UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2 (prelims) live results, play by play and discussion

You are cordially invited to soak in live results and detailed play by play for the UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2 preliminary cards, which are split between UFC Fight Pass (7:00 p.m. ET) and Fox Sports 1 (8:00 p.m. ET).

Quickly evolving prospect William Macario faces the lengthy striking of Neil Magny in the featured match on Fox Sports 1 while a grapple-fest is expected to ensue in the penultimate bout that pairs Yan Cabral with Naoyuki Kotani. Flyweight Scott Jorgensen, who recently snapped a three-fight skid, tangles with technical scrapper Wilson Reis while Felipe Arantes and his black-brimmed, ten-gallon hat face off with Andre Fili in the Fox Sports 1 opener. The evening’s festivities begin on UFC Fight Pass with a duplex of duels: Gilbert Burns vs. Christos Giagos and Fabricio Camoes vs. Tony Martin.

To whet your whistle, take a peek at this week’s MMA Vivisection for in-depth discussion and predictions on each UFC 179 fist-fight.

UFC 179 Fox Prelims (Fox Sports 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET)

William Macario vs. Neil Magny

R1: Macario lands an outside low kick but can’t score with his follow-up flurry. Magny tries to duck under a Macario left hook and attack the hips but Macario digs an underhook to stay upright. They separate and Macario lands another front-leg low kick. Magny uses his noodle-like reach to pop Macario with two right hands. Macario whiffs with a lead hook but dings Magny with a right cross.

Long, probing jabs from the fringe for Magny. Left-right combo glances for Magny. No set up on Magny’s shot and Macario stuffs it easily, then scores with a lead hook downstairs. Macario shoots a double and looks for the rear waist cinch but Magny evades. 10-10 for no decisive winner.

R2: Magny counters an inside low kick with a right hand and then closes his combo with a sharp low kick. Lead left hook for Macario but Magny is reading his repetitive attacks well. Inside low kick for Macario. Two quick and short rights for Magny from the single collar-tie. Macario is all lead left hooks and right overhands but he lands the combo due to Magny’s straight-line retreat. Macario just retracting his head back and countering Magny’s long shots with left hooks.

Macario lands a hook to the liver and a short jab. Magny charges for a takedown and Macario circles away and swarms the downed Magny with punches and a knee to the body. Magny stands up and hits a body lock trip, immediately passing to a grapevine full mount. Magny bases down and throws a few chest strikes (?) to Macario’s head. Macario tries to roll out but ends up eating two sharp lefts to the head. Macario seems somewhat lost in Magny’s mount and spends the last part of the round blocking Magny’s ground and pound. 10-9 Magny.

R3: The first memorable strike is an outside low kick from Magny nearly a minute in. Magny grazes with a nice horizontal elbow counter. Magny fakes a left and charges with another horizontal elbow and left, then takes Macario down easily. Half guard for Magny and he’s looking to slip a leg out for a pass to side mount. Macario pushes on the hips to make enough space to retain guard and Magny stands up and fires down punches, then falls into Macario’s half guard, still firing right hands incessantly until the ref waves it off.

Yan Cabral vs. Naoyuki Kotani

R1: Cabral sails a high kick over Kotani’s head, then, after backing him into a corner again, uncorks another that smashes off Kotani’s guard. They clinch up and Kotani works a crafty body lock trip, falling into Cabral’s open guard. Kotani fights to free his knee in order to pass but Cabral anticipates it and takes a knee to stand back up. Kotani looks to slip whilst throwing a kick and Cabral happily falls into his half guard.

Kotani locks on an underhook and Cabral shakes it loose to throw a few left elbows. Closed half guard and a body lock for Kotani on bottom, apparently waiting for the stand up. Cabral nearly passes to mount and ends the frame throwing strikes from on top. 10-9 Cabral.

R2: Cabral walks Kotani into a corner, crams a right into his mouth and gets the body lock. Kotani nearly takes Cabral’s back after an unsuccessful throw but Cabral ends up in the rear waist lock, sweeping out a leg to take Kotani down. Kotani stands back up and Cabral snakes a hook in but can’t jump into back mount. They separate. They both graze with right crosses.

Cabral heaves another overhand and follows behind it to clinch up, then effortlessly topples Kotani with a body lock trip. Making it look easy, Cabral glides into back mount and taps Kotani out with the mata leao.

Scott Jorgensen vs. Wilson Reis

R1: Reis plunges a straight left but gets dinged in the temple by a Jorgensen counter shot, and he falls onto his back but recovers and gets back up quickly. Reis goes high with a kick and shoots a double but Jorgensen sprawls and freezes him with the front headlock. He can’t keep him there though as Reis squirts free. Outside low kick from Reis. Jorgensen steps back and grazes with a right hand.

