UFC Fight Night 72 Results: ‘Bisping vs. Leites’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Daniel Omielanczuk vs. Chris de la Rocha

Round 1

Omielanczuk stings de la Rocha with a pair of jabs, then a hard kick to the body. The American gets out of the pocket to recover and tries to estabish a jab of his own, but Omielanczuk zaps him with another jab and pressures him toward the fence. A lunging right hook from Omielanczuk puts de la Rocha on the ground, and a few follow-up punches from the Polish fighter send referee Grant Waterman into action.

The Official Result

Daniel Omielanczuk def. Chris de la Rocha via TKO (Punches) R1 0:48

Jimmie Rivera vs. Marcus Brimage

Round 1

Rivera goes upstairs with a right high kick, blocked by Brimage who comes back with a right hand in the pocket. A leg kick from Rivera knocks Brimage to his seat, but the southpaw bounces back up right away. Rivera ducks under a punch from Brimage and tries to clinch, gets pushed away and eats a counter over the top as he throws a leg kick. The New Yorker cracks Brimage with a powerful right hook on the jaw, then follows with another when Brimage tilts forward on wobbly legs. Rivera chases the wounded man to the fence, lands another right hand, then a left on the temple and one final right to put Brimage down. Referee Neil Hall rushes in to stop the fight just as Brimage wakes up and tries to continue fighting.

The Official Result

Jimmie Rivera def. Marcus Brimage via KO (Punches) R1 1:29

Robert Whiteford vs. Paul Redmond

Round 1

Redmond takes the center of the cage and backs up the southpaw Whiteford, who hits the Irishman with a right hook, then a body-head combination. Redmond grazes with a right high kick but takes another right hand in exchange and slips to the ground as Whiteford catches the kick on his shoulder. Referee Marc Goddard pauses the action to warn both fighters to keep their hands closed when striking. An uppercut to the body lands for Redmond, but he stays in the pocket and eats another counter right. Backing Whiteford toward the fence again, Redmond hits the Scot with a right hook on the top of the head. The featherweights continue to circle the cage midway through the round, Redmond in the center and Whiteford cutting angles on the outside. Whiteford fakes a level change, steps out to the center and drubs Redmond with a hard left hook on the temple. Redmond drops to his back, Whiteford pounces straight down to side control and knocks “Redser” unconscious with a flurry of hammer fists. Goddard dives in to rescue the dazed Redmond, and the Glasgow crowd goes wild for the local favorite.

The Official Result

Robert Whiteford def. Paul Redmond via KO (Punches) R1 3:04

Mickael Lebout vs. Teemu Packalen

Round 1

Packalen gets in deep on a quick double attempt, but Lebout stuffs it and stands him up in the clinch, pressing his foe into the fence. Lebout pummels and looks for a takedown of his own, but Packalen reverses and falls on top, landing in half guard. The Finn uses elbows to open a pass to side mount, then moves directly into full mount with little incident. Packalen pounds for a moment, but Lebout replaces half guard. Lebout rolls into a single-leg attempt and catches a lazy Packalen, sweeping to the top. Packalen gets to his knees but can't roll away from Lebout, who stands up, forces the Finn into Ali-Inoki position, then dives right back on him. Packalen creates some space and tries to shrimp away, but Lebout pinches his legs, holds him down and keeps punching. Lebout nearly grabs a back crucifix, but Packalen rolls to top position and takes full mount again with 30 seconds left in the round. Packalen drops massive forearm shivers into Lebout's face, but gets too animated with his pounding, allowing the Frenchman to regain half guard until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Packalen
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Packalen
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Packalen

Round 2

Packalen, who accepted this fight on nine days' notice, looks winded to start the second. He shoots a double-leg takedown, Lebout easily sprawls again and forces him to his back. The Finn takes a breather from the butt scoot and we're back to Ali-Inoki position, as Lebout throws the odd lunging strike in between kicking Packalen's legs. After 90 seconds of such, referee Leon Roberts stands the pair back up. Lebout lands a low kick and Packalen whiffs on a massive overhand right, but he lands a spinning back kick to the body moments later. “Ragnar” raises his guard, but eats a knee, then a right hook to the body from the Frenchman. Packalen is arm-weary, but he jams a counter right down the pipe, cracking a chasing Lebout on the chin. Packalen is backing himself back up to the cage as Lebout attacks now. The Finn dives into a takedown again, but Lebout sprawls once more. While Lebout is pancaking his opponent, he drops a knee aiming at Packalen's shoulder, but grazes the back of his head, so referee Leon Roberts calls for time. It's an accidental foul and Roberts calls for the doctor, but Packalen is good to go. On the restart, both men land hard right hands, but Packalen explodes with a hard overhand right, then tackles Lebout to the mat. Even though Packalen gets the takedown, he rolls back for a leglock and sacrifices top position. Packalen figure fours his legs around Lebout's, then rolls forward, right back into top position, passing to side control, then full mount again with 30 seconds left in the round. Lebout recovers half guard then pushes Packalen away to regain his feet at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Packalen
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Packalen
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Packalen

