One of the UFC greatest fighters against one of the promotion’s fastest rising prospects is set for February’s UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia, as former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to face Israel Adesanya, according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
After a year away, Silva is coming off his second USADA suspension after taking tainted supplements. He’s just 1-4-0-1 in his last five dating back to July 2013 and hasn’t been in the cage since earning a unanimious decision win over Derek Brunson in February 2017.
Following an extensive kickboxing career, the 29-year-old Adesanya is undefeated (15-0) in MMA and is 4-0 in the UFC. He is coming off a first round win over Brunson at November’s UFC 230.
The show features a main event of middleweight champion and Australia native Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum. One would assume that if Gastelum suffers an injury, the New Zealand native Adesanya will be given the opportunity.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 141: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2, emanating from the Cadillac Arena in Beijing, China.
The Octagon heads to Beijing for the very first time with a pair of heavyweight bouts at the top of the card including a rematch in the main event featuring a former title challenger looking to derail an opponent looking for a title shot.
The main event sees Curtis Blaydes putting his six-fight unbeaten streak on the line, as well as his hopes for a title shot, as he looks to avenge a prior loss to Francis Ngannou, who is looking to end a two-fight losing skid.
Blaydes and Ngannou squared off previously in April 2016, a fight won by Ngannou via TKO in the second round. Ngannou has gone on to fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, which he came up short in claiming, while Blaydes has yet to suffer defeat since that loss, going unbeaten in six fights including four straight wins, which has put him as close as one fight away from a title shot.
In the co-main event, former title challenger Alistair Overeem looks to get back into the win column after two straight losses when he takes on Sergey Pavlovich, who makes his UFC debut sporting a perfect 12-0 record. This entire event will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:15 a.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 3:15 AM ET/12:15 AM PT
> Su Mudaerji (10-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Louis Smolka (14-5, 5-5 UFC) Bantamweights
Smolka goes right for a takedown but Mudaerji defends it against the fence. Mudaerji lands an elbow as Smolka goes back for the takedown and gets the single leg. Smolka working in the guard of Mudaerji and works for a leg. Smolka remains in the full guard and lands some punches. Smolka remains working from the top as he tries to transition to side control. Smolka gets the back and works for the choke but moves to mount for a brief moment. Smolka landing punches from the back again and looking for a choke again. Smolka flattens him out. Elbows and punches from Smolka as Mudaerji covers up. Smolka tries to finish but time runs out. 10-8 Smolka.
Mudaerji lands a flying knee and Smolka counters with a left and gets a takedown. Mudaerji lands some elbows from the bottom. Smolka passes to side control and then into mount and lands some big punches. Mudaerji gives up his back and is able to roll back to defending his guard. Mudaerji looks for a triangle choke but Smolka sweeps and is now on the bottom. Smolka looking for an armbar. He gets it locked in and Mudaerji immediately taps! Smolka gets the submission win in his UFC return.
Official Result- Louis Smolka def. Su Mudaerji by submission (armbar) at 2:07 of Round 2
> Kevin Holland (13-4, 0-1 UFC) vs. John Phillips (21-7 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) Middleweights
Holland with some side kicks and then they trade punches. Holland with a hook kick. They trade punches in close range. Phillips lands a left hand. Holland with a leg kick and Phillips chops him down with a body kick but Holland gets up. Holland with a front kick followed by a right hand. Holland has Phillips in trouble as he lands punches and kicks against the fence. Phillips stuck against the fence. Holland still landing punches and kicks but Phillips gets away from the fence. Holland with some knees in the clinch. Holland with a body kick. Phillps lands a left hand. Holland with a leg kick. Holland with a jumping knee that drops Phillips late. 10-9 Holland.
Holland with some side kicks to the legs. Phillips drops Holland for a brief moment with a left hand. Phillips now landing punches against the fence. Holland defending as he slips away. Phillips lands more punches. Holland with an elbow over the top. They continue to trade. Phillips lands a left hand. Holland lands a combo. Phillips with a leg kick. Phillips lands a right hand. They trade in close range. Holland lands a knee in the clinch followed by an elbow on the break. Holland with a front kick to the body. He lands two more. Holland with a combo and body kick at the end. 10-9 Phillips, 19-19.
Holland gets a takedown off a left hand from Phillips. Holland landing punches from the top and has the back. They get to their feet. Holland gets another takedown. Holland landing more punches. Holland with a big elbow as he has full back control. They get to their feet for a moment but Holland takes it back down and is in side control before moving to mount. Phillips able to get to the guard but Holland scrambles out and gets Phillips back down. Holland then grabs the back of Phillips and locks in the rear-naked choke and gets Phillips to tap out. Holland looked good here in getting the win.
Official Result- Kevin Holland def. John Phillips by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:05 of Round 3
> Yan Xioanan (9-1 1 NC, 2-0 UFC) vs. Syuri Kondo (6-1, 1-1 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Xiaonan with some kicks and punches to start the fight. Xiaonan with some kicks but Kondo counters with a combo. They trade in close range. They trade kicks. Xiaonan with a combo. Xiaonan with a kick but Kondo counters with a left. They trade punches. Kondo with a front kick. Xiaonan with a right hand. Xiaonan just misses a spinning back fist. Xiaonan with a combo and Kondo with a leg kick. Xiaonan with a spinning back elbow. They trade late. 10-9 Xiaonan.
They trade to start the second round. Xiaonan landing with more volume but Kondo is firing back. They trade and Kondo lands a knee in the clinch. Xiaonan misses a spinning back fist. They continue to trade punch for punch and kick for kick. Xiaonan lands a nice overhand right. Neither able to find a good opening as they end with trading punches. 10-9 Xiaonan, 20-18 Xiaonan.
They trade punches and kicks to start the third. Xiaonan landing with more volume but Kondo continuing to move forward. Kondo lands a right hand as they clinch for a moment. Xiaonan with a spinning back fist. They continue to trade. Kondo with a front kick. Xiaonan with a combo. Xiaonan with an overhand right and a body kick. Xiaonan with a big right hand. She misses some spinning back fists as the fight ends. 10-9 Xiaonan, 30-27 Xiaonan.
Official Result- Yan Xiaonan def. Syuri Kondo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Liu Pingyuan (14-4, 1-0 UFC) vs. Martin Day (9-2, 0-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Pingyuan with some punches as he comes forward and grabs a leg and lands more punches. Day defending against the fence. Day gets away. They trade and Pingyuan lands better. Day with a kick but Pingyuan grabs the leg and pushes him against the fence. They battle in the clinch and Pingyuan has a guillotine locked in. It looks tight but they’re against the fence so that is helping Day defend. Day escapes and is in the guard. They get to their feet. Day with some kicks. They trade punches. Day with a front kick to the body. They trade body kicks at the exact same time. Pingyuan dives for a single leg but Day defends and lands some punches. 10-9 Pingyuan.
Day with some kicks. Pingyuan with a body kick. Day with a front kick to the body. They trade punches. Pingyuan with a right hand as he goes in for a takedown. They scramble and Day ends up on top. Pingyuan looking for a leg. Day with some hammerfists as they get to their feet. Pingyuan lands a left hook and an uppercut. They trade body kicks. Day with a high kick. Day with a switch knee. They continue to trade and Day lands a combo to the body. Pingyuan is backed against the fence and eats a body kick from Day. Day drops Pingyuan with a straight right hand late. 10-9 Day, 19-19.
They trade kicks. Day with a jumping switch kick followed by a right hand and a counter left hook. Pingyuan with a body kick but Day grabs the leg and throws him down for a moment. Pingyuan drops Day with a right hand and then grabs the neck looking for a guillotine as Day tries to roll out. They scramble on the mat as Pingyuan still has the neck but Day pops out and is looking for a D’arce choke himself. Pingyuan escapes and takes the back of Day. Pingyuan still has the back and is looking for a choke but time is going to run out. Interesting round to score. 10-9 Pingyuan, 29-28 Pingyuan.
Official Result- Liu Pingyuan def. Martin Day by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
They trade early. Aguilar grabs the body and they trade knees in the clinch. Both looking for trip takedowns. Zhang able to get the body lock takedown and is in side control. Zhang with some big short elbows. Aguilar is cut open as she is unable to defend on the bottom. They transition and Aguilar in the guard. Zhang looking for a triangle and is landing big elbows from the position. Aguilar has her hands locked together. Zhang moves to an armbar and gets Aguilar to tap out! What a performance from Zhang as she was completely dominant.
Official Result- Weili Zhang def. Jessica Aguilar by submission (armbar) at 3:41 of Round 1
> Hu Yaozong (3-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Rashad Coulter (8-4, 0-3 UFC) Light Heavyweights* (Coulter missed weight by 2 pounds)
Coulter with some kicks early before they clinch. Yaozong with the underhooks against the fence. Coulter with a knee. He lands another and then another. Yaozong lands a right hand on the break. They trade punches and Yaozong with a body punch followed by a leg kick. Coulter lands a left hook. Coulter drops Yaozong with a right hand. Yaozong able to get to his feet but eats another big right hand followed by two more from Coulter. Yaozong turns the tables and pushes Coulter against the fence by landing some punches to the body. Coulter lands a knee as they remain tied up as the round ends. 10-9 Coulter.
Yaozong with a couple of leg kicks. Yaozong lands a right hand as he comes in to clinch. Yaozong with some foot stomps. Yaozong with a knee but just seems to be hanging out in the clinch. Coulter with a hard elbow against the fence. They trade as they break. Coulter with a short right hand. Coulter with a snapping jab. Yaozong with some leg kicks. Coulter lands a right hand. They trade and Yaozong lands a hard right hand as he comes forward. Yaozong with a switch knee followed by a right hand. 10-9 Yaozong, 19-19.
Yaozong lands some punches before clinching against the fence. Yaozong with an overhand right. Coulter with some short uppercuts and they break. Coulter taking some deep breaths. Coulter with a snapping jab. They clinch against the fence and Yaozong lands some body punches as they break. They continue to trade though the pace and power has stalled. Yaozong with some leg kicks. Yaozong with a left hook to the body followed by some right hands. Coulter with a right hand. Coulter lands a right hand. They trade kicks at the end. Close fight. 10-9 Yaozong, 29-28 Yaozong.
Official Result- Rashad Coulter def. Hu Yaozong by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Mueller pushing forward with leg kicks. Yanan with a counter left hook. They both come forward feinting punches. Mueller with a right hand. Yanan shoots for a takedown but easily stuffed. They clinch against the fence. They trade as they break the clinch. Mueller lands a right hand. Mueller drops Yanan with a left hand and gets in the guard. Yanan looking for an armbar and has it and Mueller taps! That came quick as the armbar didn’t even look all the way locked in.
Official Result- Yu Wanan def. Lauren Mueller by submission (armbar) at 4:00 of Round 1
> Song Kenan (14-4, 2-0 UFC) vs. Alex Morono (14-5 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC UFC) Welterweights
Kenan with a front kick. Morono with an overhand right. Morono lands a right hand as he controls the Octagon. They trade in close range. They trade again before clinching. They break and both are throwing wild punches and neither is really landing. Kenan with a spin kick to the body. Morono lands a clean right hand. Morono with a front kick to the body followed by a leg kick. Morono with a leg kick. Kenan with a big body kick. They swing wildly late. 10-9 Morono.
Morono with a spinning back fist. Kenan missed his own spinning back fist. Kenan with a body kick. Morono with a leg kick. They trade in close range and Kenan with a left hook. Both throwing wild punches and neither lands. Morono with a spin kick to the body. Kenan with a body kick. Morono with a combo. Kenan with a leg kick. Morono just misses a spinning back fist. Kenan’s face is really marked up. Kenan lands a right hand but eats a body kick from Morono. Two close rounds. 10-9 Morono, 20-18 Morono.
