Tag: Darren Till

UFC on ESPN+ 49 live results: Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 49: Brunson vs. Till, emanating from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The UFC kicks off the month of September, which has three events, with an afternoon show in Las Vegas, one that was originally planned to be the return to London before COVID restrictions kept it from happening. It features a lot of fighters from England, including one in the main event looking to get close to securing a title shot.

Middleweights Derek Brunson and Darren Till square off in the main event in a bout that could have title shot implications on it. The winner will likely be put it a title eliminator bout, though a win by Till could put him at the front of the line. Brunson comes in riding a four-fight win streak as he’s firmly established himself as a big-time measuring stick at 185 pounds. Till hasn’t fought since last July in Abu Dhabi, when he dropped a decision to Robert Whittaker.

Also on the main card is a heavyweight battle between young prospects Tom Aspinall and Serghei Spivac, a welterweight battle between Alex Morono and David Zawada, a light heavyweight bout that could bring fireworks as Modestas Bukauskas takes on Khaili Rountree, and popular British fighter Paddy Pimblett makes his long-awaited UFC debut, and it will be Luigi Vendramini welcoming him to the promotion in a lightweight fight.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

ESPN+ PRELIMS | 2 PM ET/11 AM PT

> Dalcha Lungiambula (11-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (12-4 1 NC, 1-3 1 NC UFC)
Middleweights

Lungiambula with a leg kick and Barriault lands a right hand. Lungiambula with a right hand. Barriault lands some kicks. Barriault lands a combo and blocks a takedown attempt. Lungiambula with a right hand. Barriault lands a couple of right hands near the fence. They trade punches inside the pocket. Lungiambula gets a takedown but they quickly scramble up and Lungiambula has the neck. They trade and Lungiambula gets another brief takedown. They get up and Barriault with a right hand and a body kick. 10-9 Lungiambula.

They trade in close range and both men land some good punches. Barriault with a leg kick. He lands a body kick. They trade punches. Barriault lands a right hand that slips Lungiambula up. Barriault with a body kick. They trade in close range. Both men landing heavy blows against the fence. They trade solid punches against the fence and Barriault getting the better of it as he lands a nice right hand and a body kick. We have a groin strike but they get back to action and trade late. 10-9 Barriault, 19-19.

Lungiambula with a hook to the body and Barriault lands a leg kick. They trade punches. Barriault lands a right hand. They continue to throw and Barriault lands some nice right hands. Barriault lands a combo against the fence. We have a timeout for an eye poke on Barriault. They get back to action and both are throwing and Barriault lands a right hand and a body kick. They both land nice right hands. Lungiambula shoots for a takedown and Barriault sprawls away. Barriault lands a right hand. Lungiambula lands a nice punch. Lungiambula slowing down and looking a little more tired. They are throwing big shots against the fence. Both continue to land big punches and they clinch up and do some dirty boxing before breaking. Barriault walking Lungiambula down and both landing. Lungiambula lands a right hand. Barriault lands some right hands and some short uppercuts. They trade at the end. Fun fight. 10-9 Barriault, 29-28 Barriault.

Official Result- Marc-Andre Barriault def. Dalcha Lungiambula by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> Julian Erosa (25-9, 3-5 UFC) vs. Charles Jourdain (11-3-1, 2-2-1 UFC)
Featherweights

They trade and Jourdain lands. They trade and Erosa lands a kick and they clinch but break. They trade and Erosa landing kicks. They continue to trade and both landing punches and kicks. They continue to land punches and Jourdain lands a nice left hand. Erosa with a leg kick and shoots for a takedown but Jourdain defends against the fence. Erosa with a knee to the body and they both land body shots before breaking. Jourdain with a left hand. Erosa lands a combo. They trade at the end. 10-9 Erosa.

They trade kicks and punches to start the second. Jourdain with a flurry and lands. Erosa with the jab and Jourdain lands a jab. Erosa with a combo inside the pocket. Erosa with a combo and Erosa lands a groin strike. They have a timeout and get back to action and both landing punches. Erosa lands a body kick and Jourdain lands a left hand. Erosa with a body shot. They both land punches and then Jourdain lands a left hand that knocks Erosa down for a second but they get to their feet. They both land. Jourdain with a leg kick and a left hand. Jourdain with a combo. Erosa with a late knee. 10-9 Jourdain, 19-19.

They trade in close range and both men trying to tee off. Jourdain landing some shots and Erosa gets a takedown. They get to their feet and remain clinched up and Erosa lands some knees but they break. Jourdain lands and Erosa lands a knee as they clinch up. Erosa tries a takedown but Jourdain keeping it up though Erosa completes it. They start to scramble up and Erosa grabs the neck and locks in a D’Arce choke as they roll to the ground and Jourdain taps. Big win for Erosa on short-notice.

Official Result- Julian Erosa def. Charles Jourdain by submission (D’Arce choke) at 2:56 of Round 3

> Jack Shore (14-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Liudvik Sholinian (9-1-1, 0-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

Sholinian is making his UFC debut. Shore with a leg kick. Shore landing punches and kicks as Sholinian missing most of his shots. Sholinian throws a kick and Shore catches it and gets a takedown. Sholinian throwing from the bottom as Shore lands a couple of elbows and then some right hands. Shore working from the top and looking to pass to side control. Shore looking for the arm-triangle choke and he has it locked in. Sholinian trying to fight it off. Shore lets go and is in the mount and then takes the back as they stand. Shore with some knees. Sholinian warned several times to not grab the cage. Shore with a late elbow. 10-9 Shore.

Shore with a leg kick and Sholinian is warned about his fingers. Shore with a right hand. Shore lands a combo and then gets a takedown. He moves to the back as they get to their feet. They break and Shore with the jab. Shore lands a right hand. Shore with the jab. Shore landing and they clinch. Both look for position but they break. Sholinian lands a nice right hand but Shore still landing the leg kicks. He lands a hard leg kick. Shore with a leg kick then a body kick. 10-9 Shore, 20-18 Shore.

Shore continuing to attack the lead leg with kicks to start the third. Shore with a combo ending with a calf kick. Shore landing the jab and a leg kick and goes for a takedown and Sholinian defends against the fence. Shore landing against the fence and then they break and then Shore lands a big combo. Sholinian pushes Shore against the fence looking for a takedown. They break and Shore lands the jab and slips away from Sholinian throwing. Shore lands a right hand. Shore with a front kick to the body. Shore with a combo that wobbles Sholinian. Shore with a short uppercut. Shore with a leg kick then the jab and a jab at the end. 10-9 Shore, 30-27 Shore.

Official Result- Jack Shore def. Liudvik Sholinian by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Molly McCann (10-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Ji Yeon Kim (9-3-2, 3-3 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

They’re both swinging early and both land sme hard punches. McCann lands a hard left hand. They trade left hands. They clinch for a moment but break. McCann goes for a takedown and they clinch against the fence. They break and McCann chasing Kim down trying to land. Kim then lands a right hand that drops McCann and McCann looks for a takedown. A replay shows it was actually a clash of heads that dropped McCann. Kim still landing as they get to their feet. Both looking for position against the fence. They continue to work and Kim is looking to take the back and they break. McCann lands a combo and continues to land and now Kim landing. McCann tries a takedown but Kim defends. McCann with a late flurry. Close round. 10-9 McCann.

