UFC 188: "Velasquez vs Werdum" Live Play-By-Play & ResultsThe Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, Mexico tonight for UFC 188: “Velasquez vs Werdum.” The event was headlined by a UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship bout between Cain Velasquez and interim titleholder Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum.

Also on tonight’s card, former Strikeforce champ Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez battled ex-Bellator titleholder Eddie Alvarez in the lightweight co-feature. Kelvin Gastelum took on Nate “The Great” Marquardt in a middleweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the UFC 188 card.

 

UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship

Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum vs Cain Velasquez

Round 1:
Werdum opened the fight with two right hands and was knocked down by a counter left. He stood and the fighters traded power punches near the cage wall. Werdum cut Velasquez near the left eye, but Velasquez scored a takedown into side control. Werdum scrambled back to guard and Velasquez allowed him to stand. He landed two right hooks and Werdum tried to counter with uppercuts. He tripped Velasquez and landed a knee on the way up.

Werdum missed with a flying switch knee, but he landed jabs and right hands. Velasquez answered back with leg kicks and Werdum kept the pressure on with more punches and a knee. Velasquez dumped him to the mat, then backed away and waited for him to stand up. Werdum obliged and he landed a front kick to the body. He opened another cut on Velasquez’s face with punches, but Velasquez responded with a right hand. Close opening round. 10-9 Werdum.

Round 2:
Werdum countered a punch-kick combo with two powerful right hands in round two. Velasquez chopped away with leg kicks and Werdum fired back with straight rights and an uppercut. He followed with body kicks and rocked Velasquez with a flurry. Velasquez stumbled and Werdum continued to throw punches. Velasquez recovered and landed a flurry, but Werdum stunned him with an uppercut and a knee. He wobbled Velasquez with punches and dropped him with a knee, but Velasquez stood before the bell. 10-9 Werdum. Close to a 10-8.

Round 3:
Velasquez took Werdum down early in round three, but Werdum rolled through and nearly took top position. The fighters stood and Velasquez landed a head kick. Werdum countered with a standing guillotine choke. He pinned Velasquez against the fence and landed punches and a knee. Velasquez took him down and Werdum immediately locked on an arm-in guillotine choke. Velasquez tapped out within seconds.

Winner: Fabricio Werdum by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:13 of round three. He improves to 20-5-1 and becomes the UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Champion.

 

Eddie Alvarez vs Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez

Round 1:
Melendez cracked Alvarez with a standing elbow in the early goings that opened a cut below Alvarez’s left eye. He followed with jabs and an overhand right, but action remained sparse. Alvarez eventually landed a leg kick and a body kick. Largely uneventful round. 10-9 Melendez.

Round 2:
Alvarez blew his nose between rounds and his left eye immediately swelled completely shut. The fight continued on and Melendez stuffed a takedown attempt. Time was called after Melendez was kneed in the groin, but action resumed and Alvarez landed leg kicks and a spinning back elbow. He secured a takedown against the fence late in the round. 10-9 Alvarez.

Round 3:
Alvarez shot in for another takedown in the final round and the fighters battled in a clinch. Both connected with right hooks after separating and Alvarez tripped Melendez very briefly. Alvarez’s right eye began to swell up as well, but he landed a body kick and just missed with a head kick attempt. Another spinning back elbow landed for Alvarez in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Alvarez.

Winner: Eddie Alvarez by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 26-4-0.

 

Kelvin Gastelum vs Nate “The Great” Marquardt

Round 1:
Gastelum scored with left hooks and body kicks in the opening minute. He cracked Marquardt with a one-two, but Marquardt answered back with a right cross. He punched to the body and Gastelum replied with knees. Marquardt briefly took him down, but Gastelum stood and answered with a takedown of his own. Marquardt gave up his back and Gastelum looked to set up a rear-naked choke, but Marquardt scrambled up to his feet. Gastelum hurt him with a flurry before the bell. 10-9 Gastelum.

Round 2:
Gastelum remained a step ahead in the striking exchanges in round two. He landed combinations and body kicks while Marquardt struggled to land anything in return. Two big knees dropped Marquardt and Gastelum followed with punches on the ground. Marquardt weathered the storm and stood up, but Gastelum stuffed a takedown and took his back. Marquardt rolled and Gastelum wound up on top in his guard. He punched to the body and pulled his leg free from a late Marquardt kneebar attempt. 10-9 Gastelum.

Between rounds, Marquardt told his corner that he had nothing left, and the fight was immediately waved off.

Winner: Kelvin Gastelum by TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 5:00 of round two. He improves to 11-1-0.

 

Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez vs Charles “Boston Strong” Rosa

Round 1:
Rodriguez attacked with flashy kicks and a flying knee early in round one, and he locked on a triangle choke after Rosa tripped him to the mat. Rosa eventually escaped and he punched from the top. Rodriguez gave up his back and stood up against the cage. Rosa threw him back down and Rodriguez upkicked from the bottom. Rosa dropped punches and elbows and spun into a kneebar attempt. The fighters stood and Rodriguez landed a leg kick. Close round. 10-9 Rodriguez by a slim margin.

Round 2:
Rodriguez tripped Rosa with an early leg kick in round two and he landed hard kicks to the body in the ensuing seconds. He mixed things up with front kicks to the knee and lead right hands. Another body kick scored for Rodriguez and he fought off a takedown attempt. He reversed another takedown soon after and mounted Rosa, but Rosa scrambled back to his feet. A bad cut opened on the top of Rosa’s head and time was briefly called to check on it. Rodriguez defended against a heel hook attempt and landed hard elbows before the bell. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Round 3:
Rosa took Rodriguez down in the opening seconds of round three and he postured up with punches from the top. Rodriguez countered with elbows and another triangle choke. A badly bloodied Rosa slammed his way free and he rolled into a rear crucifix, but Rodriguez escaped and stood up. Rosa got him back down and moved to side control. He landed right hands and elbows, and Rodriguez countered with more upkicks. 10-9 Rosa.

Winner: Yair Rodriguez by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 5-1-0.

 

Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres vs Angela “Overkill” Hill

Round 1:
Torres circled to the side and threw kicks to the body in the opening minute. Both women landed right hooks and Hill tried to cut off the cage to stifle Torres’s movement. Torres shot in for a takedown and Hill stuffed it. She broke free of a clinch by landing a right hand, but Torres shot in again and took her down into half-guard. Hill prevented Torres from passing to side control. Torres threw short punches and hammerfists and Hill countered with elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Torres.

Round 2:
The second round began with a quick combination from Torres, who tripped Hill to the mat soon after. Hill locked her leg down again and prevented her from passing beyond half-guard. Torres eventually managed to move to side control and she briefly mounted Hill in a scramble. Hill got back to half-guard and the fighters were stood up. Hill muscled Torres up against the cage and the round ended with an exchange of knees. 10-9 Torres.

Round 3:
Both fighters landed leg kicks and right hooks in the final round. Hill pressed the action with punches, but Torres countered with a quick flurry. Hill fought off a takedown attempt, but Torres kept her pinned against the cage. Referee John McCarthy eventually separated the fighters and Torres immediately clinched again. Hill stayed on her feet until the final bell. 10-9 Torres.

Winner: Tecia Torres by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 6-0-0.

 

(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)