UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs Branch Live Results, Recap From Pittsburgh
UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs Branch Live Results, Recap From Pittsburgh
View live results from Pittsburgh, Pa., for UFC Fight Night 116: Luke Rockhold vs. David Branch.
The UFC returned to Pittsburgh Saturday, Sept. 16, bringing an action-packed card live to fans across the globe with UFC Fight Night 116.
In the night's main event, middleweight contenders Luke Rockhold and David Branch throw down in a potential number-one contender's bout.
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Also on the event is fan-favorite Mike Perry, who faces UFC newcomer Alex Reyes on just three days' notice. In earlier action, standout collegiate wrestler and rising UFC welterweight Kamaru Usman faces Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Sergio Moraes, while The Ultimate Fighter finalist Uriah Hall looks to make a statement on the undercard against Krzysztof Jotko.
Lightweights Gilbert Burns and Jason Saggo kicked things off, lighting up the PPG Paints Arena in style. The two went back and forth for nearly two full rounds before the bout ended in a flash.
Burns uncorked a right hand from hell that found its mark, planting Saggo flat on his back without any follow-up shot necessary. Burns walked away with his fifth win in the UFC, improving his overall record to 12-2.
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Two middleweights looking for a win in Hall and Jotko took the stage next.
Jotko immediately pressed the action early, backing Hall up and forcing the fight. A massive serious of punches landed for Jotko midway through the round, dropping Hall and leading to a scramble.
Hall, however, recovered, but Jotko secured back mount and immediately searched for the rear-naked choke. Once again, Hall survived and got back to his feet, stumbled to the cage where Jotko again applied pressure. The round ended with the two trading, Hall seemingly regaining his bearings.
Hall then became the aggressor early in Round 2, throwing kicks to back up his opponent. Hall found his opening midway through the round courtesy of a devastating right hand, dropping the Polish fighter and opening the window for some fight-ending ground-and-pound. Call it finishing touches on that one -- Hall did the deed with the initial blow.
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Two fights in and two knockouts followed as heavyweights Anthony Hamilton and Daniel Spitz took the cage. Spitz dropped Hamilton immediately as his opponent stepped into range, and the bout was over after a few follow-up shots.
Hamilton protested the stoppage, and while he did appear to be recovering, he was clearly stunned by the shot and follow-up barrage. The official time on the fight was just 24 seconds.
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Rising lightweights Tony Martin and Olivier Aubin-Mercier looked to keep the action rolling in the night's final preliminary bout. In Round 1, the two traded evenly on the feet until Aubin-Mercier landed a slick takedown to close the frame. In Round 2, Aubin-Mercier again put Martin on his back, landing an early takedown against the cage.
Despite having the positional advantage, Aubin-Mercier was unable to do any damage from there, and Martin worked his way back to his feet with two minutes left in the round. It was short-lived, however, as Aubin-Mercier again bullied Martin to the canvas and worked from full guard. From there, he rode out the round playing a relatively safe game from the top.
Likely down two rounds, Martin needed a finish to secure victory in Round 3. He locked in a guillotine early in the round as Aubin-Mercier shot for a takedown, but the Canadian escaped. Martin did, however, use the submission as a reversal, earning himself top position, where he slowly worked to Aubin-Mercier's back and searched for the rear-naked choke. Aubin-Mercier was able to survive until the fight's end, and he earned the split-decision nod for his efforts.
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Heavyweights Justin Ledet and Zu Anyanwu kicked off the Fox Sports 1 main card in Pittsburgh. Making his UFC debut, Anyanwu came into the fight off five straight wins, most recently knocking out Greg Rebello on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.
After a lengthy feeling out process, Anyanwu touched Ledet with a right hand. Ledet ate it well, smiled, and began taunting in response. The two scrapped it out on the feet for the remainder of Round 1, with neither man landing much of note.
Round 2 opened with Anyanwu pushing Ledet against the cage and unleashing some punches, but again Ledet's defense was on point and he emerged unscathed from the exchange. Much like the first round, Round 2 played out on the feet from there, with each man failing to mount any significant, sustained offense. Anyanwu was generally the aggressor though, while Ledet looked for counters and employed a more technical approach. The crowd didn't appreciate it, booing the fighters to close the second round.
More of the same for Round 3, booing included. Crowd isn't happy. Ledet was, as he took the judges' decision on two out of three card. So much booing. All the booing.
The UFC welterweight division has a new top-10 fighter, and his name is Kamaru Usman. The Ultimate Fighter winner put his opponent Sergio Moraes on ice in Round 1, scoring a highlight-reel knockout and running his winning streak to 10.