McCann lands a short elbow and then a combo. Kim lands a right hand. Kim with a leg kick and McCann lands a counter right. Kim lands a combo. McCann still coming forward and Kim lands a right hand. They trade in close range. Kim with a combo. They trade in close range. They continue to trade. McCann lands a combo and continues to land. Kim with a leg kick. McCann with some body shots. McCann continue to land more as Kim is backing up. They both land right hands. McCann with a flurry against the fence and Kim is firing back. McCann goes for a late takedown and gets it. 10-9 McCann, 20-18 McCann.

McCann coming forward and both landing to start the third. McCann with a left hook. Kim lands a right hand. McCann landing as she’s coming forward and Kim is landing counter shots as she’s backing up. Kim with a right hand and McCann counters with a left. Both are landing and McCann’s pressuring more. Kim lands. McCann with a combo against the fence. Kim throws a spinning back fist but McCann saw it coming and ducked. McCann lands a right hand. McCann still coming forward and lands a right hand. McCann with a late flurry of shots as she lands a body kick and is landing big punches at the end of the fight. Kim lands at the end as McCann is screaming at her. Good fight. 10-9 McCann, 30-27 McCann.

Official Result- Molly McCann def. Ji Yeon Kim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

ESPN+ MAIN CARD | 4 PM ET/1 PM PT

> Paddy Pimblett (16-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Luigi Vendramini (8-2, 1-2 UFC)
Lightweights

Pimblett with some leg kicks. He tried a switch kick but missed. Vendramini just misses a right hand. They both miss right hands. Vendramini with a leg kick. They both land left hands in the pocket. Vendramini lands a huge left hand and has Pimblett backing up and Vendramini gets a takedown and is on top. Vendramini with some right hands from the top. They get to their feet and break. Pimblett with a leg kick. Pimblett with a quick combo. They trade leg kicks. Vendramini lands a left hand. Vendramini with a flurry against the fence. Vendramini lands another left hand that forces Pimblett to retreat. They trade and Pimblett shoots for a takedown but Vendramini defends. Pimblett with a high kick. They trade in close range. Pimblett rocks Vendramini with a right hand. Pimblett is teeing off and then lands a massive right hand that sends Vendramini down and it is stopped. What a comeback and finish by Pimblett to get the win in his UFC debut.

Official Result- Paddy Pimblett def. Luigi Vendramini by TKO (punches) at 4:25 of Round 1

> Modestas Bukauskus (11-4, 1-2 UFC) vs. Khalil Rountree (8-5 1 NC, 4-5 1 NC UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Rountree landing and lands a nice left hand. He lands another. Bukauskas running away as he’s in trouble. Rountree with some big left hands and Bukauskas is in trouble. Bukauskas seems to have recovered and Rountree still landing the jab. Rountree with another left hand. Bukauskas lands a right hand. Bukauskas’ nose is a mess. Bukauskas lands a body kick and Rountree lands a counter left hand. Rountree lands a hard leg kick. Rountree lands a left hand. Rountree with a combo and a leg kick. Rountree with a hard left hand after Bukauskas misses a spinning attack. 10-9 Rountree.

Rountree with a leg kick. He lands a left hand. Bukauskas keeping his back against the fence. Bukauskas lands a left hand. Both are looking for openings. Bukauskas throws a punch that misses. Rountree then lands a kick right to the knee of Bukauskas and Bukauskas goes down to the mat and it is over. Bukauskas’ knee looks destroyed. Rountree gets the win.

Official Result- Khalil Rountree def. Modestas Bukauskas by TKO (leg kick) at 2:30 of Round 2

> Alex Morono (19-7 1 NC, 8-4 1 NC UFC) vs. David Zawada (17-6, 1-3 UFC)
Welterweights

Both land some punches to start the fight. Zawada lands a right hand and a combo as he rushes in. Morono lands a hard right hand. They clinch and Zawada lands a hard knee. They trade knees before breaking and Morono lands a right hand on the break. Morono lands a combo. They trade and Zawada lands a nice left hand. Morono lands a right hand. They trade some left hands. Zawada lands a right hand. Morono lands a right hand. They both land late. 10-9 Morono.

They come out swinging to start the second and Zawada lands some solid shots. Zawada with a body kick. Zawada attacking the body and Morono lands a right hand. They trade right hands and Morono stunned Zawada with his. Morono lands a hard jab. They continue to trade and both landing punches. Zawada with a leg kick and Morono lands a hard right hand late. 10-9 Morono, 20-18 Morono.

They both land to start the third and Morono gets a takedown. Morono grabs the neck and then looks for the back and they start to scramble and Morono has back control. They break and Zawada starting to land more as Morono is throwing off-balanced. They’re both throwing. Zawada lands a left hand. Morono is backing up. Zawada gets Morono down late. Morono has a hold of the neck. They scramble up and Morono has the back and Zawada with some back elbows. 10-9 Zawada, 29-28 Morono.

Official Result- Alex Morono def. David Zawada by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Tom Aspinall (#13, 10-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Serghei Spivac (#14, 13-2, 4-2 UFC)
Heavyweights

Aspinall coming forward to start the fight. Aspinall lands a right hand. Aspinall lands another right hand. Spivac not doing a lot of offense. Aspinall lands a jab. They clinch and Spivac with a knee. Aspinall drops Spivac with an elbow from the clinch and gets on top and pours it on and gets the finish! What a showing by Aspinall.

Official Result- Tom Aspinall def. Serghei Spivac by TKO (strikes) at 2:30 of Round 1

> Derek Brunson (#5, 22-7, 13-5 UFC) vs. Darren Till (#7, 18-3-1, 6-3-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Till lands a left hand. They both land. Till lands a left hand. They both land and Brunson gets a takedown. Brunson pressuring from the top and lands some right hands. Brunson with some big shots from the top. Brunson with more heavy shots. Brunson with a big elbow. Brunson with some big shots from the top. Till scrambles to his feet. Brunson lands an elbow as they break. Nothing much happens at the end. 10-9 Brunson.

Till lands a left hand and Brunson tries hard for a takedown. Till defends and Brunson still working hard for it. They break. Brunson goes for a takedown but eats a knee from Till, though he finishes the takedown. Brunson staying on top and being barely active but not doing a whole lot from the top. Brunson stands and lands and now takes the back of Till and lands some punches before they stand. Brunson has the back at the end. 10-9 Brunson, 20-18 Brunson.

They trade and both land some leg kicks. Till with a leg kick. Till rocks Brunson with some left hands. Brunson is in trouble and goes for a takedown and Till had the neck but slipped out and Brunson ends up on top in the mount. He gets the back of Till and locks in a rear-naked choke and Till taps. What a showing by Brunson.

