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UFC 204 recap: Michael Bisping defeats Dan Henderson for middleweight title

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Michael Bisping avenged a loss from UFC 100 with a unanimous-decision victory over Dan Henderson on Saturday night in Manchester, England. Bisping won in his hometown in Henderson’s final bout. Get a fight-by-fight recap of the UFC 204 card here.

Middleweight title: Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson round-by-round coverage

For years, Michael Bisping sought his opportunity to challenge for the UFC middleweight title. It felt after a while that opportunity might never come as Bisping fell short in some key fights with a shot on the line. However, Bisping finally got his opportunity this year. After a win over all time legend Anderson Silva in England, Bisping stepped in on short notice to challenge Luke Rockhold for the title. Bisping scored the shocking upset, knocking out Rockhold in the first round.

Now, in his first title defense, Bisping gets an opportunity to score a third legacy win in a year. He gets a rematch with Dan Henderson, who knocked him out at UFC 100 in one of the most memorable finishes in the history of the sport. Adding to the stakes, Henderson has announced he will retire after this fight regardless of result, so he has the opportunity to retire as champion after a legendary career. It’s a fight with no shortage of intriguing angles.

Round 1. Bisping throws the first shot of the fight, a kick that doesn’t land. Bisping is moving forward on Henderson but exercising caution with respect for Henderson’s power. Henderson throws the big right hand he’s known for but misses. Henderson ducks in as if teasing a takedown but doesn’t fully commit. Bisping is bleeding near the middle of his face. Bisping lands a nice right hand. He continues to work his jab. Henderson looks to set up that heavy power shot. Henderson drops Bisping with a right hand. He follows with more punches on the ground, looking for the finish. He continues to land big shots. Bisping returns to his feet but Henderson continues to try to finish. A badly bleeding Bisping tries to compose himself as the round comes to an end. 10-8 Henderson.

Round 2. Bisping starts out the round chasing down Henderson like in the first. He’s clearly trying to give off confidence after nearly being finished in the first. Bisping is landing a lot more than Henderson, principally straight punches with some leg kicks mixed in. Bisping backs Henderson up with a head kick but eats a power right hand shortly thereafter. Bisping hurts Henderson with a straight punch and a body shot but as Bisping goes in for the finish, he gets dropped with a power right hand. Bisping has Henderson in his guard with a minute left in the round. Unlike in the first round where Henderson’s big flurry overshadowed everything else, Bisping controlled that round enough to win it even with Henderson’s one big shot. 10-9 Bisping.

Round 3. Bisping lands a few crisp punches early and throws another head kick that’s mostly blocked. Bisping lands a nice right hand after that. Bisping’s output has been so much more than Henderson throughout but Henderson has landed the big shot each of the first two rounds. Bisping continues to press the action. He eats a solid right hand and Henderson goes for a takedown that is blocked. Bisping keeps landing solid shots on Henderson but the drama is strong because we’ve seen Henderson’s power. Henderson lands the big right hand again but Bisping is fine this time. Dominant round for Bisping. 10-9 Bisping.

Round 4. Bisping is again the aggressor. He’s landing more but Henderson does connect with another right hand in an exchange. Against a different opponent, Bisping might be putting away the fight at this point but because of Henderson’s power he isn’t fully committing to pouring it on like he would against someone else. Henderson lands some jabs of his own and mixes in some leg kicks as well. Henderson is moving forward in the second half of this round, something he really hasn’t done much of throughout the fight. Henderson lands a knee late. Close round. 10-9 Bisping.

Round 5. Henderson lands a nice knee again in an early exchange. Bisping throws a few wild kicks but doesn’t land. Henderson responds with an uppercut. Bisping lands a couple nice punches. He adds a few more a little bit later. Henderson gets a takedown late in the round but Bisping stands back up. Henderson shoots for another takedown late but has it blocked. Bisping moves in with a flying knee late. Another close round. 10-9 Bisping, 48-46 Bisping.

Winner: Michael Bisping, unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46).

After the bout, Henderson confirms that he’s done fighting. The partisan crowd cheers him and chants “Hendo.” The fight turned out well for all involved, with Henderson turning in a tough performance in his final fight and Bisping exhibiting great heart in securing a revenge win and first successful defense of his title.

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Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi round-by-round coverage

Vitor Belfort is one of the sport’s longest tenured and most well known stars. His remarkable hand speed has always been his calling card and he has knockout wins over some of the sport’s all time best fighters. Now 39 and under a more rigorous drug testing program, it appears he may be at the end of his run. Gegard Mousasi, 8 years his junior, is a dangerous finisher both standing and on the ground. This would be a big win for him in his perpetual quest for more high profile opponents.

