Tag: dominick cruz

UFC on ESPN 41 live results: Marlon Vera vs. Dominick Cruz

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to our live coverage of UFC on ESPN 41, emanating from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California — the Octagon’s first appearance in the city since July 2015.

The show is headlined by former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz vs. Marlon Vera — a pivotal bantamweight bout between two Southern California fighters looking to get themselves into the crowded title picture at 135 pounds.

Cruz is headlining a UFC event for the first time since January 2016 as the former WEC bantamweight champion looks to score his third straight win following victories over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz.

Vera is looking to notch the biggest win of his career into his second straight UFC main event. He enters Saturday on a three-fight win streak after scoring a decision over Rob Font in April. 

The main card also features a featherweight bout that could produce fireworks between Nate Landwehr and David Onama; a light heavyweight bout with Devin Clark battling Azamat Murzakanov; a women’s bantamweight fight pitting Priscila Cachoeira against Ariane Lipski; and a middleweight bout with Bruno Silva taking on Gerald Meerschaert.

Our live coverage begins at 4 PM Eastern with the prelims.

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ESPN PRELIMS | 4 PM ET/1 PM PT

> Bantamweights- Youssef Zalal (10-5, 3-3 UFC) vs. Da’Mon Blackshear (12-4, 0-0 UFC)

They trade leg kicks to start. Blackshear with a leg kick. They trade more leg kicks. It’s all leg kicks for both in the first minute then Zalal gets the takedown. Zalal working inside the guard of Blackshear. Zalal still working from the top but not a whole lot is happening. Blackshear looks for the leg. Blackshear is able to get the back of Zalal and looks to get the hooks in. Blackshear threatens with the choke late. Close round. 10-9 Blackshear.

They trade leg kicks to start and Blackshear lands a right hand. Zalal with a high kick. Blackshear lands a punch and shoots for a takedown against the fence. Blackshear gets the takedown. Blackshear gets the back and almost had the choke in but was too high and Zalal slipped out and is now on top. Zalal gets the back and now he is looking for a choke. Blackshear escapes and ends up transitioning to the back of Zalal. They get to their feet. Zalal with a knee as Blackshear lands some right hands in the clinch. Blackshear jumps on the back as they’re on the feet and he’s in the backpack position. Blackshear working for the choke. He has it in but it’s around the neck. Zalal survives. 10-9 Blackshear, 20-18 Blackshear.

They’re both looking for openings to start the third. Blackshear with a leg kick. Zalal with a step-in knee. Zalal with a couple of jabs and just misses the knee. They trade leg kicks. Zalal with a nice combo. They trade jabs. Zalal with a jab as Blackshear lands a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Zalal with a solid combination against the fence. Blackshear lands a right hand. Blackshear shoots for the takedown and has the single leg. They break. Zalal lands a flurry including some knees. Zalal lands a couple of elbows. They trade nice right hands. Zalal with some body shots. Zalal with a combo to the head and body. Zalal with a combo as Blackshear lands a right hand. Zalal lands a body kick and Blackshear starts to fall to the mat and Zalal gets on top and starts landing some hammerfists. Zalal is in the mount and landing punches and Herb Dean is close to stopping it. They somehow make it to the end. Big final round from Zalal. Close fight, though. 10-9 Zalal, 29-28 Blackshear.

Official Result- Youssef Zalal vs. Da’Mon Blackshear ends in a majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)

> 180-pound Catchweights- Jason Witt (19-8, 2-3 UFC) vs. Josh Quinlan (5-0 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)

Quinlan lands a right hand. Witt with a body kick. Quinlan with a leg kick. Witt gets the takedown against the fence. Witt has the back as Quinlan gets to his feet. They separate. Quinlan lands a left hook that drops Witt and he’s out cold! What a knockout!

Official Result- Josh Quinlan def. Jason Witt by knockout (punch) at 2:09 of Round 1

> Flyweights- Ode Osbourne (11-4, 3-2 UFC) vs. Tyson Nam (20-12-1, 2-3 UFC)

Osbourne with some early kicks. He lands a left hand. He lands a right hook. Osbourne with a body kick. They trade in close range as Nam lands a right hand to the body. Osbourne lands a hard left hand. Osbourne tries a flying knee but misses and Nam drops him with a right hand immediately after and a follow-up flurry puts Osbourne out cold. What a finish from Nam!

