Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez put on three rounds of non-stop action that saw Cruz emerge victorious when it was all said and done. It was believed Cruz would be the next in line to fight Torres but Bowles had other ideas.

Here is a look at all of the night’s action:

Jameel Massouh vs. Leonard Garcia

Garcia didn’t come out as aggressively as I expected him to after the loss to Mike Brown. However, two minutes in Garcia dropped Massouh with a vicious right hand. Garcia went in for the kill but surprisingly Massouh was able to not only recover but get up and take Garcia down later in the round.

The round actually ended with Massouh on top of Garcia dishing out some ground and pound. Still, Garcia won the round by landing the big right hand.

Massouh took Garcia down again in Round 2 but almost got caught in a guillotine. He was able to get out of it and control Garcia for much of the round. Massouh actually almost choked out Garcia but gave up the hold for some reason and allowed his woozy opponent to catch his breath.

Still, it was a pretty convincing round for Massouh.

The two fighters entered Round 3, most likely even on the judge’s scorecard. Neither fighter dominated the third round but I gave it to Massouh because I thought he was the more active, aggressive of the two fighters. However, neither guy separated themselves.

This was a very close fight and a tough one to score. I gave it to Massouh, 29-28. Two judges disagreed, however, scoring it 29-28 for Garcia and giving him the split decision win.

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Jeff Curran

It was obvious from the start that Curran wanted to take this fight to the ground but Mizugaki did a great job of preventing that from happening. He showed tremendous takedown defense early on in the bout, not letting Curran implement his gameplan.

Mizugaki then flipped the script, taking Curran down and administering some ground and pound. Curran almost caught Mizugaki in an arm bar but wasn’t able to lock it in all the way.

I gave the first round to Mizugaki for the way he controlled Curran both offensively and defensively.

Curran opened up Round 2 with a lot of leg kicks and looked to show off his boxing skills, which seemed to be just fine with Mizugaki.

Mizugaki took Curran down to the mat and once again started to unleash some hard ground and pound punches. Both fighters were very active and Curran even had a guillotine sunk in at the end of the round but Mizugaki never appeared to be in real trouble.

I had it two rounds to none for Mizugaki heading into the third.

Curran again tried to take Mizugaki down but just like before, it was Curran who ended up on his back. Curran wasn’t doing a terrible job; Mizugaki just appeared to be bigger and faster.

Just when it looked like Mizugaki had the fight in the bag; Curran caught him in a triangle and almost choked him out. The only thing that saved Mizugaki from tapping in my opinion was the bell.

I had to give that round to Curran for his work from the bottom and his late triangle submission attempt that almost pulled out the win.

I scored the fight 29-28 for Mizugaki but Curran did work a lot from his back, so I can respect if some people saw it differently. One judge did but it was enough, as Mizugaki scored a tough split decision over Curran. A very good technical fight put on by the WEC.

Ricardo Lamas vs. Danny Castillo

Both fighters came out on the attack. Neither Castillo nor Lamas looked like they wanted to take the fight to the ground, even though both guys are very good wrestlers.

Lamas connected with a big head kick but Castillo responded with a combination to the head. Neither fighter did much damage in Round 1 but I gave a slight advantage to Lamas because I think he scored more with his body kicks.

Lamas started to establish himself early in Round 2 with nice combinations and head kicks. Castillo tried a couple of takedowns but failed and his pace started to slow down due to the blows he took. Lamas began to break down Castillo with his body and leg kicks.

Then, just as Lamas looked like he was taking control of the fight, Castillo unloaded a straight right hand that landed square on Lamas’ chin. Lamas fell to the mat; Castillo pounced and went in for the kill. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight.

What a turn of events. After a furious first round, Castillo looked as if he was tiring but a beautiful straight right found its mark and floored Lamas, who was fighting a brilliant fight up until that point.

Hey, that’s why it’s MMA. One punch can end a fight at any time and a perfect straight right gave Castillo a TKO win and handed Lamas his first career loss.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz

As expected, Benavidez and Cruz came out with their hair on fire. Cruz took Benavidez down early but didn’t pounce on him. After a flurry by Benavidez, Cruz brought him down to the mat and then had to fight off a guillotine attempt.

