ORLANDO, Fla. – Max Griffin was the biggest underdog at UFC on FOX 28, and had to fight Mike Perry in his backyard.

It didn’t seem to matter much. Griffin (14-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) pulled off the biggest win of his career with a unanimous decision over Perry (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC). He took a 30-27 score and a pair of 29-27s in a stunner to open the main card thanks to some precision striking – and avoiding his opponent’s home-run efforts.

The welterweight bout opened up the main card of today’s UFC on FOX 28 event at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. It aired on FOX following prelims on FOX and UFC Fight Pass.

To little surprise, the sluggers started throwing early. And Griffin got through with something enough to have Perry cut above his left eye. Just past a minute in, Perry tied Griffin up and pressed him to the fence. He looked for knees in the clinch, but Griffin eventually shrugged him off and moved on the outside. He threw a high kick, then a leg kick to try to take Perry off his feet. Perry just missed a high kick, then ate a couple body kicks before landing his own low kick.

Perry looked like he constantly was ready to wind up for the home-run shot, tehn just missed a big right uppercut. When Perry missed a kick, Griffin got through for a two-punch combo, then tried to pump his jab through with a minute left. Perry was bleeding deeper down the left side of his face onto his chest. But with 40 seconds left, Griffin ducked under a big kick and took Perry down. He couldn’t hold the position, though, and Perry took advantage and took his back. Griffin defended the choke until the horn, but Perry finished the round on top.

Griffin put together a solid combo in the first part of the second, then waited through some leg kicks to sting Perry with a right hand. He backed the home favorite up with kicks and another body punch, then again circled outside to keep Perry guessing where he’d be. Griffin landed a leg kick, then another, and kept his jab working. Midway through the round, the two scrambled and Perry left his feet. But Griffin couldn’t take advantage and they stayed swinging.

Perry’s face continued to show the effects of Griffin’s punches, and Griffin wisely circled outside whenever he could knowing Perry wanted the one-hitter quitter. Perry got a left hand through Griffin’s defense, then another. But just when Perry looked like he might have something in him, Griffin drilled him with a combination and knocked him to the canvas. He pounced on him there, but couldn’t put him away. Perry got back to his feet for the rest of the round, but Griffin again lit him up right before the horn.

Griffin worked an inside leg kick, then fired off a combination. But he got caught by return fire from Perry and stumbled. Perry threw a high kick, then drove Griffin forward looking for a takedown. He tried to take Griffin’s back, but Griffin shrugged him off a minute in and stayed upright. Griffin again worked leg kicks as the 3-minute mark approached.

Midway through, Perry stung Griffin with a right, then another and had him backing up. Griffin answered back and kept circling, not wanting to let Perry put much together. The home crowd worked up a chant for Perry. With a minute left, Perry started to get desperate. He threw a high kick that Griffin worked through, but then landed a big left hand. Griffin survived it, then went for a takedown to try to save himself. Perry pressed him against the fence, then got a soft takedown late.

But it mattered none. Griffin left the Orlando fans buzzing with surprise that their home favorite had gone down.

Griffin is back in the win column after a “Fight of hte Night” decision loss to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in October. He has alternated wins and losses his past five fights. Perry now has consecutive losses for the first time in his career after an 11-1 start.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 28 results include:

• Max Griffin def. Mike Perry via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-27)
• Brian Kelleher def. Renan Barao via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Marion Reneau def. Sara McMann via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:40
• Angela Hill def. Maryna Moroz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Alan Jouban def. Ben Saunders via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:38
• Sam Alvey def. Marcin Prachnio via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:23
• Rani Yahya def. Russell Doane via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 2:32
• Alex Perez def. Eric Shelton via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Manny Bermudez def. Albert Morales via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:33

For complete covearge of UFC on FOX 28, check out the UFC Events section of the site.