The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to the Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico tonight for UFC Fight Night 78: “Magny vs Gastelum.” The event was headlined by a featured welterweight matchup between Neil Magny and The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum.
In tonight’s featherweight co-main event, Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas battled Diego “The Dream” Sanchez. Jussier “Formiga” da Silva took on unbeaten rising star Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo in a flyweight contender’s bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC main card.
Neil Magny vs Kelvin Gastelum
Round 1:
Gastelum opened the action with a leg kick and two left hooks. He continued to pressure Magny with punches and landed a head kick as well. Magny clinched and scored a takedown into mount. Gastelum scrambled back to his feet and threw Magny to the mat, but Magny swept into top position. He mounted Gastelum and landed elbows that forced Gastelum to give up his back. Magny landed punches from back control until Gastelum escaped to his feet. 10-9 Magny.
Round 2:
Gastelum remained aggressive in the second round, but Magny sidestepped most of his strikes and stayed on the outside. Gastelum’s best success came in the form of leg and body kicks. Magny answered back with a nice flurry. He backed Gastelum up with punches and shot in for a takedown. Gastelum tried to reverse on the way down, but wound up on the bottom. The fighters stood and Magny landed knees. He tripped Gastelum and briefly held back control. Gastelum got back to his feet, only to be taken down into back control. 10-9 Magny.
Round 3:
Magny fought off Gastelum’s takedown attempts in the first half of round three and countered with single strikes on the outside. The fighters clinched against the cage and both tried for takedowns. Gastelum walked Magny down, but Magny kept him at bay with jabs and front kicks. Gastelum sprawled out of a takedown attempt and took Magny’s back for a brief moment, but Magny reversed and took him down. The round ended with a scramble that culminated with Gastelum punching from Magny’s guard. Close round. 10-9 Gastelum, barely.
Round 4:
The fourth round began with Magny landing a four-punch combination. Gastelum floored him with a lead right hook and dove in with more punches on the ground. Magny weathered the storm, but Gastelum passed to side control. Magny got back to his feet and Gastelum dropped him again with a one-two. Magny attempted a triangle choke from his back and he rose to his feet again. He tried to take Gastelum down against the cage, to no avail. 10-8 Gastelum.
Round 5:
Gastelum broke free him an early clinch in round five by landing a short right hook. Magny caught a kick and rushed forward with punches, but Gastelum slammed him down into side control. He landed elbows from the top until Magny scrambled back to full guard. He attempted a triangle choke and stood up. Magny landed an uppercut and a flurry in close. Gastelum blasted him with a combination and kept him pinned against the cage. He kicked at Magny’s liver, but Magny clinched and dragged Gastelum down. Gastelum turned into Magny’s guard and finished with ground and pound. 10-9 Gastelum.
Winner: Neil Magny by Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. He improves to 17-4-0.
Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas vs Diego “The Dream” Sanchez
Round 1:
Lamas circled on the outside and threw head kicks in the opening minute. He snapped Sanchez’s head back with a stiff jab and the fighters exchanged looping hooks in close. Sanchez landed a nice flurry, but Lamas hurt him with a counter wheel kick and follow-up punches. Sanchez recovered and he landed a kick to the body. Lamas scored a brief takedown and took Sanchez’s back on the feet. He threw knees to Sanchez’s thighs and dragged him down, then threatened with a rear-naked choke. Sanchez scrambled out and stood up. 10-9 Lamas.
Round 2:
Sanchez connected with a hard left hook early in round two and Lamas shot in for a takedown. Sanchez defended well and landed knees to the body. Lamas backed away and he badly hurt Sanchez with a kick to Sanchez’s lead leg. Sanchez limped backwards and the fighters traded heavy punches. Lamas took Sanchez down and threw more knees to the thighs. Sanchez hit a switch and wound up on top, but Lamas reversed again and continued to land knees. A scramble ensued and Lamas fought off a kimura. He wound up on Sanchez’s back, but Sanchez stood and ate another hard leg kick. 10-9 Lamas.
Round 3:
Lamas went high with a kick in the final round and Sanchez answered with a one-two. He followed with a knee and Lamas continued to chop away at his legs with kicks. Sanchez easily shrugged off a takedown attempt, but Lamas hurt him with a leg kick. Sanchez could barely stand, but he still managed to land a four-punch flurry. Lamas stunned him with a spinning back elbow that opened a cut above Sanchez’s right eye. A head kick landed for Lamas, but Sanchez replied with some solid punches. Lamas knocked him down with a leg kick and the round ended in a clinch. 10-9 Lamas.
Winner: Ricardo Lamas by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.
Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo vs Jussier “Formiga” da Silva
Round 1:
Cejudo opened the action with a nice one-two and both fighters followed with combinations. A left-right combo from Cejudo was answered by one from da Silva, and Cejudo was briefly forced to retreat. The fighters continued to trade left hooks and overhand rights. In the clinch, Cejudo threw knees to the body and he cracked da Silva with a big right hook. More knees landed for both men and Cejudo took da Silva down late in the round. 10-9 Cejudo.
Round 2:
Quick punches were exchanged in the second round and Cejudo remained aggressive with his combinations. Da Silva answered back with a nice right hand and a leg kick that spun Cejudo around. Both fighters scored with lead left hooks and da Silva shrugged off a takedown attempt. Knees were exchanged in close and Cejudo kicked to the body. Very close round. 10-9 Cejudo, barely.
