Monson submitted Jimmy Ambriz in the first-round in the evening’s headliner, with Taylor and Sanchez also picking up first-round submissions of Ruben Barboza and Vince Lucero respectively. War Machine went to the third-round before submitting Erik Montano, while Whitson submitted Emiliano Vatti in the opening round.

Complete results for Total Combat 33 are available at Sherdog.

[Pictured: Jeff Monson]

• 170: Omar De La Cruz def. Dave Menne via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:19
• 170: Lyman Good def. Jorge Ortiz via TKO (doctor’s stoppage – cut) — Round 2, 4:37
• Troy Gerhart def. Lorenzo Borgomeo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Eddie Sanchez def. Jay White via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:10
• Alonzo Martinez def. Victor Meza via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 2, 2:43
• Jesse Juarez def. DeRay Davis via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 4:47
• Kerry Vera def. Leslie Smith via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Jacob Volkman def. Kevin Knabjian via submission (triangle choke) — Round 2, 1:42
• Anthony Lapsley def. Ryan Williams via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 1, 4:22

Bellator 7 Photos (courtesy of Bellator):

Billy Evangelista and Mike Aina

ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers 1 Weigh-In Results (Fresno, CA)

• Mike Aina (157.2) vs. Billy Evangelista (157.5)
• Sarah Kaufman (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135.4)
• Lavar Johnson (246.4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (250.5)
• Aaron Rosa (205.4) vs. Anthony Ruiz (205.2)
• Tito Jones (145.6) vs. Bao Quach (145.8)
• Cody Cantebury (160) vs. Ben Holscher (160.2)
• Zolia Frausto (129.8) vs. Avery Vilche (122.8)
• Ousmane Thomas Diagne (155.6) vs. Kaleo Kwan (155.4)
• Fabricio Camoes (156.2) vs. Torrance Taylor (155.8)
• Spencer Herns (180.6) vs. Chad Sutton (184)

Bellator 7 Weigh-In Results (Chicago, IL).

• 170: Lyman Good (171) vs. Jorge Ortiz (170)
• 170: Omar De La Cruz (169.5) vs. Dave Menne (171)
• Lorenzo Borgomeo (154) vs. Troy Gerhart (155.5)
• Eddie Sanchez (231) vs. Jay White (259)
• Alonzo Martinez (157) vs. Victor Meza (156)
• DeRay Davis (171) vs. Jesse Juarez (171.5)
• Anthony Lapsley (171) vs. Ryan Williams (170)
• Kevin Knabjian (171) vs. Jacob Volkman (171)
• Leslie Smith (136) vs. Kerry Vera (136)

MFC 21: Hard Knocks Weigh-In Results (Edmonton, Canada)

• Trevor Prangley (205.5) vs. Emanuel Newton (204.5)
  MFC Light Heavyweight Championship
• Mike Cook (234.0) vs. Bobby Lashley (249.0)
• David Heath (205.5) vs. Travis Galbraith (205.0)
• Andrew Buckland (171.0) vs. John Alessio (169.5)
• Mychal Clark (205.0) vs. Ryan Jimmo (205.0)
• Marvin Eastman (204.0) vs. Aron Lofton (205.5)
• William Richey (232.5) vs. Ryan Fortin (262.5)
• Jeremy Combrink (170.5) vs. Jason Heit (170.5)
• Dwayne Lewis (203.5) vs. Jay Whitford (214.5)
• Nolan Clarke (170.0) vs. George Belanger (170.0)

Rich Clementi

The UFC is continuing to shrink their roster, cutting a hand full of fighters in recent days, according to Five Ounces of Pain, including Rich Clementi, Luigi Fioravanti, Derek Downey, Christian Wellisch, and Eddie Sanchez. This move not only downsizes the UFC’s massive roster, but will also put the fear of being cut on the minds of many struggling UFC fighters.

