UFC 183 Results: ‘Silva vs. Diaz’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Andy Enz vs. Thiago Santos

Round 1

Enz takes a jab to the chin and a leg kick as he presses forward on the Brazilian, who soon reverses the momentum and comes ahead swinging right hands. Enz backs up to dodge these strikes, but Santos is still finding his mark with the low kicks. Now a switch kick to the body from the southpaw stance scores for Santos, and a couple left hands as he chases after his backpedaling opponent. Enz slows down Santos with a nice straight right, but “Marreta” comes back with a cracking kick to the guts. Santos smells blood and pushes Enz toward the fence, flooring him with a flurry of hooks in close quarters. Santos keeps pounding on his downed opponent, dropping punches until referee Mark Smith stops the fight.

The Official Result

Thiago Santos def. Andy Enz via TKO (Punches) R1 1:56

Ildemar Alcantara vs. Richardson Moreira

Round 1

The Brazilians touch gloves and Moreira begins circling to his right around Alcantara, who takes his spot in the center of the cage. A leg kick lands for Moreira, then Alcantara blocks one directed toward his body. Alcantara sends a high kick off his countryman’s shoulder, then slips on the text attempt and pops back up. Both middleweights look hesitant to engage in the early going, with only a brief clinch in the first two minutes. Suddenly, “Rick Monstro” rushes forward with a long combination, catching his man with a right hand and drawing a grin from Alcantara. Moreira closes the gap and puts Alcantara on the fence with an underhook, but it’s only a few moments before referee Marc Goddard is calling for action. Alcantara blocks a takedown attempt and reverses, tripping Moreira backward to the mat and landing in full mount. Alcantara only manages one elbow strike before Moreira sits up and sweeps, landing on top in Alcantara’s closed guard with one minute on the clock. Moreira drops back to attempt a heel hook in the closing seconds just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Moreira
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Moreira
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Moreira

Round 2

Alcantara creeps forward while Moreira circles the outside as the 185ers start the second round with another tentative 90 seconds. Alcantara touches Moreira with a straight left, a body kick, and backs up to dodge a combination from Moreira. Now it’s “Monstro” pushing forward with big punches, but he can’t find his range as Alcantara dips out to reset in the center. The southpaw Alcantara lands a clean left high kick but Moreira appears unfazed. Alcantara jabs Moreira backward and then backs up himself to slip another wild combo. Moreira gets caught leaning over and takes a left kick to the gut before Alcantara snuffs out a takedown attempt from the “TUF: Brazil” alum. Moreira comes in for a takedown in the final 15 seconds and gets rolled to the ground.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Alcantara
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alcantara
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alcantara

Round 3

Alcantara gets back to jabbing and kicking at Moreira’s body, keeping the shorter man out of range through the first 90 seconds of the final round. Moreira finally finds an opening and grabs hold of Alcantara, shoving him against the fence to attempt a single-leg takedown. Alcantara defends the takedown attempt by grabbing the fence and lands on top of Moreira in full mount again. Referee Goddard doesn’t deduct a point for the infraction but he does restart the fighters on their feet. Moreira lands a wild overhand right in the pocket, causing Alcantara to dash out and reset. Alcantara shuts down another single-leg attempt and jabs Moreira as he backs out. Moreira clips with an overhand right in the final seconds, then another to the temple of Alcantara just before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Alcantara (29-28 Alcantara)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alcantara (29-28 Alcantara)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alcantara (29-28 Alcantara)

The Official Result

Ildemar Alcantara def. Richardson Moreira via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Rafael Natal vs. Tom Watson

Round 1

Natal opens up with jabs and kicks to the inside of Watson’s lead leg. Watson switches between southpaw and orthodox stance, trying to snipe back but coming up short and allowing “Sapo” to land a few more leg kicks. Natal catches a kick and hustles Watson to the ground but can’t hold him there. Watson pops back to his feet and starts pressing forward again, meeting Natal in the center of the cage to give him back a few low kicks. Referee Mark Smith warns both fighters to watch the fingers on their outstretched hands during exchanges. Natal puts a few hard kicks on Watson’s body and the Englishman waves him forward. Watson is sporting some redness on his body and face midway through round one, and now Natal goes back to the legs for a couple more kicks. A short right cross knocks Watson backward against the fence. “Kong” shrugs, but the punch clearly hurt him, and Natal closes the distance to try and do some work in the clinch. The tie-up doesn’t last long, but when Watson presses forward, Natal changes levels and takes him to the floor. Watson stands and gets dumped to the ground again, this time seated at the base of the fence with 40 seconds on the clock. Natal triangles his opponent’s legs but again can’t keep Watson on the floor. One last takedown from Natal finishes the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Natal
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Natal
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Natal

