Dennis Bermudez

Dennis Bermudez vs. Andre Fili

Round 1
Bermudez bounces forward on Fili, bobbing and weaving as he tries to close the distance against the taller man. Fili flicks out jabs, using his range to keep Bermudez outside and then stuffing the wrestler's first double-leg shot. Bermudez keeps coming forward, double-pumps his jab in Fili's face and then rips the body of Fili with a big left hook. Bermudez get double underhooks and wraps up Fili with a tight bodylock on the fence. Fili keeps his balance as Bermudez works to lift and trip the Team Alpha Male fighter. Fili breaks up the bodylock and separates, only to find himself eating a hook, then a pair of jabs, another hook. Fili shoots and completes a quick takedown, but Bermudez is back on his feet within seconds. Bermudez steps into the pocket to deliver a low kick and eats a stiff right in return. "Dennis the Menace" offers a brief clinch on the fence as the 145ers hit the final minute of round one. A pair of outside low kicks get Fili stumbling, but it's "Touchy" who gets the last takedown of the round, plowing Bermudez to the ground in the final 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Fili
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez

Round 2
Bermudez times a Fili uppercut perfectly, slipping the punch and throwing a jab that snaps back Fili's head, then driving inside to shove the taller man against the fence. Fili shoves Bermudez away, circles off and then catches a low kick which he converts to a takedown. Again, Bermudez is back on his feet in a hurry, then jamming Fili against the wall. Bermudez tries to lift and slam Fili with a high-crotch single, but the lanky Fili keeps his balance once again. The fighters trade jabs, Bermudez lands a low kick, then another; Fili times the second kick and slugs the New Yorker with a straight left counter. Half the round remains in what has been an all-action second frame. Fili has a takedown blocked, but he makes Bermudez pay with a cracking hook on the break. Bermudez digs an underhook and drives Fili against the wall, then gives the Californian a pair of knees to the midsection from the Thai clinch. Fili catches a leg kick from Bermudez and converts it into yet another takedown with 45 seconds left. Bermudez is on his feet 15 seconds later, pushing Fili against the cage and zapping him with an overhand right as time runs out.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Fili
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez

Round 3
Fili sticks a long jab as he reaches over the top of a Bermudez low kick. It's still Bermudez bringing the pressure at the start of the final round, but Fili is looking increasingly sharp in his counterstriking. Bermudez continues to chop at Fili's legs; Fili seems to be showing some wear from the strikes, stepping gingerly, but he fires a left high kick upstairs that's partially blocked by Bermudez's right glove. Fili scores a quick takedown, can't keep Bermudez on the ground, and "Dennis the Menace" shoves Fili against the cage as they stand. Bermudez delivers a clinch knee that lands hard to Fili's cup, and referee Kevin MacDonald pauses the action. The foul is deemed accidental, so no point is deducted from Bermudez, and the action resumes after about 90 seconds. Bermudez lands a hard inside leg kick, sticks his left hand in Fili's grill and then comes inside for another clinch. Fili breaks out in a hurry and circles away, and Bermudez is right on his tail. Bermudez gets over-aggressive in his forward march and walks into a pair of stiff jabs. Bermudez gives it back to Fili with a hard jab of his own, then digs into the body with a left hook. Pushing Fili against the fence, Bermudez changes levels and finishes the fight with one more double-leg takedown. Bermudez goes for a last-second armbar, but Fili escapes with ease.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (30-27 Bermudez)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (29-28 Fili)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (30-27 Bermudez)

The Official Result
Andre Fili def. Dennis Bermudez via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30) R3 5:00

Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens

Round 1
Bermudez shoots straight for a takedown and winds up shoving Stephens against the fence. Stephens quickly separates and gets down to throwing punches, and a right hand seems to sting Bermudez. At the same time, a clash of heads cuts Stephens near the right eye. Bermudez drops to his knees, can’t get the takedown and stands to up to crack Stephens with a right hook. Bermudez pins “Lil Heathen” against the fence with an underhook. Two minutes into the round, Bermudez finally drags Stephens to the mat and then tries to sneak around to take the back. Bermudez is blocked by the fence, so he stays on Stephens’ back with one hook in, dropping left hands. The cut on Stephens’ right eyebrow is leaking again, pooling blood on the floor underneath the fighters. When Stephens rolls to his knees, Bermudez tries to jump on his back, but he goes too high and Stephens is able to slip out the back door. The featherweights are back on their feet with 90 seconds remaining, and Bermudez draws Stephens forward to land a stiff left hand. Stephens answers with a left-handed haymaker, but Bermudez eats it and then waits a few seconds before diving for a takedown. Stephens stuffs the shot, and again they wind up clinching on the fence. Stephens tries to whip around with a spinning elbow, but Bermudez goes underneath it and holds his man on the fence until the round’s end.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Bermudez

