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#5 Vicente Luque vs. Mike Perry (Welterweight)
Fight of the year? That's what we were told in the build-up to this fight. It may not have been FOTY level crazy but it was still a bloody war nonetheless.
Perry was expectedly adventurous in the first round. He tried a jumping kick to the body in the opening seconds. Luque took some time to get himself going but he began to connect with jabs and short left-hand strikes as the round went by. Perry kept looking to side-step Luque and land with a big right. He mixed it up with leg kicks to the body and high kicks to the face.
Luque got his range going and landed punches that opened up a cut under Perry's left eye. Perry unleashed a flurry of strikes late into the round but Luque held on.
Perry tried to dictate the proceedings in the second round as he clinched with Luque and pushed him against the cage. A few short punches kept the scorecards ticking. Perry landed a 1-2 on the break. Both men exchanged strikes in the middle of the Octagon. Perry, though, was a tad quicker and kept connecting with the jabs. He occasionally threw in the uppercut.
Luque stayed calm and kept working with strikes of his own. He tried to disbalance him with leg kicks. Perry kept coming in with combinations with a bad cut under his left eye.
The third round was all about who was prepared to absorb more damage and return the favour and dish out more punishment. Both men stood toe-to-toe and engaged in an even stand-up battle. While Luque went for body kicks, Perry looked for body punches.
Perry attempted his first takedown in the third round but Luque stuffed it with ease. Perry pinned him near the cage and got in a few knees to Luque's thighs before the referee separated them for lack of action.
Perry landed a takedown late in the third round after eating a massive knee to the face. However, he found himself in a precarious position as Luque had him in a Guillotine choke. Perry refused to tap out as a stream of blood gushed out onto Luque's body. Perry survived until the end of the fight but his nose looked in horrific condition.
Result: Vincent Luque def. Mike Perry via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Luque brought up his sixth consecutive victory and deserves a top-ranked opponent next. As for Perry, 'Platinum' needs to get his wrecked nose fixed. What a blood bath though!
