Liveblog: ROC 26 Part 6

Team Serra/Longo striking ace Costa Phillippou squares off against Team Vision/Walker MMA's Victor O'Donnell. At stake: the ROC middleweight belt, which O'Donnell took from Natal at the last show. O'Donnell has proven to be able to take punishment and dish it out, but Phillippou is deadly like a sniper, so we'll see if he can his mojo can take it. Well, it most certainly can in Round 1, as O'Donnell lets Phillippou know immediately that his stand-up cannot be trifled with by tagging him with a right to the chin. Phillippou gets the takedown, but O'Donnell more or less avoids any real punishment and eventually gains dominant position. Round 2 has the Team Serra/Longo rep immediately shooting for the takedown, and from his guard O'Donnell comes ridiculously close with a triangle choke. This round ends with them taking turns being on top. The momentum changes drastically in the final frame, as Phillippou rallies to score a pair of takedowns and keep his opponent on his back for the duration. The judges score the bout 29-28 in favor of Phillippou, but this one was closer than that, and O'Donnell - claiming he was eye-gouged at some point - leaves without the belt.