As expected, it was announced today that Punk will be facing Mike Jackson at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9th. The fight had been discussed for the show since at least February, and Dana White confirmed last week that Jackson would be Punk’s next opponent.
Jackson was the person that Mickey Gall defeated before being confirmed as the opponent for Punk’s first UFC matchup. Punk and Jackson’s only pro mixed martial arts fights have been their first-round submission losses to Gall.
Punk will again be competing at welterweight.
UFC 225 at the United Center will be the company’s first pay-per-view to take place in Chicago. Robert Whittaker defending his middleweight title against Yoel Romero is scheduled to be the main event, with Rafael dos Anjos facing Colby Covington for the interim welterweight championship. The UFC has also added Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson to the show’s card.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta, emanating from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
What a last few days it has been for the UFC.
The event is headlined by a bout for the UFC Lightweight Championship as Khabib Nurmagomedov, sporting a perfect 25-0 record, is taking on Al Iaquinta, in a fight that was put together just 24 hours ago. Iaquinta replaced Max Holloway, who was pulled from the fight due to concerns with his weight cut, just days after Holloway replaced Interim UFC Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson, who was forced to pull out this past Sunday due to a knee injury.
Nurmagomedov and Iaquinta both look to capture the championship, which is expected to be stripped from current UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor at the event. Nurmagomedov looks for the impressive 26th straight win, while Iaquinta looks to shock the world and win his sixth straight fight.
In the co-main event, UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas makes her first title defense against the woman she defeated to become the champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Jedrzejczyk not only is looking to regain the championship, but she’s also looking to erase the first loss on her record. Namajunas looks to stake her undisputed claim as the woman to beat at 115 pounds.
Also on the main card, featherweights Renato Moicano and Calvin Kattar do battle, featherweight Zabit Magomedshapirov looks for his eleventh straight win against Kyle Bochniak, and bonus king Joe Lauzon looks for another one as he takes on Chris Gruetzemacher in lightweight action. The preliminary card is headlined by women’s strawweights Karolina Kowalkiewicz, looking for her second straight win, going against Felice Herrig, winner of four straight fights.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through 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].
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> Devin Clark (8-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Mike Rodriguez (9-2, 0-0 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Clark landed a good combo to start and gets a takedown after they clinch. They get to their feet. They trade knees in the clinch. They are broken up and Rodriguez dropped Clark with a leg kick but Clark got right back up and they clinch against the fence. Rodriguez with some punches inside the pocket. Clark trying a takedown in the clinch but being defended and they break. Rodriguez with a flying knee and Clark is able to grab him and get a takedown. Clark in side control. He gets into the full guard. Rodriguez gets to the fence but Clark is able to keep him down and lands some punches and a knee to the body. Stong finish to the round for Clark. 10-9 Clark.
Rodriguez with a body kick. Rodriguez with another after a straight left. They clinch and Rodriguez hurts Clark with an elbow on the break. Clark looking tired. Rodriguez with a left hand and another leg kick. They are clinched and Rodriguez with a hard knee to the body. They remain clinched against the fence. They break and Clark lands a body kick but eats a combo. Clark lands a left hook and gets a takedown and lands a bunch of punches but Rodriguez gets to his feet. They clinch and Clark lands some. He may have stolen it late again but I give the round to Rodriguez. 10-9 Rodriguez, 19-19.
Both guys look tired. Clark shoots for an early takedown but it is defended. They are clinched and battling for position. Clark gets Rodriguez down and takes the back. Clark lands punches from the back. They get to their feet. Clark gets another takedown and is working in the full guard of Rodriguez. Clark with a knee to the body. They get to their feet. Rodriguez with a knee to the body. Clark with more punches in controlling position. Clark definitely gets the last round and might have gotten all three. 10-9 Clark, 29-28 Clark.
Official Result- Devin Clark def. Mike Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Evans-Smith with a leg kick and they trade inside the pocket. Evans-Smith with some kicks. Evans-Smith with a good series of punches. Rawlings unable to get anything going. Rawlings with a leg kick and they trade punches. Evans-Smith with a spin kick and Rawlings lands a right hand. They trade punches. They clinch and Evans-Smith with some good knees to the body. Evans-Smith lands a good combo but Rawlings lands a right hand. Evans-Smith with a late takedown. 10-9 Evans-Smith.
Evans-Smith with a front kick followed by a leg kick. Evans-Smith with a body kick and one to the leg. They trade punches and Rawlings landed a good right hand. Rawlings with another right hand. She is starting to land more. Rawlings with more right hands and is landing the jab. Evans-Smith with some punches in close range. Rawlings landing more punches but Evans-Smith starting to land more. Evans-Smith with a spinning back fist. Evans-Smith misses a late takedown. Close round. 10-9 Evans-Smith, 20-18 Evans-Smith.
Evans-Smith with some low kicks and then a combo. Evans-Smith with a body kick but Rawlings counters with a right hand. They trade and Evans-Smith looking to land an elbow but lands a kick instead. Evans-Smith with some more kicks. They trade punches. Evans-Smith lands some punches. Rawlings just misses a big right hand but lands to the body. They trade in the pocket. Rawlings landing more punches and looking to steal the round. Evans-Smith with a combo at the end. Rawlings with some punches at the end. 10-9 Evans-Smith, 30-27 Evans-Smith.
Official Result- Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Bec Rawlings by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dunham landed a solid combo followed with a left hand to start the action. They traded. Aubin-Mercier was landing and then landed a big knee to the body that dropped Dunham and finished him off with a few more punches on the ground. Big and impressive win for Aubin-Mercier.
Official Result- Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Evan Dunham by TKO (knee & punches) at :53 of Round 1
They are trading early. Kowalkiewicz with a right hand and Herrig counters with a right hand. They trade in close range. Herrig with a flush left hand that lands big. They trade punches. Herrig lands some nice punches. They traded big punches in close range and clinched. Herrig had double underhooks and was working hard for a takedown but it was defended. Kowalkiewicz with some big punches and they clinch and Herrig lands a big knee to the body. Kowalkiewicz tried to roll for a kneebar but Herrig was able to get into the guard. Kowalkiewicz used a triangle to sweep to the top and ended the round in the guard of Herrig. 10-9 Kowalkiewicz.
They trade punches early. Herrig with a leg kick but Kowalkiewicz with a knee to the body. They trade in close range. Kowalkiewicz with a big knee to the body and an elbow. They trade punches. They each land big strikes and Kowalkiewicz hurt Herrig with a big elbow. Kowalkiewicz lands a spinning back fist. Kowalkiewicz with some elbows in the clinch. They break the clinch. Kowalkiewicz grabs the thai clinch and lands some knees and elbows. They clinch against the fence. They trade punches. Kowalkiewicz with a couple right hands at the end. 10-9 Kowalkiewicz, 20-18 Kowalkiewicz.
