Mike Perry dished out some heavy damage and received some too en-route to claiming a split decision victory over Paul Felder tonight at UFC 226.
Round One:
Leg kick for felder. Right hook for Perry and they both clash heads and it opens up a cut on the top of both men’s heads. Felder into the clinch and presses his opponent into the cage.
They work from there and Perry manages to reverse the position and lands a big elbow that definitely got his opponent’s attention. Felder reverses and gets an elbow of his own in before they separate.
Felder with a big right hand that snaps Perry’s head back. Now it’s Perry’s turn, landing a right of his own. Solid elbow for Perry. Felder with a spinning backfist.
Punch for Perry and a big knee counter in return from Felder. Solid straight right for Felder. Now a solid push kick. Chopping kick to the thigh from Perry.
Felder with a kick. Now a series of jabs. He tries a spinning kick that just misses. Perry opts to clinch up and presses felder into the cage. He doesn’t stay there for long, parting with an elbow strike.
Inside leg kick for Felder and then a spinning kick to the upper chest. Perry just misses with a spinning backfist. Good body punch for Perry and then Felder lands a spinning backfist. Competitive striking action here.
Round Two
Leg kick for Perry. Now a right hand. Head kick attempt from Felder is blocked. Felder goes for another kick. leg kick for Felder on the back foot.
Perry into the clinch against the cage and then hoists Felder into the air and dumps him to the mat. Felder back up and Perry presses him to the cage. Hard elbow for him.
They break apart. jab for Felder. Now a right hand for Felder. Spinning back kick to the body for him. Another kick bounces of Perry’s arm, stopping his own plan to attack.
Another kick. Jab for Felder. side kick for Perry. Oblique kick and then a leg kick. elbow strike for Felder as Perry comes in.
left hand for perry and it immediately draws a big cut to the right of Felder’s eye. He is quickly soaked in blood and the ref opts to stop to get the doctor to check it. Thankfully it’s deemed to be ok despite the copious amounts of crimson.
Perry working against the cage and opts for a suplex and muscles his way to the takedown. Felder stands up and almost has Perry’s back, but slips off thanks to the blood.
Back up they go and both men are launching elbows, with Felder getting the better of it, but his own face is soaked in blood.
Inbetween rounds Felder seems to indicate that one of his arms is broken.
Round Three:
Big left hook for Perry to start. They clinch and Felder lands an elbow and uppercut despite that arm being broken.
Right hand grazes Felder. Spinning backfist for Felder. Now a leg kick. Solid left elbow for felder now. He lands a spinning kick to the body at close range.
Knee to the body from Felder as Perry comes in. Now a leg kick. Jab for perry. Body kick for Felder. Hard right hand for Perry sends Felder’s head back.
Head kick attempt from Perry and then a push kick. Spining head kick from Felder blocked. Right hand for Felder. Body kick for him, but it’s almost caught.
Perry drives into a takedown attempt against the cage. He almost gets Felder down, but his opponent does a good job of staying upright.
Perry gets the back clinch and lands some big knees to the thighs. They separate with 30 seconds to go. Felder with a left hand. now a knee to the body. Another knee. Both men still looking to trade as the fight comes to a conclusion and we’re headed to the judges for a decision.
Decision:
A tremendously hard fought, bloody encounter here then for which both men deserve credit for, but in the end it’s Mike Perry who emerges victorious by way of split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29).