Round 3:
Da Silva countered a head kick by landing knees to the body in round three. Cejudo briefly took him down, but da Silva quickly returned to his feet. Cejudo tried for another takedown and da Silva countered with more knees. Cejudo snuck in a slashing elbow over the top and a right hook. The fight ended in a clinch against the cage. Another close round. 10-9 Cejudo.
Winner: Henry Cejudo by Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 10-0-0.
TUF Latin America 2 Welterweight Final
Erick “Perry” Montaño vs Enrique “Wasabi” Marín
Round 1:
The fighters clinched after trading punches in the opening seconds and Marín circled away. Right hands were exchanged and Montaño landed the crisper punches. He kicked at Marín’s lead leg, but Marín pressed forward and landed a combination. A clinch followed against the fence and Marín looked to take the fight to the mat. Montaño scored a takedown, but Marín swept and wound up on top. Montaño stood and both men landed short right uppercuts. Marín stuffed a takedown and landed a flurry and a leg kick. 10-9 Marín.
Round 2:
Marín took Montaño back down in the second round, but Montaño secured a switch and he tried to mount Marín soon after. Marín used a toe hold to sweep into top position in side control. The fighters stood and Marín kicked at a fatigued Montaño’s lead leg. Montaño missed with a spinning hook kick and Marín responded with a combination and two leg kicks. He continued to outstrike Montaño in the final minute. 10-9 Marín.
Round 3:
Marín pressed the action with punches in the final round as Montaño slowed down and countered from a distance. Montaño landed short left hooks and Marín clinched in search of a takedown. Montaño stuffed it and both men landed chopping leg kicks. He took Marín down and finished the close round on top. 10-9 Montaño.
Winner: Erick Montaño by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 7-3-0 and becomes the TUF Latin America 2 Welterweight Winner.
TUF Latin America 2 Lightweight Final
Enrique “El Fuerte” Barzola vs Horacio “The Punisher” Gutiérrez
Round 1:
Both fighters landed hard right hands and leg kicks early on. Barzola took Gutiérrez’s back and slammed him down to the mat. Gutiérrez stood and attempted a guillotine choke, but Barzola countered by taking him back down. He dropped punches and elbows from the top until Gutiérrez scrambled up. Barzola tripped him and worked from Gutiérrez’s half-guard. A big right hand landed for Barzola late in the round. 10-9 Barzola.
Round 2:
Barzola took Gutiérrez back down in the second round and he punched from top position. He mixed in elbows that opened a cut above Gutiérrez’s left eye. Gutiérrez kicked him off and landed two upkicks, but Barzola dropped back down into half-guard and punished Gutiérrez with elbows. He tried for a kimura late in the round and blasted Gutiérrez with hammerfists. 10-9 Barzola.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of punches and Gutiérrez stuffed a takedown. Barzola got him down on his second try and resumed striking from the top with punches and elbows. He controlled the remainder of the round by landing ground and pound from Gutiérrez’s guard. 10-9 Barzola.
Winner: Enrique Barzola by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 11-2-1 and becomes the TUF Latin America 2 Lightweight Winner.
Leandro “Buscape” Silva vs Efrain “Hecho en México” Escudero
Round 1:
The fighters exchanged cautious kicks in the opening 90 seconds and Escudero jumped in with a lead left hook. Silva responded with a left hand of his own and both men kicked to the body. Silva flurried with punches and finished with another body kick. Escudero tried unsuccessfully for a takedown and Silva cracked him with a three-punch combo. Escudero continued to work for takedowns late in the close round, which ended with both men throwing punches. 10-9 Silva.
Round 2:
Escudero pressed forward early in round two and scored a takedown after eating a series of counterpunches from Silva. Escudero landed short punches from the top until Silva kicked him off. He tripped Silva again and kept him pinned down on the mat. Escudero trapped Silva’s right arm and scored with punches from the top until the final seconds of the round. 10-9 Escudero.
Round 3:
Escudero backed Silva up with a combination in the final round, but Silva regained his footing and fired back with two flurries before clinching against the cage. More punches scored for Silva and he stuffed two takedown attempts. Silva took Escudero’s back on the ground and Escudero countered with back elbow strikes. Silva hunted for a rear-naked choke until time expired. 10-9 Silva.
Winner: Leandro Silva by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-3-1, 1 NC.
Undercard Fights:
– Erik “El Goyito” Perez defeated Taylor “Double Impact” Lapilus by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 15-6-0 with the win.
– Bartosz “The Butcher” Fabiński defeated Hector “El Toro” Urbina by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-2-0 with the win.
– Alejandro “El Diablito” Pérez defeated Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen by TKO (Ankle Injury) at 4:26 of round two. He improves to 16-6-0 with the win.
– Andre “Touchy” Fili defeated Gabriel “Noggly” Benítez by KO (Head Kick & Punches) at 3:13 of round one. He improves to 15-3-0 with the win.
– Alvaro “El Chango” Herrera defeated Vernon Ramos by KO (Punches) at 0:30 of round one. He improves to 9-3-0 with the win.
– Polo “El Toro” Reyes defeated Cesar “Goku” Arzamendia by KO (Punch) at 3:42 of round one. He improves to 4-1-0 with the win.
– Michel Richard Cunha “Trator” dos Prazeres defeated Valmir “Bidu” Lázaro by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 19-2-0 with the win.