Luigi Fioravanti is an American Top Team member that has fought to a .500 record by going 2-2 in his last four fights. He was defeated by 170-pound up and comer Anthony Johnson via first round TKO at UFC Fight Night 17 last Saturday. Although this didn’t appear to be a terrible loss, it does appear to be the one that cost Luigi his Job.

The magic number to be worried about being released seems to be two-straight as Clementi, Wellisch, and Sanchez all had two-straight losses.

Rich Clementi is not far off from a 3 fight win streak that had him starting to climb the lightweight rankings. That streak came to a crashing halt as he then lost his next two bouts. Fresh off of losses to Gray Maynard and Gleison Tibau he is now on the outside looking in.

Christian Wellisch’s string of bad luck started with a loss to Shane Carwin and continued against Jake O’Brien while Eddie Sanchez suffered losses to Justin McCully and Antoni Hardonk.

Downey lost his UFC debut at UFN 17 last weekend against fellow newcomer Nick Catone and will not get another chance to prove to the UFC brass that he is worth keeping.

The UFC is known for having the best fighters in the world and one way to make sure they live up to this reputation is to drop fighters that may be struggling or have not shown signs of being a true contender. Luigi Fioravanti and Rich Clementi have both shown signs of being at least a mid-tier fighter, but the UFC didn’t agree. Other fighters that could be on the way out in the future could be Pete Sell (lost 4 out of last 5), Kendall Grove (lost 2 out of last 3), and Jorge Rivera (lost 5 out of last 9).

Welterweights Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida headline UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight For The Troops

In the UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight For The Troops main event, welterweight contender Josh Koscheck knocked out Yoshiyuki with a pair of straight rights, capping off the ten-bout card with a highlight reel knockout.

The Spike TV-broadcast event took place on Wednesday, December 10th, at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Mike “Quick” Swick finally earned a decisive victory in the welterweight division, knocking out Jonathan Goulet in just 33-seconds in the evening’s co-main event.

In other main card action, Steve Cantwell submitted Razak Al-Hassan in the opening round with a grusome armbar, Tim Credeur forced Nate Loughran to verbally submit after two rounds, and Jim Miller dominated Matt Wiman en route to a unanimous decision victory.

On the evening’s preliminary card, Luigi Fioravanti topped Brodie Farber via unanimous decision, Steve Bruno submitted Johnny Rees via rear naked choke in the second round, Ben Saunders TKO’d Brandon Wolff in the first round, Dale Hartt defeated Corey Hill after Hill suffered a broken leg early in the second round, and Justin McCully defeated Eddie Sanchez on the judges’ scorecards.

The event served as a fundraiser for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the crowd was compromised nearly entirely of troops from nearby Fort Bragg, who attended the event free of charge.

Donations can be made to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund at FightForTheTroops.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 16 RESULTS

• Josh Koscheck def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via KO (punch) — Round 1, 2:15
• Mike Swick def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:33
• Steve Cantwell def. Razak Al-Hassan via submission (armbar) — Round 1, 4:04
• Tim Credeur def. Nate Loughran via TKO (verbal submission) — Round 2, 5:00
• Jim Miller def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
• Luigi Fioravanti def. Brodie Farber via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Steve Bruno def. Johnny Rees via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 2, 3:44
• Ben Saunders def. Brandon Wolff via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:49
• Dale Hartt def. Corey Hill via TKO (injury) — Round 2, 0:20
• Justin McCully def. Eddie Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

BOUT RECAPS

JOSH KOSCHECK DEF. YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA

Yoshida works leg kicks early then Koscheck fires back with punches that bloodies Yoshida. Koscheck rocks Yoshida with a right then puts him away with another right that drops him to the canvas.

MIKE SWICK DEF. JONATHAN GOULET

Swick drops Goulet in the opening moments with a big right and finishes him off with strikes in just 33-seconds.

