UFC Monterrey Quick Results: First-Round Knockouts and Split Decisions
Highlighted by some fantastic stoppages and a handful of very close fights, the UFC's latest trip to Mexico was a fun one. Here's a recap of the action for those who missed it!
On a weekend that included events from Bellator, World Series of Fighting, One Championship, and of course, a major boxing bout in Canelo vs. Cotto, the UFC made its offering to the combat sports world with UFC Fight Night 78.The card, which emanated from the Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico, marked the UFC's third return to the country, and fourth consecutive stop on international soil after events in Ireland, Brazil and Australia. Headlined by a last-minute welterweight scrap between Kelvin Gastelum and Neil Magny, it featured action in five of the UFC's exciting divisions—but none heavier than welterweight. And while the card didn't generate the deafening buzz of UFC 193, it delivered as a memorable one all the same, crammed with all the stoppages, wars, and surprises we crave.
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Here's a recap of the action for those who missed it!The Main Card:
Magny Survives Late Scare for Split Decision WinInitially, TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum was scheduled to fight Matt Brown in the evening's main event. When Brown pulled out of the fight with an injury, however, the notoriously gutsy Neil Magny stepped up to replace him with just a few weeks to prepare.In advance of the bout, things were generally expected to unfold one of two ways. Either Gastelum would end things early, or Magny would expose his opponent's perceived cardio deficit and steal the momentum in the later rounds. In the end, the polar opposite proved true.Rounds one, two, and probably three, were all Magny's, as the Elevation rep surprised with a whopping 5 successful takedowns. In round 4, however, when most expected Gastelum to fade, the TUF winner turned the tables with a meteor of a right hand, sending his lanky opponent tumbling to the floor. And finally, the fifth saw a dazed Magny in defense mode, as Gastelum chased him down, hunting for the fight-ending blow. Despite Gastelum's late surge, however, the judges' sided with Magny via split decision.In victory, Magny moves to a fantastic 9-1 in his last 10, having lost only to Demian Maia in that stretch. He's now 17-4 overall. Gastelum, meanwhile, loses for just the second time. He's now 11-2 overall, and 6-2 in the UFC.
Ricardo Lamas Batters Diego Sanchez to Decision
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In the co-main event of the evening, TUF 1 winner Diego Sanchez debuted in the fourth weight class of his UFC career: featherweight. His welcome committee was the division's fourth-ranked fighter, Ricardo Lamas. Under any circumstances, the drop was a gamble on Sanchez's part. Against a fighter of Lamas' talent, it was a game of Russian Roulette.Sanchez's gamble did not pay off. Though the boundless heart for which he's famous was on full display, he had no answer for the versatile attack of his opponent.Over the course of the fight, Lamas landed a flush wheel kick, three of six attempted takedowns, and most significantly, a handful of chopping low kicks that had Sanchez limping around the Octagon. And though Lamas did surrender to a second round takedown and eat a few knuckle sandwiches of his own, he'd done more than enough by the time the curtains closed.With one of the sharpest performances of his career in the books, Lamas keeps his station near the top of the featherweight division. He's now 16-4 overall, and 7-2 since joining the UFC in 2011. Sanchez, meanwhile, will have to look elsewhere for his first featherweight win. He's now 25-8 overall, and 4-6 in his last 10. And while he won't be knocking on Jose Aldo's door anytime soon, he didn't look especially bad at 145.
Cejudo Takes Split Decision Against FormigaIt's getting harder and harder to find credible dance partners for the UFC's dominant flyweight champion, Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. In Monterrey, however, we were provided with a fairly clear-cut number-one-contender fight as former Olympic wrestler Henry Cejudo mixed it up with Brazilian grappling whiz Jussier "Formiga" da Silva.