Official Result- Tyson Nam def. Ode Osbourne by knockout (punches) at 2:59 of Round 1

> Lightweights- Gabriel Benitez (22-10, 6-6 UFC) vs. Charlie Ontiveros (11-8, 0-2 UFC)

Benitez with a leg kick. Ontiveros just misses an axe kick. They clinch against the fence. They break and Ontiveros lands the axe kick and follows it with some body kicks. Ontiveros with a right hook. Benitez with a leg kick. Ontiveros with a spin kick then a leg kick. They clinch and we have a time out for a groin strike. They get back to action and Benitez wobbles Ontiveros with a punch and then gets a big slam takedown against the fence. Benitez gets the mount and is landing punches from the top. Benitez with more right hands and it is stopped. What a finish by Benitez!

Official Result- Gabriel Benitez def. Charlie Ontiveros by TKO (punches) at 3:35 of Round 1

> Women’s Flyweights- #12 Cynthia Calvillo (9-4-1, 6-4-1 UFC) vs. #9 SW Nina Nunes (10-7, 4-4 UFC)

They trade leg kicks to start things off. Nunes with a leg kick and Calvillo lands one of her own. Nunes lands a kick and Calvillo grabs the leg and gets a brief takedown. Nunes with more leg kicks and just misses a front kick to the face. Nunes with another leg kick. Calvillo tries for a takedown but Nunes defends. Nunes with more leg kicks. 10-9 Nunes.

Calvillo with an inside leg kick. Nunes with a leg kick. Nunes with a check hook. Neither is taking a lot of chances here. Calvillo lands a left hand. They trade jabs. Calvillo gets a takedown and is in the guard of Nunes and both are landing on the mat. There’s a scramble but Calvillo keeps the fight on the mat. They get to their feet. Nunes shoots for a takedown but Calvillo defends. Nunes with a body kick. 10-9 Calvillo, 19-19.

Nunes with a body kick. Nunes with some more kicks. Nunes with an outside leg kick. Calvillo gets a brief takedown but Nunes scrambles to their feet. They trade leg kicks and punches but there is no sense of urgency from either. They trade and Calvillo shoots for a late takedown but Nunes defends and Nunes lands late. Close fight. 10-9 Nunes, 29-28 Nunes.

Official Result- Nina Nunes def. Cynthia Calvillo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

*Nunes took her gloves off and announced her retirement after the fight.

> Heavyweights- Martin Buday (10-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (8-1-1 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)

They’re trading to start and both land some right hands. Brzeski with a combo as they clinch but they separate. Brzeski with a leg kick. Brzeski lands a big right hand that backs Buday up and Brzeski lands some shots against the fence. Brzeski with a right hand then the jab. Brzeski with a right hand. They both land left hooks. Brzeski with a right hand. Buday lands a right hand. They trade in close range. Brzeski with a body kick. Brzeski with a right hand and they trade leg kicks. Brzeski with the jab. 10-9 Brzeski.

Brzeski lands a right hand. Brzeski with a leg kick. Buday with a leg kick. Brzeski with a leg kick. They continue to trade with Brzeski landing with more volume. Brzeski with a left to the body and an overhand right. They trade left hands. Buday with a quick flurry of shots. Brzeski with a leg kick and Buday lands a right hand. Brzeski with a right hand. Brzeski with a combination as Buday lands a leg kick and is head hunting. Buday with a right hand. 10-9 Brzeski, 20-18 Brzeski.

They trade right hands to start the third. They trade leg kicks. Brzeski with a right hand. Brzeski with a combo as he lands a left hook. Buday lands a right hand. Buday with a leg kick. Brzeski with a combo. Buday with a right hand. Brzeski with a left hand. Brzeski just misses a massive right hand. Buday lands a nice left hand. He lands a leg kick. Buday with a right hand. 10-9 Buday, 29-28 Brzeski.

Official Result- Martin Buday def. Lukasz Brzeski by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Women’s 120-pound Catchweights- #13 SW Angela Hill (13-12, 8-12 UFC) vs. Lupita Godinez (8-2, 3-2 UFC)

Godinez lands a big right hand and is landing some big shots and Hill goes for the takedown as they clinch but Godinez shakes it off. Godinez with a right hand. They trade in close range. Hill lands a high kick. Godinez with a combo. Godinez with a left hand. Hill lands a knee but Godinez is still landing with more volume. Hill with a body kick. Hill with a jumping knee to the body. They clinch and Hill lands an elbow as they break. 10-9 Godinez.

