The finish came on the ground after Kerr had stood to pass his opponent's guard. It looked as if he wanted to take Taktarov's back, but Taktarov (16-5-2) took his leg instead for the kneebar at 1:50.
Patrick Smith demolished Eric "Butterbean" Esch in a non-tournament heavyweight bout. Fighting out of Denver, the 45-year-old Smith, who weighed in at 240, came out kicking to the inside of his 416-pound opponent's legs. He also stuck a jab in Esch's face and outboxed him.
Esch, 39, launched an occasional haymaker, which Smith (15-13) dodged before he eventually dropped him with a leg kick. On the mat, Esch (10-6-1) could only cover up. After taking numerous punches and elbows, he verbally submitted at 3:17.
New York's Bryan Vetell (Pictures) pinned Antwain Britt (Pictures) to the base of the cage's incline and peppered him with elbows for most of their heavyweight tournament alternate bout. With one minute to go, however, the fight changed dramatically.
Referee Kevin Mulhall restarted the fighters standing, and Britt, 29, connected with a left hand. Vetell, looking fatigued, tried to pull guard but instead pulled his opponent into the mount. Britt (3-1) then commenced a rally of punches that might have prompted a stoppage if time had not expired. It did, though, and Vetell (4-3) won a unanimous decision after five minutes.
In the opening alternate match, Lamont Lister (Pictures) (4-3) dropped Oleg Savitsky (1-2) with a right hand early. The 29-year-old from Philadelphia then got on his Russian opponent's back and followed up with more rights until the fight was stopped 33 seconds in.