As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for UFC on FX 6. Our live coverage will start with the the six-fight portion of the preliminary card that will air live on Fuel TV. That kicks off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The four-fight main card will air on FX and begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
This post will cover live commentary and play-by-play for the Fuel TV portion of the card. The featured bout of the undercard is a featherweight bout between former title challenger Chad Mendes and late replacement Yaotzin Meza.
Good evening, fight fans. This is Dallas Winston — I’ve been typing for almost 12 hours but that won’t stop me from doing it for another 4 hours. Knuckle up. The Fuel TV prelims are live and our first bout is on deck.
UPDATE: the Fuel TV prelims have ended. Find the results below and join us in the UFC on FX 6 Main Card Discussion thread here.
Chad Mendes vs. Yaotzin Meza
Round 1 – Mendes swings out a few outside low kicks while trying to find his range. Not much cookin’ a minute in. Mendes heaves an overhand right that whiffs but draws oohs from the crowd. Meza trying to flail out a sloppy left hook counter with his chin hanging out. And that’s why it’s a bad idea … Mendes times a “pitcher’s throw” overhand and that’s that.
Chad Mendes defeats Yaotzin Meza by KO (overhand right), Round 1.
Joey Beltran vs. Igor Pokrajac
Round 1 – Rock ’em sock ’em robots right off the bat. The mutual heaters last a few seconds and Beltran drives Pokrajac against the fence. He dirty boxes with right hands with a left underhook, then goes old school with a foot stomp. Beltran winging heavy hooks with clinch control, interestingly breaking his usual style to impose his size. More foot stomps (somewhere Marco Ruas is snickering) then some stiff knees to the midsection from Beltran. Beltran breaks the clinch with an electric salvo of left-rights before jamming the Croatian back on the cage. He lets loose with lightning fast punches and re-clinches in a repeat. And once again, this time landing a knee after throwing his hands.
Beltran’s on to something here; simply switching from stifling pressure on the cage to stepping back and launching big missiles while Pokrajac has barely let his hands go. Right on cue, he uncurls a nasty uppercut that seems to stun Beltran, allowing Pokrajac to get off the fence. He decides to stay with the clinch game instead of breaking free, but cracks off a stiff combo. What a round. 10-9 Beltran for the one-sided clinch lesson for the bulk of the stanza.
Round 2 – Beltran throws 3 wide and alternating hooks on his way in and almost gets counter-hooked. Pokrajac establishing his right hand and power, then mixing in a left hook. They go all Frye vs. Takayama in another boiling exchange that ends with Pokrajac steering Beltran onto the fence and unlatching an over-the-top right elbow. Beltran circles off and reverses the position with a body lock that changes to double-unders. 50/50 clinch now; Pokrajac tries to palm Beltran’s head away to make space and escape but Beltran stays on him. Beltran uncorks an uppercut dead center in the groin for a brief and unusual pause.
Beltran goes wild with a flurry on the restart and is showing excellent quickness for a former heavyweight, but doesn’t seem to land anything clean or momentous. I’m going 10-0 for interpreting that as neither showing a definitive advantage (though not for a lack of effort on Beltran’s behalf).
Round 3 – More blinding leather from Beltran on his way into another clinch war. Pokrajac double palms under Beltran’s chin to break the body lock and gets free. Beltran’s back on him and exhibiting control with no striking at the moment. Pokrajac scoops an underhook to slip out on the same slide. Pokrajac holds his hands at his waist defiantly for a second and then makes it seem cool by clocking Beltran with consecutive rights.
Now he stays poised and reel off a head kick, left hook and right hand that glance while Beltran has the same effectiveness with his counter-combo. Beltran clinches up and foot stomps, upholding a fairly insane pace with no signs of slowing. Pokrajac sneaks in short punches when Beltran backs off to throw. Pokrajac lowers his head and Beltran snaps it down with the front headlock and bores a few knees through to his head. Pokrajac goes primal with another series of successive right meat-hooks to end another firecracker. Wow. That round really begs the question of how effective Beltran’s frenetic assault was. It was definitely busier and more prevalent. 10-9 Beltran for a 30-28 on my card.
The judges give him all 3, as Joey Beltran defeats Igor Pokrajac by unanimous decision in a mildly surprising upset. Sorry for overlooking you Joey.
