The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 162: “Silva vs Weidman.” The event was headlined by a UFC Middleweight Championship bout between champ Anderson “The Spider” Silva and “All-American” Chris Weidman.
Also on the card, former lightweight champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar took on Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira in a featherweight bout. Tim Kennedy battled fellow UFC debutant Roger Gracie in a featured middleweight fight. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC 162 event.
UFC Middleweight Championship
“All-American” Chris Weidman vs Anderson “The Spider” Silva
Round 1:
Weidman took Silva down early in round one and landed punches from the top. He moved to half-guard and continued to strike. Silva scrambled back to full guard and Weidman stood over him with punches. He dropped down for a kneebar and switched to a heel hook, but Silva escaped and stood up. He beckoned Weidman to clinch against the cage and Weidman landed a one-two.
Silva began to taunt and he mixed up his strikes with jabs and leg kicks. He outstruck Weidman throughout the final minute while going so far as to instruct Weidman on which attacks to use. The crowd roared in approval as the bizarre round came to an end. 10-9 Weidman, just barely, despite Silva’s late offence and antics.
Round 2:
Silva continued to taunt in round two as Weidman struggled to land anything. Silva stayed out of Weidman’s range and avoided a takedown. Silva kept his hands down and stuck his chin out and Weidman made him pay with a big left hook that dropped him to the mat. Weidman dove in and landed five more punches to an unconscious Silva before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight.
Winner: Chris Weidman by KO (Punches) at 1:18 of round two. He improves to 10-0-0 and becomes the new UFC Middleweight Champion.
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar vs Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira
Round 1:
Edgar stunned Oliveira with a right cross in round one and followed with a left hook. Oliveira clinched and pulled Edgar to the mat. He attempted a leglock and Edgar stood to escape. On the feet, Oliveira scored with a knee and he jumped guard. Oliveira attempted an armbar and the fight returned to the feet. Edgar landed a one-two and Oliveira answered with a knee.
Oliveira landed a stiff jab and countered a body shot from Edgar with a hard knee. Edgar flurried to the body, but Oliveira forced him to retreat with a counter combination. Edgar mixed up his punches and he landed a nice uppercut in close. Oliveira attempted a takedown, but Edgar defended. Oliveira stood and landed an uppercut, but he ate a four-punch flurry to the body and head. Edgar took him down late in the round. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of body kicks. Oliveira scored with a chopping leg kick, but Edgar caught a second one and knocked him down with a right hand. Oliveira got back to his feet, but Edgar took him down again. Edgar landed punches and elbows from the top and followed with a knee as Oliveira stood. A left hook and a combination scored for Edgar and he countered a leg kick with a right cross. Oliveira began to press the action and he landed a combination, but Edgar took him down and survived a guillotine choke. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 3:
Edgar rocked Oliveira with a right hook early in the final round and he pressed forward with more punches. Oliveira slipped and fell to his back as Edgar kicked at his legs. Oliveira stood and landed a step-in elbow. He stayed on the offensive and landed a knee and a combination. Edgar connected with a right hook and Oliveira immediately replied with two counterpunches.
Oliveira missed with a flashy spinning kick and Edgar badly rocked him with punches. Oliveira stayed on his feet as Edgar cracked him with big shots. Edgar landed right hooks at will and Oliveira tried in vain to get the fight to the ground. He wound up on the bottom and Edgar landed ground and pound during the final minute. 10-9 Edgar.
Winner: Frankie Edgar by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-1.
Tim Kennedy vs Roger Gracie
Round 1:
Gracie took Kennedy down early in the fight and transitioned to back control as Kennedy stood. Kennedy turned into the clinch and backed away. He landed two leg kicks and Gracie took him down again. Gracie got his back again and worked for a rear-naked choke. Kennedy defended well and he turned into Gracie’s guard. Kennedy closed out the round on top. 10-9 Gracie.
Round 2:
Kennedy took Gracie down in round two and he landed some hard ground and pound. Gracie got back to his feet, but he ate some big shots on the way up. Kennedy got him back down again and moved to half-guard, but Gracie held on for a standup. Kennedy held him against the cage until the end of the round. 10-9 Kennedy.
