[Show: UFC Fight Night 68] [Location: New Orleans, Louisiana] [Date:6/6/15] [Airing Live On Fox Sports 1]
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/7 p.m. ET)
Bantamweight: Leonardo Morales vs. Jose Quinonez
Round 1: Quinonez opens the round with some devastating kicks to the legs and body of Morales. Quinonez gets an early hip takedown. Morales put up a fight, but Quinonez slammed him down in the middle of the round and got side control then into guard. Quinonez went for mount and got the back of Morales. Quinonez with a great body lock and a rear-naked choke, but let it go. He then locked it in again and made Morales tapped.
Results: Jose Quinonez def. Leonardo Morales via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:34
Middleweight: Jake Collier vs. Ricardo Abreu
Round 1: Both men come exchanging. They throw bombs in the pocket with Collier finishing with a leg kick. Collier with a combo that leads into some clinch work, but quickly exits that plan. Abreu clinched and put Collier back first on the fence. Abreu broke with a leg hook. They exchanged in the pocket with their heads down. Abreu with a good combo that ending with a left hook. These combos are having Collier back peddle. Abreu landed a good counter right. Collier is becoming hesitant. Abreu shot in on a double-leg, he let it go, landed a knee to the gut of Collier and finished with a counter right hook. Collier with a good combo, but he has his leg kick blocked. Abreu rocked Collier with a straight right. Collier moves up his footwork to keep him off balance. Collier shot in and clinched on the fence to close the round.
Round 2: The referee is fired up as he screams “fighter, fight!” Collier opens the round with a good flying knee then back-to-back head-kick. Abreu’s noise is starting to bleed as he threw a sick combo. Collier is starting to throw a lead left jab that is just busting up the noise of Abreu. Collier is throwing a lead left jab with this wild over the top right punch. Abreu clinched with Collier at 2:06 on the fence. Abreu with a double under hook on Collier, but Collier slips out. Collier with a spinning back fist, that missed, but Abreu counted with a right hook. Collier answers with a one-two strike. Abreu with a big head kick. He moved in on Collier, he got a trip takedown and into half guard with just one minute remaining.
Round 3: Both men come out just like the previous two rounds, throwing punches in bunches. Abreu with a big combo that lead to a double leg takedown. Collier scrambled to the back of his feet. Collier starts to bleed as Abreu opened up with his strikes, but Collier fights back and lands some of his own strikes. At 2:30, Abreu has thrown over two-hundred strikes. Abreu with a double leg takedown with just two minutes remaining. Collier scrambled up and they both threw to the bell.
Results: Jake Collier def. Ricardo Abreu via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Lightweight: Joe Proctor vs. Justin Edwards
Round 1: Joe was doing a lot of foot worked early, Edwards closed the distances and Edwards clinched with Joe. However, Joe landed a right hook then slipped out. Both men square off in the center of the octagon, they exchanged right hands and Joe lands a double leg takedown. Edwards right back to his feet, but does eat a knee to the ribs. They separate, Edwards with a good combo of strikes to the ribs of Proctor. Edwards landed a head kick, Joe landed a spinning back kick to the ribs of Edwards. They exchange to the bell.
Round 2: Edwards closes the distances, but eats a kick to the gut by Joe. Edwards clinched, but eats some knees to the top of his head. Edwards let go, covered up and landed a counter right. Midway through this round, this is a close round. They finish the round throwing bombs.
Round 3: Leading into this round, it’s anyone’s fight to win. Joe pressures early, they exchange in the pocket and lands a big left hook. Proctor dominates the third round in the striking department. Edwards exits the clinch with a sick elbow. Proctor with some knees to the head of Edwards and locked in the guillotine choke. Proctor put him to sleep with just two seconds left on the clock.
Results: Joe Proctor def. Justin Edwards via tech. submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 4:58
Lightweight: Christos Giagos vs. Chris Wade
Round 1: Giagos with a single leg takedown right away, Wade scrambled to his feet and broke the waist lock. Giagos with a left hook, Wade opens up with his leg kicks, but Giagos shuts them down with some clinch work. Wade with a beautiful double leg takedown, but Giagos scrambled to his feet and Wade clinches with him on the fence. Giagos slide out, he landed a flying knee to the face of Wade. However, Wade with a hip toss that sent him into mount with 1:49 remaining in this round. Giagos scrambled out and got to his feet. Wade with a choke, but let it go. They separated at 1:30. Giagos tagged him with a straight right, Wade answered with an elbow. Wade with a leg kick that stunned Giagos. Wade clinched and put him on the fence.
Round 2: Giagos clinches with Wade, but Wade quickly slides out. Wade has started to bleed from behind the ear. Wade with a weak looking takedown is stuffed by Giagos, which results in him getting the back of Wade. However, Wade scrambled and got on top in half guard on Giagos. This leads to Giagos scrambling and getting into side control. They roll out with Wade on top pressing Giagos up against the fence at 1:20. Giagos made his way to his feet and eats a knee to the face. The round ends with Wade looking for a takedown.