STEVE CANTWELL DEF. RAZAK AL-HASSAN

Al-Hassan is agressive early and presses toward Cantwell with strikes but the former WEC champion avoids major damage then counters with striking of his own before taking his opponent to the canvas. Cantwell first moves to side control then to mount before securing a grusome armbar that Al-Hassan refuses to submit to but referee Mario Yamasaki has seen enough and halts the contest in favor of Cantwell.

TIM CREDEUR DEF. NATE LOUGHRAN

Credeur picks Loughran apart with strikes for the entirety of the opening frame then splits the second round beating him up on the feet and on the ground. Credeur closes the second with a barrage of punches and Lougran verbally submits between rounds, giving Credeur the TKO victory.

JIM MILLER DEF. MATT WIMAN

Despite accepting a bout against Matt Wiman on short notice, Jim Miller was able to keep up a frantic pace over three full rounds, wearing Wiman out on the feet and on the ground. Miller nearly submitted Wiman with a deep guillotine in the opening round and blasted Wiman with punches throughout the fight but Wiman survived to the closing bell, losing to Miller on the judges cards with scores of 30-27, 30-26, and 30-27.

LUIGI FIORAVANTI DEF. BRODIE FARBER

Fioravanti controls the fight from start to finish, dominating Farber on the ground while staying out of trouble for three full rounds to earn unanimous scores of 30-27 on the judges’ scorecards.

STEVE BRUNO DEF. JOHNNY REES

After a close opening round, Bruno gets several takedowns in the second then eventually takes Rees’ back in a scramble and locks on a rear naked choke that forces him to tap out at the 3:44 mark of the second round.

BEN SAUNDERS DEF. BRANDON WOLFF

After trading with Wolff to open the fight, Saunders accidentally catches him with a low blow. The action resumes and Saunders takes control, battering Wollf with kicks and knees before a series of strikes forces the referee to intervene at the 1:49 mark of the first.

DALE HARTT DEF. COREY HILL

Hill takes the first round with multiple takedowns and effective use of his reach advantage, but early in the second round a Hartt leg kick breaks Hill’s leg and the fight is immediately halted. Hill has to be taken out of the octagon on a stretcher but Harrt remains at his side ensuring Hill is alright. The injury is said to be the “worst in UFC history”.

JUSTIN MCCULLY DEF. EDDIE SANCHEZ

After a close first round that saw McCully and Sanchez exchange on their feet before Sanchez claimed side control on the ground and worked elbows, McCully took control of the final two rounds with superior standup to earn the unanimous decision win with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.

Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Weigh-In For UFC Fight Night 16

UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight for the Troops welterweight headliners Josh Koscheck (171) and Yoshiyuki Yoshida (171) successfully weighed in for their main event bout today at the Sports USA Bar near Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

The remainder of the ten-bout, Spike TV-broadcast card also successfully made weight, including main event participants Jonathan Goulet (171) and Mike Swick (171), Razak Al-Hassan (205) and Steve Cantwell (206), and Matt Wiman (156) and Jim Miller (156).

The event, which will serve as a fundraiser for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, takes place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The full UFC Fight Night 16 weigh-in results included:

• 170: Josh Koscheck (171) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (171)
• 170: Jonathan Goulet (171) vs. Mike Swick (171)
• 205: Razak Al-Hassan (205) vs. Steve Cantwell (206)
• 155: Matt Wiman (156) vs. Jim Miller (156)
• 173: Brodie Farber (174) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (173.5)
• 170: Johnny Rees (169) vs. Steve Bruno (171)
• 170: Brandon Wolff (170) vs. Ben Saunders (170)
• 185: Nate Loughran (185) vs. Tim Credeur (186)
• 155: Dale Hartt (156) vs. Corey Hill (155)
• HWT: Justin McCully (228) vs. Eddie Sanchez (246)

Spike TV, which will broadcast the event beginning at 9pm ET, yesterday announced an updated lineup for the event, which will benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

The confirmed lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

• Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
• Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
• Matt Wiman vs. Frankie Edgar

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al- Hussan
• Luigi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber
• Dale Hartt vs. Corey Hill
• Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
• Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
• Johnny Rees vs. Steve Bruno
• Justin McCully vs. Eddie Sanchez

For the latest UFC rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

The showdown between two of the UFC’s top welterweight contenders was the main event of the eleven-bout pay-per-view event.

