LIVE: Fight Night Dillashaw vs. Cruz results

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Jan. 17, 2016

Editor's note: Check this page throughout the night for the latest news and results

Who were the winners at UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz? Click below to get the results for all the fights at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.

In a razor-close fight that had many cringe at the thought of the judges being capable of making sense of the epic fight that had just taken place, Dominick Cruz once again raised the bantamweight championship after edging TJ Dillashaw in a split decision 48-47, 46-49, 49-46. Dillashaw chased down Cruz for five rounds, trying to zero in on a virtually unhittable object. Cruz moved with the grace and creative elusiveness that made him famous. TJ was only able to land 33 percent of his total strikes, while Cruz landed one more sig. strike, 125-224, and landed three takedowns to Dillashaw’s one. Cruz extends his win streak to 11 despite being out of action for most of the past four years, putting an exclamation point on one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport.

Click here for a full recap of the main event

They said it:
Dominick Cruz: “Thank you so much for the support. Thank you Boston, everyone. The only thing surprising is that I had to show something to myself. TJ is fast, Benavidez hits hard and as much as I don’t like him, Faber is a tough guy. There’s no such thing as rust, how many times do I have to say that? Rust only exists if you don’t train hard enough. I don’t want to talk about things I came in with because it’s stupid. I had some problems with my foot coming in and it had finally had enough in the fifth round.”
TJ Dillashaw: “I’m very disappointed. I thought I had the fight, I thought I was the aggressor, I thought I pushed the pace. I feel like the last two rounds I won pretty decisively. I felt I won the fight, I want to do it again. Props to Dominick. I missed some shots, it was my fault for not following them up.”

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Eddie Alvarez defeats Anthony Pettis
Eddie Alvarez went into his co-main event showdown with former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis as the big underdog, but he was able to pull off the big upset to earn the split decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Pettis had his moments, specifically in the second round when he bloodied the face of Alvarez with some stiff shots and some well-placed counter punches. But Alvarez was relentless with the takedowns, especially in the third, landing six total for the fight. Pettis mixed things up well, but in the end he didn’t do enough to convince the judges that he won the fight.

Thomas Gerbasi offers the final verdict on the main card

They said it:
Eddie Alvarez: “Philadelphia is where I’m staying, absolutely. I’m just starting to get used to the system there with Mark Henry. Ricardo Almeida has been my home team since 2008 and it was good to come back. We’ve got a gym full of warriors. Frankie Edgar is the top guy, Edson Barboza is a top-10 guy. It’s a small group of guys, but we all work hard for each other and we’re all always there for one another. I’m there to stay. I don’t think it was split. I don’t know what went on there or who scored it for Pettis, but that guy must have been watching a different fight. I would’ve liked to have kept it standing a bit more just for myself. But the plan was to keep him up against the cage. He landed a few shots, but I didn’t feel any power from him and I was able to dominate the fight. I beat Gilbert Melendez and he got two shots at the title, I beat Pettis and he used to have the title and was the number one guy, I fought Cowboy and he got a title shot. I want it! I want the best guys the promotion has to offer, put them in front of me and I’ll beat them. I want my shot!”
Anthony Pettis: “I’m pissed. I don’t know what to say right now.”

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Travis Browne defeats Matt Mitrione

Travis Browne withstood a knockdown in the first round on his way to a critical TKO win against Matt Mitrione on the main card of Fight Night Boston on FS1. Browne landed two accidental eye pokes that added some controversy to the bout, but he was determined in the third round to bring the fight to Mitrione. He landed a straight left hand that made Mitrione’s eye blow up, and then “Hapa” slammed the big man to send a thud throughout TD Garden. Browne improves to 18-3-1 and keeps his name among the elite in the heavyweight division with the win.

Thomas Gerbasi offers the final verdict on the main card

They said it:
Travis Browne: “Patience. I kept the distance and didn’t try to pressure too much. I got on top and finished it. I want the championship and I won’t settle for anything less.”

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Francisco Trinaldo defeats Ross Pearson
By the end of three rounds, Ross Pearson was wearing the damage inflicted by Francisco Trinaldo, who ran away with an unanimous decision victory (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) to open the FS1 main card in Boston. It was Trinaldo’s kickboxing against Pearson’s world class boxing and Trinaldo won out. Pearson was game and tough as nails, as always, but he couldn’t really measure the distance consistently, as Trinaldo really stayed on the outside and picked his spots. Trinaldo picks up his fifth straight win in the UFC.

Thomas Gerbasi offers the final verdict on the main card

They said it:
Francisco Trinaldo: “That was my fifth win in a row and I know I’m 37, but the key to me getting better the older I get is my family, my friends and my team. Ross is a very tough opponent and I had to listen to my corners very closely so that I could achieve a better result and win the fight. I’m going to go back to Brazil now and have another party for all of the kids in my neighborhood and all of their friends.”
Ross Pearson: “I think I pressured the fight, I controlled the distance and controlled the fight. He did land two good shots, but he never hurt me. I was never in danger.”

