UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz – live results, discussion, play by play

Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion and play-by-play as UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz takes place from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

Atop the 13-fight ensemble, the world’s alpha-bantamweight will be determined as former 135-pound kingpin Dominick Cruz returns to face current champ T.J. Dillashaw. The co-main features two former lightweight champs as Bellator crossover Eddie Alvarez squares off with Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. Completing the main card are bouts pitting heavyweights Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione and lightweights Ross Pearson vs. Francisco Trinaldo.

Live play-by-play will commence with the Fight Pass prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The full lineup and schedule follows. Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the entire card.

Main Card

(Fox Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET)

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz (UFC BW Championship)

R1: Dillashaw lands a body kick and Cruz catches it, getting Dillashaw down for a brief moment. Cruz ducks low and paws high with a right hand. Cruz floats left and flings jabs. Dillashaw throws a left head kick but he’s off balance and Cruz takes him down. Cruz moves to back control in a transition but Dillashaw squirts out. Cruz stuffs a single leg and separates.

Cruz cuts a sharp angle and lands a wide left hook upstairs. Glancing jab from Cruz. Dillashaw lands a left kick to the body, then glances with a right kick. Short outside low kick from Cruz. Dillashaw grazes with a right hand. Dillashaw lands a left body kick and Cruz can’t catch it. Cruz does catch the next one and off-balances Dillashaw but he regains his footing immediately. Dillashaw ducks under a left hook and shoots a double leg but it’s stuffed. 10-10.

R2: Dillashaw pressuring early with carefully loosened punches as Cruz flits out of range. Dillashaw grazes with a lead right and Cruz counters with a body shot on the next exchange. Cruz lands a jab and circles out of range. Dillashaw rushes forward and loses his footing when he has a high kick blocked. No dice on the running knee tap from Dillashaw but he grazes with a left high kick to the face.

Chopping inside low kick lands for Dillashaw. Cruz glances with a right after dancing out of reach. Dillashaw, who’s starting to chase Cruz, disguises a high kick with a flash of his hands and it glances off the head of Cruz. Dillashaw z-steps in but Cruz changes levels and puts him on his back. Dillashaw takes a knee and gets up but Cruz takes him right back down. Dillashaw escapes quickly again but looks hesitant throwing kicks from outside. They look to possibly clash heads on an exchange. 10-9 Cruz.

R3: Dillashaw comes out aggressively again, swinging with both hands; Cruz bobs under and lands a counter right on his way out. Outside low kick lands for Dillashaw. They both land mutually in the next exchange. Two short jabs land for Cruz. Dillashaw grazes with a high kick. Cruz pivots and lands a counter right hook. Dillashaw answers with a right. They trade right hands. Dillashaw might be getting frustrated with the elusive Cruz but he continues to chase him.

Glancing outside low kick from Dillashaw. Cruz catches a Dillashaw kick and hits a takedown. Dillashaw quickly fights back to his feet and separates. Glancing right from Cruz. Cruz lands a counter left, then finds the mark with a three-punch combo. Dillashaw shoots a double with no set up and Cruz pivots right and plugs him with a right hand. 10-9 Cruz.

R4: Dillashaw lands a glancing right hand. Cruz lands a check hook on the next exchange. Dillashaw chops away at Cruz’s lead leg with a vicious low kick and it prompts Cruz to shoot a takedown. He finishes it but Dillashaw bounces back up. Dillashaw lands a counter right and it’s answered by Cruz. Short right off the back foot from Cruz.

Dillashaw glances with a left hand, then changes levels to hit his first takedown. Cruz gets back to his feet and sits back on the fence with Dillashaw on his left hip, holding the waist lock. Cruz is warned twice for grabbing the fence and, meanwhile, Dillashaw is thundering short knees to his left thigh. Dillashaw slips throwing a left high kick. Dillashaw stuffs a double leg and stings Cruz with a right. 10-9 Dillashaw.

R5: Dillashaw glances with two outside low kicks to start the final frame. Now a clean right kick to the ribs from Dillashaw, followed by a clean left hand. Now another right body kick lands for Dillashaw. Dillashaw continues to attack the body with kicks though most are deflected. Cruz half-checks the next low kick but he steps on it gingerly upon impact.

