They went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes, but ultimately it was Frankie Saenz (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) who worked his way past Henry Briones (16-8-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC).

The bantamweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 129 event at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims on FS2 and a main card on FS1.

The two fighters traded strikes to open, with Saenz finding much success kicking the legs and Briones answering back with powerful punches over the top, as well. After some back-and-forth on the feet, it was Saenz who shot inside and was able to drive the action to the floor with a big takedown, though Briones refused to stay on the ground. Once back on the feet, the two continued to trade big shots until the bell.

The two continued to tee off in the second, with both men landing some solid shots early, including a quick knockdown from Saenz, who still decided to turn to his wrestling. While he again was able to score the takedown, Briones was again able to get to his feet with relative ease. Both men’s faces showed the wear of their opponents’ right hand. The action was steady until the end, though blood flowed freely down Briones’s face from a cut near his left eye.

The brawl continued in the third, though Saenz again tried to mix in his wrestling, as well. Briones tried to grab a guillotine choke as he hit the deck, but Saenz was able to pull his head free and take top position. Briones again was quick to scramble, but Saenz was finally able to really establish himself on top, riding heavy on his opponent during scrambles.

Briones did finally get to his feet with a little more than one minute remaining, but Saenz was able to drag him back to the canvas, where he punched away until the final bell in the grinding contest, taking home a unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 129 results include:

• Frankie Saenz def. Henry Briones via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Claudio Puelles def. Felipe Silva via submission (kneebar) – Round 3, 2:23

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 129, check out the UFC Events section of the site.