Official Result- Derek Brunson def. Darren Till by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:13 of Round 3

UFC 228 live results: Tyron Woodley vs. Darren Till

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till, emanating from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

The Octagon returns to Dallas with a 13-fight card featuring UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley defending against Darren Till in the main event.

Woodley returns to action for the first time since July 2017, making his fourth title defends against the undefeated Till. Till has had a quick rise up the welterweight rankings, earning a title shot following back-to-back wins over former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Donald Cerrone.

The card lost the co-main event on Friday after Nicco Montano was forced to withdraw from a scheduled UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship title defense against Valentina Shevchenko after being hospitalized due to health concerns. Montano suffered from the effects of a tough weight cut, and has since been stripped of the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship.

Also on the main card, Zabit Magomedshapirov looks to extend his 11-fight win streak against late replacement Brandon Davis, women’s strawweight contenders Jessica Andrade and Karolina Kowalkiewicz battle for a potential title shot, Jimmie Rivera takes on John Dodson in a bantamweight bout and welterweight sluggers Abdul Razak Alhassan and Niko Price meet in an explosive contest.

Among the fights on the preliminary card, former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza takes on TUF winner Tatiana Suarez, and a bantamweight battle sees Aljamain Sterling take on Cody Stamann. Also among those fight on the prelims include original TUF winner Diego Sanchez and 30-fight UFC veteran Jim Miller.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:15 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 | 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT

> Roberto Sanchez (8-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jarred Brooks (13-2, 1-2 UFC)
Flyweights

They trade and Brooks lands a right hand. Sanchez lands against the fence and goes for a takedown. They scramble and Brooks grabs the back. Sanchez gets on top and looking for a choke. Brooks is looking for a heel hook and he has a good hold of Sanchez. Sanchez with some hammerfists and elbows from the top. Sanchez with some hard hammerfists from the top. They get to their feet and Sanchez looking for another takedown. They trade punches in the tie-up. 10-9 Sanchez.

Brooks lands a right hand and they exchange close before Brooks rushes out. Sanchez grabs a single leg as he shoots in for a takedown against the cage. Brooks gets the back and lands a couple of knees. Sanchez pulls guard and Brooks lands from the top. Sanchez spins to get his feet against the cage looking to explode from the bottom. Neither man able to do much on the ground as they look to improve position. Sanchez with a late armbar attempt but Brooks escapes. 10-9 Brooks, 19-19.

Brooks with a spinning back fist. Sanchez then tries one but Brooks landed his better. Brooks with an uppercut and grabs the body lock against the fence. They scramble to the floor and Brooks in side control and lands an elbow. Sanchez trying to get out from the bottom but eats some punches from Brooks.They scramble to their feet and Brooks lands a knee. They go to the ground again and Brooks in the guard. Brooks with some big ground and pound on the top at the end to likely seal the round, and fight, for himself. 10-9 Brooks, 29-28 Brooks.

Official Result- Jarred Brooks def. Roberto Sanchez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Irene Aldana (#12, 8-4, 1-2 UFC) vs. Lucie Pudilova (#13, 8-2, 2-1 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

They trade jabs early. Aldana with a leg kick but eats a counter jab from Pudilova. Aldana with a leg kick. They go back to jab trading. Pudilova lands a right hand. They trade punches. Aldana lands a hard right hand and then a leg kick. Aldana with another leg kick but eats a combo from Pudilova. Aldana lands a jab. They trade and Pudilova lands a kick. Pudilova lands a couple of kicks and they then trade leg kicks. Pudilova with a flurry late and Aldana is in trouble but saved. 10-9 Pudilova.

They trade early and Pudilova remains aggressive. Pudilova is throwing a lot of volume but Aldana is landing slightly more of her strikes. Pudilova with a high kick. Aldana lands a hard right hand. They trade and Aldana stumbles. Pudilova rushes with Aldana against the fence. Pudilova with some more kick attempts. Aldana with a leg kick. Aldana witha big body kick. Aldana with a cracking jab and tries a takedown. They trade late. 10-9 Aldana, 19-19.

Pudilova lands a combo early. Aldana with some leg kicks and Pudilova with a high kick before Aldana circles away. Pudilova with some body kicks. Aldana lands a hard right hand. They trade. Aldana lands a good combo. She’s taking over the fight. Pudilova is throwing but not landing and Aldana is landing. Pudilova bleeding pretty good right now. They trade and Aldana lands better. Pudilova lands a nice left hand. Aldana with a front kick. Pudilova with a flurry. Aldana lands a knee in the clinch. They trade against the fence. Pudilova with a hard right hand late. Fun fight, close one. 10-9 Aldana, 29-28 Aldana.

Official Result- Irene Aldana def. Lucie Pudilova by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Jim Miller (28-12 1 NC, 17-11 1 NC UFC) vs. Alex White (12-4, 3-4 UFC)
Lightweights

They trade and Miller with a leg kick. Miller with another leg kick. Miller lands a straight left hand and then another. Miller lands and White goes stumbling down and Miller gets on top and is landing lots of punches. He’s close to finishing it but grabs the back and gets a rear-naked choke and White taps! Miller with a huge win in his 30th UFC fight.

Official Result- Jim Miller def. Alex White by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:29 of Round 1

> Diego Sanchez (27-11, 16-11 UFC) vs. Craig White (14-8, 0-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Sanchez runs right forward looking to land and goes for a takedown. Sanchez with a big slam. White going for a triangle. White with an upkick. Sanchez remains on top and is landing. Sanchez with more elbows from the top. Sanchez with big right hands from the top but White eating them well. Sanchez in side control looking for an arm. Sanchez postures up and lands more punches. More lands as the round ends. 10-8 Sanchez.

Sanchez again comes forward. He eats a knee from White but turns that into another takedown. White lands another upkick. Sanchez with more control from the top and he is landing punches. White has no ground defense and can’t get out from the bottom. Sanchez with more punches from the top. Sanchez in solid control in side control. He ends the round on top. 10-9 Sanchez, 20-17 Sanchez.

Sanchez fires some lefts but White with a body kick and then drops Sanchez with a hard punch. Sanchez recovers and gets White down and Sanchez is in his guard. White almost landed another upkick. Sanchez with an elbow. Sanchez with more punches from the top and White is trying to scramble out from the bottom but can’t do much. White trying to use the fence to help get from the bottom but Sanchez recognizes it. Sanchez back in the full guard and lands some elbows. White with more upkick attempts but Sanchez avoids them. Sanchez should cruise to the win here. 10-9 Sanchez, 30-26 Sanchez.

Official Result- Diego Sanchez def. Craig White by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

FX PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Charles Byrd (10-4, 1-0 UFC) vs. Darren Stewart (8-3 1 NC, 1-3 1 NC UFC)
Middleweights

They are throwing punches early. Both land and Byrd gets a clinch. Stewart pushes Byrd against the fence but Byrd reverses position. They break and Byrd with a leg kick. Byrd lands a right hand and they clinch. Brief scramble to the ground before they tie up against the fence. They break and Byrd with a high kick before clinching back up. A lot of clinching in this one. Byrd with a nice elbow. They trade elbows on a break and Stewart lands a right hand. 10-9 Byrd.