Herrig lands a right hand. They trade punches. Kowalkiewicz with a leg kick. Herrig with a left jab. Kowalkiewicz lands a right hand. Kowalkiewicz lands a solid combo and is slipping away from Herrig trying to counter. Kowalkiewicz with an elbow. Herrig with a slow leg kick followed by a left hand. Kowalkiewicz with a right hand but Herrig counters with a hard left hand. They trade punches and Herrig lands a body kick. Herrig with a leg kick and lands a big left hand that rocks Kowalkiewicz. They clinch and Herrig tries for a takedown. She had Kowalkiewicz rocked but went for the clinch instead of capitalizing. They break and have a wild exchange at the end. Close final round. 10-9 Kowalkiewicz, 29-28 Kowalkiewicz.
Official Result- Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Felice Herrig by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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> Joe Lauzon (27-14, 14-11 UFC) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (13-3, 1-2 UFC) Lightweights
Lauzon comes out firing early with some good punches. Lauzon with some more punches. Lauzon with a good elbow. Lauzon goes for a takedown but Gruetzemacher sprawls and ends up in the guard of Lauzon. Gruetzemacher landing some punches as Lauzon is looking to grab the leg and looking for a heel hook. They get to their feet. Lauzon with a front kick. Gruetzemacher lands some punches in the clinch range. Lauzon with an elbow over the top. Gruetzemacher landing some punches. They trade in close range. Lauzon lands some punches. Gruetzemacher with some big punches and a big uppercut. Gruetzemacher with some big punches at the end. 10-9 Gruetzemacher.
Gruetzemacher pressing forward to start the second and is landing punches. Lauzon shoots for a takedown but is unable to get it. Lauzon bleeding under his right eye. Gruetzemacher with some punches to the body and is landing lots of punches and has Lauzon on the ropes. Grueztemacher with some hard punches and a knee. They trade punches. Lauzon lands a big combo. Gruetzemacher with some body punches. Lauzon keeps firing back. Grueztemacher lands a good combination. Grueztemacher with some hard strikes at the end and Lauzon is a bloody mess. 10-8 Gruetzemacher, 20-17 Gruetzemacher.
Lauzon’s corner threw in the towel after the fight and Gruetzemacher gets the win by corner stoppage after the second round.
Official Result- Chris Gruetzemacher def. Joe Lauzon by TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2
> Zabit Magomedshapirov (14-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Kyle Bochniak (8-2, 2-2 UFC) Featherweights
Bochniak being very aggressive early on. Bochniak looking to land the punches. Bochniak lands a right hand after a Magomedshapirov leg kick. Magomedshapirov lands a left hook. They are throwing big punches. Magomedshapirov with a big body kick. Bochniak lands a right hand. Magomedshapirov with a spin kick to the body. Bochniak lands the jab but Magomedshapirov comes back with a spin kick and a jumping switch kick. Magomedshapirov with a head kick and then a spinning back fist. Magomedshapirov with a hard right hand at the end. 10-9 Magomedshapirov.
Bochniak comes out with a combo to start the second. Magomedshapirov with a body kick. Magomedshapirov grabs the back and is looking for a takedown. Magomedshapirov gets the takedown but they get back to their feet. Magomedshapirov lands some punches but Bochniak lands some of his own. Magomedshapirov with a leg kick. Magomedshapirov with an uppercut and then gets a big takedown into side control. He flips to the full guard of Bochniak. They scramble to their feet. Magomedshapirov with a body kick. Bochniak goes for a takedown but it is defended. Zabit with a spinning back fist at the end. 10-9 Magomedshapirov, 20-18 Magomedshapirov.
They both come out swinging to start the third round. Magomedshapirov lands a left hook. Magomedshapirov with a spin kick to the body and he then gets a takedown. Bochniak is bleeding heavily from the side of his head as Magomedshapirov has his back. Magomedshapirov gets the fight back to the mat and is in the full guard of Bochniak. Bochniak able to scramble to his feet. Magomedshapirov grabs the back again but Bochniak able to shake him off as they get to their feet. Bochniak coming forward in the final minute. Magomedshapirov lands a left hand. Bochniak tagged Zabit. Bochniak lands a few punches towards the end. Zabit with a spinning back elbow. They have a slugfest at the end of the fight with both landing. A tremendous fight. 10-9 Magomedshapirov, 30-27 Magomedshapirov.
Official Result- Zabit Magomedshapirov def. Kyle Bochniak by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
They trade early. Moicano with a leg kick. Moicano with a leg kick and Kattar also lands a leg kick. Kattar with a left hand. They land left hands at the same time. Slow pace to this fight. Moicano lands a right hand and then follows with a body kick. Moicano with a leg kick and then another. He lands another leg kick. Moicano lands the jab. Moicano with another inside leg kick. They trade wild punches. Moicano lands a right hand. Kattar isn’t checking the leg kicks. 10-9 Moicano.
Moicano with a big flurry of punches ending with a body kick. Kattar unable to land any punches. Moicano with a leg kick. Moicano with a head kick. Moicano with a leg kick followed by a straight right hand and then follows with some more leg kicks. Moicano with a leg kick and Kattar lands a right hand. Kattar lands a left hand. Moicano with some more leg kicks. He keeps attacking the legs. Moicano with another inside leg kick. Kattar can’t stop the leg kicks. 10-9 Moicano, 20-18 Moicano.
Moicano tries a leg kick but Kattar grabs it and Moicano goes to the mat for a brief second. Moicano lands a big right hand. Moicano with a leg kick. Moicano with a solid combination. Kattar trying to jab but Moicano ducking away. Moicano with a big combination ending with a body kick. Moicano with another inside leg kick. Moicano with more big combinations and he lands a big right hand. Moicano with an uppercut and he keeps swarming on Kattar. Kattar lands a right hand but Moicano back with leg kicks. Moicano with a big right hand and a nasty elbow. Moicano cruising to the win here. 10-9 Moicano, 30-27 Moicano.
Official Result- Renato Moicano def. Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
> Rose Namajunas (C, 7-3, 5-2 UFC) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (#1, 14-1, 8-1 UFC) UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship
Jedrzejczyk with a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk with a combo. Namajunas controlling the distance right now and using good footwork. Namajunas lands a right hand. They trade punches. Jedrzejczyk with a leg kick. She lands another. Namajunas lands a good combo. They trade punches. They trade again. They trade once again. Jedrzejczyk with a leg kick. Namajunas lands a good combo and then lands a big right hand. Jedrzejczyk with a body kick. They trade in close range. Namajunas with a left hand but Jedrzejczyk counters with a right hand. They trade big punches at the end. Close round. 10-9 Namajunas.
