Martins squeaks by Whiteford on UFC Zagreb Fight Pass prelims

Featherweight Bout: Lucas Martins def. Robert Whiteford via split decision

Lucas Martins' patience and accuracy paid off in the featured Fight Pass preliminary of UFC Fight Night 86 as he took a split decision from Robert Whiteford.

A slow start by Whiteford may have cost him against the counter-minded Martins. Rather than employing the high-pressure grappling game plan that's troubled Martins in the past, Whiteford spent most of the match bouncing from side to side looking for an opening that never came.

Martins conserved his energy to consistently land the harder shots, including a straight right in the first round that staggered Whiteford:

Whiteford almost stole the fight with some well-placed takedowns, but he wasn't able to do much before Martins recovered. Even then, Martins' inability to string together any truly threatening combinations left the outcome in doubt.

Two of the judges scored the fight for Martins, snapping a two-fight losing streak for the Brazilian striker.

It's Whiteford who now finds himself trending in the wrong direction, having lost a decision to Darren Elkins in his last outing.

Heavyweight Bout: Jared Cannonier def. Cyril Asker via 1st-round KO

Jared Cannonier used a cannonball left hand to crumble Cyril Asker in Round 1 of their UFC Fight Night 86 contest.

From the outset, Asker was focused on containing Cannonier with solid jabs and a brief clinch against the cage. Once Cannonier managed to back Asker up, he found his range and dropped him with a left hook. "The Killa Gorilla" relentlessly pursued the finish with punches and elbows until the referee jumped in for the save.

After earning his first UFC win, Cannonier said he plans to drop down to light heavyweight.

Welterweight Bout: Bojan Velickovic def. Alessio Di Chirico via unanimous decision

A steady stream of leg kicks and a near submission were the keys for success in Bojan Velickovic's UFC debut.

Velickovic battled Alessio Di Chirico to a standstill in the first round, exchanging sharp leg kicks without landing any major punches. Di Chirico seemed to pull away in the striking department as the bout progressed, but it was Velickovic who came the closest to finishing when he used a kimura to sweep Di Chirico at the end of the second round:

The third round saw more back-and-forth action with neither fighter landing anything conclusive. In the end, the judges awarded Velickovic a unanimous decision win, including one curious 30-27 score.

It was the fifth straight win for Velickovic and a disappointing loss for Di Chirico, who's just the third Italian native to compete in the Octagon.