Round 3

Packalen slugs Lebout with an uppercut and rushes the Frenchman against the fence in the opening 30 seconds of the final frame. Lebout tries to reverse and work a trip takedown of his own, but it’s countered by a standing kimura attempt from Packalen, who falls to the ground as Lebout separates and breaks off. Lebout gives him a few leg kicks before referee Roberts orders Packalen back to his feet. Both men land jabs, Lebout’s looking to have a little more behind it. Lebout sprawls on a long double-leg shot and elbows Packalen on the back of the head, drawing a verbal warning from the ref. The sequence repeats as Lebout stands, lands a couple kicks to the prone Packalen’s leg, then Packalen is stood up. Straight punches from Lebout back up Packalen to the fence, and the Finn tries another telegraphed takedown. Packalen stands and swings wild punches which Lebout easily dodges. With 1:45 on the clock, Packalen shoots and hits a takedown near the fence, landing in Lebout’s half guard. Lebout sweeps to top position 30 seconds later and pushes Packalen against the cage, landing a few shots before leaving him on the mat again. Lebout sprawls on one last shot from Packalen and elbows him in the side of the head to end the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lebout (29-28 Packalen)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lebout (29-28 Packalen)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lebout (29-28 Packalen)

The Official Result

Mickael Lebout def. Teemu Packalen via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Ilir Latifi vs. Hans Stringer

Round 1

Latifi sticks to the outside in the opening minute, occasionally moving into range to hit Stringer with a right hand or a leg kick. Stringer stalks forward, backing Latifi toward the fence but pulling up short with his punches. Latifi reaches down to catch a leg kick and misses it, but his counter left hook lands clean and sends Stringer falling to the ground on his back. Latifi dives to the ground with another vicious right hand that knocks Stringer into another dimension, and referee Grant Waterman rushes in to rescue the Dutchman.

The Official Result

Ilir Latifi def. Hans Stringer via KO (Punches) R1 0:56

Patrick Holohan vs. Vaughan Lee

Round 1

Holohan uses long body kicks to move Lee backward to the fence, but once the flyweights hit the cage, it’s Lee taking the rangy Irishman to the ground. Holohan throws up an armbar which Lee easily slips out of, then a triangle which looks good but is blocked by Lee getting his far arm inside. Caught in the triangle but not being choked, Lee turns his head away from Holohan to avoid being elbowed in the back of the head. Holohan repositions himself and throws peppering punches with both hands to the sides of Lee’s head. With 1:45 left in the round, Holohan opens his legs to readjust the triangle and hooks the back leg of Lee, trying to pull the Englishman head-down on the mat to create more pressure on the choke or possibly sweep to mount. When Holohan tries to turn it into a triangle armbar, Lee begins throwing punches and dings Holohan with some surprisingly hard right hands. Holohan nearly rolls into mount, but he’s too high and Lee slips out the back. In one swift move, Lee takes the back of Holohan and drops back to the canvas, where he spends the final 10 seconds threatening “The Hooligan” with a rear-naked choke.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Holohan
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Holohan
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holohan

Round 2

Holohan takes a kick to the lead leg, then launches himself at Lee with a knee, misses and turns it into a takedown attempt. Lee pulls down on the head of Holohan and pops him with a knee before dragging the Irishman to the ground. Lee comes down in half guard, socks Holohan with a couple right hands and steps over to full mount. Holohan’s long legs allow him to hook one of Lee’s arms and pull him out of mount, then the SBG Ireland product rolls for a heel hook. Lee defends the submission attempt but winds up underneath Holohan with three minutes remaining in the round. Holohan works from Lee’s half guard, leaning right to left across the Brit’s body to pin down the far arm. Yanking the arm free, Lee regains full guard with two minutes on the clock, but Holohan stacks him up to land a couple right hands. Lee spins to put his feet on the fence, leaving Holohan in north-south position, framing up a kimura with 45 seconds to go. Lee clasps his hands, but Holohan transitions to an armbar. The round ends with Lee stacking up Holohan, escaping the armbar just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Holohan
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Holohan
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holohan

