Diaz and Penn were awarded “Fight of the Night” for their three-round main event, while Palaszewski earned “Knockout of the Night” for his brutal stoppage of Tyson Griffin. Cerrone (Pictured, file photo) pocketed “Submission of the Night” after cruising to a first-round victory over Dennis Siver.
Diaz and Penn waged war for 15 minutes, with both men absorbing significant punishment along the way. The Hawaiian landed several solid punches and took Diaz’s back in the first round, but the Cesar Gracie protégé was not discouraged. Round two belonged solely to Diaz, as the lanky welterweight punished the former two-time world champion with a continual barrage of punches.
Treading forward valiantly in the third, Penn managed to land several solid punches. However, the final frame also belonged to Diaz, as his volume punching proved too much for his foe to handle. The Stockton, Calif., product took home a unanimous decision, earning scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27.
Palaszewski found a home for his jab early in the contest, though Griffin held his own until he was clipped by a pair of short left hooks that sent him reeling. The WEC veteran capitalized instantly, following his wounded prey to the cage wall and unloading with a flurry that caused Griffin to completely cover up. Hesitating for just a moment to allow the Xtreme Couture lightweight to lower his guard, “Bartimus” finished the job with one murderous right hook, turning out Griffin’s lights just 2:45 into the contest.
Cerrone continued his hot streak by dispatching his German foe with relative ease, catching Siver with a high kick early in the first frame and following him to the mat with ground and pound. Siver survived that initial scare and returned to his feet, but Cerrone was waiting with more offense, dropping Siver once again and taking his back en route to a first-round finish by rear-naked choke.
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