Seth Baczynski vs. Mike Pierce
Round 1 – Baczynski throws a lazy lead knee and Pierce snatches it up and takes him down immediately. Baczynski closes his guard and gets strong control but Pierce’s wrist control prevents the elbow he’s trying to throw. Bacyznski does a good job of scooting back to the fence and using it to stand with a strong overhook. Pierce drops levels and just digs in deep to bull-doze Baczynski over, but he’s right back up with that overhook and they split up.
Restarting in the center, Baczynski unfolds a lengthy front kick that just misses. Baczynski telegraphs a high kick and Pierce again reacts instantly by catching it for another takedown. Baczynski slides up against the fence again and Pierce goes high on his trapped leg to keep him from standing. He gets halfway up but Pierce bowls him over. Pierce gets the can-opener grip for a moment, then postures up with brief flurry. He bears back down and mashes short lefts to Baczynski’s ribs. 10-9 Pierce for effective grappling.
Round 2 – Baczynski comes out in a lower stance and tries to find range with his hands, but the closer distance plays right into another Pierce double leg. Pierce now focusing on Baczynski’s legs to stifle his escape routine but Baczynski scrambles to his feet anyway. Pierce stays low and locked to his waist. They stalemate and separate a moment later. Baczynski tries a leaping knee that’s close, connects with the next one and finally gets off a few decent kicks and punches from range.
It’s short-lived, as Pierce adheres to a leg and jams him on the cage. Baczynski circles off quickly this time and lands two knees to the body and wings a combo. Leaping overhand right from Baczynski, who’s picking up the pace. Pierce, not digging the distance game, knifes inside and lands some short clubs that Baczynski up. Pierce swarms him while he’s covering up and nails another double, ending the round on top and throwing leather. 10-9 Pierce for the more effective striking and grappling.
Round 3 – Pierce charges with punches up high and goes low but can’t secure the takedown. Baczynski lets loose with a heavy high kick and knee, showing the urgency he desperately needs. He keeps leather on Pierce and lands another knee. Then a left hook. Pierce tries to intercept the next knee but it lands and he can’t stay connected. He does on the next exchange; he’s back on top in the center of the floor with no cage nearby for a change, which could be trouble for Baczynski. Now Pierce clobbers down punches and Baczynski has to cover up to defend.
Baczynski answers with some nice spiking elbows and a loose submission attempt that at least forces Pierce to back out. The referee stands them up with a minute and Pierce wastes no time in gluing himself on Baczynski, and the takedown follows. Baczynski is busy from his back but Pierce ends the frame throwing strikes from the top again. 10-9 Pierce for a clean sweep on my card.
One judge has it 30-27 while the other two see it 29-28 for Mike Pierce, who defeats Seth Baczynski by unanimous decision.
Ben Alloway vs. Manuel Rodriguez
Round 1 – Rodriguez explodes out of his corner with a double leg attempt and has to work for it but gets it. Alloway grabs wrist control, takes a knee and uses the fence to stand up. Rodriguez won’t relent on his under-hooks though and powers him right back down. Rodriguez in half guard; no strikes being thrown while he tries to pass unsuccessfully. Alloway shrinks his hips back and tries to shrimp out but Alloway sees it coming and takes his back; one hook in so far. Alloway using phenomenal wrist control to defend again and calmly uses the fence to stand, but history repeats and Rodriguez buries him back down.
Alloway finally breaks the body lock in his next attempt and uses the underhook to stay upright, then spins Rodriguez on the fence, separates and lets his hands go. Rodriguez is game to oblige him and they both let loose in an exchange. Weirdness ensues: Alloway cracks Rodriguez with a groin kick and he drops, but the referee mistakenly thinks it was a legit strike and semi-waves the fight off. He shows excellent composure — seriously — in patiently understanding his error, consulting with a cage-side official and restarting the fight after Rodriguez is ready. Alloway brilliantly times a snapping front kick just as Rodriguez is changing levels and turns his lights out. We’re 3 for 3 on barn-burners so far folks.