Round 3

Seconds into the round, Holohan throws a front kick that catches Lee’s cup on the way up, and referee Neil Hall pauses the action to give the English fighter time to recover. Lee takes a few minutes, then is rudely welcomed back to the fight with a hard combination from Holohan. The taller man is maintaining the center of the cage, keeping Lee on the outside, where he can’t do much of anything. Lee begins to connect with some left-handed counters when Holohan steps into range, but they don’t seem to be registering with the Irishman. Two minutes left, and the fighters have settled into a pattern with Lee stepping forward, Holohan landing push kicks to the body and Lee offering no response. Holohan tries to mix it up with a spinning back fist, a hook kick, but they’re dodged and blocked. Lee comes straight down the middle with a solid shot at the 30-second mark, but there’s no follow-up. Holohan closes out the fight with a takedown and a few elbows on the ground.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Holohan (30-27 Holohan)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Holohan (30-27 Holohan)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holohan (30-27 Holohan)

The Official Result

Patrick Holohan def. Vaughan Lee via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Leonardo Mafra Texeira vs. Steven Ray

Round 1

Ray slips throwing a left high kick as the lightweights square off in the center, but he’s back on his feet before Mafra can capitalize on the mistake. The Brazilian sticks a jab down the center and picks at southpaw Ray’s lead leg with a few short kicks. Ray is throwing hard punches and spinning kicks but has yet to catch Mafra with anything clean. Mafra comes into the pocket throwing leg kicks but leaves his hands down and gets clipped with a right hook. Mafra is wobbling near the fence while Ray attacks with more punches, hurting “Macarrao” with hooks. A blistering left on the temple takes the legs out from under Mafra, and he collapses to his knees at the base of the fence. Ray moves in to bash his downed opponent with more punches, but referee Marc Goddard has seen enough. The Scottish fans go wild as Ray is peeled off the dazed Brazilian.

The Official Result

Steven Ray def. Leonardo Mafra Texeira via TKO (Punches) R1 2:30

Leon Edwards vs. Pawel Pawlak

Round 1

Edwards takes the center of the cage and launches a whipping left high kick at Pawlak, who takes it on the forearm and then gets one to the body. Pawlak continues to back away from Edwards, but “Rocky” closes in and tags him with a left hand before pushing the Polish fighter against the fence. In the clinch, Pawlak finds success with knees to the body but can’t break free from Edwards’ grip. Edwards releases halfway through the round and cracks Pawlak with a left hand on the way out. The Englishman rushes into the pocket with wild punches, missing with the strikes but defending a level change from Pawlak. The welterweights go back to the clinch on the fence, drawing a call for action from referee Leon Roberts. Pawlak defends a double-leg takedown attempt and ties up Edwards to get a restart from the referee inside the final minute. Edwards catches Pawlak with another straight left near the fence and follows up with a front kick to the gut.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Edwards
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Edwards

Round 2

Pawlak clips Edwards with a lead uppercut in the opening exchange but then retreats and has to block a big left high kick. Edwards continues to walk Pawlak toward the fence, pushing him to the outside with feints, single punches and front kicks to the body. Edwards is starting to time Pawlak’s overhand rights with nice counter left hands, and now a spinning kick sends “Plastinho” back a few steps. Pawlak moves out to the center with a wild combination, then another, but Edwards dodges all the shots. Back comes Edwards to clinch on the fence again, now halfway through the round and the fight. Edwards has double underhooks, trapping Pawlak on the cage, but there’s not enough action in the clinch for referee Roberts and the 170-pounders are split up. Pawlak shoots for a waistlock takedown but Edwards bounces off the fence an uses the momentum to force Pawlak to the ground. Edwards lands in Pawlak’s half guard and delivers a few stiff elbows to the face. Pawlak puts him back in butterfly guard to ride out the final 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Edwards
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Edwards