Namajunas lands a solid combo to start the second. Jedrzejczyk lands a hard jab. Jedrzejczyk with a leg kick. Namajunas lands a left hand. Namajunas lands another big left hand. Jedrzejczyk with a hard leg kick. Namajunas with a combo. They clinch and Jedrzejczyk with a knee to the body and she lands a left hand on the break. Namajunas did poke her in the eye but the referee missed it. Namajunas with a left hand. They clinch and both landing inside the clinch. Jedrzejczyk with some knees in the clinch. 10-9 Namajunas, 20-18 Namajunas.
Namajunas clips Jedrzejczyk early but Joanna smiles at her. Jedrzejczyk just misses a head kick. She lands an inside leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a big combo and a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk with a head kick followed by a right hand. Joanna with another leg kick but it is checked. Jedrzejczyk lands a left hand and then two hard leg kicks. They trade punches. Jedrzejczyk with a hard leg kick. They trade punches. Jedrzejczyk with another leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right hand and then follows up with a combo. Joanna coming on strong now. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 29-28 Namajunas.
Jedrzejczyk with a hard inside leg kick. She lands another leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right hand. Left hand to the body from Jedrzejczyk. Namajunas has slowed down while Joanna has picked up her pace. Jedrzejczyk with another leg kick. Namajunas lands a right hand. Jedrzejczyk with a high kick followed by a left hand. Joanna lands another left hand. They trade punches. Jedrzejczyk lands a combo. Namajunas’ left leg is big-time red. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick and Namajunas wobbles. Namajunas lands a punch. They trade punches. Jedrzejczyk with another inside leg kick. This is going to be interesting headed to the final round. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 38-38.
Jedrzejczyk with a couple of big leg kicks. Namajunas lands the left hook. They trade punches. Namajunas with a right hand. They trade right hands. They are trading big punches and Jedrzejczyk with a knee. They trade kicks. Jedrzejczyk with a left hand. She lands again. They trade again. Jedrzejczyk with an inside leg kick. Joanna with a right hand. They trade right hands. Jedrzejczyk with a head kick. Joanna with a combo and then another. Jedrzejczyk with a high front kick. This is super close. Jedrzejczyk lands a couple of left hands. They exchange and Namajunas gets a late takedown. They both hit each other on the mat. Close fight.10-9 Namajunas, 48-47 Namajunas.
Official Result- Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46), Namajunas remains the UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion
> Khabib Nurmagomedov (#2, 25-0, 9-0 UFC) vs. Al Iaquinta (#11, 13-3-1, 8-2 UFC) UFC Lightweight Championship
Khabib goes for a takedown but Iaquinta slips away. Nurmagomedov gets the leg and gets a takedown. Iaquinta gives up the back but he is able to scramble up. Khabib with another takedown. He gets into the mount. They get to their feet. Khabib talking trash while punching Iaquinta. Khabib has the back as they are on the mat. Nurmagomedov gets another takedown. Nurmagomedov landing lots of punches as Iaquinta gets up but they go back down. 10-9 Nurmagomedov.
Iaquinta lands a right hand. Iaquinta ducking under Nurmagomedov’s punches. Nurmagomedov dives for the single leg but Iaquinta gets away. For a moment, though, as Khabib gets a takedown. Nurmagomedov with some ground and pound. Khabib gets the back. He lands some punches. Nurmagomedov gets him back down. Khabib has the back and has the neck and is looking for the choke but Iaquinta escapes. Khabib still has the back and is still working for the choke. Iaquinta survives the round again. 10-8 Nurmagomedov, 20-17 Nurmagomedov.
Slow start to the third round. They trade punches and Khabib with a big body kick. Nurmagomedov with some left hands. Iaquinta taunting Khabib. Nurmagomedov lands a right hand. Iaquinta lands a right hand that stuns Khabib. Iaquinta lands another. They are trading. Nurmagomedov is landing the jab and not looking for a takedown. They are talking to each other. Khabib with a leg kick and Iaquinta counters with a right hand. Nurmagomedov with a combo. Better round for Iaquinta. 10-9 Nurmageomedov, 30-26 Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov landing the jab early. Khabib went for a single leg but Iaquinta got away. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Nurmagomedov with the jab. They are trading punches. Khabib misses another takedown attempt. Khabib with a leg kick and then follows it up with a combo. Nurmagomedov with the jab. Khabib misses all of his attack. Iaquinta goes for a takedown but lands a left hand after Khabib escapes from him. Khabib with a right hand. Nurmagomedov lands a combo. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Khabib is slowing down. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Nurmagomedov with a combo followed by a head kick. 10-9 Nurmagomedov, 40-35 Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov goes for a takedown but Iaquinta gets away. Iaquinta with a left hand to the body and one to the head. Iaquinta lands a left hand. Iaquinta lands a combo. He lands another left hand. Iaquinta is landing the punches and is working to find an opening to finish. Nurmagomedov goes for a takedown but Iaquinta defends it. Nurmagomedov landing some punches and Khabib with a flying knee. Khabib takes Iaquinta down, his first takedown since round two. Nurmagomedov with some punches from the back. They get to their feet. They go back down and Nurmagomedov works for the choke.Iaquinta survives the fight. 10-9 Nurmageomedov, 50-44 Nurmagomedov.
Official Result- Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-43, 50-43) to become the UFC Lightweight Champion
UFC (apparently vacant) lightweight championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Ragin’ Al Iaquinta
UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk
Calvin Kattar vs. Renato Moicano
Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Kyle Bochniak
Joe Lauzon vs. Chris Greutzmacher
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Felice Herrig
Evan Dunham vs. Olivier Aubin Mercier
Bec Rawlings vs. Ashlee-Evans Smith
Devin Clark vs. Mike Rodriguez
What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?
Ryan: I’m most looking forward to stuff actually happening inside of the Octagon instead of outside it. I’m really looking forward to the main event between Nurmagomedov and Iaquinta, and the co-main event between Namajunas and Jedrzejczyk. The card took a hit after the craziness that happened on Thursday followed by the changing of the main event on Friday, but it is still a good show with some intriguing fights.
Paul: I was really looking forward to Artem Lobov vs. Alex Caceres and Ray Borg vs. Brandon Moreno, but thanks to Conor McGregor losing his mind, those fights are no longer happening. For me, it’s the main event. I was also stoked for either Ferguson or Holloway to try and hand Nurmagomedov his first loss, but neither of those are happening either. Of what’s left, I guess it would be the co-main as I’m surprised that Namajunas is only a slight underdog. I think she retains her belt.
Nason: At this point, I’m most intrigued by the co-main between Namajunas and Joanna Non-Champion. We’ll get answers to whether a previously dominant champion that says she slipped up can beat the person she says is mentally weak. It’s a truth serum fight in a lot of ways that will shape both fighter’s immediate future.
