UFC 171 results: Dennis Bermudez overpowers Jimy Hettes for third-round TKO

DALLAS – For two rounds, it was all Jimy Hettes could do to survive against Dennis Bermudez. In the third, even that proved too difficult a task as Bermudez hammered him with body shots and stifling ground-and-pound until Hettes succumbed to strikes for a TKO stoppage at 2:57 of Round 3.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 171 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas. It aired on FOX Sports 2 following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Bermudez kept Hettes on the defensive the entire fight, slamming him down and overwhelming him with strikes in the first two rounds. A sharp exchange on the feet in the second knocked Hettes’ mouthpiece to the floor, and seconds later it seemed like Bermudez might be close to finishing it.

But while Hettes would survive that assault, the constant pressure of Bermudez continued to wear him down in the third. A body shot from Bermudez put Hettes down in the third, and a knee just seconds after the stand-up restart returned him there. By then, the stoppage seemed altogether necessary, and maybe even merciful.

“I feel like I looked like a ‘Newyorican’ guy going into his best battle,” Bermudez said. “I expect New York and Puerto Rico are making some noise with this win.  Another TKO is a great accomplishment in my career. I’m looking forward to improving my spot in the rankings. Going 6-0 in UFC is absolutely incredible – I’ll just wait for what the UFC decides is next for me.”

Bermudez (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has now won six straight in the UFC. Hettes (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) loses his second fight in three outings.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 171 results include:

• Dennis Bermudez def. Jimy Hettes via TKO (knee) – Round 3, 2:57
• Alex Garcia def. Sean Spencer via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Frank Trevino def. Renee Forte via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Justin Scoggins def. Will Campuzano via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Sean Strickland def. Robert McDaniel via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
• Robert Whiteford def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan and Steven Marrocco contributed to this report on-site in Dallas.