Event: UFC 131 Pay-Per-View
Airdate: Saturday, June 11th, 2011 (Pay-Per-View)
Location: The Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia
Results by MMASCOOPS.COM
Darren Elkins vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Round 1
Elkins lands a few glancing right hands over the top as the featherweights bounce and weave in the opening minute. The southpaw Omigawa scores with short lefts of his own before changing up his stance. Omigawa ducks out of the way of the American’s punches and clips him with a left on the way out. Elkins clubs Omigawa with a one-two and the judoka drops to a knee for a split-second before bouncing back to his feet. Omigawa ducks inside and winds up tripped to the mat beneath Elkins. From there, Omigawa grabs at a leglock and Elkins immediately escapes to the feet. Hard left hook lands from Elkins with 70 seconds left in the round. Elkins continues to score with the left, landing three or four more down the stretch.
Round 2
The firefight resumes, both men throwing punches exclusively. Omigawa moves forward early and further damages the already reddened face of Elkins, who tries to keep the Yoshida Dojo product at range with straights. Omigawa finally throws an outside low kick 90 seconds into the round. Omigawa clinches, looking for a trip, but gets shucked. He keeps pressing and drops another crisp left on the bloodied side of Elkins’ face. Omigawa winds up his right hand as he walks Elkins down, but it’s Elkins who slugs him with a right. Elkins gives chase now, clipping Omigawa with a short right in the pocket. Omigawa bobs and weaves, walking forward and putting combinations on Elkins, then playing matador when he comes forward.
Round 3
Elkins comes out looking to score and eats a short left as he wings punches. Omigawa ducks inside, lifts his man up with a high double and drives Elkins to the floor. Elkins holds a headlock momentarily, then lets it go and tries to escape from Omigawa in his open guard. Omigawa mashes and flattens, pushing Elkins into the fence. Elkins throws up a triangle and nearly gives up his back in the ensuing scramble. Instead, the 145’ers go back to standing midway through the final round, Elkins’ face now an even more grisly sight. Omigawa steps in from the center, pops Elkins with a left, dips out, and repeats. Elkins continues to lean low with his punches, leaving his head exposed to Omigawa’s left hand.
Official scores: Two judges have it 29-28, while one sees it 30-27, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Darren Elkins. The Vancouver crowd in attendance for the evening’s first contest voices its disapproval of the verdict.
Aaron Rosa vs. Joey Beltran
Round 1
The big men come out swinging, and it’s Beltran who connects first with peppering lefts. Beltran shoves the taller Rosa into the cage with an underhook and lands a few hard lefts when they disengage 20 seconds later. The “Mexicutioner” clinches again and digs a few hooks to the body. Referee Jerin Valel tells them to work and Beltran responds with a hard right hand over the top, then another. The heavyweights stand in the pocket winging punches wildly, neither connecting much but both throwing with all they have. Rosa, who’s pawing at his nose repeatedly, steps forward and lands a right. Beltran backs him down, though, and puts his back to the fence before unloading with a hard combo. Rosa steps away briefly, but Beltran follows, lands a leg kick and puts a few punches on Rosa’s ribs. They go back to all-out slugging for the final 10 seconds; this time, it’s Beltran landing cleaner right hands to the face and body, though Rosa gets in a stiff uppercut.
Round 2
Rosa lands a left jab-overhand right combo, and Beltran responds by throwing leg kicks. Beltran plunks Rosa with a big right and clinches up to throw knees inside. The ref tells them to work and they split. Another right lands for Rosa, then a one-two followed by an inside thigh kick. Again, Beltran initiates the clinch and throws knees low inside. One knee lands straight on Rosa’s groin, and Beltran connects with another to Rosa’s face as he’s collapsing in pain. Ref Valel calls for the doctor, who clears Rosa to continue. Rosa stuns Beltran with a right over the top and smells blood, giving chase. He leaps at Beltran with a knee against the fence and now Beltran takes a low blow. He soon recovers and they get back to work with just over a minute to go. Long left lands for Rosa and Beltran rushes him into the cage again. They trade phone-booth punches, split, and then clinch again to the final horn. Beltran lands a late right hand and the crowd jeers, though no action is taken in the cage.
