Round 1 - Referee Mario Yamasaki officiates this lightweight contest. No touch of gloves, and Cerrone pawing with a jab. Prompts a punch from Stephens and leg kick. Cerrone gets caught with a punch. Leg kick from Stephens prompts warning. Cerrone with a leg kick. Stephens going big with right hand that's blocked. Leg kick for Cerrone. Stephens with leg kick. Stephens goes to the body. Cerrone with charging leg kick. Cerrone with kick to the body after some showy arm work. Cerrone with another leg kick, then front kick. Stephens goes to the body and misses up top. Cerrone gesturing with hands, eats a glancing right. He snipes and then ducks away from counter. Stephens goes inside to the leg. They trade body kicks. Cerrone peels off with another leg kick. Another inside kick. Cerrone goes for takedown and misses with a knee. Stephens again looking for the right hand. Cerrone, fighting tall, lands a nice combo coming in. He charges with a leg kick. Now working inside, and it looks like Stephens might have gotten poked in the eye. Cerrone pursuing. Cerrone with another punch combo that ends with a kick. Cerrone attempts to shovel up with a left hand. Stephens slips on a leg kick and is let up. Punch lands for Stephens but Cerrone is unaffected. As a matter of fact, he's doing a little shuffle. Lands a knee and punch in close. He's picking Stephens apart, and lands a shuffling leg kick before closing the round by flying into Stephens with a knee. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Cerrone.
Round 2 - Touch gloves, and Cerrone's hands are moving. Leg kicks followed by a shot upstairs. Stephens with a leg kick. Misses with a body shot. Cerrone picks at Stephens then escapes. Another low kick. Stephens punch counter has no effect. Cerrone tries to duck and throw and elbow upward, then goes with a spinning elbow. Stephens is completely flustered. Stephens is on his bike and taking kicks. Stephens shoots for a takedown and can't get it. In open range, Cerrone charges into a kick and takes the return on the side of the head. He digs a shot into Stephens' body. Stephens is swinging wide and missing time after time. Body shots are working, though. But this is ultimately a showcase for Cerrone's striking. He chases Stephens across the ring and waits for a gap in Stephens' defense to unload. Stephens is forced to escape with a run across the cage. Stephens lands a nice body shot. This, so far, has been his only successful punch. A nice leg kick connects for Cerrone who's hands are low. A feint and low kick nearly takes Stephens off his feet. Stephens attempts to counter but just meets a flurry of punches that force him to cover up. Nice right hand for Stephens, but he sits down too much on the next punch and gets taken down. Cerrone stands up and eats an upkick as he stacks Stephens. Round ends with Cerrone briefly kicked off. MMAjunkie.com scores the frame 10-9 for Cerrone.
Round 3 - Elbows from Stephens' guard have cut Cerrone, but Stephens is straight-up banged up. Hard inside leg kick nails Stephens, and instantly, we're going to break. Stephens kneels, and after a brief break, we're back at it. Punch-outside leg kick combo lands for Cerrone. Stephens' counter not so successful. Leg kick and left hand lands for Stephens. Cerrone meets his next combo with a body kick. Stephens stops the takedown attempt, grabs his neck, but misses with a knee. Cerrone back to his rhythm, going to the legs. Charging leg kick takes Stephens off his feet, but Cerrone lets him up. Punch combo from Stephens meets air. Cerrone's retort concludes with another stinging leg kick. Cerrone sneaks in a punch upon the next combo. Leg kick sneaks in. Nice left hand lands for Stephens, but it has no effect. Cerrone to the body. Stephens winds up with a right and still can't get a reaction. Hard body kick from Cerrone, and Stephens complains about his eye, but then reconsiders. Cerrone meets a punch with a body kick. It's a muay Thai clinic. Stephens punch is blocked. Combo to the body and leg kick lands for Cerrone. Stephens loses his mouthpiece, and we pause briefly. Stephens goes big with a flying knee, but it misses. Cerrone leads with an elbow. They swing and Stephens connects, but that just prompts Cerrone to fire back and goad him on. Fight ends, and the outcome is not in question. MMAjunkie.com scores the final frame 10-9 for Cerrone. Judges agree. Donald Cerrone def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC on FUEL TV 3: Donald Cerrone vs Jeremy Stephens
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