Round 1. Mousasi lands a few kicks to start. Belfort answers with a few straight punches. Mousasi is able to take them without trouble, a good sign given Belfort’s power early in fights. Mousasi lands a few nice punches of his own but has a takedown attempt stuffed. Belfort throws a high kick that is blocked. Mousasi cracks Belfort with an impressive two punch combination that appears to stun Belfort a little. Mousasi looks for a takedown at the close of the round. That was Mousasi’s round for sure. 10-9 Mousasi.

Round 2. Mousasi appears confident early in the second, throwing frequently without as much concern for Belfort’s power. He lands some nice straight punches but again has a takedown attempt easily blocked. Mousasi lands a heavy head kick and swarms on Belfort with punches by the cage reminiscent of a prime Belfort. He takes Belfort down and continues to lands big punches on the ground. He quickly moves into mount and continues to do more damage. Finally the referee steps in.

Winner: Gegard Mousasi, TKO, round 2.

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Ovince St. Preux vs. Jimi Manuwa round-by-round coverage

Ovince St. Preux, a former Tennessee football player, has established himself as a solid contender at light heavyweight. He is still looking for that defining victory, having lost to his toughest opponents in Jon Jones, Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader. Jimi Manuwa is a dangerous striker who like St. Preux has dominated weaker competition while falling short against the best of the best in Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson.

Round 1. Manuwa throws a few hard kicks early. They clinch and trade knees to the body. Manuwa adds a strong knee to the head. St. Preux gets a takedown halfway into the round. Manuwa gets up but St. Preux takes him right back down. Manuwa grabs a guillotine choke in the process but can’t get it. 10-9 St. Preux.

Round 2. Manuwa lands a few kicks from distance. He lands a hard looping right hand near the ear of St. Preux. Manuwa is really picking St. Preux apart with kicks and mixing in some quality punches as well. St. Preux appears tired, making matters worse. Manuwa knocks St. Preux out cold with a vicious left hook that buckles St. Preux’s leg under him.

Winner: Jimi Manuwa, KO, round 2.

Jimi Manuwa came into the UFC at a later age with some injuries and hasn’t been able to rack up a lot of noteworthy wins. He sure did tonight. That was a brutal finish over an accomplished opponent, demonstrating how dangerous a striker Manuwa is.

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Stefan Struve vs. Daniel Omielanczuk round-by-round coverage

Stefan Struve stands out in the heavyweight division. He does so in a physical sense at around 7 feet tall. In a division full of older fighters, he’s one of the youngest top fighters at 28 years old. His fighting style is distinct as well. Omielanczuk is a serviceable fighter with a good ground game but not a lot of power. He has won three in a row in the UFC, albeit against lacking competition.

Round 1. Omielanczuk moves in quickly looking to land punches on the chin of the much taller fighter. Struve uses some front kicks to establish range. That’s something he has always struggled to do despite his reach. To that point, Omielanczuk gets in and lunges with a left hand right to the jaw of the Dutch fighter. Omielanczuk lands a couple more punches to the chin after that. Struve lands a nice head kick and a few punches that follow. The fighters clinch and struggle for control. Struve gets the takedown and works his way into mount. Omielanczuk turns and Struve sinks in his hooks. Struve can’t get the submission as time runs out. 10-9 Struve.

Round 2. The fighters clinch by the cage. Struve lands a hard knee to the head in the clinch. They tumble to the mat with Struve grabbing a D’Arce choke for the submission.

Winner: Stefan Struve, submission, round 2.

Stefan Struve couldn’t much afford a loss here and he picked it up against a lesser known opponent. Struve still has the same weaknesses in his game but his ground game got it done again.

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Mirsad Bektic vs. Russell Doane round-by-round coverage

Mirsad Bektic is thought to be a potential championship contender in the future. Undefeated at age 25 with three UFC wins, he is a tough fighter to deal with. Russell Doane took this fight on short notice and desperately needs a win as he lost his last three fights leading into this bout.

Round 1. Bektic lands a few nice punches early. His footwork stands out as being particularly good. Bektic ducks in with a quick takedown and traps Doane against the cage. Doane stands up but is slammed right back down. Doane gets up again gamely. Bektic drags him back down and sinks in his hooks from the back. This provides Bektic with the opportunity to go for the rear naked choke for the finish. Bektic gets it and Doane is forced to submit.

Winner: Mirsad Bektic, submission, round 1.

