Rousimar Palhares is known for his vicious leg locks, but Nate Marquardt was prepared.
After a slow start to the main event of the evening, the two middleweights locked up and went to the ground. Each fighter scrambled to gain top position, but it was the Brazilian who would gain the superior placement. From there, Palhares looked for a quick leg lock submission, which would terrify the vast majority of 185-pounders.
However, Marquardt kept his cool, slipping out of the lock fairly effortlessly. Palhares immediately waved to the referee to signal that Marquardt’s legs had been greased, but that didn’t stop the former top contender from pounding away. Marquardt landed several blows from Palhares’ guard, causing Herb Dean to step in and save Palhares from any further damage.
Following the fight, it was cleared up that Marquardt’s legs were in fact not greased up, and Marquardt himself stated that he purposefully came into the fight with a good sweat to help avoid the submission game, which is completely legal.
In earlier action, “Ultimate Fighter” winner Ross Pearson was surprised by the striking game of rising lightweight prospect Cole Miller. Pearson failed to compile any significant damage against the American Top Team product, who, in the second round, dealt out some punishment of his own.
Miller dropped Pearson with a vicious left hand and went in for the finish. Pearson, clearly still dazed, failed to fend off a rear naked choke and was forced to tap out.
In one of the other two lightweight bouts, contenders Jim Miller and Gleison Tibau battled to see who could make another leap up the division standings in their three round bout.
Tibau worked takedowns well throughout the first round, which took away from Miller’s superior striking. However, in the third round, Miller seemed intent on staying off his back, stuffing takedowns very well, while utilizing his superior striking while on the feet. Miller’s striking proved to be the main factor, as he walked away with the unanimous decision.
In the final lightweight contest, lightweight prospect Charles Oliveira took on fellow up-and-comer Efrain Escudero. Escudero looked solid early in the fight, but as the minutes wore down, Oliveira began to take control.
The 20-year-old utilized his incredible technique on the feet to keep Escudero at bay, before finally earning a slick submission victory in the third in final round via rear naked choke.
