UFC FIGHT NIGHT 66
MAY 16, 2015
LIVE FROM MANILA, PHILIPPINES
=====UFC Fight Pass Prelims Quick Results=====
-Yao Zhikui def. Nolan Ticman via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Note: About what you’d expect from a fight airing at the crack of dawn here in the U.S. That is to say, this wasn’t very good. Ticman seemed to do enough for the win, but it wasn’t enough to really be upset with the decision.
-Jon Delos Reyes def. Roldan Sangcha-an via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:13 of the second round
Note: Violent, wild, sloppy, and fun. Far from a highly technical affair, but it was quite entertaining for a two round prelim fight. Solid win for Delos Reyes.
=====Fox Sports 1 Prelims=====
PRELIM FIGHT ONE: ROYSTON WEE VS. NING GUANGYOU (137 LB. CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Guangyou came out extremely aggressive, rushing Wee to the cage with strikes and taking him to the ground. Wee got to his feet, but immediately got rushed again and taken down. Wee locked him down and eventually got the ref to stand them up. Guangyou landed some hard inside leg kicks. Wee fired off some kicks of his own, including a head kick that landed. Guangyou went back to being the aggressor, though a lot slower than earlier. Wee threw out some more kicks. Guangyou connected on a high kick and shot in, scoring another takedown late. The round ended with him on top.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Guangyou. Three takedowns, some ground and pound, and a few solid flurries on the feet made that his clearly.
ROUND TWO: Guangyou swung wildly early, but didn’t land. He connected on a couple of hard leg kicks and got Wee to the ground. They wound up getting stood up due to inactivity. Guangyou plodded ahead without doing much. Things came to a halt as Wee landed a kick to the groin. Guangyou came right back ahead as they restarted. Wee got in a body kick, but Guangyou landed some strikes of his own. Wee really not doing much of anything in this one. Guangyou landed a jab, then a body kick. Wee got in another body kick. Guangyou landed a side kick to the body. Things got very tentative in the final minute. Guangyou tossed out a late head kick that was blocked, but then knocked Wee down with a big combination. He started throwing ground and pound, and then FS1 cut to break before the horn sounded! We come back from break and the fight is indeed over. The ref stepped in before the horn on that ground and pound for Guangyou.
WINNER: Guangyou via TKO at 4:59 of the second round
STAR RATING: (*+) Not a particularly good fight, but solid finish for Guangyou at the end of the round there. Side note, that was a really bad commercial break for FS1 there. Unacceptable to do a hard cut to break before the horn has sounded when a fight can end like that at any point.
PRELIM FIGHT TWO: LI JINGLIANG VS. DHIEGO LIMA (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: They circled around each other early. Lima landed a counter left. He threw a combo but Jingliang covered up. Jingliang got in a couple of strikes after Lima threw a punch. Lima landed a solid right hand. Jingliang rushed Lima and knocked him down at the cage. Lima was in bad shape as Jingliang kept throwing strikes on the ground. He was getting through under Lima’s arm as Lima turtled up. Lima’s chin is just shot.
WINNER: Jingliang via KO at 1:25 of the first round
STAR RATING: (*+) Barely got started. I don’t think Lima should be fighting anymore. His chin’s just not there, and he’s risking significant issues moving forward if he continues to take the damage he’s been taking. It’s not healthy to get knocked out like that consistently.
PRELIM FIGHT THREE: ZHANG LIPENG VS. KAJAN JOHNSON (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Johnson moved forward early, scoring a takedown after a push kick. Lipeng got to his feet, but Johnson kept a body lock and tried to take his back standing. Lipeng got loose, and then scored a takedown of his own. Johnson rolled for a kneebar, then tried to grab a heel hook. He again went for the knee. Lipeng defended, but Johnson continued to work for a leg. The battle continued and they worked to their feet. Johnson shot in but got stuffed. They continued to battle around the cage. Johnson backed off with a strike late. He landed another right hand before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. Ground battle for much of the round, won by Johnson as the aggressor. Not a ton to that round overall, though.