Dillashaw targets the lead leg again and Cruz seems to be slowing down. Dillashaw flings a high kick but Cruz evades. Glancing left hook from Cruz, who then touches Dillashaw with a three-punch combo. Dillashaw cleaves away at the lead leg with another low kick, then stuffs a Cruz takedown attempt. Cruz grazes with a jump knee (perhaps below the belt) and Dillashaw counters with a right. 10-9 Dillashaw. I have it a 48-48 draw.

Eddie Alvarez vs. Anthony Pettis

R1: Pettis comes out southpaw. Hard inside low kick from Alvarez, who then catches Pettis moving forward with a duck-under double leg. Pettis moves to the guillotine defense and uses it to stand back up, though Alvarez keeps him on the cage with a left under-hook. Alvarez switches between the double-leg attempt and right hands. Pettis creates space but whiffs with the left hook.

A prolonged stalemate ensues against the fence; Alvarez briefly trips Pettis but he regains his footing immediately. Pettis circles off the cage and separates with just under two minutes left, reeling off left kicks to the head and body. Pettis goes for a spinning kick but Alvarez steps inside to jam it, then takes Pettis down. Pettis pops back up and pushes Alvarez away, then lands a hard left kick to the body. Pettis throws a one-two and lands another left kick to the ribs. Alvarez forces a clinch but Pettis shoves him away. 10-10.

R2: They trade kicks to open the second. Alvarez lands another to the body. Lead right hook lands upstairs for Alvarez, who then changes levels to force a clinch. Alvarez locks his hands but Pettis breaks the grip and separates, landing a short left knee to the head. Short counter right grazes for Pettis, then he lands a left body kick. Outside low kick for Pettis.

Alvarez answers with an outside low kick. Alvarez steps into the next kick and forces a clinch, putting Pettis back on the fence. Alvarez goes for a single leg but two short lefts from Pettis prompt him to bail on it. Pettis with another body kick. Pettis lands a left as Alvarez lands a low kick but Pettis stings him with a punch. Alvarez throwing single right hands and becoming predictable. They trade kicks. Pettis with another body kick but he looks to block Alvarez’s response. 10-9 Pettis.

R3: Pettis opens with a low kick. They trade kicks. Alvarez darts in to force another clinch but he can’t get the double leg; Pettis circles off and separates. Alvarez lands a low kick. Short left hook lands for Pettis. Alvarez fakes high and shoots a double leg, this time finishing it clean. Pettis goes for a calf crusher, then tries to switch to a heel hook. Alvarez stands up and lands two hammer-fists to break the hold.

Alvarez in half guard, but Pettis escapes when he postures up to punch. Alvarez drags him back down. Pettis gets back to his feet but can’t shake Alvarez, who’s keeping him plastered on the fence. Alvarez goes for a double leg, then tries to switch to an outside trip, both to no avail. Slick inside trip from Alvarez to peel Pettis off the fence, then he goes to the ankle pick to prevent the escape. Pettis separates with a half-minute left. Pettis with a left body kick. 10-9 Alvarez. I have it a 29-29 draw.

Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione

R1: Mitrione looking for a hard left cross down the middle in the opening exchanges. Browne freezes him with a right upstairs. Mitrione pulls a left hook that would’ve landed if he’d thrown it. Round kick to the body from Browne. Browne has a high kick blocked. And another. Mitrione lands a right/left combo in the pocket.

Browne lands a front kick to the gut, then grazes with an inside low kick. They both trade hard rights. Browne lands another front kick to the body. Mitrione forces Browne off-balance with a hard, short right. Mitrione with a left body kick. Browne glances with a right hand and follows with a front kick downstairs. They collide throwing hands and Mitrione hobbles away from the exchange, apparently taking an errant finger to the eye. We pause as he recovers with just a few seconds left in the round. We restart quickly and the horn sounds. 10-10.

