Bisping beats 'Hendo' to defend title, Mousasi finishes Belfort at UFC 204
Michael Bisping got a sweet taste of revenge against Dan Henderson and Gegard Mousasi notched his 40th career win with a second-round TKO of Vitor Belfort to highlight Saturday's UFC 204
Middleweight Championship Bout: Michael Bisping def. Dan Henderson via unanimous decision
Michael Bisping recovered from two early "H-Bombs" that sent him to the canvas to outstrike Dan Henderson for his first successful title defense. "The Count" doubled Henderson's striking output with a variety of combinations and kicking techniques to convince all three judges to give him the nod. Henderson nearly dethroned Bisping with a vicious knockdown in the first, but waned as the fight made it into the championship rounds. The victory is Bisping's 20th in the Octagon, a promotional record.
Middleweight Bout: Gegard Mousasi def. Vitor Belfort via 2nd-round TKO
Once Gegard Mousasi smelled blood, he finished with his usual efficiency. "The Dreamcatcher" avoided the lethal striking of Vitor Belfort, and countered with his own precision attacks capped off by a right high kick that rocked Belfort. Mousasi couldn't get the knockout on the feet, but he brought Belfort to the mat and pounded away to win by strikes for the 21st time in his career.
Related: Mousasi finishes Belfort in 2nd round for 40th career win
Light Heavyweight Bout: Jimi Manuwa def. Ovince Saint Preux via 2nd-round KO
Jimi Manuwa got back to his headhunting ways in his first fight in more than a year. "The Poster Boy" predictably took the fight to Ovince Saint Preux, backing him up against the cage before unleashing his patented haymakers. A right hand left "OSP" out on his feet, and Manuwa uncorked a left hook to send him crashing to the canvas for his 13th career knockout.
Related: Manuwa sends 'OSP' to dream land with vicious KO
Heavyweight Bout: Stefan Struve def. Daniel Omielanczuk via 2nd-round submission (D'Arce choke)
In a fight that featured a whole foot of height difference between the competitors, it was the long limbs of Stefan Struve that proved to be the difference. The relatively diminutive Daniel Omielanczuk found himself in no man's land, unable to strike at Struve from distance and in danger of being tangled up by him in close. In Round 2, Struve shrugged off a takedown attempt to end up on top and set up a D'Arce choke that earned him the submission win.
Related: Struve becomes 1st fighter to finish Omielanczuk
Featherweight Bout: Mirsad Bektic def. Russell Doane via 1st-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Mirsad Bektic's repaired ACL held up just fine, as the Bosnian native kept Russell Doane pinned to the canvas for the near entirety of their short-lived bout. Bektic ditched his crisp boxing to put Doane on his back and worked to lock in the submission from there. Doane - fighting on five days' notice - escaped Bektic's first choke attempt, but would not wrench himself free of the second. The Bosnian stretched Doane out to lock in the deciding submission and remain undefeated.
Related: Bektic makes triumphant return to Octagon with 1st-round submission
Bantamweight Bout: Iuri Alcantara def. Brad Pickett via 1st-round submission (triangle choke)
Iuri Alcantara hurt Brad Pickett badly in the early part of their UFC 204 contest and he didn't give his opponent a second to recover. A spinning elbow from Alcantara dropped Pickett and it looked like the fight might end with Alcantara bouncing his opponent's head off the mat with ground strikes. Instead, Pickett hung on only to find himself in a triangle choke that forced him to tap out two minutes into the opening round.
Related: Alcantara taps out Pickett to highlight UFC 204 preliminairies
Bantamweight Bout: Damian Stasiak def. Davey Grant via 3rd-round submission (armbar)
Damian Stasiak overcame a grappling stalemate in Round 1 and a sloppy beating in Round 2 before cinching a vice-like armbar on an unsuspecting Davey Grant for his second straight victory. Grant put Stasiak on his back in the third, only for the Pole to convert an attempted triangle choke into the fight-clinching submission. The Brit desperately tried to roll out of the armbar, but Stasiak's grip would not give, prompting Grant to end his own misery by tapping.
Related: Stasiak overcomes 2nd-round onslaught to submit Grant in Round 3
Welterweight Bout: Leon Edwards def. Albert Tumenov via 3rd-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Leon Edwards defused an anticipated striking battle with some smart wrestling to upset Albert Tumenov. The boxing of "Einstein" put Edwards in danger on more than one occasion, but Edwards stuck to his game plan and controlled Tumenov with takedowns in Rounds 1 and 3. It was in the final frame that Edwards made a slick transition to back control where he wrapped Tumenov up in a tight rear-naked choke to earn the tap-out.
Related: Edwards rides wrestling to submission win over Tumenov
Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese def. Lukasz Sajewski via 2nd-round TKO
Marc Diakiese's zeal may have cost him the first round, but he regained his composure in the second to finish Lukasz Sajewski with a battery of knees and punches. "Bonecrusher" was treated to some of the Pole's solid grappling early, but briefly got back to his feet to land a thunderous slam in his best Quinton Jackson impression. Diakiese kept the fight standing in Round 2, walking Sajewski down to unleash a slew of bombs and put a bow on his Octagon debut.
Related: Diakiese viciously finishes Sajewski via 2nd-round TKO
Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry def. Danny Roberts via 3rd-round KO
Love him or hate him, Mike Perry has proven he's one to watch in the UFC's welterweight division. "Platinum" followed up on his stunning August upset of Hyun Gyu Lim by engaging in a Fight of the Night-worthy war with Britain's Danny Roberts. After three rounds of scintillating action, Perry caught Roberts with a knee that dropped him on his back. A few follow-up blows left Roberts down for the count, keeping Perry undefeated in eight professional contests.
Related: Perry flattens Roberts to close out UFC 204 Fight Pass prelims
Lightweight Bout: Leonardo Santos def. Adriano Martins via split decision
Chalk it up to the time difference or their lengthy layoffs, but the pair of Brazilians seemed content to stage a three-round kicking contest. Both Adriano Martins and Leonardo Santos traded leg kicks for the bout's entirety and showed a reluctance to uncork their fists. The "TUF: Brazil" winner ultimately swayed two judges with a handful of head-kick attempts - which Martins blocked without much effort - as the fighters landed a near identical amount of significant strikes.