Morono lands a right hand. They trade punches. Morono sets up a takedown attempt by landing a combo. Morono goes for it but Kenan grabs the fence to block it and gets a big warning. Morono with an elbow. Kenan with an uppercut. Morono with a front kick to the face. They continue to trade. Morono with a right hand but Kenan with a counter left hook. Morono with a right hand. They trade spinning back fists and then we have a big eye poke by Kenan on Morono. Morono might not be able to continue. He is able to. Morono with a leg kick. Morono with a combo ending with a leg kick. They wing punches at the end. 10-9 Morono, 30-27 Morono.
Official Result- Alex Morono def. Song Kenan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC FIGHT PASS MAIN CARD | 6:30 AM ET/3:30 AM PT
> Li Jingliang (15-5, 7-3 UFC) vs. David Zawada (16-4, 0-1 UFC) Welterweights
They feel each other out early with neither landing. Zawada then drops Jingliang with a right hand. Zawada gets on top but Jingliang scrambles out to his feet. Jingliang scores a takedown and is in the half-guard against the fence. Jingliang with some punches from the top. Zawada trying to use the fence to get to his feet and does and they break. Zawada lands a clean right hand. They are throwing against the fence and Jingliang has his hands low. Zawada shoots but Jingliang defends the attempt. Zawada with a combo and then a knee followed by another. They clinch for a moment. Jingliang with wild punches that miss. Zawada goes for a single leg but it is defended as the round ends. 10-9 Zawada.
Jingliang tries a takedown but it is defended though he lands a left hook. Jingliang with a kick. Jingliang with another leg kick. They both throw punches. Zawada with a left hook to the body. Jingliang with a low kick and then another. Jingliang with a leg kick and Zawada counters with a right hand. They swing wildly. Zawada with a knee as they get in close. Zawada with an uppercut but eats a counter right hand from Jingliang. Jinglaing with a leg kick. Jingliang with a left hook. Jingliang with a late flurry and even landed some punches after the horn signaled the end. 10-9 Jingliang, 19-19.
They trade and both are swinging wildly. Jingliang with some leg kicks. Zawada looks for a takedown but Jingliang moves away as he sees it coming. Jingliang with more hard leg kicks. Zawada with an uppercut. Zawada gets a single leg against the fence. Jingliang with an elbow. Zawada lands a right hand as they break. Jingliang then hurts Zawada with a liver kick and Zawada goes to the mat and Jingliang lands a couple more punches before it is stopped. Big late finish by Jingliang as the crowd goes crazy.
Official Result- Li Jingliang def. David Zawada by TKO (body kick, punches) at 4:07 of Round 3
> Song Yadong (12-4 1 NC, 2-0 UFC) vs. Vince Morales (8-2, 0-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Yadong with a body kick. Yadong with a leg kick. Morales circling away and just misses a right hand. Morales lands a right hand. Yadong with a spin kick to the body. Yadong with a jumping knee. Yadong with a body kick. Morales eating everything well. Yadong with a combo and a spin kick to the body. Morales missing on his punches. Yadong with a late flurry and a huge spinning back kick to the body. 10-9 Yadong.
They trade and Morales lands a counter left. Yadong with a leg kick. Both men looking for openings. Yadong with a short right hand. Morales with some dirty boxing in a brief clinch. Morales with a body kick. Both men looking for a big power punch. Yadong with some leg kicks. They are point fighting at this moment. Yadong controlling the Octagon. Morales throws but eats a counter right hand from Yadong. Close round. 10-9 Yadong, 20-18 Yadong.
They trade to start the third round. Morales rushes in and gets taken down by Yadong. Yadong working from the half-guard. Yadong goes to the full guard and lands some punches as he moves back to half-guard. Yadong tries to step over into mount but Morales finds an opening to scramble to his feet. They clinch against the fence. Yadong gets the fight back to the ground and in the guard. They are scrambling and Morales looking for a kneebar. Yadong with a right hand from the top. They get to their feet. Morales just misses a right hand. They trade combos. Morales with some late punches. 10-9 Yadong, 30-27 Yadong.
Official Result- Song Yadong def. Vince Morales by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
They are clinched early. Overeem with some knees. Pavlovich lands some knees as well. Battle for underhooks going on here. They break. Overeem with a front kick as he’s moving around well. Overeem with a right hand and he gets a takedown. Overeem with a punch from the top. Overeem gets in the guard. Overeem with some right hands from the top. Big right hands from Overeem and Pavlovich is in trouble and Overeem finishes him off. Big finish by Overeem and he looked good in this one.
Official Result- Alistair Overeem def. Sergey Pavlovich by TKO (punches) at 4:21 of Round 1
> Curtis Blaydes (#3, 10-1 1 NC, 5-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Francis Ngannou (#4, 11-3, 6-2 UFC) Heavyweights
Ngannou with a leg kick. Ngannou with a big right hand drops Blaydes. Ngannou with big punches and Blaydes is in trouble and Ngannou finishes him off. Went less than a minute. Blaydes was protesting the stoppage but he wasn’t defending himself well and was going to be done rather soon at the rate it was going.
Official Result- Francis Ngannou def. Curtis Blaydes by TKO (punches) at :45 of Round 1
After four years, it appears that Nick Diaz may be making a return to the octagon next year.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN is reporting that Diaz is close to finalizing to return to the UFC at UFC 235, which is scheduled for March 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. If both sides agree, Diaz will face Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight bout. The report says that Masvidal told ESPN this week that he had been offered the fight, but wasn’t sure if Diaz would accept.
Diaz last fought for the UFC back at UFC 183 in January of 2015, losing to Anderson Silva by unanimous decision. The result was overturned after Silva tested positive for drostanolone and androsterone. Diaz also tested positive for marijuana and suspended Diaz for 18 months. He was again suspended after missing three drug tests out-of-competition.
Masvidal also hasn’t fought in a while. He’s been out due to injuries as well as taking part in a Spanish-language reality show.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 139: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodriguez, emanating from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
The Octagon heads to where it all began for the UFC’s 25th Anniversary Event in Denver, with a card headlined by two exciting bouts and an undercard full of fighters with lots of potential.
In the main event, it will be a battle between two of the most exciting fighters at 145 pounds as “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung takes on Yair Rodriguez, who took this fight on short notice as a replacement for Frankie Edgar. Both men have been out of action for well over a year and are looking to get back into the title picture.
In the co-main event, it is a potential war at 170 pounds as Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone goes against Mike Perry in a fight that has gotten somewhat personal due to Cerrone’s war with former coach Mike Winklejohn, who will be in the corner of Perry.
Also on the card is the return of former UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie as she takes on Raquel Pennington, and the card features a lot of prospects in the likes of Maycee Barber, Luis Pena, Devonte Smith and recent TUF winner Mike Trizano.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
> Mark De La Rosa (10-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Joby Sanchez (11-3, 1-3 UFC) Bantamweights
They trade a couple of left hooks to start the action. They trade in close range. Sanchez lands a combo and De La Rosa shoots for a takedown against the fence. Sanchez defends it and they break. They trade right hands and Sanchez with a body kick. De La Rosa lands a left hook and follows it with a solid combo. De La Rosa lands another solid combo. Sanchez with a body kick. De La Rosa with a high kick. They trade punches. De La Rosa with a leg kick and then another. Sanchez lands a stiff jab. They trade. They clinch as the round ends. 10-9 De La Rosa.
Sanchez lands the jab. De La Rosa with a couple of uppercuts. De La Rosa with a leg kick and then initiates a clinch. De La Rosa grabs the neck and almost has a choke locked in but Sanchez escapes and they clinch against the fence before breaking. De La Rosa lands some hard right hands and he is controlling the Octagon. He lands an overhand right. Sanchez circling away. De La Rosa grabs the back but Sanchez is able to spin away and lands some body punches. De La Rosa with a couple of knees and they break. De La Rosa lands a combo. He lands a hard overhand right. They trade and De La Rosa lands better. 10-9 De La Rosa, 20-18 De La Rosa.
De La Rosa with a leg kick. He lands another. Sanchez lands a right hand and they clinch but break. Sanchez lands some punches. They trade in close range. They clinch and battle for underhooks but break. They trade and Sanchez lands hard. De La Rosa lands a hard jab. De La Rosa with a leg kick. They clinch and De La Rosa looking for a late takedown. Sanchez defending well. They break and nothing happens at the end. 10-9 De La Rosa, 30-27 De La Rosa.
Official Result- Mark De La Rosa def. Joby Sanchez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
> Joseph Morales (9-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Eric Shelton (11-5, 1-3 UFC) Flyweights
Shelton with an inside leg kick. Morales with a body kick. Shelton with a couple of leg kicks. Shelton lands an uppercut as Morales comes rushing in. Morales just misses a head kick. Shelton lands a right hand. They trade. Shelton lands a right hand. Shelton scores a takedown and looks to keep Morales on the mat but he scrambles to the feet. Shelton has the back and gets the hooks and drags the fight back down. Morales controls the wrist and they scramble to the feet. Shelton gets a takedown but Morales has the neck and is looking for a choke. He has it in tight. Shelton pops his head out. The round ends with Shelton in the guard of Morales. 10-9 Shelton.
Shelton lands an uppercut. Morales with a leg kick and Shelton turns it into a takedown. Morales gets to the fence and uses it to get to his feet. They break. Morales just misses a head kick. Morales with a nice combo. Shelton changes levels and gets a big takedown. Morales able to get up and grabs the neck and has a deep guillotine locked in. Shelton able to pop his head out and lands an elbow from the top. Shelton remains on top as Morales gets to the fence looking to wall walk. Morales gets to his feet. Shelton with a body kick. Shelton shoots down and Morales defends. They scramble and Morales gets a triangle choke locked in and lands some elbows as the round ends. 10-9 Morales, 19-19.
Shelton shoots in and Morales lands a knee to the body. Shelton goes for a takedown but Morales reverses it and takes Shelton down and is in the guard of Shelton. Shelton able to scramble from the bottom and they get to their feet. Shelton gets another takedown and Morales again has the neck but Shelton pops out. They get to their feet and Shelton lands a knee. Morales with a right hand. Shelton gets another takedown. Shelton doing a good job of keeping Morales from exploding to his feet. Shelton maintaining top position. They get to their feet and Shelton has the back and they go down for a moment. They get up and Morales lands a hard right hand. Shelton going for a single leg. They scramble to end the fight. 10-9 Shelton, 29-28 Shelton.
Official Result- Eric Shelton def. Joseph Morales by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Devonte Smith (8-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Julian Erosa (22-5, 1-1 UFC) Lightweights
Smith with a body kick followed with a jab. Erosa with a leg kick. Smith drops Erosa with a straight right hand and then follows it up with some punches on the ground and finishes Erosa off as the referee steps in. Big finish and great debut for Smith, who is a bright prospect coming into the UFC.
Official Result- Devonte Smith def. Julian Erosa by knockout (punches) at :46 of Round 1
> Davi Ramos (8-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. John Gunther (7-0, 1-0 UFC) Lightweights
Ramos gets an immediate takedown and is working from side control. Gunther scrambles but gives up his back and Ramos is working for a rear-naked choke. Ramos looking for the hooks and he has a lot of time. He has his arm across the neck and Gunther is fighting it. Ramos with a punch and now has the choke locked in. Gunther fighting but taps and Ramos just steamrolls to the win. He made it look easy.
Official Result- Davi Ramos def. John Gunther by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:57 of Round 1
> Chas Skelly (17-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Bobby Moffett (13-3, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights
Moffett misses a right hand. Skelly lands a right hand. They trade punches. Moffett with a leg kick. They trade punches. Skelly lands an uppercut and goes for a takedown. He grabs the back as Moffett defends. Skelly has the back and is working for a choke. Moffett keeping his chin low to defend. They are standing and Skelly has the backpack. They go to the mat for a moment. Skelly still has back control. Skelly with some left hands from the back. Moffett defending back control. Skelly not giving up position and Moffett breaks free. Final flurry before the bell. 10-9 Skelly.