Round 3
Rosa comes forward swinging and gets caught in a loose guillotine. Beltran lands a knee, abandons it, and has Rosa on his knees against the fence, where he unloads with a flurry of hard punches from the standing position. Rosa looks to be out of it, but struggles back up. Beltran ragdolls Rosa onto his back and Rosa’s cut badly now, likely from the knee. Beltran goes wild and thumps Rosa with solid ground-and-pound until referee Valel steps in for the save at 1:26 of the third.
Dustin Poirier vs. Jason Young
Round 1
Young scores with leg kicks early, but Poirier keeps coming forward, hurling punches. He puts Young’s back to the cage, but Young grabs hold of Poirier’s right arm and tries to lock up a standing kimura. It doesn’t work, but Young does spin Poirier around and drive a knee to the gut. They exchange control a few more times before breaking off and each landing hard shots in a wild exchange. Young catches Poirier coming in and tags him with a right, then leaps at the American with a round kick. Poirier goes to his kicks now, both to the body and legs, and Young leaps in with a knee. Poirier slugs Young with a great left hook, but his follow-up punches can’t find the mark. The featherweights clash leg kicks a few times; Young is now cut above the left eye. A kick seems to graze Poirier low, but he doesn’t want to stop when asked by ref John McCarthy. Young slips on a jumping kick. He stands and puts a hard right on the jaw of Poirier, who answers with some crisp inside leg kicks before the horn.
Round 2
Great leg kicks from Young early in the second. He puts a hard right on Poirier, but Poirier’s simultaneous kick is on Young’s cup. Young recovers and they go back to headhunting. Poirier is sticking his left hand straight down the pipe, but eating more and more leg kicks from Young. Now, Young comes forward and plants a one-two on Poirier. Right hand comes over the top from Young, followed by a left hook. Another right hand is chased with a leg kick. Young slips out of the way of Poirier’s right and pops him with a left. The Brit leaps inside with a knee, but it misses and Poirier snaps his head with a left hand. Poirier scores a takedown in the final seconds and holds down Young, whose face is streaming blood at the end of the frame.
Round 3
Young emerges from his corner with a big gob of Vaseline over his left eye, and the fighters trade for a moment before he has to pause and wipe it off. They restart and Young comes forward, hunting for lefts, but instead eats a few strong Poirier shots. Poirier puts Young against the cage with a high double-leg, can’t finish and switches to a single. Young stifles the move by underhooking Poirier’s left arm and the two are at a stalemate with three minutes left. Poirier gets his takedown, but his face is buried so low that Young is able to stand. Poirier drags him down again, and Young pops right back up, socking Poirier with right hands in the clinch. Poirier tries for another takedown and Young sprawls on the fence, elbowing to the American’s side. Another takedown for Poirier, but he’s mounting no offense, only looking to improve position as Young digs in with unanswered elbows. Poirier finally gets Young on his back, away from the fence with 30 seconds left, but Young lifts Poirier’s left arm and slugs away from underneath.
Official scores: The judges at cageside have it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Dustin Poirier.
Nick Ring vs. James Head
Round 1
Ring flicks outside leg kicks as he circles around Head, who tries to come forward and is punished with a right hand. Ring clinches and drills Head with knees to the gut. Head answers with a nice right hand down the middle, but he already seems to be bloodied around the eye from Ring’s offense. The Canadian plants Head on the canvas in the center of the cage and works from side control with three minutes left. Ring goes to north-south and Head gets loose. Ring lets him up and Head makes him pay with a right hand on the temple that drops Ring to a knee. Head pounces, can’t finish with punches, and attacks with hard knees in the clinch when Ring stands back up. Ring appears to be recovered until he takes a head kick and a right hand at the one-minute mark. Ring gets a takedown into half-guard and the American breathes hard, laying his head back on the canvas. Ring finishes strong on top.
Round 2
Ring lands a takedown and spends a minute flattening and pounding Head with big punches and elbows before being stuffed back to half-guard. Ring stands and Head kicks, creating enough space to stand. It doesn’t last long, as Ring dumps Head back down against the fence. Head uses the fence to push off and puts the cage on his left side. Head’s badly bloodied, but resists when Ring nearly takes his back, dumping the Canadian off onto his head. Ring winds up on top in the scramble and ref Herb Dean calls time for the cageside physician to inspect the cut on the bridge of Head’s nose. Dean tells Head the doctor cannot stop the bleeding, and that the cut will continue bleeding into his eyes. He asks Head if he wants to continue and Head responds in the affirmative. Dean restarts them in the center of the cage with Ring in side control. “Reverse side control,” Dean points out when Ring tries to secure a more advantageous starting position. No matter: Ring is suffocating Head from half-guard, Head simply grimacing in pain and dripping blood, unable to escape.
