Round 1: Kingsbury opens aggressive and almost immediately gets Maldonado in a thai clinch and rips vicious knees to Maldonado. Stiff jab from Kingsbury backs Maldonado up. Front kick from Kingsbury keeps Maldonado at bay. Looping left hook from Maldonado. Another thai clinch from Kinsbury and he lands a few solid knees. Kingsbury rushes for a takedown but gets caught in a guillotine However Kingsbury switches and manages to escape the submission and we are back to the feet. Maldonado peppering with jabs, followed by a big left hook as he backs Kingsbury up. Kingsbury popping his jab out, but Maldonado is seeing it now and is keeping a good range. Maldonado getting more confident now as he rushes in with some crushing strikes, backing Kingsbury into the cage. Kingsbury may be looking tired at this point, he certainly looks as if he’s starting to gas. Maldonado with a trip takedown and now in Kingsbury’s half guard. Kingsbury stands up and the fighters are back to standing. Maldonado stalking and lands a few strikes as the round ends. Very, very close round. MMAWeekly scores round one 10-9 for Kingsbury.
Round 2: Kingsbury opens with alternating leg kicks on Maldonado, and then shoots for a successful single-leg takedown. Now in half guard Kingsbury is looking to control and improve, while landing hammer fists. Maldonado with a beautiful switch, finds himself in Kingsbury’s guard. They scramble to their feet. Coming off a clinch Kingsbury grazes Maldonado with a high kick. If that connects, it’s over. Stiff jab from Kingsbury stings Maldonado as he follows with some Thai knees. Maldonado wings a wild left hook and Kingsbury telegraphs it and takes him to the mat. Once again Maldonado does a fine job of posting, and we are now back to the feet. Maldonado looking a bit bloodied and battered now as Kingsbury clinches with him and pushes him against the cage, looking to wear him down with the pummel. Maldonado turns Kingsbury into the cage and lands some dirty boxing of his own Kingsbury now looking a bit swollen and red on the left side of his face. The round ends with a Kingsbury combo. MMAWeekly scores round two 10-9 for Kingsbury.
Round 3: Maldonado opens with a looping left hook that connects. Maldonado pressuring now, as he seems to know he’s down 2 rounds. Right from Maldonado lands, and Kingsbury rushes in for a clinch. Huge power double leg from Kingsbury sends Maldonado to he mat with authority. In true Maldonado fashion this fight, he stands right back up before Kingsbury can do anything. A brief clinch from Kingsbury as he lands a few knees to Maldonado’s face. Both fighters are bloody now, and this is turning into a pretty heartfelt scrap. Maldonado with a trip takedown as he is now in Kingsbury’s guard. Kingsbury pulls rubber guard and we’re at a stalemate. Fighters back to standing now, and Kingsbury’s face is swollen badly. Eventhough he isn’t doing anything with them, the number of takedowns will probably win Kingsbury this fight. Too bad for Maldonado who couldn’t stop them from the start. The round ends. MMAWeekly scores round three 10-9 for Maldonado, but the fight 29-28 for Kingsbury.
Kyle Kingsbury def. Fabio Maldonado by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3
