UFC 188 Results: ‘Velasquez vs. Werdum’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Gabriel Benitez vs. Clay Collard

Round 1

Benitez drops Collard with the punch of the fight, a short left hand, and then tries to jump on the back of the downed American. Collard quickly regains his wits and stands, shaking “Moggly” off his back in the process. Body kicks and more punches connect for Benitez, reddening the chest of Collard in the opening minute. Collard tries to work some leg kicks but he’s being picked off by Benitez’s counterpunches. Two minutes into the round, Collard lands an uppercut to the cup of Benitez, and referee Mario Yamasaki pauses the action. Benitez only takes 30 seconds to recover, then comes out firing with more punches and low kicks. When Collard shoots for a takedown against the fence, Benitez jumps guard with a guillotine choke and spends a few seconds suspended in air, hanging off the standing Collard’s neck. Collard shakes him off and then dives to the ground to take Benitez’s back with two minutes left in the round. Benitez fights off a rear-naked choke and throws a couple hard elbows over his shoulder, immediately stopping Collard’s sub attempt as he buries his head to avoid the strikes. Benitez gets back to his feet, but Collard stays wrapped around his waist and suplexes him back to the mat. The featherweights scramble up in the final 15 seconds, and Benitez closes the round with a body kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Benitez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benitez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Benitez

Round 2

Benitez puts a long, straight left in Collard’s breadbasket, then adds an uppercut when “Cassius” steps into the pocket. A hard low kick lands for Benitez as Collard tries and whiffs on a spinning back fist. Now it’s Collard scoring with a leg kick, but the next one from Benitez buckles the American’s lead leg. The southpaw Benitez continues to find targets for his left hand on Collard’s chin and body. Collard plows Benitez to the ground for another takedown, but “Moggly” is back on his feet about 10 seconds later. A liver kick backs up Collard to the fence, but when Benitez rushes in to capitalize, Collard changes levels and takes him down. With two minutes left in the round, Benitez sits up against the fence and drops elbows on Collard, who’s burying his head in Benitez’s chest to try and avoid damage. They scramble up with 1:40 on the clock, and Benitez immediately attacks the body with another kick. Collard leans over, trying to draw Benitez in and counter with a bizarre standing elbow, but Benitez slips out and dodges it. Collard is backed up to the fence, still throwing hands but mostly whiffing, while Benitez finishes the round with low kicks and punching combinations.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Benitez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benitez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Benitez

Round 3

Collard comes out swinging and gets knocked backward by a counter left hook from Benitez, then caught with a right hook to the ribs. A series of chopping leg kicks follow from Benitez, and now Collard finally starts checking the kicks. Collard is exhausted, walking around the cage with his hands down, while Benitez looks relatively fresh with a tight stance. A leg kick drops Collard to his knees, and he crawls at Benitez, searching desperately for a takedown. Benitez forces Collard to his back with just under three minutes remaining in the fight, spends 20 seconds on top and then asks Collard to stand. Collard gets up, hands still by his side, and now he leans over to rest with his hands on his knees. Collard charges at Benitez and hits a double-leg takedown at the fence. Benitez goes to stand and drops punches on the head of Collard, who’s now clinging to a singe leg. Collard switches back to a double and completes the takedown, then stands with 55 seconds left and slips around to take Benitez’s back. The featherweights are sat up against the fence, Collard throwing punches with both hands from behind to try and find an opening for the rear-naked choke. Benitez keeps his eyes on his big screen for the final 20 seconds, making sure he knows where Collard is positioned.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Benitez (30-27 Benitez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benitez (30-27 Benitez)
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Benitez (30-27 Benitez)

The Official Result

Gabriel Benitez def. Clay Collard via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Augusto Montano vs. Cathal Pendred

