The light heavyweights alternated between exchanging in space and battling in the clinch, both men showing good abilities in both phases. As the fight progressed and Bukauskas settled into his range, he began stinging Edwards, hurting him badly twice in the second round, but failing to find a finish. In the third, both men continued to trade, with Edwards earning top marks for his conditioning and ability to push the pace down the stretch.
When the tens and nines were totaled, it was Bukauskas who came out on the happy side of the split decision verdict, getting himself moving in the right direction again. That’s seven wins in nine starts since returning to the UFC for “The Baltic Gladiator,” who once again takes a step towards breaking into the top 15 in the light heavyweight ranks.
