UFC on FOX 10 results, photos: Stipe Miocic outlasts exhausted Gabriel Gonzaga

CHICAGO – In a plodding, three-round affair, Stipe Miocic‘s gas tank proved superior to Gabriel Gonzaga, whose powerful strikes were offset by his quickly sagging energy.

Miocic’s persistent punches chipped away at his Brazilian opponent, allowing him to pick up a unanimous decision, though it’s questionable whether such a performance will boost his title prospects.

The heavyweight bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC on FOX 10 event at United Center in Chicago. It aired on FOX after prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Gonzaga, a 2-to-1 underdog, shocked Miocic early with a series of powerful overhand rights and heavy leg kicks that elicited a limp from the Ohio fireman. But they were not enough to stop Miocic’s advance.

By the second round, Gonzaga was running low on energy and took jabs to the face as he attempted to cover. None of the punches were enough to remove him from consciousness, but they racked up points for Miocic.

Gonzaga repeatedly tried to take the fight to the ground, where his black belt skills in Brazilian jiu-jitsu might serve him better. But Miocic denied the attempts and continued to work one-two combinations.

Miocic did his best work in the third round, when an expiring Gonzaga lay on his back, attempting in vain to kick his overhead opponent in the face. Miocic, a firefighter from Ohio, passed the legs and landed heavy shots with his right hand, which prompted Gonzaga to cover.

Although the performance wasn’t the stuff of performance bonuses, Miocic (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) now boasts back-to-back wins over significant competition. In his previous outing, he dominated Roy Nelson at UFC 161 after suffering his first UFC loss against Stefan Struve at UFC on FUEL TV 5. Gonzaga (16-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC), a onetime title challenger, sees a two-fight win streak snapped after KOs of Dave Herman and Shawn Jordan.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 10 results include:

• Stipe Miocic def. Gabriel Gonzaga via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Donald Cerrone def. Adriano Martins via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 4:40
• Jeremy Stephens def. Darren Elkins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Alex Caceres def. Sergio Pettis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:39
• Eddie Wineland def. Yves Jabouin via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:16
• Chico Camus def. Yaotzin Meza via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hugo Viana def. Ramiro Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Daron Cruickshank def. Mike Rio via TKO (kick, punches) – Round 2, 4:56
• George Sullivan def. Mike Rhodes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Nikita Krylov def. Walt Harris via TKO (head kick, punches) – Round 1, 0:25

For the latest on UFC on FOX 10, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

Matt Erickson contributed to this report on-site in Chicago.