Round 1

The welterweights spend the first minute of the bout circling, exchanging positions, both men testing the range with low kicks. Finally, Pendred closes the gap and tries for a takedown against the fence, but Montano stays standing and they separate a few seconds later. Pendred picks at Montano’s lead leg with a few kicks, then “Dodger” tries to pull down Pendred’s head for a knee in the Thai clinch but comes up short. Montano misses by an inch with a front kick, misses with a spinning back fist and then puts a front kick on Pendred’s chest. With 90 seconds left, the round remains very much up for grabs. Montano slips moving backwards and has to do a back somersault to bounce back to his feet. Pendred stands in the center of the cage with his arms raised, trying to goad Montano into a fight. Referee Herb Dean calls for action, and Pendred finishes the round by pushing Montano against the fence.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Pendred

Round 2

Before the round begins, referee Dean warns Montano that he must engage or risk being docked points for timidity.” Seconds into the round, Montano catches Pendred rushing forward and drops him with a right hand on the ear. The Irishman bounces back to his feet and shoves Montano against the cage with double underhooks. Pendred clasps his hands behind the Mexican’s back and tries to drag him to the ground, but Montano keeps his balance. While Pendred maintains the position and throws knees at Montano’s legs, referee Dean warns Pendred for grabbing the fence behind Montano’s back. With 3:15 on the clock, Pendred finally completes the takedown. Montano avoids a headlock and spends about a minute trying to climb back to his feet, while Pendred keeps him wrapped up. When “Dodger” is nearly back up, Pendred whips him back to the canvas and starts attacking the neck again. Montano pops his head loose and gets to his knees, and Pendred jumps on his back with 30 seconds remaining. Montano explodes to his feet, but Pendred stays with him and holds him on the fence for the final moments of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pendred
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pendred
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Pendred

Round 3

Montano lands a short leg kick, then catches the incoming Pendred with a knee to the body. Pendred pushes the Mexican fighter to the fence but can’t complete the takedown this time, and he quickly releases. The next takedown attempt from Pendred comes about two minutes into the round, and he takes another knee to the body as he pushes inside. Montano tries to elbow Pendred’s head while the Irishman works for the takedown from his knees, but he can’t quite find an angle for the strikes. With two minutes remaining, Montano spins off the fence and the welterweights reset in the center of the cage. After a minute of circling the cage and doing little else, Montano grazes Pendred’s face with a side kick, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect. Pendred lands a few low kicks as he cruises through the final minute, while Montano swings a few uppercuts and comes up empty. When the final horn sounds, the Mexico City fans boo.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pendred (30-28 Pendred)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10 (30-29 Pendred)
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Montano (29-28 Pendred)

The Official Result

Cathal Pendred def. Augusto Montano via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Francisco Trevino vs. Johnny Case

Round 1

Case gets right in Trevino’s face with a snappy punching combination, then gives chase when Trevino circles away and mixes it up with punches upstairs and kicks to the legs. Trevino tries a leg kick, but it’s checked by Case, who zaps him with a counter right hook. Trevino tries to get inside for an axe kick but can’t find the space and gets socked with a right hand to the ribs. Case follows with a kick to the body and continues to walk down Trevino, who’s struggling to find the range on the taller man off his back foot. Case lands a leg kick, steps in to meet Trevino, whose back is to the fence, and catches a finger in the eye from Trevino’s outstretched hand. Case lets out a yelp and drops to his knees in pain, and referee John McCarthy calls the cageside doctor in to check on Case’s left eye. The doctor leaves the cage, apparently having cleared Case to continue, but Case is given additional time to recover. McCarthy asks Case if he can see, Case says yes, and the fight is back on with 90 seconds left in the round. Case catches a leg kick and spins Trevino to the ground in the center of the cage, landing on top in side control. Case tries to pass to mount but gets his legs wrapped up and is swept underneath by Trevino. Threatening with a guillotine choke, Cases hits a butterfly sweep and winds up in Trevino’s open guard with 30 seconds remaining. Trevino throws up an armbar in the closing seconds, but there’s nothing there and Case yanks the limb free before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Case
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Case
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Case