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UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz FS1 prelims
Patrick Cote defeats Ben Saunders

Patrick Cote let his hands go in the second round and caught Ben Saunders with a stiff upper cut that led to the end of the fight. Saunders tried to survive and make it through, but Cote was relentless, forcing the referee to stop the fight at of Round 2 declaring Cote the winner by TKO. The Canadian welterweight looks like a powerhouse at 170 pounds, as he was able to stop Saunders who is a savvy veteran who had only been knocked out once in 11 career UFC fights. Cote has now won three in a row and continues to get better every time out. Cote also attacked with a nice arm bar in the first round against Saunders, who is one of the best BJJ guys in the division. All-around great performance from Cote.

Take a closer look at the prelims

They said it:
Patrick Cote: “Ben is a tall southpaw so I knew my footwork would be important. I didn’t push the pace enough in the first round, so when I got back to my corner they told me I needed to move forward more, push the pace and let my hands go. I didn’t win Powerball, but I hope I get that bonus, I had a great performance tonight. I’m the only one left from old school Canadian MMA. It was me and Sam Stout, but now that he’s retired it’s just me and it’s an honor to be the face of Canadian MMA right now. I want a top-15 opponent next; or there’s a guy coming back in August, his name is Nick Diaz, let’s do it Nick.”

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Ed Herman defeats Tim Boetsch
Ed Herman and Tim Boetsch were trading big punches in their FS1 prelims bout before Herman landed a huge knee to the head to flatten Boetsch to the mat. Herman picks up the TKO win at 1:39 of the second round. Boetsch caught Herman with a nice hook early in the fight, but “Short Fuse” was able to hang in there and started to up his volume as the fight went on.

Take a closer look at the prelims

They said it:
Ed Herman: “This is a permanent move to light heavyweight. I feel like I have a lot more energy and power in this division. I saw a lot of openings in the first round to land the knee, he didn’t have a lot of movement. I went back to my corner between rounds and they saw the same, so I knew going into the second round that’s what I had to do. Who’s the champion in this division? Daniel Cormier – I want you next.”

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Chris Wade defeats Mehdi Baghdad

It was an extremely tough draw for TUF 22 Mehdi Baghdad, and Chris Wade won almost exactly on script, taking Baghdad down and earning a submission victory late in the first round of their FS1 prelims bout. Wade got the takedown early in the round and was able to grind Baghdad on the mat until he was in position to finish the fight. Wade moves to 11-1 overall and a perfect 4-0 in the UFC.

Take a closer look at the prelims

They said it:
Chris Wade: “I didn’t know of Mehdi before my last opponent fell off and I got the call about the replacement. I searched all over the Internet to find what I could on him but wasn’t having much luck then my camp told me he was on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter so I used Fight Pass to research and game plan the best I could with about a week’s notice. The intent was to go in and use my ground-and-pound and get him to roll over. I knew when I got my hook in and bellied him up to the fence I’d be able to submit him as soon as he turned over. I want Sage Northcutt next, give him to me Dana.”
Mehdi Baghdad: “The UFC called me last week while I was training with Anderson Silva and asked if I wanted the fight. I said yes because it’s the chance of a lifetime and I wasn’t going to say no. I hope my next fight is with a full camp. I want to put on a show, get some wins, some knockouts, some submissions and show what I can really do.”

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Luke Sanders defeats Maximo Blanco
Maximo Blanco was able to survive two huge left hands from Luke Sanders in the opening round of their FS1 prelims bout, but in the end he wasn’t able to make it through a scramble submission from Sanders, who won by rear naked choke at 3:38 of the first round. It was Sanders who landed the big punches, but Blanco responded from the first left by taking Sanders down and immediately moving to mount. He attacked with an arm triangle and moved to side control, but Sanders defended. When they got back up, Sanders, making his UFC debut, landed the blow that led to the finish.

Take a closer look at the prelims

They said it:
Luke Sanders: “My game plan was to get the win no matter what and to put in a good performance for the UFC and the fans. I want to go home and celebrate this with my family, it was a long time coming. I didn’t know how it would end or how fast it would end; I thought we’d exchange a bit and then I’d get the finish a bit later. I just wanted to get in and get out – I don’t get paid by the hour. I’m a bantamweight and I can tell you I’ll be watching that title fight later on tonight, because I’ve got my eyes on that belt!”
Maximo Blanco: “I feel like I lost something that I should have won. It’s hard to describe how I feel right now.”

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UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz FIGHT PASS prelims

Re-live the action on UFC FIGHT PASS right now

Paul Felder defeats Daron Cruickshank

After a disappointing first two rounds against Daron Cruickshank, Paul Felder changed the game plan in the third round and finally was able to pull off a submission win at 3:56 of the third round. Despite out-landing Cruickshank, Felder seemed to be getting the worst of the striking exchanges for the most part through the first two rounds. So the Irish Dragon changed the approach and was able to secure his first UFC win in his last three outings. Felder was emotional after the fight, showing just how important this win was for the Philadelphia product.