"Listen: Anybody in that welterweight division who thinks they want this -- no you don't. I'm a problem. I'm a problem in that division," Usman said in his post-fight interview.
Tough to disagree there. Time will tell where Usman goes from here, but big things have to be on the horizon for the 170-pound standout.
Undefeated lightweight Gregor Gillespie entered UFC Pittsburgh with considerable hype, and he wasted no time proving why.
Facing 11-3 Jason Gonzalez, Gillespie ate two hard head kicks to open the bout and turned to his wrestling, pushing Gonzalez against the fence before dropping him and working his ground-and-pound. There, he busted Gonzalez up but the two worked back to their feet, where a rock 'em, sock'em affair ensued. The Pittsburgh crowd loved every second, and Gillespie punctuated the exchange with a smooth double-leg takedown.
Gonzalez again showed resolve, getting back to his feet again and dropping Gillespie with a ferocious shot in close. Gillespie fell right into a single leg, though, and again took his opponent to the ground, where he rode out the round.
Round 2 picked up right where the first left off, with Gillespie and Gonzalez going all out in pursuit of the highlight-reel finish. A crazy exchange led to another perfectly timed takedown attempt from Gillespie, who completed his task and went to work on the ground once more. This time, however, he completed his mission, working to mount and securing a tight head-and-arm choke that left Gonzalez no choice but to tap out.
What a fight. What. A. Fight.
Badly needing a win, Lombard flashed his trademark aggression in Round 1, opening up with big, powerful punches and a multitude of leg kicks to chop down his taller, rangier opponent.
Smith, however, ate everything thrown his way and came out for Round 2 looking light and composed. The 29-year-old Texan opened up late in the round, finding a series of elbows off the clinch that put Lombard on his heels. He pressured from there, appearing to stumble Lombard, but the Cuban secured a takedown to close the frame. Still, the success gave Smith plenty of pep, and he shouted, "Hector, you know my name yet?!" repeatedly while heading to his corner.
The fire carried into Round 3, as Smith came out and immediately took the center of the cage and continued talking smack. The tactic paid off, as he clipped Lombard coming in and ended the fight with some ferocious shots that left the referee no choice but to halt the action.
The knockout is now Smith's third in a row, and he improves to 28-12 overall. Lombard falls to 34-8-1. It's his fourth straight loss and third via knockout.
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Taking the fight on three days' notice, many fight fans felt Alex Reyes already won simply by getting his call up to the UFC Octagon to face Mike Perry.
Unfortunately, moral victories mean little in MMA, and Reyes met the harsh reality of stepping up a weight class to face a knockout artist of Perry's caliber without adequate preparation. Reyes forced a clinch in Round 1 which proved to be his demise, and Perry immediately crushed his foe with a knee and ended the night early.
The win is Perry's fourth in five Octagon appearances, all four coming via knockout.
After the fight, Perry both called out Robbie Lawler and announced to the Pittsburgh crowd he'd be attending the Steelers game tomorrow at Heinz Field, making fans out of damn near everyone in attendance.
Full Perry vs. Reyes recap
Top-10 middleweights Luke Rockhold and David Branch capped an exciting night in style.
After some early adversity, Rockhold settled in during Round 2, taking Branch to the mat and working his jiu-jitsu game to immediately secure mount, then back mount, then the finish. Branch could do little to stop Rockhold's ground-and-pound attack, and the New Yorker tapped out due to strikes.
Following the win, Rockhold asked Georges St-Pierre to abandon his scheduled UFC 217 bout vs. Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. Instead, Rockhold said, the fight should be his, and he should get the opportunity to cap off his trilogy with Bisping under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
Full Rockhold vs. Branch recap here
Luke Rockhold def. David Branch via submission (tapout due to strikes), Round 2
Mike Perry def. Alex Reyes via knockout (knee), Round 1
Anthony Smith def. Hector Lombard via TKO (punches), Round 3
Gregor Gillespie def. Jason Gonzalez via submission (arm triangle choke), Round 2
Kamaru Usman def. Sergio Moraes via knockout (punch), Round 1
Justin Ledet def. Zu Anyanwu via split decision
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Martin via split decision
Daniel Spitz def. Anthony Hamilton via TKO (punches), Round 1
Uriah Hall def. Krzysztof Jotko via knockout (punches), Round 2
Gilbert Burns def. Jason Saggo via knockout (punch), Round 2
In the night's main event, middleweight contenders Luke Rockhold and David Branch throw down in a potential number-one contender's bout.
