The UFC’s Middleweight champ returns to the cage tonight when Chris Weidman puts his title on the line against Anderson Silva at UFC 168. We’ll have live results, thoughts and news all night long.
The action gets underway with two fights streaming live on Bloody Elbow at 6:30 p.m. ET, then continues with four fights on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and finishes up with the five fight main card on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.
This post will cover all of the preliminary fights on Bloody Elbow and Fox Sports 1.
Fox Sports 1 prelims:
Middleweight – Chris Leben vs. Uriah Hall
Lightweight – Gleison Tibau vs. Michael Johnson
Featherweight – Dennis Siver vs. Manny Gamburyan
Welterweight – John Howard vs. Siyar BahadurzadaWelterweight – William Macario vs. Bobby Voelker
Featherweight – Estevan Payan vs. Robbie Peralta
UFC 168 Live Preliminary Card Results
Estevan Payan vs. Robbie Peralta
R1: Outside low kick from Peralta, who then wades in while firing heavy with both hands and transitions to a successful takedown. Peralta in half guard throwing short strikes. Payan hip escapes for enough space to stand up and bombs a pair of knees to the body from the clinch. Payan circles himself off the fence with another salvo of body knees but Peralta puts him on his back again.
Payan hits a slick half-guard sweep and hangs out in side control while Peralta tries to buck him off. Payan cross-faces with an underhook and uses it to bang short forearms off Peralta’s melon. Payan postures up with one big right before basing back down. Payan is a bit more aggressive than Peralta was from the top and maintains a steady stream of left punches and elbows — Peralta scoots back to his feet just as the bell sounds. 10-9 Payan for the more effective ground-and-pound sequence.
R2: Peralta throws a front kick and Payan answers with a high roundhouse kick. Peralta trudges forward with a wild 3-piece combo but follows up with a cleaner version that closes with an outside low kick. Another outside low kick for Peralta, but Payan grazes him with a left-hook counter. More leg kicks from Peralta but they lack hip torque and shin contact.
Payan wisely times his takedown on Peralta’s next low kick and easily nails a double leg. Payan in a high half-guard and looking to pass to side control while distracting with punches. Peralta negates it and recomposes his guard, then boots him off and stands back up. Payan clinches Peralta on the fence and Peralta reverses positions with an underhook. Payan returns the favor, and vice-versa. 10-9 Peralta as Payan didn’t get off as much nor clock the same dominant ground time.
R3: In one of those moments that makes MMA great, Peralta’s corner tells him he has to knock Payan out. He comes out and does just that, unlatching another charging assembly of lefts and rights to crumple Payan on the canvas.
- Robbie Peralta defeats Estevan Payan by TKO (punches), Round 3
William “Patolino” Macario vs. Bobby Voelker
R1: Crisp one-two and a straight right from Voelker right out of the gate. Macario answers with an inside low kick and a right cross. Macario slices through a pair of clean, straight rights that connect solidly. Now a tight jab from “Patolino” who has Voelker’s nose bloodied up. Voelker tries to shift the pace with a one-two and an uppercut. Macario flicks out another quick jab that lands.
Macario dings Voelker with another right cross, then keeps him on the fence while throwing more heavy leather. Macario changes levels for a double leg but settles for a thudding knee to the body as Voelker stands back up. Voelker ups his output with a jab, one two and an outside low kick but Macario evades most of it. Easy 10-9 for Macario.
R2: Voelker squeezes the trigger with another barreling assembly of leather but it’s all the same right-left combo in a straight line. Macario nails a duck-under double at the 3:20 mark to counter Voelker’s aggressive pressure but Voelker’s back up 20 seconds later.
Macario now showing no fear of Voelker’s stand up and pinging quick counters with regularity. Macario swings a standing elbow that looks to have bent Voelker’s nose and split it open. Macario walking Voelker down and letting his hands go. A beautiful uppercut elbow in close quarters from Macario. We pause to check the indiscernible damage behind the pool of blood on Voelker’s face and Macario goes back to work. 10-8 Macario for obvious, significant damage and one-sided dominance.
R3: Voelker tries to make a stand with more combinations in the pocket but he’s still using the same punches in the same sequence and in the same rhythm. Macario continues to backpedal and pick Voelker apart with short and stiff counters. Another brief pause as Voelker apparently got poked in one of the eyes lurking behind his expanding mask of crimson.
More step-in one-twos from Voelker but Macario nails him with a jab downstairs, a right cross upstairs, a front kick and then a double leg. Voelker regains his footing immediately and, showing respectable heart and spirit, wades back into the fray. Another jab low and cross high from Macario. 10-9 Macario for a 30-26 on my card.
- William “Patolino” Macario defeats Bobby Voelker by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
John Howard vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
R1: Bahadurzada’s opening leg kick is checked and he goes to the body with the next. Howard lands a thudding outside low kick. Bahadurzada pumping jabs and looking to sight in his right. Bahadurzada comes high with a quick-release left high kick that Howard barely gets a forearm block in front of. Bahadurzada unfurls a heavy left-right-left hook combo and clinches up, pushing Howard against the fence with two stiff knees to the body.
Bahadurzada lands an outside right kick to the upper thigh but “Doomsday” checks the second. They collide with mutual haymakers and Bahadurzada shows sound takedown defense. Howard drives him across the cage with his follow-up double leg and gets it, falling into half guard. Bahadurzada tries to explode out just as Howard passes to mount and gets his back taken, then stands and hand-fights Howard’s rear waist-lock. 10-10 for a dead even round; no noticeable advantage either way.