Round 3
It’s not long before Ring is back in Head’s guard, throwing away. Head is a mess, his blood all over the canvas, but he works to control Ring’s wrists and looks for an opening for a submission. Ring simply bullies him, advancing to side control and slamming Head with elbows. He shucks Head’s legs over the top and goes to north-south position with two minutes remaining. Head can’t do anything from the bottom as Ring continues to assault with elbows. Head tries to turtle and nearly gives up his back, but winds up in north-south. Head turtles again, and this time Ring wastes no time sinking in a rear-naked choke. Ring doesn’t have hooks in, but it is tight and Head nonetheless submits as soon as the choke is in place. The official time is 3:33 of the third period.
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Mike Massenzio
Round 1
Soszynski comes forward and Massenzio puts him on his back at the base of the fence. The “Polish Experiment” threatens with his favorite submission from underneath — the kimura — and Massenzio backs out. Massenzio clinches on the fence, but can’t do much. The larger Soszynski starts putting left hands on Massenzio, who gets another takedown, but again finds Soszynski back on his feet. Massenzio lobs inside leg kicks and he’s cut now from Soszynski’s punches. Massenzio shoots a double and finds no success. He combos are blocked by Soszynski, who thrusts his right hand straight into the American’s grill. Massenzio gets another takedown, Soszynski pops up and they stall out in the clinch. Referee Kevin Dornan restarts them with a minute left and Soszynski walks down Massenzio, then sprawls on a shot. A pair of left hands from Soszynski sting Massenzio, causing him to shoot a double which Soszynski easily sprawls on.
Round 2
Soszynski lands a chopping outside leg kick, Massenzio shoots, and Soszynski sprawls, sinking in a loose guillotine. It’s not a real threat immediately, but Massenzio is stuck under the sprawl, on his knees against the cage. Soszynski drives knees into the shoulder of the downed Massenzio, who gets back to his feet and puts Soszynski’s back on the fence. Soszynski lands knees to the breadbasket, they split and he sprawls on yet another Massenzio shot, and then another and another. Soszynski’s back is to the cage, but he punches underneath the far-side armpit of Massenzio until referee splits them up. Soszynski lands hard rights and sprawls again at the horn.
Round 3
Soszynski parries the jab, sprawls on Massenzio and winds up on top this time. Massenzio turtles with control of Soszynski’s left wrist, trying to prevent the kimura. Soszynski drops punches and then hard knees to Massenzio’s body and shoulder. Massenzio is trapped, just eating the knees, clinging on to Soszynski’s wrist with nowhere to go. Soszynski snakes his arm around and Massenzio bucks, landing in a bulldog choke. Massenzio briefly gets on top and goes for a choke of his own, then tries in vain for a double-leg on the fence when Soszynski stands. Referee Dornan splits them up and calls for action. The clapper sounds and Massenzio shoots in desperation, only to be stuffed one last time.
Official scores: All three judges score it a clean sweep — 30-27, 20-26 and 30-27 — for the winner by unanimous decision, Krzysztof Soszynski.
Chris Weidman vs. Jesse Bongfeldt
Round 1
Weidman goes high with a blocked head kick first and misses with a spinning attempt. Bongfeldt throws a left high kick of his own and it lands right on Weidman’s jaw, and he chases the “All-American” down with further kicks and punches. They clinch and tumble with Weidman landing in side control on Bongfeldt’s left. Now the wrestler mashes with elbows and punches from top control, looking for a crucifix, but Bongfeldt stuffs him back to guard. Weidman stands and tosses the legs aside, passing to Bongfeldt’s right. North-south position now and Weidman’s corner, Matt Serra, screams for a kimura. Bongfeldt rolls through and puts Weidman in half-guard, where Weidman does look for a kimura. He can’t get it, but he’s all over Bongfeldt, passing to the side and north-south again. Bongfeldt is trying to mount offense from beneath, but Weidman’s grinding elbows on top are doing much more. Weidman steps in with a knee to the solar plexus and grabs a standing guillotine as Bongfeldt tries to shoot. It’s extremely tight and Bongfeldt is forced to tap out with only seconds remaining, the end coming officially at 4:54 of the opening round.
