UFC 164 Live: Jamie Varner vs Gleison Tibau

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Round 1: Jamie Varner throws a flurry of punches, but they don’t land. Gleison Tibau throws a kick that misses. Varner with a pair of leg kicks, then lands a pair of punches. Gleison looks much bigger than Jamie.

Jamie comes in and eats a right. Tibau lands a right hook. Jamie lands a nice left. Tibau responds with a left. Big left hand by Varner, but Tibau takes it well. Left to the body by Varner lands. Kick by Tibau misses. Varner is having good luck with the lunging left hook.

Tibau lands a right hook. Kick by Varner.  ibau with a powerful single; he gets the takedown with a minute left. Varner is sitting up on the cage. Tibau lands a punch; Varner stands, but still has Tibau on his back. Close round.

10-9 Tibau.[[MORE]]

Round 2: Kick by Tibau. Varner comes flying in and pulls guard with a guillotine, but he isn’t even close to sinking it. Now Varner has the much larger Brazilian on top of him with four minutes left. That was stupid.

Tibau in half guard and moves Jamie away from the cage. Tibau has his back and a full mount, but Varner spins around with two and a half minutes left. Tibau on his back. Varner spins back around. Tibau back on the back and flattening Jamie around. Jamie turns back around, but is still totally mounted. Varner holding on as crowd boos.

Tibau spits on the mat. That was weird. This round is almost over. Tibau isn’t getting anything done right now.

Round 3: Varner is putting it all on the line, pushing forward and swinging for the fences. Tibau responds by backing off. Varner might have won the first round, but he definitely lost the second.

Varner lands a right, then another to the body. Tibau shoots and takes Jamie down, but Jamie is back up and they separate. Three and a half minutes left. Jamie lands a right.

The fighters exchange and Varner lands a huge left to the body. Another big right to body by Varner. Tibau is tired. Varner with the right hook and he is shaking his hand out like it’s broken. But Varner continues to throw the right. Big left hook by Varner. Tibau isn’t doing shit.

Tibau shouldn’t be so sure that he won the first round. I think he did, but it was close. Tibau grabs a leg, but lets it go. Jamie lands an uppercut. Jamie gets a takedown and swarms with punches, looking to finish it. Varner is landing elbows. One and a half minutes left. Tibau is hanging on and trying to survive. Jamie Varner won that round.

I’ve got it 29-28 for Tibau. Judges score it Tibau 29-27, Varner 29-26, and Tibau 29-28. Tibau wins by split decision.

Someone gave Varner Round 1 and a 10-8 in the third, I think. Another inexplicable card. Who is this mystery judge and what is he smoking?