Melvin Guillard survives Jamie Varner slam but loses UFC 155 bout
Melvin Guillard and Jamie Varner staked a late claim to the UFC 155 Fight of the Night bonus with a bout that ended in a split decision. Varner won it on the judges' cards, 30-27, 27-30, 29-28.
Varner gained an edge early in the bout by tagging Guillard in the first round. Guillard showed good kicks, but couldn't escape Varner's takedowns for much of the bout. But the most frightening moment of the bout came late in the third round.
[Complete UFC 155 recap: Cain Velasquez mauls Junior dos Santos]
The two were scrambling on the ground for position when Guillard took Varner's back. Varner stood up, and with Guillard's head pointed to the ground, Varner slammed his opponent to the ground. Amazingly, Guillard was not knocked out or injured from the move. The fight ended seconds after, and the two embraced.
“This was a very emotional fight for both of us," Varner said after the bout. "After what happened a few weeks ago at the "TUF Finale" event, we were both ready to compete. I knew we would eventually get in the Octagon and squash our beef and I definitely feel that we did. I’m happy about my performance, I feel that I was able to dominate the fight wherever we ended up and I’m glad I got the win.”
Varner and Guillard were originally scheduled to fight during "The Ultimate Fighter" finale on Dec. 15, but illness kept Varner from the cage. Guillard was understandably upset about the delay, leading to trash talk.
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