That was expected to be an easy fight for Bektic for a number of reasons and Bektic backed up the heavy betting odds in his favor. Doane is a quality fighter but he was dominated in all aspects of the game in this contest. Bektic is looking at some high level opponents in 2017.

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Brad Pickett vs. Iuri Alcantara round-by-round coverage

Brad “One Punch” Pickett has been a notable force in the lighter weight classes for over a decade. Now 38, the veteran of the sport is looking to hang on with three losses in his last four fights. Alcantara is a solid gatekeeper type who has defeated some solid opponents including Wilson Reis and Ricardo Lamas.

Round 1. Alcantara drops Pickett with a big spinning elbow and follows with a long series of punches on the ground. Pickett is nearly finished but hangs on. Alcantara grabs a mounted triangle choke. He then switches to an armbar attempt. Pickett defends that so Alcantara transitions back to the triangle choke for the submission.

Winner: Iuri Alcantara, submission, round 1.

That was a really impressive performance by Alcantara. He was dominant with a variety of techniques and made quick work of a proud and gritty veteran of the sport.

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Davey Grant vs. Damien Stasiak round-by-round coverage

Davey Grant is a former Ultimate Fighter finalist who returned to action this year after missing over two years with injuries. He’s a ground oriented fighter. That’s true of Damien Stasiak as well. The Polish veteran is 1-1 in the UFC.

Round 1. Stasiak grabs a single leg and dumps Grant to the mat. Grant is able to return to his feet. Grant looks for a takedown of his own and gets it up against the cage. Stasiak scrambles up to his feet. They continue to grapple for top position. After some tentative standup, Grant gets another takedown but Stasiak uses a butterfly sweep to take top position back. That was a very even round. 10-9 Stasiak.

Round 2. Grant lands some heavy punches and a knee, his best strikes of the fight. Grant really opens up with his offense, landing a variety of offense from different angles. Stasiak has to resort to covering up against the Octagon as Grant opens up with his punches as well as some kicks and knees. Stasiak gets a takedown and nicely moves into full mount. Grant gets out of danger and returns to his feet. Stasiak does get a hold of Grant and takes him back down to close the round. 10-9 Grant.

Round 3. Stasiak looks for a takedown but Grant gets the takedown himself. Stasiak grabs an armbar. Grant tries to get out but his arm is bent terribly and Grant is forced to tap out.

Winner: Damien Stasiak, submission, round 3.

That was a good grappling bout. The armbar at the end was just nasty. Hopefully Grant didn’t suffer injury in his effort to avoid tapping.

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Albert Tumenov vs. Leon Edwards round-by-round coverage

The dangerous Russian fighter Tumenov worked himself into the top 15 of the UFC with 5 straight UFC wins. He took a big step back in his last fight when he was overwhelmed by the ground game of Gunnar Nelson and submitted in the second round. He seeks to rebound here against the Brit Edwards who has gone 3-2 in the UFC.

Round 1. Edwards lands a nice body kick and takes Tumenov down, but Tumenov pops back up. Edwards follows through and gets Tumenov back down. Edwards works into full mount but Tumenov quickly pulls Edwards back into the less advantageous half guard position. Edwards looks to set up a kimura but Tumenov stands back up. Edwards briefly looks for a guillotine choke but gives it up and takes Tumenov back down. 10-9 Edwards.

Round 2. Edwards seems more content to stand in the second and Tumenov takes advantage by stepping up his output. Tumenov in particular throws a series of high kicks. Tumenov lands a crisp left hook later in the round. Edwards for his part has largely abandoned his attempts to get the fight down. 10-9 Tumenov.

Round 3. The second round starts out much like the second, with Tumenov getting the better of the standing. Edwards looks for a takedown two minutes in but doesn’t come close. Edwards catches a kick and tries for the takedown again at the midpoint of the round. This time he gets it. Edwards locks in a rear naked choke and gets the submission.

Winner: Leon Edwards, submission, round 3.

Edwards picks up the biggest win of his career there, although the story felt more about Tumenov. Tumenov has fought at a high level for a long time but he has some glaring deficiencies in his ground game that have really come to the surface this year. Future opponents are going to try to take advantage of that as well.

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Lukasz Sajewski vs. Marc Diakiese round-by-round coverage

Sajewski is a ground oriented Polish fighter who has struggled in his first two UFC fights against tough competition, losing to Nick Hein and Gilbert Burns. He comes in on short notice against a highly regarded undefeated UFC newcomer Marc Diakiese.