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Also on the event is fan-favorite Mike Perry, who faces UFC newcomer Alex Reyes on just three days' notice. In earlier action, standout collegiate wrestler and rising UFC welterweight Kamaru Usman faces Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Sergio Moraes, while The Ultimate Fighter finalist Uriah Hall looks to make a statement on the undercard against Krzysztof Jotko.
Gilbert Burns vs. Jason Saggo
Lightweights Gilbert Burns and Jason Saggo kicked things off, lighting up the PPG Paints Arena in style. The two went back and forth for nearly two full rounds before the bout ended in a flash.
Burns uncorked a right hand from hell that found its mark, planting Saggo flat on his back without any follow-up shot necessary. Burns walked away with his fifth win in the UFC, improving his overall record to 12-2.
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Uriah Hall vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Two middleweights looking for a win in Hall and Jotko took the stage next.
Jotko immediately pressed the action early, backing Hall up and forcing the fight. A massive serious of punches landed for Jotko midway through the round, dropping Hall and leading to a scramble.
Hall, however, recovered, but Jotko secured back mount and immediately searched for the rear-naked choke. Once again, Hall survived and got back to his feet, stumbled to the cage where Jotko again applied pressure. The round ended with the two trading, Hall seemingly regaining his bearings.
Hall then became the aggressor early in Round 2, throwing kicks to back up his opponent. Hall found his opening midway through the round courtesy of a devastating right hand, dropping the Polish fighter and opening the window for some fight-ending ground-and-pound. Call it finishing touches on that one -- Hall did the deed with the initial blow.
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Anthony Hamilton vs. Daniel Spitz
Two fights in and two knockouts followed as heavyweights Anthony Hamilton and Daniel Spitz took the cage. Spitz dropped Hamilton immediately as his opponent stepped into range, and the bout was over after a few follow-up shots.
Hamilton protested the stoppage, and while he did appear to be recovering, he was clearly stunned by the shot and follow-up barrage. The official time on the fight was just 24 seconds.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/mma_kings/status/909224262191501312" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Tony Martin vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier
Rising lightweights Tony Martin and Olivier Aubin-Mercier looked to keep the action rolling in the night's final preliminary bout. In Round 1, the two traded evenly on the feet until Aubin-Mercier landed a slick takedown to close the frame. In Round 2, Aubin-Mercier again put Martin on his back, landing an early takedown against the cage.
Despite having the positional advantage, Aubin-Mercier was unable to do any damage from there, and Martin worked his way back to his feet with two minutes left in the round. It was short-lived, however, as Aubin-Mercier again bullied Martin to the canvas and worked from full guard. From there, he rode out the round playing a relatively safe game from the top.
Likely down two rounds, Martin needed a finish to secure victory in Round 3. He locked in a guillotine early in the round as Aubin-Mercier shot for a takedown, but the Canadian escaped. Martin did, however, use the submission as a reversal, earning himself top position, where he slowly worked to Aubin-Mercier's back and searched for the rear-naked choke. Aubin-Mercier was able to survive until the fight's end, and he earned the split-decision nod for his efforts.
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Justin Ledet vs. Zu Anyanwu
Heavyweights Justin Ledet and Zu Anyanwu kicked off the Fox Sports 1 main card in Pittsburgh. Making his UFC debut, Anyanwu came into the fight off five straight wins, most recently knocking out Greg Rebello on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.
After a lengthy feeling out process, Anyanwu touched Ledet with a right hand. Ledet ate it well, smiled, and began taunting in response. The two scrapped it out on the feet for the remainder of Round 1, with neither man landing much of note.
Round 2 opened with Anyanwu pushing Ledet against the cage and unleashing some punches, but again Ledet's defense was on point and he emerged unscathed from the exchange. Much like the first round, Round 2 played out on the feet from there, with each man failing to mount any significant, sustained offense. Anyanwu was generally the aggressor though, while Ledet looked for counters and employed a more technical approach. The crowd didn't appreciate it, booing the fighters to close the second round.
More of the same for Round 3, booing included. Crowd isn't happy. Ledet was, as he took the judges' decision on two out of three card. So much booing. All the booing.
Kamaru Usman vs. Sergio Moraes
Just. Like. That.The UFC welterweight division has a new top-10 fighter, and his name is Kamaru Usman. The Ultimate Fighter winner put his opponent Sergio Moraes on ice in Round 1, scoring a highlight-reel knockout and running his winning streak to 10.
"Listen: Anybody in that welterweight division who thinks they want this -- no you don't. I'm a problem. I'm a problem in that division," Usman said in his post-fight interview.