Like always, Benavidez connected with a lot of leg kicks. It was a frenetic pace between these two fighters that resulted in a lot of combinations and kicks connecting. However, I gave Round 1 to Cruz because he took Benavidez down a couple of times. It was the only thing that separated the fighters in the first round in my eyes.

Cruz hurt Benavidez early in Round 2 with a nice combination to the head but Benavidez did a nice job of tying him up to prevent further damage. Benavidez started to have trouble with Cruz’s reach advantage, as he got tagged every time he came in.

It was a very strong round for Cruz, as he used his long reach advantage to frustrate Benavidez.

Round 3 continued to be non-stop action. Cruz connected on a big head kick that floored Benavidez. You could almost see the frustration on Benavidez’s face. He just couldn’t get inside on Cruz, no matter how hard he tried. He did everything he could. Cruz was just the better man on this night.

I’m a big Benavidez fan but this was a bad match-up for him. The announcers said it was a tough fight to call. I disagreed. I thought it was an easy fight to score. I gave all three rounds to Cruz. The judges agreed with me for the most part, scoring the fight 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in favor of Cruz.

Brian Bowles vs. Miguel Angel Torres

Torres got rocked early and almost went down. Bowles then took Torres down to the mat and connected with a few short elbows.

Torres came back with a combination but got rocked again and went down. Bowles pounced and unleashed two vicious left heads. Torres is out. Bowles shocks the world and puts an end to Miguel Angel Torres’ reign of terror in the WEC’s bantamweight division.

Wow, talk about your shockers. Not that Torres lost because Bowles is a very good fighter but the way he lost. This was a dominant first round for Bowles to begin with and for him to finish Torres was most impressive. There is a new king in the bantamweight division and his name is Brian Bowles.

The two started out exchanging on both the feet and canvas before a huge right hand from Bowles sent Torres sailing to the mat. From there Miguel was crushed with another vicious right hand as he was incoherently searching for an armbar. Perhaps referee Josh Rosenthal gave Torres a little too much time to recover as the former champion took several unnecessary punches before the bouts eventual stoppage.

Most of the card was spent hyping up Torres and potential challengers to his title in Takeya Mizugaki and Dominick Cruz, so it remains to be seen if he will be offered a direct rematch against Bowles or not. Following three consecutive title defenses in the WEC it would be hard to argue that he shouldn’t.

Dominick Cruz pulled off another mild shocker when he handed the favored Joseph Benavidez the first loss of his career in the form of a very hard fought decision. This fast paced bout between bantamweight challengers could easily make the claim for being “Fight of the Night”.

Takeya Mizugaki rebounded from his recent loss to Miguel Torres in the WEC by handing Jeff Curran his fourth consecutive loss in a bout the Japanese fighter controlled with strong takedowns and top control.

Also on the card was an exciting back and forth battle between Leonard Garcia and Jameel Massouh where both men had their opponent badly rocked before Garcia was eventually awarded the split decision victory.

A full list of the results from WEC 42 are listed below:

L.C. DAVIS VS. JAVIER VASQUEZ – Winner: L.C. Davis via split decision

DIEGO NUNES VS. RAFAEL DIAS – Winner: Diego Nunes via unanimous decision

RANI YAHYA VS. JOHN HOSMAN – Winner: Rani Yahya via submission (north-south choke) – Round 1

PHIL CARDELLA VS. ED RATCLIFF – Winner: Ed Ratcliff via unanimous decision

MARCUS HICKS VS. SHANE ROLLER – Winner: Shane Roller via unanimous decision

FREDSON PAIXAO VS COLE PROVINCE – Winner: Cole Province via unanimous decision

LEONARD GARCIA VS. JAMEEL MASSOUH – Winner: Leonard Garcia via split decision

JEFF CURRAN VS. TAKEYA MIZUGAKI – Winner: Takeya Mizugaki via split decision

RICARDO LLAMAS VS. DANNY CASTILLO – Winner: Danny Castillo via TKO – Round 2

JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS. DOMINICK CRUZ – Winner: Dominick Cruz via unanimous decision

MIGUEL TORRES VS. BRIAN BOWLES – Winner: Brian Bowles via knockout – Round 1

WEC 42 will be kicking off this evening at 9 pm ET (6 pm PT) from Las Vegas, Nevada and will be broadcast live on the Versus network.

