Tag: Alexandre Pantoja

UFC 323 live results: Two title fights from Las Vegas

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The final UFC pay-per-view of 2025, and perhaps the final one in company history as a historic new media rights deal begins next year, sees a stacked card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 323.

The main event is a battle for the UFC Bantamweight Championship as current champion Merab Dvalishvili defends against former champion Petr Yan. Dvalishvili is making his fourth title defense of 2025, while Yan has won three straight fights. This is a rematch of a non-title bout that took place in March 2023, which was won by Dvalishvili.

The co-main event sees a second title fight as UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja defends against Joshua Van. Pantoja is making his fifth title defense in the midst of an eight-fight win streak, while the surging Van has won five straight and is coming off a win over Brandon Royval in one of the best fights of the year.

The rest of the main card sees a flyweight bout between former champion Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira; a bantamweight bout that sees former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, in his retirement bout, taking on Payton Talbott; and another former champion in Jan Blachowicz squaring off against Bogdan Guskov in light heavyweight action.

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> Featherweights*- Muhammad Naimov (13-3, 5-1 UFC) vs. Mairon Santos (16-1, 3-0 UFC)

*Santos missed weight by 1.5 pounds

They trade leg kicks as Santos lands a hard one. Santos rocks Naimov with a right hand as Naimov landed a leg kick. Naimov lands a body kick. Santos with a front kick to the body. Santos lands a high body kick. Time out is called as there was a clash of heads. Action resumes and they clinch against the fence. Naimov lands a knee as Santos lands a hammerfist to the thigh and is slapping the back of Naimov. Santos lands a knee and they separate. Naimov with a wheel kick that Santos blocks. Santos with a body kick. 10-9 Santos.

Santos lands a hard calf kick. They clinch and Santos gets the body lock and has the back as they go to the fence. Santos is slapping the back of Naimov as Naimov is just holding onto Santos. Santos lands another hard calf kick. Santos lands a leg kick. Naimov isn’t landing with much offense. They clinch and Santos lands a knee. Santos lands another knee and a left hand on the break. Naimov shoots for a takedown but Santos defends and lands a knee. They separate. 10-9 Santos, 20-18 Santos.

Santos lands a leg kick and then drops Naimov with a massive right hand and some follow-up shots from the top end it. What a finish from Santos!

Fight Result- Mairon Santos def. Muhammad Naimov by TKO (punches) at :21 of Round 3

> Middleweights- Mansur Abdul-Malik (8-0-1, 2-0-1 UFC) vs. Antonio Trocoli (12-5 1 NC, 0-2 UFC)

They trade punches and Trocoli lands a leg kick. Abdul-Malik gets a takedown. Abdul-Malik gets to his feet and then jumps into the mount. Trocoli tries to roll out and Abdul-Malik grabs the neck and has a standing guillotine choke locked in as they got to their feet and Trocoli quickly taps!

Fight Result- Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Antonio Trocoli by submission (standing guillotine choke) at 1:09 of Round 1

> Light Heavyweights- Iwo Baraniewski (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Ibo Aslan (14-3, 2-2 UFC)

Aslan with a front kick and then a leg kick. Baraniewski lands a leg kick. Baraniewski lands a knee as they clinch and then they both land and drop each other. Baraniewski stands and they are teeing off on each other in a massive exchange and Baraniewski drops Aslan and starts landing lots of punches. Aslan recovers and lands some big right hands. They separate and that was nuts. Aslan lands some right hands and Baraniewski drops him again and finishes it off! This was absolute madness!

Fight Result- Iwo Baraniewski def. Ibo Aslan by knockout (punch) at 1:29 of Round 1

> Lightweights- Edson Barboza (24-13, 18-13 UFC) vs. Jalin Turner (14-9, 7-6 UFC)

Barboza lands some leg kicks and lands a combo witha left hook that hurts Turner. They clash heads and a cut is open on Barboza from an elbow and Turner then drops Barboza with a right hand. Turner gets on top and lands as Barboza is trying to escape and they get to their feet. Barboza is bleeding badly. They trade body kicks and Turner lands to the body. Turner lands some big punches and Barboza goes to his knees but stands as Turner lands a big flurry. They trade against the fence. Barboza circles away. Turner lands against the fence and Barboza goes down and it is stopped! Turner gets the big win!

Fight Result- Jalin Turner def. Edson Barboza by TKO (punches) at 2:24 of Round 1

> Middleweights*- #14 Marvin Vettori (19-8-1, 9-7-1 UFC) vs. Brunno Ferreira (14-2, 5-2 UFC)

*Ferreira missed weight by three pounds

They trade leg kicks. Vettori looks for a takedown but Ferreira defends. Vettori lands a left hand as Ferreira lands a leg kick. Ferreira lands a left hand. Ferreira with a body kick and a right hand. Vettori lands a leg kick. Ferreira with a heavy leg kick. They trade in close range. Vettori lands a left hand. Ferreira lands a body kick. They trade in close range as Ferreira connects with a right hand. Ferreira gets a brief takedown and lands as they stand. Vettori lands a combo late and connects again at the end. 10-9 Ferreira.

Vettori looks for a takedown but Ferreira defends. Ferreira then lands a few punches. Ferreira with a body kick and Vettori returns with his own body kick. Vettori with a double jab and a left hand. Ferreira lands as Vettori rushed in. Vettori lands a left hand. They trade kicks. Vettori lands a leg kick. They trade leg kicks and Vettori connects with a left hand. Ferreira returns fire with a big shot. Ferreira lands a few big shots. Ferreira with a head kick and they connect inside the pocket. Ferreira with a leg kick and a right hand as they have a quick exchange. Ferreira lands to the head and body. Vettori lands a combo but eats a right hand from Ferreira. 10-9 Ferreira, 20-18 Ferreira.

They trade and Ferreira gets a takedown. They scramble and Ferreira grabs the neck as Vettori is on top. Vettori gets free and they scramble to their feet. Vettori pressuring and lands as he pushes Ferreira against the fence. Vettori is looking for a takedown as Ferreira has neck control. Vettori is able to score the takedown and gets his neck free and lands from the top. They get up and break apart. Vettori lands a combo as Ferreira lands a jab. Vettori lands a combo. Vettori lands some more punches. Ferreira lands a right hook. Ferreira looks for a takedown but Vettori defends. Ferreira lands a right hand and then a combo. Ferreira with a spinning elbow as Vettori ducked just under it. They both connect with left hands. Vettori rocks Ferreira for a brief moment. Vettori lands a right hook. Ferreira with an uppercut. Vettori lands a combo. They trade late. 10-9 Vettori, 29-28 Ferreira.

Fight Result- Brunno Ferreira def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- Nazim Sadykhov (11-1-1, 4-0-1 UFC) vs. Fares Ziam (17-4, 7-2 UFC)

Ziam lands a leg kick and they clinch against the fence. Ziam gets a takedown and looks for an arm-triangle choke but Sadykhov is able to escape and Ziam has back control. Ziam gets full back control and is looking for a choke but Sadykhov defends it. Ziamis landing from the back. Ziam has full back control to end the round. 10-9 Ziam.

They trade and Ziam stuns Sadykhov with a jab. Ziam lands a few leg kicks and gets a brief takedown but they get right to their feet. Ziam lands a right hand and pushes it against the fence. Sadykhov reverses position but Ziam is able to reverse back. They get to their feet. Ziam lands a pair of big elbows and Sadykhov goes down and Ziam lands some big shots from the top and Jason Herzog ends it as the buzzer rings to end the round. What a finish from Ziam!

Fight Result- Fares Ziam def. Nazim Sadykhov by TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of Round 2

> Women’s Flyweights- #5 Maycee Barber (14-2, 9-2 UFC) vs. #9 Karine Silva (19-5, 5-1 UFC)

Barber working the jab early as Silva lands a body kick. Silva lands a leg kick as Barber throws a combo. Barber lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Silva gets a takedown and looks to take the back of Barber. Silva has back control along the fence and Barber is landing backward punches. Silva is attacking the choke but had it across the face and Barber is able to force her to let go. Silva keeps back control as Barber is looking to spin and she does into the guard of Silva. Barber lands some ground-and-pound to end the round as Silva almost lands some illegal upkicks. 10-9 Silva.

Barber lands a combination and a leg kick. They clinch against the fence and Silva grabs the neck looking for a guillotine choke but Barber is able to get her head out and pressure Silva along the fence. Barber scores a takedown. They scramble and Silva lands an illegal upkick and timeout is called. Barber is wobbling as she got to her feet as the kick landed right to the chin. Barber is able to continue and she gets Silva back to the ground. Barber gets the back and lands some punches. Barber with some nasty elbows from the back. Barber with more shots from the back as she’s hunting for a submission opening. Silva rolls but Barber is able to maintain top position. Silva looks for a triangle choke late. 10-9 Barber, 19-19.

They trade to start the third as Barber is connecting with better combinations. Both circle around and Barber lands a combo. Silva shoots for a takedown and is able to score it. Barber starts throwing from the bottom as Silva stands. Silva looks for a leg lock or a heel hook. Barber is able to escape and she gets on top of Silva. Barber lands from the top as Silva looks for a triangle choke. Barber lands to the body as Silva lets go. Barber stands and lands leg kicks. They get to their feet and Barber pushes it to the fence and lands a knee. Barber gets a late takedown even though Silva grabbed the fence. 10-9 Barber, 29-28 Barber.

Fight Result- Maycee Barber def. Karine Silva by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- Terrance McKinney (17-7, 7-4 UFC) vs. Chris Duncan (14-2, 5-1 UFC)

McKinney lands a big knee and then a head kick. McKinney is teeing off and Duncan starts firing back and both land big shots. They trade some more and Duncan looks for a takedown and gets it. They get back to their feet and McKinney lands a knee and they break. Duncan lands a right hand. McKinney with a pair of knees. Duncan lands a body kick but eats a right hand. Duncan with another right hand. McKinney with more knees. Duncan the drops McKinney with an elbow and Duncan starts landing from the back. Duncan landing lots of punches. They stand but Duncan keeps landing. McKinney goes back to his knees as Duncan continues to land. Duncan grabs the neck and locks in a D’Arce choke and McKinney taps! What a fight!