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As is so often the case when two decorated grapplers collide, this one unfolded almost exclusively on the feet. In that facet of the game, the better man was Cejudo—though not by much. Over the course of three clinch-heavy rounds the wrestler out-struck his opponent 43 significant strikes to 25. This disparity was helped by a pair of successful takedowns, and earned him a split decision triumph.Though the victory certainly didn't seem to frighten a cage-side Mighty Mouse, it does move Cejudo to an excellent 10-0 as a pro fighter, and 4-0 inside the Octagon. He's clearly up next for the shot. Formiga, on the other hand, slides to 18-4 overall and 4-3 in the UFC.Montano Becomes TUF Welterweight Winner with Split DecisionThe third feature of the main card saw the welterweight finalists of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America vie for the tournament crown. In one corner, we had Mexico's Erick Montano. In the other, we had Spain's Enrique "Wasabi" Marin, who apparently earned his nickname when he ate a pile of wasabi after mistaking it for guacamole.It was a very close fight.In the end, the factor that seemed to sway the judges was Montano's volume. Though his opponent's forward pressure forced him to back-peddle for most of the fight, he'd landed nearly twice the strikes of Marin by the final bell. His reward was a split decision triumph, and the title of TUF welterweight winner.The win, which is the first decision triumph on his record, moves him to 7-3 overall. Marin, meanwhile, falls to 8-2 overall, and has a six-fight streak derailed by the loss.
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Barzola Takes TUF Lightweight Crown with Dominant PerformanceThe second bout of the main card paired Mexico's Horacio Gutierrez with Peru's Enrique Barzola in a bout that would determine the lightweight winner of the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. Despite having less than a third of the pro experience of his Peruvian opponent, Gutierrez was pegged as the bout's minor betting favorite. These odds would prove inaccurate.Over the course of the encounter's three rounds, Barzola succeeded on 5 of 9 attempted takedowns, and stayed busy with a diverse bombardment of ground attacks while the fight was on the mat. By the time the final bell sounded, he'd out-landed his bewildered opponent 205-23, and left no doubt as to who the judges would side with.The lopsided decision triumph moves Barzola to 11-2 overall, and makes him the latest lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter. Gutierrez, on the other hand, experiences his first legitimate loss (his only previous defeat was a disqualification). He's now 2-2 overall with what is sure to be a major learning experience in the rear view.Silva Takes Decision Over EscuderoIn Monterrey, The Ultimate Fighter season 8 winner Efraín Escudero looked to build on the momentum of his first back-to-back UFC wins since 2008. His opportunity to do so came against talented Brazilian grappler Leandro "Buscape" Silva who, in turn, looked to extend his win-streak to three.
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Unfortunately for the MMA Lab rep and his Mexican fans in attendance, Silva proved a little too much to handle. By the time the final bell rang, the Brazilian had landed the more meaningful strikes, and rejected 5 of Escudero's 7 takedown attempts. It was far from a blowout, but it was enough.The unanimous decision victory propels Silva to an impressive 19-3 overall. He's now 3-1 with one no contest in the UFC. Escudero, in contrast, is now 24-10 in sum and 2-2 in this, his third stint with the UFC.The Prelims:Perez Scores Hometown Win Over LapilusThe final preliminary bout of the night took place in the bantamweight division, as Monterrey's own Erik "Goyito" Perez welcomed France's Taylor Lapilus onto Mexican soil. It was the hometown hero's first bout since June of 2014.Though the first round of this encounter seemed to belong to the Frenchman, Perez turned it on in round two, out-landing his opponent by a stark 65-9 margin. Then, with the fight apparently up for grabs in the third, Perez dug deep with a takedown and an onslaught of 56 strikes to his opponents 16. By the time the third round ended, he'd more than earned the W.The massive win is Perez's first since November 2013, and elevates him to 15-6 overall. He's now 5-2 in the Octagon. The 23-year-old Lapilus, meanwhile, loses for just the second time. He's now 10-2 overall, and 2-1 on the sport's biggest stage.Fabinski Grinds Urbina to Unanimous Decision
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Bartosz Fabinski made a long trip from Warsaw, Poland, to Monterrey, Mexico, to take on Hector Urbina. In Monterrey, his performance wasn't pretty, but he made sure the trip was not in vain.For three rounds, the polish welterweight relentlessly chased the takedown, securing 6 of 11 attempts. And though he managed to carve up his opponent's left eye, forcing a brief intermission for a doctor examination, he'd landed just 25 significant trikes by the final bell. That said, he got the job done, and that's what counts.The unanimous decision moves Fabinski to 13-2 overall, and onto an impressive 6-fight streak. He's now undefeated in 2 UFC bouts. Urbina, on the other hand, falls to 17-9-1 and has the momentum of a two-fight streak snapped by the loss.Perez Defeats One-Legged JorgensenIn advance of his bantamweight bout with Alejandro Perez, WEC veteran Scott Jorgensen had just 2 wins in his last 9 fights. Needless to say, his back was against the wall in Monterrey. Unfortunately, it would not be a good night for the veteran. In fact, it may have been the last fight of his career.In the closing seconds of the first round, Jorgensen appeared to injure his left leg. And though he was able to answer the bell for round 2, he was effectively fighting on one leg, nearly collapsing any time he put pressure on the the injured limb.With a baffling display of heart, Jorgensen continued to fight, while his corner and referee Gary Copeland gambled with his safety by letting him do so. And finally, after attempting a high kick that appeared to aggravate the injury, the one-time WEC title challenger collapsed to the canvas, tapping furiously in pain.
