UFC Fight Night 84 results: Gegard Mousasi decisions Thales Leites

Thales Leites has by and large looked like a rejuvenated fighter in his second run through the UFC. The Brazilian took a 5-1 record in his past six UFC fights into UFC Fight Night 84.

Unfortunately for Leites, Gegard Mousasi was there in London to greet him. And Mousasi turned it into a throwback Leites, the guy who once got cut from the UFC, in their middleweight co-feature bout.

The judges' scores were a pair of 30-27s and a 29-28, all in Mousasi's favor

Leites had no answer for Mousasi in the standup. Mousasi was brutally efficient with his striking, choosing ruthless precision over volume in landing crisp combos and sharp kicks.

Mousasi also demonstrated tight takedown defense, preventing the submission ace from from getting his ground game untracked. By the end of the second round, Leites had a busted left eye from the accumulated damage.

Leites finally showed a little life in the third, as he picked up the pace at the midpoint, but that ended up with Mousasi on top on the ground and in control.

Mousasi, who was knocked out by Uriah Hall in a bout he was handily winning last time out, defended his safe approach against Leites.

"I was dominating the round, I wasn’t going to give it away in the last 30 seconds," Mousasi said. "I was ready, I could have taken it down and I played it smart. Last fight I took chances and I paid for it."

Mousasi (38-6-2), the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, has won three of his past four. Leites (25-6) has dropped his past two.