Fight Result- Chris Duncan def. Terrance McKinney by submission (D’Arce choke) at 2:30 of Round 1

> Lightweights- #13 Grant Dawson (23-2-1, 11-1-1 UFC) vs. Manuel Torres (16-3, 4-1 UFC)

Torres lands some body kicks. Dawson looks to land leg kicks and looks for a takedown, but Torres defends. Dawson lands a right hand as Torres lands a left hand. Dawson lands a body kick. Dawson lands a leg kick. Dawson with another leg kick. Dawson with a body kick and Torres connects with a combination that puts Dawson on the mat, and Torres ends it with some shots from the top! What a finish from Torres!

Fight Result- Manuel Torres def. Grant Dawson by TKO (punches) at 2:25 of Round 1

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> Light Heavyweights- #5 Jan Blachowicz (29-11-1, 12-8-1 UFC) vs. #11 Bogdan Guskov (18-3, 4-1 UFC)

Guskov with a quick leg kick and left hand. Blachowicz lands a leg kick. They trade jabs and Blachowicz lands a leg kick. Blachowicz lands another leg kick as they trade jabs. They trade leg kicks. Blachowicz lands a jab to the body. Blachowicz lands a pair of kicks. Guskov lands a solid left hook. Blachowicz lands a jab that makes Guskov back up. They trade leg kicks. Blachowicz with a calf kick. Blachowicz lands a combo. Blachowicz lands a leg kick. Guskov lands a quick flurry. Blachowicz with a leg then body kick. 10-9 Blachowicz.

Blachowicz lands a leg kick followed by a jab. Guskov lands a right hand. Blachowicz lands a leg kick and Guskov drops him with a right hand. Guskov starts landing from the top but Blachowicz is able to recover some. Guskov gets inside thre guard and is landing. Blachowicz throwing from his back. Blachowicz looks for a heel hook. Guskov with some left hands from the top. Blachowicz looks for a heel hook. He lets go. Guskov lands some elbows from the top. Guskov with more elbows and he has Blachowicz hurt. Blachowicz is cut open badly. Guskov lands to the body. Guskov lands some more elbows. Blachowicz survives. 10-8 Guskov, 19-18 Guskov.

They trade jabs. Guskov lands a right hand. Blachowicz with a calf kick but eats a solid right hand from Guskov. Guskov lands some big punches and a jab. Blachowicz with a jab. They trade jabs and Blachowicz lands a heavy leg kick. Guskov with a combo. Guskov lands a solid right hand. Blachowicz lands a right hand. Guskov complains of an eye poke but it wasn’t called. Blachowicz pressing forward and lands and lands a leg kick. Blachowicz lands a right hand. Guskov lands a right hand. Blachowicz lands a body kick. They trade in close range. Blachowicz lands a high kick and then drops Guskov at the end and lands a big flurry as they go the distance. 10-9 Blachowicz, 28-28.

Fight Result- Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov ends in a majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)

> Bantamweights- #10 Henry Cejudo (16-5, 10-5 UFC) vs. Payton Talbott (10-1, 4-1 UFC)

Cejudo lands a leg kick. Talbott lands a stiff right hand. Talbott with a heavy leg kick. Talbott with another leg kick. Talbott with a left hand. Cejudo lands a leg kick. They clinch and Talbott lands a pair of knees to the body before they separate. Time out is called for an eye poke by Talbott. They get back going and Cejudo lands a right hand as Talbott lands a leg kick. They trade inside the pocket. They tie up and Talbott scores a trip takedown. Talbott lands from the top and lands from the back as they stand. Talbott lands a left hand and gets a late takedown. 10-9 Talbott.

Talbott lands a leg kick. They trade inside the pocket and Talbott clips Cejudo as Cejudo lands a right hand. Cejudo went to the mat for a moment but got up and they were trading. They scramble and Cejudo ends up on top. Cejudo lands from the top and gets the back and has back control as they stand. They separate. Talbott lands to the body. Talbott with a head kick and follows it with a quick flurry. Talbott landing to the body and hurting Cejudo. Cejudo on the run as Talbott continues to land, but Cejudo fires back and lands a left hand. Talbott pushes Cejudo to the mat and lands from the top. Talbott with some shots from the top and they stand and trade. Cejudo’s right eye is a mess. Talbott lands a big knee. Cejudo lands a right hand. 10-9 Talbott, 20-18 Talbott.

Talbott lands a left hand as Cejudo lands a leg kick. They trade kicks as Talbott is landing at will. Cejudo lands a right hand as Talbott lands a leg kick. Talbott lands a combo and a high kick then a left hand. Talbott lands to the body and Cejudo gets the body lock as they battle for a takedown. They scramble to the mat and Cejudo ends up on top, but they scramble up. Cejudo pushes Talbott to the fence. Cejudo with a kne to the body. They break apart. Cejudo almost gets a takedown but Talbott defends. Talbott lands a combo. Talbott lands a leg kick as Cejudo grabs it but lets go. Talbott with a big knee to the body and some body shots that hurt Cejudo. They have a wild exchange to end it as Talbott lands a huge knee. 10-9 Talbott, 30-27 Talbott.

Fight Result- Payton Talbott def. Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Flyweights- #2 Brandon Moreno (23-8-2, 11-5-2 UFC) vs. #5 Tatsuro Taira (17-1, 7-1 UFC)

Taira lands a right hand. Taira shoots for a takedown but Moreno ends up on top and looks for a triangle choke. He has it locked in and Taira is trying to find a way to escape. Moreno is holding onto the position as Taira lands some body shots. Taira lands a knee to the body. Taira tries to slam his way out. Taira landing some punches as Moreno is holding on. Taira is able to escape and lands some knees late. 10-9 Moreno.

Moreno lands a left hook and a right hand. Moreno lands a leg kick followed by a combination. Taira lands a leg kick. Taira shoots for a takedown but Moreno sprawls. Taira lands a right hand and then scores a takedown. They scramble and Taira gets the back. Taira lands a flurry of big right hands from the back and flattens Moreno out. Taira with some big ground-and-pound and he finishes Moreno! It may have been a little early but Taira was in a dominant position and picks up a big win.

Fight Result- Tatsuro Taira def. Brandon Moreno by TKO (punches) at 2:24 of Round 2

> UFC Flyweight Championship- C Alexandre Pantoja (30-5, 14-3 UFC) vs. #1 Joshua Van (15-2, 8-1 UFC)

They trade. Pantoja throws a high kick and Van grabs the leg and goes to score a takedown and Pantoja goes down and all of a sudden the fight is stopped as Pantoja looks hurt. Wow. Replay shows that Pantoja was trying to plant on the takedown with his arm and his arm broke. Van is the new champion.

Fight Result- Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja by TKO (injury) at :26 of Round 1 to win the UFC Flyweight Championship

> UFC Bantamweight Championship- C Merab Dvalishvili (21-4, 14-2 UFC) vs. #3 Petr Yan (19-5, 11-4 UFC)

Yan pressing forward to start. Dvalishvili lands a right hand. Dvalishvili lands a leg kick and then a right hand. Yan lands a stiff jab followed by another. Dvalishvili with a right hand. They trade jabs. Dvalishvili lands a combo. Yan with a double jab. They trade inside the pocket. Yan lands a big right hand that hurts Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili is circling away. Yan lands a pair of jabs. Dvalishvili looks for a takedown and grabs the back of Yan. Dvalishvili got it briefly down and has the back as they stand. Dvalishvili is trying hard to take Yan down but Yan is defending. They separate. They trade jabs and Dvalishvili goes back looking for the takedown but Yan defends. Dvalishvili lands a knee before they break apart. 10-9 Yan.

Dvalishvili rushes in and lands a right hand. Dvalishvili shoots for a takedown but Yan defends against the fence. Dvalishvili still working to get Yan down but he has been unable to do so thus far as they break apart. They trade left hands. Both land in close range. Yan scores a takedown. They scramble and Dvalishvili gets the back of Yan as they work up. Yan forces a scramble and has Dvalishvili’s back against the fence as they stand. Dvalishvili now grabs the neck of Yan. They separate. Dvalishvili grabs the single leg and looks for a takedown. They separate and Dvalishvili lands a big right hand and Yan lands a jab. 10-9 Yan, 20-18 Yan.

Yan lands a body kick. Dvalishvili lands and then Yan picks Dvalishvili up and slams him down and Dvalishvili landed on his head. They get up and Dvalishvili’s face is all busted up. Yan lands. Dvalishvili is abe to pick Yan up and slams him down, but Yan immediately gets back up. Dvalishvili has the back and drags Yan back down, but they get right up. Yan is able to escape. Dvalishvili lands a jab and goes right back for the takedown, but Yan scrambles away. They trade jabs. Yan lands a body kick. Dvalishvili shoots for a takedown but Yan sprawls and lands a knee on the break. They clinch and Yan lands a right hand as they break. They trade jabs. Dvalishvili looks for a takedown but Yan defends it. They clinch and both land knees. Dvalishvili presses forward and lands. Yan hurts Dvalishvili badly with a body kick. Yan lands a right hand. Close round. 10-9 Yan, 30-27 Yan.

Dvalishvili pressing forward and lands some punches. Dvalishvili looks for a takedown, but Yan reverses position. Dvalishvili has the neck and drops down looking for a guillotine choke. He’s working for it, but Yan is able to escape and he has back control as they stand. Yan lands a knee as they break and then lands a jab. Yan with a body kick. Dvalishvili lands and looks for a takedown, but Yan defends and lands a left hand on the break. Dvalishvili lands a combo. They trade jabs and both land right hands. Yan hurts Dvalishvili with some punches and Dvalishvili is circling away. Yan rushes in and lands but they circle to the center. Yan with a pair of body kicks. Yan hurts Dvalishvili with a left hook to the body. Yan with more big punches. Dvalishvili lands a left hook. 10-9 Yan, 40-36 Yan.