Skelly with a calf kick. They trade punches and Moffett is circling away. Moffett with an uppercut. Moffett gets a takedown. Moffett in the guard of Skelly. Skelly tries to grab the neck but Moffett gets out. Moffett with an elbow from the top. Skelly reverses to the top and Moffett grabs the neck and has a D’arce Choke locked in. Moffett’s corner starts yelling that Skelly is out and the referee stops the fight but Skelly isn’t out and never tapped. We have controversy. Skelly was in tight but never went out cold and never tapped but Moffett is going to get declared the win regardless. The referee screwed up big time here. They went to a replay but the referee stood by his call to stop the fight.
Official Result- Bobby Moffett def. Chas Skelly by TKO (D’Arce choke) at 2:43 of Round 2
> Ashley Yoder (5-4, 0-3 UFC) vs. Amanda Cooper (3-4, 2-3 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Cooper with a leg kick. They trade punches. Yoder lands a left hand. They trade in close range. Cooper throwing to end the fight. Yoder with a body kick but Cooper fires back with a big combo. They trade punches and Cooper lands a body kick. Yoder with a left hand. Cooper shoots for a takedown but Yoder defends against the fence but Cooper then gets it. Cooper in side control landing elbows as Yoder throws up her legs looking to find something. Cooper escapes and Yoder reverses as Cooper was trying for a kimura. Yoder stands and passes into half-guard and lands a punch. Yoder ends the round on top landing some punches. 10-9 Cooper.
Yoder lands a left hand but Cooper is throwing big punches. Yoder rocks Cooper with a left hand. Yoder lands some knees in the clinch. Yoder with a judo throw and she is in side control and lands some punches. Yoder passes to guard and lands some elbows. Cooper defending from the bottom and she scrambles to the feet and they clinch against the fence. Cooper lands a knee. Cooper gets a takedown and is in the guard of Yoder. Cooper looking to pass as she lands a few punches. Cooper moves to side control as the round ends. 10-9 Cooper, 20-18 Cooper.
They trade punches to start the third. Cooper lands a right hand. Cooper with a combo. Yoder lands a left hand as Cooper lands a leg kick. They trade and Yoder lands a knee. Yoder with a left hand and Cooper counters with a hard right hand. Cooper with a combo. Cooper gets a takedown and Yoder rolls and reverses and ends up on top. Yoder stands and Cooper with some upkicks. Cooper on bottom but looking for a kimura as Yoder tries to pass. Yoder back into the guard of Cooper. Yoder looking for an armbar and has it tight but Cooper able to get out and ends up on top. Cooper in side control and they scramble and Cooper looking for an armbar. Yoder escapes and has the back and looks for a late rear-naked choke but more of a face crank. Time runs out for Yoder. 10-9 Cooper, 30-27 Cooper.
Official Result- Ashley Yoder def. Amanda Cooper by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Mike Trizano (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Luis Pena (5-0, 1-0 UFC) Lightweights
Trizano with leg kicks early. Pena with a high kick and then a front kick. Trizano back with a leg kick. Pena with a front kick. Pena lands a left hand. Trizano counters with a right hand and follows it with a body kick. Pena with a front kick to the face and follows it with a combo. Trizano with a leg kick. Pena with a left hand and Trizano counters with a leg kick. Pena shoots and grabs a single leg. They clinch against the fence. They battle for underhooks then break. Pena with a flying knee. Trizano grabs the neck and jumps guard but Pena pops out and they go to the mat with Pena in the guard. They scramble to their feet. 10-9 Pena.
Pena with a left hand. Trizano with a leg kick. Pena lands a left hand. They trade kicks. They continue to trade kicks. Pena with a front kick to the body. Pena looking for a takedown. They trade punches in close range. Pena shoots for a single leg. Trizano with some elbows as Pena works for the takedown. Pena with a knee as he has the body. Pena has the back and gets a brief takedown. Pena hops on the back of Trinzao as they stand. They go to the mat and Pena has the back. Pena lands some punches from the back. Pena has the choke locked in but might not be under the chin and he lets go. Trizano turns into Pena and ends on top in Pena’s guard. Trizano with a couple of hammerfists from the top. 10-9 Pena, 20-18 Pena.
Trizano with a right hand. Pena with a front kick. They trade punches. Trizano with a leg kick. Pena just misses a head kick and misses a takedown attempt from far out. Pena grabs the body of Trizano against the fence and is working for a takedown. Pena gets the takedown and is in the guard of Trizano. Trizano reverses as they stand. Trizano then takes Pena down. Pena sweeps to his feet. Pena trying to flatten Trizano on the mat. They get to their feet and break. Trizano lands a good combo followed by a right hand and then an inside leg kick. Trizano lands a combo at the end. 10-9 Trizano, 29-28 Trizano.
Official Result- Mike Trizano def. Luis Pena by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
They trade kicks. Barber lands the right hook. Barber with a head kick and then fires a combo. Cifers with a knee in the clinch. Barber tries a takedown but it is defended. They trade knees in the clinch. They battle for position against the fence. They break as Cifers lands a right hand. Cifers with a leg kick. Barber just misses a head kick. Elbow on the inside by Barber. Barber with a knee and a short uppercut. Barber with an inside elbow and a foot stomp. They break after Barber misses a takedown attempt. Barber misses an axe kick and Cifers almost takes advantage but eats a huge elbow from Barber. Barber with another big elbow. 10-9 Barber.
Barber lands a head kick. Barber with another head kick and then follows with a combo. They clinch and Barber with a big elbow and then another that cuts Cifers open. They go to the mat and Barber ends on top. Cifers’ cut is huge. Barber with some elbows and then a big one. This could be stopped soon. Barber with more punches from the top. Huge punches from Barber and now some elbows. Cifers is covered in blood and this fight is stopped. Impressive showing by Barber. She is going to be a star with performances like this, and she is just 20-years-old.
Official Result- Maycee Barber def. Hannah Cifers by TKO (strikes) at 2:01 of Round 2
Dariush with a body kick. Moises with a front kick and Dariush returns another body kick. They clinch and Moises jumps guard but Moises pops his neck out. Dariush on top and lands some punches. Moises grabs the arm but they scramble out. Dariush has the back and lands some knees. They are on the feet and tied up. Dariush lands a knee as he eats an elbow. Moises jumps for a guillotine but Dariush pops out and is on top. Dariush grabs the back and lands a knee as they break. Dariush with a combo and they clinch and he lands a knee. Dariush working hard for a takedown and gets it. Dariush gets the mount and lands punches as the round ends. 10-9 Dariush.
They trade head kicks at the start of the second. Dariush gets the body lock and scores a takedown and steps over into half-guard. Dariush landing punches from the top as he maintain top position as Moises has a wide open guard. Dariush now has the back and is in control of the grappling. Dariush with some knees to the body from back control. Moises is bleeding under his eye. Dariush looking for a choke and he has a rear-naked attempt in. Moises is defending and it isn’t under the chin. Dariush has it almost in. Dariush with some punches from the back. 10-8 Dariush, 20-17 Dariush.
Dariush with a body kick but eats a right hand from Moises. Moises with an uppercut as Dariush initiates a clinch. Knee to the body from Dariush. Moises jumps for guard and has nothing and now Dariush in the half-guard. Dariush with some short elbows. Moises is exhausted on the bottom. He gives up his back. Dariush has the hooks in and starts to work for a choke. He is working for it. He has a crank in but lets go. Dariush with punches from the back. Dariush scrambles to the half-guard. Dariush with elbows to the body. He rides out the fight on top. Domination by Dariush. 10-8 Dariush, 30-25 Dariush.
Official Result- Beneil Dariush def. Thiago Moises by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
> Raquel Pennington (#4, 9-6, 6-3 UFC) vs. Germaine de Randamie (#5, 8-3, 4-1 UFC) Women’s Bantamweights* (Pennington missed weight by 2 pounds)
Pennington coming out with the jab but de Randamie firing right back. de Randamie lands a right hand. Pennington initiates a clinch against the fence. They remain tied up against the fence. Pennington with a knee to the body. de Randamie with some knees after she reverses position. A knee to the body from de Randamie and then one to the head and then an elbow. Pennington with an uppercut. de Randamie lands a hard right hand. 10-9 de Randamie.
de Randamie with the jab. Pennington with an inside leg kick. Pennington goes for a takedown but it is defended and de Randamie lands a right hand. de Randamie lands a hard right hand. Pennington with an inside leg kick. de Randamie with a right hand. de Randamie with a high kick. Pennington with a couple of kicks. Pennington with a leg kick but eats a left hand from de Randamie. Pennington working hard for a takedown. They break and de Randamie lands some hooks and Pennington goes right back to working for a takedown. 10-9 de Randamie, 20-18 de Randamie.
de Randamie lands a leg kick. Pennington just circling away but unable to lead with any offense. de Randamie with a leg kick. de Randamie just misses a head kick. de Randamie with a front kick and Pennington with one of her own. de Randamie backs her up with a right hand. They clinch and Pennington with some short punches. de Randamie blocks a takedown attempt from Pennington. They trade knees and are broken from the clinch. de Randamie lands a jab as Pennington goes back to work in the clinch. de Randamie lands a knee and some punches. 10-9 de Randamie, 30-27 de Randamie.
Official Result- Germaine de Randamie def. Raquel Pennington by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Donald Cerrone (#12, 32-11 1 NC, 20-8 UFC) vs. Mike Perry (12-3, 5-3 UFC) Welterweights
Perry with a big swing and Cerrone ducks under and they clinch. Perry with some knees and Cerrone lands some knees. They break. Cerrone with an inside leg kick. Cerrone with the jab. They clinch and Perry with a knee. Cerrone with a knee on the break. Cerrone with a couple of jabs and then a leg kick. Perry gets a takedown and in side control. Cerrone reverses into side control of his own. Perry gives up his back and Cerrone traps him against the fence. Perry slips out and is on top. Cerrone working for a triangle. Cerrone has an armbar in deep and Perry taps! Cerrone with the submission win as he becomes the winningest fighter in UFC history and also sets the record for most finishes in UFC history.
Official Result- Donald Cerrone def. Mike Perry by submission (armbar) at 4:46 of Round 1
They trade kicks. Rodriguez with an inside leg kick and then another leg kick and another. Jung with a couple of punches. Jung with a nice combo. Rodriguez with another leg kick. Rodriguez making a lot of attacks to the legs. Jung with a flurry of punches. Rodriguez with more kicks. Jung with a leg kick and Rodriguez counters with a stiff jab. Jung with a front kick. Rodriguez with an axe kick. Jung rocks Rodriguez with a right hand and goes after him but Rodriguez slips away. They trade kicks. Jung lands a left hand. Close round. 10-9 Jung.
Rodriguez with a side kick. They trade kicks. Jung with a combo ending with a body kick. They clinch and Rodriguez with some body punches. We have a low blow and a timeout. Back to action and Jung with a high kick. He just misses a big overhand right. Rodriguez with a head kick that was blocked. Jung lands a hard jab. Jung lands an elbow but eats a spinning elbow from Rodriguez. Jung working for a takedown but Rodriguez defends it well. They break. Rodriguez with a hammerfist. Jung lands a right hand. Rodriguez with a flying knee. They clinch. They both land as they break. Jung with a late combo. 10-9 Rodriguez, 19-19.
Jung coming out firing punches. Rodriguez with a combo ending with a high kick but he eats a jab from Jung. They land in close range. Jung with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Rodriguez lands a body kick and then another. Rodriguez with leg kicks now. Jung with a combo. Jung coming forward but eating punches from Rodriguez. Jung rocks Rodriguez with a left hand and Rodriguez circles away. They trade kicks and Jung lands a right hand. They trade in a frantic flurry after Jung almost takes Rodriguez down. Jung lands a left hook and a jab. Jung ends the round strong with a flurry. 10-9 Jung, 29-28 Jung.
