UFC 213 results: Alistair Overeem takes majority decision over Fabricio Werdum

LAS VEGAS — Alistair Overeem picked his spots Saturday night at UFC 213, and that was good enough to get the nod on the judges’ cards.

Overeem landed the biggest blows in the first two rounds of his UFC 213 co-main event bout against Fabricio Werdum at T-Mobile Arena, which earned him two of three scores on the judges’ cards.

Overeem took the trilogy bout against his longtime foe via majority decision, taking two 29-28s to a 28-28.

Werdum came out and threw and missed a running knee to start the fight, and then things settled into an odd pattern. Overeem almost seemed to be trying to goad Werdum into charging. Werdum occasionally initiated contact. Overeem had the round’s biggest blow, as he dropped Werdum with a right hand. The fighters were chippy after the horn, prompting referee Herb Dean to have to separate them.

In the second, Overeem again landed harder strikes. Werdum took the fight to the ground, but Overeem’s position was such that Werdum didn’t come close to a submission.

Things finally heated up in the third. Werdum dropped Overeem with a right, then went for a guillotine, but Overeem slipped out. Back standing, Werdum continued to pour it on, popping Overeem flush with a straight right hand to the jaw, then went for a takedown. He worked from top control for the remainder of the round, but didn’t come close to finishing the fight.

Werdum took the first fight between the two, submitting Overeem in the second round of a 2006 PRIDE bout. Overeem won the rematch via decision five years later in Strikeforce.

“I feel great with the win tonight,” Overeem said. “I felt I was clearly the dominant fighter in the first two rounds. Round three was a little tough but I knew I had controlled the fight before then. Werdum is tough but I was the better man tonight.

Overeem improved to 43-15 (1 NC) for his second straight win and sixth in his past seven. Werdum (21-7-1) has dropped two of three.