Yan throwing side kicks to start. Dvalishvili works the jab and they trade left hooks. They both land leg kicks. Dvalishvili is constantly throwing but not connecting. Yan lands an inside leg kick. Yan lands to the body and then works the jab. Dvalishvili looks for a takedown but Yan defends. Yan lands a pair of left hands. Yan lands a head kick. Dvalishvili’s face is a mess. Yan lands a right hand. Dvalishvili gets the back and tries to get Yan down, but Yan keeps it on the feet. Dvalishvili lands an elbow. Dvalishvili keeps going for takedowns, but Yan is defending. Yan gets Dvalishvili down. Yan has the back as they stand and lands a knee to the body as they break. Yan hurts Dvalishvili again with a body kick. Yan with another body kick as they trade in close range. Yan gets a late takedown. 10-9 Yan, 50-45 Yan.

Fight Result- Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship

UFC 317 live results: Two title fights in Las Vegas

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

It’s UFC International Fight Week as the promotion celebrates with all sorts of events in their home city of Las Vegas, capped off by UFC 317 taking place at the T-Mobile Arena.

The main event sees the vacant UFC lightweight championship on the line as former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. The title became vacant following Islam Makhachev’s decision to move up a weight class to challenge for the welterweight title.

Topuria is moving up a weight class after vacating a title himself, dropping the featherweight title in his quest to add his name to the list of fighters to hold UFC titles in two different divisions. Oliveira is looking to regain a title he’s previously held and is coming off a November win over Michael Chandler.

The co-main event will see UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defend against Kai Kara-France. Pantoja is making his fourth title defense while Kara-France gets his second chance to hold UFC gold following an August win over Steve Erceg.

Also on the main card is a potential flyweight title eliminator between Brandon Royval and Joshua Van; a lightweight fight pitting Beneil Dariush against Renato Moicano; and an exciting bantamweight bout between prospects Payton Talbott and Felipe Lima.

UFC 317 ESPN+ PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Heavyweights- Jhonata Diniz (8-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Alvin Hines (7-0, 0-0 UFC)

Hines lands a right hand. Hines rushes in but Diniz tosses him aside. Diniz connects with a jab and then a leg kick. Hines with a right hand to the body as Diniz lands a left hook. Hines lands a right hand. Hines gets a takedown and lands a knee as they were getting up and separating. Diniz with a high kick and a jab. Hines lands a right hand as Diniz is landing with damage. Diniz with a left hook. Hines shoots for a takedown but Diniz defends and lands as they separate. Diniz lands a leg kick and stumbles and lands a right hand as Hines was rushing in. Diniz with a solid left hook. Hines is busted up. Hines lands a combination. Diniz lands a flurry late. 10-9 Diniz.

Hines looks for a takedown but Diniz shakes him off. Diniz lands a body kick. Diniz lands a calf kick. Hines with a leg kick. Diniz lands a left hook then a high kick. Diniz with a big left hook. Hines looks for a takedown but Diniz defends. Diniz hurts Hines with a left hook. Hines lands a big right hand. They trade in close range. Diniz lands a big left hook. Hines with a right hand. Diniz lands a left hand. They trade late. 10-9 Diniz, 20-18 Diniz.

Hines lands a right hand. He lands another as Diniz blocks a clinch attempt. Diniz with a short left hand. Hines with a left hand. Hines shoots for a takedown but Diniz defends. Diniz looks tired and Hines lands a right hand and a leg kick. Time out is called for an eye poke by Hines. They get back going after the doctor checks on Diniz. Hines lands a right hand. Diniz with a left hand. Hines with a right hand as Diniz lands a leg kick. Diniz with a left hand and a leg kick. Hines with a jab. Hines lands a right hand and a jab. Hines with a big right hand. Hines with a high kick. Diniz with a combo. Diniz with a head kick. He lands a combo. 10-9 Hines, 29-28 Diniz.

Fight Result- Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Welterweights- Niko Price (16-8 2 NC, 8-8 2 NC UFC) vs. Jacobe Smith (10-0, 1-0 UFC)

Price lands a leg kick as Smith connects. Smith is landing and hurting Price. Smith slams Price to the mat and starts landing elbows. Price is warned for grabbing the fence twice. Smith smothering Price from the top. Smith passes guard and lands some punches. Price is attacking an arm. Smith lands some shots that cut Price open. Price gives up his back. They get to their feet. They scramble and separate. Price lands a right hand and an inside leg kick. Smith with a nasty jab. Smith lands a left hand. Smith lands a right hand. Price with a combo. Smith stuns Price with a left hand and lands a head kick. 10-9 Smith.

Smith lands a left hand. Price lands a leg kick. They trade in close range. Smith lands a knee to the body. Smith lands a right hand as Price lands a leg kick. Smith gets Price down and lands two right hands. Smith with a couple of hammerfists from the top. Smith smothering and landing from the top. Smith with more punches from the top. Smith gets Price’s back. He is landing and takes full back control. Smith quickly locks in a rear-naked choke that is in deep and Price taps! Smith with an impressive submission to stay undefeated.

Fight Result- Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:03 of Round 2

UFC 317 ESPN PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Lightweights- Terrance McKinney (16-7, 6-4 UFC) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (8-5-1, 3-4-1 UFC)

Borshchev lands a leg kick. McKinney gets a takedown and locks in an anaconda choke that is in deep. Borshchev tries to roll out but McKinney has a guillotine choke locked in deep. Borshchev is trying to fight out of it but he taps! Big finish from McKinney!

Fight Result- Terrance McKinney def. Viacheslav Borshchev by submission (guillotine choke) at :55 of Round 1

> Women’s Flyweights- #8 Viviane Araujo (13-6, 7-5 UFC) vs. #10 Tracy Cortez (11-2, 5-1 UFC)

Cortez lands a leg kick. Araujo lands a combination. Cortez scores a takedown. Araujo has the neck but Cortez is able to take the back. Araujo reverses and gets the back of Cortez as she gets to her feet. Araujo gets full back control. Araujo has the body triangle. Cortez is trying to escape as Araujo lands. Cortez is able to reverse to top position. Cortez with some punches from the top. Cortez with some punches and elbows to the body of Araujo. Cortez is attacking the neck. Cortez with some hammerfists from the top. Cortez looks for a guillotine choke as they get to their feet. Cortez drops down with it and it’s in tight but Araujo survives the round. 10-9 Cortez.

Araujo lands a jab. Cortez lands a right hand. Cortez with a pair of jabs. She lands another pair of jabs. Araujo lands a combination. Cortez fakes a takedown attempt and lands a right hand. Cortez with a body kick and a right hand. Araujo lands a right hand. Cortez grabs ahold of Araujo and pushes it to the fence. Cortez lands a right hand and looks for a takedown. Araujo looks for a guillotine choke but Cortez ends up on top and lands a left hand. Cortez lands to end the round. 10-9 Cortez, 20-18 Cortez.

Cortez lands a combination. Cortez lands a right hand and Araujo lands a front kick to the chin of Cortez. Cortez scores a takedown. Cortez working from the half-guard and smothering from the top. Cortez continuing to land from the top as Araujo is stuck on the bottom. Cortez with some elbows and follows with some hammerfists. Cortez with a flurry from the top. Cortez looking for an arm-triangle choke. Araujo defended and Cortez lets go and lands some more punches and elbows. 10-9 Cortez, 30-27 Cortez.

Fight Result- Tracy Cortez def. Viviane Araujo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Featherweights- Hyder Amil (11-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Jose Delgado (9-1, 1-0 UFC)

Amil with some leg kicks. They clinch up and Delgado looks for a takedown but Amil reverses and they scramble to their feet. Delgado lands a big knee that drops Amil and some follow-up punches lead to the finish. Amil gets up and has no clue what happened. Massive knockout by Delgado!

Fight Result- Jose Delgado def. Hyder Amil (strikes) at :26 of Round 1

> Middleweights- Jack Hermansson (24-8, 11-6 UFC) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (16-6, 7-3 UFC)

Rodrigues lands a combination. Hermansson with a jab. Rodrigues backs Hermansson up with a flurry. Rodrigues lands a right hand then an uppercut. Hermansson with a leg kick. Hermansson lands a leg kick. He lands another. Hermansson lands a right hand and presses forward throwing. Hermansson lands a left hook. Hermansson lands a jab and a right hand. Rodrigues lands a massive left hook and Hermansson goes down out cold! What a knockout by Rodrigues!

Fight Result- Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson by knockout (punch) at 4:21 of Round 1

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> Bantamweights- Payton Talbott (9-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Felipe Lima (14-1, 2-0 UFC)

Lima lands a leg kick after both throw. Lima with a left hand and a knee. Talbott pushes Lima against the fence looking to get it down, but they break to the center. Lima lands a kick and scores a takedown, but Talbott gets up. Lima tries for a takedown, but Talbott rolls and ends up on top. Talbott lands a right hand and takes the back of Lima. Lima rolls for a leg but Talbott is able to scramble out. Talbott with some elbows from the top. They scramble up and Talbott has body control. Talbott makes a mistake and Lima ends up on top inside the guard of Talbott. Lima lands. They scramble up and Talbott lands an elbow. Close round. 10-9 Talbott.

Talbott lands a jab. Lima with a solid combination. Lima misses a right hand and looks for a takedown. They scramble and Talbott ends up on top. They continue to scramble and get to their feet. Lima barely misses a spinning back fist. Lima with a right hand to the body. Lima shoots for a takedown, but Talbott defends and gets on top. Talbott with some punches from the top before he backs off and they stand. Talbott with a spin kick. He lands another to the body. Talbott lands a right hand and Lima lands to the body. Lima drags it down as he has the back. Talbott shakes Lima off of his back and is now in side control. Talbott gets the mount late and lands. 10-9 Talbott, 20-18 Talbott.