Round 2
Stephens opens the round with a few hard leg kicks, but Bermudez closes the gap with a straight right hand. Bermudez keeps coming, trying to bomb Stephens near the fence with a combination, but he’s caught and dropped with a counter uppercut. Stephens tries to polish off his kneeling opponent with big punches from the standing position, only Bermudez shoots on the veteran’s legs and uses the shot to regain his wits. Bermudez gets back to his feet and continues walking forward on Stephens, who chops out the wrestler’s lead leg with a hard kick. A clubbing left hook from Stephens knocks Bermudez back to the mat; Bermudez stands and returns the favor with a push kick to the body which puts Stephens on his seat. Halfway through the round, Bermudez muscles Stephens against the cage. Stephens breaks out to deliver a right hand and a clinch knee, but Bermudez circles off the fence and comes back with a Superman punch which catches Stephens off balance and puts him back on the mat. Stephens scrambles up, gets a kick in the gut and has to defend as Bermudez shoots for a double-leg takedown against the fence. Referee Marc Goddard calls for work as the pace slows for the first time in the hectic, back-and-forth fight. The featherweights split with 40 seconds remaining, and Bermudez finds the mark with another Superman punch. Bermudez lands a leg kick, stuffs a takedown attempt from Stephens and shoves him against the fence to finish the round.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Stephens

Round 3
Bermudez opens the round with a leg kick, then gets one in return. Stephens denies a clinch attempt from Bermudez and backs up to the fence. Bermudez comes in throwing a punch with his head down, and Stephens lands a perfectly placed knee on the temple. Bermudez is in trouble when he hits the mat, and Stephens finishes him off with a series of heavy left hands before referee Goddard intervenes.

The Official Result
Jeremy Stephens def. Dennis Bermudez via TKO (Knee and Punches) R3 0:32

Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway
Round 1
Holloway has his jab working early, touching Bermudez’s chin with a pair of straight left. Bermudez shoots in for a takedown and is forced to release when Holloway grabs a headlock. Another quick jab, and Holloway steps out of the way of Bermudez’s left hand. Bermudez grazes with a right hand and lands a snappy leg kick outside. Holloway is still moving well, though, sidestepping most of Bermudez’s punches before they’re thrown. Bermudez shoots and again Holloway defends with a guillotine. They break and Bermudez chops with a leg kick outside. Holloway catches Bermudez leaning and drills him with a turning kick. The Hawaiian tries to finish with punches, but Bermudez grabs hold of him and presses Holloway against the cage with a minute left. Holloway gets out and Bermudez looks to have recovered now. Holloway lands the same spinning kick -- this time to the body -- then does it again, the second one knocking Bermudez to the ground seconds before the end of the frame.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Holloway
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holloway
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Holloway
Round 2
Bermudez nearly finishes a single-leg, but Holloway shoves him to the ground, then hops on the back of the kneeling Bermudez. They stand up and Bermudez eats a kick to the face on the way. Holloway blocks a head kick, picks at Bermudez with a couple jabs and misses with a spinning kick to the body. Now bleeding from his nose, Bermudez tries a Superman punch that pulls up short. Holloway digs a left to the body and goes up top with a right hand that slows Bermudez’s pace midway through the round. A leg kick from Bermudez nearly drops Holloway, but the Hawaiian pops back up. Bermudez puts Holloway on the fence after a failed takedown try. Holloway quickly turns it around, giving Bermudez an elbow to the face for his trouble. Bermudez lands a leg kick outside, answered by a hard left kick to the body by Holloway. A right high kick to the head lands but doesn’t seem to impact Bermudez, who ducks a spinning kick and misses with a leaping kick of his own. Both men reset and touch gloves, smiling. Bermudez with a takedown in the final seconds; he’s forced to dodge an armbar attempt before he’s able to land a couple punches as time runs out.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Holloway
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holloway
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Holloway
Round 3
Bermudez hits a takedown on the fence and again has to contend with the lanky Holloway’s guard. Bermudez seems to be framing up a choke of his own before releasing and resetting on the feet. Holloway is back to moving around the outside, picking at Bermudez with jabs. Bermudez is the aggressor now, attacking Holloway’s legs with kicks outside and now scoring with some jabs of his own. Bermudez grabs a single-leg and sweeps the other, then holds Holloway on the fence when the youngster stands back up. Holloway escapes the clinch halfway through the final round and resumes jabbing. He catches a low kick and puts Bermudez on the ground, but Bermudez is right back up, hitting a takedown of his own. Bermudez postures up and slams Holloway with a series of vicious elbows, instantly opening a cut and forming a nasty hematoma on the left side of Holloway’s forehead. Bermudez almost advances to mount with 30 seconds left, gets stuffed back to half-guard. Bermudez finishes the round strong on top, dropping punches on the suddenly banged-up Holloway.
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (29-28 Holloway)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (29-28 Holloway)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (29-28 Holloway)
Official result:
The judges score the bout 29-28 Holloway, 29-28 Bermudez and 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Dennis Bermudez.