Any fights being overlooked?
Ryan: I don’t think it will be overlooked now since it got moved to the main card, but having Zabit Magomedshapirov vs. Kyle Bochniak as the opening bout at the start of the week was bad placement. Magomedshapirov is one of the best prospects in the sport, and he has future title challenger at featherweight written all over him. Bochniak is a tough opponent, but this is tailor made for a Magomedshapirov victory.
Paul: Lauzon has 15 performance of the night bonuses in his UFC career so his fight with Greutzemacher could steal the show.
Nason: The Kowalkiewicz vs. Herrig fight is interesting. Herrig seems destined to always be overlooked, but she’s comes in here on a nice winning streak. Kowalkiewicz recently snapped a two-fight losing streak, but is mainly a decision fighter that hasn’t turned the corner for me. However, she does have a past win over Namajunas so if both ladies win tonight, there’s that.
Any featured fights/”pushed” fighters not doing it for you?
Ryan: I actually like all of the fights on this card and where they are placed, so everything is doing it for me. It has been well put together by Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, and everyone involved.
Paul: Herrig vs. Kowalkiewicz is the featured FS1 prelim because both ladies are easy on the eyes, have some name recognition, and they are both legit top 10 contenders in the division. That said, the fight really has the potential to suck. Hopefully it doesn’t because that’s the fight UFC is counting on to sway those last-minute impulse buys.
Josh: With three fights knocked off the show and complete shitshow that was the last week, this card is what it is and the UFC has to be happy they are still going to get some PPV buys out of it.
What’s the big intrigue with this show for you?
Ryan: After what happened on Thursday, it’s really what happens next if Nurmagomedov wins. As much as people don’t want to see it right now, if he wins, you have to have McGRegor fight him next if McGregor is going to fight again. I know a lot of people want the UFC to stop doing business with him, but that isn’t going to happen if we are being honest. Jon Jones has done far more damage at various times and they’ll still do business with him, and they will with McGregor. It’s what happens next with all of them that is the big intrigue.
Paul: My numbers say this show “should” do about 250,000 PPV buys. If it does higher than that, it means one of two two things: 1) either Khabib Nurmagomedov is a potential big PPV draw or 2) the controversy from Thursday brought more eyeballs and interest to this show than it otherwise would have had. There are some who feel that the surprising number for UFC 219 (Holm vs Cyborg) was partially due to Nurmagomedov in the co-main event. This is the first time the unbeaten Russian will headline a UFC card and we should know soon whether or not he’s a potential big PPV draw for the company.
Josh: Given the Conor McGregor stuff, Nurmagomedov really has the chance to raise his profile with a dominant win, but how fun would it be to see the UFC try to figure out how to handle an Iaquinta win given what Dana White said about the title Friday if he does? Between that and the co-main, that’s what I’m most intrigued by.
At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?
Ryan: The event will certainly be remembered forever with what happened on Thursday. It’s the actions of McGregor, Nurmagomedov, and everyone involved that is going to keep this event fresh on everyone’s minds, and the end result of the fights will have the UFC looking to do some decent business for the rest of the year. As bad as the situation is, it has garnered plenty of attention this weekend.
Paul: With two title fights, it has to matter. There is the potential big money bout between the winner of the main event and McGregor looming. I really hope that he isn’t rewarded for his idiotic and criminal behaviour on Thursday, but I’m realistic enough to know he probably will be. If Joanna Non-Champion regains her belt, a rubber match between her and Thug Rose should be able to headline a PPV on its own later this year. Other than potential future stars in Kattar and Magomedsharipov, there’s not much else of significance on this card though. If Iaquinta pulls off the upset of the century, he absolutely deserves a shot at…I guess Tony Ferguson? Who knows who the actual champion would be then?
Josh: It all is resting on the top two fights. If they are two duds, this show will be remembered in infamy. If they are bangers, it will live in slightly less infamy.
Even though it’s WrestleMania weekend, UFC star Conor McGregor stole most of the headlines the past few days with his assault on a van filled with UFC 223 combatants and subsequent surrendering to the New York Police Department.
UFC put out a video Friday night as part of their Embedded series that shows the antics that McGregor and his entourage took part in Thursday that got the sports world talking.
Before that, let’s catch you up to speed on McGregor’s Friday in case you missed any of the details:
– He did a “perp walk” out of a Brooklyn, NY, police precinct on Friday morning after being arrested late Thursday night.
– He and stablemate Can Cowley appeared in court Friday where McGregor was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. His bail was set at $50,000 which was covered by teammate and Bellator rookie Dillon Danis. He’ll have to return to court on June 14th to answer for the charges.
Cowley was charged with one count of assault and one count of criminal mischief. His bail was set at $25,000.
– It’s still unclear whether McGregor has been officially stripped of the title. For all intents and purposes, it appears that if Khabib Nurmagomedov wins Saturday, he’ll leave with the lightweight gold. If Al Iaquinta wins, the UFC may recognize him as the champion but the NY Athletic Commission may have something to say about that.
On Friday night, UFC will host a press conference featuring a slew of top fighters scheduled to fill out their schedule through the first half of the year. We also may get some insight into the goings-on Friday that gave us a new main event at UFC 223.
You can stream the video below starting at 6:45 PM EST/3:45 PST.
According to the UFC, the following are set to appear:
Dana White
Edson Barboza and Kevin Lee, who will fight at UFC Atlantic City
Women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington who will fight at UFC 224
Kamaru Usman and Santiago Ponzinibbio who will fight at UFC Fight Night Santiago
Stephen Thompson and Darren Till who will fight at UFC Liverpool
Jimmie Rivera and Marlon Moraes who will fight at UFC Fight Night Utica
Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero who will fight at UFC 225
Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier who will fight at UFC 226
First, it was Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for a version of the UFC lightweight title. Then, it was Nurmagomedov vs. UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway for a version of the UFC lightweight title when Ferguson tore up his knee last week.
Now, following the New York State Athletic Commission pulling Holloway this morning due to medical reasons related to his weight cut, it will be Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC 223 for the “official” UFC lightweight title.
Got all that?
The fight was confirmed late-Friday afternoon after chaos ensued this morning when the commission announced Holloway wouldn’t be allowed to weigh in or compete. Three men on the card: Anthony Pettis, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder were all under consideration. Pettis found himself free when Michael Chiesa was removed due to cuts suffered when Conor McGregor threw a metal dolly through a window of a van he was sitting in Thursday.
Pettis was the front runner for the spot, but he weighed in .2 pounds over the 155 pound limit and then with two hours to make the weight, the commission pulled the scales for an unknown reason.