Round 1. Diakiese charges forward looking to land a big shot and Sajewski takes advantage of that by switching levels and taking Diakiese down. Sajewski ends up in side control. Sajewski moves into full mount but loses that. Diakiese gets up and slams Sajewski down in spectacular fashion. Sajewski clinches and gets another takedown. Diakiese uses the threat of a heel hook to get back to his feet. 10-9 Sajewski.

Round 2. Diakiese looks to keep healthy distance after the first round, landing a few punches from the outside and keeping Sajewski from moving in. Diakiese attempts a flying knee. He connects with a nice hook. Sajewski’s output just isn’t enough as Diakiese takes over the fight. Diakiese pours on knees and punches late in the round. Eventually Sajewski slumps down and the fight is stopped.

Winner: Marc Diakiese, TKO, round 2.

That perhaps wasn’t as impressive a UFC debut as his staunchest supporters would have hoped for, but Diakiese took care of business and showcased the skill that has many excited for his future.

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Danny Roberts vs. Mike Perry round-by-round coverage

This intriguing bout pits a pair of fighters who are relatively new to the UFC but have a lot of potential marketability for different reasons. Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts is an English native who is 13-1 in MMA with 2 wins already in the UFC. Perry is 8-0 and made a memorable UFC debut, talking trash (including some objectionable racist language from his corners) and knocking out his opponent in brutal fashion.

Round 1. Perry moves forward with punches and also mixes in some kicks. Roberts seeks to find his range early and measure Perry while Perry is quicker to open up. Roberts lands a stiff body kick 90 seconds in and a straight left hand. Perry seems undeterred by anything Roberts does and just keeps moving in. Perry appears to rock Roberts with a knee and some big punches against the cage. They go to the ground, where Perry ends up in side control and lands some more hard punches. Perry looks to take Roberts’ back in transition but Roberts successfully returns to his feet. Roberts still appears a little off after feeling Perry’s power. To his credit, he lands some solid punches late. Perry retaliates with heavy punches late and Roberts goes down again. Perry looks to finish with punches but time runs out. Roberts may be better technically but Perry’s power has been the difference. 10-9 Perry.

Round 2. Perry continues to be aggressive, pushing forward on Roberts. Roberts counters with a couple of nice straight left hands. In the final couple of minutes, with Perry appearing to slow a little and Roberts growing confident, Roberts presses the offense himself. He backs Perry up with some solid punches to the chin. Roberts does it again with 30 seconds left but as Roberts moves in for the finish he gets caught with a counter hook. Roberts goes down and Perry takes his back. Perry lands a series of vicious elbows late and steals a round he had been losing. Perry’s power continues to be his ace in the hole. 10-9 Perry.

Round 3. Roberts is active early with punches and kicks. Perry responds with offense of his own and again the power differential is notable. Perry backs Roberts against the cage with heavy knees and some punches but Roberts is able to stay standing this time. Roberts staggers Perry a little with a straight left hand as Perry is moving in. That has been Roberts’ best weapon throughout the fight. Roberts lands a pretty head kick late. Perry has gotten the best of things the final two rounds but Perry really brutalized him at the end of the second. Perry hurts Roberts again late in the third. He knocks Roberts down with a knee and punches and then knocks him out cold on the ground with punches to end the fight in the final minute.

Winner: Mike Perry, KO, round 3.

Mike Perry has some clear defensive liabilities but his power is something to reckon with. He is going to have some memorable fights before his career is over.

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Leonardo Santos vs. Adriano Martins round-by-round coverage

UFC 204’s opening bout in Great Britain features a pair of Brazilian fighters. Santos is a jiu jitsu specialist who is unbeaten since 2009 including four UFC wins. Martins also has a jiu jitsu background but has added knockout power as well. He has won 9 of his last 10.

Round 1. The fight starts out with a slow pace. Santos is working from the center of the Octagon with Martins circling around the outside. Both men are relying heavily on low kicks for their offense and landing little else. Martins throws a lunging uppercut late. That was a nothing round with little to score. 10-9 Martins, marginally.

Round 2. The second round is much like the first. Santos is moving forward more and taking the center more but neither man is throwing or landing much. Leg kicks continue to be the weapon of choice, if you can even call them that. Santos is landing a few more kicks. Again, next to nothing to score. 10-9 Martins.

Round 3. Martins gets a little more aggressive in the third, moving in and looking to land something. He’s throwing more punches than in the first or second but leg kicks continue to predominate. This genuinely dreadful bound finally comes to a merciful end. 10-9 Martins, 29-28 Martins. That fight could go either way because so little of consequence happened.

Winner: Leonardo Santos, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Santos got the nod, but that’s not the sort of performance that will build interest in his upcoming fights.

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