Donald Cerrone vs Vagner Rocha — Fight recap

Donald Cerrone earned a unanimous decision victory over Vagner Rocha across all three rounds on June 11, 2011, with referee Herb Dean officiating. Cerrone's striking volume overwhelmed Rocha throughout the bout, landing 86 of 145 significant strikes at 59% accuracy compared to Rocha's 46 of 106 at 43%.

The striking disparity was particularly evident in leg kicks, where Cerrone connected on 50 of 57 attempts, a tactical weapon that accumulated damage over fifteen minutes. Though neither fighter scored a takedown—Cerrone went 0 for 1 while Rocha managed just 1 of 7—Cerrone's superior striking efficiency and pace control proved decisive.

Rocha's wrestling attempts failed to establish sustained control, with only 56 seconds of advantage time against Cerrone's 40 seconds. The lopsided significant strike differential and Cerrone's consistent leg-kick assault sealed the unanimous verdict, positioning Cerrone as an emerging lightweight threat in the division.