Paul Felder was also interested in the fight, but because he is unranked in the UFC’s flawed ranking system, the commission wouldn’t allow that to move forward. This was the same state commission that allowed McGregor to fight for the lightweight title at Madison Square Garden despite being unranked at lightweight.
That left New Yorker Iaquinta who weighed for his fight with Felder at 155.2 pounds, but the UFC decided to move forward with his as opposed to Pettis. However, because he “missed” championship weight, only Nurmagomedov can win the UFC lightweight title Saturday.
However, Dana White said at a Friday press conference that the commission weighed the trunks and they’re at .2 pounds so it’s a championship fight. White alluded to the fact that Iaquinta would be considered the champion if he wins, but did so in a way that opened up more questions about that process and how the commission plays into it.
The remaining question is exactly what version of the lightweight title is on the line for Nurmagomedov as McGregor has yet to officially be stripped of the title he has never defended. That might be clarified at a UFC media event scheduled for later tonight, but in the press release linked above, they call it “the official UFC lightweight title.”
According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway will not compete on Saturday’s UFC 223 show as he was declared medically unfit to fight, likely due to having to cut a massive amount of weight in just six days notice.
Reports are that Holloway wanted to keep trying to make weight, but was told by the New York State Athletic Commission that he could not.
The LA Times’ Lance Pugmire tweeted that Dana White told him the new main event will be Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Anthony Pettis for the what would be the vacant lightweight championship. MMA Junkie reported that is the working plan, but it hasn’t been officially announced yet.
Pettis attempted to make weight, but hit 155.2 pounds. .2 over what it would take to make the fight. He had two hours to lose that .2 of a pound, but NY State officials later pulled the scale and UFC officials said he wasn’t going to weigh back in.
Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta threw their hats in the ring as well, but the commission shut down Felder due to, of all things, the rankings because he is unranked. Helwani said Iaquinta is the front runner but he weighed in .2 over as well, so that causes an issue for a title shot.
Pettis was set to face Michael Chiesa on the main card, but Chiesa was forced by the athletic commission to withdraw due to cuts on his face suffered when Conor McGregor threw a metal dolly through a van window Thursday.
We’ll have more on this confusing situation as it develops.
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is in New York police custody Thursday night following a day in which he threw a metal dolly through a van window, injuring several fighters that resulted in multiple fights being canceled.
Both TMZ and Newsday’s Marc La Monica reported the news with La Monica tweeting an NYPD statement that read, “Mr. McGregor is in the custody of the New York Police Department. No formal charges have been filed and our investigation is ongoing.”
NBC News tweeted that McGregor is at the “NYPD’s 78th precinct where he is expected to be charged with assault following an incident in Brooklyn, New York, according to two senior New York City law enforcement officials.”
The 29-year-old made news as he and a large group of men crashed the Barclays Center Thursday afternoon, apparently in an effort to gain a measure of revenge against Khabib Nurmagomedov following a confrontation he had with McGregor teammate Artem Lobov. Lobov was removed from Saturday’s UFC 223 after today’s events.
Also removed from the show was Michael Chiesa vs. Anthony Pettis and Ray Borg vs. Brandon Moreno due to glass-related injuries suffered by Chiesa and Borg.
Conor McGregor’s backstage antics after the UFC 223 media day Thursday have resulted in three fights being scrapped from the card for various reasons.
Earlier in the day, Dana White told reporters that McGregor teammate Artem Lobov was removed from his fight against Alex Caceres that was scheduled for the Fight Pass prelims. There will be no late replacement for Careers.
On Thursday night, Ariel Helwani reported that a PPV main card bout between Michael Chiesa and Anthony Pettis was canceled partially due to various cuts Chiesa suffered when McGregor threw a dolly through a van window Chiesa was sitting in.
On Twitter, Chiesa alluded to a state commission decision not allowing him to fight and that he’d like to fight Pettis on June 9th.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported earlier that Chiesa had multiple small cuts on the bridge of his nose and hairline and that his hospital visit to treat the cuts threw off his weight cutting routine.
Okamoto and MMA Junkie reported Thursday night that a flyweight bout between contenders Ray Borg and Brandon Moreno is also off the show. Borg got pieces of glass in his eye that began to give him problems after the incident.
McGregor and his entourage gained access to the backstage area of the Barclays Center Thursday in an effort to get to Khabib Nurmagomedov and chaos ensued.
CM Punk facing Mike Jackson in his second UFC fight is as confirmed as it’s going to get until the official announcement is made.
Before today’s UFC 223 media day incident with Conor McGregor, Dana White spoke to TMZ Sports and was asked who he wants Punk’s next opponent to be. When questioned about Jackson specifically, White said “that’s the fight.”
White didn’t specify when the bout would be taking place, but Punk has said he’s fighting at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9th. Jackson also posted on Twitter and Instagram after White’s interview, “Time to cash in the #MoneyInTheBank! Uncle Dana just delivered the #pipebomb, @cmpunk vs The Truth at #UFC225! #TruthvsPunk #TruthFoodTour”
Like Punk, Jackson only has one professional mixed martial arts fight under his belt. Both of them lost to Mickey Gall in their UFC debuts, with Gall submitting Jackson in February 2016 and then being announced as Punk’s first opponent. Gall went on to defeat Punk with a first-round rear naked choke at UFC 203 in September of that year.
Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defending his title against Yoel Romero is scheduled to be the main event of UFC 225.
The Conor McGregor crazy train made a stop in Brooklyn, NY, Thursday at UFC 223 media day and the ramifications for that visit might be more significant than he planned.
According to reports that Ariel Helwani received, McGregor and his entourage arrived at the Barclays Arena shortly after media day had wrapped up. As the fighters were leaving the arena and getting into a van, McGregor and team had some words with several of the fighters that resulted in McGregor or part of his entourage throwing a chair through one of the van’s windows.
According to Helwani’s sources, Michael Chiesa, who is scheduled to face Anthony Pettis on Saturday night, suffered a laceration — but it’s unclear if that changes his status for Saturday. Footage of that aftermath has also surfaced.
Helwani said he was told the van also had Khabib Nurmagomedov in it, someone that has positioned himself for a McGregor fight if he can win this Saturday night. Footage has surfaced showing McGregor throw a bike rack backstage, but it’s unclear if this was before or after the van incident.
According to reports, teammate Artem Lobov has been removed from the card.
Dana White told reporters the incident “was the most despicable thing in UFC history” and that a warrant is out for McGregor’s arrest and he’s unable to leave the city. However, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto said that ABC News reported that a warrant has not been issued yet.
Okamoto asked White if he still wants to be in the McGregor business. His reply: “Would you?”
The fourth time ended up not being the charm as the biggest fight so far this year in UFC — Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title — is now off for this coming Saturday night at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, NY.