Talbott pressing forward and they trade as Lima circles away. Talbott with a body kick then a leg kick. Lima with a right hand followed by a knee. They clinch against the fence. Lima scores a takedown. They scramble to their feet as Lima holds onto the body of Talbott. They break apart. They trade. Talbott lands a spin kick to the head of Lima. Lima throws a high kick and slips. Talbott ends up on top and lands. Talbott gets the mount but Lima is able to slide out. Talbott landing from the top and lands a big right hand before getting the back of Lima. Talbott with lots of punches as they stand. 10-9 Talbott, 30-27 Talbott.

Fight Result- Payton Talbott def. Felipe Lima by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- #9 Beneil Dariush (22-6-1, 15-6-1 UFC) vs. #11 Renato Moicano (20-6-1, 12-6 UFC)

Dariush with a high kick. Dariush lands a body kick and a left hand. Dariush with a leg kick. They trade kicks and Moicano lands a left hand. They trade leg kicks. Dariush with another inside leg kick. Moicano closes the distance and lands a right hand. Dariush with an inside leg kick. Dariush lands a left hand and a leg kick and then another. Dariush lands a kick but stumbles back a little. They trade in close range before clinching up. Dariush lands a body kick after they separate. Dariush with a pair of kicks. They have an exchange in close range. Moicano lands a high kick. Moicano lands a right hand that drops Dariush. Dariush tries to get it down but Moicano scrambles to the back and lands some punches. They get up and Moicano lands a knee and a right hand. Dariush with a leg kick. 10-9 Moicano.

Dariush comes out looking to land and they tie up. They scramble for a moment and Dariush has the back of Moicano. They both battle on the feet for position. Dariush gets the back of Moicano and jumps on it for a moment. Dariush briefly gets Moicano down as he’s pressuring. They stand and Dariush keeps pressuring against the fence and gets it back down. Dariush working from the half-guard and keeping Moicano pinned on the bottom. Dariush with some punches from the top. Dariush looking to set up a choke but gave it up and lands some short elbows. Dariush with some punches from the top. 10-9 Dariush, 19-19.

Dariush with a pair of kicks. Dariush with a Superman punch and then scores a takedown. He looks to take the back but Moicano reverses and is on top. Dariush is attacking the leg and they stand. Dariush lands a body kick then two more. Moicano grabs the back on the feet but they break apart. Dariush lands a left hand and a knee to the body. Dariush with a pair of leg kicks. Dariush with more kicks and Moicano looks for a takedown. Dariush lands two big left hands as they break. Dariush scores a takedown. Dariush has the back and jumps up on it as they stand. Dariush gets it down. They stand and Dariush lands a pair of knees. Dariush pushes it to the fence and lands a knee before they separate. Moicano looks gassed. They tie up against the fence. They break apart. Moicano lands a jab and Dariush lands a left hand. Moicano looks for a takedown but Dariush defends. 10-9 Dariush, 29-28 Dariush.

Fight Result- Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Flyweights- #1 Brandon Royval (17-7, 7-3 UFC) vs. #12 Joshua Van (14-2, 7-1 UFC)

Royval with a leg kick. Royval with some more kicks. Royval with more leg kicks as he’s keeping Van from attacking. Van lands a left hook followed by a right hand. Van lands another right hand. Royval with a body kick and Van lands a right hand. They trade in close range as Van lands a combination. Van with another stiff right hand. Royval lands a left hand. Van lands a right hand and Royval stumbles. Royval with a jab. Royval lands a leg kick. Van lands a right hand. Van with another right hand. Van lands a leg kick and some punches. Royval lands a combo. Van attacks the body. 10-9 Van.

They’re exchanging punches early on as Van lands a combination. Royval lands a knee. Royval with a straight left hand. Van lands a right hand. Royval with a combination. Van lands a combination. Royval lands a left hand. Van lands a body kick. Van with a knee to the body. Both are landing in close range. Van with a big combination. Royval works the jab. Van lands a leg kick. Van with a combination to the body. Royval pressing forward and Van lands inside the pocket. Royval with a right hand. Van lands a big combination. They trade big punches. Fantastic round. 10-9 Royval, 19-19.

They trade in close range. Van lands a combination. Royval working the jab. Van lands a combo. Royval with a left hand but eats a right hand from Van. Van with some body shots but Royval is pressing forward and landing. Van with a big right hand and then a combination. Royval lands a body kick. Van lands a combo and Royval counters with a flurry of punches. Van lands to the body as they clinch but quickly break. They trade in close range. Royval throwing more but Van connecting better. Royval retreats a little to reset. Van lands a combo. They trade and Van lands a big right hand. Van with a left hook. Royval with some leg kicks. Royval with a nice combination. Van lands a right hand. Van with another right hand. Van with a combo and a knee. Van with a stiff jab. Van lands a big left hand. They are both swinging for it inside the pocket and Van drops Royval! Van is landing from the top and Royval survives! 10-9 Van, 29-28 Van.

Fight Result- Joshua Van def. Brandon Royval by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> UFC Flyweight Championship- C Alexandre Pantoja (29-5, 13-3 UFC) vs. #4 Kai Kara-France (25-11 1 NC, 8-4 UFC)

Pantoja lands a right hand and a leg kick. Pantoja is pressing forward and landing. Kara-France swings and Pantoja scores a takedown. Pantoja gets the back and has the body triangle locked on. Pantoja lands some punches from the back. Pantoja is able to get to the top and looks for an arm-triangle choke. He lets go but has the mount though he goes to the half-guard. Pantoja with some shoulder strikes from the top. Pantoja with a knee to the body. Pantoja takes the back and has a choke while landing. 10-9 Pantoja.

Pantoja lands a combo. Pantoja with a heavy body kick. Pantoja with a combo. Kara-France lands. Pantoja lands a leg kick and scores a takedown. They scramble up but Pantoja keeps pressuring, but Kara-France is able to force separation. Kara-France swinging big. He lands a right hand. Pantoja with a jab. Pantoja landing with more volume but it’s a slow-paced round. Kara-France lands a leg kick. Pantoja with a leg kick and a right hand. 10-9 Pantoja, 20-18 Pantoja.

Pantoja comes out swinging and connects and lands a body kick. Kara-France is throwing but Pantoja is able to grab him after Kara-France lands a right hand. Pantoja has the back against the fence. Pantoja drags it to the mat. Pantoja has the back and locks in the body triangle. Pantoja locks in a rear-naked choke. Kara-France is trying to fight it off but it’s locked in and Kara-France taps! Complete domination from the champion as he retains.

Fight Result- Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Kara-France by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:55 of Round 3 to retain the UFC Flyweight Championship

> UFC Lightweight Championship- #3 P4P Ilia Topuria (16-0, 8-0 UFC) vs. #2 Charles Oliveira (35-10 1 NC, 23-10 1 NC UFC)

Oliveira with a quick leg kick. Topuria lands a jab. They swing inside the pocket as both connect. Oliveira is cut open. Oliveira shoots for a takedown and pushes it to the fence. Oliveira tries a takedown but Topuria ends up on top. Topuria gets to side control and has the crucifix position. Oliveira looking for a leg. Topuria scrambles out. Topuria stands and lands a leg kick. Oliveira is ordered up. Topuria lands a right hand. Oliveira with a short uppercut. Topuria lands a massive right hand followed by a left hook and Oliveira goes down and is out cold! A big knockout by Topuria!

Fight Result- Ilia Topuria def. Charles Oliveira by knockout (punch) at 2:27 of Round 1 to win the UFC Lightweight Championship

UFC 310 live results: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura flyweight title fight

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

It’s the final UFC pay-per-view of 2024 as the Octagon returns to Las Vegas for a stacked UFC 310 card at the T-Mobile Arena.

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja makes his second title defense in the main event as he welcomes former two-time Rizin bantamweight champion Kai Asakura to the UFC. Pantoja is coming off a May title defense over Steve Erceg while Asakura becomes only the fourth fighter to get a title shot in their UFC debut.

In the co-main event, it is a pivotal five-round welterweight bout between undefeated fighters Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry. Rakhmonov was originally scheduled to challenge UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the main event, but a foot infection forced Muhammad out. Rakhmonov elected to put his title shot on the line and remain on the card with Garry stepping in on short notice.

Also on the main card is a heavyweight bout between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov as well as a pair of featherweight bouts as Bryce Mitchell takes on Kron Gracie, and Nate Landwehr meets Doo Ho Choi.

The prelims are loaded with high-profile fighters, among them being former title challengers Dominick Reyes and Anthony Smith, former TUF winners Michael Chiesa and Bryan Battle, and former UFC champions Chris Weidman and Aljamain Sterling.

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> Heavyweights- Kennedy Nzechukwu (13-5, 7-5 UFC) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (9-5-1 1 NC, 1-4 UFC)

Brzeski with a leg kick. Nzechukwu lands a combination. Brzeski lands a right hand. They trade in close range and Nzechukwu lands a head kick. Brzeski lands a leg kick then a right hand. Nzechukwu with a short right hook. Brzeski grabs a leg and lands a left hook. Nzechukwu with a jab then a left hand. Nzechukwu with a head kick. Brzeski with a combo then a jab. Brzeski landing with more volume. Nzechukwu lands a knee. They trade and Nzechukwu with a nice right hook. Brzeski with a series of leg kicks. Nzechukwu lands a left hand. Nzechukwu drops Brzeski with a right hook and then finishes it off with some follow-up shots! Great finish from Nzechukwu.

Official Result- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Lukasz Brzeski by TKO (punches) at 4:51 of Round 1

> Lightweights- Clay Guida (38-24, 18-18 UFC) vs. Chase Hooper (14-3-1, 6-3 UFC)

They trade in close range. They trade and Hooper grabs the neck, but Guida escapes the position. Hooper lands a left hand. They tie up and Hooper is looking for a takedown against the fence. Hooper scores the takedown and is in three-quarter mount. Guida is able to scramble to his feet, but Hooper gets a quick takedown. They get up and Guida lands an uppercut before they go to the mat. Hooper gets the back and is working. Guida is able to escape as they get up. They roll to the mat and Hooper has the back. Hooper landing from the back and the top. Hooper looks for an armbar and has it in and Guida taps! Hooper with the impressive submission finish.

