UFC Fight Night 35 results, photos: Brad Tavares outworks Lorenz Larkin early, cruises to decision win

DULUTH, Ga. – Brad Tavares may not have done anything spectacular against Lorenz Larkin. No crazy spinning techniques or creative submissions or even near finishes. Instead, he just showed up and outworked his opponent, keeping Larkin on the defensive for most of the three-round bout, and in the end it was enough to earn Tavares a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-8).

The middleweight bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC Fight Night 35 event at Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

It wasn’t any one thing that sealed it for Tavares. Instead it was multiple things, from leg kicks to takedowns off the fence to superior control on the mat. And while Larkin had his bright spots, somehow his offense never got started. Tavares’, meanwhile, never stopped.

By the time it was over, all three judges gave Tavares two of the three rounds, sealing the win in a workmanlike performance over a solid opponent.

Larkin (14-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has now lost two of his last three inside the Octagon. Tavares (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) extends his winning streak to five, with his last loss coming in 2011.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 35 results include:

• Brad Tavares def. Lorenz Larkin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• T.J. Dillashaw def. Mike Easton via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Yoel Romero def. Derek Brunson via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:23
• John Moraga def. Dustin Ortiz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Cole Miller def. Sam Sicilia via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:54
• Ramsey Nijem def. Justin Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Elias Silverio def. Isaac Vallie-Flagg via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
• Trevor Smith def. Brian Houston via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Louis Smolka def. Alptekin Ozkilic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Vinc Pichel def. Garett Whiteley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Beneil Dariush def. Charlie Brenneman via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:45

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 35, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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