Byrd with a leg kick. Stewart lands some body punches before they clinch. Stewart lands a left and then an overhand right. Byrd with an elbow off a clinch break. Byrd with some right hands and he is pouring it on Stewart. Stewart then rocks Byrd with a right hand. They trade right hands. Stewart is landing some big punches and then knocks Byrd down with a right hand and the referee stops it! Big stoppage by Stewart as he gets the win.

Official Result- Darren Stewart def. Charles Byrd by TKO (strikes) at 2:17 of Round 2

> Geoff Neal (9-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. Frank Camacho (21-6, 1-2 UFC)
Welterweights

Neal with a fast combination. Neal lands another left hand. Neal with a head kick and Camacho fires back a combo. Neal lands a left hand. They trade in close range. Neal with another head kick but didn’t land as clean. Neal lands another hard left hand. Camacho is eating them clean. Neal lands another left hand. Neal is landing clean punches but Camacho is returning fire. They trade in close range. Neal drops Camacho late and looks for the finish by unloading punches but time runs out. 10-9 Neal.

Camacho goes for a takedown but it is stuffed. Neal then unloads with a left hand followed by a series of punches. Neal is unloadking more and lands a flying knee but Camacho is eating it all and coming forward. Neal then lands a head kick that knocks Camacho out cold. Wow. That is for the highlight reel.

Official Result- Geoff Neal def. Frank Camacho by knockout (head kick) at 1:23 of Round 2

> Aljamain Sterling (#8, 15-3, 7-3 UFC) vs. Cody Stamann (#10, 17-1, 3-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

Sterling with a couple of head kicks followed by right hands. Stamann tries a head kick. Sterling tries for a takedown but Stamann defends it. Sterling with a leg kick. He tries a head kick but it is blocked. Sterling shoots for a takedown but Stamann defends it against the fence. They trade and Stamann grabs the back. Sterling rolls out to escape but Stamann gets a body lock takedown. Sterling goes for a triangle but Stamann defending and escapes. They get to their feet. Stamann with a late takedown. 10-9 Sterling.

Sterling landing some punches and mixing up well. He lands a kick and Stamann tries to pull guard and Sterling on top. Stamann gives up his back and Sterling looking to take advantage. He does for a moment but Stamann gets up and wrestles him to the mat. They get to their feet. Sterling gets the back and gets Stamann to the ground. Sterling in side control and moves to mount. Stamann gives up his back. Sterling with right hands and flattens him out. Sterling looking for the choke but has Stamann’s arms trapped and lands punches. Sterling then gets Stamann to tap out after he grabs a leg in a weird position and has a kneebar locked in.. Wow. Sterling gets the impressive win.

Official Result- Aljamain Sterling def. Cody Stamann by submission (kneebar) at 3:42 of Round 2

> Carla Esparza (#6, 13-5, 4-3 UFC) vs. Tatiana Suarez (#9, 6-0, 3-0 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Suarez gets a takedown after searching for it for the opening thirty seconds. Suarez with punches from the top. Suarez with some sharp elbows. Suarez postures up and lands some punches. Esparza looking for an arm but lets go. Suarez just holding Esparza down and doing great work. They get up and Suarez with a slam and lands some punches. Suarez just too much for Esparza right now. Suarez with some knees to the body. Suarez with more punches. Esparza tries to find an opening to get up but Suarez keeps her down. Dominant round by Suarez. 10-8 Suarez.

Suarez opens round two with another takedown. Esparza gets up but Suarez has the body lock against the fence. Suarez with a big takedown into side control and looking to pass over. Suarez in the full guard and lands some elbows. They get to their feet but Suarez with a trip takedown back into side control. Suarez with some elbows but Esparza escapes and Suarez takes her right back down. Esparza up and escapes back to punching range. Suarez with a high kick and then gets another takedown. Suarez ends with an elbow in side control. All her fight. 10-9 Suarez, 20-17 Suarez.

Esparza looks for a takedown but Suarez blocks it and then goes for one of her own against the fence and gets it. Suarez in firm control as she has top position. She’s going to cruise to a win unless she makes a huge mistake. Suarez trying to pass to mount but Esparza blocking it and Suarez goes back into full guard. Suarez with elbows from the top. Suarez gets the mount for a moment but loses it and gets it again. Suarez with heavy punches from the top and now some elbows. The fight is finally stopped by the referee and Suarez gets the win. Impressive showing.

Official Result- Tatiana Suarez def. Carla Esparza by TKO (strikes) at 4:33 of Round 3

PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Abdul Razak Alhassan (9-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Niko Price (12-1 1 NC, 4-1 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

Alhassan with a leg kick and Price counters with a right hand. They are swinging for the fences early. Alhassan with some hard right hands and he is teeing off on Price. Alhassan loading on his punches and then he knocks Price out with a vicious series of punches. My god what a brutal finish. Impressive by Alhassan.

Official Result- Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Niko Price by knockout (punches) at :43 of Round 1

> Jimmie Rivera (#5, 21-2, 5-1 UFC) vs. John Dodson (#7, 20-9, 9-4 UFC)
Bantamweights

Rivera with a leg kick. Rivera with another and Dodson counters by throwing some left hands that don’t quite connect. Rivera with a body kick and they tie up for a moment. Dodson with a big head kick and Rivera eats it. Rivera with a leg kick. Rivera grabs the back and tries to pick up Dodson for a slam but Dodson able to block it. Not a lot happening and we gets some boos. They trade. Dodson hurts Rivera for a moment with a left hand. They trade late. Dodson with a body kick. Not much to it. 10-9 Rivera.

Dodson tries to land the left hand but Rivera ducking under. Rivera with more inside leg kicks. They are exchanging in close range. Dodson with a high kick. Rivera lands a right hand. This is technically good albeit not as fast-paced as other fights tonight. Dodson with a body kick. Dodson is trying to find counters but isn’t throwing with much volume when there’s openings. We have a low blow now on Dodson. They trade getting back to action and Dodson with a late high kick that is checked. 10-9 Rivera, 20-18 Rivera.

Rivera tags Dodson with a left hand and Dodson stumbles back for a second. Rivera lands a right hand. Dodson lands a counter left. Rivera with a leg kick. Rivera with some right hands to the body. The crowd is booing some more. They’ve been treated to a lot of violence tonight. They continue to exchange in close range. With a minute left there isn’t going to be a finish here it seems. They trade body punches in the clinch at the end. 10-9 Rivera, 30-27 Rivera.