Just one day removed from failing to make weight for the bout, which was contested at a catchweight of 175-pounds, Alves stuffed several first-round takedown attempts by Hughes and delivered the majority of the damage in the opening round. Early in the second, Alves caught Hughes with a flying knee that dropped him to the mat and quickly followed with several hard punches to the head to force the referee stoppage 62 seconds into the second round.

After the bout, Alves promptly apologized for failing to make weight the day before, adding that he had sprained an ankle leading up to the bout and was unable to run or train to drop the additional weight.

With the win, the biggest of his young career and his sixth straight in the octagon, the 24-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of American Top Team, now has his eyes set on a welterweight title shot. “Mr. Dana White, I’ve been a good boy. Please give me a title shot,” said Alves.

“He’s a good fighter, he got me, no doubt,” said Hughes following the decisive loss. However, the former UFC champion promised at least one more bout before he finishes his career, calling out longtime rival and fellow former champion Matt Serra.

In the co-main event, England-native Michael Bisping dominated Jason Day, defeating his middleweight foe off with strikes midway through the first round. Bisping dominated from the onset, securing an early trip takedown then unleashing a flurry of ground and pound from side mount. Day was able to scramble away twice but Bisping quickly picked up where he left off, pounding on Day until the bout was halted at the 3:42 mark of the opening frame due to overwhelming strikes.

Mike Swick secured his second-straight welterweight win on the main card, posting a unanimous decision victory over Marcus Davis marred only by a one-point deduction for grabbing the fence. Though Davis was able to connect with some shots in the clinch, Swick too was able to connect while the pair were locked up and dominated the ground, controlling Davis and opening up several cuts on his opponent’s face, to win all three rounds. All three judges rendered scores of 29-27 after taking the penalty into account.

In a fast-paced middleweight bout Thales Leites topped Nate Marquardt via split decision. Though Marquardt clearly won the bout based on the established judging credentials, two one-point deductions by referee Herb Dean cost the former middleweight challenger the bout.

Leites captured the opening round after dropping Marquardt to the canvas with a hard right and mounting his opponent, who was eventually able to escape and survive to round two. Early in the second, Marquardt landed a knee to Leites’ head while his opponent remained on the ground, an illegal strike that caused the bout to be temporarily halted while Leites recovered and a point to be deducted from Marquardt. After resuming, Marquardt quickly picked up where he left off, bloodying Leites with hard ground and pound that was just short of stopping the bout. Despite Marquardt dominating the second, the round is a 9-9 draw due to the point deduction. It’s a similar storyline in the third as Marquardt again lands a hard series of ground and pound, as well as a late piledriver, but has a point deducted for strikes to the back of the head and round three is another 9-9 draw.

After accounting for the two deductions, Leites won a close split decision on the judge’s scorecards securing two cards of 28-27 in his favor. The other judge ruled 28-27 in favor of Marquardt.

In a controversial opening bout to the pay-per-view broadcast, Fabricio Werdum defeated Brandon Vera via late-first round technical knockout.

Vera had the upper hand early in the fight, staggering Werdum with a hard combination though Werdum was able to survive and take Vera to the ground. Once on the canvas, Werdum was able to mount Vera and deliver a string of ground and pound. With just seconds remaining in the round and Vera seemingly defending himself from the blows, referee Dan Miragliotta, the same referee from last weekend’s controversial early stoppage of James Thompson versus Kimbo Slice at EliteXC “Primetime”, stopped the bout in favor of Werdum.

Uninjured from the ground and pound assault, Vera immediately returned to his feet to protest the controversial early stoppage. “There was 15 seconds left. Let me take my ass whupping and go to the second round,” said Vera.

