Gleison Tibau vs Jamie “C-4” Varner
Round 1:
Varner chopped at Tibau’s lead leg with kicks in the opening minute. Tibau looked to counter with left hooks and lead rights. Varner scored with a left hook that backed Tibau up. He followed with another one, but Tibau landed an overhand right at the same time. One-two combos scored for both men at the same time and Tibau powered through on a takedown. He got Varner down and moved to half-guard. Varner stood and Tibau maintained back control until the bell. 10-9 Tibau.
Round 2:
Varner jumped into a guillotine choke and tried to pull guard early in round two. Tibau escaped and worked from the top in Varner’s half-guard. He eyed an arm-triangle choke, but let it go and punched to the body. Tibau mounted Varner, who gave up his back. Varner rolled over again and Tibau struck from mount. Varner gave up his back and Tibau flattened him out. He mounted Varner once again and punched until time expired. 10-8 Tibau.
Round 3:
Varner rushed forward aggressively in round three, but Tibau circled and evaded his strikes. Varner connected with a right hand, but Tibau ducked under a second one and took him down. Varner fought back to his feet and escaped the clinch. He flurried to the body, but appeared to injure his right hand. Tibau landed a counter one-two and stuffed a takedown.
Tibau caught a kick from Varner, but let Varner get free. Varner landed a hard left hook and took Tibau down. He unloaded with punches and elbows from Tibau’s half-guard. Varner stayed busy with punches and hammerfists with his left hand. He postured up late in the round and dropped punches to the jaw of Tibau, who kicked him off just before the bell. 10-9 Varner.
Winner: Gleison Tibau by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-29) after three rounds. He improves to 28-9-0.
Tim Elliott vs Louis “Goodnight” Gaudinot
Round 1:
Elliott opened the fight with leg kicks and time was called after Gaudinot was poked in the eye. After the restart, Elliott took Gaudinot down and attempted a guillotine choke from the top. He let it go and punched from Gaudinot’s guard. Gaudinot worked back to his feet and Elliott landed a flying knee to the chest. He tripped Gaudinot with a leg kick and the fighters clinched. Both men landed punches as they broke apart.
Elliott switched stances and tried for a fancy rolling ankle pick takedown. Gaudinot stayed on his feet and smiled. Elliott pressed forward with two big knees and a flurry of punches. He took Gaudinot down and punished him with punches and short elbows. Elliott continued to batter Gaudinot with punches. The fighters stood and Elliott scored with more knees. He took Gaudinot back down and bloodied him with elbows. 10-8 Elliott.
Round 2:
Gaudinot began round two by landing kicks to the body and lead leg. Elliott flew in with a knee and followed with standing elbows against the cage. Gaudinot missed with a spinning backfist and landed a knee. Elliott kicked to the body and Gaudinot covered up after eating a flurry to the face. He continued to bleed heavily from the nose, but fired back with right hooks.
Elliott landed a spinning kick to the body and Gaudinot answered back with a pair of hooks. Elliott took him down and pressured with punches and elbows from the top. He stood over Gaudinot and dropped more punches. Elliott passed to half-guard and looked to set up a move to mount. He attempted a toe hold just before time expired. 10-9 Elliott.
Round 3:
The fighters clinched and scrambled on the mat early in the final round. Elliott wound up on top in Gaudinot’s half-guard. Elliott looked for a guillotine choke and Gaudinot stood up. Elliott ducked right into a head kick, but he walked right through it and landed a spinning backfist and a straight left. He took Gaudinot down once more and moved from a rear crucifix to mount.
Gaudinot escaped back to half-guard, but Elliott was relentless with offence from the top. Elliott landed short shots with his left elbow and Gaudinot covered up. Elliott targeted both the body and head and gave Gaudinot absolutely no room to move. In the final 20 seconds, Elliott postured up with punches and kept Gaudinot pinned against the cage. 10-9 Elliott.
Winner: Tim Elliott by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 10-3-1.
Hyun Gyu “The Ace” Lim vs Pascal “Panzer” Krauss
Round 1:
Krauss opened the fight with leg kicks and Lim replied with right hands and lunging lefts. A looping left hook grazed Krauss’s chin and the fighters traded hard punches. Lim just missed with a front kick and Krauss immediately answered with one of his own. Lim caught a kick and tripped Krauss. He landed a nice right hand on the way up. Jabs were exchanged and both men landed straight rights.
Krauss slipped punches from Lim and stuck to his job. Two-punch combos landed for both fighters and Lim rocked Krauss with a huge right. Lim swarmed with punches and Krauss stood. His knees buckled and he nearly fell down. Lim kept the pressure on and a wobbly Krauss attempted a takedown. Lim put Krauss down for good with a devastating knee and follow-up punches.
Winner: Hyun Gyu Lim by KO (Knee & Punches) at 3:58 of round one. He improves to 12-3-1.
Chico “The King” Camus vs Kyung Ho “Mr. Perfect” Kang
Round 1:
Camus countered early kicks from Kang with left and right hooks. He followed with quick one-two combos, but Kang ducked under and took him down. Kang struck from the top and Camus scrambled to try to escape to his feet. Kang nearly took his back, but he lost the position. Camus wound up on the bottom and Kang almost got to mount. Kang got to side control and tried to pass to mount again. He dropped short elbows and a quick flurry. Camus used an omoplata to sweep into top position and he landed two right hands before the bell. 10-9 Kang.
