The Ultimate Fighting Championship held its latest event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight. Due to a main event cancellation yesterday, UFC on ESPN 18: “Smith vs Clark” was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Anthony “Lionheart” Smith and Devin “Brown Bear” Clark.
In the welterweight co-main event, Miguel “Caramel Thunder” Baeza took on Takashi “Ten” Sato. Elsewhere tonight, Josh Parisian met Parker Porter at heavyweight. Spike “The Alpha Ginger” Carlyle faced Bill “Senor Perfecto” Algeo at 145. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC on ESPN 18.
Anthony “Lionheart” Smith vs Devin “Brown Bear” Clark
Round 1:
Clark punched his way into an early clinch, but Smith used a body-lock takedown to get him down into side control. Clark turned to his side and Smith looked to set up a Twister. He was unable to control Clark’s neck and Clark eventually escaped into top position in Smith’s guard. Clark threw short hammerfists and Smith quickly trapped him in a triangle choke. He tightened the choke and Clark was forced to submit.
Winner: Anthony Smith by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:34 of round one. He improves to 34-16-0.
Miguel “Caramel Thunder” Baeza vs Takashi “Ten” Sato
Round 1:
Baeza countered a Sato leg kick with a powerful right cross that backed Sato up. Baeza followed with a grazing head kick and more kicks to Sato’s upper body. A clinch followed and time was called when Sato was kneed in the groin. Action continued and Sato landed two leg kicks, but Baeza secured a Thai clinch and he landed two knees that opened a cut below Sato’s right eye. Baeza stayed busy with right hands and a leg kick late in the round, but he slipped while throwing a kick and Sato landed a right hook on the way up. 10-9 Baeza.
Round 2:
Sato threw overhand lefts in the second round and Baeza responded with more kicks to his upper body. A hard right hand scored for Baeza and he followed with a body kick. Sato jabbed and Baeza landed a right hook in response. A quick one-two and a body kick followed from Baeza, who took Sato down into back control. Baeza nearly secured a rear-naked choke and he switched his grip to a modified arm-triangle choke. He passed to side control and tightened the arm-triangle, forcing Sato to tap out.
Winner: Miguel Baeza by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 4:28 of round two. He improves to 10-0-0.
Parker Porter vs Josh Parisian
Round 1:
Porter punched his way into an early clinch and Parisian circled away, but Porter pressed forward again and he bloodied Parisian’s nose with hooks and short uppercuts in close. Parisian pushed him away and he stunned Porter with a flurry of punches followed by an overhand right. Porter recovered and both men landed jabs and right hands. Porter backed Parisian up with three power hooks and Parisian countered with a spinning backfist that led to a clinch. Parisian broke free and Porter remained aggressive with punches that led to a takedown attempt. Parisian stayed on his feet, but Porter was relentless with his punches throughout the final 30 seconds. Parisian stuffed a takedown just before the bell and he landed right hands to the side of Porter’s face. 10-9 Porter.
Round 2:
Round two began with an exchange of punches and Porter followed with leg kicks. He dropped Parisian with one kick and immediately attempted a top-side guillotine choke on the ground. Parisian escaped and he returned to his feet, but Porter remained the aggressor and he continued to score with right hooks and combinations. Porter took Parisian down and he landed punches from the top in Parisian’s half-guard. Porter attempted a keylock and a straight armbar on Parisian’s right arm, then peppered him with more right hands. Parisian finally stood up with seconds to go and Porter threw short uppercuts in the clinch. 10-9 Porter. Could be a 10-8.
Round 3:
Porter mixed up his strikes with leg kicks and overhand rights in the final round as an exhausted Parisian jabbed from a distance. Near the midway point in the round, Parisian landed a front kick and Porter immediately responded with a hard combination. More punches landed for Porter and Parisian backed up against the cage. Parisian landed a leg kick and Porter cracked him with a right hook. Both men landed right hands in a subsequent exchange and Porter followed with a knee to the body in a clinch. The fighters exchanged punches until the end of the fight. 10-9 Porter.
Winner: Parker Porter by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 10-6-0.
Bill “Senor Perfecto” Algeo vs Spike “The Alpha Ginger” Carlyle
Round 1:
The fighters traded kicks during the opening minute and Algeo kept Carlyle at bay with side kicks to the body. More leg kicks landed for Algeo, who followed with a spinning back kick and a hard one-two. Carlyle dragged him down into back control and Algeo worked back to his feet. Carlyle landed short knees and he pulled Algeo down once more. Algeo stood up and he reversed a takedown, but Carlyle trapped him in a bulldog choke during a scramble. Algeo was in some trouble, but he managed to escape and took Carlyle’s back. Carlyle escaped and briefly held back control himself. The round ended with Algeo kneeling against the cage as Carlyle tried to keep him pinned down on the ground. 10-9 Carlyle.
