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#3 Marlon Moraes vs. Aljamain Sterling
Moraes scored a KO of the year candidate, by turning Sterling into a statue inside the Octagon; courtesy a hellacious knee.
Moraes connected with a picture-perfect knee on Sterling’s chin, putting the latter to sleep in dramatic fashion, as fans and experts alike were worried about ‘Aljo’s’ well-being immediately following the fight.
Sterling’s whole body froze up instantly after getting hit by the knee, and there really wasn’t much else which transpired in this fight. Regardless, Sterling and the UFC later announced that he is indeed alright after the nasty-looking knockout loss. On the other hand, Moraes has now proven himself as a top contender in the UFC Bantamweight division.
Result: Marlon Moraes def. Aljamain Sterling via KO (Knee) (Round 1, 1:07)
#4 Scott Holtzman vs. Darrell Horcher
Scott and Darrell engaged in a grinding matchup, which as expected, led to the former edging this bout on the scorecards.
Scott dictated where this fight took place, and seized momentum at every turn. He never gave the reigns of the bout’s rhythm to Darrell, and dominated all departments of this showdown.
In the end, the judges scored this fight for Scott Holtzman, and rightfully so.
Result: Scott Holtzman def. Darrell Horcher via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
#5 Eryk Anders vs. Markus Perez
Anders dominated this fight, and simply was the better fighter overall.
Although Perez tried his best to push the pace throughout, Anders never gave him the room to capitalize on the traditional kickboxing movements and combinations. Anders stifled Perez’s offence, and that was seemingly enough to convince the judges to score this bout in his favour.
Result: Eryk Anders def. Markus Perez via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-25, 29-28)
#6 Benito Lopez vs. Albert Morales
This bout between Lopez and Morales didn’t see much offence or action from either side.
Lopez outworked Morales—most of which seemed rather lumbering. The striking in this matchup was rudimentary, and neither fighter seized the moment to showcase the full extent of their respective skill-set.
The bout ended with Lopez likely having out-pointed Morales, and the judges agreed with the same notion.
Result: Benito Lopez def. Albert Morales via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
