Cory Sandhagen may have only beaten Marlon Vera by split-decision tonight at UFC On ESPN 43, but it was a more convincing victory then that result suggests.
Round One:
The bantamweight main event is underway in San Antonio!
Both look for leg kicks at the same time. Jab for Sandhagen. Inside leg kick from him. One-two from Sandhagen.
Outside leg kick for Sandhagen. Low kick for Vera and one for Sandhagen. leg kicks to the inside and outside from Sandhagen.
Inside leg kick for Sandhagen. He lands it again. Two connect to the outside of the leg. Now a right hand.
Punch and then a missed uppercut and kick from Sandhagen. Vera pumps the jab without finding a home for it and Sandhagen lands a solid counter.
Sandhagen attempting a takedown now. They end up in the clinch against the cage and Sandhagen uses a trip to bring Vera down.
Sandhagen landing a few ground-and-pound strikes here and Vera also working some elbows from his back. Vera close to the cage now as Sandhagen gets into half-guard and lands some elbows.
Sandhagen landing more nasty elbows here and continues to do so until the round ends.
Round Two:
Front kicks to the body exchanged. Sandhagen pressuring here. Vera throws a punch and Sandhagen lands on the counter.
Sandhagen lands a few reaching punches here and then drives into a takedown attempt. He brings him down, but Vera is threatening with a guillotine choke.
Sandhagen gets his head free and settles into half-guard. He lands punches to the ear of Vera. A few elbows and punches from Sandhagen.
Sandhagen into side control now and Vera gets his feet up onto the cage. He’s not doing anything to improve position though as Sandhagen cotninues to chip away with short elbows.
Finally vera scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Front kick to the body for Vera. Low kick from Sandhagen. Jab for Vera. Uppercut attempt from Sandhagen. Right hook gets through for him.
Body kick attempt from Sandhagen and Vera catches that. Sandhagen stays upright and gets his leg free though. Vera attempts a front kick upstairs that misses as the round ends.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Sandhagen. Now a front kick to the body. Leg kick for Vera. Head kick attempt from him is blocked. Chopping leg kick from Sandhagen.
One-two for Vera and then a push kick. Front kick from Sandhagen but he slips on it. He gets up unharmed though. Nice strike for Vera.
Leg kick for Sandhagen. Body kick from Vera. Sandhagen with a kick and tries a takedown, but Vera prevents it.
Body kick from Sandhagen. Low kick for Vera and then a nice punch behind it. Jabs and then a good uppercut for Sandhagen.
Now Sandhagen presses into the clinch against the cage, but Vera shoves him off.
Good jab for Sandhagen. He probes forward with the jab and lands another strike. Body kick for Sandhagen. Now one from Vera.
Inside leg kick fromm Sandhagen. Sandhagen threatens with the uppercut again. Straight punch from Vera. He lands a jab.
Short flurry ending in an uppercut from Sandhagen. Leg kick from Vera and one for Sandhagen. Missed spinning kick and jumping knee from Vera.
Round Four:
Spinning kick from Sandhagen misses. Uppercut lands for him. Now he drives into a takedown, but Vera does well to stuff it and land a couple of punches.
Sandhagen straight back into the takedown against the cage, but again Vera fends it off and they go back to striking range.
Sandhagen with a punch. He drives into the takedown, but it’s stuffed yet again. Solid body punch for Sandhagen. He probes with the jab.
A series of jabs land for Sandhagen and then attempts the flying knee. Body kick for Vera. Nice jab for Sandhagen. Vera checks a leg kick.
Low kick for Vera. Now a jab. Vera tries to flurry, but Sandhagen backs out of danger.
Reaching jab for Sandhagen. Now a low kick. Double-jab. Jab for Vera. Vera tries a spinning backfist but misses.
Vera marches forward with a series of piston-like straight punches. He needs more of that kind of aggression.
Round Five:
Body kick for Sandhagen. Lots of lateral movement from Sandhagen and flicking out the occasional punch or kick. Right hand from Vera.
Sandhagen drives into a takedown attempt and Vera threatens with a guillotine so Sandhagen backs out of the attempt.
Sandhagen with a good knee to the body. Sandhagen back in on a takedown attempt and lands it. Vera trying to kick to the head even though they are both grounded. Sandhagen posturing up and Vera scrambles, but Sandhagen keeps him down.
Vera with upkicks again and then pops up to his feet. Sandhagen keeps him in the clinch against the cage. Sandhagen with an elbow and backs up to striking range.
Half the round remaining. Leg kick for Vera. left hand for him. he throws it again. Left hand for Sandhagen now and a kick.
Body kick for Vera. Right hanad for Sandhagen. Vera rushes into a left hand. Left and a right for Sandhagen. Head kick attempt from him is blocked, so he lands a kick to the leg.
Spinning back kick from Vera, but Sandhagen is out of reach. Sandhagen tries for a takedown, but Vera brushes it aside.
Sandhagen with a body kick and Vera catches it and then gets around to his back and presses him into the cage. Vera with an elbow as Sandhagen breaks away. Sandhagen trying for a big knee.
Vera finally coming to life now as he throws everything’s he’s got into big strikes. Sandhagen looks concerned but backs out of danger in the final few seconds.
Decision:
A good performance from Sandhagen then as he presented a constantly moving, stance-switching target, stayed active offensively on the feet and mixed in takedowns and ground-and-pound too, while Vera never seemed to be able to switch up the gears enough to catch up to him.
Bizarrely one judge has the fight in favor of Vera, but thankfully the other two rightfully see it clearly in Sandhagen’s favor, leading him to a split decision victory (47-48, 50-45, 49-46).