Thomas Gerbasi has all the analysis on the FIGHT PASS prelims

They said it:
Paul Felder: “I know we’re both high level strikers, but I wasn’t surprised at all that I was able to finish with a choke. Coming into this camp Jafari, my wrestling coach and Daniel Gracie were key in helping me prepare and develop the game plan. We noticed that Daron had some weaknesses on the ground and I think that his last two losses were via rear naked choke. I knew his striking was on point and different; maybe even better than mine in some areas so wrestling was always at the forefront of this camp. I want a top-15 opponent next.”
Daron Cruickshank: “I love the fans and love the support they’ve shown me. Thank you for believing in me through the ups and downs.”

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Ilir Latifi defeats Sean O’Connell
Light heavyweight Ilir Latifi showed off his scary power, knocking out Sean O’Connell with a staggering overhand right just 30 seconds into their bout on UFC FIGHT PASS. O’Connell was wobbling on one leg before Latifi landed a second blow to ground him before the referee came flying in to stop the fight. O’Connell didn’t seem too happy, but it was a good stoppage by the replay. O’Connell looked knocked out on his feet before the second punch even landed. Latifi improves to 12-4 and the loss stops a two-fight win streak for O’Connell.

Thomas Gerbasi has all the analysis on the FIGHT PASS prelims

They said it:
Ilir Latifi: “What can I say? I always go for the finish. I now have three knockouts in the first round – in the first two minutes of the first round. I’m always going for the bonus, Dana, I want that $50,000! I didn’t underestimate Sean O’Connell, he’s a tough fighter, but I know my game and training at All-Stars in Sweden and American Top Team in Florida, I’m training with the best every day. I want a top-10 opponent next in my hometown in Sweden. I want to be the main event and I guarantee we sell it out in less than a day.”
Sean O’Connell: “That went exactly the opposite of how I planned it. Congratulations to Ilir Latifi.”

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Charles Rosa defeats Kyle Bochniak

Stepping up on just four days’ notice, Kyle Bochniak was game for the challenge as he gave Charles Rosa everything he could handle. But in the end, Rosa was able to outland the UFC debutant and land a pair of takedown en-route to a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). This was a back-and-forth slugfest, as Rosa just took the significant strike advantage, 65-62. Bochniak will likely be back for another go after his performance. And for Rosa, the Boston native collected a much-needed win in front of his hometown crowd.

Thomas Gerbasi has all the analysis on the FIGHT PASS prelims

They said it:
Charles Rosa: “I was a little worried about being able to come back to Boston with my friends and family, I really wanted this fight. He’s a super tough kid and that forced me to fight a little bit smarter, but being able to fight in Boston again was a dream come true.”
Kyle Bochniak: “I was definitely prepared and ready for this fight despite the short notice. I just fought last Friday for another promotion. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to fight in the UFC for a long time so there was no way I was going to turn this opportunity down. I’ll be back and if I had a full camp this fight would’ve gone much differently, the rest of this division should be afraid. I’ll fight anyone, give me another opportunity and I’ll guarantee the win.”

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Rob Font defeats Joey Gomez
Rob Font utilized a patient and pinpoint striking attack to wear down Joey Gomez before landing the finishing blows at 4:13 of the second round to collect his second UFC win. It was a perfectly-placed left hook that began a barrage late in the second, but Gomez survived for a short time as he was able to land a desperation takedown. Font was calm and waited to stand back up, and when he did he came forward and finished the encounter. Font landed 52 significant strikes in the bout.

Thomas Gerbasi has all the analysis on the FIGHT PASS prelims

They said it:
Rob Font: “I’m living in the moment right now, once I got comfortable out there and started using my footwork, I was having a lot of fun. I want to sit back and relax for a bit, but any bantamweight interests me, but I want to chill first.”
Joey Gomez: “He judges distance very well and he did a great job with the in and out game, he was constantly moving, constantly in and out. I was so concerned with getting counter punched that I couldn’t get any of my combinations going. I tried changing levels, but I just couldn’t land the punches. He’s a really difficult guy to fight because he mixes takedowns in so well with everything else – you just never know what’s coming next. He’s really strong, but he didn’t feel any stronger than me. It was like he landed one big punch and the fight was over. It was a fight though, I’ve never been hit that much in a fight before.”

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Francimar Barroso defeats Elvis Mutapcic

Francimar Barroso picked Elvis Mutapcic apart on the feet, using some well-placed and hard shots to lock up a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) victory to open up the UFC FIGHT PASS prelims. Barroso almost doubled up Mutapcic in significant strikes, 62-73, and scored the only takedown of the fight. With the win, Barroso moves to 3-1 in the UFC, while Mutapcic drops his UFC debut.

Thomas Gerbasi has all the analysis on the FIGHT PASS prelims

They said it:
Francimar Barroso: “I was very well prepared for this fight. I feel that I have the best coaches in the world at Nova Uniao, they have the best boxing, Muay Thai and jiu jitsu coaches a fighter could ask for. Everything went exactly according to plan. My next fight is in the hands of the UFC; I know they have my best interest and they know what is best for me.”
Elvis Mutapcic: “For a light heavyweight, I gave him too much respect. I thought he’d hit harder and be stronger over all, by the time I realized he really didn’t hit hard at all and I got comfortable it was too late – I just gave him way too much respect. I hope that despite the result tonight that the UFC will put me on that Croatia card.”

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