Henry Cejudo was able to edge out Jussier Formiga on the scorecards tonight by split decision at UFC Fight Night 78 to move closer to a potential title shot at 125lbs.
Round One:
Formiga takes the center of the Octagon to start. He kicks to the leg of his opponent. Cejudo with a solid left and right as he advances forward. He fires out another two punches.
Now Formiga unleashes a few punches of his own. Cejudo with punches and looked like he wanted the clinch, but doesn’t get it. Low leg kick for him.
Left and a right from Cejudo, the latter of which almost knocks him off-balance a little. Cejudo backs away from offense from Formiga. Formiga connects with a right hand. Cejudo with a knee to the midsection.
They clinch up in the center of the cage and Cejduo lands a knee to the body. Formiga breaks away from it with punches.
Cejudo misses with a left hook and gets caught with a glancing counter. They clinch up and trade knees back and forth to the legs. They break free, then back into the clinch. Again knees from both men.
Break free, then again back to the clinch with Formiga landing as he came in there. Another brief seperation and Cejudo clocks Formiga with right hand and his legs buckle for a moment, but immediately stands upright again.
As the round comes to a close Cejudo lands a takedown, and that should seal the round in his favor.
Round Two:
Formiga with a nice two-piece combo there. Cejudo with an uppercut and a kick. left hook gets through for Formiga.
Cejudo feeling out with the jab and Formiga comes forward with a rapid-fire jab of his own. Brief clinch and some knees exchanged.
Left-right from Cejudo. They clinch up and Cejudo lands a few knees. As they break apart they exchange with Cejudo landing hooks while Formiga clocks him with a right hook.
Formiga with a nice kick to the leg. Cejudo targets the body with a kick of his own. Now a low leg kick.
Winging left hook from Formiga lands. Formiga clinches up and lands a knee before being pushed away. He goes straight back to the clinch again. Not much happening, but Cejudo lands an elbow on the way back out.
Again to the clinch and both trade a knee each. Formiga to the body with one before they break. Final 20 seconds of the round and Formiga doubles up on the jab and eats a counter from Cejudo.
Cejudo reaches for a takedown, but then thinks better of it and throws strikes instead. Formiga looking to clinch as the round ends.
Round Three:
Cejudo the more aggressive with knees as they immediately clinch up in the center of the cage. Separating Cedudo lands a couple of right hands. Clinching now and back and forth knees before they separate.
Cejudo with a body kick. Knee to the body in the clinch from Formiga. They break, Cejudo presses forward and lands a punch as he locks up and this time pushes Formiga against the cage. He takes him down, but Formiga pops right back up.
Clinching yet again Formiga tries a trip, but Cejudo doesn’t budge. Cejudo lands a good elbow and continues with knees.
Low leg kick for Formiga. Cejudo presses Formiga to the cage again. He lands a few knees to the legs. Cejudo tries for a single leg, but Formiga keeps his balance and moves away.
Formiga in again and gets locked into the clinch game again. He needs to land more offense at this stage in the fight as Cejudo is generally outworking him. Case in point Cejudo lands some effective knees from this position.
Cejudo shoves Formiga to the cage one last time and that’s where the action ends – we’re headed to the scorecards.
Decision:
Cejudo continually edged the offensive output in this fight and looked stronger in the clinch, but he doesn’t get a clean sweep on the scorecards as one judge saw it in Formiga’s favor, while the other two believed Cejudo did enough to win all three rounds (30-27 x2, 28-29).