R2: Howard crunches Bahadurzada with a lead left hook but then gets the worst of Bahadurzada’s responsive outburst of punches. A left to the breadbasket from Howard. Howard whiffs on a left hook but transitions to a double leg, eventually settling for the single collar tie with Bahadurzada on the cage. Siyar pops him with a left hook to the liver and catches Howard off guard with a takedown attempt.
Howard goes high for a triangle that’s not there but it’s enough to persuade Bahadurzada to eject and resume standing. Hard low kick by Howard. Bahadurzada times an up-knee to the midsection as Howard shoots for a takedown, then circles off the fence dodging Howard’s punches. Bahadurzada walks Howard into a corner and uncorks an overhand right and a pair of lefts. Bahadurzada again slams a knee downstairs as Howard connects and drives him back to the fence throwing short knees to the thighs. Howard scoops up a ginormous double and epically trots around with Bahadurzada on his shoulders before heaving him to the canvas. 10-9 Howard.
R3: Bahadurzada showing fatigue and starts to rest his hands on his hips betwixt exchanges. Howard scores a double-leg and drives Bahadurzada’s stationary head into the canvas with a series of nasty rights. Bahadurzada laying flat on his back with little to no hip movement or activity in general. Howard keeps a heavy base and lands punches to camouflage a successful pass to full mount, then once again spins to back control as Bahadurzada tries to bump and escape. 10-9 Howard for a 30-28 on my card.
- John Howard defeats Siyar Bahadurzada by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Dennis Siver vs. Manny Gamburyan
R1: Gamburyan comes out aggressive with big punches. Surprisingly, it’s Siver who hits the first takedown, falling into the Judoka’s open guard. Gamburyan holds his own and wheels into a leglock attempt which actualizes as room to escape. Siver unlatches two high kicks and follows up with a straight right. Front push kick from Siver.
Siver showing a little more striking finesse by keeping leather in Manny’s face and using in-and-out motion to land more volume. Spinning back roundhouse kick from Gamburyan is blocked. Gamburyan knifes into clinch range and hits a throw, courageously transitioning into another leglock attempt. Siver pivots out of danger and hops on Gamburyan’s back, cinching in a body triangle that momentarily has Manny’s arm trapped. 10-9 Siver.
R2: Siver gets relentless with about 6-7 waves of double left kicks to the inside thigh. Siver lets his hands go when Manny closes distance and lands a looper that causes Manny to take a knee. He’s right back up and waving Siver in. Gamburyan ties up and works a clinch throw, then works ground-and-pound from full guard. Siver forehead springs a leak, possibly from a top-side elbow, but claws his way back to his feet.
Gamburyan continues the surge with pressuring combinations as Siver’s output slows. Gamburyan grazes with another spinning roundhouse, then goes from a double-leg attempt to a high crotch and drives through to get it. He settles for half guard with some more sharp elbows from the top. 10-9 Gamburyan.
R3: Siver establishes his power with a vicious left hook in the pocket and pesters with more inside kicks to the thigh. The next kick goes astray and hits the cup, resulting in a short pause and a warning to Siver. Siver changes levels nicely on a Gamburyan combination and lands in full guard after the double leg. Gamburyan goes onto his right hip and leans over to get 2-on-1 wrist control in kimura position.
Siver stays patient and takes Gamburyan’s back after breaking his grip, again lacing up a body triangle immediately. Siver alternates between control with an underhook to punches with both hands to rear-naked choke attempts, all of which put Gamburyan in nonstop defense mode until the bell clangs. 10-9 Siver for a 29-28 his way on my card.
- Dennis Siver defeats Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Gleison Tibau vs. Michael Johnson
R1: Johnson uses lateral movement and his straight left to keep Tibau at bay. Tibau pings a nice straight left of his own through and it lands clean. Johnson looses a pair of zingers over the top and Tibau ducks under the volley to force a clinch, driving Johnson on the cage. Johnson circles out with an underhook and breaks the tie-up.
Johnson seems to be landing a bit harder and more often with deeply penetrating and fast straights. Johnson dings Tibau’s chin with a left cross and it seems to stun the Brazilian momentarily. Johnson stays on the trigger with a pumping right jab and follow-up overhand left. Johnson easily side-steps a takedown and lands a retreating counter left hook. Tibau snatches up a single leg but pushes Johnson on the cage in the over-under clinch when he can’t get it. 10-9 Johnson for the more effective striking.
R2: Outside low kick from Tibau. Short jab by Johnson. Tibau narrowly misses on three consecutive lefts. Johnson sits down on a beautiful one-two just as Tibau is pressing in and the left cross sits him down. Johnson flurries with ground strikes to seal the deal.
- Michael Johnson defeats Gleison Tibau by TKO (punches), Round 2
Chris Leben vs. Uriah Hall
R1: Hall vaults out of his corner with a flying knee that cans Leben for a second. Hall gets on his bike and pot-shots a few retreating lefts that snap home. One minute in and Leben looks to be bloodied up under both eyes. Hall looking smooth but might be showing signs of overconfidence with some borderline flashy footwork. Leben gets ahold of him but can’t muster any offense from the collar tie.
Hall easily shrinks his head back from Leben’s 3-punch combo. Leben lands a left body kick. Then another shortly after; Hall switches stances momentarily. Leben hurls more leather that misses but he’s in the ballpark now. Crisp jab from Uriah, who then almost jams a handful of open fingers into Leben’s eye for the second time. A third body kick from Leben. Nasty spinning roundhouse kick from Hall misses but shows serious promise. Hall shellacks Leben with a blistering right hand that sits him down and finishes the round flurrying — a near finish.
In between rounds, Leben states “I’m done” but the win is announced as the referee’s decision.
- Uriah Hall defeats Chris Leben by TKO (referee stoppage), Round 2
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