Round 2:
Kang immediately took Camus back down in round two and he struck from the top again. Kang postured up with some hard shots, but Camus landed an upkick. Kang dropped back down into Camus’s half-guard, then passed to side control. Camus scrambled and fought off an armbar. He wound up in Kang’s guard. Camus briefly made it to half-guard and landed short elbows as Kang used the cage to try to stand up. A scramble ensued and Camus nearly secured a rear-naked choke. He landed solid ground and pound late in the round. 10-9 Camus.
Round 3:
Camus shot in for a takedown in round three and Kang stuffed it. A right hand scored for Camus, but Kang cut him with a couunter one-two. Camus flurried with punches and cracked Kang with an overhand right. Kang drove in for a takedown and got it. He moved to half-guard and kept Camus pinned down. Camus regained full guard, but ate an elbow and a diving right hand.
Camus kicked Kang off and scrambled back to his feet. He just missed with a right hook. Kang shot in for a takedown and Camus landed a knee. Kang appeared to be hurt briefly, but he recovered and put Camus on his back again. Kang punched from the top and stood up. Camus attempted upkicks and he landed a big one with 15 seconds to go. Kang fell foward and Camus nearly finished him with strikes, but time expired. 10-9 Camus, barely, due to the late rally.
Winner: Chico Camus by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-4-0.
Soa “The Hulk” Palelei vs Nikita “Al Capone” Krylov
Round 1:
Palelei picked Krylov up in the opening seconds and slammed him down near the cage. Palelei stood and landed two hard right hands from the top. Krylov punched from the bottom and looked to set up a submission. He attempted an omoplata, but Palelei moved to knee-on-belly and rained down hammerfists. Palelei passed to mount and Krylov gave up his back.
The fighters returned to their feet and Krylov unloaded with punches. Palelei slowed down considerably, but he got Krylov’s back and Krylov kneeled down. Palelei scored with right hands from the back and fought off a kimura. He took Krylov down and escaped a triangle choke. Palelei attempted a scarf hold armlock and Krylov countered with a modified inverted triangle armbar from the bottom. 10-9 Palelei.
Round 2:
Palelei secured a takedown into mount early in the second round. Krylov scrambled and grabbed on to Palelei’s right arm. The fight returned to the feet in a clinch against the fence. After the fighters were separated, Krylov landed knees and a lengthy combination. Palelei tried to fire back with punches of his own, but Krylov got the better of the exchange. Palelei slowed way down and Krylov landed at will with sloppy punches. The round ended with an exchange of knees. 10-9 Krylov.
Round 3:
Palelei scored with a huge counter right hook that rocked Krylov in the opening seconds of round three. Krylov dropped levels for a takedown and Palelei countered with hammerfists. Krylov wound up on the mat with Palelei on top in mount. An exhausted Palelei landed right hands and hammerfists until the fight was merficully stopped.
Winner: Soa Palelei by TKO (Punches) at 1:34 of round three. He improves to 19-3-0.
“Raging” Al Iaquinta vs Ryan Couture
Round 1:
The fighters traded jabs in the opening minute and Couture landed a chopping leg kick. Iaquinta replied with a right hook and a two-punch combo, but ate another leg kick. A hard overhand right stunned Couture and he clinched in search of a takedown. Iaquinta broke free and caught a leg kick. He tripped Couture and landed punches as the fight returned to the feet. Couture scored with a flying switch knee.
Iaquinta went high with a head kick and followed with another combination and a looping overhand right. Couture responded with a head kick and a right hand of his own. The fighters traded hard punches and kicks to the upper body in the final 20 seconds. Iaquinta secured a takedown and dropped hammerfists from the top in half-guard. 10-9 Iaquinta.
Round 2:
Couture slipped while throwing a kick early in round two, but he got Iaquinta’s back in a scramble. Couture landed knees in the clinch, but Iaquinta circled out and scored with another overhand right. Iaquinta continued to find a home for his right hook. He faked a body shot and landed a grazing left head kick. He remained aggressive with more punches and kicks.
Iaquinta backed Couture up with a flurry and he threw more kicks to the body. A punch-kick combo landed for Iaquinta and he avoided a knee. Iaquinta once again forced Couture to retreat after landing a powerful right hand. Couture did land with a nice right hand, but Iaquinta quickly countered with a flurry and a takedown just before the bell. 10-9 Iaquinta.
Round 3:
Couture secured a brief takedown against the cage in the final round. Iaquinta sprung back to his feet and broke free of the clinch. He landed a left hook, but Couture scored with another flying knee. Iaquinta’s momentum slowed down, but he recovered and resumed throwing powerful overhand rights. Couture threw a left hook to the body and tried for a takedown.
Iaquinta fought off the takedown attempt with uppercuts that bloodied Couture’s face. Iaquinta kept the pressure on with vicious right and left hooks to the body as Couture tried to defend against the cage. A standing elbow hurt Couture and Iaquinta followed with a right hand. Couture fell and Iaquinta teed off with right hands. He landed more punches as Couture stood before the bell. 10-9 Iaquinta.
Winner: Al Iaquinta by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 6-2-1.
Magnus “Jycken” Cedenblad vs Jared “The Messenger” Hamman
Round 1:
Cedenblad countered an early takedown attempt by locking on a guillotine choke and he immediately rolled into mount with the submission applied. Cedenblad cranked on the guillotine from mount and Hamman quickly tapped out.
Winner: Magnus Cedenblad by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:57 of round one. He improves to 11-4-0.