OFFICIAL UFC 85 RESULTS

• Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes via TKO – Round 2, 1:02
• Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO – Round 1, 3:42
• Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis via unanimous decision
• Thales Leites def. Nate Marquardt via split decision
• Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera via TKO – Round 1, 4:40
• Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission – Round 1, 2:44
• Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via KO – Round 2, 1:57
• Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission – Round 2, 2:53
• Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO – Round 1, 2:07
• Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
• Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO – Round 2, 4:15

• Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes via TKO – Round 2, 1:02
• Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO – Round 1, 3:42
• Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis via unanimous decision
• Thales Leites def. Nate Marquardt via split decision
• Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera via TKO – Round 1, 4:40
• Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission – Round 1, 2:44
• Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via KO – Round 2, 1:57
• Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission – Round 2, 2:53
• Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO – Round 1, 2:07
• Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
• Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO – Round 2, 4:15

• Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes via TKO – Round 2, 1:02
• Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO – Round 1, 3:42
• Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis via unanimous decision
• Thales Leites def. Nate Marquardt via split decision
• Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera via TKO – Round 1, 4:40
• Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission – Round 1, 2:44
• Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via KO – Round 2, 1:57
• Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission – Round 2, 2:53
• Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO – Round 1, 2:07
• Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
• Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO – Round 2, 4:15

ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS

MATT HUGHES VS. THIAGO ALVES

ROUND 1 – Hughes comes out in southpaw position and there’s a brief feeling out period before Hughes shoots for a takedown but he’s stuffed by Alves and they standup. Hughes again shoots for a takedown and Alves again defends but Hughes pulls guard. Alves connects with some solid strikes on the ground before returning to his feet where he lands a solid knee in the clinch. They return to the ground Hughes moves to side control and throws shots to the body. The crowd boos the slow pace as neither fighter is doing much on the ground. Referee Herd Dean threatens to standup the bout but Alves reclaims half guard. Hughes looks to move into mount but Alves escapes and gets back to his feet. Alves takes Hughes down and lands several solid blows before round one ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 2 – Hughes shoots in but Alves catches him with a knee and Hughes pulls guard. They return to their feet and Alves lands a flying knee that knocks Hughes to the ground. Alves follows his opponent to the ground and delivers several hard punches that force referee Herb Dean to stop the bout.

Hughes appeared to injure his left knee while falling to the ground following the flying knee.

Thiago Alves defeats Matt Hughes via TKO – Round 2, 1:02

After the bout, Alves begged UFC President Dana White for a title shot while Hughes stated that he has at least one bout left in him and he wants to fight Matt Serra before he would retire.

MICHAEL BISPING DEF. JASON DAY

ROUND 1 – Both fighters miss with punches to open the fight. Bisping clinches with Day and secures a trip takedown. Bisping unleashes a ground and pound assault on Day. Day tries to grab a leg and return to his feet but he’s unable to. Bisping moves to side control and delivers more punishment but Day escapes and they return to their feet. Bisping takes Day back to the ground and goes back into side control then mount. Day escapes but Bisping is able to again reclaim side position and delivers a final series of ground and pound that forces referee Dan Miragliotta to halt the bout.

Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO – Round 1, 3:42

MIKE SWICK DEF. MARCUS DAVIS

ROUND 1 – Davis and Swick trade stikes to open the bout before Davis clinches with Swick against the cage. Swick breaks free but Davis clinches again and drops to the ground in an attempt for a guillotine but it’s unsuccessful. Swick moves from Davis’ guard to side control but Davis regains guard. They trade some strikes on the ground and Swick opens up a cut with some elbows. The pace slows but Swick does enough to avoid a standup. Davis tries to flip Swick onto his back as the round winds down but Swick defends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Swick.

