Complete play by play and results for UFC 129’s prelim card
Toronto — HeavyMMA.com is live and on the scene for tonight’s UFC 129 event in Toronto. Stay tuned to this post for the latest preliminary card results, and refresh the page for the most current updates.
Yves Jabouin (15-6-0) vs. Pablo Garza (10-1-0)
Pablo Garza keeps putting his name in the UFC record books.
The 27-year-old featherweight was the first 145-pounder to fight in the UFC, and now he goes down as the winner of the first UFC fight held in Ontario. As if that wasn’t enough, he scored the victory in impressive fashion.
After taking some leather in the opening half of the round, Garza initiated the clinch with Jabouin before jumping for a flying triangle. The Canadian fought it off as best he could, and the two rolled through to numerous positions, but in the end, Garza earned the submission, kicking off UFC 129 in style.
Official Result: Pablo Garza defeats Yves Jabouin by Submission (Triangle Choke) – Round 1 (4:31)
John Makdessi (8-0-0) vs. Kyle Watson (13-6-1)
After turning up the tempo and the impact over the first two rounds, Makdessi earned the first win of the night for a Canadian fighter, and for the second straight fight, the end came in impressive fashion. Makdessi caught Watson with a perfectly timed spinning backfist, leaving the TUF 12 contestant out on the canvas.
The Tristar trainee continues to impress, remaining unbeaten and earning his second consecutive victory inside the Octagon. With his level of dangerous striking, Makdessi is one to keep tabs on as he continues to work his way up the lightweight ranks.
Official Result: John Makdessi defeats Kyle Watson by Knockout (Spinning Backfist) – Round 3 (1:27)
Jason MacDonald (24-14-0) vs. Ryan Jensen (15-7-0)
Fighting for the first time since suffering a broken leg at UFC 113, MacDonald made it two-in-a-row for the Canadians, much to the delight of the massive crowd filling into the Rogers Centre.
“The Athlete” worked from his back, looking to sink in a triangle choke, and when Jensen slammed him into the canvas in an attempt to break the hold, MacDonald was able to make the slight adjustment needed to secure the finish.
Official Result: Jason MacDonald defeats Ryan Jensen by Submission (Triangle Choke) – Round 1 (1:37)
Ivan Menjivar (21-8-0) vs. Charlie Valencia (12-6-0)
Another fight, another impressive finish here at UFC 129 – and another win for the Canadians.
Menjivar landed a compact elbow, breaking Valencia’s nose while the two were battling in tight. Valencia went down in a heap instantly, and the veteran pounced, reeling of a rapid fire barrage of punches that prompted referee “Big” John McCarthy to jump in and stop the fight.
Official Result: Ivan Menjivar defeats Charlie Valencia by Technical Knockout (Strikes) – Round 1 (1:30)
Claude Patrick (12-1-0) vs. Daniel Roberts (13-1-0)
The streak of finishes came to a close with this one, as the promising pairing between two talented jiu jitsu players turned into a low impact grind that went the distance with Patrick emerging with a unanimous decision victory.
Roberts hunted for a kimura early in the opening round, but that seemed to drain his gas tank, and Patrick took advantage the rest of the way. There were few exciting moments in this war of attrition, but Patrick was clearly the aggressor and did the most damage.
The Mississauga native pushes the win count to four for the home team thus far, collecting a clean sweep of the scorecards. Patrick is now 3-0 in the UFC and starting to emerge as a potential threat in the welterweight division.
Official Result: Claude Patrick defeats Daniel Roberts by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Sean Pierson (11-4-0) vs. Jake Ellenberger (24-5-0)
We’ve had another highlight reel finish, but the Canadian crowd was not happy about this one.
Ellenberger caught Pierson with a counter left hook that had the former Toronto police officer out before he hit the canvas. The 26-year-old welterweight landed another solid blow as Pierson was falling to the mat, silencing the partisan crowd inside the Rogers Centre.
After taking this fight on short notice as a replacement for Brian Foster, an impressive performance like this should move Ellenberger up the ladder in the 170-pound division.
Official Result: Jake Ellenberger defeats Sean Pierson by Knockout (Left Hook) – Round 1 (2:42)
Nate Diaz (13-6-0) vs. Rory MacDonald (10-1-0)
MacDonald asserted himself as a definite star on the rise with a dominant decision win over the former Ultimate Fighter winner in this one.
The young Canadian was somewhat tentative in the opening two rounds, winning both but not really opening up. That changed in the third as MacDonald put a serious beating on Diaz. If not for the fact that Diaz has a chin forged from adamantium, MacDonald would have earned a finish.
Nonetheless, it was a decisive performance that earned MacDonald a standing ovation from the 55,000-plus in attendance.
Official Result: Rory MacDonald defeats Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)