Godinez lands a right hand. Godinez gets a takedown but Hill has the neck and they scramble to their feet. Hill lands a right hand and tries for a takedown but Godinez defends and they break. Hill with a quick combo inside the pocket. Hill lands a right hand. They trade jabs. Hill with a right hand. Godinez lands a right hand. They clinch and both land inside the clinch. Hill gets the takedown and has the back and lands some punches as the end. 10-9 Hill, 19-19.

They trade to start the third and both are landing. Hill lands the jab. Godinez with a right hand. The activity of both has slowed here in the third. Godinez lands a right hand and gets a brief takedown but they break as they stand. Hill with a body kick then the jab. They trade right hands. Hill tries for a single leg but ends up letting go. Godinez with a right hand. Hill with a body kick. Hill with a jumping knee. Godinez lands some big punches. They trade in a nice exchange. Godinez with a left hand. Close fight. 10-9 Godinez, 29-28 Godinez.

Official Result- Angela Hill def. Lupita Godinez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) 

ESPN MAIN CARD | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Middleweights- Bruno Silva (22-7, 3-1 UFC) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (34-15, 9-7 UFC)

Meerschaert with a leg kick. Silva with a body kick. Meerschaert lands a body kick. Silva with a leg kick. Both still really looking for an opening early on here. Meerschaert with a body kick. Silva lands a left hand. Meerschaert gets the takedown. Meerschaert in the guard as he’s looking to improve his position. Meerschaert with an elbow from the top and lands some left hands. Meerschaert looks for the neck late. 10-9 Meerschaert.

Silva with some leg kicks. Meerschaert with a body kick and he’s avoiding Silva throwing punches. Meerschaert with a leg kick. Silva lands a right hand. Silva lands a nice counter strike after Meerschaert lands a body kick. Meerschaert with a body kick and gets out of the way of Silva throwing a head kick. Silva tries to chase Meerschaert down after they land but Silva misses. Meerschaert with a leg kick. They trade kicks. 10-9 Meerschaert, 20-18 Meerschaert.

Meerschaert with a couple of body kicks to start the third. They trade leg kicks. They trade jabs. Silva lands a combo. Meerschaert with a left hand and tries for a takedown but they break. Meerschaert drops Silva with a left hand and grabs the neck looking for a guillotine but Silva is trying to defend though he taps! What a finish by Meerschaert.

Official Result- Gerald Meerschaert def. Bruno Silva by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:39 of Round 3

> Women’s Bantamweights- Priscila Cachoeira (11-4, 3-4 UFC) vs. Ariane Lipski (14-7, 3-4 UFC)

They trade early and both are landing some big punches. Cachoeira drops Lipski with a right hand and gets on top and is landing big shots looking to finish. She continues to keep landing until Herb Dean stops it. What a finish from Cachoeira!

Official Result- Priscila Cachoeira def. Ariane Lipski by TKO (punches) at 1:05 of Round 1

> Light Heavyweights- Devin Clark (13-6, 7-6 UFC) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (11-0, 1-0 UFC)

Clark with a leg kick. He lands another. Murzakanov lands a left hand. Clark is just landing leg kicks in the first as his punches aren’t connecting. Murzakanov lands a few punches but not a ton happening. Clark with a high kick. Clark lands a head kick as Murzakanov was coming in and they clinch. Murzakanov lands a few knees. 10-9 Clark.

They trade and Murzakanov stuns Clark but Clark recovers. Clark with a right hand. Murzakanov lands a big combo that stuns Clark again. They clinch and Murzakanov with some knees to the thighs. They break and Murzakanov lands a left hand and Clark loses his balance and falls down. Murzakanov gets on top and is landing to the body. Murzakanov landing more from the top and he stands and lands some leg kicks and lets Clark up. Murzakanov lands a left hand as he’s pressuring. 10-9 Murzakanov, 19-19.

Murzakanov lands a quick jab. Murzakanov with some left hands to the body. Murzakanov lands a left hand to the body and Clark goes to the mat and Murzakanov gets on top and is landing big left hands. Clark is covering up as Murzakanov continues to land left hands and it is finally stopped. Big finish from Murzakanov.

