Jon Anik and Kenny Florian are calling the action tonight from the legendary Sitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan as the UFC makes their first trip to Japan this year.

Welterweights (170 lbs)

Marcelo “Magrao” Guimaraes vs “The Ace” Hyun Gyu Lim

In the first round the much taller 6’3″ Lim worked the jab and striking well. He avoided all the take down attempts but for the last one in the round when he went for a stepping knee and Guimaraes was able to take him down but not do much in the last thirty seconds. In the second round Guimaraes was looking much better with his striking as he was able to counter the punches from Lim and able to get in and out with out being punished. Guimaraes was also able to score another take down.  Lim landed the stepping knee this time as Guimaraes was ducking down for another take down and connected to the chin and Guimaraes is knocked out.

Winner at 4:00 of round 2 by Knockout Hyun Gyu Lim

Bantamweights (135 lbs)

“Bruce Leeroy” Alex Caceres vs Kyung Ho “Typhoon” Kang

Caceres and Kang went the distance in this one. Kang was able to get take downs pretty much at will. His wrestling game was head and shoulders above Caceres but the crafty Caceres was able to keep Kang from landing any damaging shots from the top and over and over again was able to sweep or reverse positions. Late in the second round Caceres got top position and started landing the shots that counted by elbows and hammer fist. The third round was all Caceres as he was making Kang fight out of submissions or just punishing him from the top. This was a great show case of both fighters ground game as the were constantly working to better their positions.

Winner by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Alex Caceres

Lightweights (155 lbs)

Cristiano Marcello vs Kazuki Tokudome

Marcello rocked Tokudome with a right hand right at the beginning of the fight he rushed forward and went for the muay thai clinch and Tokudome lands a series of rights that looked to hurt Marcello. A moment later Marcello slipped and Tokudome jumped into his guard and from there he landed the left hand and kept the bjj black belt from doing anything offensive off his back. Early in the second Tokudome got the judo throw and spent most of the second round just like the first in the guard of Marcello landing some punches but mainly kept Marcello trapped. In the third round Tokudome dropped Marcello with a right hand that connected with the chin. Tokudome would spend much of the third just as he did in the first and second round.

Winner by judges scores of (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) for Unanimous Decision Kazuki Tokudome

Bantamweights (135 lbs)

Takeya Mizugaki vs “Kid Lightning” Bryan Caraway

These two 135ers fought for the whole fifteen minutes. Mizugaki got the edge in the stand up and was able to land a lot of punishing shots. Mizugaki found a home with the left to the body and over hand right that dropped Caraway. The second round was more Caraway as he had a tight guillotine and dominate ground positions in the round. Mizugaki took the fight in the third when he dropped Caraway with the right hand. Mizugaki also looked good fighting off the submissions from Caraway when Caraway was able to get one it wasn’t for long. This was the first win for Mizugaki in Japan and led to him hitting his knees and sobbing his way through the post fight interview with Jon Anik.

Winner by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Takeya Mizugaki

Middleweights (185 lbs)

Riki Fukuda vs Brad Tavares

Tavares, who I had thought was a small middle weight, looked much stronger in this fight. Tavares was taken down three times in the first round as he telegraphed the right leg kick to the body. Tavares was able to quickly push Fukuda off of him each time and able to push Fukuda off of him and across the cage when he tried to clinch. Tavares punching was defiently the difference in the first as he was able to land repeatedly to the nose of Fukuda. According to Kenny Florian Fukuda was paying special attention to his left hand between rounds which was not shown on the Facebook stream. Tavares cruises in the second behind the lead left jab and right leg kick to the inside of Fukuda’s leg. Tavares mixing it up and grazed Fukuda with a spinning back fist. By the end of the third round Fukuda isn’t even closing his hand nor seriously throwing it. By the end of two both men have bloody face, the bridge of Fukuda’s nose and under the left eye of Tavares. Fukuda comes in to strike in the third and we see Tavares step to the side and land a counter right of his own. Both men were landing punches in the third but it doesn’t look like either man has much left on them.

Winner by Unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Brad Tavares