Round 3:
Kennedy kicked at Gracie’s lead leg in round three and he took Gracie’s back while standing. Gracie escaped the clinch and Kennedy landed a side kick to the body. Gracie got Kennedy down for a split second, but he could not hold him on the mat. The fighters were separated and Kennedy landed more leg kicks. He followed with a combination and clinched. Kennedy attempted a knee and landed uppercuts before time expired. 10-9 Kennedy.
Winner: Tim Kennedy by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.
“The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz vs Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch
Round 1:
Boetsch closed in right away and took Munoz down, but Munoz reversed and got back to his feet. Boetsch slammed him down a second time and landed some hard right hands on the way up. He followed with a combination and a knee to the body, but this time it was Munoz who got the takedown. Boetsch stood and rolled forward to counter another takedown.
The fighters stood and Boetsch attempted a guillotine choke as Munoz took him down. Munoz escaped the choke, but Boetsch used it to sweep into top position. Munoz battled back to his feet and landed a combination. Boetsch responded with a right hook to the temple. Munoz landed an uppercut and a one-two late in the close round. 10-9 Boetsch.
Round 2:
Boetsch landed a body kick and a right hook in round two and Munoz responded with a combination. He clinched and backed Boetsch up against the cage. Boetsch broke away and landed a lunging right hand. Munoz took him down and tried to pass to mount. He landed huge right hands to the body as Boetsch worked back to his feet.
Munoz promptly took Boetsch right back down and he continued to punish him with punches from the top. Boetsch stood up, then dropped down to his knees in search of a takedown. Munoz defended by punching to the ribs again. Munoz alternated between body punches and hammerfists to the side of the head. He threw knees to the body before the bell. 10-9 Munoz.
Round 3:
Boetsch worked for guillotine chokes throughout the opening minute of round three. Munoz fought free and Boetsch looked to transition to an armbar. Munoz escaped out the back and he blasted Boetsch with punches to the head and body. More big shots scored for Munoz and he kept the pressure on as Boetsch attempted to roll for a kneebar.
Munoz moved to half-guard and he tried for a Kimura on Boetsch’s right arm. Boetsch pulled his arm out, but Munoz landed more punches to the body and he nearly secured a rear-naked choke. Boetsch scrambled free, but Munoz stayed on top and he punched away as Boetsch gave up his back. Munoz escaped another kneebar and landed two diving right hands. 10-9 Munoz.
Winner: Mark Munoz by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-3-0.
Cub Swanson vs Dennis Siver
Round 1:
The fight began with an exchange of quick leg kicks and Siver followed with left hooks. Swanson threw more kicks to the lead leg and body and he narrowly missed with a spinning hook kick. Siver took him down and moved to side control. He landed knees to the side of Swanson’s body and Swanson tried to scramble up. Siver nearly passed to mount, but Swanson kept one leg trapped. Swanson used a guillotine choke to get back to his feet and both fighters landed kicks. 10-9 Siver.
Round 2:
Siver landed a counter left hook early in round two and Swanson kicked at his legs. Siver mixed up his strikes and avoided Swanson’s punches. Swanson attempted a cartwheel kick and Siver replied with a series of leg kicks. Swanson just missed with another spinning hook kick and he alternated punches to the head and body. A huge uppercut scored for Swanson and he reversed a takedown with a throw into mount. He briefly struck from the top and transitioned to an omoplata. 10-9 Swanson.
Round 3:
Swanson landed a head kick in the final round and he followed with a big right hand soon after. He switched between kicks and punches and avoided a spinning back kick from Siver. Another powerful right hook landed for Swanson and another followed right after. Swanson continued to throw right hands and a dazed Siver fell to the mat. Swanson stood over him and punched as referee Herb Dean looked on. After four hard shots, the fight was finally stopped.
Winner: Cub Swanson by TKO (Punches) at 2:24 of round three. He improves to 20-5-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)