Dominick Cruz predicted his rematch with Joseph Benavidez would go the same way as the first, a unanimous decision Cruz scored in August 2009.
But in Cruz’s first defense of his WEC bantamweight title, Benavidez put him to the test before Cruz emerged with a split-decision victory in WEC 50 Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
The two 135-pound MMA fighters battled for the full five five-minute rounds with each fighter having his moments throughout the bout.
Cruz used impressive footwork to move in and out of the pocket with his combinations, while Benavidez took an orthodox style, looking to land powerful combinations. When it came to wrestling, Cruz held the advantage, earning several big takedowns, especially late in the rounds.
Benavidez’s defense was a definite step up from the first fight he had against Cruz, but he consistently failed to earn takedowns, while getting put on his back in several dire situations.
Two judges scored the bout for Cruz, 48-47 and 49-46, while the other gave it to Benavidez, 48-47.
In the evening’s co-main event, the fans in Las Vegas were introduced to lightweight contender Anthony Pettis.
Pettis brought his stellar striking to the cage and displayed it early and often. The 23-year-old fighter used unorthodox techniques and innovative strikes to keep Shane Roller guessing, if not concerned, in the striking game.
Pettis shined in the third round. Roller nearly secured a submission when the fight hit the floor, but Pettis quickly turned the tables, locking on a triangle choke submission from the bottom. He forced the tap and earned the top contender status in the competitive 155-pound weight class.
In earlier action from the Pearl at the Palms, Cub Swanson took on fast-rising featherweight Chad Mendes, but failed in his efforts to the stellar wrestler. Mendes consistently worked the fight to the ground and, while he did little damage from the top position, he scored enough points to earn a unanimous decision over the dynamic striker from California.
Also on the card, bantamweight contenders Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett battled for three rounds with Jorgensen earning the unanimous decision. The fight was a front-runner for Fight of the Night honors at that point in the evening, as each fighter left everything he had in the cage for the full 15 minutes.
In the opening fight of the main card, lightweights Bart Palaszewski and Zack Micklewright slugged it out for just over one round. Palaszewski was clearly hurt early by the aggressive Micklewright, but the fight took a turn in the early part of the second round when Palaszewski damaged Micklewright with a vicious shot. The punch led to an early second-round stoppage to open up the main card of WEC 50.