According to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Nurmagomedov will instead be facing featherweight champion Max Holloway in the main event for the interim lightweight title or the “real” title if current champion Conor McGregor is stripped.
No, this is not an April Fool’s joke.
UFC president Dana White told ESPN that Ferguson suffered a torn LCL and needs surgery. The fight had been scheduled three times before, but were scrapped due to injuries or a bad weight cut in the case of Nurmagomedov.
The idea from UFC will be to try and set the winner of Holloway-Nurmagomedov up with a match against McGregor. The latter has been on the sidelines since November 2016, save for his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. McGregor and Holloway have battled before with McGregor earning a decision victory in August 2013 in a fight where he tore up his knee.
We’ll have more about this on the next edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
Known for his fighting inside the cage, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett won a legal fight against USADA Friday, setting a blueprint for how future accused fighters can better document their supplement intake.
An independent arbitrator ruled that the 40-year-old should have only received a public reprimand and not a suspension for his December 2016 out-of-competition test failure for ostarine. The color commentating voice of New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV is now eligible to return to action immediately.
He also makes history as the first fighter to test positive and not get a suspension since USADA took helm of UFC’s anti-doping program in 2015.
Barnett kept track of his supplements and his legal team were able to prove the ostarine came from a tainted supplement. In his ruling, the arbitrator (Richard H. McLaren of McLaren Global Sport Solutions) said that “On the evidence before me, the Applicant is not a drug cheat” and said that while he did ingest ostarine, he did so unknowingly.
Barnett tweeted, “I proved my innocence as I stated from the beginning and now I can look towards getting back in the ring in the neat (sic) future. The time I lost though can never be regained. It should not havr (sic) had to come to all of this. Ever onwards…”
What will be interesting to see if whether there is a lawsuit over the loss of fight income he could have earned over the 16 months he’s been on the sidelines dealing with this and/or legal fees. When writer Jonathan Snowden asked how on Twitter how UFC and USADA might compensate him for the time missed, Barnett replied, “Good question…”
Though an official announcement has yet to be made, it looks like CM Punk will be returning to the Octagon at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9th.
While responding to someone on Twitter who asked when we’d see him cry in the UFC again, Punk indicated that he’ll be fighting at UFC 225: “June nine, after I win and lock eyes with my beautiful wife, embrace my coaches and shout out my entire team.”
TMZ Sports also reported that June 9th will be the date for Punk’s second mixed martial arts fight. An opponent hasn’t been named, but the UFC was discussing booking Punk vs. Mike Jackson for Chicago as of last month. Jackson’s only pro fight was in a loss to Mickey Gall in February 2016, which set up Gall as the opponent for Punk’s debut.
Gall submitted Punk with a first-round rear naked choke at UFC 203 in September 2016. Punk has continued to train at Roufusport since then.
UFC 225 will take place at the United Center in Punk’s hometown. Alistair Overeem vs. Curtis Blaydes, Joseph Benavidez vs. Sergio Pettis, and Claudia Gadelha vs. Carla Esparza have already been announced for the show.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya, emanating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC returns to their home base in Las Vegas with a solid card headlined by the most dominant female fighter on the planet. UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg makes her second title defense when she defends against former Invicta Bantamweight Champion Yana Kunitskaya.
This fight came together less than a month ago after the original main event between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar fell apart due to an injury to Holloway. Cyborg looks for another successful title defense after defeating Holly Holm at UFC 219 in December. Kunitskaya actually makes her UFC debut, looking to score one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Edgar remained on the card, taking a risky fight in the co-main event slot as he will now battle undefeated Brian Ortega. It is the fight many see as the main event of the event, and the winner will likely challenge Holloway for the UFC Featherweight Championship later this year. Ortega looks to build on a big submission win over Cub Swanson in December, his biggest win to date, as he seeks to become the first fighter to finish Edgar in his career.
Also on the main card is rising bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley, who takes on Andre Soukhamthath. Heavyweights Stefan Struve and Andrei Arlovski will also square off, while former title challenger Cat Zingano returns after being out of action for nearly two years as she takes on undefeated Ketlen Vieira. In the featured preliminary bout, highly-touted submission specialist Mackenzie Dern makes her UFC debut against Ashley Yoder.
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.
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
> Jordan Johnson (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Adam Milstead (8-1 1 NC, 1-0 1 NC UFC) Light Heavyweights
Johnson lands a right hand. Milstead with an inside leg kick. They trade before a brief clinch but they break. Milstead with a leg kick and Johnson counters with one but eats a right hand counter from Milstead. Milstead lands a nice combo. Johnson shoots in for a takedown and works hard for it against the fence but can’t score it. Johnson with some foot stomps as they’re tied up against the fence. Milstead lands an elbow as they break to the center. Milstead lands an uppercut. They clinch and Johnson with a knee. 10-9 Milstead.
Johnson lands the jab. Johnson lands it again. Johnson lands some punches to the body as they clinch. They aren’t doing much in the clinch but Johnson is landing short punches to the body. Milstead pushes Johnson away and lands a right hand before they tie up again. They are broken up by the referee. Milstead lands a right hand but Johnson grabs him and scores a takedown. They got to their feet and Johnson was landing short punches to the legs, body and head of Milstead. They are broken up again. Johnson lands a leg kick. 10-9 Johnson, 19-19.
Johnson just misses a big overhand right. Milstead lands a hard right hand and Johnson counters by trying to force a clinch. They break away. They trade jabs. Milstead lands a combo. Johnson lands a left hook and then shoots for a takedown. They trade and Milstead lands a left hand. Johnson is landing with more volume but Milstead with harder punches. Johnson shoots for a takedown and gets it for a moment. They get to their feet. Johnson with some short kicks and foot stomps. Johnson working for a late takedown. Milstead lands some punches in the clinch. They trade big punches at the end. 10-9 Johnson, 29-28 Johnson.
Official Result- Jordan Johnson def. Adam Milstead by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Caraway landing some early and searching for the takedown. Caraway working for it but Stamann shakes it off and lands as they break. Caraway looking for a takedown against the fence again. They trade in the clinch and break. Both land some punches in close range. Stamann lands a kick but Caraway is landing the jab. Caraway scores a takedown near the center of the Octagon. Caraway into half-guard. Caraway looking to move to side control and is grabbing an arm as well. Caraway gets to side control and taps Stamann’s head and arm with his legs. Caraway went for an armbar but time ran out. 10-9 Caraway.
Both landing punches early on in the round. Stamann lands a hard right hand. Caraway looking to trick with his strikes. Stamann stuffs a takedown from Caraway but Caraway lands a right hand. Caraway lands a big uppercut. They continue to trade while Caraway looks for takedowns but they are being defended by Stamann. Caraway shoots and they clinch against the fence. They break and Stamann lands a right hand. Caraway lands a left hand as he shoots in. Stamann lands a knee. 10-9 Stamann, 19-19.
