Two former UFC veterans went face to face in the main event of Cage Warriors 159, with Trevin Jones bouncing back into the win column with a split-decision victory over Wilson Reis.
Jones made an early breakthrough when he dropped former flyweight title challenger Reis in Round 1, but the Brazilian did well to weather the storm that followed as he survived the round and got a foothold in the bout with a strong second round as he turned to his ground game and top control to put the fight in the balance after two rounds.
It meant the final round would be the decider, and both men went for the finish as they looked to score a decisive moment to ensure the judges saw the fight in their favor.
In the end, the scorers were split, with Jones taking the razor-thin victory with scores of 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 snapping “Five Star’s” four-fight skid and giving him his first win since UFC 259 in March 2021.
In the co-main event, featherweight contender Roberto Hernandez underlined his credentials with a second-round TKO finish of Toby Misech.
Hernandez was caught with low blows twice in the opening stanza, but when he targeted the midsection of his opponent, he found the target and scored a stoppage victory as he improved his record to 8-1.
The other main card finish came from debuting heavyweight Ian Daube, who showcased his wrestling skills early before finishing Sean Rose with ground and pound to get his professional career off and running with a win.
Cage Warriors 159: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Trevin Jones vs. Wilson Reis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Roberto Hernandez def. Toby Misech via TKO (body shot) – Round 2 0:52
- John De Jesus def. Elijah Leggett via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Ian Daube def. Sean Rose via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:44
- Alex Trinidad def. Lucas Martino via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Brian Mitchell def. James Settle via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Terrance Saeteurn def. David Lopez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bobby Winther def. Marcus Walston via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:19
- Manuel Medina def. Anthony Warken via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:40