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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC 180
NOVEMBER 15, 2014
LIVE FROM MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
=====UFC Fight Pass Prelims Quick Results=====
-Marco Beltran def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Note: Extremely sloppy fight in which both made a ton of mistakes. Vera nearly had the fight stopped a couple of times, only to lose the holds and position, and it cost him the fight.
-Enrique Briones def. Guido Canneti via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:44 of the second
Note: Extremely ugly brawl with nothing but action start to finish. Briones scored a knockdown with an uppercut, then locked on the choke after some ground and pound to bring a quick tap.
=====Fox Sports 1 Prelims=====
-After the intro from Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, we've already got a fighter in the cage. Right to the action tonight, nice.
GABRIEL BENITEZ VS. HUMBERTO BROWN (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Brown landed a leg kick. Benitez got in a nice kick to the body. He landed a hard straight left as he stepped in. Brown tried to rush but got slowed by a leg kick. Brown picked Benitez up for a slam, but Benitez locked on a tight guillotine and pulled guard. He nearly had it, but Brown held on and got free. Brown picked him up again and slammed him down while in a guillotine. Once again, Brown got free and landed some strikes from the top. Benitez attacked from the bottom but Brown avoided it and remained in guard. Benitez did a good job defending from the bottom. Benitez attacked for an armbar, then turned it into a triangle choke. He landed some elbows from the bottom. Brown defended the submission and tried to posture up. He landed a few strikes from the top. Benitez worked to his feet in a scramble and nearly got another guillotine. Brown backed off. Benitez pressed in with several strikes. They clinched, and Brown landed a knee to the groin that halted action. Benitez pressed in on the restart. He landed another combination, got in a knee to the body, and Brown went for another takedown, only for Benitez to lock the guillotine on. Once again he couldn't finish, though. He scrambled out to his feet before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Benitez. Brown had top position, but that shouldn't win him the round when all of the offense was from the bottom.
ROUND TWO: Benitez moved forward. He landed a few strikes in combination. Benitez got in a knee to the body. Brown landed a hard counter right after taking a leg kick. Benitez landed a combination. He connected with a kick to the body. He landed another straight right. Benitez missed a lunging overhand left. Brown landed a kick to the groin, halting things again. Mario Yamasaki took a point from Brown. As they restarted, Benitez came out aggressively with a few combinations. Benitez continued landing strikes and avoiding Brown's attack. Brown shot in and Benitez held it off at the cage. Brown tripped him up briefly. They were separated due to inactivity in the clinch. Benitez came back in with a big knee to the body. Brown shot in again, but couldn't complete the takedown on the cage. Benitez got in a hard knee to the body with his back on the cage. He separated late and pressed in with a few strikes, ending the round in the clinch again.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Benitez. Easily his round. He was the much better striker, and Brown had a point taken away.
ROUND THREE: Benitez landed a hard kick to the head early, then Brown pressed him to the cage. Benitez locked on another guillotine, this time pulling the hand up in a tight grip and Brown went out cold, with Benitez falling on top of him as they went to the ground. Sick finish to a mostly impressive showing from Benitez.
WINNER: Benitez via technical submission (guillotine) at :30 of the third round
STAR RATING: (**) Enjoyable for the most part. Nice work from Benitez both from his back in the first round, on the feet in the second, and then with the finish in the third.
PRELIM CARD FIGHT TWO: JESSICA EYE VS. LESLIE SMITH (WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Eye opened up with a flurry of strikes. Smith covered up, but she ate several combinations in the opening 30 seconds. They traded leg kicks. Eye landed another combination. She peppered Smith with a big combination. Smith fired back and landed a hard right hand. Eye again connected with a combination. Eye worked on the outside with kicks. She caught a kick from Smith but didn't do anything with it. They traded punches again. Eye continued getting the better of the exchanges. They traded kicks. Eye landed another combination. Eye again landed several punches before Smith could respond. Smith landed a short combo, but ate more strikes. Smith tried to block and counter. She landed a hard right hand. They traded hard strikes. Eye continued working on the outside, circling away. They traded strikes in close. Eye connected on a few more strikes. Eye landed a nice counter left as Smith missed. Eye landed a hard right hand. Smith connected with an uppercut. Eye again connected with several strikes. Eye continued doing damage. Smith's ear exploded on a punch. Nasty. Smith missed a couple of strikes. Eye with another combination. Eye landed a hard leg kick. Eye with another combination. Smith kept pressing forward, but she was eating the strikes to the horn.
