The main card of tonight's (Sat., Jan. 25, 2014) UFC on Fox 10: "Henderson vs. Thomson" event at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, kicked off with a featherweight showcase pitting the hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens against veteran scrapper Darren Elkins.
There was at least a thought, or perhaps a hope, that this bout would deliver enough excitement to carry the main card. It did not.
Stephens was head-hunting early, firing off wild punches with the fire of one thousand suns. He was missing, though, and Elkins was picking his spots and looking for an opening. Neither were having much success.
"Lil Heathen" managed some measure of offense with low leg kicks late in the second round but the action was largely dull and uneventful. Again, neither fighter was able to impose his will.
Heading into the final frame, it was mostly a stalemate, though Stephens likely had the edge.
Elkins tried a few takedowns to no avail and Stephens loaded up continuous kicks to the body. Had there been one big connection, this fight may have seen a spectacular finish but it never came. Elkins did his best to finish with a choke in the closing seconds but he just couldn't get it done.
Instead, Stephens earned a plodding decision win on scores of 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.
Yawn.
For complete UFC on Fox 10 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.