UFC 211 results: Enrique Barzola tops Gabriel Benitez in fun back-and-forth scrap

DALLAS – A last-second knockdown wasn’t enough to keep “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2” winner Enrique Barzola from a judges nod.

Where Barzola (13-3-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) fell short on his feet, he excelled in rag-dolling Gabriel Benitez (19-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) to the canvas over three rounds to win two of three rounds on scorecards.

The featherweight fight was part of today’s UFC 211 preliminary card at American Airlines Center in Dallas. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass prior to FX prelims and pay-per-view main card.

Benitez, a veteran of the inaugural “TUF Latin America,” made it tough on Barzola in the early part of the fight. Employing a stance more reminiscent of a boxer than MMA fighter, he landed several straight lefts that hurt Barzola. But his upright posture also made him susceptible to takedowns, which Barzola exploited early and often. Benitez managed to get back to his feet, only to be slammed back to the canvas.

Having figured out his opponent’s weakness, Barzola wasted little time getting Benitez back on the mat, and this time around, he adjusted his position to hold half-guard. Benitez began to bank on a guillotine choke, which he abandoned in favor of getting back to his feet. He tried to regain his edge, but Barzola’s frantic pace and persistent takedowns took the steam off his punches.

In a last-ditch effort to fight on his terms, Benitez motioned Barzola to stand and trade punches. The offer was rejected, of course, and it wasn’t long before Barzola was back on top. With short time, however, Barzola figured he would indulge Benitez and slug it out. That turned out to be a bad idea. Benitez caught him flush with a straight left and dropped him at the bell.

Despite the last-second shift in momentum, 29-28 scores followed for Barzola, who picks up another win following a decision over Chris Avila in his previous outing. Benitez drops to 3-2 in the octagon after a submission of Sam Sicilia.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 211 results include:

• Enrique Barzola def. Gabriel Benitez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Gadzhimurad Antigulov def. Joachim Christensen via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:21

For more on UFC 211, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Dallas.)