BROOMFIELD — Following a lethargic, boo-filled first round Thursday night at 1st Bank Center, Brazilian Jose Aldo proved why he’s considered one of the finest mixed martial arts fighters in the world.
Pound for pound, that is, because the big guys tower over the 5-foot-7, 145-pound featherweight.
Aldo, facing Manny Gamburyan of Armenia in defense of his World Extreme Cagefighting title, dominated the second round to force referee Herb Dean to stop the fight at 1:32 of the scheduled five-round bout.
Aldo (18-1) wrestled Gamburyan (13-6) to the mat, hovered over the challenger and delivered a flurry of right hooks to the side of the head before Gamburyan looked the other way and Aldo knocked him out with at least two left hooks square to the face.
“I did everything I trained for. I came in with a clear mind and I was able to execute my game plan,” Aldo said through an interpreter. “I think the (booing) was normal when there is a fight that’s a little stale. The public wants to see the action. . . . I think they’re happy with the end.”
Aldo and Gamburyan entered the fight coming off impressive victories in April over former division champions Urijah Faber and Mike Brown, respectively. Aldo beat Faber, who was in attendance Thursday, in a five-round unanimous decision. And Gamburyan knocked out Brown.
Gamburyan won the first round against Aldo by two of the three judges.
“Same thing happened against Urijah (Faber) — they gave him the first round,” Aldo said. “I try to study my opponent in the first round, and in the second round I was able to execute my game plan.”
Meanwhile, the top undercard bout went to Denver native Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who earned revenge over Jamie Varner of Phoenix with a three-round unanimous decision. Cerrone (12-3), who fights out of Albuquerque, battered the bloodied Varner (16-4-1) throughout the lightweight bout (155 pounds), a rematch of Varner’s controversial victory in January 2009. In that fight, Varner was struck with an illegal knee and couldn’t continue.
“He was definitely hurt and I was having fun out there,” Cerrone said. “This is the fight I wanted as far back as I can remember.”
The main card began with Canadian Mark Hominick (19-8) beating Texan Leonard Garcia (18-6-1) in a three-round split decision. In the second consecutive featherweight bout, George Roop (11-7-1) of Tucson impressively knocked out Chan Sung Jung (10-3) with a powerful leg kick to the face.
Jung — a.k.a. The Korean Zombie — listed one of his strengths as a “granite jaw.” Now, it must be cracked. He was transferred to a nearby hospital for observation.
