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Before the first-ever main event between two Olympic medalists in the women's Bantamweight division for the coveted title takes shape, UFC 170: "Rousey vs. McMann" had better "Prelims" than the last few cards.
However, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) couldn't kick the decision bug even if the mixed martial arts (MMA) action was surely far more entertaining than what we have been treated to lately.
In the UFC 170 "Prelims" main attraction on FOX Sports 1, Jessica Eye's recent run went up in smoke, as Alexis Davis was victorious by split decision.
Eye and Davis were looking to steal the show early, as they clinched up often and dropped bombs on each other. Eye was better with her boxing, catching Davis with strong jabs and right hands. Davis was working Eye's legs with kicks, and the first round became a Muay Thai battle fast. Davis landed a takedown late to gain the upper advantage.
In the second round, Eye's movement was looking great, however Davis had the advantage in the takedown department. She controlled Eye for the majority of the round, and it was obvious who the better ground fighter was. Davis didn't catch Eye with anything threatening, but she was smothering her.
The third round was a little slower, with Eye pressing as Davis responded to every blow with a smile. Eye kept her distance, avoiding the wrestling match and looking much better -- stuffing a takedown and throwing the right hand mercilessly. Eye was going for it, and that third round got her the nod on one scorecard.
It may be too premature to make it official, but Raphael Assuncao may have booked his place in a title fight against Renan Barao with a win over Pedro Munhoz ... even though he'd probably get dominated easily.
Both Bantamweights were content with staying on their feet and traded punches, with Assuncao showing off crisp boxing. Munhoz kept standing, absorbing his counterpart's leg kicks and looked confused by the end of the first round largely due to the fact that Assuncao stayed busy switching his stances.
Munhoz looked much better in the second round, however he couldn't shake off Assuncao when it came to the ground. Assuncao was strong in top position, dishing out the punches to Munhoz in his guard. Munhoz caught Assuncao a couple of times with a couple of right hands, although Assuncao made it difficult for him to look good once the action went to the mat.
Assuncao secured his sixth straight victory by dominating Munhoz in the third round, throwing heavy leather and outclassing his opponent with combinations and a good jab. Both Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts opted to keep it standing in the third, and it was all Assuncao while Munhoz couldn't adjust accordingly in his debut.
Two short-notice UFC debutants engaged in one hell of a dogfight, as Aljamain Sterling edged Cody Gibson on the judges' scorecards.
Touted as the "Bantamweight Jon Jones," the Serra-Longo fight camp product looked phenomenal in the opening round, clocking Gibson with head kicks galore. Unfortunately for him, if he wants to live up to that moniker, he needs to work on takedown defense.
True to their pedigrees, the pair engaged in a grappling war in the second round, with Gibson getting the better of Sterling with takedowns, followed by relentless pressure. Sterling was the more active fighter in the clinch, landing far more shots between the two.
Sterling returned the favor by sending Gibson down to the mat, and looked for submissions. Sterling tried his luck at a D'Arce choke, but Gibson's toughness prevailed. "The Renegade" tried to capitalize after a good punch with a guillotine, but he ended up on his back with Sterling content to ride it out by transitioning from top position to rear-naked choke attempts.
Former Bellator Bantamweight champ Zach Makovsky continued his impressive rise in the promotion, out-muscling Josh Sampo for a unanimous decision.
The first bout on FOX Sports 1 started off scrappy, with Makovsky and Sampo providing an energetic and fast-paced first round to kick off the televised portion of the "Prelims."
Sampo surprised Makovsky by keeping up with him on the feet, and when Makovsky tried to have his way with him on the ground, Sampo was dangerous with submission attempts.
Makovsky was sublime on the feet in the second round, throwing all sorts of fancy kicks and took Sampo down at will. Sampo was doing well, too, but Makovsky was just on another level inside the cage.
Sampo seemed to have woken up in the third round, tossing Makovsky on his behind and drubbed him on the mat until a standup from the referee spoiled the turn of events. Makovsky utilized his jab well for the remainder of the round, and took down his foe one more time for good measure.
The second contest of the night featured Erik Koch, who looks like a completely new fighter at Lightweight. "New Breed" demolished Rafaello Oliveira with strikes on the mat, and he didn't even need half of one round to do so.
Koch had to be careful with Oliveira's kicks, but it didn't stop Koch from dropping him with a straight left hand. Koch then used his ground and pound to dismantle the Brazilian in the first round, looking like a tiny Brock Lesnar with those fists.
The action kicked off on "Fight Pass" with a Lightweight bout, and it was Ernest Chavez who received the split decision from the judges over Yosdenis Cedeno.
It was evident that Cedeno belonged on the grandest stage of them all, compared to Chavez. The latter looked less than threatening for the most part, apart from his counter striking that clipped Cedeno a few times.
As good as Cedeno was on the feet, attempting his fair share of spinning strikes, he sucked on the floor. He mistimed a kick and Chavez put him on the mat fast and almost submitted him.
Cedeno kept on missing wheel kicks and Chavez kept on bringing him down -- dominating him on the ground. Chavez didn't look menacing on the mat, but his opponent had a horrendous ground game and he took advantage of that. Chavez got the better of Cedeno in the clinch in the third round to cement his first victory in UFC.
Here are the full quick results for UFC 170 "Prelims:"
135 lbs.: Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye -- Davis wins by split decision(28-29, 29-28x2)
135 lbs.: Raphael Assuncao vs. Pedro Munhoz -- Assuncao wins by unanimous decision (30-27x3)
135 lbs.: Aljamaine Sterling vs. Cody Gibson -- Sterling wins by unanimous decision (29-28x3)
135 lbs.: Zach Makovsky vs. Josh Sampo -- Makovsky wins by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27x2)
155 lbs.: Erik Koch vs. Rafaello Oliveira -- Koch wins by TKO (Punches) at 1:24 of round one.
170 lbs.: Ernest Chavez vs. Yosdenis Cedeno -- Chavez wins by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
That's a wrap for the "Prelims." Now, time to sit back, and enjoy the sub-par main card!
Follow all the main card action with our UFC 170 blow-by-blow coverage right here.