UFC 331 results: Alonzo Menifield overcomes gruesome cut to upset Iwo Baraniewski - MMA Junkie

Alonzo Menifield opened the UFC 331 main card by handing Iwo Baraniewski his first career loss.

Menifield (19-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) looked like he might be the next victim to Baraniewski's (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) first-round knockout streak on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, but instead he gritted out a split decision win by scored of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 in the light heavyweight bout.

It was a Fight of the Night contender from the jump, with the hard-hitting 205-pounders stinging each other on multiple instances. It was largely that way for the entire duration of the fight, with the pace slowing as the minutes wore on.

The doctor checked Menifield's hand before Round 3 for a nasty cut that appeared to be deep. The fight went on and Menifield showed toughness, but he couldn't find a ton of effective offense before it went to the scorecards.

It was the first time in Baraniewski's MMA career that he went to a decision, and he couldn't keep his undefeated record in tact as Menifield made it a dozen victories in his promotional tenure.

After the fight, Menifield showed off the gruesome cut to his finger with generated a notable groan from the crowd.