Jung with a combo early and hurts Rodriguez with an uppercut. They trade left hooks. Jung forward with punches but still eats a body kick from Rodriguez. Rodriguez with a spinning back fist. Rodriguez knocks Jung off balance but Jung lands a left hook. They trade jabs. Rodriguez with a roundhouse kick. Both men are bleeding. Jung with a combo and then he rocks Rodriguez with a big right hand. They both attempt flying knees at the same time. Jung with another stiff jab. Rodriguez with a jab but Jung counters with an overhand right. Rodriguez with a body kick and went for a rolling guard attack but Jung snuck away. Jung with a right hand. 10-9 Jung, 39-37 Jung.
Rodriguez with some side kicks and Jung lands a right hand. They trade punches. Rodriguez with a jab but Jung counters with a right hand and then counters with another. Jung lands a hard right hand. Rodriguez goes for a takedown but Jung defends it and lands a left hand as they break. Rodriguez with a body kick. Rodriguez catches Jung with a right hand. They trade hard punches. Rodriguez with some body kicks. Both men are throwing. Jung landing better and is coming forward more. Jung with a combo. Jung coming forward with punches. Rodriguez knocks Jung out cold right at the horn! Oh my god. It was an elbow right at the end of the fight and Jung went out cold and Rodriguez got the last second win in a fight that he might have lost had it gone three seconds longer. What a finish.
Official Result- Yair Rodriguez def. Chan Sung Jung by knockout (elbow) at 4:59 of Round 5
An injury has put Cody Rhodes out of tomorrow’s IWGP United States title match at ROH Global Wars.
Rhodes made the announcement today on his Twitter account, noting that he would not be able to make his title defense against Beretta tomorrow in Toronto, saying that a replacement would be named.
“Sadly folks I will not be able to wrestle tomorrow in Toronto” he wrote. “I will still be at the pre-show meet/greet to say hello to everybody. ROH & I will find a suitable replacement for the match. I’m extremely sorry. I’ll be able to confirm the extent of the issue after an MRI this week.”
Rhodes also described how the injury happened on 11/9, saying he felt a pop in his knee as he was teasing tossing a t-shirt into the crowd.
“Going from one side of the crowd to the other last night, teasing a t-shirt toss of all things…heard a loud POP in my knee,” he wrote. “Terryfing (sic). Hoping it was just a lil’ meniscus and Sunday I can still deliver.”
Cody and Beretta had been building the feud during the last New Japan tour, with Beretta issuing a challenge to Cody for the championship during a Road to Power Struggle event.
Get out your party hats and Royce Gracie t-shirts as it’s the UFC 25th anniversary show, live from Denver featuring….not Gracie and probably not any of the original combatants on that fateful night so many years ago.
Let’s face it: star-wise, this show isn’t much of a celebration. Even with Frankie Edgar out with an injury, this is more of a “Well, there’s a few good fights” show than anything else.
Helping me discuss some of the questions about the event, in addition to a few historical ones, are our friends Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine.
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Full Card (FS1 and UFC Fight Pass)
Chan Sung Jung (aka The Korean Zombie) vs. Yair Rodriguez
Donale Cerrone vs. Mike Perry
Raquel Pennington vs. Germaine de Randamie
Beneil Dariush vs. Thiago Moises
Maycee Barber vs. Hannah Cifers
Mike Triziano vs. Luis Pena
Ashley Yoder vs. Amanda Cooper
Chas Skelly vs. Bobby Moffett
Davi Ramos vs. John Gunther
Devonte Smith vs. Julian Erosa
Joseph Morales vs. Eric Shelton
Mark de la Rosa vs. Joby Sanchez
What are you most looking forward to?
Ryan: The top two fights on the card. Zombie against Rodriguez (both out more than a year) is really a perfect return matchup for both and makes more sense than Frankie Edgar for Jung. As for Cerrone vs. Perry, that has fireworks written all over it. It also has the underlying story of Cerrone’s current feud with coach Mike Winklejohn, who will be in the corner of Perry, so there’s lot of intrigue in that one as well.
Paul: I’ll go with the three women’s fights on the card as all three feature fighters at very different stages of their careers and could represent the past, present, and future of women’s MMA. You have a former title challengers in Pennington and a former champion in de Randamie on the main card, two highly touted prospects in strawweights Barber and Cifers, and two journeywomen who could be fighting for their UFC lives in Yoder and Cooper.
Josh: Same as Ryan, it’s the main event and the co-main event. I don’t think the results of either will make a huge difference going forward, but with a Cerrone loss, that would be five out of his last six which isn’t good.
Anything being slept on?
Paul: Chas Skelly vs Bobby Moffett. Moffett really impressed on the Dana White Contender Series and Skelly is a post-fight bonus machine. This fight has action written all over it and could steal the show.
Ryan: I don’t know that it’s being slept on since she’s getting a lot of hype from the MMA media, but be sure to pay attention to the UFC debut of Barber. She has serious star potential, is just 20, and there are some serious expectations that she could be a future UFC champion. We should slow down that talk for now because she is way young and way early in her career. The potential is there though, and she should impress.
Josh: Not really. This is one where pretty much everything feels right in terms of importance and the push, so to speak.
Anything not doing it for you?
Josh: From a more macro view, this whole show is disappointing considering what it’s supposed to represent. I’m a big fan of celebrations of milestones and achievements, so I hope the presentation at least tips its hat a bit more toward the fact UFC has been around for 25 years. The names on this show, however, make this feel like more of an afterthought than well-thought out presentation. I understand MSG was last weekend, but did they have to do an event every single weekend from here through the end of the year to lessen the pool they could use?
Ryan: Pennington vs. de Randamie as I think it will be the most boring fight on the card as the styles both have don’t mesh well together. The fact that both are coming off loads of injuries with de Randamie being out of action for 21 months will have a lot of impact on how they perform. It’s far from the best fight on the card.
Paul: The two flyweight fights on the Fight Pass portion are completely pointless since that division will cease to exist shortly. They might as well move up to bantamweight now and try to establish themselves in that division.
Where’s the intrigue?
Ryan: The top two fights as they both could be late entries into the fight of the year race, and there’s intrigue in prospects like Barber, Devonte Smith, and Luis Pena. It certainly represents a lot of present and future aspects of the UFC, fitting for the 25th anniversary event.
Paul: All of the fighters that are making their UFC debuts like everyone Ryan mentioned as well as Thiago Moises. You’ve also got “Juicy J” Julian Erosa getting a second chance after an impressive run years ago on TUF. John Gunther and Davi Ramos looked very impressive when they debuted in UFC and hope to keep the momentum going with a strong performance.
Josh: The co-main event and whether it will be as entertaining as everyone hopes it will be. It’s fun that they make these “fan service” fights, but sometimes they don’t turn out as good as we’d expect. I hope this is an exception.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Paul: It will be talk of Cerrone re-emerging as a possible title contender after he scores a minor upset and beats Perry. Cerrone probably takes the mantle formerly held by Michael Bisping as best to never hold a title and it won’t take much momentum for UFC to work him into a title shot.
Ryan: It will be talk of a title eliminator fight for the Korean Zombie, how much fun the Cerrone against Perry bout was, and the intrigue of what is to come for Barber, Pena, and Smith.
Josh: That the young kids made a good accounting for themselves up and down the show, and that people will be disappointed there wasn’t more of a 25th anniversary feel to the show.
What’s been your favorite fight of the first 25 years of the UFC?
Ryan: Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald 2. It had everything you want in a classic fight, and it happened to be on a major event. That one really stands out to me.
Paul: Michael Bisping knocking out Luke Rockhold to win the middleweight title. It wasn’t the “best” fight but it was certainly my favorite moment in all my years of being a UFC fan.
Josh: Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson. We were all groaning at the build for that show, but that fight was just so great, so close, and so gripping. There’s a reason many say it’s the best fight in UFC history, which is arguable, but it’s my favorite. I am every excited for the second one at the end of the year, assuming we don’t get a damn injury or something.
What’s been your favorite memory of the first 25 years of the UFC?
Paul: Being in the crowd when Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva for the middleweight title. I was sitting at the very top row of the arena and wasn’t even sure if I’d seen what I’d just seen. Then, it was a mixture of joy and sadness sweeping over the entire crowd. The person I was next to and I just started jumping up and down and hugging and in the next section, while there were people who I assume were Brazilian with their heads in their hands and literally weeping.
An honorable mention would be walking through the MGM Arena after Conor McGregor knocked out Chad Mendes and taking over an hour to get through the arena and casino with the Irish fans singing constantly and drinking non-stop.
Ryan: It has been the rise of Conor McGregor. We haven’t seen a fighter in this sport transcend it the way he has, both in good and bad ways. But it always feels fun when he is around, and I hope he sticks around for a while because he makes this wild and crazy sport just a little more wild and crazy.
Josh: A few come to mind. The rise of the UFC in the first few years of the post-TUF era were something we’ll likely never see again, but were so awesome to go through. To have friends and friends of friends interested in the sport and intrigued by this “new” thing was such a great feeling. I will never forget being at a party with 10 or so law school kids (my friend was at school, not I!) watching the TUF finale with Rich Franklin vs. Ken Shamrock as a headliner. It was such a mix of men and women and everyone was intrigued.
Another would be sitting with my friend Sully at a bar and watching the Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen fight and the gut punch feeling when Sonnen lost. At the same bar, he and I watched the Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua classic. Now, he doesn’t watch anymore which is indicative of how the content era just drove so many people away.
Finally, I’d say some of the events I’ve covered and the people I’ve met. From my first show in Charlotte (Kenny Florian vs. the debuting Takanori Gomi!) to the first UFC event in Boston (Randy Couture vs. James Toney!) to the debut of FS1 to even Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou this year, it’s been a fun ride and I’m looking forward to more in the years ahead. Maybe I’ll even get out to Vegas one of these years…
It appears that, at least for one more night, the UFC flyweight title will live.
An early Friday morning report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto has the UFC looking to finally sign a long-discussed fight between flyweight champion Henry Cejudo and bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw for January’s UFC 233 in Los Angeles.
However, the fight would not be for Dillashaw’s 135-pound title but for Cejudo’s strap instead, a surprise considering FloCombat’s report this week that the UFC is abandoning the division sooner than later. Okamoto could not confirm whether the fight would be the final one for the division.
If Dillashaw was to win, he would become the company’s fifth two-division champion (Randy Couture, BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre, Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier).
Cejudo won the title from long reigning champion Demetrious Johnson earlier this year. Johnson’s contract was “traded” to ONE Fighting Championship for the contract of Ben Askren. This week, Askren vs. Robbie Lawler was signed for the January show as well.
Former WWE star Phil “CM Punk” Brooks is returning to MMA this December, but not in the cage.
New Jersey based Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFCC) announced Thursday that Punk will be the color commentator for the company’s Friday December 14th debut show on UFC Fight Pass alongside play-by-play man Mike Gill.
“I can’t wait for this opportunity to call the CFFC fights on UFC Fight Pass,” CM Punk said. “CFFC has a long history of putting on exciting fights featuring some of the sport’s up-and-coming athletes. This card is going to be a lot of fun and I’m really excited to have the chance to be a part of it.”
Punk famously made his MMA debut in the UFC in September 2016 with a first round submission loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 and followed that up nearly two years later with a loss to Mike Jackson by decision at UFC 225. The 40-year-old has been non-commital about his in-cage future while being more firm on his decison not to return to pro wrestling.
According to a report Monday night, one of the UFC’s new acquisitions will see his Octagon debut come in the first month of 2019 against a former UFC champion, no less.
First reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren has agreed to face former UFC welterweight champion and fan favorite Robbie Lawler at UFC 233 on January 26th at Anaheim, CA’s Honda Center — the company’s first PPV of the new year.
Okamoto said the deals aren’t signed yet, but that both sides are working on getting it finalized.
The 34-year-old Askren is undefeated (18-0-0-1) and has been retired since he defeated Shinya Aoki in less than a minute in November 2017. The 36-year-old Lawler has been on the shelf mending injuries since he was dominated by Rafael dos Anjos in December 2017. The former champion has lost two of his last three.
While never officially announced following the “trade” that brought his contract to the UFC and Demetrious Johnson’s contract to ONE, Askren was present at Saturday’s UFC 230 in New York City and did a media scrum where he called out a slew of fighters.