Yves Edwards vs. Sam Stout
Round 1
The lightweights snipe early, Stout using a one-two-leg kick and Edwards mixing lefts, uppercuts and kicks of his own. Nothing much of substance lands in the opening 90 seconds, but the fighters then exchange glancing head kicks and Edwards drives for a takedown. He spins Stout to the mat after a brief struggle and Stout tries to shove Edwards off with a butterfly guard. Stout keeps busy with elbows from underneath and eventually does create space to scramble to his feet. Edwards scores with a straight left and slips on a head kick, but jumps back up. Stout clinches and tries a partially blocked knee outside. They stand in the pocket and Edwards puts a right hand behind Stout’s ear. At the same time, Stout throws a picture perfect left hook which snaps Edwards’ head and sends him crashing to the ground. Edwards is out cold already, but his head bounces off the canvas and his eyes are wide open as Stout walks away. It’s a vicious finish from “Hands of Stone” at 3:52 of the first round, one that will no doubt appear on highlight reels for years to come.
Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha
Round 1
Cerrone gets straight to work with chopping leg kicks, but the second grazes Rocha on the cup. Herb Dean stops the action, but Rocha is quick to recover. Cerrone times a shot from Rocha and lands a knee, continues bouncing and fires off a few more leg kicks. The next kick from Cerrone is caught and Rocha plows him down, but Cerrone’s guard is up instantly. Rocha stands over Cerrone and fires off a few solid shots before Cerrone scrambles up. Rocha tries a single-leg, then an ankle pick, but Cerrone spins away. More leg kicks from Cerrone and Rocha is stepping a little more gingerly at the 2:30 mark. Rocha lands a right and lands a slapping leg kick of his own. Cerrone answers with more rough kicks to Rocha’s lead leg and Rocha shoots from a mile out. Cerrone sprawls on it, lands another half-dozen low kicks and stuffs another takedown. Rocha tries a kick to the body and Cerrone catches it, then sweeps the grappler to the mat. Cerrone snaps back Rocha’s head with a left and keeps chopping away to the horn.
Round 2
Rocha’s legs may be banged up, but he charges forward nonetheless, looking to put hands on Cerrone, who dodges and kicks away. Rocha brings Cerrone down with a low double, but Cerrone’s immediately back up. They clinch against the cage a moment before Cerrone spins out. Rocha puts a few solid right straights on Cerrone, and the “Cowboy” just keeps kicking. Cerrone easily slips another takedown attempt from Rocha, who then slips as he stands and runs toward Cerrone. The lightweights don’t stay on the floor long; Cerrone is soon back to stalking, mixing leg and teep kicks with punches. Rocha’s legs are clearly failing him as he tries to check and slips on a takedown try. Cerrone sprawls all over another takedown in the waning seconds and Rocha is slow to stand up.
Round 3
It’s more of the same from Cerrone, who sprawls on every shot from Rocha and doesn’t stop moving forward with offense. He attacks the rear leg of Rocha now and begins to taunt his opponent with a dance. He catches a kick and sweeps down Rocha, who just stands keeps looking for overhand bombs. Rocha tries another takedown to no avail, and is similarly unsuccessful with an attempt to pull guard. Cerrone is landing hard punches in the final minute, snapping Rocha’s head back. One left hand around the 0:10 mark puts Rocha on his rear end. Rocha sits against the fence and claps as Cerrone walks away at the horn.
Official scores: The judges have it 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for the winner by unanimous decision, Donald Cerrone.
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman
Round 1
Einemo goes low immediately and appears to catch a kick from Herman. After a moment, Einemo goes inside again and clinches “Pee Wee” into the fence, trying to spin him down with underhooks. Herman stays up and lands a hard knee from the Thai plum, countered by a punch from Einemo. Another right straight down the pipe from Einemo has Herman grinning. He’s still smiling and dancing as he dips inside to put combos on Einemo. The ADCC champ responds with single, straight punches, behind which he tries to clinch. Herman feigns injury at a right hand from Einemo, stumbling backward and bouncing off the cage. Leg kicks are landing for Herman, as well as kicks to the body and step-in knees. One kick is caught by Einemo, who wastes no time in dragging Herman down and moving to side control with two minutes to go in the round. Herman tries pushing off the cage with his feet, but Einemo is keeping him down. Herman finds an opening and shoves Einemo off, then stands, where he resumes leg-kicking and circling out. The big men trade hard knees to the body in the clinch. Einemo scores a takedown at the end, but Herman is flipping him over as the horn sounds.