ROUND TWO: They traded a few strikes early, then Lipeng slipped on a kick and Johnson got on top quickly. Lipeng tried to control his posture to get a stand up. Johnson got loose and got in a couple of strikes, but Lipeng scrambled and worked to his feet, though Johnson stayed on him and took his back standing. Johnson dragged him down, but Lipeng spun around to get on top. Johnson tried for a triangle and Lipeng backed away, allowing Johnson to explode to his feet. Neither landed much of consequence over the next minute until Lipeng connected on a groin strike. After the restart, Johnson shot in for a takedown. He nearly got placed on his back, but turned and finished the takedown. Lipeng stayed on his knees and worked to his feet, though. Johnson landed an elbow late.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. There’s not a ton to this fight so far, with neither doing a whole lot effectively.
ROUND THREE: Johnson quickly closed the distance and initiated the clinch. Lipeng turned him around on the cage. They traded strikes as they separated. Lipeng scored with some strikes. Johnson shot in again and tried to take Lipeng down once more. He worked him down and tried for a kimura, but then wound up taking Lipeng’s back. He tried to attack a leg, but Lipeng held off the attack. He reversed and got on top to end the round.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. Again, not a whole lot happening from either fighter, but I think Johnson did slightly more throughout and should win the decision.
WINNER: Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (*) Not a good fight. Not offensively bad, there just wasn’t much to it at all.
PRELIM FIGHT FOUR: TAE HYUN BANG VS. JON TUCK (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Tuck moved forward early, tossing out a couple of range-testing shots. He landed a couple of body kicks. Bang landed a hard counter-right. Tuck came back ahead with a flurry that was partially blocked. Tuck landed a right hand. He shot in and scored an easy takedown at the cage. He worked up to his feet. Tuck landed a knee to the body. Bang landed a right hand to separate. Tuck landed a groin kick that halted things for a bit. Tuck got in a good left hook as they restarted. Tuck landed a great head kick behind a left hand but Bang absorbed it. Bang fired off a couple of hard strikes. Tuck landed a great counter-right after an axe kick attempt and after Bang missed a strike, and Bang went down. He tried to recover, but Tuck took his back and locked on the rear naked choke, forcing the tap. Great work from Tuck.
WINNER: Tuck via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:56 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**+) Really nice work from Tuck. That was an excellent counter strike after missing the axe kick, and he did a great job capitalizing and locking on that choke.
-With time to kill before the main card, they re-air the Fight Pass prelim between Jon Delos Reyes and Roldan Sangcha-an.
=====Fox Sports 1 Main Card=====
-After the intro from Jon Anik and Brian Stann (my favorite UFC duo right now), it’s time for the first matchup.
MAIN CARD FIGHT ONE: MARK EDDIVA VS. LEVAN MAKASHVILI (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Eddiva opened with a couple of kicks. They traded strikes in the center. Makashvili started patient, but tossed out some wild strikes in a couple of spots that didn’t hit the mark. Makashvili landed a left, then sprawled on a shot from Eddiva. They scrambled a bit and jockeyed for position on the cage. Makashvili picked him up and slammed him, but Eddiva did a nice job scrambling and getting back to his feet. Makashvili kept him in the clinch and they traded knees to the body. They were eventually broken up due to inactivity. Eddiva went high with a kick that was blocked. He landed a right hand in an exchange. Makashvili landed a right hand after a brief clinch. Eddiva ducked in again but got stuffed and they clinched at the cage. They continued to battle for position on the cage through to the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Makashvili. Close round, and could go the other way here easily.
ROUND TWO: Very little action early in the round, with neither connecting on anything significant through the first minute and a half. They clinched briefly, but neither got the advantage and they separated. Makashvili got in a kick to the body more than two minutes into the round. Makashvili shot in and scored a takedown despite a blatant cage grab by Eddiva that went without a warning from the ref. He landed some punches to the body, but really didn’t do anything, so they were stood up. Eddiva got in a leg kick, then a body kick. Makashvili grabbed a clinch, but Eddiva got separation. Both missed a few strikes in close. They again missed each other in a late exchange.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Makashvili. Tempted to go 10-10. The only thing that actually happened in the round was the takedown, but Makashvili did nothing with it.
ROUND THREE: Makashvili worked for the takedown early, with Eddiva initially keeping it clinched, but eventually getting taken down about two minutes in. Eddiva tried to roll into him and ate some strikes, but he made it to his feet. Makashvili kept up as the aggressor, landing a couple of punches. This is just an awful “fight.” Both missed strikes and Makashvili shot in. He scored the takedown again, but again Eddiva turned into him. Makashvili quickly took his back and landed a few strikes, but Eddiva still worked to his feet and separated. Eddiva tried to press in at the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Makashvili. Eddiva did so very little in this fight, and Makashvili just did a little bit more than that.