Round 2

Case knocks Trevino backward with a blocked high kick, then gets through with one to the body. Trevino puts his head down and charges into a short right hook, then gets tripped to the ground when Case catches a low kick. Back up jumps Trevino, but only for a moment, as Case changes levels and floors him with another takedown. Case slips around to take Trevino’s back and secures the position with two hooks. Trevino turns over, leaving Case in mount, and now “Hollywood” pulls guard to try and finish with a guillotine. Trevino gets his head loose, so Case tries an omoplata, but it’s not there. Trevino stands and gives the kneeling Case a few knees to the ribs before Case is able to stand as well. With 70 seconds remaining in round two, Trevino looks exhausted, hands dropping to his sides as he tries to keep Case at bay with front kicks. Case presses inside and gets another takedown, then socks Trevino in the face with right hands as Trevino tries to drive forward on a single-leg of his own.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Case
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Case
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Case

Round 3

Case pushes forward in the opening minute but neither man is landing much as fatigue is clearly setting in. A straight right hand from Case draws a shake of the head from Trevino, who tries to retaliate and whiffs on a two-punch combination. Trevino gets aggressive and steps into the pocket swinging, only for Case to drop levels and floor him with a takedown midway through the round. Case buries his head in Trevino’s chest, while Trevino throws a few elbows from his back. Referee McCarthy tells the fighters to get busy, so Case postures up and then tries to take Trevino’s back when the Texan sits up. Trevino turns around and drives on Case’s legs, then pushes Case to the fence when the lightweights stand up. Case takes a few knees to the legs, then breaks out with 30 seconds left. Trevino denies one last takedown attempt from case, and that’s where it ends. The Mexican fans let the tired fighters hear it again, as Case goes back to his corner clutching his injured left eye.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Case (30-27 Case)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Case (30-27 Case)
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Case (30-27 Case)

The Official Result

Johnny Case def. Francisco Trevino via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Alejandro Perez vs. Patrick Williams

Round 1

Williams rushes forward on Perez and knocks him off balance with a pair of right hands. Perez drops to the ground at the base of the fence and grabs for Williams’ legs, but the wrestler sprawls wide and catches Perez in a guillotine. The choke doesn’t look tight as Williams stands to crank it, but he adjusts his grip and now the “TUF: Latin America” winner is in serious trouble. Perez continues to try for the takedown and is choked unconscious; when his arms go limp, referee Dan Miragliotta stops the fight.

The Official Result

Patrick Williams def. Alejandro Perez via Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) R1 0:23

Efrain Escudero vs. Drew Dober

Round 1

Dober throws a high kick and gets his back leg swept by Escudero, who grabs for a guillotine choke as Dober tries to stand. Dober gets back to his feet but is still caught in the guillotine as he backs up against the fence. Escudero continues to work the choke, leaning backward and cranking on the neck until Dober taps out.

The Official Result

Efrain Escudero def. Drew Dober via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R1 0:54

Henry Cejudo vs. Chico Camus

Round 1

Cejudo swings a few punches in Camus’ direction, perhaps looking to close the distance for a shot, but can’t quite find the mark. When “King” Camus comes forward to strike, Cejudo grabs hold and pushes him against the fence with an underhook. Camus pushes Cejudo’s face away and creates space to escape, but the pair is soon clinched up again in the center, this time with Camus exiting after a quick knee. Cejudo gets the underhook and shoves Camus against the cage, but again can’t hold him there. Midway through the round, Cejudo sticks a jab, answered by Camus with a left hook before Cejudo ties up again. Cejudo drops for a single-leg, but Camus limp-legs out of the takedown attempt. Camus catches Cejudo charging inside with a left hook, and the wrestler drops to his knees briefly for a takedown attempt. Cejudo comes back up, once more holding Camus on the cage, and now referee Mario Yamasaki calls for action. Yamasaki breaks them up and then admonishes Camus for shoving Cejudo’s head away after the instruction was given. Camus sprawls on a long shot from Cejudo and socks him with a right hand as they stand. Cejudo tries a single-leg, can’t get it, switches to a double and slams Camus down, but Camus barely hits the canvas before he bounces back up.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Camus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Camus
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Camus