Official Result- Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida by submission (armbar) at 3:41 of Round 1

> Welterweights- Michael Chiesa (17-7, 12-7 UFC) vs. Max Griffin (20-10, 8-8 UFC)

Chiesa lands a left hand. He lands another before scoring a takedown. Chiesa has the back as they get to their knees. They stand and Chiesa is on the back with both hooks in. Chiesa lets go and they separate. Griffin connects with a right hand. Chiesa with a front kick up the middle. They both connect with punches. Chiesa with a left hand and a knee to the body. Griffin lands a right hand. Chiesa gets a takedown but Griffin scrambles up. Chiesa gets the back as they scramble down to the mat and lands an elbow. 10-9 Chiesa.

They trade to start. Chiesa pushes it against the fence, but they break apart. Chiesa with a high kick and they both throw before clinching against the fence. Griffin reverses and is pressuring Chiesa against the fence. They break and Chiesa lands an uppercut before they go back to the clinch. They separate. Chiesa tries a takedown, but lands several uppercuts as he pushes Griffin to the fence. Chiesa with some knees. 10-9 Chiesa, 20-18 Chiesa.

Griffin coming forward and Chiesa is circling away. Griffin swings but is unable to connect. Chiesa gets a takedown and gets on the back of Griffin. Chiesa with some left hands as he locks in a rear-naked choke. Griffin is trying to fight it off, but he ends up tapping. What a showing from Chiesa to get the win!

Official Result- Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:56 of Round 3

> Flyweights- #14 Cody Durden (17-6-1, 6-4-1 UFC) vs. Joshua Van (11-2, 4-1 UFC)

Durden with a leg kick. Van lands a leg kick and Durden counters with a body kick. Van lands a right hand. Durden shoots for a takedown against the fence. Durden is able to get Van to the mat. They scramble but Durden gets it back to the mat. They get to their feet and are tied up but separate. Van lands a jab and Durden lands a left hand. Van with a stiff jab and a body shot then several jabs. Van lands a combination then a jab and low kick as Durden lands a right hand. Van with a combo. Durden lands a jab. Van lands a combination. Durden looks for a takedown as Van defends with elbows. They trade knees. 10-9 Van.

Durden connects to start the second, then Van connects with several shots and Durden starts backing up. Van with a head kick and Durden moving weirdly. Durden shoots for a takedown as Van lands and defends. Van lands to the body. Van lands a right hand. Durden looks wobbly and exhausted as Van connects. Van with a left hook to the body. Durden shoots for a takedown but Van defends. Durden lands an uppercut. Van with an uppercut. Van with a jab then an uppercut then a combination. Van working the jab and lands a combo. Durden lands some punches. Van with a big combination. Van with an uppercut and works to the body. Durden lands a jab. Van with a right hand. Van with another big right hand and he lands more hard punches. 10-9 Van, 20-18 Van.

Durden with a heavy right hand. Van with a calf kick. Van lands a combination. Van lands to the body. They trade leg kicks. They trade in close range. Van lands a big right hand and Durden lands a right hand. Van with a calf kick. Van with a heavy left hook and Durden looks stunned. Durden shoots for a takedown but Van defends, and Durden goes to his back to rest. Durden is stood up. Van lands a jab. Van with a combination. Van continuing to land with heavy volume. Van with some big shots and Durden loses his mouthpiece. Van with some big punches and lands a knee. Van lands big late. 10-9 Van, 30-27 Van.

Official Result- Joshua Van def. Cody Durden by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)

> 195-pound Catchweights- Chris Weidman (16-7, 12-7 UFC) vs. Eryk Anders (16-8 1 NC, 8-8 1 NC UFC)

Weidman with a pair of body kicks. Weidman with a right hand. Anders shoots for a takedown as they tie up against the fence. Weidman throws a kick, and Anders grabs it, and they trade. Anders hurts Weidman with a head kick. Anders grabs the body lock and trips up Weidman. Anders lands an illegal knee and timeout is called. They get back to action. Weidman with a body kick. Weidman drops Anders with a left hand and Weidman starts landing from the top. Anders has a cut open. Weidman with an elbow. Weidman with another elbow. 10-9 Weidman.

They trade in close range to start the second. Weidman with a right hand and Anders lands a left hand. Anders with a high kick. Anders lands a pair of left hands. Anders scores a takedown and Weidman has the neck. Anders with some right hands from the back. Anders gets to the top and is landing big hammerfists. Anders with lots of shots. Anders with some big elbows. More hammerfists from Anders. Anders with more punches. Anders landing more from the top. He lands more and it is stopped! Anders gets the win after being dropped in the first.

Official Result- Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman by TKO (punches) at 4:51 of Round 2

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> Welterweights*- Randy Brown (19-5, 13-5 UFC) vs. Bryan Battle (11-2 1 NC, 6-1 1 NC UFC)

*Battle missed weight by four pounds

Brown lands a right hand. Battle with a front kick to the body. Brown throws some jabs. Battle lands a left hand. Brown with a combination to the body and follows it up with more punches. Battle shoots for a takedown but Brown defends. Brown with a left hook then a combination to the body. Brown lands a big right hand. They tie up against the fence and Battle with some knees. Brown gets a takedown and lands a leg kick before Battle gets to his feet. Brown with the jab and Battle lands a leg kick. Brown with a knee and gets a late takedown and lands punches. 10-9 Brown.

Brown lands a flying knee. They clinch and Battle lands some knees before they separate. They clinch again and Battle lands before they break. Battle lands a knee and Brown retreats. They trade before Battle pushes it against the fence. Battle pressuring against the fence and lands some left hands. Battle with a knee as they break. Brown lands an elbow then a flurry to the body. Battle controls in the clinch with an uppercut and some body strikes. Battle with another big knee. 10-9 Battle, 19-19.

Battle with a knee to the body and Brown lands a combo to the body ending with a knee. Brown lands to the body again. Battle looks for a takedown against the fence. Brown showing good defense as Battle lands a knee. They go to the mat but quickly get to their feet. Battle trying for a takedown and Brown landing elbows to defend. Battle with a pair of elbows. They break to the center. Brown with a big flurry to the head and body. Battle with some knees in the clinch. They battle for underhooks. Battle with short body shots. Brown with a knee. Very close fight. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Brown.

Official Result- Bryan Battle def. Randy Brown by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Featherweights- #5 Movsar Evloev (18-0, 8-0 UFC) vs. #9 Aljamain Sterling (24-4, 16-4 UFC)

They trade leg kicks as Sterling lands a punch. Sterling gets the back and lands from the back as they’re on the knees. Sterling controlling on the mat as he has the back of Evloev fully controlled. They work to the feet, but Sterling still has the back and gets a big slam. Evloev reverses and gets Sterling’s back as they stand. They scramble and Evloev is in side control. Sterling gets Evloev on his back and lands a back elbow. Close round. 10-9 Sterling.

Sterling gets an early takedown. They scramble and Evloev ends up on top in the crucifix position. They scramble some more and Evloev has the back. Evloev lands some punches. Sterling reverses to his feet but they tie right back up. They separate. Sterling with an elbow. Evloev lands a big right hand and gets a takedown after grabbing a leg. Evloev in the half-guard before getting the back of Sterling. Sterling scrambles as Evloev lands from the top. Evloev lands to the body. 10-9 Evloev, 19-19.

Evloev throwing but not really landing. Evloev tries a spinning back fist but Sterling ducks and gets a takedown. They get to their feet and Sterling has body control and gets a big slam takedown. They scramble up and Sterling maintains body control. Sterling has back control now. Sterling with a knee and gets a takedown. Evloev scrambles and ends up inside the guard of Sterling. Both landing on the mat. Evloev lands a short right hand. Evloev has the back as they stand. Evloev gets it back down and is on the back. Evloev landing from the back. Close fight. 10-9 Sterling, 29-28 Sterling.

Official Result- Movsar Evloev def. Aljamain Sterling by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Welterweights- #14 Vicente Luque (22-10-1, 15-6 UFC) vs. Themba Gorimbo (14-4, 4-1 UFC)

Gorimbo lands a leg kick. Luque with a high kick and Gorimbo counters with a hard leg kick, then lands another. Luque drops Gorimbo with a combo and locks in a D’Arce choke. It is in tight and Gorimbo goes out cold! Wow, what a finish from Luque!

Official Result- Vicente Luque def. Themba Gorimbo by submission (D’Arce choke) at :52 of Round 1

> Light Heavyweights- #12 Dominick Reyes (13-4, 7-4 UFC) vs. #13 Anthony Smith (37-20, 13-10 UFC)

Reyes lands a left hand and body kick. Reyes with a leg kick. Smith grabs a leg and Reyes lands to defend and almost got a takedown as they separate. Reyes with a leg kick. Smith with a right hand. Timeout for an eye poke but they get back going. They trade as Smith lands a right hand. Reyes with an uppercut and straight left hand. They trade body kicks. Reyes lands a body kick. They trade body kicks and Reyes lands a combo. Smith lands a right hand. Smith with another right hand. Reyes lands a flurry as Smith isn’t defending. Reyes with a left hand. They trade late with Smith landing an elbow. 10-9 Reyes.

Smith grabs the single leg and looks for a takedown but Reyes is landing big elbows to defend. Reyes with short punches now as Smith is still holding on to the leg. Smith goes to the mat and Reyes lands more elbows. Reyes with lots and lots of elbows as Smith is not doing much to defend. Reyes still landing. Reyes in total control and continues to land and it is mercifully stopped. Strong performance from Reyes to pick up the win.

Official Result- Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith by TKO (strikes) at 4:46 of Round 2

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> Featherweights- Nate Landwehr (18-5, 5-3 UFC) vs. Doo Ho Choi (15-4-1, 4-3-1 UFC)

Choi with a big uppercut to start. Choi with a big right hand. Choi lands a big left hand. Choi with a jab then a leg kick. Choi with another uppercut. Landwehr lands a leg kick and Choi with a big uppercut and a right hand. Choi gets the back of Landwehr after they tie up. They scramble up and Landwehr lands a knee to the body. Choi with a combo then lands to the body. Choi lands a leg kick. Choi lands to the body as Landwehr lands a right hand. They tie up and Landwehr with a pair of knees. They separate near the end. 10-9 Choi.