Round 2

Natal tags Watson with a right cross in the center of the cage, blocks a front kick and sticks a jab. More low kicks land to Watson’s lead leg before Natal catches a body kick and dumps Watson back to the ground. Watson struggles back to his feet with just over three minutes left in the round. Natal continues to beat Watson to the punch, though the Brit is managing to score with some low kicks. Natal catches another kick and puts Watson on the canvas for a split second. Watson is bloodied now, his punches mostly being deflected by Natal’s arms, while Natal continues to score with sporadic jabs. Another takedown attempt from Natal is successful, but again he can’t keep Watson on the ground. The middleweights separate with 30 seconds left in the round; 15 seconds later, Natal ducks under a wide right hand from Watson and floors him once again to close out the frame.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Natal
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Natal
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Natal

Round 3

Natal pops Watson with a right hook early in the round before Watson begins pushing forward again. Watson is trying to punch his way into range but keeps pulling up short with his punches as Natal backs away. Natal shoots for a high double-leg and gets stuffed in the center of the cage. Watson picks at Natal with a few low kicks, gets jabbed backward by the Brazilian. Natal comes alive for a moment and lands a pair of right hands over the top before resuming his backpedaling and countering. A good jab counter stumbles Watson with 90 seconds on the clock, then Natal adds a kick to the body. Another jab knocks Watson back toward the fence, so Natal rushes him and goes back to digging for a double-leg on the cage. “Sapo” completes the takedown with 40 seconds to go; Watson stands up and gets slammed down one last time for good measure.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Natal (30-27 Natal)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Natal (30-27 Natal)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Natal (30-27 Natal)

The Official Result

Rafael Natal def. Tom Watson via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

John Lineker vs. Ian McCall

Round 1

The flyweights exchange leg kicks in the opening minute, both men swinging punches but neither connecting with anything clean upstairs. McCall puts a couple kicks on the right side of Lineker’s body as he continues to circle the Brazilian, who’s set up in the center of the cage. McCall changes levels and plows Lineker to the mat with a double-leg just under two minutes into the fight. Lineker locks “Uncle Creepy” in his half guard, triangling McCall’s right leg while the American stays tight and heavy on top. McCall drops right hands on Lineker’s ribs, postures up and puts a few on his face. Lineker opens up his half guard, trying to push off the fence with his feet, but McCall keeps him down and “Hands of Stone” traps the leg again to prevent McCall passing to side control. McCall is staying busy in half guard with short punches to the body and head. Lineker gets an arm under McCall’s left leg and drops back to attempt a heel hook, which McCall sits down on and escapes to finish the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 McCall
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 McCall
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McCall

Round 2

Lineker comes out swinging bombs and clips McCall with a left hook as he backs the Californian toward the fence. McCall circles out, resets in the middle of the cage and shoots for another double-leg. This time, Lineker is waiting with a guillotine choke, and there’s a scary moment for McCall before he peels away the Brazilian’s hands to free his head. McCall escapes the choke but surrenders top position, and Lineker puts a few punches on the face of “Uncle Creepy” before McCall is able to scramble up. Lineker catches McCall stepping into the pocket with a sizzling hook to the body. McCall takes a low kick and claims it landed to the groin, but referee John McCarthy tells the 125ers to fight on. Lineker is stalking now, and he zaps McCall with another body shot. McCall ducks into range and clashes heads with Lineker, who needs a few seconds to recover from the accidental foul. They’re back to action midway through the round, Lineker standing relatively flat-footed in front of the active McCall, looking to counter with more body blows. Lineker scores with another right to the body, tries a standing guillotine but can’t get McCall’s neck. McCall whiffs with a long hook and just gets his head out of the way of a murderous uppercut. Lineker sprawls on a shot and walks forward on McCall with 50 seconds to go. A pair of hard left hooks score for Lineker before he stuffs another takedown attempt and tries the guillotine one more time -- this time from the topside -- to close the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Lineker
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lineker

