The opening three bouts on UFC 186 produced plenty of entertainment, with two of them ending in a first round knockout. C.B. Dollaway nearly made it 3-for-3 but Michael Bisping was able to rally and get himself a much-needed win.
Thomas Almeida (19-0) def. Yves Jabouin (20-10) via TKO (punches) at 4:18 of round 1 – Bantamweights
Brazil’s Thomas Almeida was unable to get a finish in his UFC debut, but his 2nd outing brought a return to his violent fight finishing ways. Jabouin actually started out well as he countered Almeida’s forward movement with a takedown. Almeida athletically pushed Jabouin off with his feet and balanced his way back to standing position. From there, Almeida started going to work on “Tiger”. He chipped away at Jabouin with his long right hand over the top, and he had Jabouin badly hurt with one of them. Yves backed up against the cage as Almeida unleashed a fury of punches to the body and head before Yves Lavigne stepped in for the standing stoppage.
John Makdessi (12-3) def. Shane Campbell (11-3) via TKO (punches) at 4:53 of round 1 – 160 lbs catchweight
Campbell got off to a fairly impressive start in his UFC debut, peppering Makdessi’s lead legs with inside low kicks and using his reach advantage to beat up Makdessi with punches. Makdessi changed everything by dropping Campbell with a huge right hand and then he quickly went in for the kill. Campbell hung on (with the help of a very lenient referee) and desperately went in for a takedown again. Makdessi got away with a fence grab to stay on his feet and they continued trading. Campbell slipped momentarily but Makdessi motioned him to return to his feet, where he would clinch victory with a short right hand that collapsed Campbell, who turtled up and forced Philipe Chartier to intervene.
Michael Bisping (27-7) def. C.B. Dollaway (16-8) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) – Middleweights
Dollaway stunned Bisping with a counter left hook, sending him on his backside late in the 1st round, but the TUF 7 runner-up could not put “The Count” down for the count. This would prove to be costly as Bisping’s high pace and superior striking wore Dollaway down over the remaining 10 minutes. Dollaway got Bisping to the ground with a late takedown in the 2nd but the round was already Michael’s. The 2nd takedown came early in the 3rd, with Bisping getting back to his feet about a minute later. An exhausted Dollaway was only able to land single shots while Bisping rocked him with a right hand to the temple and other series of boxing combos en route to an entertaining decision win.
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