ROUND TWO: The replay of Smith's cauliflower ear exploding was disgusting. Eye came in with a combination again. They clinched, and Smith's ear was immediately opened again. Smith fired back back with a combination, though Eye continued landing more punches from the outside. Eye landed a hard jab. Eye landed a hard combination after Smith landed a kick. Smith's ear is going to fall off. Holy hell. They halt the action, Smith wanted to continue, but they had to call it. Her ear was going to tear off.
WINNER: Eye via TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 1:30 of the second round
STAR RATING: (**+) Excellent performance from Jessica Eye, and though Smith is tough as all hell, that fight had to be stopped. Just absolutely disgusting damage, and it's unfortunate for Smith, but that was only going to get worse the way that fight was going.
PRELIM CARD FIGHT THREE: ALEJANDRO PEREZ VS. JOSE ALBERTO QUINONEZ (TUF: LATIN AMERICA BANTAMWEIGHT FINAL)
ROUND ONE: Perez landed a hard leg kick to start things off. Quinonez fired back to the body. Quinonez tried to be the early aggressor. Perez landed a hard inside leg kick. Perez shot in, but Quinonez wound up getting on top off the attempt. Perez scrambled to his feet with Quinonez trying to take his back. They finally separated. Quinonez caught a hard kick and drove him to the ground. He landed some ground and pound, and as Perez scrambled to his feet, Quinonez landed a hard knee to the face. They traded jabs. Perez tried to move forward, and both slowed down considerably. Quinonez connected on a left hand. He got in with a hook shortly thereafter. They traded strikes, with Perez getting the better of it. Quinonez landed two hard strikes, but Perez connected on a solid right hand. They traded body kicks, each partially blocked. Quinonez got in a late knee. Perez landed a hard right hand just before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Perez. Close round, but Perez did more damage overall.
ROUND TWO: Perez landed a few early strikes and pressed the pace. Quinonez got in a hard right hand. Perez landed a right hand as Quinonez threw a knee. Perez landed a nice leg kick that tripped Quinonez up, and he powered forward for a takedown. He couldn't complete it, though, and they separated. Perez landed a hard knee to the body. Quinonez threw some kicks of his own. Perez landed a nice left. Quinonez pressed forward and popped Perez's head back with a left hand. Quinonez shot in, but Perez held off the takedown attempt and separated with an elbow. Quinonez pressed forward with a couple of strikes. Both slowed down a bit. Quinonez hurt Perez and tried to chase him down. Perez ran away and got free enough to shake it off. Quinonez slowed again and landed a body kick. Perez pressed in and they traded strikes. They traded strikes in combination again before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Perez. Hard round to score, but I think Perez's overall output edged it despite him getting tagged late. Not enough from Quinonez.
ROUND THREE: Perez came out aggressively. He landed a few strikes as he swung away. Perez snuck behind Quinonez and pulled off a suplex. He went for a choke but lost position. Quinonez got out and got on top himself. After defending an armbar, Quinonez got into side control and landed a couple of hard knees to the body. Perez scrambled and Quinonez tried to pass back to side control. Quinonez tried to attack for an arm triangle, but let it go. Quinonez again went for the arm triangle and tried to pass. Perez defended well and locked him in half guard to escape. Quinonez landed a head butt and they were stood up. John McCarthy brought in the ref to look at him. Perez's nose was busted open. McCarthy took two points from Quinonez, called it an intentional head butt. That kills Quinonez's chances if he can't stop this, but it was justified with the intentional nature of the foul. They traded strikes as they restarted. Quinonez scored a takedown. He landed some strikes. Perez tried to scramble out. He managed to do so, and Quinonez locked on a guillotine late. He tried to finish it off, but Perez held on to the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 9-8 Perez. He lost the round, but the two-point deduction gives it to him anyway. We'll have a rare 29-26 score in all likelihood here.
WINNER: Perez via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 28-27)
STAR RATING: (*+) Decently competitive fight, but neither are all that high of a level in the sport, and there wasn't a lot of great action from either.
PRELIM CARD FIGHT FOUR: YAIR RODRIGUEZ VS. LEONARDO MORALES (TUF: LATIN AMERICA FEATHERWEIGHT FINAL)
ROUND ONE: Morales landed a kick to the body, but Rodriguez pressed him off with a couple of strikes. Morales pressed in with a few kicks. Rodriguez lunged forward with a strike and shot in. He scored an excellent trip takedown right into mount. Morales gave up his back and Rodriguez pulled him back with both hooks in. Morales defended well, not giving Rodriguez an opening. They were hand fighting a bit, with Morales controlling the wrists to avoid a submission attempt. Morales turned into him, but Rodriguez went for an armbar. He tried to turn it to a triangle, then went back to the armbar attempt. Morales got out and Rodriguez went for a heel hook. They got halted and Mario Yamasaki scolded Rodriguez for something, then stood them up. Really odd, no clear explanation, but Morales gets out of a bad position. Rodriguez went for a spinning back fist but it was blocked. He went for a cartwheel kick but Morales was out of the way. Morales pressed in and landed a hard left hand. Rodriguez fired back. He missed another spinning back fist attempt. They traded strikes just before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rodriguez. A bunch of submission attempts, significant ground advantage time, and even striking gave him the frame.
ROUND TWO: Morales pressed in with some leg kicks. Rodriguez moved forward and clinched at the cage. He went for a body lock takedown but Morales held it off. Rodriguez tried again to no avail. He barely missed a right to separate. Rodriguez threw out a straight kick. Rodriguez shot in again, but Morales initially held it down. Rodriguez stayed with it, and secured the takedown. Morales held him in guard. Rodriguez stood up. Morales nearly scrambled up, but he got thrown back down, and Rodriguez then dropped down a right hand as he got into half guard. Morales avoided damage, and Rodrigues stood up. Rodriguez rolled and threw a somersault kick to the body before grabbing for a heel hook. Morales threw some elbows to the thigh to try breaking up the hold. Rodriguez tried to grab a hold of the arm as well, looking for something off his back. Morales finally stepped out and stood. He landed a couple of kicks. He continued throwing kicks. Rodriguez then landed an excellent upkick and went for the heel hook again to the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rodriguez. Morales just isn't doing much offensively in this one.
ROUND THREE: They traded some early leg kicks. Morales scored a few strikes, then caught Rodriguez in the groin with a kick. They restarted with four minutes left. Morales landed a left hand to counter a leg kick. Morales landed a hard body kick that sent Rodriguez briefly down. Partial slip there as well. Rodrigues popped back up. They traded leg kicks. Rodriguez pressed in with a flurry of punches and kicks, and apparently one of them hit Morales low and things were halted again. Morales rushed forward on the restart and threw several strikes. Rodriguez threw some back and then clinched him at the cage. Morales pulled off a throw, but couldn't gain position and they both stood. Rodriguez was bleeding from a cut over the right eye. Rodriguez pressed back with a few strikes. Rodriguez threw out several strikes and just missed a spinning head kick. Rodriguez threw a flying knee that just missed. He tried to follow up with strikes. Morales came back with a body kick. Rodriguez landed a right hand. Morales landed a left hand and threw a high kick just before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Morales. He was more active that round, though Rodriguez had his moments. Close round, could go either way, but I think Rodriguez should win the decision here.
WINNER: Rodriguez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (**) Competitive, but never really kicked into a second gear.
=====Pay-Per-View Main Card=====
-Rogan and Goldberg welcomed the pay-per-view audience, then ran down what's still to come on tonight's pay-per-view card. This would have been so much better with Cain and Diego vs. Lauzon.
MAIN CARD FIGHT ONE: EDGAR GARCIA VS. HECTOR URBINA (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Urbina landed an opening leg kick. Urbina tried to press. Garcia caught a kick and took Urbina down. He tried to take his back, and succeeded. He landed a few hard strikes. He continued landing. Urbina almost escaped, but Garcia held position. And.... Comcast down. As the pay-per-view feed comes back, Urbina is stuffing a takedown, and he secures a standing guillotine, with Garcia forced to tap! Nice finish from Urbina in the upset.
WINNER: Urbina via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:38 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**+) That's just for the finish. Nice work from Urbina to score the win.
MAIN CARD FIGHT TWO: AUGUSTO MONTANO VS. CHRIS HEATHERLY (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Montano's got a massive height advantage in this one. He avoided a couple of leg kicks and rushed in. Heatherly blocked and backed up. Heatherly shot in, ate a punch, but completed the takedown. Heatherly tried to work from half guard, but Montano pulled him into guard. He nearly got a triangle choke. Montano tried to attack from the bottom. Montano scrambled out and worked to his feet. Montano landed a couple of kicks. Heatherly missed a few strikes. Montano landed a couple of strikes as he moved forward. Montano pressed Heatherly back and clinched. Montano started rocking Heatherly against the cage. Heatherly managed to work out of it and get separation. Heatherly landed a big uppercut. Montano came right back with a couple of strikes. Heatherly shot and Montano got on top. Seemed Heatherly may have pulled guard there. Montano sprawled as Heatherly turned into him. Montano nearly set up a choke, but let it go. He got in a knee to the body. He landed several hard hammerfists as Heatherly tried to take him down again. Montano landed a big series of knees to the head and body. Heatherly just covered up, and the referee stepped in with ten seconds left. Sloppy, but effective.
WINNER: Montano via TKO at 4:50 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**+) Nice knees to finish things off in what was kind of an ugly round. Montano started off a bit stiff, the fight was a bit sloppy, but he made it work at the end.
MAIN CARD FIGHT THREE: RICARDO LAMAS VS. DENNIS BERMUDEZ (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Lamas barely missed a head kick to start off. He threw a spinning wheel kick that missed. Bermudez got in with a right hand and clinched, pressing Lamas to the cage. Lamas got in a knee to the body. He backed off out of the clinch. Bermudez pressed in and landed a hard leg kick. They traded strikes. Lamas landed a nice left hand. Lamas dropped Bermudez with a straight kick. He tried to set up something from a sprawl. He landed a few knees to the shoulders. Bermudez tried to turn it into a shot, but Lamas held him off. They traded knees in the clinch. Lamas turned him around with a body lock. He connected with a hard knee to the body. Bermudez fired back. More battling in the clinch. They separated. Lamas dropped Bermudez with a left hand. He locked on a guillotine after Bermudez went down and Bermudez had to tap! Fantastic performance from Ricardo Lamas.
WINNER: Lamas via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:18 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) Beautiful performance and finish especially from Lamas. Just absolutely fantastic. Scored the knockdown, locked on the tight guillotine, and Bermudez just had no other choice but to tap. Huge, huge performance from Lamas.
MAIN CARD FIGHT FOUR: JAKE ELLENBERGER VS. KELVIN GASTELUM (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Ellenberger pressed in, and Gastelum half-heartedly shot. He got shrugged aside and gave it up. Gastelum landed two hard punches. Gastelum landed another right hand. Ellenberger pressed him back but didn't land. Gastelum landed a couple of strikes in combination. Gastelum again with a combo. Ellenberger connected. Ellenberger landed a big counter-right with a left behind it. Gastelum landed a superman punch. Ellenberger connected. Gastelum shot in and scored a takedown. He didn't like that last punch. He postured up and landed a few hard strikes to the face. Gastelum stayed busy and turned Ellenberger away from the cage. He landed some short elbows. Ellenberger scrambled to his feet and separated. Gastelum landed a hard body kick. He connected on a couple of strikes and pressed Ellenberger back. Gastelum clinched and pressed Ellenberger to the cage. Ellenberger scored a takedown, but Gastelum scrambled and took his back! He locked on a quick rear naked choke and Ellenberger had to tap! Wow, wow, wow. Huge, huge win for Kelvin Gastelum.
WINNER: Gastelum via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:46 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) Another beautiful finish. Awesome scramble after Ellenberger took him down, and getting that choke as tight as he did with little time left was also excellent. Just a fantastic win for the rising young contender.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FIVE FABRICIO WERDUM VS. MARK HUNT (INTERIM HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Both stepped to the center and sized up the distance. Hunt threw a couple of leg kicks. Werdum landed a body kick. Werdum went high but it was blocked. Hunt clipped Werdum with a right hand. Werdum stood up. Hunt pressed in again. Werdum shot in but Hunt stepped away. Hunt barely missed a two-punch combo. Werdum got in a kick to the body. Hunt got Werdum down but Werdum locked him in his guard. Hunt tried to posture up as Werdum worked from his back. Werdum tried to grab wrist control. He landed elbows from the bottom. Hunt got in some strikes from the top. Hunt postured up again and finally stepped out and away. Werdum landed a leg kick. Hunt connected on a right hand, then an uppercut. Werdum taking more shots than he'd like in this first round. Hunt tried for a takedown but failed. Hunt pressed in and scored a couple of strikes. Werdum got in a right hand and a head kick at the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Hunt. He took the first round, let's see how his cardio holds up at elevation here.
ROUND TWO: Hunt already looked tired, and was trying to shake out his arms. He missed a couple of strikes as Werdum landed a left hand. Hunt knocked him down with a left, though it was a bit of a slip as he threw a kick. Werdum threw a front kick. He avoided a right hand. Werdum went for a spinning kick and got shoved down. Werdum landed an outside leg kick. Hunt missed an uppercut and Werdum countered. Werdum shot in and again got stuffed. Werdum landed a knee and Hunt went down. He kept throwing punches on the ground. Hunt was given tons of time to recover, but Werdum kept throwing strikes and Herb Dean finally had to step in! Werdum keeps himself lined up for the Velasquez fight.
WINNER: Werdum via TKO at 2:27 of the second round
STAR RATING: (***+) Despite the Interim nature of this, the sheer oddity of Hunt potentially becoming Champion in 2014 elevated the feel of this one, especially when he won the first round. Then Werdum scored an amazing finish to secure that title. Just fantastic finish to set up the Velasquez fight next spring.
That's the show here for tonight, head over to the mobile site for Rich Hansen's report on the Bellator 131 event and more follow up on tonight's events!
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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