R2: Mitrione rushes him to start the second. Three hard lefts land to the head of Browne but it looks like Mitrione might’ve taken another eye poke in the exchange. He’s squinting awkwardly and mentions that he’s “seeing double” to the ref, who steps in to have the doc check it out. The replay shows a clear but inadvertent thumb to Mitrione’s eye. Browne lands a body kick on the restart as Mitrione vaults into range, attacking angrily with punches.

Browne continues to target the body with kicks. Browne hits a slick foot trip as Mitrione’s circling out, and he follows him to the ground. Mitrione turtles and, with the help of a fence grab, gets back to his feet. Browne with another body kick and they might be taking their toll on Mitrione. Mitrione glances with a lead right. Another front kick downstairs from Browne, who then glances with a counter knee. Another front kick from Browne, this one higher and at chest-level. 10-9 Browne.

R3: Browne sticks with the front kick from range. Outside low kick lands to the thigh for Mitrione. Straight left up the middle lands for Mitrione. Browne answers with a thudding straight right. Outside low kick is there for Mitrione. Snap jab lands for Mitrione. Browne heaves a big right hook and follows behind it to clinch, then he hoists Mitrione up from the rear waist lock and hurls him to the canvas.

Browne follows him down and lands in full mount. Heavy right and left hands as Mitrione covers up. Browne thwacks him with a sharp elbow from the top, then another. Mitrione rolls onto a hip and covers as Browne batters shots through his guard. The ref’s seen enough.

Ross Pearson vs. Francisco Trinaldo

R1: Pearson glances with a right-hook counter, then has a heavy right high kick blocked. Pearson walks him into a corner and glances with a lead left hook. They trade body kicks. Trinaldo glances with a left straight. Trinaldo whiffs on a high kick and Pearson catches him with a right. Low kick is there for Pearson.

Trinaldo glances with a left cross. Trinaldo throws a body kick that Pearson steps into, and it lands with the knee. Trinaldo has a high kick blocked but he lands a left hand and sneaks the high kick through on the follow up. Trinaldo scoops Pearson up and throws him down for a big-brother takedown to end the round. 10-9 Trinaldo.

R2: Trinaldo stays busy with defensive circling and left kicks from range. Trinaldo lands a body kick. Pearson answers in kind, then he catches Trinaldo’s next kick and converts it into a takedown. Full, closed guard for Trinaldo. Pearson postures up and swats him with a right hand before they reset in the center. Pearson has a spinning kick blocked.

Trinaldo unbolts a fast combo and lands a heavy knee with Pearson on the cage. Trinaldo keeps him cornered but it’s Pearson who connects with an uppercut. Short left from Trinaldo in the clinch. They separate. Pearson lunges forward with a right but he can’t get in the pocket. Trinaldo throws an odd, jumping left kick and it lands to the body. They trade half-blocked high kicks. Trinaldo steps into a hard left cross that lands. 10-9 Trinaldo.

R3: Trinaldo clubs him with a wild right and it seems to stun Pearson. Trinaldo swarms him with punches and tries to switch to a takedown but he can’t get it. Trinaldo doing an excellent job of retreating constantly and then catching Pearson off-guard with a forward-burst of strikes. Pearson’s face is bloodied, coming mostly from his left eye. Pearson glances with a head kick.

Trinaldo lands a heavy left high kick with a thud and it prompts Pearson to shoot a takedown. He gets it but a leg lock attempt from Trinaldo forces Pearson to back off. Trinaldo capitalizes on the open space by escaping back to his feet. Glancing left cross from Trinaldo, then an inside low kick. Pearson wings a high kick and a spinning back fist but he can’t find the range. Inside low kick lands for Pearson but Trinaldo answers with a knee. They clinch up with 30 seconds left but Trinaldo circles off the cage and separates, landing a right in open space. 10-9 Trinaldo. I have it 30-27 Trinaldo.

Fox Prelims

(Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

Patrick Cote vs. Ben Saunders

R1: Saunders walks him into the corner and flicks two front kicks. Cote lands a low kick. They clinch briefly and trade knees to the body. Short side kick to the body and a sharp left kick to the face from Saunders. They clinch and Saunders hits a trip. Cote gets one butterfly hook, then opts for a closed guard.