Official Result- Azamat Murzakanov def. Devin Clark by TKO (punches) at 1:18 of Round 3

> Women’s Strawweights- Yazmin Jauregui (8-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (13-4, 0-0 UFC)

They trade some big punches with both landing equally. Jauregui lands some leg kicks. Jauregui lands a big combo then Lucindo fires back with a big flurry of punches and hurts Jauregui. Lucindo with a leg kick. Jauregui with a leg kick and Lucindo lands a combo but it ends with Jauregui landing a left hook. Jauregui with a leg kick and Lucindo with a combo. They trade and Jauregui lands a left hook. They clinch and Jauregui lands an elbow. They trade knees before breaking. Close round. 10-9 Jauregui.

They trade punches to start the second. Lucindo lands a left hook as Jauregui lands a right hand. They both land hard before clinching. Both battle for underhooks against the fence. They break to the center. Jauregui lands some kicks. Lucindo throws a spin kick that misses as she eats a right hand from Jauregui. They trade inside the pocket. Jauregui with a leg kick. Jauregui with a spin kick and lands a back fist as well. Jauregui with a left hand. Both land big punches late. 10-9 Jauregui, 20-18 Jauregui.

They trade to start the third. They trade inside the pocket and Lucindo lands a nice left hand. Jauregui lands a combo and then a right hand. Lucindo with a leg kick. They both land big punches that stun one another. They trade inside the pocket. Jauregui with a nice combo. Lucindo lands a spin kick. They trade late. Good fight. 10-9 Lucindo, 29-28 Jauregui.

Official Result- Yazmin Jauregui def. Iasmin Lucindo by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Featherweights- Nate Landwehr (15-4, 2-2 UFC) vs. David Onama (10-1, 2-1 UFC)

Landwehr with a leg kick. Both are landing with Onama landing with slightly more volume. Onama lands the jab. They trade right hands after Onama lands a combo. Onama lands a right hand. Onama lands a right hand and Landwehr slipped to the mat but got to his feet. Onama drops Landwehr with a left hand and is on top landing but Landwehr gets to his feet and Onama has the back and takes it down. Onama gets the mount and takes the back and is landing punches. Landwehr spins to the top. Landwehr with an elbow. He lands a few more. They get to their feet and Onama with a flurry. They battle in the clinch and Landwehr with some uppercuts. They break. Landwehr with two right hands. They clinch and Landwehr with some knees and an elbow as they break. Crazy round. 10-9 Onama.

Landwehr with some body kicks. Landwehr with a right hand and he’s the one forcing the action. They clinch against the fence and Landwehr with a knee. Landwehr lands some more knees. Landwehr gets the takedown and has the back and lands some right hands. They get to their feet. Landwehr has the neck and lands a knee and they roll to the mat but stand. Landwehr gets it back down and is on top and lands a short elbow. He gets the back of Onama and looks for a choke but lets go. They scramble to the feet and Landwehr with a knee. They trade big right hands. They clinch against the fence and Landwehr with some body shots. Landwehr looks for an anaconda choke but Onama slips out. Landwehr gets the mount and is landing some big shots. Landwehr looks for the guillotine but Onama slips out. They get to their feet and Landwehr with a big right hand. He lands another. Landwehr with a big uppercut. Landwehr gets the takedown and lands some big shots from the top. He gets the back of Onama. Landwehr tries for the choke. Landwehr with punches from the back. He is now on top landing big shots. Landwehr gets the full mount and lands at the end. Wild round. 10-8 Landwehr, 19-18 Landwehr.

Landwehr with a right hand. Onama lands the jab. They trade big shots. Landwehr with a big right hand. Landwehr with a flurry of punches. Landwehr with some right hands after showboating. They tie up against the fence and Landwehr lands before they break. Onama lands a big right hand and has Landwehr in trouble as he lands a quick flurry. Onama with another big right hand. They clinch and Landwehr with a lot of knees. They break and both land inside the pocket. Onama lands a couple of right hands. Onama tries for a takedown. Landwehr ends up landing some knees then a big high kick. Onama with a big right hand. Onama with a combo then Landwehr lands a right hand. Landwehr lands a knee and they go to the mat and Landwehr is in side control. They get to their feet. Landwehr with a leg kick. Landwehr with a right hand and Onama rocks Landwehr with a flurry late and they trade big shots at the end. What an insane fight. 10-9 Landwehr, 29-27 Landwehr.