Round 3

Edwards ducks underneath some big overhand rights before catching Pawlak with an inadvertant shot to the cup on a clash of kicks. Pawlak recovers in a few seconds, but soon after action resumes, Edwards sends him crashing to the canvas with a massive left high kick. “Rocky” tries to pound out Pawlak, but the Pole quickly regains his wits and wraps him up in guard to prevent any further ground-and-pound. Edwards throws a few punches from half guard, then opts to stand and wants Pawlak to do the same. Pawlak steps into the pocket and just avoids a leaping knee. Inside the final two minutes now, Pawlak backs up Edwards to the fence with a body kick, but Edwards clinches and immediately reverses to put Pawlak’s back on the chain-link. Edwards breaks away with a hard elbow to the face, and the welterweights are back to trading with 70 seconds on the clock. Another body kick from Pawlak puts Edwards on the cage, but again the Englishman turns him around. Referee Roberts calls for action, but Edwards seems content to ride out the final 30 seconds in the clinch, likely headed to a decision win.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Edwards (30-27 Edwards)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Edwards (30-27 Edwards)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Edwards (30-27 Edwards)

The Official Result

Leon Edwards def. Pawel Pawlak via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Joanne Calderwood vs. Cortney Casey

Round 1

Calderwood presses Casey toward the fence with a few short leg kicks inside, but the American reverses the momentum in a hurry with a burst of heavy punches. Rights and lefts slam the face of Calderwood, who clinches up and shoves Casey against the cage to slow the assault. Calderwood lands a few body shots, grabs for a single-leg and then winds up in top position as Casey tries a flying armbar. Casey closes her guard and tries to control the wrists of Calderwood, then pivots her hips to look for a triangle or armbar. Calderwood shucks the legs and flips Casey over, winding up back in guard midway through the opening round. When Calderwood stands up to improve position, Casey attacks her left leg and drops back for a heel hook. Calderwood sits down and dings Casey with a few punches to the face, then gets to work freeing her trapped leg. Now, Casey has the Scot’s right leg triangled and tries to sit up, but Calderwood shoves her down to her back, neutralizing the submission threat. Calderwood tries to swim through Casey’s guard with ground-and-pound but doesn’t manage much clean offense as Casey uses her knees to hold “JoJo” at bay.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Calderwood
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Casey
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Casey

Round 2

Calderwood clinches with Casey on the fence and stings her with a few hard knees to the gut, followed by an elbow upstairs. Casey separates and backs up, but Calderwood gives chase and finds Casey’s chin with a lead uppercut. They clinch again and Casey leans over to put a hand on the canvas and avoid knees to the head, so Calderwood opts for a takedown. After a few seconds, Calderwood stands and wants Casey to do the same. Casey is looking tired now, backing up to the fence and eating straight punches from the Scot. Thai clinch from Calderwood yields no strikes, but she’s able to throw Casey to the ground from the position and begins dropping elbows through the American’s butterfly guard. Calderwood allows Casey to stand again with 50 seconds on the clock and then spins into range with a kick to the body. It’s another clinch on the fence, but this one ends with a cracking right hook from Casey. A straight right from Calderwood snaps back the head of Casey just before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Calderwood
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Calderwood
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Calderwood

Round 3

The strawweights engage in a brief clinch on the fence before separating and swinging heavy punches at one another. Casey backs up to the cage and gets a spinning elbow to the face, but she comes right back with a left hand. Calderwood is looking for a homerun shot with overhand rights and sweeping lefts, but it’s a spinning back kick to the liver that finally sends Casey slumping to the mat. Calderwood tries to pound out her injured opponent while referee Grant Waterman looks on from a foot away, but Casey uses butterfly guard and wrist control to slow the Scottish fighter’s offense. Calderwood backs out and asks Casey to stand with 3:20 left in the fight. Both women look exhausted, but it’s Calderwood landing the harder strikes as she keeps Casey’s back to the fence. Casey tries a rolling kneebar, easily defended by Calderwood, who passes to side control for a few seconds before standing again. Casey wants to stay on the fence, but Calderwood draws her out to the center of the cage. A clinch trip puts Casey on her back, and Calderwood refuses to follow her to the ground. They fight toward the fence, where Casey jumps guard and is placed on her back to absorb more elbows to the face. Casey keeps grabbing for leglocks to the final horn, but Calderwood gets the last word with a final flurry of punches.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Calderwood (30-27 Calderwood)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Calderwood (29-28 Calderwood)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Calderwood (29-28 Calderwood)

The Official Result

Joanne Calderwood def. Cortney Casey via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Joseph Duffy vs. Ivan Jorge