Official Result- Jimmie Rivera def. John Dodson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Zabit Magomedshapirov (#15, 15-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Brandon Davis (9-5, 1-2 UFC)
Featherweights

Davis starts with a leg kick. Davis with some more and Magomedsharipov is switching stances. They trade punches. Magomedsharipov with a spinning back fist. Magomedsharipov tries a trip but Davis blocks it and wags his finger at him. Davis with a right hand. Magomedsharipov has his back against the fence and that might be trouble. They trade and Davis lands a nice uppercut. Magomedsharipov with a jumping switch kick. Magomedsharipov gets the back and looks for a takedown. Magomedsharipov with a slam but Davis props up. Davis landed a lot more in the round. 10-9 Davis.

Davis with some kicks but Magomedsharipov gets a takedown and has the back against the fence as they get to their feet. Magomedsharipov has the back and Davis is trying to crawl away. The boos are beginning to return. Magomedsharipov gets a big takedown but Davis gets back to his feet. Magomedsharipov still has the back. Magomedsharipov gets a takedown and has the back and is working for a choke. He has one almost locked in. Davis gets out. Magomedsharipov going for it again. Magomedsharipov has a kneebar locked in and Davis taps out. Impressive showing by Magomedsharipov.

Official Result- Zabit Magomedshapirov def. Brandon Davis by submission (kneebar) at 3:46 of Round 2

> Jessica Andrade (#2, 18-6, 9-4 UFC) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (#4, 12-2, 5-2 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Andrade with a arrage of punches early and Kowalkiewicz is already in trouble. Kowalkiewicz circling away but Andrade landing more. Kowalkiewicz now throwing. Kowalkiewicz lands some punches. Andrade with another barrage. Andrade lands a hard right. Kowalkiewicz tags her but Andrade fires back with huge punches. Already crazy ninety seconds in. Andrade then knocks Kowalkiewicz out with a vicious right hand. One punch ended it. You rarely see that in the strawweight division. Andrade lines up for a fight with Rose Namajunas now.

Official Result- Jessica Andrade def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by knockout (punch) at 1:58 of Round 1

> Tyron Woodley (C, 18-3-1, 8-2-1 UFC) vs. Darren Till (#2, 17-0-1, 5-0-1 UFC)
UFC Welterweight Championship

Woodley with a hard right. They clinch and Till lands a knee and Woodley going for the takedown. Woodley has the body lock against the fence. They are broken up. That was quick. Woodley lands a right hand. Till with the jab. Woodley with a head kick. Till trying to find an opening. Woodley shoots but is stuffed. Woodley has the clinch against the fence. They are broken up again. Till lands a left hand. Till with a body kick. 10-9 Woodley.

Woodley drops Till with a right hand and is looking for a finish. He is landing big punches from the top but Till is surviving. Woodley with more punches from the top. Till looking to hold him in the guard. Woodley postures up as Till has weathered the storm. Woodley steps to half-guard. Woodley with some elbows. Till trying to scramble out. Woodley with more elbows. Woodley with more shots from the top. Till is hanging on. Woodley working for a choke and he gets Till to tap out! Tyron Woodley remains the champion as he finishes Darren Till.

Official Result- Tyron Woodley def. Darren Till by submission (D’arce choke) at 4:19 of Round 2 to remain the UFC Welterweight Champion

JNPO: UFC fighter Mike Jackson and Marc Raimondi

Posted on by Josh Nason

On a new edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, I’m joined by two guests that are all about the truth, one because it’s his nickname and other because he’s a trusted journalist. 

– We kick off with a chat with friend of the show Mike Jackson as he prepares for his UFC 225 clash with CM Punk, aka Phil Brooks as Jackson likes to call him. We talk about the road to the fight, what he’s been up to in the last two years since he was last in the Octagon, and why he’s so confident going into this fight.

– We then catch up with another friend of the show in Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com. We visited the MMA buffet and sampled some Punk-Jackson alk, weight cutting, the impending post-Helwani era of the website, and what Marc has thought about how WWE has booked Ronda Rousey. We also speculate as to why she is getting a title shot this soon.

If this is your first time here, check out last week’s 100th episode featuring John Pollock and two Awful Announcing guests talking about the UFC and WWE TV deals.

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UFC Fight Night 130 live results: Stephen Thompson vs. Darren Till

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 130: Thompson vs. Till, emanating from the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

The Octagon debuts in Liverpool with their yearly traditional event on Memorial Day Weekend, bringing one of the best match-ups of the year in the headline position.

Former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson goes for his second straight win and potentially another crack at the 170-pound title when he takes on the undefeated hometown hero, Darren Till.

Thompson, still the top ranked contender at 170 pounds, goes into enemy territory looking to build on his win over Jorge Masvidal in November. Till, the big attraction bringing the event to Liverpool, is looking to extend his 17-fight unbeaten streak that last saw him destroying Donald Cerrone in one round in October. This fight has some added intrigue after Till missed weight for the bout by 3.5 pounds.

Also among the fights on the card, welterweight Neil Magny takes on newcomer Craig White, Jason Knight takes on Makwan Amirkhani in featherweight action, and former TUF winner Elias Theodorous takes on Trevor Smith in a middleweight bout serving as the opener of the fight card.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 10:30 AM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 10:30 AM ET/7:30 AM PT

> Elias Theodorou (#15, 14-2, 6-2 UFC) vs. Trevor Smith (15-7, 5-4 UFC)
Middleweights

They trade early. They clinch and both land some body punches. Theodorou landing some uppercuts and knees as he has his back against the fence. Smith tried for a takedown but ate some hammerfists. Smith is bleeding from the nose as he eats a knee to the body. They are battling hard in the clinch. Theodorou lands some punches as they break the clinch. They clinch again and each land a knee. Theodorou lands a left as they break and then a side kick. Smith with a leg kick but eats a big knee right to the jaw from Theodorou. Smith lands a left hand. They clinch and each land to the body, Theodorou with some knees. Theodorou with more uppercuts in the clinch. 10-9 Theodorou.

Theodorou with a body kick. They trade punches in close range. They clinch and go to the mat for a moment before Theodorou scrambles to his feet. They clinch and Theodorou with some uppercuts to the body but Smith lands a knee to the body. Smith tries to drag the fight to the mat but they are scrambling around. There is a brief timeout but they are put back together in the clinch and Theodorou rocks Smith with some punches. Theodorou now in control of the clinch. They break and both men land some punches. Theodorou has a cut and the doctors check him out due to it being from a headbutt. They clinch again and both landing knees. 10-9 Theodorou, 20-18 Theodorou.

Theodorou landing some kicks to start the round and lands a spinning back fist. Theodorou lands and then eats a leg kick from Smith as he has scrambling away. Smith lands a knee to the body. Theodorou lands a left hand before they clinch. They trade knees. Smith gets a takedown and lands a couple of punches. Theodorou looks very tired. Smith has the neck as Theodorou is trying to reverse position. Smith trying a takedown but is giving up his back. Theodorou now in side control but Smith gets out. Theodorou gets the back as they get to their feet. They battle in the clinch to end the fight. Close round, close fight overall. 10-9 Smith, 29-28 Theodorou.