The show will also go head to head with Bellator’s heavyweight championship Grand Prix finals at the Forum in Inglewood, CA.
Daniel Cormier had words for Brock Lesnar after successfully defending the UFC heavyweight title at tonight’s UFC 230.
Cormier submitted Derrick Lewis at 2:14 of the second round via rear naked choke tonight at Madison Square Garden, making his first defense of the heavyweight championship. He is also the current UFC light heavyweight champion. In the post-fight interview following the bout, Cormier called out Lesnar, noting that he had recently won the WWE Universal title.
“Brock Lesnar! When you come, bring that brand new WWE title too,” he said. “I feel like being a WWE champion too. Let’s go! Let’s go, Brock! Bring that belt with you if you come to my house.”
Lesnar and Cormier had an altercation after Cormier won the heavyweight title at UFC 226. When the acutal fight between the two will take place is anyone’s guess. Cormier has noted in past interviews that he would like to retire by his 40th birthday, which is on March 20.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis, emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
The UFC heads back to the world’s most famous arena as the double champion makes his first defense of the title he won back in July.
UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier defends the heavyweight championship for the first time when he takes on Derrick Lewis in the main event. Cormier is coming off a knockout win over Stipe Miocic in July, and looks to cement his status as one of the best of all-time against Lewis, who has won nine of his last ten and is coming off a come-from-behind knockout win over Alexander Volkov four weeks ago at UFC 229.
In the co-main event, former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman returns from a near 16-month layoff looking to gain a title shot when he takes on Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who stepped in on short notice for Luke Rockhold.
The rest of the main card is filled out with middleweight bouts as David Branch takes on Jared Cannonier, Karl Roberson battles Jack Marshman, and Derek Brunson takes on the undefeated Israel Adesanya in the main card opener.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT
> Adam Wieczorek (10-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (15-5-1, 4-3 UFC) Heavyweights
de Lima going right after the legs with kicks. Wieczorek with a takedown into the half-guard of de Lima. Wieczorek looking to open the guard but de Lima pops up and takes Wieczorek down and is in the half-guard now. de Lima with some short punches from the half-guard as he is trying to pass to side control. de Lima trying to set up an arm-triangle choke but Wieczorek is defending from the bottom. de Lima landing punches as they push up against the fence. de Lima with more punches at the end. 10-9 de Lima.
They trade leg kicks and Wieczorek lands a left hook but eats a right hand from de Lima. de Lima grabs the body lock and is looking for a takedown but pushes the fight against the fence. They break. de Lima with a leg kick. He lands another heavy one. They clinch but neither doing much. They break and de Lima with a couple of leg kicks. de Lima lands a right and they clinch. They break and de Lima with more leg kicks. Wieczorek tries a takedown but de Lima grabs the neck. This fight is very boring. 10-9 de Lima, 20-18 de Lima.
de Lima with a leg kick. They clinch and de Lima gets a takedown towards the center of the Octagon. de Lima in side control. Neither is doing much and are being warned to work. de Lima easily moves into mount. Wieczorek able to slip out and they get to their feet. Wieczorek slips to the mat and de Lima gets into his guard. They don’t do much and are stood up. Wieczorek with a short leg kick and lands a knee to the body. de Lima with a late takedown and he rides the fight out on top. 10-9 de Lima, 30-27 de Lima.
Official Result- Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Adam Wieczorek by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Shane Burgos (10-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (17-5 1 NC, 0-2 UFC) Featherweights
Holobaugh with some leg kicks to start. They trade in close range inside the pocket. Burgos lands a right hand. Holobaugh with a leg kick. Burgos lands a combo. Holobaugh lands some punches. They trade punches. They trade again in close range. Burgos with a front kick to the body. Holobaugh drops Burgos with a punch. Burgos throws his legs up for an armbar and has one locked in deep and Holobaugh taps! He recovered quickly from getting dropped and locked that armbar in quick to get the finish.
Official Result- Shane Burgos def. Kurt Holobaugh by submission (armbar) at 2:11 of Round 1
> Matt Frevola (6-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Lando Vannata (9-3-1, 1-3-1 UFC) Lightweights
Frevola with a head kick and Vannata counters with a high kick. They trade kicks. Vannata just misses a spin kick. Frevola with a head kick. Frevola with more kicks. They trade punches. Vannata drops Frevola with a head kick but Frevola gets to his feet. Vannata lands more punches and Frevola goes for a takedown but it is defended. Frevola lands a flush right hand and then lands another followed by a head kick. Vannata with a head kick followed by a right hand. Frevola lands the jab. Frevola hurts Vannata with a right hand. Frevola with a body kick. Frevola with a short elbow. Frevola hurts Vannata with a left hook followed by a knee. They scramble and Frevola reverses a takedown and has a guillotine locked in but Vannata escapes and Frevola mounts Vannata to end the round. Fun round. 10-9 Frevola.
Frevola coming out for the second with some spin kicks. Vannata with a spin kick to the body of Frevola. Frevola with a leg kick. Vannata lands a right hand followed by a front kick right to the face and then some body kicks. Vannata drops Frevola with a right hand. Frevola recovers to his feet and is swinging but is still hurt. Vannata with a combo and he is teeing off on Frevola. Vannata with some left hooks to the body. Frevola goes for a takedown but it is defended. They break. Frevola lands a straight knee. Vannata lands some punches and then a spin kick. Vannata with a body kick. They are trading in close range. Frevola with a body kick. Vannata with a combo. Frevola goes for a takedown but it is stuffed. Frevola goes for a takedown and Vannata grabs the neck as the round ends. 10-9 Vannata, 19-19.
They trade kicks to start the third. They trade big punches. Frevola lands a kick and Vannata gets a takedown off of it. They get to their feet and trade kicks. They trade punches inside the pocket. Vannata with a body punch followed by a right hand. Vannata with a body kick and then lands an uppercut. He just misses a spin kick. Frevola gets a takedown but Vannata was able to scramble to his feet. Vannata with an inside leg kick. Frevola with a hard right late but Vannata fires away as the fight ends. Close final round. 10-9 Vannata, 29-28 Vannata.
Official Result- Matt Frevola vs. Lando Vannata ends in a majority draw (29-28 Frevola, 28-28, 28-28)
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> Lyman Good (19-4 1 NC, 1-1 UFC) vs. Ben Saunders (22-10-2, 9-7 UFC) Welterweights
Good with a leg kick to start things off and then just misses a head kick. Saunders with a big body kick. Good with some more leg kicks. Saunders with another body kick. Saunders lands a straight left hand and then follows with a body kick. They clinch and Saunders with some knees. Good with some body punches and uppercuts while Saunders lands more knees. Good then drops Saunders with an uppercut and finishes him with punches on the ground. Brutal finish by Lyman Good.
Official Result- Lyman Good def. Ben Saunders by knockout (punches) at 1:32 of Round 1
> Julio Arce (15-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Sheymon Moraes (10-2, 1-1 UFC) Featherweights
Arce lands a solid combination. Moraes drops Arce with a heavy right hand and is teeing off looking for the finish. Arce grabs the leg to hand on but Moraes still landing heavy right hands from standing position. Moraes goes to the ground and Arce is able to get to his feet and has Moraes pinned against the fence. Arce has the body lock and is looking for a takedown against the fence but Moraes keeping the fight upright. Arce trying a trip takedown and jumps up on the back of Moraes. Arce looking for a standing rear-naked choke. Moraes trying to fight it off. Arce landing punches from the back as Moraes is having to fight off the hands and arms. Arce goes for a choke late but runs out of time. 10-9 Arce.
Moraes lands some punches but Arce comes back with combos and punches and they clinch. They break and Arce is bleeding heavily. Moraes with a high kick. They are throwing bombs in this round. Moraes with a big body kick. Moraes with an elbow. They are trading punches and kicks and there is blood everywhere. Both men are covered in it. Moraes drops Arce with a right hand. Moraes is on top and is landing punches as he looks to finish. Arce gets back to his feet and lands a left hand. Moraes with a high kick. 10-9 Moraes, 19-19.
They trade kicks. They trade punches. They both throw kicks. Arce is ranking very high on the Muta scale right now. Arce with the double jab. The center of the Octagon is covered in blood. Arce lands a left hand. Arce lands some punches. Arce has been landing more this round. Arce with a nice left hand. Arce with another left hand. Moraes has been backing up this round. Moraes with a body kick. Arce with a front kick. They clinch late but break. Close fight. 10-9 Arce, 29-28 Arce.
Official Result- Sheymon Moraes def. Julio Arce by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-26)
Modafferi with a right hand. They trade punches. Eubanks with a leg kick. Modafferi with the jab. Eubanks with an overhand right. Eubanks with a combo. They trade right hands. Modafferi lands the jab. Eubanks gets the takedown and is in the guard of Modafferi. Modafferi with an elbow from the bottom. Modafferi with some upkicks as Eubanks goes back into the guard. They get up for a moment but Eubanks takes it back down. Eubanks with some right hands from the top. Eubanks with some hammerfists. Eubanks with some hammerfists as the round ends. 10-9 Eubanks.
Modafferi lands some to start the second round. Eubanks lands a right hand. Modafferi lands some right hands. Modafferi with a leg kick. They trade punches and Modafferi lands a series of punches. She’s landing with more volume but not a lot of power. Eubanks hurts Modafferi with a head kick and then drops her with a right hand. They get back to their feet and Eubanks is tired. Modafferi gets a takedown and is in side control and landing some punches. Modafferi looking to get to the mount. Modafferi ends the round on top as Eubanks has faded. 10-9 Modafferi, 19-19.
They trade punches to start the third round. Both throwing but neither really landing. Modafferi with some punches as she is getting the upper hand right now. Modafferi goes for a takedown but it is defended. Modafferi with an overhand right. They clinch and Eubanks lands a knee. Eubanks lands a right hand. Both landing right hands. They clinch and Eubanks gets a takedown. Eubanks in the half-guard. Eubanks working from the top but still tired and landing short punches. Modafferi gets to her feet and they fall to the mat. 10-9 Eubanks, 29-28 Eubanks.
Official Result- Sijara Eubanks def. Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Jason Knight (20-5, 4-4 UFC) vs. Jordan Rinaldi (13-6, 1-2 UFC) Featherweights
Knight firing right away with punches and lands a leg kick. Rinaldi clinches but eats a right hand as they break. Rinaldi lands a left hook that stuns Knight. Rinaldi with a head kick and then scores a takedown. Rinaldi landing from the top as Knight trying to throw his legs up. They scramble to the feet and Rinaldi scores another takedown. Knight has mission control. Rinaldi slips out as he is landing from the top. Rinaldi staying on top and is landing but Knight is landing from the bottom as well. Rinaldi with some big ground-and-pound from the top. 10-9 Rinaldi.
They trade punches as Rinaldi is looking to set up a takedown. He gets it and goes into side control. Rinaldi looking to set up a kimura. He gets the back of Knight and now is working for a choke. Rinaldi has the body triangle. Rinaldi working more to set up a rear-naked choke. Knight is doing a good job of fighting it off. Rinaldi with some great back control. Knight is landing punches from having his back controlled. Rinaldi in complete control of this fight. Rinaldi almost had the choke locked in and Knight gives the finger wag letting everyone know he is not in trouble. 10-9 Rinaldi, 20-18 Rinaldi.
They trade early. Rinaldi shoots for a takedown but Knight sprawls and defends it as they get to their feet. Rinaldi with a leg kick and Knight grabs the back and they roll to the mat. Rinaldi sets up a kimura and uses it to sweep to the top and is working for the kimura. Rinaldi gets the back and has the rear-naked choke but Knight slips out. Rinaldi landing punches from the back. Rinaldi still has the back but Knight is working his way out. They stand up and Knight tries to spike Rinaldi but Rinaldi maintains the body lock as they go back to the ground. Rinaldi landing from the back. Excellent performance from Rinaldi in his featherweight debut. 10-9 Rinaldi, 30-27 Rinaldi.
