We are live! UFC 131 is officially underway, and as the anticipation builds towards Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos, things kick off with Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha.
After an impressive run with WEC, “Cowboy” won in his first post-merger UFC fight. Will he be able to extend that streak to two?
Or, will Rocha slow down Cerrone’s quest towards a UFC Lightweight Championship shot. The result follows:
Donald Cerrone b. Vagner Rocha via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Story of the fight: A big victory for leg kick fanatics, Cerrone’s gameplan essentially boiled down to punishing Rocha’s lead leg. The ongoing toll of the leg kicks was visibly evident, and Rocha’s struggle to consistently bring the fight to the mat (and away from Cerrone’s striking advantage) became impossible as his leg lost its spring. Rocha’s takedown attempts were stuffed with increased ease as the fight went on, and though Cerrone never came close to finishing Rocha, he had no trouble picking his opponent apart on the fight.