Round 1

The first right hand from Jorge seems to knock Duffy off balance, but the Irishman immediately regains his footing and comes back to drill “Batman” with a straight right. An inside leg kick appears to graze the cup of Jorge, but referee Neil Hall tells the lightweights to fight on. Jorge pushes Duffy against the fence with an underhook but can’t hold him there as “Irish Joe” slips out the side. A step-in knee lands square on Jorge’s jaw, and Duffy follows with a pair of punches. Jorge eats the shots and changes levels to try a takedown against the fence, but he’s stood up by Duffy and kneed in the clinch before they split. Jorge puts a two-piece combination on Duffy’s chin, backs up to avoid the Irishman’s counter and goes for a body-lock takedown. He succeeds in pulling Duffy to the ground, but Jorge falls right into a triangle. Duffy secures and tightens the choke, forcing Jorge to submit.

The Official Result

Joseph Duffy def. Ivan Jorge via Submission (Triangle Choke) R1 3:05

Ross Pearson vs. Evan Dunham

Round 1

Pearson blocks a left high kick from rangy southpaw Dunham, who circles to his left around the outside while the Englishman follows from the center. A lunging right straight snaps back the head of Dunham, and a few seconds later the American is shooting for a takedown. He plants Pearson at the base of the cage, then keeps hold of “The Real Deal” by the waist as he posts and stands. Dunham throws a few knees before slamming Pearson back to the ground and securing back-mount with a body triangle. Pearson fends off the rear-naked choke but also has to contend with Dunham throwing sharp elbows from the rear. Dunham switches from body triangle to hooks with two minutes remaining in the round, then back to the body triangle when Pearson threatens to escape. Peason continues to defend the RNC and tries to slide out of Dunham’s control, but Dunham catches him on the way out with a deep armbar. Pearson somehow withstands the painful-looking submission attempt and completes his escape, then jumps back to his feet. Pearson ends the round connecting with a right hand as he rushes toward Dunham on the fence.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham

Round 2

Dunham ducks under a wide left hook and floors Pearson with a quick takedown near the center of the cage. The American swings through Pearson’s guard with punches, then postures up to add a few elbows, but Pearson extends his legs to create some space and lands a few punches of his own. Pearson rolls to his knees at the base of the fence, where Dunham stands to throw knees at his opponent’s legs. Dunham tries to take the back again while Pearson pops him with over-the-shoulder punches. When the cage blocks his progress, Dunham rips Pearson away from the fence and then succeeds in reclaiming back-mount. Pearson tries to turn over but is held in place by a body triangle; he fights off the RNC while throwing punches over his shoulder. Dunham switches to hooks and then pivots to try an armbar on the left limb of the Englishman, but Pearson stacks him up and survives to hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham

Round 3

Dunham is on his back foot early in round three, and he catches the incoming Pearson with a left kick to the body. Pearson stuffs a shot from the American, then another, but he pulls up short as he swings with a right hand near the fence. Dunham gets in on a single-leg and pushes Pearson to the fence, where he cracks the Brit with a sneaky elbow up top. Dunham drops to his knees but has to bail out when Pearson grabs for a guillotine choke. They’re not separated for long, as Dunham pushes Pearson back up against the cage with an underhook. Dunham goes to his knees again, working a double-leg this time, but Pearson keeps a wide base against the fence. Dunham is tenacious on the takedown attempt, and Pearson doesn’t seem to have the energy left to escape as the final minute ticks down. With 20 seconds left, Dunham loses his grip and Pearson hits him with a level elbow, but Dunham goes right back for the double and completes one more takedown at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dunham (30-27 Dunham)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Dunham (30-27 Dunham)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dunham (30-27 Dunham)

The Official Result

Evan Dunham def. Ross Pearson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Michael Bisping vs. Thales Leites

Round 1

English referee Leon Roberts is the third man in the cage for tonight’s middleweight main event, with judges Mark Collett, Howard Hughes and Paul Sutherland scoring at cageside. Bisping hops around the outside, moving to his right, away from his fellow righty’s power hand. The first inside leg kick from Leites lands square on the cup of “The Count,” and referee Roberts pauses the action to allow Bisping to recover. Bisping only takes a few seconds, then resumes slipping in and out of range on the Brazilian. Ducking underneath a wide hook, Bisping comes back up to zap Leites with a counter right hand before dipping out of the pocket again. A stiff jab catches Leites stepping inside, making him whiff on a big right hand. The middleweights exchange leg kicks, then Leites catches Bisping with a looping right hand near the cage. Bisping circles out, throws a right high kick that catches Leites on the forearm. Leites puts a few more low kicks on the lead leg of Bisping, answered by a pair of inside low kicks from the Brit. Bisping times the next leg kick and counters with a short right hook before cutting an angle to his left. Leites tries a body-lock takedown in the center of the cage but eats a right hand on the way in and gets tossed to the mat. Bisping tries to step over to full mount with Leites’ arms wrapped around his waist, and the move proves ill-advised as Leites uses the body lock to reverse Bisping and take his back. Bisping tries to stand and grabs the cage on the way, drawing a warning from referee Roberts at the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping

Round 2

Bisping lands a leg kick, dodges a pair of punches from Leites and grins at the Brazilian. A jab from Bisping connects before a flailing right hand from Leites wraps around the back of his head. Leites is controlling the center of the cage while Bisping moves around the outside. “The Count” slips a combination from Leites, sends a pair of kicks off his arms and gets a shake of the head from the Brazilian. Leites counters an inside leg kick with a right straight, then gives Bisping a few good leg kicks of his own. Bisping trips to the ground after the last kick, perhaps having rolled his ankle, but he scrambles up and seems to be moving fine. Bisping goes to the body with a nice switch kick, gets grazed by an uppercut and stumbles again as he escapes near the fence. The middleweights come back to the center with two minutes left in the round, and now Bisping finds the mark with two straight right hands. Leites’ right eye is showing some damage already; Bisping tacks on a little more with a snappy left hook. Leites tries a flying knee in the closing seconds but instead grazes Bisping’s cup and gets warned by the referee to “watch the kicks.”

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping

Round 3

Leites knocks Bisping off balance with a right hook near the fence and tries to follow up with more punches but can’t find the target. Bisping clinches to slow the assault, takes a few seconds and shoves Leites away to return to the center of the Octagon. Both men are dripping blood from the corners of their left eyes, indictating a possible clash of heads in the last exchange. After a scary start, Bisping is reclaiming some ground with leg kicks and jabs through the middle of the round. The striking is getting a little sloppy now, lots of punches bouncing off arms and missed kicks, but Leites connects with a loud leg kick that sparks Bisping to crack back with a right hand. With one minute left, Leites catches a low kick and spins Bisping to the mat. Bisping instantly kicks him away and scrambles to his feet, then strikes down the middle with a straight right that turns Leites’ head. Leites backs his man up to the fence and slugs Bisping with a huge uppercut in the final 15 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Leites
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Leites
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Leites

Round 4

A left hook lands for Leites as he backs Bisping against the fence, and Bisping evades the remainder of the combination until he can angle out. Leites keeps after him, cutting off Bisping’s angles and finding the mark with a few reaching right hands. Bisping slugs with an overhand right and complains to the referee of an eye poke; Roberts responds that he’s told both fighters to keep their hands closed when striking. Bisping is throwing more volume but not landing a lot of clean strikes through the center of the round, while Leites’ lower output is scoring heavier when it does land. Leites slips his head off center to dodge a right straight, then shakes his head at Bisping in frustration. Bisping just keeps moving around the perimeter, picking at Leites with leg kicks. Again, Leites shoots for a takedown in the final minute, but this time Bisping is able to stay standing. Bisping sticks a hard jab but gets caught on the side of the head with a leaping high kick at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Bisping
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping

Round 5

Leites closes the distance on Bisping near the fence and connects with a left hook in a combination. A leg kick scores for Leites, then another left hook, but Bisping escapes danger by doubling up on his jab and ducking under the Brazilian’s counterfire. Leites misses with a lead uppercut, gets swept out of the pocket by a Bisping counter hook. The uppercut finds its mark the next time Leites catches Bisping near the fence. Leites is applying pressure on the fence, finding Bisping’s chin with increased consistency, but every time he does, Bisping escapes to the other side of the cage. With two minutes to go, Leites bombs into the pocket throwing wide hooks and gets countered inside by a pair of punches from the Englishman. A jab sticks for Bisping, then a right cross and a left straight; Leites shakes his head at this, too, but the combo landed clean. A pair of overhand rights and a left hook score for Leites, but Bisping tags him with a right hook off his back foot. The middleweights meet in the center for the final 20 seconds, and Bisping gets the last word in the fight with a spinning kick to the body.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bisping (49-46 Bisping)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Bisping (49-46 Bisping)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bisping (49-46 Bisping)

The Official Result

Michael Bisping def. Thales Leites via Split Decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-48) R5 5:00