Round 3

Lineker counters a leg kick with a left hook upstairs. The pace has slowed between the flyweights as the final round begins, and it’s Lineker on the offensive, moving McCall around the perimeter of the cage. McCall scores with a body kick, then a leg kick, but he’s staggered with a left hook to the temple. McCall circles out after absorbing a flurry of punches against the fence. Lineker walks after him, not allowing McCall to come off the fence. McCall is dripping blood from his left eye as he shoots for a takedown which is stuffed. With 30 seconds left, Lineker -- who came in overweight for the fight -- rubs his belly in McCall’s direction. The flyweights tangle one last time, both men scoring with body shots in the clinch before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Lineker (29-28 Lineker)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lineker (29-28 Lineker)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lineker (29-28 Lineker)

The Official Result

John Lineker def. Ian McCall via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman

Round 1

Brunson pushes Herman back with a front kick, then staggers “Short Fuse” with an overhand left and a straight left to the face. Herman stumbles backward toward the fence, then has the legs taken out from under him as Brunson charges forward with another straight left. Brunson doesn’t give Herman a chance to recover, raining down punches on his turtling opponent until referee Mark Smith steps in to halt the bout.

The Official Result

Derek Brunson def. Ed Herman via TKO (Punches) R1 0:36

Miesha Tate vs. Sara McMann

Round 1

McMann opens up with a pair of hard overhand rights, answered by Tate with a low kick and a right hand of her own. McMann counters a low kick with another hard right hand, then another on the temple sends Tate tilting to the ground. McMann pounces, jumping into Tate’s half guard and trying to pound her out with punches. McMann reels in her offense as Tate appears to have recovered from the knockdown quickly. Ninety seconds into the round, McMann leans left to right across Tate’s half guard, scoring with a few short elbow strikes. Tate reclaims full guard while trying to lock down McMann’s arms. McMann keeps dropping short shots and moves back to half guard on Tate’s left side, then gets full side control and tries for a crucifix. McMann can’t trap Tate’s left arm, so she settles for punching from head-and-arm control. Hard elbow shots fall on Tate’s face as the opening round enters its final minute. McMann briefly frames up an arm-triangle choke, then gives it up to slam Tate with more elbows. Tate throws up an inverted triangle from underneath but only manages to trap McMann’s face, and the round ends there.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 McMann
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 McMann
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 McMann

Round 2

McMann goes back to her hard right hands from the opening of round one, but this time Tate is wary of the punches and manages to stay out of range. McMann keeps coming and eventually finds her target with the right, then a left hook before clinching up and hurting Tate with knees and punches in close quarters. Tate lands a push kick to the body of McMann but takes another straight right to the face in return. McMann tries to wade into range but twice gets pushed out by low kicks. A right hand gets the wrestler close enough to grab hold of Tate and work knees in the clinch against the cage. The bantamweights separate with 1:40 on the clock and McMann zaps Tate with another right hand. McMann eats a right hook, ducks under the next one and brings Tate back to the ground with a double-leg. Tate grabs a guillotine choke on her way down and rolls McMann onto her side, but McMann blocks the mount with her legs and resists the one-armed choke. Tate stays on top for the final 30 seconds, kneeing McMann’s body and wrenching the choke to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Tate
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Tate
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McMann

Round 3

Tate tries to clinch up and gets tossed over McMann’s hip, but “Cupcake” stays busy in the scramble and winds up on top of McMann near the fence. Tate shoulder-shrugs McMann’s face, throws a few short right hands as she works from the Olympian’s half guard. Ninety seconds into the round, Tate passes to side control on McMann’s left and drops short elbows to the face. McMann tries to kick her legs up and catch Tate’s head, but she can’t, and the former Strikeforce fighter connects with more elbows on top. McMann pushes off the fence with her feet but only manages to reclaim half guard, still unable to free herself from Tate’s heavy top control. Down to the final minute, Tate passes back to side control and hunts for a kimura just before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Tate (29-28 Tate)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Tate (29-28 Tate)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Tate (29-27 McMann)

The Official Result

Miesha Tate def. Sara McMann via Majority Decision (29-27, 29-28, 28-28) R3 5:00

Thiago Alves vs. Jordan Mein

Round 1

Mein opens with a hard kick to the outside of Alves’ lead leg and then lands an overhand right behind it. Alves gets one back with a jab, but the larger Mein is backing up Alves toward the fence with more low kicks and overhands. Ninety seconds in, it’s Alves pushing forward now, walking into a counter jab from Mein, then a level elbow. Mein counters a low kick with a right hand over the top, then counters a body kick with a left hook which knocks Alves backward against the fence. Alves recovers quickly from the stinging shot and resumes his forward march, but now Mein is mixing up his strikes to the body and head of the Brazilian. Alves charges ahead and catches Mein with a good right hand on the end of a combination, but Mein stings him right back with an uppercut. Mein crowds Alves against the fence, scoring with elbows and uppercuts while avoiding the counters f the “Pitbull.” Mein backs off with 30 seconds left in the round, allowing Alves to walk forward into another flurry of strikes. Alves grabs hold of Mein and leans him against the fence to finish the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Mein
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Mein
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mein