Official Result- Elias Theodorou def. Trevor Smith by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 11 AM ET/8 AM PT

> Gillian Robertson (4-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. Molly McCann (7-1, 0-0 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights* (McCann missed weight by 1 pound)

Robertson looking to land the jab. McCann lands a left hand. McCann lands a right hand. They trade punches. Robertson goes for a single-leg takedown and gets it. Robertson in the half-guard. Robertson lands some punches from the top. Robertson goes to side control for a moment and continues to land some punches from the top. Robertson in the mount looking for a choke but landing some punches. She’s now looking for an armbar as McCann is in trouble. Robertson gets the back and is looking for a choke. Robertson with some elbows from the top as she still has the back. McCann survives the round. 10-8 Robertson.

They trade and McCann goes for a takedown but they both scramble away. They scramble and Robertson gets the takedown. Robertson in the mount and landing from the top. McCann gives up her back and Robertson working for a choke. She has the arm underneath McCann’s neck. It is locked in and Robertson chokes McCann out cold. That was a savage choke from Robertson who gets the win.

Official Result- Gillian Robertson def. Molly McCann by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:05 of Round 2

> Brad Scott (11-5, 3-4 UFC) vs. Carlo Pedersoli (10-1, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

They trade early and Pedersoli lands a body kick. They trade kicks. They are trading and Pedersoli lands a head kick. Pedersoli misses a left hand. Scott lands a leg kick. Pedersoli with a side kick. Scott with a body kick but eats a counter left hand from Pedersoli. They trade body kicks and Scott drops Pedersoli with a left hand and then drops him again after he got up. Pedersoli got back up and then started wagging his finger at Scott. Scott with a knee to the body. 10-9 Scott.

They trade early on. Pedersoli landing some big body kicks. Pedersoli keeping Scott at a good range with side kicks and body kicks. Pedersoli with a big left hand. Scott lands a combo but eats another body kick. Scott with a leg kick. Scott lands a right hand. Pedersoli with a spin kick. Scott with an inside leg kick. They trade kicks. They trade kicks. They trade punches and Scott with a body kick. Pedersoli with a late takedown. 10-9 Pedersoli, 19-19.

Scott with a front body kick. Pedersoli with a left hand. They trade punches and kicks. Pedersoli with a head kick that gets blocked. Scott with a leg kick. Pedersoli with a side kick to the body of Scott. Scott lands a right hand but eats a body kick from Pedersoli. Pedersoli with another body kick and gets a takedown. Scott has the neck and looks for a choke but sweeps the fight back to the feet. Pedersoli with another brief takedown but Scott drags it back up. Pedersoli with the clinch advantage against the fence. They break and Scott with a body punch. Pedersoli with a final late takedown. They tade on the ground. 10-9 Pedersoli, 29-28 Pedersoli.

Official Result- Carlo Pedersoli def. Brad Scott by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lina Lansberg (#14, 7-3, 1-2 UFC) vs. Gina Mazany (#15, 5-1, 1-1 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

Mazany with a body kick but Lansberg grabs the leg and gets a brief takedown. They are clinched against the fence. They break for a moment and Mazany lands a right hand before another clinch. They trade positions and Lansberg lands some knees. They break. Lansberg with a head kick. They clinch again and Lansberg has control of the positioning. Lansberg with a knee. They trade knees. Lansberg lands an elbow and they are broken up by the referee. Lansberg with a body kick. 10-9 Lansberg.

They trade early before they clinch against the fence. Not much happened before they were broken up by Marc Goddard. Mazany gets a takedown against the fence but Lansberg gets to her feet. They break for a moment before clinching again. Mazany with thigh punches and they are split away. Lansberg with a body kick but Mazany counters with a right hand. They clinch again. Lansberg with a knee to the body. Mazany with a left hand after they break and then she gets a takedown. Lansberg right back to her feet and lands a knee in the clinch. This is not a pleasing fight. Lansberg lands a late knee. 10-9 Lansberg, 20-18 Lansberg.

They come out firing kicks before they clinch. They trade knees but are really just holding each other before being broken up. Story of this fight. Lansberg with a high kick. They trade punches. Mazany with a spinning elbow and they end up clinched. They break away and Lansberg with a body kick. Mazany with a body kick. Mazany with a right hand and then another and they clinch yet again. Lansberg with some knees. Mazany with a body kick. Not an exciting fight to say the least. 10-9 Lansberg, 30-27 Lansberg.

Official Result- Lina Lansberg def. Gina Mazany by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Dan Kelly (13-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Tom Breese (10-1, 3-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Kelly with a leg kick. They trade punches and Kelly is trying to land that left hand. Breese lands a left hand. Breese lands a combo. Kelly with a leg kick. Breese lands a combo. They trade punches. Kelly with a leg kick. Breese with an uppercut that hurts Kelly and then lands a punch that drops Kelly and he finishes Kelly off with more punches on the ground. Big win for Breese after a long layoff.

Official Result- Tom Breese def. Dan Kelly by TKO (punches) at 3:33 of Round 1

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 1 PM ET/10 AM PT

> Eric Spicely (10-3, 2-3 UFC) vs. Darren Stewart (7-3 1 NC, 0-3 1 NC UFC)
Middleweights

Spicely just misses a big overhand right. Stewart lands the jab. Spicely with a body kick. Stewart back to landing the jab. Spicely lands a flush right hand and then goes for a takedown. Stewart with a knee to the body of Spicely. They trade knees before breaking. They trade right hands. Spicely with a couple of kicks. They trade punches. Spicely lands a left hook. Stewart with the jab. Spicely lands a couple of leg kicks. They trade late. 10-9 Spicely.

They trade punches early. Spicely with a leg kick. Stewart rocks Spicely with a right hand and is rushing after him but eats an uppercut from Spicely. Stewart drops Spicely with the jab and is swarming on him and Stewart finishes him on the ground. Big win for Stewart as it is his first UFC win in his fifth UFC appearance.

Official Result- Darren Stewart def. Eric Spicely by TKO (punches) at 1:47 of Round 2

> Claudio Silva (11-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Nordine Taleb (14-4, 6-2 UFC)
Welterweights

Silva right away with a left hand and they clinch. They break and trade kicks. Taleb just misses a head kick. Silva tries a body kick but Taleb grabs it and gets a huge takedown but they get right back up. Taleb with a big body kick. Silva with a leg kick. Silva lunges for a takedown but Taleb gets away and lands a knee to the body. Taleb with a leg kick but Silva grabs it and gets a takedown. Taleb rolls to the leg and grabs it but Silva now landing punches from the top and moves to the mount. Silva with some elbows from the top and Taleb gives up his back. Silva working for a choke and has a squeeze in. Silva has the choke around the neck and Taleb taps out. Big win for Silva as he’s been out of action for almost four years.

