UFC 164: Breaking Down Ben Rothwell's Win over Brandon Vera

UFC 164 featured a number of exciting matchups, and while Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera wasn't one of the most anticipated fights of the night, it ended with a wild finish.

Rothwell defeated Vera by technical knockout with 1:54 remaining in the third round. This was a big win for "Big Ben," who had been struggling with an up-and-down past seven fights.  Meanwhile, "The Truth" may be done in the Octagon after now going 1-4 (1) in his last six fights.

Even though Rothwell was able to come away with the win, it didn't look like that would be the case early on.

Rothwell landed a big hook on Vera with around four minutes to go in the first round, while Vera followed up with a kick to the head.  Overall, Vera looked quicker and more fluid in the first round of play, but Rothwell was able to land a few shots as well.  

The round ended, however, with an errant Rothwell kick that hit Vera in the, well, manhood.  Vera looked to be in pain for a moment but was able to shake it off and head into the second round.

Rothwell connected with a kick to start off the second round, getting the first nice shot of the round for either fighter with a little over four minutes left.  Vera attempted a couple of takedowns during the round, but they were to no avail.  Shortly after, Rothwell backed up his opponent and peppered him with a few nice shots.

Rothwell tried a similar strategy of keeping Vera against the cage to start the third, but few blows were landed by either fighter as they were clinching.  A couple of minutes in, Rothwell started dancing around and then went all-out crazy by unleashing a flurry of punches.  He started backing up Vera, then kept landing punches on him before knocking him to the ground and finishing the fight.

In a fight where Vera could have pulled off the decision thanks to his speed and ability to land kicks, the late and impressive surge by Big Ben was what eventually decided it.  

It was a bland fight for most of it, but the end was exciting.  Now, Rothwell will be looking to start a new winning streak, while Vera will be struggling to stay relevant in the UFC.