Both fighters look to jab their way into clean crosses but neither find the mark. Reis thunders a left roundhouse kick to the ribs and it knocks the wind out of Jorgensen — Reis pounces with punches from the top and passes with a headlock, transitioning into a side choke to coax the tapout.

Felipe Arantes vs. Andre Fili

R1: Arantes fires off a front kick and spinning roundhouse kick right out of the gate. Fili answers back with a sharp one-two and changes levels for a successful double leg. Arantes rolls into an armbar and then transitions into a leg lock as Fili stacks him. Fili stands up and comes back down with a knee but Arantes scrambles to his feet and hits a takedown of his own, quickly sliding into full mount. Arantes postures up and cleaves down a twisting left elbow with Fili’s neck cradled and it lands with a sickening thud.

Now it’s Fili who bursts to his feet and reverses to put Arantes on his back, stepping back and landing a left-right hook combo while the seated Arantes’ back is on the fence. Fili goes to the front headlock and dangerously lands a knee to the body, then follows with two more from the clinch after Arantes gets up. Clubbing right hands from Fili on the feet but they’re blocked, as is his lead right high kick. Arantes steps back and pops Fili with a clean hook but the see-saw battle continues as Fili bombs a few knees to the midsection from the double collar tie. Fili catches Arantes’ kick and scores a takedown at the bell. Damn. 10-10 for much violence with no discernible advantage to either.

R2: Left body kick from Fili — Arantes catches his next kick and gets the body lock, changing angles to drag Fili down. Arantes looks for the same half guard pass to mount but Fili anticipates and sweeps him. Fili throws a few elbows in Arantes’ half guard but he loses his base and gets swept. Now it’s Arantes chucking left elbows from the top and they’re a tad more effective than Fili’s. Fili swivels for a triangle choke and lands a short heel kick while Arantes is down, and we pause for a doctor check.

He’s all good and we restart. They clinch up and Fili gets low to hit an outside trip and Arantes sweeps him almost immediately. After a few scattered punches and elbows, Fili gets double wrist control and boots Arantes away with both feet, then shoots for a double leg and gets it. Arantes angles for a triangle but Fili shuts it down and throws a few more punches. Skip-over guard pass attempt from Fili after he stands and he can’t complete it, but ends the round on top. 10-10 again: this is just even and back-and-forth combat with no clear winner.

R3: Fili works his way into the clinch behind a pair of rights, landing a knee downstairs on his way in. Fili extends his neck too far and Arantes jumps for a guillotine but Fili easily pulls his head out once they hit the ground. Fili is able to keep Arantes in place, temporarily at least, and passes to half guard. Arantes uses an underhook to take a knee and Fili looks to attempt a Peruvian necktie but he can’t pass his outside leg over, and it’s Arantes on top Fili forces a scramble and gets back to his feet unscathed.

Arantes, possibly tiring out, shoots for a double and eats two downward elbows to the head. Arantes turns the corner and completes the double leg, throwing a few elbows that look to be deflected. Fili angles his hips for an armbar and it’s deep at first but Arantes slips out before he can lock it on. Fili goes for a leg lock and Arantes times his escape accordingly, but Fili is on his feet and landing another double leg with frightening awareness. Fili gets ballsy and tries a flying elbow at the bell but Arantes deflects it. 10-9 Fili — I have it 30-29 his way.

UFC 179 Fight Pass Prelims

Gilbert Burns vs. Christos Giagos

R1: Giagos heaves a counter to keep Burns at bay and catches a kick to the cup. After a brief pause, Burns uncorks a left high kick that’s blocked. Again Giagos sits down on a one-two to back Burns off. Burns changes levels and nails a takedown, then pinches Giagos’ legs together to prevent the cage walk. Burns pivots to peel Giagos’ head off the fence and Giagos closes his guard. Burns is relegated to maintaining control as Giagos stays active with his hips, but Burns smoothly passes to full mount.

Giagos bucks him off momentarily but Burns hops right back into mount, then takes full back control in a transition. Giagos stands up while hand-fighting the rear-naked choke and Burns cinches on the body triangle. Giagos falls back to the mat to defend the choke but Burns brilliantly isolates a limb and switches to an armbar during a scramble. Giagos tries to roll out and Burns goes belly down to finish it.

Fabricio Camoes vs. Tony Martin.

R1: It’s a tentative start with only cautious punches being thrown. Camoes mounts the first bit of significant offense with a sharp outside low kick. Martin hits a reactive takedown during a Camoes striking entry and falls into half guard. Martin reaches over in pursuit of the kimura grip while sliding his out to pass. Camoes closes his half guard and fends off the kimura, then attacks with one of his own. We’re trading kimuras as Martin defends and re-secures the arm lock attempt, and nearly tweaks the kimura behind Camoes’ back.

Martin steps over the head and gathers a wide base to torque the hold, and, with gritty composure, stays on the kimura for a good 90 seconds until Camoes taps out.