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Billed as a potential 'fight of the year' contender, Mike Perry and Vincent Luque's co-main event fight at UFC Fight Night 156 may not have been an all-out slobber knocker, but it was still a pretty brutal affair to watch.
It's Mike Perry, so it shouldn't be that surprising.
Despite putting on a typically buoyant performance, Perry lost the fight via a close split decision to Luque, and also walked away with a broken nose.
Luque started slowly as Perry was the aggressor from the opening bell. It took time for Luque to get his range going and once that was looked after, the Brazilian landed more shots. Perry tried to be creative with his angles and combinations, and took the first round in the books.
Luque came back strong and increased the volume of his strikes, with more efficiency being the focal point in the second round. The third round was where the fight was decided.
Perry had already suffered a cut under his left eye and it got worse when he got hit by a brutal knee right to the nose. Luque couldn't have landed it any better and any other fighter would have buckled to its impact.
Perry, however, is not your average fighter. 'Platinum' is one of the toughest guys in MMA and he gave another example of his durability.
Perry shot for a takedown and got caught in a Guillotine choke attempt from Luque. Perry didn't give up as blood poured onto the mat and the body of Luque. He got his head out of Luque's grip just as the fight came to a close.
The first images of his busted up nose looked horrific. Even Perry flinched for a second when he saw his mangled-up nose on the big screen.
In the end, Luque managed to score a split decision win, which was his sixth consecutive victory. The talented Brazilian demanded a top ten fighter for his next bout and we certainly don't argue with him. The recent track record proves that Luque is ready for a step up in his UFC career.
Perry pushed Luque to the limit in this one, which incidentally, was the first time Luque was taken the distance in a fight. It may not have been a fight of the year candidate but it was still quite an engaging contest between two of the most exciting strikers of the Welterweight division.