Whether you’re watching the event live or not, it doesn’t really matter, just make sure to check in with 5 Oz’s to discuss the event with some of the most well-educated and passionate mixed martial arts fans on the face of the earth.

Of course we have what should be an electrifying main event that pits the two best fighters on the planet at 135 pounds up against one another as WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres squares off with a hungry and undefeated Brian Bowles.

Torres is one of the more dominant champions of a division currently competing in MMA, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he will have it easy tonight against his this most recent threat to his crown. Bowles is a powerful wrestler, possesses fantastic submission defense, and arguably punches harder than any man Miguel has faced previously at bantamweight.

Quite honestly, if Torres can get past Bowles in impressive fashion it’s time for him to start thinking about moving up a weight class….  or two.

Also on the card we have a do or die fight for Jeff Curran as he faces off with the heavy handed wrestler Takeya Mizugaki in another bantamweight battle. Curran desperately needs a victory coming off of three consecutive defeats in the WEC and Mizugaki is looking to stay afloat in the promotion after coming up short in a hard-fought unanimous decision loss to Miguel Torres in April.

The third bantamweight showdown on the card will most likely be for the number one contender spot in the WEC as Joseph Benavidez meets up with Dominick Cruz. Benavidez has yet to taste defeat in his ten fight career, while Cruz has met defeat just once in his fourteen bouts as a professional, losing by guillotine choke to Urijah Faber (a close friend and training partner to Benavidez) at WEC 26.

Also making appearances on the card will be top talents such as Leonard Garcia, Ricardo Lamas, Javier Vazquez, Marcus Hicks, Rani Yahya and many more.

L.C. DAVIS VS. JAVIER VASQUEZ – Winner: L.C. Davis via split decision

DIEGO NUNES VS. RAFAEL DIAS – Winner: Diego Nunes via unanimous decision

RANI YAHYA VS. JOHN HOSMAN – Winner: Rani Yahya via submission (north-south choke) – Round 1

PHIL CARDELLA VS. ED RATCLIFF – Winner: Ed Ratcliff via unanimous decision

MARCUS HICKS VS. SHANE ROLLER – Winner: Shane Roller via unanimous decision

FREDSON PAIXAO VS COLE PROVINCE – Winner: Cole Province via unanimous decision

LEONARD GARCIA VS. JAMEEL MASSOUH – Winner: Leonard Garcia via split decision

JEFF CURRAN VS. TAKEYA MIZUGAKI – Winner: Takeya Mizugaki via split decision

RICARDO LLAMAS VS. DANNY CASTILLO – Winner: Danny Castillo via TKO – Round 2

JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS. DOMINICK CRUZ – Winner: Dominick Cruz via unanimous decision

MIGUEL TORRES VS. BRIAN BOWLES - Winner: Brian Bowles via TKO – Round 1

Good for Brian, because the man he is set to butt heads with this Sunday evening in Las Vegas at WEC 42 is widely regarded to be one of the very best pound for pound fighters walking the planet in Miguel Torres. But hey, according to Bowles there’s no pressure on his side of things. He’s not expected to win. Things can only get better.

“I’ve always done well as the underdog,” admitted Bowles. “I’ve always been the underdog in the WEC. It seems like every fight I’ve fought in the WEC I’ve been picked as the underdog, and I haven’t lost yet. Another thing about being the underdog is that there’s really not that much pressure on because if I lose, you’re supposed to beat me. Of course if I beat him I surprise everybody, so it kind of takes a lot of the pressure off.”

The native of Athens, Georgia doesn’t feel too bad about not being favored to win. It’s Miguel Torres we’re talking about here. The man is as close to a super-hero as it gets in this world. The Carlson Gracie Jr. black belt has lost just once in a career spanning close to forty fights (a decision loss he avenged by first round armbar), and hasn’t dropped a single bout in his last seventeen bouts spanning well over five years against the toughest competition possible.