Round 2
Einemo is landing hard lefts in the early going here. The men clinch and Herman gets a good knee off to the body, while Einemo connects to the head. Herman’s in trouble and Einemo gives chase, looking to finish. Einemo slips throwing a right, jumps back up. Herman’s lost his mouthpiece and quickly has it washed out by his corner. Einemo lands another big knee, but now it’s Herman turning the tide with a knee of his own and a left hook. Einemo eats shots on the ground, but regains his footing. Another knee lands for Herman and the follow-up right hand has Einemo in a bad way. Herman pounds away and referee Kevin Dornan calls it at 3:19 of the second round in the evening’s new frontrunner for “Fight of the Night.”
Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz
Round 1
The middleweights come out with tentative exchanges, Munoz looking for a right hand and Maia sticking a left straight. A left hand behind the ear appears to wobble Munoz, but he recovers quickly and Maia does not pounce. Maia wades in with strikes to clinch and lands inside knees as he tries to pry Munoz off the fence. Referee Jerin Valel does it instead, restarting them in the center after some inactivity in the clinch. Maia comes forward with aggression, mixing up combos, left hands and high kicks. Munoz backpedals and lands a nice counter left as Maia comes in to strike. Munoz tries a spinning kick and eats a punch, then waits against the fence for Maia, who’s twitching and faking but doesn’t throw. Munoz comes alive in the last 20 seconds, charging on Maia and connecting on a few lefts.
Round 2
Munoz pounds right hands into the thigh and body of Maia, who’s driving forward on a single-leg. Maia creates space to pull guard and then stand back up. Once on his feet, Maia is instantly on the offensive, backing Munoz up with winging punches. Munoz lands a left of his own and sprawls on another shot from Maia. The wrestler tries for a brabo choke, but the Brazilian slips out. Maia tries again for the shot, only to be shut down and have Munoz land more body blows. Munoz sits in Maia’s guard with two minutes to go in the middle frame. Maia stands up, but Munoz has a leg and drives him back down. Half-guard against the fence for Munoz, but Maia is sitting up and holding tight to negate the space. Munoz is mounting some offense on top, but not enough for referee Valel, who stands them up just in time for the round to end.
Round 3
Munoz gets Maia down after a minute of circling. Maia’s right back up with control of Munoz’s right arm, which he uses to get on top. Munoz’s arm is trapped between Maia’s legs as Maia applies a neck crank. It looks bad for Munoz, but he twists loose and stands back up. The “Wrecking Machine” clinches and gets reversed as the pace slows in the last half of the final round. The crowd boos as Munoz puts Maia on the cage and simply stalls out, and referee Valel restarts them. Maia has a shot sprawled on, makes the best of it with a knee to the body, but then gets spun down by Munoz. They clinch on the fence with a minute to go, Munoz in control, both men looking for a trip. Munoz lands a body kick and Maia returns fire. Munoz sprawls on one last shot and strikes to the body of Maia. The men look for home run shots in the last seconds of what should be a very tight decision.
Official scores: It’s a unanimous verdict with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for Mark Munoz, winner of his third straight Octagon start.
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
Round 1
Florian takes the center while Nunes stalks the outside, both men missing with leg kicks and tight combinations. Nunes lands a low kick outside and Florian ducks under a punch to clinch. He backs Nunes into the cage, drags him down after a struggle, but Nunes gets back up. The Brazilian is warned for grabbing the fence by referee John McCarthy. Double-leg attempt from Nunes yields results, but in the brief time the lightweights are on the ground, Florian digs some elbows into his man’s ribs. They clash looking for one-hitters and clinch up briefly. Nunes takes the leg out from under Florian with an inside low kick. Spinning backfist lands for Nunes, though not flush, and a head kick from the Nova Uniao fighter has Florian stumbling backward. With 45 seconds on the clock, Florian ducks a punch and drives Nunes into the canvas. Nunes rolls free, though, and they go back to trading. A left on the jaw from Nunes puts Florian on his rear at the horn, and the Massachusetts native throws up a triangle attempt.