Official Result- Nate Landwehr def. David Onama by majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)

> Bantamweights- #5 Marlon Vera (21-7-1, 13-6 UFC) vs. #8 Dominick Cruz (24-3, 7-2 UFC)

Cruz with a quick flurry. Cruz with another flurry after landing a head kick. Cruz with a body kick. Cruz with a leg kick. Vera with a body kick and Cruz gets a takedown and lands some kicks before Vera gets up. Cruz lands a leg kick and Vera lands a left hook that briefly put Cruz on his butt but he got right up. Cruz with a flurry. Both circling and resetting. Cruz with a leg kick. Cruz with another flurry. Cruz with a combination as he blitzes forward. Cruz gets the takedown and is in the guard of Vera. Vera went for a triangle but Cruz scrambled out. 10-9 Cruz.

Cruz with a combo to start the second. Cruz with some leg kicks and lands a right hand. Cruz with a body kick then another. Vera with a front kick and they trade punches. They trade inside the pocket. Cruz with a right hand to the body. Vera with a right hand. Cruz with a right hand. Cruz with more volume in the second. Vera just misses a head kick. 10-9 Cruz, 20-18 Cruz.

They trade to start the third with both landing right hands. Cruz with a leg kick. Vera rocks Cruz with a right hand and Cruz almost went down but returned fire with a big combo. Vera lands a combo. Cruz tries a takedown but Vera sprawls and they both land as they get to their feet. Cruz with a combo but Vera lands a left hand that slows him down. Cruz pressing forward but missed most of his punches. Cruz lands a left hand and goes for a takedown and Vera lands some elbows. They break. Vera with a body kick. 10-9 Vera, 29-28 Cruz.

They trade to start the fourth. Cruz shoots for the takedown but Vera defends. Cruz lands a right hand and Vera stumbles backwards. Vera lands a jab and Cruz goes down but gets right back up. Cruz with a right hand. Vera lands a head kick that puts Cruz down face first and some follow-up punches ends it all. What a finish from Vera!

Official Result- Marlon Vera def. Dominick Cruz by knockout (head kick) at 2:17 of Round 4

UFC 249 live results: Ferguson vs. Gaethje, Cejudo vs. Cruz

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje, emanating from the Vystar Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

The UFC returns to action after nearly two months off during the COVID-19 pandemic, returning with a stacked card that features two title fights and lots of former champions and title challengers sprinkled throughout the deep lineup.

In the main event, the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship is on the line as Tony Ferguson looks to become a two-time interim champion when he takes on Justin Gaethje. Ferguson was originally going to have his long-awaited fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, but when Nurmagomedov returned to Russia during the pandemic, in stepped Gaethje to get a title shot he’s been chasing since signing with the UFC. Ferguson has won his last twelve fights while Gaethje is on a three-fight win streak, with all of those wins coming by first-round knockout.

In the co-main event, UFC Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo defends the title for the first time against former champion Dominick Cruz, who returns from being out of action for over three years due to various injuries. Cruz is considered the best bantamweight of all-time, a title that Cejudo would like to take from him, and Cruz is looking to become the first fighter to be a three-time champion at 135 pounds.

Also on the main card is a heavyweight top contender fight as sluggers Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik collide. Exciting featherweights Jeremy Stephens and Calvin Kattar will do battle, and the main card opens with another heavyweight bout as Greg Hardy takes on Yorgan De Castro.

A stacked preliminary card is topped off with Donald Cerrone taking on former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis in a rematch of a 2013 bout won by Pettis. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum returns from a two-year suspension layoff to take on Aleksei Oleinik. The first-ever UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza will battle Michelle Waterson, as well as a welterweight bout between Vicente Luque and Niko Price.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

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].

ESPN PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Ryan Spann (17-5, 3-0 UFC) vs. Sam Alvey (33-13 1 NC, 10-8 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Alvey was acknowledging the non-existent crowd. Spann gets an early takedown. Alvey works to his feet but Spann has a standing arm-triangle locked in. Alvey with some body punches. It is in deep and Alvey is turning red. Spann lets go and then lands a knee. They are trading and Alvey lands the right hook. Spann lands a right hand and a knee and is looking for a takedown. Alvey with a knee to the body. 10-9 Spann.