Saunders digs to the ribs with short lefts. Body/head strikes from Saunders. Cote seems a bit complacent until he explodes into a deep armbar. Saunders sits into it and pulls his arm free but it allows Cote to take top position. Cote gets busy with right hands after escaping the high guard of Saunders. Saunders sits up on the fence but gets clubbed with a heavy right. 10-9 Cote.

R2: Left kick to the body from Saunders. And another, though Cote lands a low kick. Saunders targets the body with another left kick. Cote bursts forward with an outrageous succession of uppercuts from the single collar tie, and Saunders goes down. Cote keeps the leather whirring and the ref steps in.

Tim Boetsch vs. Ed Herman

R1: Herman slips a jab in but Boetsch counters with a bear-paw right hand upstairs. Herman doubles up on his jab but Boetsch again counters with a thunderous, sweeping right to the head. Another jab/overhand exchange. This time Herman lands the jab and slips the incoming right. They clinch up, looking for knees, but Boetsch lands a right uppercut on the break.

Another short right uppercut lands for Boetsch at close quarters. Boetsch fires another from the single collar tie but Herman responds with a volley of short knees. Glancing left lands for Boetsch. Glancing overhand right from Boetsch. Herman answers in kind and follows with a knee from the clinch. Boetsch puts him on the fence but Herman lands a short forearm before they break. Close round. 10-9 Boetsch for landing the heavier strikes.

R2: Boetsch catches a Herman kick but can’t connect with the haymaker. Herman grazes with a one-two before clinching up. Herman with a pair of uppercuts from the clinch and a knee to the body. Herman pulls Boetsch’s face straight into the next knee and the big fella folds up on the canvas upon impact.

Mehdi Baghdad vs. Chris Wade

R1: Wade gets in on a double-leg early and puts Baghdad on his back. Solid defense and posture control from Baghdad in full guard. Wade finally postures up but Baghdad knee-shields before pulling him back into his closed guard. Wade has yet to land anything substantial from the top until a short left forearm gets through. The next two are blocked by Baghdad.

Baghdad wriggles back to sit up on the cage but he goes flat when Wade goes to the front headlock. A few more glancing ground shots from Wade. Baghdad takes a knee and stands but Wade gets behind him with the waist lock, then goes to the back ride with one leg grapevined. Now Wade flattens him out and puts both hooks in, snaking his forearm under the chin and cinching on the mata leao. Baghdad taps.

Maximo Blanco vs. Luke Sanders

R1: Blanco opens with a heavy right high kick. Blanco engaging aggressively, almost wildly, with his hands down and he gets tagged by a Sanders counter. Blanco settles down in southpaw and starts pumping a jab. Blanco lands a low kick but his hands are still drifting dangerously low. Two hard low kicks from Sanders. Sanders blasts him with a heavy one-two but Blanco slickly transitions into a takedown, then flows into an arm triangle from half guard.

Sanders breaks the hold, then escapes back to his feet. Hard low kick from Sanders, who then dings Blanco with another short one-two. Now it’s a jab/hook combo from Sanders and it crumples Blanco. Sanders pounces, taking the back and cinching on the rear-naked choke. Blanco taps.

Fight Pass Prelims

(UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)

Daron Cruickshank vs. Paul Felder

R1: Felder lands an outside low kick but Cruickshank lands one inside in response. Felder lands a right cross. Cruickshank has a spinning kick to the body blocked. Another outside low kick from Felder. Cruickshank doubles up on front-leg side kicks and the second blasts Felder in the jaw. Felder barges into the clinch with a right/left combo and puts Cruickshank on the fence.

Short right lands for Cruickshank as he circles off the fence. Cruickshank throws a kick on the break, then re-clinches. Felder snatches a deep guillotine and jumps guard but Cruickshank is able to peel his head out. Felder gets back to his feet but eats a knee in the process, then circles off the cage. Hard left knee to the ribs from Felder. Cruickshank lands a spinning kick to the body on the break, then catches Felder by surprise with a quick level change. Cruickshank finishes the round on top. 10-9 Cruickshank.

R2: No dice on Cruickshank’s question mark kick but he glances with a side kick downstairs. Cruickshank throws another spinning attack and follows behind it with a double-leg attempt. Felder defends but gets put on the fence with Cruickshank forcing the double leg. Felder hits a switch and puts Cruickshank on his back. Felder moves to half guard but Cruickshank recomposes full guard shortly after.