Round 2
Florian presses in on Nunes, who keeps the larger fighter at bay with whipping high kicks. Just as in the first frame, Florian goes under a punch from Nunes and tries for a takedown. Nunes resists it and is again warned for grabbing the fence. Florian nearly brings Nunes down with a single-leg and Nunes somehow stays upright. Referee McCarthy issues another warning to Nunes for fence-grabbing. Nunes scores the takedown now and Florian tries another triangle from the bottom. Rather than sit in guard, Nunes stands and dives back in with a big punch. Back on the feet, Florian walks Nunes down and ducks low for another powerful takedown. “KenFlo” tries to extract his left leg from Nunes’ half-guard, can’t find the space and is pushed back to full guard.
Round 3
Nunes looks for spinning kicks that don’t land and soon finds himself on his back thanks to another Florian takedown against the fence. There’s not much Nunes can do beneath the bigger, stronger Florian, except eat elbows and try to turn off the cage. Nunes does get free and Florian nearly takes his back, but instead they clinch. They split and Florian wards Nunes off with front kicks and jabs. Nunes charges forward, head down, winging three-punch combos. Florian’s strikes are more precise, though, and he drives a single hard knee into Nunes’ gut from the clinch. Seconds before the horn, Nunes puts Florian on one knee with a clipping right, but there’s no time to pounce.
Official scores: The scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for Kenny Florian, who takes a unanimous decision in his featherweight debut.
Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1
Former interim champ Carwin enters first to Eminem’s “Till I Collapse,” while Dos Santos follows with Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from ‘Rocky’).” The third man in the cage for the heavyweight main event is Herb Dean. Both men paw and feel one another out, their right hands loaded. Carwin shoots in after about 40 seconds and shoves Dos Santos into the cage. The Brazilian hits a knee upon exit and then slides out of the way when Carwin tries to rush him with a right hand. “Cigano” plunks the American with a right hook and steps out, then does the same with a lead jab while dodging a punch from Carwin. Overhand right partially connects for Dos Santos as the opening round heads into its second half. Cigano flicks out a left jab to find the range and Carwin ducks under to trip his man down. Dos Santos is right back up and snaps off a few left jabs to Carwin’s nose. He doubles up the jab now and finishes with a right cross. Carwin is in bad shape and he turtles up as Cigano pounces. Carwin motions to ref Dean that he’s being it in the back of the head, but Dean doesn’t take action. Dos Santos lands 20 or more unanswered shots and Carwin’s face is badly bloodied, a cut under his left eye as he walks to his corner.
Round 2
Carwin bounces in his corner at the start of round two and touches gloves with Dos Santos again as they meet in the center. Cigano misses with a head kick and sticks a hand in Carwin’s face as the American bull-rushes. Dos Santos uncorks his killer uppercut, just missing the mark, and flicks out an inside leg kick. Mean hooks from Cigano dig into the body of Carwin. Leg kicks are the response from Carwin, but he’s eating way more jabs in return from Dos Santos. Nonetheless, Carwin moves straight at his opponent and zaps him with a left hand. Another lands with just less than two minutes to go, but Dos Santos doesn’t look to be in trouble. Cigano lands a flush left high kick and goes back to sticking the jab inside the last 30 seconds, finishing with more strong hooks to the body.
Round 3
Carwin is cut deeply beneath both eyes and looks to be sporting a broken nose as the last round starts. He takes only one jab before shooting a single-leg and dragging Cigano to the base of the fence. Dos Santos stays down only a few seconds before using the fence to work up and slamming a knee into Carwin’s midsection. The Brazilian continually circles right, lands shots and circles again. Left hooks land to the head and ribs of Carwin, then a straight right. The tired Carwin continues moving forward with single shots, all of which are sidestepped by Dos Santos. A jab stumbles Carwin and a left jab-right hook combo has him moving backward again. Left cross, left jab for Dos Santos and referee Dean steps in between the heavyweights with about a minute to go. He calls for the cageside doctor, who asks Carwin if he can see. Carwin responds in the affirmative and is allowed to continue after passing a quick vision test. They restart and Dos Santos ducks a punch to plow Carwin to the floor. He lets Carwin right back up and picks away with leg kicks and left hooks, scoring another takedown just as time expires.
Official scores: The scorecards hold no surprises, reading 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for Junior dos Santos, the winner by unanimous decision and No. 1 contender to Cain Velasquez’s UFC heavyweight title.
