UFC 162 results/photos: Frankie Edgar snaps skid, outpoints Charles Oliveira

LAS VEGAS – When Frankie Edgar heard the third-round horn, he probably was just getting started.

Fighting a non-title fight for the first time after seven straight championship bouts – six of which went 25 minutes – Edgar picked up a unanimous decision win over Charles Oliveira.

The featherweight bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC 162 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view after prelims on FX and Facebook.

Edgar landed a right hand early that stunned Oliveira and put him on the canvas. He went to the ground with him, but then thought better of it and moved back to the feet. Edgar ate a kick nearly 90 seconds in, but then picked Oliveira up and slammed him to the canvas – into Oliveira’s world. Back on the feet, the taller Oliveira tried a spinning back kick to the body. But on the feet was Edgar’s world, and he landed an uppercut that hurt Oliveira.

In the second, Oliveira wanted leg kicks, but Edgar caught a pair of them and on the second, he sent the Brazilian to the canvas. After letting him back up, Edgar took him back down. Oliveira started to put his striking together late in the second. In defense, Edgar tied him up, then picked him up for a slam. He fell right into a guillotine choke, but Oliveira didn’t have enough time to finish.

Edgar tagged Oliveira with a right hand 30 seconds into the third, then put a combo on top of it. Edgar pushed Oliveira to the ground, but was wise enough to not go to the ground with him. Back on the feet, Oliviera landed a good combination, then a knee to the body. AFter being taken down briefly, Edgar landed a right, then a left and another right that hurt Oliveira. He threw in a flying knee – against the much taller Oliveira. Back on the ground in Oliveira’s guard, he tried to land punches.

Oliveira had moments where he appeared to have Edgar in some trouble, but the former lightweight champion took a pair of 30-27 scores and a 29-28.

“It felt just as hard as a five-round fight,” Edgar said. “I thought I had him hurt, and I was really trying to finish him, especially in the third. His height was a little out of my range, but he was tough.”

Edgar (16-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) snapped a three-fight losing skid, all of which came in five-round world title fights. Oliveira (16-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) now has two straight losses after a knockout setback this past September to Cub Swanson.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 162 results include:

• Frankie Edgar def. Charles Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Tim Kennedy def. Roger Gracia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Mark Munoz def. Tim Boetsch via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28)
• Cub Swanson def. Dennis Siver via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:24
• Andrew Craig def. Chris Leben via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
• Norman Parke def. Kazuki Tokudome via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Gabriel Gonzaga def. Dave Herman via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:17
• Edson Barboza def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (leg kicks) – Round 2, 1:44
• Brian Melancon def. Seth Baczynski via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
• Mike Pierce def. David Mitchell via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:55

For complete coverage of UFC 162, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.