WINNER: Makashvili via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*-) Not entirely sure that qualified as a fight. Also not sure what two rounds Eddiva supposedly won there. Meh.
MAIN CARD FIGHT TWO: PHILIPPE NOVER VS. YUI CHUL NAM (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Nover got backed up quickly but landed a punch and a high kick. Nover shot in and scored a quick takedown. Nam tried to work his way up while Nam tried to get him all the way down. The battle for the takedown continued, with Nam not staying down. He got to his feet with Nover taking his back standing. Nover got in a knee to the head and Nam put his hand down. Nover kept the clinch up and shot in again. Nam got in an elbow, but Nover picked him up and slammed him. Nam quickly scrambled to his feet. Nover took his back standing again. He got in some punches and hammerfists. Nover tried to drag him back down to no avail. Nover landed some more short strikes to not get separated, but Nam continued to cover up and hold off being dragged down. Nover finally completed another takedown. Nam kept his back on the cage, though, and got to a knee before getting to his feet again. Nover landed a knee to the body and some more punches while holding position. Nover got in an elbow. Nam turned him around on the cage at the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Nover. Grueling round for both. This could get uglier if they’re tired out from all of that.
ROUND TWO: Nam landed an early counter-right. Nover shot in and scored a takedown in the center of the cage, but Nam tried to hit a switch to scramble out. He got to his feet, and Nover took his back standing. He picked him up and dropped him, then took his back standing. He lost position and wound up on his back. Nam got in a punch but nearly got caught in a triangle choke as he rushed him. Nam landed a couple more strikes. Nover nearly got the triangle on again, but ate a few big strikes on the ground. Nover scrambled to his feet but ate a knee on the way back up. Nover got a clinch again and drove Nam to the cage. Nam tried to fight it off, but again got taken down. He wound up getting out and Nover wound up on his back, taking some shots again. Nam landed some hard strikes from the top, then passed to half guard. He landed a few more strikes before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Nam. He got in the only significant offense despite Nover’s few submission attempts.
ROUND THREE: Early clinch battle between the two, but it was Nam scoring the takedown. Nover tried to work to a guillotine from the bottom but it wasn’t really close. Nam passed to mount and landed some strikes as he smothered Nover. Nover regained guard. He tried to scramble out, but ate a big strike and was held down. Nam tried to work for an arm triangle choke but wasn’t in a great position to finish the hold. He stayed patient with it and kept trying to cinch it up as Nover defended. He started moving more and more to the side to lock it up but lost it. He landed some hammerfists and rode out the round to the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Nam. And it appears Nover will still be winless in the Octagon.
WINNER: Nover via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (*+) Nothing more than an average fight, but really surprised Nover won that decision. Hometown judging on that one. Really bad.
MAIN CARD FIGHT THREE: HYUN GYU LIM VS. NEIL MAGNY (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Magny worked on the outside, landing an early jab. He caught Lim with it again and Lim acknowledged it with a head nod. Lim threw a right hand. He backed Magny up and tried to find an opening, but Magny did a solid job avoiding anything big. Lim landed a good jab. He backed Magny up again. He landed a big right. He threw out a flying knee. Magny stumbled down but worked to his feet. Lim hurt him again with a big combination and Magny stumbled back to the cage. Magny recovered and grabbed a clinch to slow things down. He got in some knees to the thighs and kept a tight hold of Lim. He briefly had his back standing, but Lim turned back into him. Magny pressed his head into Lim and FS1 cut to commercial mid round! It briefly came back to the fight, then cut to commercial again! They’re having a hell of a time on that front this morning. When it cut back to the fight Magny had Lim down on the ground on his back. Lim shrugged him off and got on top. Magny reversed, but then Lim nearly got an armbar locked on. Magny got out and mounted Lim. He took his back and went for the choke. Lim got out and worked to his feet, and they traded big strikes. Lim took Magny’s back standing and landed a couple of knees in the clinch. They separated late. Magny rushed in with a big combination to end the round. Good fight so far.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Lim. Magny might have stolen it with his work in the second half, but Lim had him hurt early on.
ROUND TWO: Magny came forward early. He landed a couple of strikes, got a body lock on, slammed Lim, and immediately mounted him. Lim tried to get out but Magny stayed on him. He took his back and flattened him. He landed a bunch of strikes as Lim couldn’t get out. The ref finally stepped in to stop it. Damned impressive.