Cruickshank sits out quickly and stands up, then lands a hard spinning elbow to the face and follows with a side kick upstairs that snaps Felder’s head back. Cruickshank gets in on a double leg and he’s deep enough that Felder cinches on an inverted triangle. Cruickshank hoists him up and slams him but Felder keeps the inverted triangle and Cruickshank goes all defense. Felder sits up and hammers punches to the ribs. Cruickshank picks an ankle to break the hold and it works; Felder stands up but gets planted on the canvas with a power double. 10-9 Cruickshank.

R3: Felder opens with a stiff low kick, then whiffs with a spinning strike. Felder continues his momentum and puts Cruickshank on the fence with a right-side under-hook. Cruickshank pummels under and lands a glancing knee to the body but can’t get off the cage. Heavy left knee to the ribs from Felder, then a round knee from the right side. Cruickshank shoots a takedown to create space but Felder freezes him with the front headlock.

Felder moves to the rear waist cinch. Cruickshank puts his back on the fence and spins to face Felder but he’s taken down by a Felder double leg. Full, closed guard for Cruickshank. Two forearms to the face from Felder, then two that glance. Felder goes back to the rear waist lock during a Cruickshank escape, then he gets back mount with both hooks in. Cruickshank is late to react to the rear-naked choke and it’s too deep, forcing him to tap.

Ilir Latifi vs. Sean O’Connell

R1: O’Connell methodically walks Latifi into a corner but Latifi uncorks a meatball of an overhand right that puts O’Connell on roller-skates. Latifi follows up with another shot for good measure. And that’s that.

Kyle Bochniak vs. Charles Rosa

R1: Rosa comes out in a closed stance throwing side kicks but Bochniak holds his ground and dings him with a right. Chopping outside low kick from Bochniak. Rosa grazes with a spinning heel kick to the face. Rosa stays with the side kick as a tool to control distance. Left kick to the body from Rosa. Bochniak digs a right counter to the ribs.

Another left body kick from Rosa. Bochniak sits down on a beefy counter right and it drops Rosa. Bochniak swarms but finds himself caught in a leg lock attempt but he’s able to stabilize and escape. Back on the feet, Bochniak lands a right kick to the body, then a glancing counter right. Bochniak eats a low kick in order to land a counter right to the forehead. Rosa gets in on a single but he can’t complete it. 10-9 Bochniak.

R2: Rosa has a left high kick blocked but he lands a follow-up low kick. Glancing left kick upstairs from Rosa. Bochniak wades forward and clubs Rosa with a short right. Sharp low kick landed by Rosa. Rosa ducks a punch and wings an overhand right that puts Bochniak off-balance. Rosa switching stances but generally still engaging in southpaw. Hard outside low kick from Rosa. Rosa shoots from way too far outside and Bochniak stuffs it, landing a shot on the break.

They trade punches in the center, then low kicks, simultaneously. Bochniak grazes with a knee up the middle. Rosa shoots a double, then switches to a single to finish it. Rosa looks to scramble and punch but it allows Bochniak enough space to escape. Now Bochniak turns the tables by hitting a duck-under double leg. Rosa escapes as the round ends. 10-9 Rosa.

R3: Rosa opens with a low kick. Bochniak backs him off with a tight counter flurry. Bochniak holds his ground and throws heavy counters again, then just misses with a knee. Bochniak grazes with a left hook counter. Low kick lands for Rosa but he’s flinging his kicks hesitantly rather than committing. Counter right lands for Bochniak. Rosa grabs a single but Bochniak stays upright with good balance.

Chopping counter right lands for Bochniak, followed by another. The third lands heavily and he follows with an up-knee. Rosa goes on the attack with a low kick and left crosses but his half-hearted takedown attempt is stuffed. Bochniak again walks through a shot to land a hard right over the top. Rosa closes the gap but he’s shoved aside by Bochniak. Rosa persists and gets the front headlock, then snaps Bochniak’s head down. Bochniak eventually slithers free and they end the round slinging leather. 10-9 Bochniak. I have it 29-28 Bochniak.

