Dominick Cruz.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dominick (The Dominator) Cruz won the World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight title off Brian Bowles via doctor's stoppage after two rounds Saturday night at WEC 47 at the Nationwide Arena.

Bowles (8-1) was bloodied and battered after losing the first two rounds to Cruz (15-1). Bowles, in his first defence of the 135-pound title he won in August, said later he broke his hand with his first punch.

"I've just got to get this hand better," said Bowles, who also broke his hand last time out.

Both fighters came out swinging and both connected in the first round. Cruz danced and moved while Bowles looked to use his power. Bowles ended on the ground with a minute remaining but managed to get back up, blood dripping from his nose.

Cruz continued to score with counter punches when Bowles tried to close the gap in the second round. Cruz put him down briefly with a low kick after forcing him backwards with punches. Bowles seemed confused as to what to do and his thinking wasn't helped by a kick to the groin. Cruz finished the round with a takedown.

The doctor headed to the Bowles corner between rounds and called a halt to the mixed martial arts fight.

Cruz, a 24-year-old who calls San Diego home, has now won six straight since losing as a featherweight to Urijah Faber three years ago. Bowles, a 29-year-old from Athens, Ga., came into the fight 5-0 in the UFC and had never gone three rounds.

The WEC took over the Columbus date usually occupied by its parent organization, the UFC.

Miguel Angel Torres has hoped to use the co-main event to bounce back from losing his 135-pound title to Bowles last time out, Instead he had to tap out to a Joseph Benavidez guillotine choke at 2:57 of the second round.

Torres (36-3) lost his championship belt via first-round TKO to Bowles last August. He has now lost two straight after winning 17 in a row.

Benavidez, who at 5-4 was giving up five inches in height and 11 inches in reach to Torres, came out to Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" with former featherweight champion Faber among his entourage. A stone-faced Torres entered with his trademark mullet and Mariachi music.

Benavidez (12-1) put Torres down with a right to the head and then took him down later in the round. The smaller, quicker man took Torres down again in the second, cutting him open with an elbow and then locking in a guillotine choke.

Featherweight Javier Vazquez (14-4) used his ground skills to submit former UFC lightweight champion Jens (Lil' Evil) Pulver via armbar at 3:41 of the first round. For the 35-year-old Pulver (22-13-1), it was his fifth straight loss and seventh in eight outings. His last four losses have all come in the first round.

Afterwards, Pulver suggested it was probably his last fight.

"I love you all way too much to keep putting you through this," Pulver said.

The 33-year-old Vazquez, a black belt in ju-jitsu, had his arm raised for the first time in the WEC after losing two split decisions.

Veteran lightweight Bart (Bartimus) Palaszewski (33-13) took an early beating on the ground from Karen Darabedyan but took advantage of an opening to win by armbar at 4:40 of the first round. Now 1-1 in the WEC, Darabedyan (9-2) was coming off a split decision over former champion (Razor) Rob McCullough.

L.C. Davis (15-2) won a (29-29, 29-28, 29-28) majority decision over hard-nosed bantamweight Deividas Taurosevicius (12-3), a former rugby player for Lithuania. Davis used good takedown defence to blunt Taurosevicius's offence in a fight that took place mostly in a clinch at the fence.

Both men came into the fight 2-0 in the WEC.

Featherweights Leonard Garcia and George Roop fought to a 29-27, 27-29, 28-28 draw with Roop having a decisive point deducted in the third round for a low blow.

Bantamweight Scott Jorgenson (9-3) needed just 31 seconds to submit Chad George (11-5) via guillotine choke. The end came with George scrunched into the fence, his feet off the ground and vigorously tapping.

Lightweight Anthony (Showtime) Pettis (8-1) knocked out Danny (Last Call) Castillo with a left kick to the head, then nailed him four or five times with punches for a brutal KO win at 2:17 of the first round.