Round 2

Cejudo lands a clean body kick, dodges a couple punches from Camus and follows up with a right hand. Now a one-two scores for Cejudo, and another right hand, backing Camus out to the edge of the cage. Ninety seconds in, Cejudo drops to try a double-leg takedown near the fence, but he abandons the shot after a few seconds. Camus circles out, tagging Cejudo with a right hook on the way. Another single-leg shot from Cejudo sends Camus hopping backward to the fence again. Cejudo tries a few foot stomps as he pins Camus to the cage with an underhook. Camus breaks free with 75 seconds on the clock but whiffs on a pair of long hooks. Camus, sporting a small cut beneath his left eye, catches a kick and swipes at Cejudo with a right hook. Cejudo is advancing as the round ends and sends a high kick off Camus’ arm right at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cejudo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cejudo
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Cejudo

Round 3

Cejudo tags Camus with a left hook and a right straight to start the round. Camus blocks a body kick and counters over the top with a right hand, but Cejudo gets him right back with another hard left hook. Camus touches with an overhand right but comes away from the exchange grabbing his left eye, having taken a thumb on the end of Cejudo’s last punch. Action resumes after a few seconds, and Camus snuffs out a takedown attempt from Cejudo with four minutes left in the round. Cejudo tries another takedown, can’t get it and hits Camus with a body kick on the split. Back to the fence they go, Cejudo on the outside with the underhook, then releasing to hit Camus with an overhand right as they break. With two minutes to go, Camus initiates a clinch with double underhooks and pushes Cejudo to the fence. They spend 30 seconds there with Camus half-heartedly working for a takedown before he releases. Now it’s back to the other side of the cage and Cejudo on the outside of the clinch. He throws a few good knees to Camus’ body before the Milwaukeean circles away. Back to the center of the cage with 40 seconds left, Camus lands a body kick, then goes to the ground as Cejudo drops for a single-leg. Cejudo follows him to the mat and postures up in Camus’ open guard to drop a few elbows. Camus explodes back to his feet just before the final horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cejudo (29-28 Cejudo)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cejudo (29-28 Cejudo)
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Camus (29-28 Camus)

The Official Result

Henry Cejudo def. Chico Camus via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill

Round 1

Torres lands a quick leg kick and flicks out a front kick to keep Hill out of striking range. Hill pushes forward and slips past a combination to touch Torres with a short right hook on the temple. Torres circles the outside, trying to cut angles as Hill presses the action. Eighty seconds in, Torres reverses momentum and shoots for a takedown agains the fence; she’s stood up by Hill, who scores with a knee to the body before taking the outside position. Another knee lands for Hill, and now the strawweights break midway through the round. Seconds later, Torres changes levels and hits a snappy takedown a few feet away from the fence. Hill tries to hold her opponent in half guard, while Torres is all pressure on top, working to advance while smothering Hill’s face with her right hand. Hill offers a few punches from the bottom as they work to the center of the cage. Torres postures up in the final seconds and drops a few punches, but they’re mostly deflected.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Torres
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Torres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Torres

Round 2

Torres comes in behind a leg kick, ducks low and easily trips Hill to the canvas. Again, Torres isn’t able to do much with top position, spending about 90 seconds locked in Hill’s half guard. At the midway point of the round, Torres extracts her leg and passes to side control on Hill’s left side. Torres steps over to full mount but is there only a few seconds before Hill kicks her back to half guard, now with about 90 seconds remaining. Referee John McCarthy stands up the strawweights with 45 seconds on the clock. Hill clinches up and throws a knee to the body but soon finds herself fighting off another takedown attempt.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Torres
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Torres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Torres

Round 3

Hill pushes Torres backward with a few leg kicks, stuffs a takedown attempt but takes a right hand from the “Tiny Tornado” on the way out. Hill is following Torres around the outside but neither woman is coming up with much in the way of clean offense. A right hand knocks Torres backward after Hill shuts down another attempt to clinch. Halfway through the round, they go to the fence, Torres on the outside, working for a double-leg while Hill keeps a wide base against the cage. They spend another long 30 seconds on the fence before referee McCarthy splits them up. Torres goes straight after another takedown, digging for a single-leg while McCarthy warns her for grabbing Hill’s shorts. Hill musters a couple elbows but can’t do anything to free herself from the position before the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Torres (30-27 Torres)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Torres (30-27 Torres)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10 (30-28 Torres)