Official Result- Jordan Rinaldi def. Jason Knight by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-26)
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> Derek Brunson (#6, 18-6, 9-4 UFC) vs. Israel Adesanya (#9, 14-0, 3-0 UFC) Middleweights
Brunson goes right for a takedown and they clinch. Brunson is way bigger than Adesanya in the Octagon. Brunson has the clinch taken away from him after he grabbed the shorts of Adesanya twice. Adesanya lands a jab. Brunson goes for a takedown but Adesanya spins out. They clinch again against the fence. They break and Brunson clips him with a left hand and then goes back for a takedown but Adesanya breaks away. Adesanya lands a right hand. Brunson keeps telegraphing the takedown. Adesanya with a head kick. Brunson goes for another takedown but it is defended again. They clinch against the fence. Adesanya shrugs off the takedown. Adesanya hurts Brunson with a punch and then a knee and then knocks Brunson down with a head kick. Brunson to his feet but eating knees from Adesanya. Adesanya drops Brunson with two right hands and this fight is stopped. Wow. Adesanya made it look easy and he looks to be the real deal.
Official Result- Israel Adesanya def. Derek Brunson by TKO (strikes) at 4:51 of Round 1
> Karl Roberson (6-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jack Marshman (22-7, 2-2 UFC) Middleweights
Roberson with a hard kick to the arms of Marshman. Roberson lands a left hand. They trade punches. Roberson lights Marshman up with a left hand. Roberson with a leg kick and just misses a left hand. Marshman lands a left as Roberson goes for a body kick. Roberson ducks under Marshman’s punches. They trade kicks. Roberson with a left hand. Roberson with the body kick. They trade punches. Marshman with a right hook to the body. Roberson with a body kick that hits Marshman’s elbow. Roberson with a late left hand. 10-9 Roberson.
Roberson with a straight left hand. Marshman with a body kick then a leg kick. Marshman with a big combination. Roberson is limping. Marshman with a leg kick. Roberson with a straight left hand that stumbles Marshman. Roberson with some left hands. Roberson with another straight left. Roberson with a high kick. Roberson lands the straight left. Marshman with an overhand right. Roberson with a big takedown into side control. Roberson looking to set up a choke but is landing body and head punches from side control. He isn’t working to advance but has dominant position as the round ends. 10-9 Roberson, 20-18 Roberson.
Roberson lands a big left hand. Roberson with an inside leg kick. Roberson with a high kick but it doesn’t land. Roberson with a left hand that Marshman eats. Roberson with another left hand. Marshman is spitting up blood. Roberson with a counter left hand. Marshman is keeping his hands low. Roberson with a big takedown near the fence and he is in side control. Roberson is keeping side control and moves to full mount. Roberson with short punches from the mount. Dominant win from Roberson as he hurt Marshman. Marshman showed a lot of toughness. 10-9 Roberson, 30-27 Roberson.
Official Result- Karl Roberson def. Jack Marshman by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
> David Branch (#7, 22-4, 4-3 UFC) vs. Jared Cannonier (10-4, 3-4 UFC) Middleweights
Branch gets a quick takedown but Cannonier gets up only to get dumped again by Branch. They get back up. Branch goes right for another takedown against the fence but Cannonier is landing elbows. Branch gets the back for a moment but they reverse into clinch position. Cannonier with a knee to the body and they break. Branch gets another takedown and gets the back. Branch landing punches from the back. They get to their feet but Branch still has the body lock. They break. Branch landing the jab and then lands a leg kick. Branch gets a brief takedown. They break and Cannonier lands some big punches that Branch shakes off. Branch works for a late takedown but time runs out. 10-9 Branch.
Cannonier drops Branch with a huge right hand and has Branch in a lot of trouble. Cannonier has the back of Branch and is landing big punches and the referee stops the fight. Those were big shots by Cannonier as he gets the comeback win in his middleweight debut. He could be a force at 185 pounds.
Official Result- Jared Cannonier def. David Branch by TKO (punches) at :29 of Round 2
> Chris Weidman (#3, 14-3, 10-3 UFC) vs. Ronaldo Souza (#5, 25-6 1 NC, 8-3 UFC) Middleweights
Weidman with a leg kick. Weidman with a right hand. Souza misses an overhand right. They clinch and Weidman lands a knee before they break. Weidman with a right hand. Souza misses on two right hand attempts. Weidman lands a combo and stuns Souza with a right hand. They trade right hands. Souza with a liver punch. Souza with a leg kick. Weidman misses a right hand. Weidman with a right hand. Weidman lands a combo. Souza with a heavy leg kick. Souza bleeding from the nose. They trade late, Souza to the body. 10-9 Weidman.
Souza with a right hand over the top. Weidman with a leg kick and follows it with a right hand. Souza with a leg kick that gets checked. Weidman with a combo. They trade in close range and are starting to brawl. Souza lands a right hand and then one to the body. Weidman with a leg kick. Souza then lands a right hand and lands more to the body and a front kick. Souza turning it on. Souza with a left to the body followed by an overhand right. They clinch and exchange knees. Weidman with a right hand and he hurts Souza. Weidman ducks under some Souza’s punch. Souza lands a combo. Souza breathing heavy from a broken nose. Souza with an uppercut to the body. They brawl in a clinch. Weidman has slowed down a bit. Souza with a body kick. Weidman lands an uppercut. Souza tries a head kick but Weidman dumps him to the mat. Souza gets up and they clinch against the fence. Weidman with some knees against the fence. Weidman with a brief takedown but Souza rolls to his feet. 10-9 Souza, 19-19.
Souza’s nose is bothering him. Weidman with a leg kick and then a body kick. Weidman then lands a right hand. Souza with a heavy leg kick. They trade in close range. Souza with a right hand. They are brawling. Weidman lands a combo and then a knee up the middle. Weidman with an uppercut and then an overhand elbow. Weidman lands some punches. Souza with a body kick. They trade punches. Souza lands some right hands. Souza then drops Weidman with a huge right hand and Weidman is out. The referee doesn’t stop it and then Weidman tries to grab a leg but is done and Souza lands some punches and Dan Miragliotta finally stops it. Big knockout win for Souza over Weidman in a great fight.
Official Result- Ronaldo Souza def. Chris Weidman by TKO (punches) at 2:46 of Round 3
> Daniel Cormier (C, 21-1 1 NC, 10-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Derrick Lewis (#2, 21-5 1 NC, 12-3 UFC) UFC Heavyweight Championship
Lewis with a body kick. Lewis with a leg kick. Cormier with a leg kick. Lewis with a big body kick. Cormier goes for a takedown and gets it. Cormier in the half-guard and he made it look easy. Cormier looking to land from the top. Cormier with short punches and elbows. Lewis gives up his back as he tries to get up and he does. Cormier still has control of the body of Lewis. Cormier takes Lewis back down with an easy single-leg. Cormier with big punches and Lewis gives up the back. Cormier landing big punches and Cormier gets to the top. Cormier with more big punches. Lewis is doing nothing. 10-9 Cormier.
Cormier with a body kick. Lewis lands a right hand. Lewis just misses a big right hand. Lewis misses another. Cormier lands a left hand and then a front kick. Cormier with a single leg and just kicks Lewis’ leg out from under. Lewis gets up though. Cormier with an ankle pick and gets Lewis on his back. Cormier in side control and steps over and Lewis gives up his back. Cormier has the rear-naked choke locked in and Lewis taps! Cormier with the dominant win in making it look easy as he remains the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Official Result- Daniel Cormier def. Derrick Lewis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:14 of Round 2, Cormier retains the UFC Heavyweight Championship
The first of the final three UFC PPVs of 2018 comes to us tonight from Madison Square Garden: the snakebit UFC 230 show that has seen more changes than a Broadway show.
Helping me dissect this show a bit for our dear readers is our event recapper duo of Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine.
The card:
UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier vs. Derrick Lewis
Chris Weidman vs. Jacare Souza
David Branch vs. Jared Cannonier
Karl Roberson vs. Jack Marshman
Derek Brunson vs. Israel Adesanya
Jason Knight vs. Jordan Rinaldi
Sijara Eubanks vs. Roxanne Modaferri (Eubanks missed weight by 1.2 pounds)
Julio Arce vs. Sheymon Moraes
Ben Saunders vs. Lyman Good
Matt Frevola vs. Lando Vannata
Shane Burgos vs. Kurt Holobaugh
Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson (Kelleher missed weight by 2 pounds)
Adam Wieczorek vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
What are you most looking forward to?
Paul: The main event fascinates me. If both guys were 100%, I feel like the result would be more of a foregone conclusion but Lewis just took one of the worst one-sided beatdowns of any heavyweight in history and then won, while Cormier admittedly couldn’t even make a fist three weeks ago. Conventional wisdom says Cormier wrestles him to death but at some point, Cormier could catch with that overhand right and if so, we have a new heavyweight champion. Even if it’s boring, it won’t be because Lewis could lmake a comeback at any time. And the fact it’s 25 minutes long means he has just that much more time to do.
Ryan: The main event is intriguing especially given the circumstances. Both men clearly aren’t at their peak when it comes to having a proper training camp and proper preparation for this fight. When that happens, you have to favor talent, and that is Cormier all the way. Lewis absolutely has a chance because he hits so hard, but I see Cormier being able to have his way in this one. I also like the fact we have sort of a middleweight tournament going on with the main card.
Josh: I’m going to diverge a bit from the top billing and go to the simmering feud between Israel Adesanya and Derek Brunson which will finally boil over in just a few hours. These two have been at each other for a few months and you can tell it’s not made up; there’s legit heat. I didn’t think Adesanya could get past Brad Tavares and he did. Brunson hits hard but always seems to make a mistake. I’m excited to see how this plays out tonight.
Anything being slept on?
Ryan: I can’t really say it’s being slept on, but Brunson vs. Adesanya should be fireworks and isn’t getting near the amount of attention that I expected. It’s a huge stepping point for Adesanya, but Brunson doesn’t always deliver when there is pressure on him. It definitely could be the fight of the night.
Paul: Julio Arce vs. Sheymon Moraes, both with sparkling records, should be a fun fight with two future contenders at bantamweight. Arce has only lost twice in his career, coincidentally both times to Brian Kelleher, who also fights on this card. Moraes is a former title contender in WSOF.
Josh: For a former champion that defeated one of the greatest of all-time, I don’t sense a lot of buzz about the return of Chris Weidman. There’s just this thing about him where people are either super high or meh on him. Then again, it could be the time off he took or it could be the fight itself which I’ll get to right now…
Anything not doing it for you?
Josh: I am not excited about Weidman-Souza at all. It’s been more than a year since the former champion was back in there with a big win over Kelvin Gastelum and while I understand Luke Rockhold had to pull out due to injury, Souza isn’t the guy I really want to see him fight. In his last outing, Gastelum dominated him and is getting a title shot this February. He’s 3-3 in his last six and I fear his title shot opportunities have passed. So yeah, I’m not excited about the co-main tonight.
Paul: The heavyweight fight opening up the Fight Pass prelims has the potential to put someone to sleep before the card even starts. I’m not expecting much at all from that one.
Ryan: I’m not really looking forward Eubanks vs. Modafferi, and that has a lot to do with Eubanks. She was originally going to be getting an undeserved title shot on this card, but it was then pulled for various reasons. Not only does she start complaining loudly about it, but then she goes and badly misses weight for a non-title fight on this card. Imagine if she had still been in a title fight. Then, she goes and acts like it’s no big deal that she missed weight and continues her act of being mad about having a title shot taken away. Her attitude towards everything has completely taken away any interest in seeing her fight.
What’s the intrigue with the show?
Paul:That Lewis can become the most unlikely UFC champion since Matt Serra would have to be it. If he does, he could be a potential breakthrough star and I think a fight between he and Brock Lesnar would have genuine crossover appeal and do great business.
Ryan: It is definitely the main event. Lewis even said it himself: if he becomes a UFC champion, everyone should be ashamed. It’s not that he doesn’t have heart and ability, he’s just being real with himself about his current standing in the sport. I’m also intrigued in the co-main between Weidman and Souza, mainly to see if Weidman still has what it takes to be a title contender.