Official Result- Claudio Silva def. Nordine Taleb by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:31 of Round 1

> Jason Knight (17-4, 4-3 UFC) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (13-3, 3-1 UFC)
Featherweights

They trade punches and Knight comes on the attack with kicks. Amirkhani rocks Knight with a right hand and misses a flying knee and Knight pulls guard. Amirkhani with some punches from the top. They get to their feet. Amirkhani lands a right hook that hurts Knight. They trade punches. Knight just misses a wheel kick. Knight with a front kick to the body. Knight drops Amirkhani with an uppercut and Knight rushes in but Amirkhani scrambles to his feet. Amirkhani lands a right hand but Knight drops Amirkhani again. Amirkhani gets in the rubber guard of Knight as Knight looks for a triangle choke. Amirkhani holding on and surviving. Knight had a triangle locked in for a second. Fun round. 10-9 Knight.

Knight with a body kick. Knight is talking trash to Amirkhani while standing. Amirkhani with a left hand. Knight with some leg kicks. Amirkhani with a leg kick of his own. They trade right hands. Amirkhani lands a big right hand and then gets a takedown. Amirkhani in the guard of Knight. Amirkhani with a hammerfist as he gets to his feet. They trade punches and Amirkhani gets a body lock and scores a trip takedown. Amirkhani in side control against the fence. Knight looks for a late triangle but Amirkhani lands a hammerfist to end the round. 10-9 Amirkhani, 19-19.

Knight with a leg kick. Amirkhani grabs Knight and gets a takedown. Knight with some heel taps to the back of Amirkhani as he has Amirkhani in his guard. Knight trying for some offense from the bottom but Amirkhani defending well from the top. Knight currently winning the round by being more active off his back. Marc Goddard stands them up as neither were being active on the mat. They land big right hands at the same time and Knight was rocked. They clinch and Amirkhani gets the back of Knight. Knight rolls for a kneebar but ends up on the bottom. Amirkhani with a big elbow from the top. Knight is cut open with just thirty seconds left. Amirkhani in north-south position. Amirkhani with a knee to the body and big right hand. That may get him the fight. 10-9 Amirkhani, 29-28 Amirkhani.

Official Result- Makwan Amirkhani def. Jason Knight by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

> Arnold Allen (12-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Mads Burnell (9-2, 1-1 UFC)
Featherweights

Allen with a big left hand to start. Allen lands another left hand. Allen landing but Burnell covering up and Burnell lands a right hand. Burnell shoots for a takedown but Allen is defending it. They break. Allen lands a left hand. Burnell with a body kick. They are trading and Allen with a leg kick and Burnell with one of his own. Allen with a straight left hand. Burnell gets a takedown and is in the guard of Allen. He passes to half-guard. Allen able to scramble to his feet and lands a left knee. Burnell with a late takedown but Allen right back up. 10-9 Burnell.

Burnell gets a quick takedown to open the second round. Burnell working from the top. Allen able to get to his feet but Burnell takes him back down. Allen gets up and they break. Allen lands a combo. Burnell with the right jab. Burnell gets another takedown. Burnell with some punches from the top. Allen unable to get out from the bottom. 10-9 Burnell, 20-18 Burnell.

Allen lands a left hand but Burnell gets the takedown. Allen gets to his feet but Burnell with another takedown. Allen able to get back to his feet. Burnell has him locked against the fence and is working hard for another takedown and he gets it. Allen gets to his feet. Burnell was trying for another takedown but Allen grabs the neck and has a front headlock locked in. Allen has a choke locked in and is squeezing tight. Burnell drops to the mat but the choke is in tighter and Burnell taps! Wow! Allen was going to lose this fight if it went to the judges but he gets the comeback win.

Official Result- Arnold Allen def. Mads Burnell by submission (front choke) at 2:41 of Round 3

> Neil Magny (#9, 20-6, 13-5 UFC) vs. Craig White (14-7, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

They trade kicks. They clinch and White has Magny pinned against the fence. White trying for a trip takedown. Magny reverses positions. Magny trying hard for a takedown but White able to keep his balance. We have a timeout due to a low blow but back to action. White clinches with Magny against the fence right away. Magny with a knee to the body and he reverses a takedown attempt from White. Magny in the mount and was working an arm-triangle. Magny gets to his feet and blocks upkicks from White. White gets up and lands a right hand as he rushes in. Big knee to the face from Magny gets White to the mat and Magny is landing lots of punches and he gets the stoppage. Big finish by Magny to get the win.

Official Result- Neil Magny def. Craig White by TKO (strikes) at 4:32 of Round 1

> Stephen Thompson (#1, 14-2-1, 9-2-1 UFC) vs. Darren Till (#8, 16-0-1, 4-0-1 UFC)
Welterweights* (Till missed weight by 3.5 pounds)

They trade leg kicks early. Till misses a head kick. Thompson with a body kick. Till with a leg kick. Both being pretty patient so far. Till with a body kick and Thompson counters with a combo. Thompson lunges in with a right hand but Till ducks under it. Thompson with a right hand to the body. Thompson with a body kick. Thompson with a leg kick. Pretty patient first round overall. 10-9 Thompson.

They trade kicks and Till just misses a straight left hand. They trade high kicks. This is a chess match in the Octagon. They trade kicks. They clinch briefly and Till lands a knee. Till barely misses a hard left hand. Till with a high body kick. Till with some low kicks. Thompson just misses a head kick. Till with a right hand. Thompson with a side kick and just misses a wheel kick. Still an interesting chess match going on here. 10-9 Thompson, 20-18 Thompson.

Super close fight right now. Till almost landed a right hand but Thompson snuck away. Thompson with a body kick. Till with a body kick. Till doing a lot of stalking but not able to connect on much outside of leg kicks. Thompson lands a right hand. Thompson lands a flush right hand. They trade punches and Thompson misses a head kick. Thompson with a right hand and Till lands a left. Thompson lands a combo ending with a kick. Till with a leg kick. Accidental eye poke by Thompson. Thompson with a left hand followed by a side kick. Till lands a big left hand. 10-9 Thompson, 30-27 Thompson.

They trade early. Thompson with a right hand. Till lands a left hand. Thompson switching stances constantly has kept Till from being able to mount much offense. Till lands a punch. Till misses the left hand. They trade and Till gets the clinch and has Thompson against the fence. They break after nothing happening. Till lands the right double jab. Thompson with a leg kick. Till coming forward and lands a left hand. Another close round. 10-9 Thompson, 40-36 Thompson.

Both land some leg kicks. They are still playing a chess match here. Both landing leg kicks but neither can land that changing punch. Thompson lands a right hand. Thompson with a body kick. Till lands a left hand and then drops Thompson with a left hand and grabs the neck but Thompson gets back to his feet. Less than two minutes left. Thompson lands a big left hand and Till shakes his head at him. Thompson gets a brief takedown to slow Till’s momentum. Neither man not doing much in the final seconds of the fight. This is going to be interesting on the cards as I see Thompson doing enough to solidly win the fight, but you never know. 10-9 Till, 49-46 Thompson.