Ben Alloway defeats Manuel Rodriguez by KO (front kick), Round 1.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Mike Wilkinson
Round 1 – Loughnane opens with a pair of low kicks, then switches from southpaw to orthodox and lands another. Long, prodding jab from Loughnane. Wilkinson streaks through an overhand right to keep him honest. Loughnane using his reach well but Wilkinson threatens to behead him with forceful 1-2’s whenever he gets inside. Loughnane stays ultra-busy with low kicks and jabs from the fringe. Wilkinson fires off a double leg and gets it. Loughnane has his head on the cage and defends with good posture control but eats a few short elbows; throws up two submission attempts that aren’t close.
Wilkinson is just as busy with ground-and-pound as Loughnane was on the feet. Loughnane answers with spiking elbows from guard but he can’t match Wilkinson’s active pace from the top. Loughnane gets the back of his neck on the cage and uses it to wall walk and they restart in open space. Loughnane goes right back to work with the left low kick and cracks one to the upper thigh after scoring a few to the leg. Wilkinson looking a tad winded after his ground barrage. Exciting round but the offense was fairly even overall. 10-10.
Round 2 – Loughnane continues his striking pressure and stuffs a takedown for good measure. Wilkinson responds with by hurling a big right hand through but Loughnane takes it in stride. Wilkinson shoots again and Loughnane digs underhooks and pushes him away. Loughnane goes back to switching stances and slamming leg kicks from different angles. Wilkinson seeking his overhand right but too often and Loughnane avoids it. Wilkinson switches it up and lands a stiff right to the ribs.
More inside leg kicks from Loughnane, who’s playing the retreating counter-striking role while Wilkinson stalks after him. Loughnane brushes off another takedown attempt easily and pings a jab through. Wilkinson’s all right hands, 1-2’s and takedown attempts, but unsuccessful with most. Loughnane pivots with a left hook and then leaps in with a knee, both of which land. Wilkinson shoots again and moves toward the rear waist-lock and Loughnane snatches up a kimura to counter it. The frame closes with both trading hands. 10-9 Loughnane for a higher volume of the more effective strikes.
Round 3 – They come out swinging for the fences: Loughane with consecutive 1-2’s and Wilkinson with another body shot. Wilkinson takes an inadvertent finger to the eye and we pause while he blinks it off. Loughnane goes with another 1-2 and then chambers a side kick to the body. Wilkinson shoots and gets deep on the hips but still can’t complete it due to Loughnane’s excellent takedown defense.
Loughnane tries another leaping knee and almost gets taken down. More jabs from Loughnane, then a nice left-right combo from Wilkinson, who then glues himself in pursuit of a takedown. Stuffed again. Loughnane circles him into the fence, peels an arm away with wrist control and hammers a knee to Wilkinson’s exposed sternum. The pace is frenetic on the feet and grueling in tie-ups. Loughnane attacks the waist but Wilkinson shakes it off. Loughnane lamps Wilkinson with a jack-hammer that drops him. Wilkinson recovers well, gets back to his feet and attacks. Loughnane clinches and lands a knee with Wilkinson on the fence, then breaks loose and unloads a right. Wilkinson matches him and chucks a blistering sequence of punches until the horn sounds. That marks another amazing fight, and literally every round could’ve gone to either fighter. I have the 3rd for Loughnane by a slim margin for a 30-28 score overall.
In a semi-surprising outcome, all 3 judges see it 29-28 for Mike Wilkinson, who defeats Brendan Loughnane by unanimous decision.
Cody Donovan vs. Nick Penner
Round 1 – The fighters paw jabs. Donovan rushes Penner and clinches up but Penner immediately circles off the fence and lands a knee. Donovan fights for double-unders but the ensuing hand-battle ends up breaking the clinch. Penner drills Donovan with a punch and he goes down but recovers quickly with an armbar attempt from guard. He can’t get it, but goes for another and then transitions to a triangle choke. Penner squirts free and they restart standing.
Donovan gets clipped and dropped with another punch while coming in with his hands down. He shows respectable recovery again. Referee Marc Goddard pauses the action briefly for unknown reasons but we’re back into action quickly. Penner can’t hold Donovan down; on the reset, Donovan catches a knee to the cup and we pause again for a masculinity break. Donovan nails a takedown after the short respite but Penner boots him off and stands up. Dear Lord! Now Donovan hammers Penner with a tight left hook and pounces with ferocious ground-and-pound to elicit the TKO. What a swell way to start the evening.
Cody Donovan defeats Nick Penner by TKO (left hook and GnP), Round 1.
About the author