WINNER: Magny via TKO at 1:24 of the second round
STAR RATING: (***) The first round was a lot of fun (minus the mid-round commercials), and Magny’s work in the second was fantastic. He’s now won seven straight, and it looks like he’s getting better and better. Excellent work.
MAIN CARD FIGHT FOUR: MARK MUNOZ VS. LUKE BARNATT (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Big reaction for Munoz and the crowd is very much behind him here. Barnatt came ahead and popped out a couple of strikes. Munoz landed a right hand but ate a hard uppercut. Barnatt tried a step-in knee but Munoz was out of range. Big “Munoz” chant. Munoz shot in. Barnatt landed a knee and tried for a guillotine, but Munoz got out and on top. Barnatt got to his feet, but Munoz stayed on him and nearly got him back down. Barnatt got to his feet, but Munoz held him at the cage. He got in a knee to the body. He backed off and landed a big right hand. He followed Barnatt around the cage and landed another big right hand. Barnatt missed a couple of strikes and Munoz scored another takedown. Barnatt worked his way up the cage. Munoz just manhandled Barnatt to the ground. He got in a couple of big strikes, but Barnatt took them. Munoz kept working the ground and pound. He landed another big right hand. Barnatt tried to land an up kick. He got Munoz off of him and got back to his feet, but Munoz immediately closed distance and clinched. Barnatt pulled off a trip, but Munoz reversed and they separated on the feet. Barnatt’s nose was bloodied up. He landed an uppercut as Munoz came in, but it didn’t have a ton behind it. Barnatt threw a high kick that was blocked. He got in a knee to the body. Munoz landed an overhand right. He got in close and clinched again. Barnatt landed some strikes in the clinch to close out the round.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Munoz. Easily the best he’s looked in the last few years. Stepping up big so far for the partisan crowd in his last fight.
ROUND TWO: Munoz pressed the pace early. Barnatt got in a couple of hard knees to the body. Munoz shot in, but Barnatt held off the single leg attempt. He landed a couple of elbows as Munoz went for the double leg. Barnatt tripped Munoz but Munoz came right back to the clinch. Barnatt got in another knee to the body. Munoz landed a right hand before backing off to reset. Munoz missed a right hand. Barnatt landed a couple of jabs. Munoz shot in again and scored a takedown. Barnatt held him in guard and landed a couple of strikes off his back. Munoz tried to posture up, but Barnatt swept him and got to his feet. Munoz stayed on him in the clinch. Barnatt landed some knees in the clinch. Munoz landed some punches. He finally separated. Munoz got in a left hook. Barnatt backed Munoz up and landed the knee to the body again. He landed an uppercut as Munoz shot in. He stuffed the takedown attempt and nearly got a trip of his own. Barnatt walked Munoz down but didn’t take any shots. He stuffed another takedown attempt and landed a couple of strikes. Munoz landed a big right hand before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Barnatt. That’s his round for me with the offense to the body, but the judges here are probably going to give it to Munoz given how things have been scored thus far tonight.
ROUND THREE: Munoz landed a right hand as Barnatt came forward. He shot in for the single leg but got stuffed. Barnatt landed a jab. He landed another as he pressed in. Munoz connected on the right hand. He tried to rush Barnatt and got in a few strikes on the cage. Barnatt managed to avoid a ton of damage, but Munoz held him on the cage in the clinch. Barnatt landed a few big elbows as Munoz tried to drag him down. He got in some more, but got pulled down. Munoz landed a big right hand, but Barnatt got to his feet and separated. Munoz landed two hard counter-strikes as Barnatt landed a punch. He landed another big right hand. Barnatt got in a knee. Munoz shot in again. Barnatt initially stuffed it and landed a couple elbows, but he got dragged down. Barnatt got back to his feet, but Munoz stayed on him. Barnatt landed some elbows. Barnatt got in another knee to the body. Munoz scored a takedown as Barnatt tried to roll through. Barnatt landed a couple of strikes from the bottom. Munoz stood up and dove in with a strike. He wound up in side control. Barnatt turtled, but Munoz dragged him back as the round ended. Munoz will go out with a win. Good for him.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Munoz. Barnatt just didn’t have much left in the tank and Munoz turned up the offense again. Nice work in his final fight; he stepped up big to go out on a high note.
WINNER: Munoz via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (**) Wasn’t the greatest fight, but Munoz did a great job, the crowd was behind him throughout, and it was a feel good moment on the card.