Caraway landing some leg kicks. Caraway lands another leg kick but Stamann lands a counter left hand. They trade some big punches. Caraway is slowing down. Stamann lands a right hand. Caraway shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They break and Stamann lands a hard right hand. Stamann landing some jabs and a leg kick. Stamann stuffs another takedown attempt from Caraway. They trade punches and Caraway lands an uppercut. Caraway landing some punches and is working hard for a takedown. Caraway with some dirty boxing in the clinch. They trade big punches and Caraway locked in a guillotine late but time ran out. Crazy finish and it’s going to be interesting scorecards. 10-9 Caraway, 29-28 Caraway.
Official Result- Cody Stamann def. Bryan Caraway by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
> Mike Pyle (27-13-1, 10-8 UFC) vs. Zak Ottow (15-5, 2-2 UFC) Welterweights
This is Pyle’s retirement fight. Ottow lands a left hand but Pyle is landing kicks. Ottow just misses a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Pyle lands a right hand. Pyle lands the jab and an uppercut as Ottow was rushing in. Ottow with a leg kick and then drops Pyle with a right hand. Ottow landing some punches from the top. Ottow with some ground-and-pound as Pyle is covering up and Herb Dean stops it. Pyle was in a lot of trouble there and he slams his hands down in frustration as this wasn’t the way he wanted his career to end.
Official Result- Zak Ottow def. Mike Pyle by TKO (punches) at 2:34 of Round 1
Dollaway throws a high kick but it is blocked. Lombard with a leg kick. Dollaway with a hard body kick. Both looking to land a big punch as they just trade leg kicks. Lombard is landing more leg kicks. Dollaway with a high kick. Lombard lands a couple of punches. Lombard with a leg kick. Lombard lands a left hand. Lombard being very patient and Dollaway isn’t forcing the action. Dollaway with a right hand to the body but eats a left from Lombard. Lombard drops Dollaway right at the bell, it may have been a split second after. A replay shows it was after the horn ended the round. 10-9 Lombard.
The fight is stopped between rounds. It was clear that Lombard landed the left hand after the horn ended the first round and Dollaway was unable to continue. They disqualified Lombard. They made the correct call in that one. Dollaway needed the stretcher to be taken to the back after the fight.
Official Result- CB Dollaway def. Hector Lombard by disqualification (illegal strikes) at 5:00 of Round 1
> John Dodson (#8, 19-9, 8-4 UFC) vs. Pedro Munhoz (#10, 15-2 1 NC, 5-2 1 NC) Bantamweights
They trade kicks early on. Dodson lands a combo to the body and head. They trade kicks. Munhoz with a body kick. Munhoz with a leg kick as Dodson lands a combo. Munhoz with a step-in knee. Dodson with a left hook to the body. Munhoz tries a body kick but Dodson catches the leg. Munhoz with another body kick but Dodson grabs the leg and throws him to the ground. Munhoz gets up. They trade leg kicks. Munhoz with another leg kick. Dodson lands a left hand. Dodson with a combo late. 10-9 Dodson.
Munhoz with a body kick but Dodson counters with a hard left hand. Munhoz is coming forward but Dodson is landing more punches. They trade against the fence. Dodson lands an uppercut. Munhoz lands a right hand. Dodson with a body kick. Munhoz lands a right hand. Dodson lands a left hand. Munhoz with a leg kick and then follows it with a head kick. Munhoz lands a kick straight to the cup and we have a brief timeout. It was almost right at the horn as the round ends. 10-9 Dodson, 20-18 Dodson.
Munhoz lands a right hand right at the beginning of the round. They are trading and Munhoz is landing bigger punches. Munhoz lands another kick to the groin. They trade punches and Dodson lands a good combination. Dodson lands three consecutive straight left hands. Dodson lands some more left hands. Both are coming forward and trading. Munhoz lands a big knee to the body. Dodson with a body kick. Munhoz looking for a takedown and gets it. Munhoz with some knees but they get back up. They trade punches in a wild exchange in the last ten seconds. Close fight. 10-9 Munhoz, 29-28 Dodson.
Official Result- John Dodson def. Pedro Munhoz by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
> Beneil Dariush (#12, 14-3-1, 8-3-1 UFC) vs. Alexander Hernandez (8-1, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Hernandez faked a glove tap and landed a body kick at the start. They were trading and Hernandez was landing big punches. Dariush lands a left hand. Hernandez then lands a huge left hand that drops Dariush and he is out cold as he hits the mat. Huge win for Hernandez in his UFC debut, a fight he took on just over a week’s notice.
Official Result- Alexander Hernandez def. Beneil Dariush by knockout (punch) at :42 of Round 1
Dern with a leg kick to start. Dern firing some big punches and they clinch. Dern with some knees in the clinch. They break the clinch. Yoder with an inside leg kick. Yoder with a body kick but Dern counters with a combo. They are throwing wild punches before they clinch. Yoder with a leg kick. Dern with some wild punches. Dern has the back and is working for a takedown. They break. Yoder with an inside leg kick. Dern with a right hand and Yoder counters with a straight left. Yoder with a left hand. 10-9 Dern.
Dern with a left hand followed by a body kick. Yoder lands a left hand. Yoder lands a left hand. Dern with a leg kick and then a right hand before they clinch. Not much happened and they are broken up. Dern lands a left and then Yoder drops Dern with a left hand. Dern gets right back up. Yoder with a leg kick. Yoder with a body kick. Dern with a body kick but eats a left hand counter from Yoder. Yoder with another left hand. Dern with a leg kick followed by a right hand. They trade and then Yoder stuffs a takedown attempt from Dern. 10-9 Yoder, 19-19.
Yoder lands a left hand. Dern lands a right hand and shoots for a takedown against the fence. Dern with an elbow. Yoder then fires back with a left hand. Yoder lands another left hand and they clinch again. Dern has the body lock and lands a knee to the body. No takedown from Dern as they break the clinch. Dern lands a right hand. Yoder with a high kick. They trade punches. Dern with a front kick to the body and then gets the takedown. Dern gets the back and is working for the choke. Dern has the choke locked in on the chin of Yoder. Yoder is fighting it. Yoder gets out of it but Dern still has the back. Time runs out as Yoder survives. 10-9 Dern, 29-28 Dern.
Official Result- Mackenzie Dern def. Ashley Yoder by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Vieira tagged Zingano early then Zingano tagged her back. Vieira with an elbow. They are tagging each other. Zingano with a left hand and then a knee to the body in the clinch. Zingano with an inside leg kick. Vieira is countering well. Zingano with a brief takedown. Zingano with a body kick. Zingano lands a right hand. Vieira connects with a counter left hand. Zingano with a body kick. They trade punches and then clinch. Zingano with some knees to the body. Vieira gets a takedown. She ends the round on top. 10-9 Vieira.
