UFC Kansas City Results: Hometown Hero Zak Cummings Tops Ed Herman in Dual Retirement Bout

Fighting for the first time in nearly three years in front of an adoring hometown crowd in Kansas City, 37-year-old Zak Cummings put an emphatic stamp on a pillar-to-post smashing of 41-year-old fellow grizzled veteran Ed Herman at UFC on ESPN 44.

The first round was characterized by Cummings’ speed advantage on the feet, as he landed cleanly with both hands, but especially with his left, including one that dropped Herman. The round was also marked—of course, on this bizarre night—by controversy, as the supine Herman struck the kneeling Cummings with an illegal upkick to the face, only to have referee Dwayne Bess restart the two on the feet afterward.

The diet of left hands continued in Round 2, as Cummings rocked Herman with multiple clean left-hand counters, including one that dropped him to his seat with about a minute left in the round. Cummings pounced in search of the finish and was met by another illegal upkick from Herman, resulting in another break in the action and this time a point deduction by referee Bess, who once again restarted the fight standing.

By the final round, Herman’s left leg was clearly compromised as well, and Cummings was able to put him down twice with punches that more or less knocked him off-balance. The accumulation of damage finally overwhelmed Herman, who went down late in the round and was unable to withstand the swarm of follow-up blows from Cummings, forcing referee Bess to interpose himself for the stoppage at 4:13 of Round 3.

In the wake of the resounding win, with his small daughter in his arms in the cage, a teary Cummings announced his retirement. “Short Fuse” then followed suit, laying down his own gloves in an emotional moment.