Promoted to the main card on short notice, Chris Gutierrez got the better of Felipe Colares by split decision tonight at UFC Fight Night 194.
Round One:
Head kick attempt straight away from Colares. Gutierrez goes for leg kicks. Colares with a quick body kick. He goes for another. Leg kick again from Gutierrez.
Body kick from Colares, head kick attempt from Gutierrez that’s blocked. Spinning kick to the body lands for Gutierrez. Another body kick from Colares. He lands it again. Left hand for Gutierrez.
Colares punches his way into the clinch against the cage and works around to Gutierrez’s back. Now he’s looking to break Gutierrez’s base, but is unable to and his opponent turns into him.
Gutierrez with double underhooks and turns into Colares. They break free with two minutes of the round remaining. Right hand from Colares and misses on a head kick.
Jumping switch kick attempt from Colares. They punch into the clinch again and it’s Gutierrez who presses Colares into the cage now.
Colares turns into him. However, Gutierrez has the leverage and gets him to the cage again. Colares attempts to drop down on a submission attempt, but it fails and Gutierrez almost was able to keep him down.
They go back to striking range. Left hand gets through for Gutierrez. Oblique kick from Gutierrez. Spinning head kick from Colares misses. Gutierrez misses on a spinning backfist attempt as the round ends.
Round Two:
Immediately they go back to exchanging kicks – Gutierrez to the leg, Colares to the body. Now Gutierrez lands a body kick of his own.
Colares just grazing the target as he presses forward with reaching punches. Nice jab for Clares. He misses with hooks though, then goes back to the body with a kick.
Jab for Gutierrez. Heavy leather exchanged in close for a moment. Right hook counter from Gutierrez. Another jab for Gutierrez and tries to work into the clinch, but they break free quickly.
Gutierrez circles Colares while pumping the jab. Colares with a body kick. He attempts to go upstairs too. Punch for Gutierrez, kick for Colares. Again with the body kick from Colares and eats a jab in response.
latest head kick attempt from Colares whiffs past the target. Head kick for Gutierrez almost landing nicely. He goes back to the jab.
Body kick for Colares and then soon after drives into a takedown attempt, but Gutierrez fights it off against the cage. Colares tries to pick him up, but can’t stick the landing. Gutierrez turns him into the cage, then lands a jab on the way out.
More jabs getting through now for Gutierrez. Now nice footwork setting up a solid straight down the pipe.
Colares trying to work his own punches and Gutierrez rips a punch to the body. Gutierrez attempts an acrobatic kick technique that doesn’t pay of and he falls to the mat, but it’s the end of the round anyway.
Round Three:
Chopping leg kick from Gutierrez. He catches one from Colares and then lands his own again. Now a push kick to the body. He steps in and lands punches.
Colares punches to distract Gutierrez then launches into a takedown against the cage, but Gutierrez stays upright, gets the double underhooks and turns in yet again to the cage.
Gutierrez backs out. Body kick for Colares. Body kick for Gutierrez and a jab behind it. Now lateral movement from him. He lands a low kick.
Colares reaches and misses with a punch. Gutierrez catches him with a good right hand. Now a leg kick that knocks the off-balance Colares to the mat for a moment.
Both men exchange the jab. Clipping left hook from Colares. Single punch and then down to his knees working on a takedown from Colares. He doesn’t get it initially, but continues to work and manages to finally get Gutierrez down to the mat with around two minute remaining.
Colares in Gutierrez’s closed guard. He’s not getting much room to operate here. Gutierrez does a nice job of getting a butterfly hook and making space to get back to his feet.
Gutierrez immediately fires off a spinning elbow. Gutierrez lands and Colares backs up, but motions him to come at him. Gutierrez obliges and he tries another spinning attack and punches behind it.
Colares throwing caution to the wind, pressing forward trying to find a home for his own punches, but Gutierrez is keeping just out of range with his footwork. Colares down manages to bundle Gutierrez to the mat just as the round ends.
Decision:
Good competitive fight then but Gutierrez always seemed to be a step ahead with his striking, while he also stuffed multiple takedown attempts until the third round when Colares finally started to have some success with that.
As a result, it’s Gutierrez who emerges with the win, but only by split decision (28-29, 30-27 x2).