ROUND 2 -Swick misses on an early kick attempt and Davis lands a left. Swick next lands a kick and a knee. They go to the ground and Swick is in Davis’ guard. The pace slows and they are urged to remain active. Swick transitions to side control. The pace again slows and they return to their feet. Davis connects with a short combination before clinching. He connects with uppercuts in the clinch. Each lands a knee. Davis gets a trip takedown but Swick nearly secures a triangle choke before they return to their feet. Swick gets another takedown before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Swick.

ROUND 3 -Swick connects with a knee. They clinch briefly then separate before trading strikes. They lock up again, break, then clinch again before again separating. Neither fighter is able to land much. UFC commentator Joe Rogan spots a UFC first: the crowd at the 02 Arena in London is doing the wave. Davis’ cuts have worsened and he is now very bloodied and battered. They clinch and referee Mario Yamasaki halts the bout to deduct a point from Swick for grabbing the fence. The deduction presents an opening for Davis but he’s unable to capitalize and Swick continues to do just enough to win the round on the judge’s scorecard. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 9-9 and the bout 29-27 Swick.

Mike Swick defeats Marcus Davis via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

THALES LEITES DEF. NATE MARQUARDT

ROUND 1 – They touch gloves. Leites connects with a superman punch. Marquardt connects with a combo. Leites counters with a solid combination that presses Marquardt to the cage. Leites knocks Marquardt to the ground with a hard right and mounts Marquardt. Marquardt is stunned and nearly gives up his back but recovers and ties Leites up to avoid damage. Leites into side control but Marquardt scrambles back to his feet and lands a knee. Hard body shot by Marquardt finds its mark. They clinch against the cage. Knees to the body by both fighters. They separate. Spinning back kick by Leites connects to the body. Marquardt connects with an uppercut that rocks Leites and sends him staggering to the fence. Marquardt follows with more stikes but he’s unable to finish Leites off before the round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Leites.

ROUND 2 – They again touch gloves and Marquardt immediately lands a body shot and overhand right. They clinch and trade knees against the cage. They scramble and Marquardt is on top. Marquardt lands an illegal knee while Leites is still on the ground and the bout is momentarily halted. Leites wants to continue and takes a few moments to recover while Marquardt has one point deducted for the illegal strike. We quickly resume and Marquardt connects and takes Leites to the ground. Marquardt is warned for striking the back of the head and grabbing the gloves. Marquardt delivers some hard ground and pound and bloodies Leites but he’s unable to finish off his opponent.Referee Herb Dean restarts the fighters and Marquardt attempts a takedown but Leites claims the top position and lands some strikes to finish up the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 9-9.

ROUND 3 -Marquardt catches a flying knee attempt and takes Leites to the ground. Leites attempts a triangle but Marquardt escapes. Marquardt counters with strikes but Herb Dead declares them to be on the back of the head on deducts another point from Marquardt. They resume and head back to the ground where Marquardt connects with more ground and pound while Leites works elbows from the bottom. Leites’ cut reopens. Marquardt piledrives Leites with 10-seconds remaining. MMAFrenzy.com scores the final round 9-9 and the bout 28-27 for Leites.

The third-round point deduction from Marquardt by Herb Dean due to strikes to the back of the head is rather controversial as replays show the strike appeared to connect to the side, and not the back, of Leites’ head. The two point deductions will likely cost Marquardt a bout he clearly won.

Thales Leites defeats Nate Marquardt via split decision (28-27, 28-27, 27-28)

FABRICIO WERDUM DEF. BRANDON VERA

ROUND 1 – Werdum secures a quick takedown but they return to their feet. They clinch and Werdum presses Vera against the cage. Vera reverses then they separate and Vera lands a solid left before they lock up again. Werdum secures a takedown and lands in Vera’s full guard. Vera escapes and returns to his feet. He throws a knee that is caught by Werdum but he’s unable to secure the takedown and they return to their feet. Vera lands a left that stuns Werdum. They clinch again against the cage but are quickly separated. Werdum takes the fight back to the groun, mounts Vera, and starts dropping punches. Vera defends the punches as the round winds down and referee Dan Miragliotta surprisingly steps in and halts the bout.

