Trujillo gets boost from highlight KO

After a record number of fights went the distance on Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighting Championship card in Newark, N.J., UFC president Dana White wasn’t in a particularly cheery mood.

He couldn’t help but crack a smile, though, when talking about the obvious bright spot that emerged from UFC 169.

“We broke a record I’m not very proud of — the most decisions on a card in UFC history. You’re not going to hear me bragging about that at press conferences,” White said. “But I was pumped with the first fight of the (main card). It was awesome. Those two went out there and it was such a great fight. Awesome.”

While Jamie Varner was part of that equation, it was Abel Trujillo who may have emerged as a star.

Trujillo endured a back-and-forth slugfest that saw him on the short side of the action for much of the first round-and-a-half to knock Varner out cold with a crushing right hand late in the second round.

“I was hurt like a mofo right there,” the lightweight said in the cage after the victory.

He said his thought was very simple after connecting with the decisive blow:

“Thank God.”

The 30-year-old was thrilled after improving to 7-1 in his last eight fights. He was even happier upon learning he won $125,000 in bonuses for fight of the night and knockout of the night at the post-fight news conference.

“I got no plans for the money or anything like that. I’m very grateful for it though,” he said. “I don’t have a game plan. I just come in there to fight, and I don’t fight to a decision. I fight to a finish.”

That’s the idea for most fighters who step in the cage, but that mentality didn’t show up in the results Saturday.

Only one other fight besides Trujillo failed to reach the scorecards. Even that one wasn’t particularly decisive.

Referee Herb Dean awarded Renan Barao a first-round knockout victory over Urijah Faber despite Faber blocking punches and giving a thumbs up to indicate he was fine to continue. White called the stoppage “a mistake.”

“It’s the cherry on top of the 10-decision, record-breaking catastrophe this evening was,” White said.

As for Trujillo, his style and personality, combined with the thrilling performance on a big stage, could help launch a star.

He said he would be interested in fighting Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone or Nate Diaz next.

“I wasn’t necessarily calling them out,” he said. “I just threw a couple names out there. I just want to fight the better guys in the division to get closer to the belt.”

■ UFC 173 SET — White confirmed an ESPN report that middleweight champion Chris Weidman will defend his belt against Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC 173 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 24.

A long-anticipated bout between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen has also been scheduled for the event. Silva and Sonnen have a feud that dates back several years. They are filming a season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in Brazil as rival coaches.

White confirmed Internet reports of a major brawl on set between the fighters and their coaching staffs.

■ EYE FAILS TEST — UFC women’s bantamweight contender Jessica Eye was informed her split-decision win over Sarah Kaufman has been changed to a no-contest due to a failed drug test. The fight took place in Houston in October.

A statement from the Texas athletic commission did not specify what drug was found in Eye’s screening. She has been fined $1,875 and placed on “probated suspension” for one year.

The terms of the probation don’t seem to have any impact on Eye’s scheduled fight against Alexis Davis on Feb. 22.

■ BARRY DONE WITH MMA — Heavyweight striker Pat Barry announced last week he has decided to give up on competing in MMA and instead return to his roots in kickboxing.

Barry asked for and was granted his release from his UFC contract. The 34-year old didn’t rule out a return in the future.

“Over the past few fights I’ve just had this sinking feeling in my stomach whenever I have stepped into the octagon and I realize, I don’t want to wrestle,” Barry said in a statement. “Not saying I will never do MMA again, but right now I just want to hit people. MMA and the UFC have been great to me, and I will always support the company and the sport.”

Barry announced on “The MMA Hour” radio show Monday he will compete at the WKA North American Championship on March 22 in Richmond, Va. He has also signed a two-fight contract with kickboxing promotion Glory.

■ PENA HURT — There are two very distinct stories circulating about how Julianna Pena, winner of the first female season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” suffered a knee injury.

Her trainer released a statement saying it was a routine training accident brought on by several camps in a row without a break. White told reporters in New York this week that Pena had told him it was a essentially borderline assault by a man in the gym trying to prove a point.

What’s agreed on is the severity of the injury. Pena tore her anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, a meniscus and a hamstring and could be out of action for up to two years.

She is out of a scheduled fight against Jessica Andrade, who will instead fight Raquel Pennington at UFC 171 in Dallas on March 15.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.