Josh: It’s what happens with Brock Lesnar, or even Jon Jones, if Cormier loses. This is a big risk for Cormier and with a loss, his leverage is lessened into picking his spot for one last fight before retirement. I said on my podcast this week that I feel like Cormier is Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, about to get out of the game but gets unlucky at the wrong time. I hope for our sake that isn’t the case for good ol’ DC, but I have this feeling it will be. If Lewis wins, I don’t think we’re getting Lewis-Lesnar.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Paul: Probably who Lesnar will fight when he returns to the Octagon. After winning back the WWE Universal title at Crown Jewel, it would certainly be unique if he had a chance to pull off the rare double of holding the heavyweight titles in both pro wrestling and MMA. I’d say it’s a virtual lock that he challenges the winner of the main event.
Ryan: It will definitely be whoever wins the main event and what comes next. You assume it’s going to be Lesnar, but you can never be so sure with the amount of money the WWE continues to throw at him for doing minimal amount of work. After that, who knows what could happen. It’s also going to be fun to see how the contenders at middleweight shake out after this is all over.
Josh: That Cormier made a big mistake in taking this fight on short notice and that the Lesnar fight is gone. It sounds crazy, but given all the weird shit surrounding this card and how we got here, I have this feeling that our excitement about Cormier-Lesnar or Cormier-Jones III is going to have some cold water dumped on it. I hope I’m proven wrong.
While all of the UFC 230 main card fights are official for Saturday night, two fighters missed weight Friday including one woman who was briefly slotted for the main event at one point.
Sijara Eubanks hit 127.2 on the scale, 1.2 pounds over the flyweight limit for her FS1 fight against Roxanne Modaferri. As the UFC searched for a main event for this Madison Square Garden return, Eubanks was tabbed to face Valentina Shevchenko for the vacant women’s flyweight title. However, they chose to go in another direction and Eubanks lost her opportunity.
Eubanks also didn’t make weight for her fight against Nicco Montano in the TUF finale for the then-newly created flyweight title. The Modaferri fight will go on, but Eubanks loses 20% of her fight purse.
Bantamweight Brian Kelleher also missed weight for his fight with Montel Jackson, coming in two pounds over. That fight will also go on as scheduled but with Kelleher giving up 20% of his fight purse.
On a positive note, everyone else made weight for the event. UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier notably came in at a career high 251.2 pounds for his fight against Derrick Lewis (264.6 pounds). Both men are coming in on short notice for the fight.
The UFC and ONE Fighting Championship’s history-making trade has officially been agreed to.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported today that the UFC has agreed to release Demetrious Johnson from his contract to allow him to sign with ONE Championship. ONE has also agreed to release Ben Askren in order for him to sign with the UFC.
Helwani noted that both fighters are expected to sign deals with their new promotions in the near future.
Johnson and Askren have both acknowledged the news on their Twitter accounts.
ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong wrote: “Please join me in welcoming the #1 pound-for-pound king, @MightyMouse, to ONE Championship! His extraordinary achievements speak for themselves, but I am most impressed by his character, his values, and his life story. #GOAT Thank you to @MightyMouse, @Benaskren, @ONEChampionship, @UFC, and @malkikawa for making the 1st trade in mixed martial arts history possible. #gratitude”
Johnson is 27-3 with one draw in his career, while Askren is 18-0 with one no contest and is a former welterweight champion for ONE and Bellator. After breaking the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses, Johnson lost the flyweight championship to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in August.
Helwani reported that “a plan was hatched” for Johnson to leave the UFC after his loss to Cejudo, but the UFC needed incentive to release him. Johnson’s management team pitched the idea of the trade, and all of the involved parties ended up agreeing to it. Johnson’s coach Matt Hume is also ONE’s vice president of operations.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 138: Oezdemir vs. Smith, emanating from the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
The Octagon heads to New Brunswick and Moncton for the first time with a light heavyweight bout that could have title shot implications riding on it with two heavy hitters known for quick knockout wins.
Volkan Oezdemir looks to get back into the win column after coming up short in a title fight in January as he takes on hard-hitting Anthony Smith, who has won two straight fights over former champions since moving up to 205 pounds. Oezdemir lost to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 220 in January, and makes his return here, while Smith has back-to-back first-round knockout wins over Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua.
In the co-main event, Michael Johnson steps in on short notice looking for his second straight win as he takes on Artem Lobov. Also on the main card is a pair of fights at 205 pounds as Misha Cirkunov battles Patrick Cummins, and Gian Villante takes on Ed Herman.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT
> Stevie Ray (21-8, 5-3 UFC) vs. Jessin Ayari (16-4, 1-1 UFC) Lightweights
They trade kicks to start. Ayari switching stances but eats a low kick from Ray. Ray with more low kicks. Ayari lands a right hand. Ray lands a left hand. Ray back to some leg kicks. Ayari lands an uppercut as Ray was rushing in. Ayari with a combo as he is finding his range. Ray misses a punch and eats a counter right from Ayari. Ray with a side kick to the body. Ayari with a body kick. Ray lands a punch. They trade leg kicks. Ray with a high kick. 10-9 Ayari.
Ray with a combo but nothing lands clean. Ray goes back to the leg kick. Ray continuing with the leg kicks. Ray goes for a high kick. Ray going back to the leg kicks and Ayari not countering or checking them. They trade inside the pocket and just misses a head kick. Ray lands some solid left hands. Ray lands a left cross. Ayari with a big right hand. Ray with a leg kick. They clinch for a second and Ayari lands a forearm on the break. They trade punches and Ray with a leg kick. Ayari with a late uppercut. 10-9 Ayari, 20-18 Ayari.
They trade early to start the final round. Ray back to landing the low kicks. Ray with more leg kicks. Ray with some left hands. Ray with a head kick that is blocked. Ray just misses a big left hand. They trade and clinch but break. Ayari lands a combo. Ayari lands a right hand and follows it with an uppercut and Ray is in trouble. Ray does land some leg kicks. They trade punches and Ayari lands a combo. Ayari lands the jab. Ray barely lands a head kick. Ray lands some punches. They trade to end the fight. 10-9 Ayari, 30-27 Ayari.
Official Result- Stevie Ray def. Jessin Ayari by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Golm with a leg kick. They trade punches. Golm with a leg kick. They clinch for a moment. Bhullar with a jab. Golm trips him up with a leg kick. Golm with the jab. Bhullar with a snap jab. Bhullar lands another jab. Golm with another big leg kick. They trade jabs. Bhullar with an uppercut. They clinch but break. Golm lands a right hand and a leg kick. Bhullar lands a jab. They clinch again and Bhullar lands as they break. Golm with another low kick. 10-9 Bhullar.
Golm with a leg kick. Bhullar lands a right hand against the fence. Golm with another big leg kick. Golm lands a knee in the clinch and Bhullar stumbles. They clinch against the fence. They trade knees. Bhullar tries for a takedown but Golm escapes. Golm with a leg kick. Golm with a knee followed by a right hand and a left hook. Golm with more leg kicks. They trade and then clinch. They battle for underhooks but neither doing much. Bhullar lands an uppercut. 10-9 Golm, 19-19.
Bhullar lands an uppercut as he goes into the clinch against the fence. Golm’s foot is swollen. Bhullar with some foot stomps. They break. Golm lands a right hand. Golm with a high kick. Bhullar gets a takedown and is in the guard of Golm. Bhullar with some punches from the top. Bhullar with an elbow from the top. He postures up to land a right hand to the body. Bhullar staying on top but not doing much. Bhullar starts to land some right hands against the fence. Strong finish from Bhullar. 10-9 Bhullar, 29-28 Bhullar.
Official Result- Arjan Bhullar def. Marcelo Golm by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
> Te Edwards (6-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Don Madge (7-3-1, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
They come out firing early. Edwards lands a right hand but Madge drops him with a left hand. Edwards gets up and gets a takedown. Crazy opening thirty seconds. Edwards in the guard of Madge. Madge looking for an armbar and has it locked in but Edwards is rolling out and gets out and is on his feet. Nice escape by Edwards as that was in deep. Madge going for another armbar. Edwards escapes and gets to his feet. Edwards goes back into Madge’s guard. Edwards stands back up. The referee orders Madge to his feet. Edwards lands a right hand and Madge lands a knee followed by a body kick. 10-9 Madge.
Madge lands a big head kick that rocks Edwards and then lands another that drops Edwards and finishes him off with some more punches right at the start of the second round. Huge win by Madge as he gets the brutal finish.
Official Result- Don Madge def. Te Edwards by knockout (head kick) at :14 of Round 2
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> Sarah Moras (5-3, 2-2 UFC) vs. Talita Bernardo (5-3, 0-2 UFC) Women’s Bantamweights
They trade early on. Moras lands a solid combo. Bernardo with a leg kick. Bernardo with a leg kick followed by one to the body. Moras with a right hand. Bernardo with another leg kick. Moras lands a solid right hand. Bernardo goes for a takedown but Moras defends well. Moras lands a clean right hand. Bernardo wobbles Moras but Moras initiates a clinch. Bernardo gets a takedown and looks to pass guard. Moras with some elbows from the bottom. Bernardo passes to side control and to the half-guard. Bernardo ends the round looking for a choke. 10-9 Bernardo.
They trade early and Moras misses a big right hand. She does land one a moment later. They continue to trade and Moras is landing more. Bernardo playing a lot of defense and then lands a right hand followed by a high kick. Moras with a right hand. Bernardo lands a combo but eats a right hand from Moras. Bernardo gets a trip takedown into side control. She goes into the mount for a moment. Bernardo looking to set up a choke but Moras is landing elbows from the bottom. Bernardo back to side control and looking to take the back but Moras spins out. 10-9 Bernardo, 20-18 Bernardo.
Moras gets a quick takedown to start the third. Moras looking for the mount but allows Bernardo to reverse and she is in the guard of Moras. Bernardo in side control and pinning Moras to the mat. Moras trying to spin out but Bernardo has her pinned down. Bernardo looking for an arm. Moras trying to roll for a leg but eating punches from Bernardo. They get to their feet and Bernardo goes for a takedown but Moras reverses and has the back and is landing punches and looking to lock in a choke but Bernardo able to escape. Moras landing elbows from the bottom. They get to their feet. Moras lands a late combo and lands big punches at the end. 10-9 Moras, 29-28 Bernardo.
Official Result- Talita Bernardo def. Sarah Moras by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
> Calvin Kattar (18-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. Chris Fishgold (17-1-1, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights
Fishgold with a leg kick and then gets a takedown. Kattar gets to his feet and Fishgold has the neck but lets go. Fishgold starts landing big punches as he has Kattar pinned against the fence. Fishgold clinches. They break. Fishgold with a leg kick. Fishgold with some punches. Fishgold lands a big right hand. Kattar eats it well. Kattar with a flying knee. Kattar lands the jab. Fishgold is bleeding under his left eye. Kattar with a solid jab. Fishgold lands a right hand on a combo. Kattar lands an uppercut. Kattar lands a big punch that drops Fishgold and he goes into the guard and lands some punches and finishes Fishgold off. Kattar with the big finish in the first round after surviving some big punches.
Official Result- Calvin Kattar def. Chris Fishgold by TKO (punches) at 4:11 of Round 1
Haqparast with a solid combo but gets poked in the eye by Gouti. Back to action quickly though. Haqparast lands a big left hand that wobbles Gouti. He lands a couple more left hands. Haqparast lands a combo. They trade and Haqparast lands some big punches. Gouti lands a right hand. Haqparast drops Gouti with a left hand but Gouti gets back to his feet and runs off. Haqparast with a body kick and then a left hand. Haqparast with another big combo. Gouti with a right hand to the body. Haqparast with another combo. Gouti with a right hand to the body and then to the head. 10-9 Haqparast.