-Munoz took the mic from Jon Anik. It seemed he had a little speech in him, but he rambled a bit there. Anik asked him another question and he continued talking for a while. He got his gloves off, thanked the UFC, and kept going before finally leaving the gloves in the cage. Good of the UFC to give him that moment there.
MAIN CARD FIGHT FIVE: GEGARD MOUSASI VS. COSTAS PHILIPPOU (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Philippou landed a front kick to the leg to start off. Mousasi landed a leg kick. Philippou got in a right hand. He landed a solid body kick and stayed out of range of Mousasi’s counter. Mousasi shot in and scored an easy trip takedown right into side control. Philippou got to half guard and tried to lock Mousasi down. Mousasi landed a couple of hard hammerfists and tried to pass. He stood up and landed a couple of strikes as Philippou tried to escape. Philippou got him into guard. Mousasi continued to stay busy. He stood and landed a few strikes. Philippou tried to work for an arm, but Mousasi got loose and passed to half guard. Mousasi looked to set up an arm triangle choke but Philippou recognized it and defended well. Philippou tried to grab Mousasi’s leg to sweep, but he Mousasi shoved him back down into half guard. Mousasi again went for that arm triangle choke late but lost it. He ended the round in top position.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Mousasi. Lots of positional dominance on the ground, Philippou could be in for a long night (morning) here.
ROUND TWO: Philippou tried to come out aggressively, but it took less than a minute for Mousasi to score a takedown. Philippou got his back on the cage, though, and quickly worked to his feet. Philippou landed some solid kicks to the legs and body. Mousasi missed a lunging strike and got hit. He got in with a kick. Mousasi landed a hard right hand. He got in a couple of jabs. Mousasi accidentally landed a groin shot, bringing a halt to things for a bit. Mousasi timed a shot perfectly and scored a takedown. He passed quickly to side control and tried to set up a kimura. Philippou desperately held onto his own shorts to avoid it. Mousasi passed to the other side. Mousasi kept busy, getting in some punches, knees, and elbows as he got put back in half guard. He continued that to the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Mousasi. Philippou just getting out-worked on the ground right now.
ROUND THREE: Mousasi landed a jab early. He avoided a strike from Philippou. Mousasi connected on a short hook. Mousasi stalked, landing a couple of strikes while staying out of range from Philippou’s return. Philippou finally got in with a right hand. Mousasi timed another shot well and got Philippou back to the ground. Mousasi was content to just grind it out, staying just busy enough to avoid a stand up for a while. He passed to half guard and continued working. He landed a few hard forearms. Philippou regained guard briefly, but Mousasi passed right back out and landed some strikes. Mousasi landed some more ground and pound. Philippou got back to guard, but ate some more strikes. Mousasi continued landing to the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Mousasi. Not his best fight, but he was in full control on the ground start to finish in this one.
WINNER: Mousasi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*) Not much of a fight, unfortunately. Mousasi had the edge from top position and was content to keep it there, while Philippou was good enough defensively not to take too much damage or give up a really bad position.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT SIX: FRANKIE EDGAR VS. URIJAH FABER (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Both came out to the center and circled around one another. Faber landed a kick to the groin but it wasn’t flush and Edgar kept fighting on. They clinched briefly and Edgar got in an uppercut. Both a little tentative in the early going here, with lots of movement. Faber tried to rush in with a right hand but Edgar was out of range. Faber landed a solid jab. He got in a left as Edgar came forward. Edgar backed him to the cage. Faber landed a strike, but Edgar got in a solid spinning back kick to the body. Faber got in a right hand. They slowed down on offense a bit. Edgar came in and got hit with a hard right hand. Edgar scored a brief takedown, but Faber got to his feet. Edgar took his back standing and landed some knees to the hamstrings. Edgar tried to pick him up and slam him but Faber wouldn’t stay down. He finally backed off. Faber got in a leg kick. They traded strikes. Edgar connected on a right hand. Edgar shot in but got stuffed. Faber landed a short hook. Faber landed a right hand just before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Close round. Faber has an argument for it as well with some decent strikes, but neither connected on a ton of offense there.