Choi lands a combination. Choi mixing to the head and body and lands a hard calf kick. Choi with a right hand and a leg kick. They tie up and Landwehr lands a knee. They trade elbows and separate. Choi with a heavy calf kick. Landwehr lands a spinning elbow and some knees. Choi with a big takedown. Choi moves from side control to the mount and lands. Landwehr scrambles and Choi gets the back. They scramble to their feet, but Choi immediately takes it back down. They scramble back up. 10-9 Choi, 20-18 Choi.

Landwehr lands a right hand and both are swinging. Choi with a leg kick and rocks Landwehr with a right hand. Landwehr lands a right hand. Choi gets it down and is in side control. Choi gets the crucifix position and lands some elbows. Choi with some right hands from the crucifix position. Choi continuing to land. Choi with a pair of big elbows and it is stopped. What a performance from Choi!

Official Result- Doo Ho Choi def. Nate Landwehr by TKO (strikes) at 3:21 of Round 3

> Featherweights- #13 Bryce Mitchell (16-2, 7-2 UFC) vs. Kron Gracie (5-2, 1-2 UFC)

Mitchell lands a leg kick. They clinch and Mitchell with some knees to the body as Gracie lands some punches, then Mitchell gets it down to the mat. There isn’t much action going on other than Mitchell landing to the body. Mitchell with an elbow from the top. Mitchell still in control from the top. Both are landing short punches on the mat. 10-9 Mitchell.

Mitchell lands a body kick. Gracie lands a left hand. Mitchell with a leg kick. Mitchell with a left hand and a knee to the body. Mitchell scores a takedown. Mitchell lands from the top and they stand. They trade and Gracie pulls guard. Mitchell lands from the top. Gracie looking for an armbar from the bottom. He switches to looking for a triangle choke. Gracie looks to have the armbar in. Mitchell is able to get out and starts landing left hands. 10-9 Mitchell, 20-18 Mitchell.

Mitchell slips on a kick but gets right up. Mitchell with a left hand to the body. Gracie pulls guard and Mitchell slams him down at the same time and a vicious elbow from the top puts Gracie out cold! What a finish from Mitchell.

Official Result- Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie by knockout (elbow) at :39 of Round 3

> Heavyweights- #2 Ciryl Gane (12-2, 9-2 UFC) vs. #3 Alexander Volkov (38-10, 12-4 UFC)

Volkov with a pair of leg kicks. Gane lands a leg kick. They trade kicks and Volkov gets Gane down to the mat. Gane gets an underhook and they work to the feet. Volkov has the body lock. They separate. Gane gets a big takedown. Gane with a pair of elbows from the top. Gane stands and grabs the fence and gets warned. Gane looks for a leg but Volkov spins out and they stand. Volkov with a knee and they separate. Volkov lands a body kick. Gane lands a knee to the body and Volkov turns it into a takedown. Gane looks for a guillotine choke but Volkov survives the round. 10-9 Gane.

They trade and Volkov lands a combo but eats a counter from Gane. Gane with a leg kick and Volkov lands a body kick. Volkov rocks Gane with a spinning back fist. Gane seems to have recovered. Volkov lands a head kick. Volkov with another head kick followed by a jab and a body kick. Gane lands a big right hand. Volkov controlling the center. Gane with some leg kicks. Volkov connects with a right hand. They trade and Gane hurts Volkov with a right hand. Gane gets a takedown and is in side control. Gane escapes to his feet. Volkov with a body kick. 10-9 Volkov, 19-19.

Volkov lands a body kick. Gane with a jab. Volkov gets the single leg and gets it to the mat. Gane looking for an armbar from the bottom. Volkov defending by landing. Volkov with short punches as Gane is just holding onto an arm. Volkov with some body shots. Gane lets go. Volkov still landing as Gane is doing nothing. Volkov is controlling from the top. Volkov with body shots. 10-9 Volkov, 29-28 Volkov.

Official Result- Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Welterweights- #3 Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0, 6-0 UFC) vs. #7 Ian Machado Garry (15-0, 8-0 UFC)

They clinch against the fence right away. Rakhmonov has the body lock and is trying to get it down but Garry is keeping it up. Neither has landed a single significant strike nearly four minutes in. Rakhmonov still in control and they break. Garry with a leg kick and Rakhmonov lands a big right hand before they clinch right back up. 10-9 Rakhmonov.

Both miss kick attempts. Garry lands a jab. Rakhmonov with a snap jab and lands a right hand. Rakhmonov lands a jab. Garry scores with a high kick and lands a jab to the body. Rakhmonov lands a right hand then a left hand. They clinch against the fence. Garry with a knee. They separate. Rakhmonov with a spinning back fist. Rakhmonov lands a jab. 10-9 Rakhmonov, 20-18 Rakhmonov.

Rakhmonov lands to the body. Garry with a high kick. Rakhmonov lands a body kick. Garry lands a body kick. Garry with a leg kick and they trade punches. Garry lands a leg kick and a right hand. They clinch against the fence. Rakhmonov controlling more but not lots of action. They are separated. Garry with a high kick. Garry lands a jab. Garry with a pair of kicks. Garry with a jab. Rakhmonov with a jab and another. Rakhmonov lands a big right hand. 10-9 Garry, 29-28 Rakhmonov.

Garry lands a body kick. Rakhmonov with a spin kick to the body. They trade leg kicks. Garry lands a jab. Rakhmonov shoots for a takedown and pushes it to the fence. They separate. Rakhmonov shoots for a takedown and completes it. Rakhmonov lands an elbow. Rakhmonov with some right hands from the top. Garry scrambles out and they’re up. Garry looked for a choke but Rakhmonov reverses out and has the back. Rakhmonov landing some knees. Garry lands a back elbow. They break apart. Rakhmonov gets a takedown. Rakhmonov with some big shots from the top. 10-9 Rakhmonov, 39-37 Rakhmonov.

Garry lands and Rakhmonov lands a counter right hand. They tie up as both are looking for the takedown. Garry grabs the back as they go to the mat. Garry has the body triangle in. Garry working for a choke but Rakhmonov is defending. Garry has the arm around the chin. Rakhmonov is out and spins to inside of Garry’s guard. Garry still with the body triangle locked on. Rakhmonov lands some from the top. They get to their feet and are clinched along the fence. Garry lands a right hand. 10-9 Garry, 48-47 Rakhmonov.

Official Result- Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

> UFC Flyweight Championship- C Alexandre Pantoja (28-5, 12-3 UFC) vs. Kai Asakura (21-4, 0-0 UFC)

They come out wildly and Pantoja lands a left hand that hurts Asakura and they clinch. Pantoja scores a takedown. They get to their feet. They trade right hands. Asakura with a hard inside leg kick. Asakura with a knee to the body and Pantoja lands a big right hand. Pantoja with a left hand. Asakura lands a left hand. Asakura with a head kick and Pantoja counters with a body kick. Pantoja with an inside leg kick. Pantoja lands a knee. Pantoja with a body kick. Pantoja lands a combination. Pantoja lands a body kick. 10-9 Pantoja.

Pantoja lands a jab. Asakura lands as they clinch against the fence. Pantoja gets it down and has the back of Asakura. Pantoja looking for a choke and has it locked in. Asakura is fighting it but he goes out cold! Pantoja with the submission win to retain the title.

Official Result- Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:05 of Round 2 to retain the UFC Flyweight Championship

UFC 301 live results: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg, Jose Aldo returns

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The Octagon returns to Brazil this weekend for the UFC’s next pay-per-view offering as UFC 301 takes place inside the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, the UFC Flyweight Championship is on the line as champion Alexandre Pantoja makes his second title defense against fast-rising challenger Steve Erceg. Pantoja is coming off a title defense against Brandon Royval in December and has won five straight fights. Erceg gets a title shot after less than a year on the UFC roster, having won eleven straight fights and three straight inside the Octagon.

In the co-main event, former UFC Featherweight Champion and UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo comes out of retirement to battle Jonathan Martinez in a bantamweight bout. Also on the main card is a light heavyweight bout between Anthony Smith and Vitor Petrino, and a pair of middleweight fights as Michel Pereira takes on Ihor Potieria, and Paul Craig battles Caio Borralho.

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> Flyweights- Alessandro Costa (13-4, 1-2 UFC) vs. Kevin Borjas (9-2, 0-1 UFC)

Costa lands a leg kick then a quick combination. Costa with another leg kick. Borjas lands a jab. Costa with a combo ending with a right hand, then lands a leg kick. Costa shoots for a takedown but they clinch for a second and Costa lands an elbow on the break. They trade combinations. Borjas lands a jab. Borjas lands a nice right hand but Costa fires back with a flurry. Costa lands a left hook that hurts Borjas. Borjas recovers and lands a flying knee. Costa with an elbow late. 10-9 Costa.

Costa lands a jab and a leg kick. Costa hurts Borjas with a leg kick and Borjas starts limping. Costa lands several leg kicks and Borjas goes to the mat and Costa gets on top and starts landing. They get to their feet and Costa drops Borjas with another leg kick and starts teeing off from the top. Borjas is working from the bottom but Costa gets the mount and lands an elbow before taking the back. Costa continues to land and it is stopped! Big finish from Costa!

Official Result- Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas by TKO (strikes) at 1:35 of Round 2

> Lightweights- Ismael Bonfim (19-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Vinc Pichel (14-3, 7-3 UFC)

Bonfim with an inside leg kick. Pichel lands a leg kick. Bonfim with a leg kick. Bonfim with a pair of inside leg kicks. Bonfim lands a right hand. Bonfim with a leg kick then a right hand. Pichel with a calf kick. Pichel lands a jab. Pichel lands a leg kick and follows with a right hand. Bonfim lands an overhand right. Bonfim with a pair of leg kicks. Bonfim lands a left hook to the body. Bonfim with another hook to the body then they trade punches and leg kicks. Bonfim with another leg kick. Bonfim lands a right hand followed by a head kick. Pichel lands a leg kick but eats a counter combo from Bonfim. Bonfim with a flurry of jabs. Bonfim jumps for a guillotine late but Pichel escapes. 10-9 Bonfim.