The Official Result

Tecia Torres def. Angela Hill via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Yair Rodriguez vs. Charles Rosa

Round 1

Rodriguez whips around with a wheel kick that is deflected by Rosa, then has a kick caught and goes upstairs with the other leg. Rosa throws a low kick, caught by Rodriguez and countered with a right hand over the top. As Rosa stands, Rodriguez leaps at him with a flying knee, misses and winds up on the ground. Rosa takes top position but winds up in a triangle, and now Rodriguez works to cinch the choke. Rosa is stacking up Rodriguez against the fence, preventing the Mexican fighter from closing the triangle. Now, Rodriguez pivots off the cage, looking to create some space to finish with the choke. Rosa puts a hand over his face and presses down, then goes over the mouth to smother. When Rodriguez goes to switch to an armbar, Rosa gets loose and stands up. Halfway through the round, it’s Rosa on top, landing punches which cause Rodriguez to roll over to his knees. Rosa gets a hook in and tries to climb on Rodriguez’s back to secure the other, but the cage is helping Rodriguez on the other side. Rodriguez stands up with 70 seconds remaining, shaking Rosa off his back in the process. Rosa keeps a waist lock and dumps Rodriguez back to the ground, then starts swinging punches through his open guard. Rodriguez tries an armbar from underneath and then bails out as Rosa drops back to attempt a kneebar. The round ends with Rodriguez sending a right hand over the top and stuffing a takedown attempt.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Rodriguez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rodriguez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Rodriguez

Round 2

Rodriguez chops Rosa to the ground with a hard leg kick but allows the American to stand again. To the outside goes Rodriguez, keeping the incoming Rosa at bay with a side kick, then shoving him to the ground when Rosa wades inside to try and clinch. Rodriguez puts a spinning back kick in Rosa’s breadbasket and then limp-legs away when Rosa drops for a single. A short left hook from Rosa gets Rodriguez circling away, but he stops to give Rosa a stomping side kick to the knee. Rosa drops to his knees in the center of the cage to attempt a double-leg takedown, but Rodriguez sprawls all over it. A spinning elbow puts Rodriguez in clinch range for Rosa, but Rodriguez turns the clinch into a takedown of his own. When they scramble up, Rosa is sporting a nasty cut on the left side of his forehead, blood dripping down into his eye. With just under two minutes remaining, referee Mario Yamasaki wants the doctor to check Rosa’s cut. Rosa is cleared to continue and is greeted by a hard leg kick when the fight restarts. He continues to press forward on Rodriguez, who is unleasing all manner of spinning kicks, punches and back-elbows. Rosa gets a takedown with 10 seconds left but gets reversed and mounted by Rodriguez, who finishes the round dropping punches.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Rodriguez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rodriguez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Rodriguez

Round 3

Rosa comes over the top with a wide right hand which lands but doesn’t have much on it. Rodriguez chops at Rosa’s lead leg but succumbs to a takedown a few seconds later. Rosa stacks up Rodriguez, who keeps an open guard until Rosa settles back down on the ground. Ninety seconds into the final round, Rosa begins stringing together some solid ground strikes, punches and elbows. Rodriguez throws up a triangle and starts elbowing Rosa’s trapped head, but the blood all over Rosa’s face allows him to slide out. Rodriguez rolls to his knees and turtles up as Rosa looks for a choke, possibly a Peruvian necktie. Instead, Rosa tries to roll up Rodriguez in a crucifix, but Rodriguez escapes immediately and jumps back to his feet. Another takedown for Rosa with 90 seconds on the clock, and now he passes to side control on Rodriguez’s left side. Rodriguez puts him back in guard, but Rosa keeps pressing and unloads with ground-and-pound just before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Rodriguez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Rodriguez)
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Rodriguez)

The Official Result

Yair Rodriguez def. Charles Rosa via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nate Marquardt

