Cummins wins split decision in bloody affair with Villante

Patrick Cummins may not have looked like a winner, but he gutted out a tough one Saturday.

With his mustache painted red, "Durkin" could at least smile when the judges awarded him with a split-decision win over Gian Villante after three bloody rounds in their light heavyweight bout at UFC on FOX 25 in Long Island.

Cummins had to make it out of a strange first round that saw him rocked early.

And later, he was cut open by an accidental headbutt. Referee "Big" John McCarthy paused the action to give Cummins a chance to recover, but Cummins only appeared to be motivated by the blood pouring from his head.

The former Starbucks barista pushed the pace in Rounds 2 and 3, taking advantage of a fading Villante. He beat Villante to the punch on several occasions, landing heavy hands that kept backing up the New Yorker.

Villante was never able to achieve the same success he had in Round 1 and when the scores were announced, he was left hanging.

Cummins has turned things around, winning two straight fights after enduring the first losing streak of his career last year. On the other side, Villante is now winless in his last two and he's dropped three of four.