Round 2:
Carlyle took Algeo down and looked for a rear-naked choke as Algeo worked back up to his feet. Algeo avoided danger and he secured a takedown of his own. Algeo trapped Carlyle in a body triangle and he flattened him out. As Carlyle rolled over, Algeo hunted for an arm-triangle choke. He let it go and resumed striking from mount until Carlyle gave up his back once again. Algeo nearly gave up top position after attempting an arm-in rear-naked choke, but he retained back control until the final 25 seconds when Carlyle spun into Algeo’s guard and closed out the round with punches from the top. 10-9 Algeo.
Round 3:
A fatigued Carlyle missed with lunging punches in the final round and Algeo backed him up with a right hand. Carlyle eventually took Algeo’s back in a clinch and he tried to suplex him to the mat. Algeo reversed in mid-air and landed on top of Carlyle, then scored with a knee to the body as Carlyle stood up. Carlyle got Algeo down once, but Algeo stood and he landed a hard knee as Carlyle dropped levels. A clinch followed and Algeo threw elbows to Carlyle’s temple. Algeo landed a left hook and stuffed a takedown before attempting a trip of his own shortly before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Algeo.
Winner: Bill Algeo by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 14-5-0.
Norma “The Immortal” Dumont Viana vs Ashlee “Rebel Girl” Evans-Smith
Round 1:
Evans-Smith opened the fight with kicks to Dumont’s lead leg and body. Dumont landed a hard leg kick of her own and she countered Evans-Smith’s forward movement with a quick combination. Two more leg kicks and a lead left hook scored for Dumont, who cracked Evans-Smith with another left hand as she pressed forward. Evans-Smith landed a leg kick, but Dumont backed her up with a flurry of punches that led to a clinch. Dumont punched her way free and a cut was opened on the bridge of Evans-Smith’s nose. Dumont took Evans-Smith down in the final 30 seconds and she landed a left hand to Evans-Smith’s face at the bell. 10-9 Dumont.
Round 2:
Evans-Smith took Dumont down with a headlock throw in the second round, but she gave up her back in the process. The fighters stood and Evans-Smith tried to take Dumont down again, but she wound up on the bottom. Dumont moved from North-South position to back control. Evans-Smith rolled over and Dumont postured up with elbows from mount. With two minutes remaining in the round, Evans-Smith battled back up to her feet as Dumont bloodied her nose again with elbows. Dumont landed a lead left hook and she countered a body kick from Evans-Smith with a four-punch flurry. Evans-Smith’s nose and left eye swelled up as the round came to a close. 10-8 Dumont.
Round 3:
Dumont began the final round with another combination as Evans-Smith tried to close the distance. She landed left-right combos that backed Evans-Smith up and easily fought off an Evans-Smith takedown attempt. Evans-Smith landed two body kicks and Dumont quickly countered with three punches. She attacked Evans-Smith’s lead leg with chopping kicks and the fighters clinched with 90 seconds remaining. Dumont landed a knee to the body and broke away as Evans-Smith walked after her with punches that came up short. Dumont continued to land jab-cross combos and she hurt Evans-Smith with a right hook and an elbow. Evans-Smith dropped levels for a takedown and Dumont punched to the body. The fighters stood and Dumont landed punches until Evans-Smith reversed a takedown just before the end of the fight. 10-9 Dumont.
Winner: Norma Dumont Viana by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) after three rounds. She improves to 5-1-0.
Jonathan “JSP” Pearce vs Kai “The Fighting Hawaiian” Kamaka III
Round 1:
Kamaka caught a body kick and pushed Pearce away before landing a body kick of his own. He landed a leg kick and snapped Pearce’s head back with a jab. Kamaka attacked the body with a kick and a right hook, then tripped Pearce to the mat. Pearce stood up and Kamaka targeted his lead leg with another kick. Both men landed combinations and Kamaka landed a right hand and a leg kick. He easily thwarted Pearce’s takedown attempts and jabbed until Pearce dropped levels and finally got Kamaka down. Kamaka gave up his back as he stood up and Pearce landed a knee in the clinch. Kamaka replied with a short left hand and he landed two right hooks before the bell. 10-9 Kamaka.
Round 2:
Pearce tripped Kamaka early in the second round and he took his back as Kamaka stood against the cage. Kamaka shook Pearce off and briefly held top position on the ground. The fight returned to the feet and Kamaka landed a body kick, but Pearce took him down again and he landed a hard right hand from the top. Kamaka gave up his back and Pearce continued to land punches. He flattened Kamaka out and landed hard punches while looking to set up a rear-naked choke. Kamaka rolled to his side and spun into Pearce’s guard. He tried to take Pearce’s back and the fight returned to the feet. Kamaka countered a Pearce takedown with a tight guillotine choke, but Pearce escaped by passing to half-guard and then to mount. Kamaka rolled over and Pearce landed non-stop left and right hands to the sides of his face until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Jonathan Pearce by TKO (Punches) at 4:28 of round two. He improves to 10-4-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)