Rob Font vs. Joey Gomez

R1: Font lands a long rear-leg front kick to the gut. Gomez half-checks a low kick and tries to flurry on Font’s next attempt. Both men take turns throwing rangy combos from distance. Font ducks under a left hook and hits a takedown but Gomez springs off the canvas. Font keeps him on the cage with an under-hook, then hits an outside trip. Gomez pops back up again but gets tagged with a shot.

Font glances with a one-two, then catches Gomez on the way out with a wide left hook. Now a long straight right and a left hook land for Font, who’s finding his rhythm. Font follows behind a one-two and hits a takedown but Gomez is back on his feet almost instantly, dinging Font with a hard right. They separate with just under a minute left. Hard jab from Gomez snaps Font’s head back. Font answers with a right hand and then glances with a spinning elbow. 10-9 Font.

R2: Font flings a few front and switch kicks from distance. Now a roundhouse into a hook kick from Font. Font gets the better of the next exchange, then lands a left switch kick downstairs. Now Font goes from a roundhouse into a lead-leg side kick and it glances to the body. Consecutive front kicks to the body from Font. Gomez yet to get on the board in the second.

Now Gomez compensates for Font’s retreat angle by closing his combo with a hard kick to the body. Font drills Gomez with a left uppercut, then stings him with a few more lefts while chasing him down. Gomez, retreating, wisely times a takedown and completes it to slow Font’s momentum. Font works back to his feet and cracks Gomez with a horizontal elbow, then swarms with punches upstairs and down. Gomez keels over and the ref waves it off.

Francimar Barroso vs. Elvis Mutapcic

R1: Barrosa wings a heavy right hand to start things off. Barrosa lands a counter left hook to the ear and it draws a smile from Mutapcic. Another hefty right from Barrosa. Mutapcic starts adjusting to Barrosa’s one-shot outbursts with angles, looking for counters. Barrosa hits a blast double but he’s greeted with two hard elbows from Mutapcic in guard. Barrosa postures up and glances with two punches.

Mutapcic closes his guard, controls Barrosa’s posture and holds on, occasionally looking for spike elbows to the head. Barrosa surprisingly complacent from on top. Barrosa postures up with two glancing forearms. Very little transpires for the rest of the round as the pair trade sporadic but ineffective shots, though Mutapcic does escape with a few seconds left. 10-10.

R2: Mutapcic comes up just short on a counter right cross. Barrosa lands a body kick and looks to catch the return offering from Mutapcic, but he can’t. Barrosa tries to snatch up the next low kick as well but Mutapcic pulls his leg free and lands a counter. Barrosa is chipping away with quick, lead-leg low kicks but there’s not much on them. Barrosa snaps a stiff jab home and it knocks Mutapcic’s mouthpiece out.

They trade short rights. Three consecutive low kicks land for Barrosa. They trade lefts. Hard looping left lands for Barrosa and it opens a cut under the right eye of Mutapcic. They collide with punches and Mutapcic’s mouthpiece flies loose again. Barrosa scores with a hard left body kick and Mutapcic lands a glancing counter. Barrosa fires a right down the middle and it glances but he can’t complete the takedown attempt that follows. 10-9 Barrosa.

R3: Barrosa comes out swinging more big leather. Mutapcic heeds the advice of his corner and connects on a lead uppercut. Short left hook lands for Barrosa, then an outside low kick. Barrosa tries to time a duck-under double leg and Mutapcic stuffs but loses his mouthpiece for a third time in the fight. Hard counter knee from Mutapcic in a quick double collar tie. Now a sharp left from Mutapcic.

No dice on Barrosa’s sloppy takedown attempt. Lead left hook lands downstairs for Mutapcic. Counter right lands for Barrosa down the middle. Massive left body kick slams home for Barrosa. Glancing left hand from Barrosa, who catches Mutapcic’s kick but eats a few glancing punches. Barrosa puts Mutapcic on the fence. Mutapcic circles off and tries to flurry but most of his shots are deflected. 10-9 Barrosa. I have it 30-28 Barrosa.