Vera, unphased by the strikes, immediately returns to his feet and complains about the controversial and premature stoppage. It’s a questionable and poor ending to the opening bout of the pay-per-view.

Fabricio Wedum def. Brandon Vera via TKO – Round 1, 4:40

MARTIN KAMPMANN DEF. JORGE RIVERA

ROUND 1 – Kampann quickly takes Rivera down and lands some punches before taking Rivera’s back. Rivera rolls into an arm triangle bu manages to escape. Kampmann transitions to mount then finishes Rivera off with a guillotine midway through the opening round.

Martin Kampmann defeats Jorge Rivera via submission – Round 1, 2:44

MATT WIMAN DEF. THIAGO TAVARES

ROUND 1 – The fighters quickly hit the mat and scamble for the top position and submission attempts. Tavares eventually claims the top, staying there and delivering punches for the rest of the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Tavares.

ROUND 2 – The pair stand and trade hard punches to open up the second round. Tavares takes Wiman to the ground but they quickly return back to their feet. Wiman connects with a hard right that rocks Tavares and follows it up with another right that knocks Tavares out.

Matt Wiman defeats Thiago Tavares via KO – Round 2, 1:57

KEVIN BURNS DEF. ROAN CARNEIRO

ROUND 1 – Carneiro quickly secures a takedown and stays in the position top for the length of the round throwing punches. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Carneiro.

ROUND 2 – Burns stuffs a takedown but Carneiro is eventually successful in again taking Burns to the ground. Carneiro stays in the top position and throws punches but Burns secures a triangle choke that forces Carneiro to tapout midway through the bout.

Kevin Burns defeats Roan Carneiro via submission – Round 2, 2:53

LUIZ CANE DEF. JASON LAMBERT

ROUND 1 – Lambert looks to clinch but Cane wants to stand and trade and avoids Lambert early. Cane then lands a right that knocks Lambert down. Lambert returns to his feet but is again dropped by Cain. Lambert once again stands up but Cain knocks him down for the third time and the referee stops the fight.

Luiz Cane defeats Jason Lambert via TKO – Round 1, 2:07

PAUL TAYLOR DEF. JESS LIAUDIN

ROUND 1 – The fighters trade blows to open the round before Liaudin secures a takedown and moves into side control. The pace on the ground slows and they’re restarted by the referee. Liaudin connects with a flying knee then Taylor lands a punch that knocks Liaudin down. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Taylor.

ROUND 2 – Liaudin secures another early takedown. Taylor scrambles back to his feet but is again taken down by Liaudin. Liaudin controls Taylor on the ground for the remainder of the round and lands strikes from the top. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Liaudin.

ROUND 3 – The pair trade kicks to open the third. Taylor defends a takedown attempt but Liaudin tries again and takes his opponent to the ground but he’s unable to keep him there and Taylor returns to his feet. Another successful takedown by Liaudin but they’re quickly restarted by the referee. Liaudin pulls guard as the bout concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the final round 10-9 Liaudin and the bout 29-28 Liaudin.

Paul Taylor defeats Jess Liaudin via split decision

ANTONI HARDONK DEF. EDDIE SANCHEZ

ROUND 1 – Sanchez is the aggressor early and gets an early knockdown of Hardonk. He follows him to the mat but they stall and are restarted by the referee. They lock up and Hardonk lands some solid knees but Sanchez takes Hardonk back to the ground where they again stall and are restarted. Sanchez again takes Hardonk to the ground before the opening round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sanchez.

Round 2 – Hardonk connects early in round two with a solid knee and several hard shots to the body. Following a knockdown by Sanchez, the pair exchange a series of wild strikes. Hardonk gets the better of the exchange and lands a strong combination finished with a left hook to force the referee to halt the bout.

Antoni Hardonk defeats Eddie Sanchez via TKO – Round 2, 4:15