UFC 91: Riley Wins The War Against Gurgel

American Top Team lightweight Aaron Riley (26-10-1) won a fast-paced unanimous decision over Jorge Gurgel (12-5) at UFC 91 in Las Vegas Saturday night.  All three judges scored the fight 29-28.

Both fighters had their moments with Gurgel seeming to edge on the cards. At one point, the opening round exploded into a flurry of punches from both fighters ended by a powerful body kick from Gurgel.

The second round started just like the round before with both fighters throwing the idea of a ground fight out of the window and swinging hard and constantly.  Riley threw a number of strong punches on Gurgel following a trip along the fence.  Riley looked to have control at the middle of the fight.  A powerful left hook to the jaw of Gurgel left him rattled only to recover and throw head kicks that were all blocked by Riley.

Both fighters returned to form in round three by throwing leather with no regard.  Riley eventually tagged Gurgel with a kick to the head that sent Gurgel into the cage.  Gurgel survived, but followed with tired action for moments.  The pace of the fight eventually caught up to both men, leaving them visibly weaker than round one.  The final round ended with two respectable punches from Riley and an attempted head kick.