UFC 128 Results: Brendan Schaub Lands Massive Right Hand, Knocks Out Mirko Cro Cop

Brendan Schaub defeats Mirko CroCop at UFC 128

Brendan Schaub worked through two rounds before knocking out Mirko Cro Cop late in the third at UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones.

A ducted point for Schaub in the second round for illegal strikes to the back of the head didn’t matter, as the finish in the next round was more than enough

Schaub and Cro Cop began with Schaub circling left and pushing the action against the Croatian. The two clinched against the cage, but they were separated because Schaub was landing too many hits to the back of Cro Cop’s head. A nice takedown by Schaub took us halfway through the first round. Schaub worked hard for some ground and pound and scored some big shots, but Cro Cop was able to get the fight back to the feet. Schaub worked to get the takedown but Cro Cop’s defense was too strong and the round ended

The second round began with Cro Cop attempting one of his famous left high kicks, but there wasn’t a lot of power behind it and Schaub got another takedown. An upkick by Cro Cop while Schaub was on his knee had Herb Dean call timeout, warning him about illegal strikes. Halfway through the round, Schaub had his opponent pressed up against the cage in the clinch with the two throwing short strikes, jockeying for position. Schaub’s nose was bloodied by an elbow, but another stirke to back of Cro Cop’s head had Herb Dean step in for a timeout, deducting one point from Schaub. The round ended with Cro Cop winning the second stanza.

The third round had Cro Cop land an inside leg kick, but it landed a little to close to Schaub’s crotch. After a short break, the fight continued and Schaub got another takedown. A short while later, they get up again for a moment, but Schaub gets the second takedown of the third round. Working from guard, Schaub gets in some more ground and pound. The two got back to the feet at about halfway through the final round. Cro Cop attempted a left kick and Schuab timed it perfectly, landing a straight right that sent the Croatian crashing to the mat, knocking him out completely.

Official time to the stoppage was 3:44 of the third round.

“It was my birthday yesterday, so a knockout bonus would be nice, Dana,” Schaub said after the fight.

Schaub gets his fourth win in a row, and his second over a former top contender after beating Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 123 in October. Cro Cop suffers his second loss in a row by knockout, and one has to wonder how much the former Pride standout has left in his tank.