That’s okay with Bowles, underdog or not Torres has never faced anyone as dangerous as him, and there’s not a man alive that’s immune to mortality.

“I think everyone he has face has been looked over,” explained Bowles. “He’s been a really dominant champion but he has never faced anyone like me yet. I think I’m his biggest threat so far. I’m the guy that has fought my way up to him. Most of the guys, like Mizugaki just came right in and got the shot. I think people are going to be really surprised. I think a lot of those other guys have put up really good showings against him. I mean Yoshiro Maeda and Takeya Mizugaki both fought him really well. I think I’m going to surprise people. It’s definitely going to be a good showing either way.”

Bowles is coming into the cage on Sunday night to inflict pain and leave with a championship belt. There’s two ways about it. Just don’t expect anything but respect from Brian in regards to the current WEC bantamweight champion.

“Miguel is really well rounded and he brings his fight to the opponent,” said the Hardcore Gym trained brawler. “He’s defended the belt well. He makes no excuses, he just performs.

“He’s been a really great champion. I’m just glad that I have the opportunity to beat him. I think I can take that role as the best 135 pound fighter that he has. It’s the second best guy against the number one guy, I think it’s going to be a really big fight for the WEC. I don’t think they have that a lot.”

Of course all of that respect goes flying out the window once that cage door slams. Don’t confuse Bowles’ respect for fear; he’s going to bring it to Torres, leave nothing in the cage, and make no excuses afterwords.

“You can’t be intimidated by him,” said Bowles. “He’s going to go out there and bring the fight to you, and you just have to do the same to him. You just can’t be afraid of him.”

First off, anyone that has seen Bowles fight will freely admit that the he carries the type of dynamite in his fists that is seldom seen from men weighing under 150 pounds. Quite frankly, if Bowles clips you it’s going to be a problem. Torres is no exception to the rule.

“I think my punching power is something that has just come natural to me,” explained Bowles. “I’ve always enjoyed the stand-up. It’s not something that I’ve really worked on. It’s just something that has come to me naturally.

“Here lately, the hardest hitter I’ve seen him go up against was Takeya Mizugaki. Other than that I haven’t really seen he’s been in there with that hits like I do.”

You’re not going to beat a champion like Torres with heavy hands alone; Something Brian is well aware of going into WEC 42. He’s far from a one-trick pony in this fight game.

“I think my wrestling is going to allow me to dictate where the fight ends up,” revealed Bowles. “I definitely don’t see him shooting on me and taking me down. I think the wrestling will definitely play to my advantage, but I think the overall skills, and the fact that I’m really well-rounded is going to give him some problems.”

Not once has Bowles been pushed to the scorecards in his professional fighting career. So one way or another this one ends early, right? Not so fast. According to the anxious title challenger anything could happen in what promises to be a wild fight, and he’s prepared for anything.

“It’s a good possibility I’ll go the distance for the first time,” confessed Bowles. “He’s been in some decisions. This is going to be my toughest challenge so far so maybe I’ll make it to a decision with him. There’s really no telling where this fight could go. It could be a knockout or a submission, you just can’t really tell exactly how this fight is going to turn out. I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”

The bout has recently been confirmed as being signed from sources close the negotiations through a report made by MMAJunkie.com.

WEC 42 is set to take place at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on August 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be headlined by a bantamweight championship match-up featuring the champion Miguel Torres facing off with the explosive and undefeated Brian Bowles.

Roller is a three time All-American wrestler that has compiled a record of 5-2 during his time spent in MMA. His last fight ended in the first round as he was knocked senseless at the hands of Benson Henderson.

Hicks is coming off of a two fight skid where he was knocked out by WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner and subsequently lost a close decision to former champ Rob McCullough. “The Wrecking Ball” had put together an undefeated record of 8-0, with six submissions and two knockouts just prior to his recent losses.

A full list of the bout expected for WEC 42 are listed below:

Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles (WEC 135 pound championship bout)

Jeff Curran vs. Takeya Mizugaki

Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz

Leonard Garcia vs. Jameel Massouh

Marcus Hicks vs. Shane Roller

Phil Cardella vs. Ed Ratcliff

Fredson Paixao vs. Cole Province

Danny Castillo vs. Ricardo Lamas