They trade punches and Vieira gets a big throw takedown and she gets right into mount. Vieira looking for the arm-triangle. Zingano able to escape and lands an upkick. Vieira able to get back into the guard of Zingano. They are both working for position on the ground and both are landing strikes. Vieira stands but goes back into the guard. Zingano with some elbows from the bottom. Vieira with some punches from the top. 10-9 Vieira, 20-18 Vieira.
Zingano with a head kick followed by a hard right hand. Zingano lands some more right hands. Zingano with a leg kick that gets checked and her foot is hurt. Zingano was limping for a moment and Vieira turned it into a takedown. Vieira stands up and Zingano is throwing kicks from the ground until Vieira gets right back onto top. Zingano able to get to her feet and grabs the back and is landing knees to the body. Zingano lands some punches and kicks and another knee to the head of Vieira and one to the body. 10-9 Zingano, 29-28 Vieira.
Official Result- Ketlen Vieira def. Cat Zingano by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Stefan Struve (#10, 28-9, 12-7 UFC) vs. Andrei Arlovski (#12, 26-15 1 NC, 15-9 UFC) Heavyweights
Arlovski with a leg kick. Struve with a high kick. Arlovski with another leg kick and then lands a right hand. Struve with a leg kick. Arlovski with another and then lands an overhand right. They clinch and Arlovski scores a takedown and is in the half-guard. They get to their feet. Arlovski with an inside leg kick. They clinch and Arlovski reverses a takedown attempt from Struve and is on top. They get to their feet. Arlovski lands a left hand. They clinch but no action is going on as the round ends. 10-9 Arlovski.
Struve with a head kick. Arlovski with an inside leg kick. They clinch and battle for underhooks. Arlovski gets a takedown. Struve grabs a leg and is looking for a heel hook or a leg lock. Struve couldn’t get it but used the leg to sweep to top position. They get to their feet. Struve tried a takedown but Arlovski grabbed the fence to block it and got a warning from Herb Dean. They are broken by Dean and then Arlovski gets poked in the eye and we have a timeout. They get back to action and nothing happens. 10-9 Struve, 19-19.
Struve with a leg kick. Arlovski with a combo that backs Struve up. Struve lands a right hand. Struve with a head kick. They aren’t doing much and now Arlovski clinches with Struve. This fight is very boring. They break. Arlovski now pokes Struve in the eye. They get back to action and Struve with a leg kick. Arlovski lands an overhand right. They clinch and Arlovski gets a takedown. Arlovski with some body punches on the mat and they get to their feet. Struve now throwing big right hands but none connecting. 10-9 Arlovski, 29-28 Arlovski.
Official Result- Andrei Arlovski def. Stefan Struve by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Sean O’Malley (9-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (12-5, 1-2 UFC) Bantamweights
Soukhamthath with a spin kick. O’Malley hurts Soukhamthath with a leg kick and Soukhamthath is limping. O’Malley with a leg kick. Soukhamthath with a right hand. O’Malley with a wheel kick. O’Malley with a leg kick that trips up Soukhamthath. O’Malley with a head kick. O’Malley with a combo and then a clean head kick. O’Malley lands a couple of left hands and then drops Soukhamthath. O’Malley with a spin kick and then a right hand. O’Malley with a left hand. Soukhamthath in survival mode. O’Malley with a massive head kick and then a right hand but time runs out on the round. 10-9 O’Malley.
They trade punches to start the second. O’Malley with a left hand and a head kick. O’Malley with a right hand. Soukhamthath may not be recovered from the end of round one. O’Malley with a right hand. Soukhamthath completes a takedown and is in the guard of O’Malley. O’Malley looking for a triangle. Soukhamthath circled into the triangle and O’Malley now looking for an armbar but Soukhamthath escapes into side control. O’Malley now has a guillotine but Soukhamthath rolls out and O’Malley gets to his feet. O’Malley goes into side control. O’Malley grabs a rear-naked choke late but time runs out on the round. 10-9 O’Malley, 20-18 O’Malley.
Soukhamthath rushing forward to start the final round. O’Malley goes for a takedown but it is defended. O’Malley lands a couple of left hands. O’Malley with a left hand and then a kick to the body. O’Malley hurts his leg at some point and Soukhamthath lands a big leg kick and then gets a takedown. Soukhamthath gets into side control and is looking to set up a choke. O’Malley gets to his feet. O’Malley is jumping around on one foot and Soukhamthath gets a takedown. Soukhamthath gets to side control but they get back to their feet. O’Malley with a spinning elbow and they crumble to the mat. Soukhamthath ends the fight in side control. O’Malley looks to have either a broken leg or a broken foot as the doctors check on him after the fight.10-9 Soukhamthath, 29-28 O’Malley.
Official Result- Sean O’Malley def. Andre Soukhamthath by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
> Frankie Edgar (#2, 22-5-1, 16-5-1 UFC) vs. Brian Ortega (#3, 13-0 1 NC, 5-0 1 NC UFC) Featherweights
Edgar with a couple of leg kicks to start the action. Ortega with a triple jab. Edgar with a head kick and then an overhand right. They trade and Edgar lands a short right hook. Edgar landing with more volume right now. Ortega with a high kick. Edgar is swelling underneath his eye so a punch from Ortega got through. Edgar with a nice combo ending with a right hand. Ortega grabs the neck for a brief moment but Edgar gets himself free. They both land left hands and Ortega has Edgar hurt. Ortega then lands an uppercut that drops Edgar and Ortega lands a huge hammerfist and the referee stops the fight. WOW! Ortega becomes the first man to ever finish Edgar in a fight and remains undefeated. Ortega against Max Holloway is going to be a fun fight.
Official Result- Brian Ortega def. Frankie Edgar by knockout (punches) at 4:44 of Round 1
Cyborg with a big right hand and Kunitskaya then grabs a single leg and gets a takedown. They get to their feet and Kunitskaya has the back and gets another takedown but they get back to their feet. They are clinched and Kunitskaya lands some knees. Cyborg with a knee. Kunitskaya looking for another takedown but it is defended. Cyborg with a knee and they break. Cyborg drops Kunitskaya with a right hand and lands a knee to the body. Kunitskaya back to her feet. Cyborg with another huge right hand and Kunitskaya goes to the mat. Cyborg is landing a lot of punches from the top and the fight is stopped by Herb Dean. It went as expected as Cyborg finishes her easily in the first.
Official Result- Cris Cyborg def. Yana Kunitskaya by TKO (punches) at 3:25 of Round 1, Cyborg retains the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship
