Read on for UFC on FX 3 main card results...
SUNRISE, FL, June 8 – Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall
needed two fights and six rounds to determine a winner in their heated
flyweight tournament showdown, but after the final three frames at the
Bank Atlantic Center Friday night, it was Johnson who emerged victorious
via unanimous decision in another fast-paced and exciting battle.
Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 twice for Johnson (15-2-1) who will face Joseph Benavidez to determine the UFC’s first 125-pound champion. Johnson and McCall fought to a majority draw in their first bout on March 3rd.
A
minute into the bout, Johnson silenced the crowd chanting “Let’s go
Creepy,” with a quick takedown. McCall (11-3-1) didn’t stay there long,
getting back to his feet and back to stalking “Mighty Mouse,” who wasn’t
looking to get into a slugfest. What Johnson was doing was using every
inch of the Octagon real estate, and when the opportunity presented
itself, he stunned McCall with a quick counter right, sending him to the
mat. Moments later, the two got back to their feet, and Johnson opened a
cut on the bridge of McCall’s nose. McCall was far from discouraged
though, and after he stuffed a takedown, the crowd roared and he smiled
in acknowledgement, giving him some encouragement before the bell.
McCall
got the first takedown of round two, but he was unable to do anything
with it. An ensuing standup exchange saw “Uncle Creepy” briefly stagger
Johnson with an uppercut, but the Washington product shook it off
instantly. After a brief pause after Johnson took a low kick, the bout
resumed with a little under three minutes to go, and McCall scored
another – albeit brief – takedown. McCall stayed close to Johnson
though, taking his back while standing and slamming him to the mat.
Johnson rose and pinned McCall to the fence, but a spinning back elbow
freed the Californian. With a minute left, each fighter made his case
to the judges, but a McCall throw might have sealed it.
Some good
close quarters striking by McCall got nullified in the second minute by
a Johnson takedown against the fence, and while McCall was able to get
up, Johnson left him with a hard shot to the head to remember him by.
McCall got even moments later with a hard knee to the head and a trip
that took Johnson off his feet for a second, but Johnson jumped right
back up and into the fight. Still looking fresh, Johnson became busier
as the seconds ticked down, and a late trip punctuated what was another
hard fought scrap.
SILVA vs. BRENNEMAN
Erick Silva
is for real. If anyone doubted it after the Brazilian welterweight’s
first two UFC performances, that’s probably not the case after his
ultra-impressive first round finish of always tough Charlie Brenneman in the UFC on FX co-main event.
Brenneman
immediately closed the gap for a takedown attempt, but Silva coolly
turned him away with a knee. After eating a spinning back kick,
Brenneman got Silva where he wanted him against the fence and then to
the mat, but in the ensuing scramble, Silva got back to his feet. After a
brief stalemate against the fence, referee Frank Gentile separated the
two, but Brenneman got his takedown seconds later. Silva battled his way
to his feet, but another stalemate brought another restart. Silva went
on the offensive, but Brenneman gave as good as he got until getting
caught with a kick to the midsection. Moments later, Silva got Brenneman
to the mat, and he finished off “The Spaniard” with a rear naked choke
that produced a tap out at 4:33 of the opening frame.
“I was
landing a few good shots on him, but I did not feel anything that he was
throwing at me," said Silva. "I wasn’t worried about his wrestling
because I have trained with good wrestlers. Each fight is different for
me and there is no consistent formula for success. I knew to set my
defense low to prepare for his strikes and I was able to capitalize and
turn it into a submission victory. This is a great win for me and my
coaches and teammates.”
With the win, Silva, who was fighting for the first time out of Brazil, improves to 14-2; Brenneman falls to 15-4. Watch Silva's post-fight interview
PYLE vs. NEER
In a clash of welterweight veterans, Mike Pyle sent a message to the rest of the division with a stunning first round knockout of Josh Neer.
The
first round gave fans a taste of everything, from ground and pound by
Pyle (23-8-1) to submission attempts and solid inside body work by Neer
(33-11-1). But just when it looked like the fight was going to continue
into the second frame, Pyle landed with a flush right hand that sent the
Iowan crashing to the deck face first. Referee Chris Adams immediately
stepped in, stopping the bout at the 4:56 mark of the round.
“The
fight definitely went the way I wanted it to go," said Pyle. "He was
definitely tougher than I thought he was and he let me know it a few
times. We were trading some good blows and I got tired of making him
look good. I tried to throw some shots just to get him away from me and
reset myself, but those shots ended up putting him out.”
The defeat was only the second Neer suffered by knockout, and his first defeat overall since May of 2010. Hear what Pyle had to say about his "Knockout of the Night" performance
WINELAND vs. JORGENSEN
The third time was the charm for longtime bantamweight standout Eddie Wineland, as he finally got his first UFC victory after losses to Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez by knocking out Scott Jorgensen in the second round.
Wineland’s
striking looked sharper than it has in a long time, as he peppered
Jorgensen throughout the opening round and even rocked him twice in the
second half of the frame.
Jorgensen was far from finished though,
as he tore after Wineland to begin the second, opening a nasty cut over
the former WEC bantamweight champion’s left eye. Yet just when it
appeared that the tide had turned, Wineland got his bearings back and
began tagging him again. And finally, it was a huge right hand that
stunned and dropped Jorgensen late in the round, with the follow up
barrage bringing in referee Troy Waugh to stop the bout at 4:10 of round
two.
“The fans got exactly what they wanted tonight when they
voted us to the main card," said Wineland. "Me and Scotty bring it every
time. Once he realized he couldn’t take me down, it became a test of
who would drop first. We’re out there throwing bombs the way we do,
making fireworks, and it was only a matter of time before someone goes
down. I’m glad I was the one still standing at the end of this one.”
With the win, Wineland improves to 19-8-1; Jorgensen, who was knocked out for the first time in his career, falls to 13-6. Watch Wineland's post-fight interview