Official Result- Darren Till def. Stephen Thompson by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

Our questions about UFC Fight Night Liverpool: Thompson vs. Till

Posted on by Josh Nason

It is (was?) a double shot weekend with two overseas shows, one that was on tape delay Friday night and another that’s on mid-morning Eastern time on Sunday. Yeah, tape delays in 2018 and Sunday morning MMA. 2018, everyone.

Now if you’re reading this, you are probably saying, “Hey, I loved the 100th edition of JNPO. That’s it.” Thank you for the compliment, but I should also mention that Bellator 200 was last night so anything you’re reading about that show is posthumous. At times, Bellator feels dead, so I guess that’s fitting.

Some breaking news as of Saturday morning: headliner and local favorite Darren Till missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Stephen Thompson made weight, but he needs to actually accept the fight under the new terms. You’d have to imagine they would financially make it worth his while to do so since Till is the reason they are doing a show in the city. Officials are saying Till had a family emergency so they extended out the weigh-in deadline by one hour.

In any case, here’s some questions and answers for both UFC Liverpool (Sunday, FS1/FS2) and Bellator 200 (DVR, Paramount on demand, in your hearts). As usual, Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick are in the car too.

Main Card

  • Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Neil Magny vs. Craig White
  • Arnold Allen vs. Mads Burnell
  • Jason Knight vs. Makwan Amirkhani
  • Davey Grant vs. Manny Bermudez
  • Eric Spicely vs. Darren Stewart

Undercard

  • Claudio Silva vs. Nordine Taleb
  • Dan Kelly vs. Tom Breese
  • Brad Scott vs. Carlo Pedersoli Jr.
  • Gillian Robertson vs. Molly McCann
  • Elias Theodorou vs. Trevor Smith
  • Gina Mazany vs. Lina Lansberg

Bellator 200 featured fights

  • Middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi
  • MVP vs. David Rickels
  • Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell

What are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: It’s the main event for the UFC show between Thompson and Till. It is one of the best matchups of the year and has the potential to be a great fight. However, I do think it is too soon for Till. Aside from the knockout of Donald Cerrone, he has been in fights that have gone the distance and were close including a draw with Nicolas Dalby, who is no longer in the UFC. Thompson has a patient style that will work against Till, and I like him better in this fight. The Bellator main event between Carvalho and Mousasi is also an excellent fight.

Paul: I’m looking at “Mr. Finland” Amirkhani on the UFC main card. He’s an incredible personality, has had some exciting fights, and this will be the biggest showcase for him so far, (even though it’s FS1 on Sunday afternoon). He has a star aura about him and Jason Knight is a quality opponent. That fight could steal the show.

Josh: Till vs. Thompson. That fight has the biggest implications with a rising talent vs. a fixture in the division. The issue is that no one wants another Thompson-Woodley title fight, so if “Wonderboy” wins, we don’t get much in the way of something big to look forward to. I would assume a Till win gets him either Kamaru Usman or the loser of Rafael dos Anjos-Colby Covington. That could be Thompson’s path as well.

Anything being overlooked?

Ryan: The UFC card is essentially a one-fight card. It did have a great co-main event between Neil Magny and Gunnar Nelson, but that got scrapped after Nelson suffered an injury. Bellator lost their main event between Roy Nelson and Mirko Cro Cop, but it was a mistake having that as the main event anyways. Both are middle-of-the-road events with great main events, but nothing is really being overlooked.

Paul: Rafael Carvalho in general. He’s the longest-reigning champion in Bellator and hasn’t lost since his pro debut. Most people are looking at it as a foregone conclusion that Mousasi will walk in and take his title, and he very well might, but I think the odds are a little too long in the favor of the older challenger and he could be prime for an upset. Former UFC fighters haven’t exactly lit the world on fire in Bellator.

Josh: The Carvahlo-Mousasi fight simply because it’s a title fight between two fairly evenly matched talents. However, it’s another reason Bellator needs to be smarter when planning out their shows. Less events and on non-UFC weekends would help them avoid being swallowed up news-wise.

Anything not doing it for you?

Ryan: I don’t care for the co-main events on either show. Magny is facing an opponent making his UFC debut on short notice, and it’s really a fight he is way above. This is a no-win situation as a win doesn’t elevate him, and if he loses, he gets knocked way down the rankings. As for Bellator, Phil Davis against Linton Vassel could be a very boring fight. Davis has lost luster since he left the UFC, but he wasn’t an exciting fighter while he was there. He tends to be in a lot of boring fights, and I don’t think this one will be an exception.

Paul: The Davis-Vassel fight is going to absolutely suck. There’s no doubt about that in my mind. Davis may be the biggest waste of natural talent in the history of the sport. I also have a terrible feeling that the UFC main event isn’t going to live up to the hype. It has the potential to be great but so did both Woodley-Thompson fights. I feel that coaches are game planning too much for Thompson which leads to these standoffs where neither fighter will engage.

Josh: Yeah, Davis vs. Vassel is going to be dull. Nothing else raises my ire that much on either show. I think MVP is a little overrated, but he gets a great opportunity to prove me wrong in his first fight after a long layoff.

Any intrigue with these shows?

Ryan: The intrigue is with the UFC due to the main event, and I would say the biggest intrigue with the Bellator card is Michael Page fighting. Page is exciting as it gets, but he doesn’t seem to fight much, so it is hard for him to stay in the spotlight. A win for him and more activity would be nice. The UFC main event makes the show as everything else is filler there.

Paul: It’s definitely Page-Rickels for me. It’s the biggest test of Page’s career and Rickels derailed the career track of one of Bellator’s young guns in Adam Piccolotti in his last fight. Rickels is a wildman and Page’s style leaves him open to getting caught. Of course, he could just as easily KO Rickels in spectacular fashion. It’s time for Page to step it up and live up to the reputation he’s been building for the last 4 years.

Josh: Whether Till is the real deal and how MVP looks after a long layoff. In a sense, the Bellator title fight has some intrigue but with so much weight class jumping in the company, there’s not a strong sense of a deep contender queue.

What will be people talking about most after the show is done?

Ryan: Stephen Thompson is still a top contender, Darren Till wasn’t quite ready for an opponent like Thompson, the Liverpool crowd was one of the best in UFC history, and we are ready for MVP against Paul Daley. I expect all of those to be the stories coming out of this weekend’s big MMA events.

Paul: I think it will be either how badly the main event of the UFC show sucked or Till getting a surprising KO win. Also, the potential big futures for MVP or “Mr. Finland”. The other intrigue, for me anyway, is whether a Sunday afternoon show on FS1 for UFC will outdraw a prime time Bellator event on the Paramount Network. It is interesting that both promotions are running in the UK on the same weekend.

Josh: The potential next fights for both Till and Thompson. Both will get names, win or lose. Who those names are will help guide toward another round of fun welterweight fights.

Who wins?

Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson

–Thompson: Ryan, Paul
– Till: Josh

Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi

– Mousasi: Josh, Ryan
– Carvalho: Paul

MVP vs. David Rickels

– MVP: Josh, Ryan, Paul