ROUND TWO: Faber landed a big knee as Edgar tried to grab a leg and Edgar came out of that clinch bleeding. Edgar backed him up. He went for a spinning kick but Faber took his back. He quickly scrambled out. Faber tried to catch a kick but Edgar got his leg free. Edgar rushed in with a combo but didn’t land a ton there. Both missed a few strikes. Faber connected to the body and head in a nice combination. Edgar landed a nice inside leg kick. Faber landed a left hook. Faber caught a kick but again Edgar got his foot free. Edgar landed a hard straight right. They traded strikes in a solid exchange. Faber missed a right hand. Edgar landed a nice right hand after feinting a body shot. Edgar landed a good leg kick. They traded punches in the center in another nice exchange. Things slowed down a bit from an offensive standpoint. Edgar connected on a right hand. Edgar got in a couple strikes to the body. He landed another combination late before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Faber got in a couple of big strikes, but Edgar’s volume is the story of the fight so far. He’s throwing in bunches while Faber has tried to land the big shot.
ROUND THREE: Faber threw a push kick as Edgar pressed him back. Edgar missed a couple of strikes as Faber slipped out. Both barely missed in an exchange. Edgar landed a right, but Faber countered with a left. Lots of movement from both, and they each landed body shots. Edgar landed a big counter-right after Faber landed one. Edgar got in a solid front kick. Faber missed a high spinning kick. Edgar got in a short uppercut in a brief clinch. Edgar shot in and scored a takedown, sneaking out to side control to avoid the guillotine. Faber quickly got to his feet, but Edgar stayed on him. He tried to drag Faber down, then just picked him up and dropped him. Faber crawled his way to the cage after a few strikes and stood up. Edgar stayed on him in the clinch and landed a couple of knees. Faber stayed up. He turned into Edgar and stuffed another attempt. He nearly rolled through, but Edgar got on top and had mount for a second before Faber escaped and got to his feet. Edgar slipped as he tried to take him down again and Faber got separation. Faber landed a left. Edgar got in a kick to the body. Edgar popped out a couple of jabs. Faber missed a right hand, and Edgar missed a jump kick as the horn sounded.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Strongest round for Edgar yet, but Faber’s damn good at not being held down.
ROUND FOUR: Edgar continued to move forward, and he landed a solid body kick. Faber landed a solid left hand. Faber landed a nice body punch, but Edgar returned fire with a few strikes. Edgar got in a good front kick. Faber caught a kick but couldn’t hold onto it. They traded strikes in the center. They traded punches, briefly clinched, and Edgar got in a good strike on the break. Edgar got in a solid right hand. Faber landed a kick to the body. Edgar missed a spinning kick. Both missed strikes and Edgar sprawled on a brief takedown attempt. Then he came forward and scored a trip takedown. Faber rolled to his knees and got up, but Edgar stayed on his back standing. He landed a few hard punches but Faber stayed up and got separation. Faber missed a step-in knee. Faber landed a nice left hand. Edgar got in a couple of strikes off a brief clinch. They circled each other as the horn sounded.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. He’s just having more success, though the fight is certainly competitive. Faber has to have some urgency here because he’s almost assuredly going to lose a decision.
ROUND FIVE: Faber tried to press forward early. Edgar landed a couple of strikes. Faber really has to push this to do anything here. Edgar landed a nice right hand after Faber missed a kick. Edgar connected to the body. Faber landed a body punch. Edgar landed another short combo. He landed a hard left uppercut. Edgar shot in and took Faber’s back standing, then dragged him down briefly. Faber popped back up, though. He turned him around, picked him up, and dropped him. Faber again got to his feet, but ate a punch as Edgar backed off. Faber landed a counter combination. Faber landed another jab. Faber landed an overhand right. He got it in again, but ate a couple of strikes in return. Edgar slipped but immediately popped up. Faber defended a takedown well. Faber not showing a ton of urgency here as the round was winding down. Edgar landed a couple of jabs. They traded punches in the center. Faber landed a right hand. Edgar connected on a right hand. Edgar missed a late spinning kick. They traded punches again at the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Should be a clean sweep on the cards, but Faber got in some solid offense throughout. It was a close, competitive fight, but Edgar should walk away the clear winner.
WINNER: Edgar via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
STAR RATING: (***) It was a good fight. It wasn’t spectacular, it wasn’t a “fight of the year” candidate, but it was a competitive, mostly fun fight. Edgar remains the top contender at featherweight, and he should get that next title shot.
-Thanks for joining us here this morning! We’ll have more reaction to the event throughout the weekend, and there’s no time to slow down as UFC 187 comes our way next weekend on pay-per-view!
Leave a Reply