The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 178: “Johnson vs Cariaso.” The event was headlined by a UFC Flyweight Championship bout between champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso.
In tonight’s co-main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone battled former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier took on “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and “Alpha” Cat Zingano faced Amanda “Lioness” Nunes. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s card.
UFC Flyweight Championship
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson vs Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso
Round 1:
Johnson landed quick one-twos and leg kicks early in round one and Cariaso responded with combinations of his own. Johnson took him down against the cage and passed to side control. Cariaso regained guard and struck from the bottom as Johnson postured up with elbows. The fight returned to the feet and both fighters landed knees to the body. Johnson took Cariaso back down, but he could not keep him there for long. Cariaso landed a nice one-two and a leg kick, but Johnson rocked him with a right hook and a knee just as time expired. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 2:
Johnson closed in with a kick to the upper body and punches in round two. Cariaso slipped while throwing a leg kick and Johnson settled into his guard. He passed to side control and trapped Cariaso in a top-side crucifix. Johnson landed a series of unanswered punches and transitioned to the opposite side. He locked on a straight armbar and Cariaso was in all sorts of trouble. Johnson switched to a kimura and Cariaso tapped out.
Winner: Demetrious Johnson by Submission (Kimura) at 2:29 of round two. He improves to 21-2-1 and remains the UFC Flyweight Champion.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs Eddie Alvarez
Round 1:
Cerrone landed knees to the chest and a nice right hand in the opening minute. He followed with a kick to the body and the fighters traded leg kicks. Cerrone landed more leg kicks, but Alvarez countered with more than a dozen hooks and uppercuts in a clinch. He landed more punches soon after and began to take a clear edge in the striking exchanges. Alvarez landed more quick punching combinations in the final minute. 10-9 Alvarez.
Round 2:
Cerrone opened round two with more knees and a combination. Alvarez ducked into a knee to the chest and Cerrone shrugged off a takedown attempt. More knees landed for Cerrone and he followed with chopping leg kicks. Cerrone scored with a one-two to the eye and another leg kick. Alvarez clinched and Cerrone took his back. The fighters separated and Alvarez’s right eye began to swell up. Cerrone mixed things up with leg kicks and knees to the body as time ticked down and he just missed with a head kick. Alvarez landed a spinning backfist before the bell. 10-9 Cerrone.
Round 3:
Cerrone attacked Alvarez’s lead leg with more kicks in the final round and Alvarez answered with a right hook. Cerrone landed a nice knee and easily avoided a takedown. Both men landed punches and Cerrone hurt Alvarez with a knee and a flurry against the cage. Alvarez circled out and Cerrone landed a head kick and more punches. He picked Alvarez apart with leg and body kicks. Alvarez collapsed after a series of brutal leg kicks from Cerrone, who entered his guard. In the final 90 seconds, Cerrone scored with short punches and elbows from Alvarez’s half-guard. 10-9 Cerrone.
Winner: Donald Cerrone by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 25-6-0, 1 NC.
“The Notorious” Conor McGregor vs Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier
Round 1:
Both fighters landed leg and body kicks in the opening seconds and Poirier mixed in hooks. McGregor answered back with left hands to the body and head. Poirier backed him up with two left hooks of his own, but McGregor wobbled him with a powerful left hand. He dropped Poirier face-first with another left and blasted him with more punches on the ground until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Conor McGregor by TKO (Punches) at 1:46 of round one. He improves to 16-2-0.
Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero vs Tim Kennedy
Round 1:
Romero connected with a lunging hook in the opening minute and Kennedy kept his distance on the outside. Romero cracked him with an overhand left and Kennedy began to bleed from the mouth. Romero pressed forward with kicks to the lead leg and upper body. Kennedy caught one and scored a very brief takedown, but Romero exploded back to his feet and got Kennedy down to his knees. The fighters stood and Romero rushed forward with a power takedown. Back on the feet, Romero landed a right-left combo and he avoided Kennedy’s counters. 10-9 Romero.
Round 2:
Kennedy opened round two with a series of body kicks, but Romero countered each one with left hooks. Kennedy landed two more body kicks and ate another left hook for his efforts. Kennedy threw winging overhand punches and had brief success with uppercuts in the clinch. Romero stuffed takedowns and got Kennedy down once. The fighters scrambled and Kennedy attacked with a guillotine choke.
On the feet, both men landed body kicks and Kennedy followed with a spinning backfist. The fighters traded short punches and elbows in the clinch. Romero flurried in the final 15 seconds, but Kennedy badly rocked him with uppercuts. He continued to land punches until the bell saved a now-bloodied Romero. 10-9 Kennedy.
Round 3:
Romero floored Kennedy right away with a left-right combo in round three, but Kennedy managed to narrowly survive the follow-up onslaught on the ground. He stood and Romero dropped him again with more punches. Romero punched away from the top as a badly-bloodied Kennedy rolled to his side and the fight was waved off.
Winner: Yoel Romero by TKO (Punches) at 0:58 of round three. He improves to 9-1-0.
“Alpha” Cat Zingano vs Amanda “Lioness” Nunes
Round 1:
Nunes opened the fight with a leg kick and she took Zingano down immediately after. Zingano locked on an armbar from the bottom, but Nunes stood up and pulled her arm free. Zingano looked for a heel hook and Nunes punched free. Zingano landed a nice upkick and Nunes dove in with huge punches. More hard shots bounced Zingano’s head off of the canvas, but she recovered and tried for another armbar. Nunes escaped the hold and rained down punches and elbows.
Nunes continued to batter Zingano with vicious shots from the top, but Zingano somehow survived. Nunes spun into a heel hook attempt, but she gave up top position in the process. The fight returned to the feet and Zingano trapped both of Nunes’s arms in the clinch. She tried to throw her to the mat and wound up slamming Nunes on her forehead. Zingano closed out the round on top. 10-8 Nunes despite Zingano’s late rally.
Round 2:
Zingano took Nunes down and landed some solid ground and pound of her own in the second round. She stood up and dropped down for a heel hook, but Nunes escaped. Zingano retained top position and landed punches with her left hand from half-guard. She continued to pepper Nunes with short punches and elbows from the top and Nunes tried to roll for a kneebar. Zingano countered with a toe hold and she wound up on top in Nunes’s guard after a brief scramble. She punched to the body until the end of the round. 10-9 Zingano.
Round 3:
Zingano used a DDT-style rolling throw to get Nunes down to the mat in the final round. She quickly transitioned to mount and teed off with punches and elbows. A fatigued Nunes had no answer from her back and Zingano cut her with slashing elbows. A final barrage of punches prompted referee Jason Herzog to stop the fight.
Winner: Cat Zingano by TKO (Elbows & Punches) at 1:21 of round three. She improves to 9-0-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)
McGregor has just passed Ronda as the most marketable star in all of MMA!!#