Bonfim with a quick combo. Bonfim lands a leg kick. Bonfim lands a left hand then a hard right hand. Pichel with a leg kick. Bonfim with a combo. Pichel lands a leg kick. Bonfim hurts Pichel with a body punch and just misses a flying knee. Bonfim landing the jab and Pichel lands a leg kick. Bonfim with a right hand. Bonfim with a combo then lands a left hand to the body. Bonfim with two left hooks. Bonfim lands a right hand. Bonfim lands and slips to the mat late. 10-9 Bonfim, 20-18 Bonfim.

Pichel with a leg kick. Bonfim lands a combination and Pichel lands a right hand. Bonfim with a right hand. They trade with Bonfim landing more and we have a brief timeout for a fence grab by Pichel. Bonfim hurts Pichel with a left hook. Bonfim landing in response as he lands a flying knee and a flurry. Bonfim with a big flurry as he continues to hurt Pichel to the body. Bonfim scores a takedown. Bonfim lands from the top but they scramble up and trade in the clinch at the end. 10-9 Bonfim, 30-27 Bonfim.

Official Result- Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Women’s Flyweights- Dione Barbosa (6-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (5-0-1, 0-0 UFC)

Barbosa with a body kick. Barbosa lands a right hand that stuns Kareckaite. Barbosa with another leg kick. Barbosa shoots for a takedown and puts it against the fence before getting it down. Barbosa gets the back and locks in a choke but Kareckaite gets her neck free. Barbosa landing from the back. Barbosa still with back control. Barbosa attacking the arm. Time runs out on the round. 10-9 Barbosa.

Barbosa lands a right hand. Barbosa hurts Kareckaite with a short elbow. Barbosa shoots for a takedown against the fence. They separate. Barbosa with a jab then a leg kick before she scores a takedown. Kareckaite escapes to her feet and lands some leg kicks as Barbosa is on her back. Barbosa is ordered to her feet. Kareckaite lands a right hand. Kareckaite gets a takedown but Barbosa is able to scramble for a leg lock. Barbosa is able to get the back of Kareckaite. Kareckaite spins into the guard of Barbosa and ends the round there. 10-9 Kareckaite, 19-19.

Kareckaite lands a leg kick. Barbosa shoots for a takedown but Kareckaite sprawls and lands a high kick as they get to their feet. Kareckaite lands a right hand. Barbosa shoots for a takedown and Kareckaite defends, but Barbosa lands a right hand as they break. Barbosa with a spin kick. Kareckaite lands a combo. Barbosa shoots and Kareckaite sprawls away and lands a right hand. Kareckaite with a combo ending with a body kick. Both are landing with Kareckaite landing slightly more. Barbosa shoots for a takedown and they scramble to the mat. Barbosa is attacking the leg. Kareckaite escapes and lands a standing right hand. Barbosa is let up. Barbosa lands a right hand. Kareckaite with a combo ending with a head kick. Barbosa shoots but Kareckaite sprawls. 10-9 Kareckaite, 29-28 Kareckaite.

Official Result- Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- Mauricio Ruffy (9-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (17-7, 5-5 UFC)

Ruffy with an early leg kick. He lands another. Ruffy with a stiff jab. Ruffy with another stiff jab. Ruffy with a right hand. Mullarkey lands a body kick. Mullarkey lands a right hand. Ruffy with a jab and a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Ruffy with a big right hand. Ruffy with a spin kick. They trade some wild flurries. Ruffy lands a right hand that stuns Mullarkey. Ruffy with a sweep trip but they scramble up. Mullarkey lands a right hand but eats a right hand from Ruffy. Ruffy lands a big knee and Mullarkey goes down but gets up. Ruffy with some big punches and lands a big right hand that sends Mullarkey back down and it is stopped after follow-up shots. Big finish from Ruffy!

Official Result- Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey by TKO (punches) at 4:42 of Round 1

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> Lightweights- Joaquim Silva (13-4, 6-4 UFC) vs. Drakkar Klose (14-2-1, 8-2 UFC)

Silva lands a kick that went low and we have a timeout. They get back to action. Klose with a body kick. They trade kicks. Klose lands a right hand. Klose with a flurry before they clinch but quickly separate. Silva with a leg kick. Klose with a leg kick. Silva lands a body kick. Silva with a left hook. Klose is pressuring Silva against the fence and lands a right hand. Klose with a pair of right hands. Klose lands a right hand and a high kick. Silva with a leg kick. Klose with a combo and a knee. Klose with another combo and a pair of knees. They clinch and Klose with more knees and left hands. Klose lands an elbow. 10-9 Klose.

They trade kicks to start the second. Silva with a body kick. Silva attacks the body and Klose looks for a takedown against the fence. Klose has Silva pinned against the fence and lands some foot stomps and knees. Silva with an uppercut. They separate and Silva lands a combo. Klose pushes it against the fence. Klose with a knee and Silva reverses. They separate. Klose pushes it back against the fence. Klose with some more knees to the body. 10-9 Klose, 20-18 Klose.

Silva with a leg kick. Klose with a knee and a pair of jabs. Silva lands a left hand. Klose with a pair of leg kicks and a right hand. Klose lands a right hand after an exchange. Silva lands a combo. Klose with a leg kick. Silva jumps up for a guillotine choke. Klose tries to get out of it but Silva ends up with the mounted guillotine but Klose is able to escape. Silva hurts Klose with a right hand and Klose goes to the mat. Silva lands and looks for the neck but Klose ends up on top as he pops out. Klose has the back as they get to their feet. Silva lands an elbow. Klose looks for a takedown but Silva defends and lands a knee. They tie up and end the fight with Klose landing a spin kick. 10-9 Silva, 29-28 Klose.

Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- Elves Brener (16-3, 3-0 UFC) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (12-1-1, 1-0 UFC)

Brener with an inside leg kick. Brener with a leg kick. Orolbai lands a left hand. Brener lands a left hook. Orolbai lands a right hand and they clinch. Orolbai gets a takedown as Brener was attacking the neck. Orolbai with a big elbow from the top then lands a right hand. Orolbai stands and goes back into the guard with a big right hand. They scramble and Brener ends up on top and in side control. Brener gets the back. They scramble to the feet and separate. Orolbai with a right hand and then lands a combo. Orolbai looking for the takedown but Brener slips out. Orolbai is able to get Brener down. Orolbai with some short punches from the top. Orolbai with a big elbow. He continues to land from the top. 10-9 Orolbai.

Orolbai with a teet kick and Brener goes to his butt for a moment. Orolbai hurts Brener with a right hand. Orolbai rushes in and Brener lands a right hand but Orolbai is pressuring for the takedown. Orolbai gets it to the mat. Orolbai with a pair of big elbows. Orolbai with a combo from the top. Orolbai gets the mount. Orolbai with punches from the mount. Brener is able to get out and Orolbai grabs the back as they stand. They separate. Orolbai grabs the back. Brener with a body kick as they break. Orolbai with a combo to the body. Orolbai gets the takedown but Brener reverses to the top. Brener mounts Orolbai and lands to end the round. 10-9 Orolbai, 20-18 Orolbai.

They trade and Brener scores a takedown. They get up and Brener has the back and drags it down. He has the hooks in and is landing punches. They are on the feet and Brener drags it back down. Orolbai has a point taken away for grabbing the fence. Orolbai lands a knee to the body. Orolbai gets a takedown. Orolbai is in side control and lands an elbow but Brener slips over and has the back of Orolbai. They separate. They clinch against the fence. Orolbai lands a big left hand. Orolbai drops Brener at the end of the round. Close round. 9-9 round due to the point deduction, 29-27 Orolbai.

Official Result- Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

> Women’s Strawweights- #13 Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-7, 9-7 UFC) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (15-5, 2-1 UFC)

Kowalkiewicz with a pair of kicks as Lucindo lands some punches. Lucindo lands a big left hook. They both land as Kowalkiewicz rushes forward. They clinch and Lucindo lands some knees before grabbing the neck. Lucindo with some knees. Lucindo with more knees. Kowalkiewicz tries to break the clinch but is unable to and Lucindo lands some more knees. They separate. Kowalkiewicz lands and Lucindo is able to get a trip takedown right into the mount. Lucindo with right hands from the top. She lands more from the top and ends the round landing. 10-9 Lucindo.

Lucindo with a body kick. They trade inside the pocket. Lucindo with a leg kick. Lucindo with a jumping knee. Kowalkiewicz lands a combo. Lucindo lands a combo in return. Lucindo with a body kick. Lucindo with a spin kick. They trade in close range before Lucindo lands a knee. Lucindo with a combination. Lucindo with a combo. Lucindo with a pair of body kicks. Lucindo with heavy shots as Kowalkiewicz lands some. Lucindo with some body kicks. Lucindo with a flying knee. Kowalkiewicz lands a right hand. 10-9 Lucindo, 20-18 Lucindo.

They clinch against the fence. Lucindo lands and they break. Kowalkiewicz with a leg kick. Lucindo lands a body kick and takes the back of Kowalkiewicz. Lucindo jumps on the back of Kowalkiewicz standing for a brief moment. Kowalkiewicz with some back elbows as Lucindo has the pressure on. They go to the mat and Lucindo is in side control. Lucindo stands and lands some kicks before Kowalkiewicz gets up. Lucindo with a flying knee. Lucindo with a spin kick. They trade. Lucindo with a big right hand. 10-9 Lucindo, 30-27 Lucindo.

Official Result- Iasmin Lucindo def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Featherweights- Jack Shore (17-1, 6-1 UFC) vs. Joanderson Brito (16-3-1, 4-1 UFC)

Brito with a pair of big leg kicks. Brito lands the jab then another pair of leg kicks. Brito with another hard leg kick. Shore lands a jab. Brito hurts Shore with a leg kick and Shore looks for a takedown as he pushes it against the fence. Brito reverses position. Shore with a knee. They separate. Brito with a big right hand then a flurry as they push against the fence. Brito with some knees. Shore changes levels and looks for the takedown but Brito defends. They remain clinched against the fence. Brito with a shoulder strike. Shore lands a knee. 10-9 Brito.