Round 2

Alves presses forward on Mein and backs him against the cage, so Mein does a somersault to reset away from the fence. Alves gets him right back against the fence, waits until Mein is circling to his left and then unloads with a huge kick across the midsection. Mein goes down in a heap at the base of the fence and Alves blasts away with punches until referee Herb Dean can step in and stop the fight.

The Official Result

Thiago Alves def. Jordan Mein via KO (Kick to the Body) R2 0:39

Tim Boetsch vs. Thales Leites

Round 1

Leites lands a leg kick and tries to clinch with Boetsch, who cracks the Brazilian with a pair of right hooks as he exits the tie-up. A few seconds later, Leites catches Boetsch with a finger in the eye, and “The Barbarian” needs a few seconds to recover from the inadvertant foul. When they resume, Boetsch connects with another right hook, but Leites leaps back into range with a jumping knee to hit Boetsch with a right of his own. They clinch near the fence briefly until Boetsch clips with another right and Leites backs out. Referee John McCarthy warns both fighters to watch their fingers in the exchanges. Leites tries to clinch and gets caught with a grazing uppercut from Boetsch as they disengage. Leites swings his way into range but doesn’t appear to land any clean shots. Boetsch rushes sloppy into the pocket and takes a pair of hooks on the cheek. Leites gets into range and gets overhooked by Boetsch, who stuffs the Brazilian’s trip attempt near the fence. Leites lands an overhand right but gets sloppy and leaves his hands down, allowing Boetsch to blitz him with heavy hands. Boetsch forces his stung opponent to the ground at the end of the round and rides out the final few seconds in Leites’ half guard.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Boetsch
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Boetsch
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Boetsch

Round 2

Leites starts round two with leg kicks, closes the distance and gets Boetsch against the fence to score with some punches in the pocket. Boetsch cracks back and walks after Leites to the other side of the cage, landing another right hand before the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace wraps him up. Boetsch breaks away and then initiates a clinch of his own, but Leites gets out of this one with a right hook. More leg kicks score for Leites, then a three-piece combination, but Boetsch comes right back with a left cross and an uppercut which drop Leites to his knees. Leites gets in on a double-leg, closes his hands and drags Boetsch to the ground near the fence midway through the round. Leites moves into full mount, his right arm in position for an arm-triangle choke. Leites hops off to side control on the other side and squeezes to finish the choke. Boetsch bucks and tries to escape, and he succeeds in putting Leites back in his half guard. Leites is back in full mount with 90 seconds on the clock, and now he tries the arm-triangle on the other side. Boetsch looks ready to tap, but before he can, the choke puts him to sleep.

The Official Result

Thales Leites def. Tim Boetsch via Technical Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R2 3:45

Al Iaquinta vs. Joe Lauzon

Round 1

Iaquinta grabs for a single-leg and quickly releases, then repeats the move a second time in the opening 30 seconds. Lauzon tags Iaquinta with a three-piece combination, answered by “Raging Al” with a body shot. Another combo scores for Lauzon, and the right hand on the end of it appears to stun Iaquinta momentarily. Lauzon doesn’t expend much energy going for the finish, perhaps noticing that Iaquinta has quickly recovered from the shot. Iaquinta connects with a right hand around the outside, has a high kick blocked and puts a kick on Lauzon’s ribs. Moving clockwise around the outside with hands by his side, Iaquinta fakes a shot and then comes back up to touch Lauzon with a quick combination. Lauzon takes a leg kick to score with a right hook, then presses forward on Iaquinta and zaps the Serra-Longo product with another right. Iaquinta backs up toward the fence, Lauzon still pressing forward. Lauzon steps in with a knee to the body which is caught by Iaquinta and used to pull “J-Lau” to the ground. Lauzon tries a guillotine on the way down, can’t secure it and gets back up soon after. Iaquinta connects with a hook to the body on the end of a combination and then grazes with a right high kick. Lauzon eats a few more punches and then stuffs a double-leg takedown attempt just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Lauzon
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lauzon
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lauzon