Round 3: Wade comes out and gets a single leg takedown. Wade is four of four in his takedown attempts as we go under one minute remaining. Wade dominated this round with Giagos looking very tired in this final round. Wade manages to hold on to close the round.
Results: Chris Wade def. Christos Giagos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Welterweight: Brian Ebersole vs. Omari Akhmedov
Round 1: Omari with an odd stance to start the fight, Ebersole is using a ton off footwork to make the fight go round and round the octagon. Omari using his kicks to mix things up. Not a ton of action in this round as Omari worked over the body of Ebersole for the majority of the round. We come back from break, it was revealed that Ebersole quit due to a knee injury. It was later revealed that a leg kick hurt the knee of Ebersole.
Results: Omari Akhmedov def. Brian Ebersole via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 5:00
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis vs. Shawn Jordan
Round 1: Lewis with an opening round leg kick. Lewis with a head kick that landed then followed up with an uppercut and a right hook. Lewis clinched and Jordan took him down. Jordan on top in half guard, Lewis back to his feet just seconds later. They break the clinch and Lewis just starts throwing some crazy kicks. Jordan shot in and got the double leg takedown that leads to him getting in half guard. Lewis got up and started throwing bombs that rocked Jordan. Lewis clinches with Jordan, he put him on the fence as a cut has opened up above the left eye of Jordan. This leads to Jordan getting a trip takedown and into side control where he lands some elbows to close the round.
Round 2: Jordan with a side hook kick that rocked and dropped Lewis. Jordan jumps on him and swarms him with punches. Jordan got on top and the back of Lewis, he throws lunchbox punches with the fight being stopped.
Results: Shawn Jordan def. Derrick Lewis via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:48
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
Bantamweight: Alex Caceres vs. Francisco Rivera
Round 1: Rivera with a left hook that dropped Caceres and finished him with a series of strikes to end the fight.
Results: Francisco Rivera def. Alex Caceres via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:21
Bantamweight: Joe Soto vs. Anthony Birchak
Round 1: Birchak uses his head kicks often, but drops Soto with a right hook and swarms Soto. However, Soto, got to his feet and Birchak throws bombs that drops him again. Soto is completely out with Birchak walking away from the crime scene.
Results: Anthony Birchak def. Joe Soto via knockout (strikes) – Round 1, 1:37
Featherweight: Thiago Tavares vs. Brian Ortega
Round 1: A lot of wrestling and takedowns in this round. Ortega did more damage to the face of Tavares.
Round 2: Ortega tagged Tavares with a straight right, but Tavares got a single leg takedown. They scramble with Tavares pressing Ortega up against the fence. Tavares scrambled off his back and put Ortega up against the fence. Some fantastic wrestling. Ortega got to his feet, but was dragged down again by Tavares. This leads to Tavares getting into the guard of Ortega, Tavares is bleeding heavily from his forehead. Tavares in mount and lands some big shots. Ortega bucks him off, he went for a heel hook, but couldn’t finish. Tavares scrambled and got back on top in half guard.
Round 3: Even with a sick cut, this fight will continue. Tavares shoots in on a single leg takedown, but let it go and they go back to striking. Tavares with a knee to the groin of Ortega. We’re back to striking, Ortega landed a spinning back kick. He just missed a spinning back kick. Tavares shot in, but stuffed. Ortega hit Tavares so hard that the mouthpiece was knocked out. These two are just throwing bombs following it. This is a great fight. Ortega stunned Tavares with a straight right. Ortega finished him with strikes from the mount and this is over!
Results: Brian Ortega def. Thiago Tavares via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:10
Lightweight: Dustin Poirier vs. Yancy Medeiros
Round 1: Dustin landed a series right hand that rocked, Medeiros He back peddled and then calmed down by clinching with Dustin. Poirier got the back of Medeiros, but Medeiros scrambled. Poirier with a body kick then swarmed Medeiros with strikes. Poirier put him out of his feet and finished the fight.
Results: Dustin Poirier def. Yancy Medeiros via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:38
Heavyweight: Matt Mitrione vs. Ben Rothwell
Round 1: Mitrione with a lead left jab to start the fight off. Mitrione lands a big right hand. Ben needs to start moving, he’s waiting on Mitrione to throw something. Ben with a big left hook then a knee to the face of Mitrione. Mitrione counters with a right hook. Mitrione went for a takedown, but Ben stuffed it, locked in a guillotine choke and this is over.
Results: Ben Rothwell def. Matt Mitrione via submission (front choke) – Round 1, 1:54
Middleweight: Dan Henderson vs. Tim Boetsch
Round 1: Tim with a lot of footwork early. Henderson with a big right hand that tagged Tim, he swarmed him and finished him! Dan Henderson!
Results: Dan Henderson def. Tim Boetsch via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:28