Haqparast lands some punches but Gouti is returning fire. Gouti with a right hand to the body but eats a body kick from Haqparast. Gouti with an uppercut. Haqparast has his back against the fence. Gouti with a leg kick. Haqparast with a combo. Haqparast lands a big left hand. Gouti lands a right hand. They trade punches. Haqparast with a combo and then a body kick. Haqparast lands a big left hand. Haqparast landing more big punches as he’s turning up the volume in the round. Haqparast hurts Gouti with a body kick. They trade punches. Haqparast with some left hands at the end. 10-9 Haqparast, 20-18 Haqparast.
Haqparast lands a leg kick. Gouti lands a combo. Haqparast with a big left hand that wobbles Gouti. Gouti firing back and moving forward despite being hurt. Haqparast buckles Gouti with a body kick and Haqparast comes forward with punches and Gouti is running away. Gouti is crumbling to the ground and Haqparast gets on top and is landing punches. This could be stopped. Both men are tired. Gouti surviving on the bottom as he has Haqparast tied up. Haqparast with some elbows from the top. Haqparast with some more punches from the top. They get to their feet and Haqparast lands a left hand. Gouti with a lot of heart shown in this fight. 10-8 Haqparast, 30-26 Haqparast.
Official Result- Nasrat Haqparast def. Thibault Gouti by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-26)
> Nordine Taleb (14-5, 6-3 UFC) vs. Sean Strickland (19-3, 6-3 UFC) Welterweights
They trade early. Taleb circling away. Strickland lands a left hand. Taleb with some leg kicks after a trade of punches. Both looking for openings. Taleb lands a counter left hand as he ducks away from Strickland’s punches. Taleb with a leg kick. Taleb lands a left hook. Strickland with the jab. Strickland is throwing with a lot of volume but missing almost all of them. Taleb landing a lot more. They trade is close range. Taleb with a chopping leg kick. Taleb with an uppercut. 10-9 Taleb.
Taleb with a leg kick. Strickland controlling the Octagon but isn’t doing much with it. Taleb lands a lead left hand. Taleb with a quick inside leg kick. Taleb with a body kick. Strickland lands the jab. Strickland with a right hand. Strickland drops Taleb with a right hand. Taleb gets back to the feet. Strickland looks to land but gets stumbled by a teet kick from Taleb. Strickland landing combos against the fence. Strickland rocks Taleb with a right hand and goes to the mat. Strickland gets in the guard and lands some punches. Strickland with a big right hand in the guard and the referee stops the fight. Big finish by Strickland as Taleb is upset with the stoppage.
Official Result- Sean Strickland def. Nordine Taleb by TKO (punches) at 3:10 of Round 2
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> Alex Garcia (15-5, 5-4 UFC) vs. Court McGee (18-7, 7-6 UFC) Welterweights
McGee with a leg kick. Garcia lands a left hand. McGee with some kicks but Garcia grabs the leg and gets a brief takedown. They get to their feet and Garcia has the back. Garcia with some knees from the back. They are standing and Garcia has a hook in and trying for a choke but doesn’t have a good position. They break. Garcia lands some punches and a big right hand. McGee lands a body kick. Garcia with a right hand. McGee gets a late takedown and lands some punches. 10-9 Garcia.
Garcia with a punch and McGee drops Garcia with a punch and McGee gets in side control and is landing. McGee looking to set up an arm-triangle but switches to the half-guard. McGee goes to the full guard of Garcia. Garcia just hanging on and is looking for the referee to stand them up. McGee with an elbow from the top. McGee with some body punches. They are stood up. Garcia lands a left hand. Garcia goes for a takedown but McGee scrambles up. McGee going for a takedown against the fence and gets it. McGee ends the round on top. 10-9 McGee, 19-19.
McGee with a leg kick. Garcia lands a left hand. Garcia gets a brief takedown but McGee gets up and is looking for a takedown against the fence. Garcia lands an uppercut on the break. McGee tries a takedown but falls backwards. They get to their feet and McGee back looking for a takedown. They scramble and Garcia takes the back. Garcia working for a choke. McGee gets to the top and is landing punches. McGee with elbows and he is putting a stamp on a win as the fight ends. 10-9 McGee, 29-28 McGee.
Offical Result- Court McGee def. Alex Garcia by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-28)
> Gian Villante (16-10, 6-7 UFC) vs. Ed Herman (23-13 1 NC, 10-9 1 NC UFC) Light Heavyweights
They trade early. Herman already cut open. Villante with a body kick but eats a right hand from Herman. They trade right hands. They are both swinging hard. Villante with a right hand to the body. Villante with a head kick. Herman with a combo. Villante with a jab. Herman lands a right hand. Villante rocks Herman with a combo and then a big left hand has Herman in trouble. Villante lands a right hand. They trade big punches late. 10-9 Villante.
They trade and Herman lands a jab that may have poked Villante in the eye. Herman with another jab. Villante circling away. Villante lands an uppercut. They continue to trade punches with each landing hard shots but both eating them well. Villante with a left hook. Villante with an overhand right. They trade right hands. Villante bleeding now from around the nose. Herman lands a right hand. Villante breathing heavy. Villante with a hard right hand followed by a left and then another right. 10-9 Villante, 20-18 Villante.
Villante with a leg kick. Villante with the jab stops Herman’s right hand from connecting. The pace has slowed down. They are throwing punches but not with a lot of volume. Each are connecting when they throw. Villante with an inside leg kick. They trade against the fence. Herman shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They trade in close range. Villante goes for a takedown but they are so sweating that they slipped away. Villante with a high kick. They trade kicks at the end. 10-9 Herman, 29-28 Villante.
Official Result- Gian Villante def. Ed Herman by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Andre Soukhamthath (12-6, 1-3 UFC) vs. Jonathan Martinez (9-1, 0-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Soukhamthath with a kick to start. Martinez with a high kick. Martinez with a front kick. Soukhamthath with a body punch. Martinez with an inside leg kick. Soukhamthath drops Martinez with a right hand and pounces on top of Martinez. Soukhamthath has the neck and looking for a D’arce choke. Soukhamthath with a knee to the body as they stand. We have a brief timeout for a low blow. Soukhamthath with a combo to the body followed by some knees against the fence. They continue to trade and Soukhamthath is landing more as he lands a spinning back elbow. Soukhamthath drops Martinez with a right hand at the end. 10-9 Soukhamthath.
Soukhamthath pressuring Martinez to start the second as he pushes him to the fence. Soukhamthath with an elbow followed by a knee followed by a flying knee. Soukhamthath with a big flurry of punches against the fence followed by a knee to the body. They clinch and trade knees. Martinez gets a takedown and is in the half-guard. Martinez with some punches from the top. Martinez with some elbows from the top. Martinez with some elbows to the shoulder of Soukhamthath. They get to their feet and trade knees before breaking. Martinez with a body kick. Martinez with a step-in elbow followed by a flying knee. 10-9 Martinez, 19-19.
Martinez pushes Soukhamthath against the fence and has underhooks. Soukhamthath with a flying knee and then some elbows over the top. Soukhamthath now has Martinez in trouble. Martinez lands a knee and now pushes the fight against the fence. Foot stomps from Martinez. They reverse positions. Martinez with a knee but Soukhamthath gets a brief takedown. They battle for wrist control in the clinch. Soukhamthath with a takedown. They scramble to their feet and Martinez lands a left hand. Soukhamthath gets a takedown and has the back and that might seal him the fight. 10-9 Soukhamthath, 29-28 Soukhamthath.
Official Result- Andre Soukhamthath def. Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)
> Misha Cirkunov (#11, 13-4, 4-2 UFC) vs. Patrick Cummins (#14, 10-5, 6-5 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Cirkunov with a left hand that rocks Cummins early. Cummins goes for a takedown but Cirkunov has the neck. Cirkunov with body punches. Cirkunov with lots of short body punches. They break for a moment and battle for underhooks. Cirkunov gets a takedown straight into the mount. Cirkunov setting up an arm-triangle. He has it locked in and Cummins taps out. Cirkunov with an impressive showing as he gets back into the win column.
Official Result- Misha Cirkunov def. Patrick Cummins by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:40 of Round 1
> Michael Johnson (18-13, 10-9 UFC) vs. Artem Lobov (13-14-1 1 NC, 2-4 UFC) Featherweights* (Johnson missed weight by 1 pound)
They trade early. Lobov with a body kick. Johnson with a right hand to the body. Johnson lands the jab. Lobov keeping his hands low. Lobov with a body kick followed by a right hand. They trade. Lobov with a leg kick but eats a left hand from Johnson. Lobov lands a right hand. Lobov with another right hand. Lobov with a body kick and Johnson counters with a left hand. Lobov with another body kick. Johnson lands the jab. Lobov with a right hand as Johnson circles away. Johnson with a leg kick and then a left hand lands to the chin of Lobov. Lobov with an uppercut and ends with a body kick. 10-9 Johnson.
Johnson with a left hand to the body. They trade punches. Johnson continues to attack the body with left hands. Johnson lands a flush left hand. Lobov lands a right hand to the body. Johnson lands a big left hand that wobbles Lobov. They trade punches in close range. Lobov with a body kick. They trade punches and Johnson’s left hand lands good. Lobov lands a right hand. They trade. Johnson has shown good movement. They trade in the pocket. Lobov keeping his hands low. Lobov with a leg kick. 10-9 Johnson, 20-18 Johnson.
Johnson lands a left hand. Johnson with a head kick. Lobov with a leg kick but eats a straight left hand from Johnson. Lobov with a leg kick as he switches stances around. Lobov with a spin kick. Johnson lands a left hand. Johnson lands another. Johnson with a right hand. Johnson with a combo. Lobov missing his punches. Johnson lands a left hand. Johnson lands another left hand. Lobov is missing all of his attacks as Johnson is angling away. Johnson with a right hand and Lobov slips to a knee. Johnson gets a takedown with just over thirty seconds left. Johnson rides it out on top. 10-9 Johnson, 30-27 Johnson.
Official Result- Michael Johnson def. Artem Lobov by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Volkan Oezdemir (#2, 15-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. Anthony Smith (#10, 30-13, 6-3 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Oezdemir with a leg kick. Smith goes for a takedown against the fence but Oezdemir reverses position. They trade knees in the clinch. They break and Smith with a leg kick. Oezdemir with some punches against the fence and Smith is covering up. Oezdemir with a left hand. Smith lands a left hand. Smith with an inside leg kick. Oezdemir with a leg kick. Smith lands an overhand right. Smith pokes Oezdemir in the eye and we have a timeout. Back to action and a head kick from Oezdemir. Smith lands an elbow. Oezdemir with some leg kicks. 10-9 Oezdemir.
Oezdemir with a leg kick. Smith with a right hand. Oezdemir with some inside leg kicks. Smith stumbles him up with a right hand. Smith with a step-in elbow and Oezdemir reverses into a takedown. Oezdemir on top and moves to half-guard. Oezdemir went for the mount but lost position. Oezdemir gets the back of Smith and is landing punches but his nose is leaking blood. Oezdemir with a knee to the body. Oezdemir has back control and is landing punches and knees while working for a choke but Smith is defending well. 10-9 Oezdemir, 20-18 Oezdemir.
Smith lands a jab. They trade kicks. Oezdemir lands a left hand. Oezdemir with a leg kick. Smith lands a combo. Smith lands a big right hand. Oezdemir lands a right hand. Smith lands another one. Smith with a knee to the body followed by a body kick. Smith trips Oezdemir with a leg kick. They are talking in the clinch as they trade inside the pocket. Both men are tired. Smith changes levels and gets a takedown and gets the back of Oezdemir. Smith getting the hooks in. Smith working for a choke. Smith has it locked in but not all the way. He is squeezing. Oezdemir trying to hang on and he’s fighting the choke off. He has it under the chin now and Smith gets Oezdemir to tap out! Wow. Comeback win for Smith as he never gave up position on the choke and finally found it under the chin to get the submission win.
Official Result- Anthony Smith def. Volkan Oezdemir by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:26 of Round 3
