UFC Fight Night 88 was primed to be one of the most exciting and action packed cards of the year. The co-main event ended up being a very competitive fight between two fighters who weren’t afraid to throw down. Jeremy Stephens and Renan Barao put on a show, earning Fight of the Night. Stephens took the 29-28 (x3) unanimous decision.
Check out Dallas Winston’s play-by-play of the 3rd Round:
R3: They stay in the pocket and box, trading evenly for the first minute. Stephens lands a short right and Barao answers. Barao shoots but Stephens again circles off the fence. Barao breaks loose and separates, landing short punches on the reset as Stephens glances with a left hook. Stephens lands a clean uppercut, then glances with another left hook.
Barao shoots a double and finishes it just past the halfway mark. Barao pinches Stephens’ knees together to prevent the escape, but to no avail. Stephens stands up and circles Barao onto the cage, looking for a single leg. Barao circles off and separates to the tune of another Stephens uppercut. Stephens sits down on a right cross and swats Barao with it, but whiffs with a spinning back fist.