Todd Duffee (right) punches Phil De Fries during their heavyweight fight at UFC 155 on December 29, 2012 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The UFC 155 prelims entertained the Las Vegas crowd and those watching at home on FX on Saturday night, but not without some questionable scores being tabulated by the judges.
Eddie Wineland, Erik Perez and Todd Duffee led the way for Saturday night’s preliminary fights at the MGM Grand, capping off an undercard full of back-and-forth action, as well as first-round finishes.
Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland
Eddie Wineland defeated Brad Pickett, shutting down his opponent with a split decision in the final UFC 155 prelim on FX.
Wineland landed several punches in the first round, wobbling Pickett on many occasions. Pickett did well to move forward, but never landed the “one punch” that gave him his nickname.
Wineland landed less significant strikes as the fight went to the final round, but he maintained enough to outscore his opponent on the feet in the judges’ eyes. The final scores read 30-27, 28-29 and 30-27.
“I hit him with everything I had,” Wineland said after the win. “He’s got a melon on him like a coconut.”
Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth
Erik Perez pounded out Byron Bloodworth in their UFC 155 prelim on FX, earning the TKO in the first round.
Perez brought the fight to the ground after landing a knee from the clinch in Bloodworth’s ribcage. Soon after, Perez worked from top position and landed consecutive elbows, cutting open Bloodworth’s forehead.
The Mexican fighter earned his third win in the UFC, with the finish coming at 3:50 of the opening frame.
Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner won a split decision over Melvin Guillard in their prelim fight.
Guillard landed several legkicks early on, but Varner stayed active and took his opponent down several times. A big slam near the end of the fight capped it off for Varner.
Notably, one judge scored the fight unanimously for Guillard, which brought on the split decision. Across the board, the scores were 30-27, 27-30, 30-27.
Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury
Myles Jury stayed undefeated, topping Michael Johnson by unanimous decision in their prelim fight.
Jury dominated Johnson on the ground, controlling him and peppering strikes from top position for a majority of the three-round contest. Judges scored it the same across the board, 30-27.
Phil DeFries vs. Todd Duffee
Todd Duffee made a successful return to the UFC, knocking out Phil DeFries in the first round of the final Facebook undercard fight.
After getting taken down early in the fight, Duffee returned the fight to a standing contest and landed several right hands that put DeFries out for good at 2:04 of the first round.
Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway
Max Holloway topped Leonard Garcia in the second fight of the night, nabbing the split decision. Garcia landed several strikes in the second and third rounds, but the judges have the decision to Holloway, which signaled the crowd to voice their displeasure with boos.
Chris Cariaso vs. John Moraga
John Moraga defeated Chris Cariaso in the evening’s opening bout. Two went back and forth for two rounds before Moraga sank the front choke at 1:11 of the third round.
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