Tough to disagree there. Time will tell where Usman goes from here, but big things have to be on the horizon for the 170-pound standout.
Gregor Gillespie vs. Jason Gonzalez
Undefeated lightweight Gregor Gillespie entered UFC Pittsburgh with considerable hype, and he wasted no time proving why.
Facing 11-3 Jason Gonzalez, Gillespie ate two hard head kicks to open the bout and turned to his wrestling, pushing Gonzalez against the fence before dropping him and working his ground-and-pound. There, he busted Gonzalez up but the two worked back to their feet, where a rock 'em, sock'em affair ensued. The Pittsburgh crowd loved every second, and Gillespie punctuated the exchange with a smooth double-leg takedown.
Gonzalez again showed resolve, getting back to his feet again and dropping Gillespie with a ferocious shot in close. Gillespie fell right into a single leg, though, and again took his opponent to the ground, where he rode out the round.
Round 2 picked up right where the first left off, with Gillespie and Gonzalez going all out in pursuit of the highlight-reel finish. A crazy exchange led to another perfectly timed takedown attempt from Gillespie, who completed his task and went to work on the ground once more. This time, however, he completed his mission, working to mount and securing a tight head-and-arm choke that left Gonzalez no choice but to tap out.
What a fight. What. A. Fight.
Hector Lombard vs. Anthony Smith
Opposite momentum collided, as Smith came into his fight against Lombard off two straight knockout victories, while Lombard lost his last three.Badly needing a win, Lombard flashed his trademark aggression in Round 1, opening up with big, powerful punches and a multitude of leg kicks to chop down his taller, rangier opponent.
Smith, however, ate everything thrown his way and came out for Round 2 looking light and composed. The 29-year-old Texan opened up late in the round, finding a series of elbows off the clinch that put Lombard on his heels. He pressured from there, appearing to stumble Lombard, but the Cuban secured a takedown to close the frame. Still, the success gave Smith plenty of pep, and he shouted, "Hector, you know my name yet?!" repeatedly while heading to his corner.
The fire carried into Round 3, as Smith came out and immediately took the center of the cage and continued talking smack. The tactic paid off, as he clipped Lombard coming in and ended the fight with some ferocious shots that left the referee no choice but to halt the action.
The knockout is now Smith's third in a row, and he improves to 28-12 overall. Lombard falls to 34-8-1. It's his fourth straight loss and third via knockout.
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Mike Perry vs. Alex Reyes
Taking the fight on three days' notice, many fight fans felt Alex Reyes already won simply by getting his call up to the UFC Octagon to face Mike Perry.
Unfortunately, moral victories mean little in MMA, and Reyes met the harsh reality of stepping up a weight class to face a knockout artist of Perry's caliber without adequate preparation. Reyes forced a clinch in Round 1 which proved to be his demise, and Perry immediately crushed his foe with a knee and ended the night early.
The win is Perry's fourth in five Octagon appearances, all four coming via knockout.
After the fight, Perry both called out Robbie Lawler and announced to the Pittsburgh crowd he'd be attending the Steelers game tomorrow at Heinz Field, making fans out of damn near everyone in attendance.
Full Perry vs. Reyes recap
Luke Rockhold vs. David Branch
Top-10 middleweights Luke Rockhold and David Branch capped an exciting night in style.
After some early adversity, Rockhold settled in during Round 2, taking Branch to the mat and working his jiu-jitsu game to immediately secure mount, then back mount, then the finish. Branch could do little to stop Rockhold's ground-and-pound attack, and the New Yorker tapped out due to strikes.
Following the win, Rockhold asked Georges St-Pierre to abandon his scheduled UFC 217 bout vs. Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. Instead, Rockhold said, the fight should be his, and he should get the opportunity to cap off his trilogy with Bisping under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
Full Rockhold vs. Branch recap here
Following are live results from the event:
Luke Rockhold def. David Branch via submission (tapout due to strikes), Round 2
Mike Perry def. Alex Reyes via knockout (knee), Round 1
Anthony Smith def. Hector Lombard via TKO (punches), Round 3
Gregor Gillespie def. Jason Gonzalez via submission (arm triangle choke), Round 2
Kamaru Usman def. Sergio Moraes via knockout (punch), Round 1
Justin Ledet def. Zu Anyanwu via split decision
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Martin via split decision
Daniel Spitz def. Anthony Hamilton via TKO (punches), Round 1
Uriah Hall def. Krzysztof Jotko via knockout (punches), Round 2
Gilbert Burns def. Jason Saggo via knockout (punch), Round 2