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The unfortunate development means a second-round TKO victory for Perez. With the win, the Mexican bantamweight distances himself from a June submission loss to Patrick Williams. He's now 16-6 overall, and 2-1 in the UFC. Jorgensen, meanwhile, falls to a tough 15-12 overall and 4-7 in the UFC. Here's hoping the gritty 33-year-old's injury isn't a career-ender.Fili Head Kick Stops BenitezThe first bout of the televised prelims saw Andre Fili enter enemy territory against Gabriel Benitez in a compelling featherweight showdown. The Team Alpha Male staple wasted little time in getting the job done.Though Benitez had some success with his jab in the bout's early moments, Fili eventually found his groove, and let loose a perfectly timed kick to the dome. And while Benitez seemed to recover from the blow, he ate another just moments later, and was then polished off with punches against the cage.The knockout win separates Fili from a tough, first-round submission loss to Godofredo Castro back in March. He's now 15-3 overall, and 3-2 in the UFC. Benitez, meanwhile, loses for the first time since August of 2013. He's now 18-5 overall and 2-1 inside the Octagon.Herrera Clobbers Ramos for First Round KOBout three saw 23-year-old Panamanian Vernon Ramos, the youngest fighter on the card, take on Mexico's Alvaro Herrera in a clash of TUF Latin America cast mates. Things did not go as planned for the young welterweight.
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Just moments into the fight, Mexico's Herrera planted a right hand behind Ramos' ear. The Panamanian hit the canvas face-first to the roar of the fans in attendance.With the knockout win, which marked a minor upset, Herrera moves to 9-3 overall, and makes a dynamite UFC debut. Ramos, meanwhile, experiences his first pro loss. He's now 3-1 in total.Reyes Snuffs Arzamendia in The FirstMonterrey's second bout pitted TUF cast members against one another as Paraguay's Cesar Arzamendia mixed it up with Mexico's Polo Reyes in an intriguing lightweight draw. Reyes made sure the Mexican fans in attendance had something to celebrate.Just 3:42 into the first frame, the lightweight slugger broke out of the clinch with a left hand that rendered his opponent supine, as Mario Yamasaki scrambled to stop the action.The one-hitter-quitter moves Reyes to 4-1 overall. And while he surrendered a trio of takedowns in the bout's scant minutes, it was probably as perfect a debut as he could have hoped for. Arzamendia, meanwhile falls to 7-2, and will have to wait for his first UFC win.Prazeres Bests Lazaro with Questionable Split DecisionThe first bout of the night paired Brazilian lightweights Valmir Lazaro and Michel "Tractor" Prazeres in an interesting clash of styles.After three round that saw Lazaro stay busy with his jab, and the much shorter Prazeres hunt for takedowns and overhands, it was the latter who came out on top with a split decision triumph. And though that verdict is fairly debatable, it'll register as a win for the stocky Brazilian all the same.In victory, Prazeres rebounds from a decision loss to Kevin Lee, and lands at 19-2 overall. He's now 3-2 inside the Octagon. Lazaro, meanwhile, falls to 13-4 with the questionable loss. He's now 1-2 in the UFC.
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