Round 2

Lauzon is pressing forward at the start of round two, finding his mark with more right hands while hunting for an uppercut. Iaquinta has a right high kick blocked, eats a jab and continues circling clockwise around the outside while Lauzon works from the center. A front kick from Iaquinta pushes Lauzon backward, then an uppercut lands for the New Yorker. Iaquinta is getting his jab working now, and he shuts down a low takedown attempt from Lauzon in the center of the cage. Lauzon gets back up and takes a hooking shot to the body, then puts up his guard just in time to block a right hook. A left hook and a straight right down the center put Lauzon on the ground. He gets back up, but Iaquinta is waiting with more punches. Lauzon is staggering all over the cage, getting lit up with combinations as referee Marc Goddard follows the lightweights around the cage, looking on closely. Eventually, Goddard has seen enough, and he steps in to rescue the wobbly Lauzon from any further punishment.

The Official Result

Al Iaquinta def. Joe Lauzon via TKO (Punches) R2 3:34

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Tyron Woodley

Round 1

Gastelum presses forward on Woodley, who lands a lead right hand which causes the “TUF” winner to back away with hands high. Back comes Gastelum, trying to close the gap on Woodley with left hand cocked. Woodley looks ready to counter, but Gastelum isn’t offering up much for him to counter through the first half of the round. Woodley lands a short right hook, backs up to dodge some power punches and then absorbs a leg kick from Gastelum as the welterweights reset. They clash kicks as Gastelum continues to press forward, still with neither man putting out much offense. Boos rain down from the Vegas crowd at the end of a sparse opening round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Woodley
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Woodley
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10

Round 2

Woodley tries to stake the center of the cage this time, aided by Gastelum slipping on a kick while moving forward. Both men swing right hands, neither connect, and the outstretched hand of Woodley catches Gastelum with a finger to the eye. Referee Herb Dean calls time and warns Woodley to keep his hands closed, and the fight resumes after only a few seconds. Gastelum comes forward swinging and clips Woodley with a left hook, then adds a pair of outside leg kicks. Woodley catches Gastelum coming forward with a jab, then a straight right which staggers the unbeaten fighter. Gastelum recovers quickly and comes back swinging an uppercut at Woodley, but he misses and Woodley tags him with another straight right. Woodley goes to the body with a right, chops at Gastelum’s lead leg with a pair of kicks. Gastelum gets one back with a hard low kick, then a left hook as he backs up Woodley toward the fence midway through the round. Gastelum charges straight into another counter right. Not much action in the second half of the round, until the final minute when Gastelum runs into yet another right hand on his way to clinching Woodley against the fence. Woodley reverses the clinch before the horn and appears to catch Gastelum with a knee to the cup just before the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Woodley
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Woodley
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Woodley

Round 3

Gastelum closes the distance straight away and gets a right hook to the body, then one upstairs. Woodley backs away and clips Gastelum again with a right hand up top as the “TUF” winner continues to move forward. The next right hand from Woodley opens up a small cut on the outside corner of Gastelum’s left eye. Gastelum gets busy with his combinations and tags Woodley up against the fence. Gastelum allows him to come off the fence a few steps, then moves back in to catch Woodley changing levels and land a knee to the body. A kick from Woodley strays low, drawing a warning from referee Dean but no pause in action. Gastelum scores with a kick to the body on Woodley’s right side, steps into range and pops him with a left straight before tying up. Woodley doesn’t stay in the clinch long, circling back to the center of the cage and zapping Gastelum with another right hand. Woodley lands an uppercut, slips away and backs out of range of a three-punch combo. Gastelum nearly lands a left hand and draws a smile from Woodley, who motions that Gastelum missed by an inch. With one minute left, Gastelum initiates a clinch on the fence which Woodley reverses instantly. Referee Dean calls for work, and Gastelum obliges by turning Woodley’s back to the fence again. Gastelum throws a couple hammer fists at Woodley’s thigh before they split and spend the final seconds tumbling along the fence.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Gastelum (29-28 Woodley)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gastelum (29-28 Woodley)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gastelum (29-29 Draw)

The Official Result

Tyron Woodley def. Kelvin Gastelum via Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz

Round 1

Veteran official “Big” John McCarthy is the referee for tonight’s middleweight main event. Diaz puts his fists up in the opening minute and starts taunting Silva, slapping the former champion with a leg kick and jawing a bit. Diaz drops his hands to his waist, says a few more words and then lies down on the ground. Back up comes Diaz, now turning around to show Silva his posterior. Referee McCarthy warns both men to fight, and now Silva comes down the center with a pair of straight punches. Diaz puts his guard high and throws a jab, then walks down Silva with his elbow pointing outward. Diaz lands a couple leg kicks, puts an uppercut in Silva’s breadbasket and a right hand on the cheek. Silva backs out of range of a Diaz combo now, and he gives the American a little showboating in return. Diaz chases after Silva, lands a jab but eats a hard counter left. Silva grabs Diaz in the Thai clinch and sends a knee up the center. Silva is starting to find his range now, countering Diaz with hard jabs. Silva puts his left hand around Diaz’s throat, pins his head to the fence and comes across with a right hand. Diaz keeps the leg kicks coming in the final minute, but he comes up short with a right high kick just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 2

Silva keeps Diaz out of range with turning kicks and push kicks, and now the Brazilian puts a few kicks on the inside of Diaz’s lead leg. Diaz’s offensive output has slowed considerably, as has his jawing and clowning, though he continues to show Silva an awkward stance with his right elbow pointed straight out. Diaz gets going after about two minutes, putting four or five solid kicks on the back thigh of Silva’s right leg. Silva sprawls all over a takedown attempt and hops backward when Diaz feints grabbing for the leg twice afterward. Diaz misses with a pair of high kicks as Silva backpedals, and now Diaz bends over to show the ex-champ his rear again. Diaz comes over the top with a hard left hand, answered by Silva with a pair of leg kicks. Diaz gives Silva a jab and then covers up as Silva does the same. Silva goes to the body with a jab, tries to wrap up Diaz’s neck with his left hand and takes a couple right hooks from Diaz in the process toward the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-10
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 3

Silva pushes Diaz backward with a stomping kick to the shin. Diaz walks forward, switching stances and showing a variety of guards but not letting go with any offense. An overhand right from Diaz goes off the forearms of Silva, and now the middleweights square off back in the center of the cage about 90 seconds into the round. Diaz walks forward, swinging and missing with a wide right hook, and then covering up to deflect a peppering combination from Silva. “The Spider” suddenly gets busy near the fence, attacking Diaz with punches, elbows and a leaping knee while again trying to get hold of the former Strikeforce ace’s neck. Diaz’s left eye is busted up and bleeding, though the blood appears to be streaming onto his cheek and not affecting his vision. Diaz sticks a jab and circles around the stationary Silva in the middle of the Octagon. Silva once again attacks the legs of Diaz with kicks to the inside, outside and the knee. Silva misses with a spinning-back kick as he closes in on Diaz near the fence in the last 30 seconds. Diaz connects with a short right hook, the final offense of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 4

The fighters trade body kicks before Silva pushes Diaz backward with a side kick to the gut. Diaz takes the center of the cage now, with Silva circling clockwise around the edge. After a minute of circling, Silva comes back to the center, where Diaz lands a couple outside leg kicks. Diaz beats Silva to the punch in an exchange, coming over the top with a one-two. Now it’s Silva in the center, moving Diaz around the perimeter for a few seconds until they swap positions again halfway through the round. Silva pumps a few jabs, going body-head but only grazing the covering Diaz with the short punches. Referee McCarthy warns Silva to watch his fingers on the outstretched hand, to which Silva nods and offers a bow to Diaz. A slow high kick from Diaz draws some jeers from the pro-Silva crowd, as “The Spider” easily evades the strike.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 5

Diaz gets back to clowning in the opening minute of the final round, showing Silva some funny stances and offering some words to the Brazilian great. Silva moves around the outside, keeping Diaz at range with kicks, but Diaz closes the distance about 90 seconds in and lays a hard right hook on Silva’s cheek. Diaz swings over the top with a left hand, eaten and returned by Silva with a right hook. Diaz puts his dukes up to block a pair of straight shots from Silva before the 185ers exchange leg kicks. Diaz puts a couple more kicks on the backside of Silva’s lead leg, so Silva explodes forward with a flurry of punches that backs Diaz up to the fence. Silva leaps into range with a flying knee which misses, but he finds his mark with the follow-up punches which send Diaz circling out of the pocket. Diaz sticks his elbow out, then gets an elbow to the face which opens a substantial cut beneath his right eye. With 30 seconds left, Silva presses forward, sticking his jab in Diaz’s face. Diaz reverses the momentum, leaping at Silva with a switch kick at the last second. It’s too late, as Silva is already sprinting around the cage, celebrating what should be a decision victory.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva (50-46 Silva)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva (50-45 Silva)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Silva (50-45 Silva)

The Official Result

Anderson Silva def. Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) R5 5:00