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LAS VEGAS >> Brad Tavares gave the T-Mobile Arena crowd its first slugfest of UFC 276 on Saturday night.
It didn’t go his way in the end, as 28-year-old South African Dricus Du Plessis rebounded after losing the first round to win a unanimous decision in one of seven preliminary bouts.
All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Du Plessis (17-3, 3-0 UFC), who won the majority of the standup exchanges in the final two rounds after going for multiple takedowns in the first five minutes.
Tavares, a Waiakea High alumnus who lives and trains in Las Vegas, was able to stuff Du Plessis’ takedown attempts and do more damage to win the first round.
The next two rounds took place primarily standing, where Du Plessis used his experience as a kickboxer to pick Tavares apart.
He bloodied Tavares’ nose with a shot in the second round and poured it on in the third. He started to tire toward the end but was quicker to the punch on most exchanges.
With 30 seconds left in the fight, the crowd gave a loud ovation as Tavares refused to quit and even landed a counter right that momentarily stunned Du Plessis.
Tavares, who had won his previous two fights, was ranked No. 12 at middleweight. He dropped to 19-7 overall and 14-7 in the UFC.
Du Plessis, who is unranked, fought into the third round for the first time in his short UFC career.
“It’s not like I didn’t go for a finish. It’s not like I left anything in there,” Du Plessis said. “It wasn’t my fault I didn’t finish the fight, It was his fault the fight didn’t finish because he’s just tough as nails.”
Lawler TKO’d in vicious fight
Robbie Lawler, the former UFC middleweight champion who fought six times in Hawaii in the 2000s, was TKO’d by Ryam Barberena in the second round of their main card bout.
The two waged a back-and-forth, stand-up war before Barberena (18-8) forced the stoppage with 13 seconds left in the second round after a series of strikes left Lawler (29-17, 1 NC) staggered against the cage.
>> RELATED: Max Holloway bloodied and beaten in loss to Alexander Volkanovski
Neither fighter was knocked down, but both took heavy damage and were staggered multiple times throughout the fight.
“Everything I dreamed of and more,” Barberena told Joe Rogan in the Octagon after the fight. “He hit hard, he had good pressure, he had good timing. He’s an absolute legend.”
Lawler, 40, has been fighting professional since he was 19. He waged memorial fights in the Blaisdell Arena against Frank Trigg, Niko Vitale, Murilo Rua and Jason Miller.
Adesanya retains title in main event
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defended his 185-pound title with a unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier in the main event.
Adesanya (23-1, 13-0 UFC), who walked out to the Undertaker’s WWE theme song wearing the black hat and carrying an urn, won by scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45.
Adesanya’s fifth straight title defense came over Cannonier, who has competed at heavyweight and light heavyweight in the past.
The fight was one of six on the card to go the distance.
Cerrone, Eye call it a career after losses
Donald Cerrone and Jessica Eye left their gloves in the middle of the Octagon and announced their retirements.
Cerrone, who was submitted by Jim Miller in the second round by guillotine choke, fought 48 times in the WEC and UFC. His 23 wins in the UFC were tied with Miller before Miller’s victory gave him 24 to set the record.
“I just don’t love it anymore,” Cerrone said after the fight. “I’m going to be a movie star, baby.”
Cerrone fought three times for the WEC lightweight title and once for the UFC lightweight belt but never won a title.
He once fought fives times in a calendar year and twice in five weeks in 2019. His list of opponents includes Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, Rafael dos Anjos, Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards.
Eye, 35, lost a unanimous decision to Maycee Barber by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27. She finished her career 15-11 with one no contest and fought for a title once, losing to Valentina Shevchenko by knockout for the women’s flyweight crown in 2019.
UFC 276
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Main card
Israel Adesanya (23-1) def. Jared Cannonier (15-6) by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
Alexander Volkanovski (25-1) def. Max Holloway (23-7) by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Alex Pereira (6-1) def. Sean Strickland (25-4) by KO (punch) at 2:36 of Round 1
Bryan Barberena (18-8) def. Robbie Lawler (29-17, 1 NC) by TKO (strikes) at 4:47 of Round 2
Pedro Munhoz (19-7, 2 NC) and Sean O’Malley (15-1, 1 NC) fight to a no contest (accidental eye poke) at 3:09 of Round 2
Preliminary bouts
Jalin Turner (13-5) def. Brad Riddell (10-3) by submission (guillotine choke) at :45 of Round 1
Jim Miller (35-16) def. Donald Cerrone (36-17, 2 NC) by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:32 of Round 2
Ian Garry (10-0) def. Gabe Green (11-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dricus Du Plessis (17-3) def. Brad Tavares (19-7) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Andre Muniz (23-4) def. Uriah Hall (18-11) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Maycee Barber (11-2) def. Jessica Eye (15-11) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Julia Stoliarenko (10-7-1) def. Jessica-Rose Clark (11-8) by submission (armbar) at :42 of Round 1
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