UFC 149 Prelims: Nick Ring Edges Court McGee in ‘The Ultimate Fighter 11’ Rematch

Canadian middleweight Nick Ring bounced back from his first professional defeat, as he took a unanimous decision from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 winner Court McGee at UFC 149 “Faber vs. Barao” on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Ring (13-1, 3-1 UFC).

McGee (14-3, 3-2 UFC) set the pace, and it was a frenetic one. He attacked Ring with uppercuts from the clinch and relentlessly pursued the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt throughout the 15-minute encounter. Ring countered effectively -- the right hook and left cross were his primary weapons -- and left McGee with a bloody nose and mouth. The damage, coupled with Ring’s accurate kicks and punches, were enough to earn the judges’ favor.

Rivera Left Hook Dispatches Delorme

A clean counter left hook from Francisco Rivera knocked out “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 alum Roland Delorme in the first round of their undercard match at 135 pounds. Rivera (9-2, 2-1 UFC) finished it 4:19 into round one, as the 30-year-old Californian recorded his fourth straight win.

Delorme (8-2, 2-1 UFC) never looked comfortable. Rivera belted him with heavy multi-punch combinations and stiff leg kicks throughout their one-sided encounter. He caught the Canadian coming forward, dropped him with the left hook and sealed it with ground strikes.

“I trained my ass off every day. As you can see, that’s what happens,” Rivera said. “My mom has been sick, so this is the only way to show her that we’re still fighting for her. This is the way to prove to her that I still love her. I thank God every day that she is OK, as you can see in my performance.”

Jimmo Debuts with Seven-Second Knockout

Former Maximum Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder Ryan Jimmo tied the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history, as he leveled Anthony Perosh in seven seconds in an undercard bout at 205 pounds. It was a dazzling promotional debut for the Canadian, who has won 17 consecutive fights.

Jimmo (17-1, 1-0 UFC) threw one right hand, and it found the mark. An unconscious Perosh (13-7, 3-4 UFC) collapsed against the cage, beaten for the first time in more than two years.

“I just went at him,” Jimmo said, “and I knew when I threw some heavy leather he was going to be on the bad end of it.”

Caraway Choke Submits Gagnon

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 alum Bryan Caraway submitted Canadian newcomer Mitch Gagnon with a third-round rear-naked choke in a preliminary bantamweight encounter. Gagnon (8-2, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeated 1:39 into round three, his six-fight winning streak a thing of the past.

Caraway (17-5, 2-0 UFC) found himself in trouble in each of the first two rounds, as Gagnon battered him with standing-to-ground punches in the first and close-quarters punches and elbows in the second. Caraway weathered his assault, waited for fatigue to set in on his foe and then went to work on the mat. He trapped Gagnon on the ground with a body lock, calmly fished for the choke and finished it.

Carvalho KOs Pineda in 71 Seconds

Antonio Carvalho knocked out former two-division Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder Daniel Pineda a little more than a minute into their undercard scrap at 145 pounds. Carvalho (14-5, 1-1 UFC) brought it to a close 71 seconds into round one.

Pineda, who filled in on short notice for the injured George Roop, never moved off his starting block. Carvalho leveled him with a beautiful short right hook and finished it with three more on the seated and dazed Texan. Pineda (17-9, 2-2 UFC) had never before been knocked out.

“I’ve got a great kickboxing coach. He worked extensively on my extension and me staying loose,” Carvalho said. “A lot of mistakes I made in my last fight I didn’t want to make against Daniel. He’s an amazing fighter, and he took this fight on short notice. He came out here to fight, and you’ve got to give a man props for that. He came into our backyard and fought. I respect this man, big time.”

Kuivanen Posts First Octagon Victory

Finnish import Anton Kuivanen won for the 10th time in his last 11 appearances, as he earned a split verdict over Mitch Clarke in a preliminary lightweight tilt. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28, two of them in favor of Kuivanen (17-5, 1-1 UFC).

A competitive first two rounds gave way to a dominant third for the victor. Kuivanen spent much of the final five minutes in top position, driving punches and hammerfists into the Canadian’s head. Clarke (9-2, 0-2 UFC) looked weary and did not fare well in the standup exchanges. Kuivanen closed with a flourish, as he attacked the Canadian with heavy punches and knees.