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Benavidez decisions Moraga in spirited affair

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Joseph Benavidez didn't completely run roughshod over John Moraga, but he did more than enough to emerge with his hand raised at UFC 187 on Saturday night.

In the opening moments of round one, Benavidez, after absorbing a headkick, clipped Moraga with a series of right hands, and controlled vast portions of the opening round with heavy top control. Moraga didn't wilt, though, and worked in some offense of his own after a slick lateral drop.

Moraga, sporting a gushing gash on the crown of his head (likely from a clash of heads), was game in the second round, landing some heavy leg kicks, before eventually succumbing to a Benavidez takedown. From there, Benavidez moved to side control and dominated the late stages of the round on top, landing some light ground-and-pound while keeping complete control.

Moraga hurled some heavy artillery to start the third stanza and, although he found some success, couldn't stop Benavidez's wrestling, as the Team Alpha Male product charged in for the takedown midway through the round, and used it to easily control the rest of the fight en route to a unanimous decision.

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