UFC Fight Night 112 results: Tim Means uses smart strategy in decision win over Alex Garcia

Tim Means deftly used his reach to defuse Alex Garcia’s takedowns and heavy right hands, patiently racking up points as he won the striking game.

The crowd didn’t appreciate the chess game, but Means (27-8-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) earned two of three rounds on judges’ scorecards for a unanimous decision over Garcia (14-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC).

The welterweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC Fight Night 112 event at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. It aired on FS1 following prelims on FS2 and UFC Fight Pass.

The final tallies of 29-28 reflected a shift in momentum as Garcia won early exchanges with his power punch. At one point in the opening frame, Means got a little too comfortable in the pocket and paid for it by taking a left hand that wobbled him. When he recovered, he went to work on Garcia’s body, hoping to take some of the sting out of those punches.

As it turned out, it was the right strategy. Garcia slowed down over the following two rounds and became increasingly reliant on takedowns, which were stymied by Means’ lanky frame and strong whizzer, and his looping right hand. Means circled out of harm’s way and worked a jab that regularly popped Garcia, and leg kicks landed at range.

Over 15 minutes, the two never went for broke, which is probably why the crowd lost its patience. But Means hurt Garcia on several occasions with a straight left. In the final round, the competitive gap began to widen as Means picked off incoming shots and methodically attacked as Garcia struggled to get inside.

After a submission loss to Alex Oliveira in his previous bout, Means gets back to the win column, while Garcia continues to bounce between wins and losses.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 112 results include:

• Tim Means def. Alex Garcia via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dennis Siver def. B.J. Penn via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-27)
• Clay Guida def. Erik Koch via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-26, 30-27)
• Marvin Vettori def. Vitor Miranda via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Carla Esparza def. Maryna Moroz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Darrell Horcher def. Devin Powell via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Jared Gordon def. Michel Quinones via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:24
• Tony Martin def. Johnny Case via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jeremy Kimball def Josh Stansbury via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:21

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 112, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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