They trade right hands. Shore lands a head kick. Brito pushes it against the fence. Brito with knees against the fence and he gets a brief takedown and still has body control as they get up. They separate. Brito with a leg kick then another. Shore lands a right hand. Brito with a calf kick. Brito looking for a takedown against the fence and Shore defending with elbows. Brito with some short knees. They call a timeout as Shore’s leg is bleeding badly from the calf kicks. There is a big, nasty cut in Shore’s leg and bone may be showing. The doctor calls the fight off and Brito picks up the victory.

Official Result- Joanderson Brito def. Jack Shore by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 3:35 of Round 2

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> Middleweights- #13 Paul Craig (17-7-1, 9-7-1 UFC) vs. #14 Caio Borralho (15-1 1 NC, 5-0 UFC)

Craig lands some kicks as Borralho lands and Craig looks for a takedown against the fence. Borralho defends by landing punches. Craig tries to pull guard but Borralho backs off and they stand. Borralho lands a right hand followed by a left hand. Craig shoots long for a takedown and Borralho easily shakes it off. Borralho with a body kick and left hand. Craig lands a body kick and briefly pulls guard but Borralho gets back to his feet. Borralho lands a left hand. Craig with an inside leg kick. Borralho with a right hand. Craig misses a takedown. Craig with a body kick. Craig with more body kicks. Borralho lands a leg kick. 10-9 Borralho.

They trade kicks. Craig lands a body kick. Craig lands a solid right hand. Borralho lands a big left hand then a flying knee. Craig is on the mat and Borralho backs off to let him up. Borralho lands a left hand. Craig with a body kick. Borralho lands a left hand. Borralho with a combo and Craig is backing up. Borralho lands another big combination and Craig goes down and is out! Big knockout win from Borralho.

Official Result- Caio Borralho def. Paul Craig by knockout (punches) at 2:10 of Round 2

> Middleweights- Michel Pereira (30-11 2 NC, 8-2 UFC) vs. Ihor Potieria (21-5, 2-3 UFC)

Pereira lands a leg and body kick. Pereira drops Potieria with a left hand then does a moonsault into the guard. They quickly get up and Pereira has a standing guillotine choke locked in. It is in tight and Potieria taps then goes out cold! What a finish from Pereira!

Official Result- Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria by submission (guillotine choke) at :54 of Round 1

> Light Heavyweights- #10 Anthony Smith (37-19, 12-9 UFC) vs. Vitor Petrino (11-0, 4-0 UFC)

They trade jabs. Smith lands a leg kick. Petrino with a body kick. Smith lands a jab. Petrino lands a jab. Smith with a pair of leg kicks. Petrino lands to the body and looks for a takedown. He gets it but Smith has a guillotine choke locked in tight and Petrino taps! Wow, what a finish from nowhere from Smith!

Official Result- Anthony Smith def. Vitor Petrino by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:00 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- Jose Aldo (31-8, 13-7 UFC) vs. #12 Jonathan Martinez (19-4, 10-3 UFC)

Martinez lands a leg kick then Aldo lands to the body. Martinez with two more leg kicks. Aldo with a right hand to the body. Martinez with a pair of leg kicks. Aldo with a high kick. Aldo just barely lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Aldo lands to the body. Aldo with a right hand. Martinez with a body kick. Aldo lands a right hand. Aldo with a stiff right hand. Aldo with a combination to the body. Aldo with a right hand. Aldo scores with a leg kick. Aldo with an inside leg kick. 10-9 Aldo.

Aldo with a leg kick. He lands a right hand to the body. Aldo with a leg kick then a combination. Aldo rips to the body. Martinez lands a jab. Martinez pushes it to the fence. Martinez lands a few knees but not a lot of action happening. They are separated. Aldo lands a right hand. Aldo with a knee to the body. Martinez lands a left hand but then Aldo lands a big right hand. Aldo with a left hook. Aldo with a leg kick. He lands a jab. Aldo lands a right hand. Aldo with a leg kick. Aldo lands a right hand. Aldo with a right hand to the body. Martinez lands a body kick. Martinez with a spinning back fist. Aldo lands a straight right hand. Martinez with a left hand. Martinez lands another left hand. 10-9 Aldo, 20-18 Aldo.

Aldo lands a right hand. Martinez with a body kick. They trade and Aldo almost goes for a takedown but Martinez shakes him off. Martinez with a body kick. Aldo lands a right hand, then a knee to the body, then a body combination. Martinez lands a jab. Aldo with a right hand. Martinez lands a body kick. Aldo rocks Martinez with a left hook. Aldo with a pair of knees then a right hand. Aldo tosses Martinez down to the ground and gets on top. Aldo with right hands from the top. Aldo passes to half-guard. Aldo with shots from the top and they trade on the mat to end it. 10-9 Aldo, 30-27 Aldo.

Official Result- Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> UFC Flyweight Championship- C Alexandre Pantoja (27-5, 11-3 UFC) vs. #10 Steve Erceg (12-1, 3-0 UFC)

Pantoja with a leg kick. Pantoja rushes in with a flurry and looks for a takedown. Pantoja with a knee to the body before they break. Pantoja with a leg kick. They trade right hands and Erceg lands a combo. Pantoja lands a right hand. Pantoja lands to the body as he rushes in. Pantoja with a knee during a brief clinch. Erceg lands a jab. Pantoja with a leg kick. Another leg kick from Pantoja. Erceg with a leg kick. Pantoja gets a takedown and they work to the fence. They almost scramble up but Pantoja lands a knee to the body and keeps it down. Pantoja with left hands and has the back and drags it back down. Pantoja with some big ground-and-pound before they get to their feet. Pantoja drags it back down but they scramble right up. 10-9 Pantoja.

They trade to start. They clinch and Pantoja with a knee. Pantoja with a knee as they break. Pantoja with a left hand. Pantoja lands a leg kick. Erceg with a jab. Erceg lands a combo in close range. Pantoja scores a takedown. He gets the mount. Erceg scrambles out from the bottom and they separate. Erceg lands a left hand. He lands another. Pantoja lands a leg kick and Erceg lands a right hand and an elbow. Erceg lands a left hand as Pantoja shoots for a takedown. They scramble apart. Erceg lands an elbow. They trade. Erceg lands an elbow. Pantoja with a late takedown. Close round. 10-9 Erceg, 19-19.

Erceg lands an elbow then lands to the body. They clinch and Pantoja with some knees before breaking. They trade combos. Pantoja with a leg kick after Erceg lands a jab. Pantoja lands to the body. Both land in an exchange. Erceg with a right hand. Pantoja with a combo. Pantoja pushes it against the fence. Pantoja lands a big combo and gets a takedown. Erceg cut Pantoja open with an elbow before the takedown. Pantoja gets the back and Erceg is trying to escape. Pantoja with some left hands and they stand. Pantoja drags it down. 10-9 Pantoja, 29-28 Pantoja.

They trade and Erceg lands a counter right hand. They trade jabs. Erceg shoots for a takedown but Pantoja slips away. Erceg lands an uppercut and left hand. Pantoja with a nice combination. They trade and Erceg lands a right hand. Erceg with a jab. Pantoja rushes in with a flurry. They trade right hands. Erceg with a jab. Pantoja sprawls on an Erceg takedown attempt. Erceg lands a jab. Erceg with an uppercut as Pantoja grabs the body. They break. Pantoja lands a left hand. 10-9 Erceg, 38-38.

Pantoja lands a right hand. Erceg with a leg kick. Erceg gets a takedown. Pantoja is able to scramble out and he gets a takedown. Pantoja has the back as they stand. Pantoja tried to drag it back down but Erceg grabs the fence and the post. Pantoja drags it down. They get to their feet and separate. Erceg with a short uppercut. Erceg with a head kick. Pantoja lands a jab. Pantoja with a solid left hand. Erceg lands an elbow. Erceg goes for a takedown but gets reversed and Pantoja ends up inside his guard. Pantoja works to half-guard. Pantoja gets the back but Erceg scrambles. Pantoja with right hands from the top. They get to their feet at the end. 10-9 Pantoja, 48-47 Pantoja.

Official Result- Alexandre Pantoja def. Steve Erceg by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to retain the UFC Flyweight Championship 

JNPO: The MMA year in review, pt. 3

Posted on by Josh Nason

The third installment in my Josh Nason’s Punch-Out four-part MMA year in review series rolls on with a look at July, August & September 2023.

Joining me as always is Paul Fontaine of the In The Clinch podcast, The Dynamite Show, and wrestling TV ratings writer for this very website.

It was a month of big business for the UFC as they held four pay-per-views from Las Vegas, Utah, Boston, and Australia that generated over $30 million in gate revenue.

The quarter saw Sean Strickland upset Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title, Alexandre Pantoja win his first UFC flyweight title, and Sean O’Malley finally climb to the top of the UFC bantamweight mountain.

Robbie Lawler retired in spectacular fashion, there was a major development in the Cung Le vs. UFC class action lawsuit, the UFC held their first-ever Noche UFC event to big acclaim, and tons more.

If you missed any of the series, check out the archives.

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Alexandre Pantoja wins flyweight title at UFC 290

Posted on by Bryan Rose

 A new UFC Flyweight Champion was crowned at Saturday’s UFC 290 event in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47) to win the flyweight championship for the first time. Moreno had held the title for 163 days, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo by TKO at UFC 283 back in January of 2023. With the win, Pantoja is now the sole UFC champion from Brazil after Amanda Nunes retired last month.

After the fight, Pantoja was interviewed by Joe Rogan. He said he worked so hard, he stuck to his training. He said growing up, his mother raised him and his two brothers by herself. He asked his father if he was proud of him. After his interview, his children came to the octagon as they all hugged.

In the main event of UFC 290, Alexander Volkanovski defeated Yair Rodriguez in the third round by TKO to retain the UFC featherweight title.