Round 1

Both men land leg kicks before southpaw Gastelum pushes forward and grazes Marquardt’s face with a pair of hooks. A short left hand catches “Nate the Great” on the nose near the fence, so Marquardt steps out to the center. Right hook-left straight combination scores for Gastelum, but Marquardt gets one back with a straight right. Gastelum picks with a couple jabs, ducks under a right hook and exits the pocket with a standing elbow to Marquardt’s face. Marquardt grabs the collar tie and hits Gastelum with a short right hook, an uppercut. The former Strikeforce champ tries a takedown, winds up in the whizzer, and Gastelum bounces back to his feet. With 80 seconds left, Gastelum shoots for and completes a double-leg takedown on the fence. Marquardt goes to his knees, giving up his back, and Gastelum sinks in one hook. Before he can apply the other, Marquardt rolls to his side and shakes Gastelum off his back, then attacks the leg of the “TUF” winner. Gastelum stands up and Marquardt follows, and the middleweights spend the final 30 seconds on the feet, Gastelum rocking his man with hooks and uppercuts just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gastelum
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gastelum
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Gastelum

Round 2

Gastelum backs up Marquardt with a couple hard leg kicks, then slides backward to dodge the counterpunches when Marquardt presses forward off the fence. They tie up in the center of the cage, but nothing comes of it. Marquardt slips a jab, lands an uppercut but gets pushed back by another combo from Gastelum. With Marquardt backed up to the fence, Gastelum unloads with body shots, punches upstairs, until Marquardt wilts to the ground. Referee Dan Miragliotta is having a close look, but Marquardt gets through the damage to power back to his feet. It’s not long before Gastelum has him back on the ground, grinding with short punches from guard. Gastelum stands up and throws more punches to the turtling Marquardt until “Nate the Great” tries to roll for a kneebar. Gastelum extracts his leg and stands, inviting Marquardt to do the same just before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-8 Gastelum
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Gastelum
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Gastelum

Between rounds, Marquardt tells his corner that he has nothing left, and coach Trevor Wittman asks referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight.

The Official Result

Kelvin Gastelum def. Nate Marquardt via TKO (Corner Stoppage) R2 5:00

Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez

Round 1

Melendez reaches out with long jabs while Alvarez slides backward, hunched over in a low stance for the better part of the first minute. When Alvarez steps into the pocket to throw an uppercut, Melendez cracks him with a huge right-handed counter that visibly stuns the former Bellator champ. Alvarez regains his wits quickly but eats another left hand and a stiff jab along the way. A pair of leg kicks score for Alvarez but he’s not throwing much else as he continues to back away from Melendez’s pressure. Two minutes left in the opening round, and Melendez flicks out jabs to keep Alvarez at arm’s length. “El Nino” follows through with a nice right straight, keeps walking after Alvarez and misses with a big uppercut. Melendez lands a jab, takes a kick on the lead leg, and the round expires without further incident.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Melendez

Round 2

Alvarez emerges for the second round with his left eye nearly swollen shut, but he manages to find Melendez with a right hand in the opening seconds. Now it’s back to Melendez pushing forward and Alvarez backing away, the Philadelphian keeping his back near the fence. One minute in, Alvarez steps out to meet Melendez in the center and clubs the former Strikeforce ace with a looping left hook. Alvarez shoots in and dodges a guillotine to shove Melendez against the cage, but the fight is paused by referee McCarthy after Alvarez lands a knee to the groin. Melendez recovers quickly and comes back to stick a jab on Alvarez’s damaged eye, now midway through the round and the fight. Alvarez lands another leg kick, stuffs a high double-leg attempt from Melendez and circles away. Alvarez traps Melendez on the fence and completes a takedown with 45 seconds on the clock. Melendez is back up 20 seconds later, still held on the fence by Alvarez, who exits the clinch with a spinning elbow as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alvarez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alvarez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Alvarez

Round 3

Alvarez goes straight after a single-leg on the fence but is stood up by Melendez, who throws punches around Alvarez’s head with both hands while defending the takedown. Melendez is taken down but bounces right back up, and the fighters break shortly after referee McCarthy calls for work. It looks like Melendez took another shot to the groin, but McCarthy didn’t see it and they fight on. Melendez pushes forward and walks into another leg kick, then gives Alvarez a jab in return. Alvarez hits another takedown midway through the round but can’t hold Melendez on the ground and has to settle for pressing him against the fence. Another takedown, another stand-up from Melendez, and now the lightweights separate with 90 seconds left to fight. Back to the center they go, Melendez touching his man with jabs and breathing heavy. Alvarez lands a body kick, a spinning elbow and evades a big right hand. Melendez is sliced open by the cut and ends the fight with blood dripping down his face.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)

The Official Result

Eddie Alvarez def. Gilbert Melendez via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum

Round 1

Veteran referee Herb Dean is the third man in the cage for tonight’s heavyweight championship main event. There’s no touch of gloves between the fighters during final instructions, and they step out to meet in the center of the cage. Werdum counters Velasquez’s first leg kick with a hard right hand over the top, but Velasquez knocks the interim champ to the ground when Werdum throws a high kick. Velasquez allows “Vai Cavalo” to stand, then presses in and shoves him against the cage to land half a dozen quick left hands. Werdum wants to pull down Velasquez’s head in the Thai clinch, but Velasquez stands tall and throws a pair of punches to the Brazilian’s midsection. The big men separate, and Velasquez comes away wiping at a small cut near his left eye. After eating a couple punches from Werdum, Velasquez hits a fast takedown, this time in the center of the cage. The champ spends few seconds on top, and now Velasquez wants Werdum back on his feet. Velasquez presses in to keep Werdum near the fence, but the jiu-jitsu ace finds Velasquez’s face with a jab, a clean right hand. Velasquez clinches up midway through the round and throws a high knee which is caught by Werdum and converted for a takedown. Velasquez gets up, eating a knee from Werdum on the way, and now Velasquez is back in control, taking outside position as they clinch on the fence. Velasquez steps back and takes an inside leg kick to crack Werdum with a couple hard, straight right hands down the middle. Werdum jabs him away, swipes with a reaching left straight. Velasquez uses another brief clinch to pop Werdum with a pair of uppercuts, then catches a kick and trips the Brazilian to the ground with less than a minute remaining in the opening round. He allows Werdum to stand, flicks out a high kick and misses. An uppercut from Velasquez lands, then Werdum finishes the round with another hard leg kicks.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Velasquez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Velasquez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Velasquez

Round 2

Velasquez snaps off a few jabs in Werdum’s face and sends the challenger backward with an outside leg kick. Werdum has a jab of his own and then continues to attack Velasquez’s legs on the inside. Both guys are bleeding, Velasquez from his left eye and Werdum on his nose. Werdum tags the champ with an uppercut, eats a pair of punches and pushes back Velasquez with a front kick. Werdum catches a kick but can’t capitalize before Velasquez hops away. A pair of huge right hands hurt Velasquez, who’s suddenly on his back foot with Werdum pressing forward. Werdum tries to trap him on the fence, but Velasquez circles back to the middle of the cage. Velasquez seems to be having trouble with his bloodied left eye, blinking repeatedly as he locks up with Werdum in the middle. Velasquez unleashes three or four punches and finishes with a leg kick, but Werdum snaps back his head with a straight right hand. As they tie up on the fence, Werdum lands a hard knee up the middle. With 90 seconds left in the round, the heavyweights go back to the center. Werdum tags the champ with a right hook and a left straight; Velasquez answers with a pair of low kicks, but they’re coming very slowly now. With 20 seconds on the clock, Werdum hurts Velasquez with a huge knee up the middle. A jab, then another knee scores for Werdum, and Velasquez finishes the round standing on rubbery legs.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Werdum
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Werdum
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Werdum

Round 3

Velasquez hits a quick takedown and nearly gets rolled over the top by Werdum, who winds up kicking from guard while Velasquez stands over him. Werdum posts and stands about one minute into the round, and Velasquez grazes his head with a right high kick. As the champ comes inside, Werdum hurts him with another clinch knee, briefly threatens with a guillotine and then releases to land another knee. The knees are doing massive damage for Werdum, easily his best strikes in the fight so far. Velasquez eats a jab and shoots for a takedown, but he runs straight into a guillotine. Seconds after they hit the ground, Velasquez is tapping to the choke. Fabricio Werdum is the new undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.

The Official Result

Fabricio Werdum def. Cain Velasquez via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 2:13