Njokuani circled away. As Bowling walked forward, Njokuani connected with a vicious counter left hook. Bowling went limp and fell forward on the ground, and the bout was waved off.

Winner: Anthony Njokuani by KO (Punch) at 2:52 of round two. He improves to 16-7-0, 1 NC.

 

Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero Palacio vs Clifford Starks

Round 1:
The fighters exchanged kicks in the early goings and Romero Palacio landed side kicks and a hook kick to the face. As Starks pawed out with his jab and ducked his head, Romero Palacio jumped in with a devastating flying knee. Starks crumpled to the mat and Romero Palacio unloaded with punches until the bout was stopped.

Winner: Yoel Romero Palacio by KO (Flying Knee & Punches) at 1:32 of round one. He improves to 5-1-0.