UFC 145 takes place from Atlanta Saturday night, headlined by a grudge match for the UFC light heavyweight title between champion Jon Jones and challenger Rashad Evans. We'll be providing ongoing coverage throughout the evening, beginning at around 4PM Pacific.
Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage
Blanco is a world traveled MMA veteran who has fought for highly regarded international organizations such as Pancrase, World Victory Road and Strikeforce. He is also known for his wild style. This is his UFC debut. Brimage is an Ultimate Fighter veteran with very good striking and knockout power but a deficient ground game.
Round 1. Blanco opens with a head kick. Brimage moves forward with a few straight punch combinations. He connects solidly with a couple shots. As Brimage moves in, Blanco takes him down. Brimage gets right back up, although he does eat a few punches on the way back up. As the round winds down, a pattern develops of Brimage moving forward with punches and Blanco looking to counter. 10-9 Brimage.
Round 2. Blanco scores with a front kick and then follows with a leaping front kick that does not connect. Blanco throws another moments later and lands well with a knee in the process. With Blanco landing a few shots early, Brimage is more tentative this round and doesn't press forward nearly as much. As Brimage moves in, he gets caught with a nice counter hook. As Brimage moves in again, Blanco knocks him down with a well placed leg kick. 10-9 Blanco.
Round 3. Roles reverse in the third round, with Blanco walking down Brimage some after spending most of the first two rounds countering. Neither man is able to land much and the crowd boos. Blanco goes for a takedown but has it stuffed. Brimage lands a nice pair of straight punches. Brimage becomes more aggressive late in the round, charging forward with the same combinations of punches he has used throughout. Blanco goes for a takedown with 30 seconds left but has it blocked and Brimage throws a few heavy punches in response. 10-9 Brimage, 29-28 Brimage.
After the round, the two fighters begin taunting each other for running. This leads to each man doing various flips and then a full scale gymnastics contest. This was as bizarre of a spectacle as you're going to see in UFC.
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