UFC 169 results, photos: Takedowns help Nick Catone to split over Tom Watson

NEWARK, N.J. – In a gritty, grinding performance that relied heavily on takedowns and an utter refusal to check leg kicks, Nick Catone outpointed Tom Watson to win a split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) in front of a hometown crowd.

The middleweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 169 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Catone absorbed plenty of damage throughout the fight, especially on the outside of his right thigh, where he took kick after kick from Watson. Yet throughout the fight the takedown was there when Catone needed it, even if Watson generally popped back up again in short order.

Catone might have looked worse by the time the final horn sounded, but he’d done enough on two scorecards to secure the victory, much to Watson’s dismay.

“Last couple of fights have been a couple of tough breaks,” Catone said. “I just wanted to get back in the win column, so I did everything I could to get the takedown in the third. I felt great in the first and the second round, but in the third I felt something in my knee. I was hoping to pull through and I was happy I could.”

“I’ve seen this before with the same result,” Watson said. “If you have a takedown, it wins you the round whether you do anything or not. I came out with less damage, but I was taken down. It was difficult. I don’t know what to do.”

Catone (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) snaps a two-fight losing streak with the win. Watson (16-7 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has now lost two in a row, and three of his last four.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 169 results include:

• Nick Catone def. Tom Watson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
• Al Iaquinta def. Kevin Lee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-27)
• Clint Hester def. Andy Enz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Rashid Magomedov def. Tony Martin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Neil Magny def. Gasan Umalatov via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

For complete coverage of UFC 169, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on-site in Newark.