Spann with a head kick to start the second. Spann with a combo as he shoots in for a takedown. They break. Alvey lands a right hook and Spann counters with a right hand. Spann lands a right hand. Spann pressing the action and lands a body kick. Alvey lands a left hand followed by a right hand. Spann with a right hand. Alvey with some low kicks. Spann lands a left hand. 10-9 Spann, 20-18 Spann.

They quickly clinch as Spann pishes Alvey against the fence. They break and Spann lands a high kick and starts unloading punches on Alvey but Alvey is able to circle away. Alvey lands a short uppercut that stuns Spann. Spann lands a combo and then a hard right hand. Spann with a right hand and Alvey counters with a right hook. Alvey with a high kick. Alvey stuns Spann with a right hook and Spann tries for a takedown. Alvey grabs the neck and is looking for a choke but doesn’t have it in. Spann gets to his feet and they are clinched. They break and Spann is exhausted. Alvey with a left hand and then a right hand and hurts Spann again. Alvey with a strong end to the fight. 10-9 Alvey, 29-28 Spann.

Official Result- Ryan Spann def. Sam Alvey by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Bryce Mitchell (12-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Charles Rosa (12-3, 3-3 UFC)
Featherweights

Mitchell gets an early takedown against the fence. Mitchell gets the back and now gets on top and has an arm-triangle locked in deep. Rosa is breathing heavy. Rosa escapes and Mitchell has the back. Mitchell landing from the back and he is now going for another twister. He has it locked in but not in good position and lets go and moves to full mount. Mitchell landing big punches and now gets another arm-triangle choke locked in deep. Rosa gets out and has Mitchell in his guard. Rosa survives the round. Dominant from Mitchell. 10-8 Mitchell.

Mitchell gets another takedown to start the second and is working for another arm-triangle choke. He has full mount and is still working hard to find chokes. Mitchell has the mount and lands a big elbow and now some punches from the mount. Mitchell trying to transition as Rosa is grabbing a leg and Mitchell now going for the arm-triangle again. He has it in pretty good here. Mitchell with some body punches. Mitchell going for the twister again and lands some big elbows to the body. He had it but the round ended. 10-8 Mitchell, 20-16 Mitchell.

Mitchell gets a quick takedown to start the third and is going for the twister again. Rosa escapes and Mitchell moves to side control. Rosa tries to get to his feet but Mitchell retains side control. Mitchell now gets the back and moves to the mount. Mitchell working for the arm-triangle again. Mitchell scrambling every time Rosa tries to defend the position. Mitchell with an elbow. Rosa told him to stand and Mitchell stood for a split-second and got back on top. Mitchell with the crucifix position. They stand late. 10-8 Mitchell, 30-24 Mitchell.

Official Result- Bryce Mitchell def. Charles Rosa by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)

> Vicente Luque (#13, 17-7-1, 10-3 UFC) vs. Niko Price (14-3 1 NC, 6-3 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

They trade early and Luque landing some leg kicks. Luque with a leg kick and Price lands a right hand. They trade punches. They trade combos. Luque with some punches and body kicks. Price with a leg kick and follows with a right hand. Luque with a right hand. They trade kicks and Luque with a right hand. They trade right hands. Price with a hook to the body. Luque with a right hand and Price counters with a right. Luque with a combo. Price with a front kick and follows it with a right hand. Price throwing some big punches and then gets a takedown. Price goes for a D’arce choke but Luque escapes to his feet. Luque with a left hook and ends with a hard right hand. Wild round. 10-9 Luque.

Price with a leg kick and Luque lands a leg kick. Price with a right hand. We have a low blow and a timeout. Back to action and Luque lands a hard combo. They trade leg kicks. Price with a crescent kick and Luque counters with a right hand. They trade kicks and punches. Price with a combo and elbow against the fence and a knee to the body. Price swinging wildly and then Luque drops him to his knees with a punch. Price gets up and they separate and Price is wobbly. They clinch against the fence. They break and Luque with a snapping jab. Price with a front kick to the body and they trade punches. Price with a right hand and Luque returns a hard leg kick. They trade at the end. 10-9 Luque, 20-18 Luque.

Luque with some big leg kicks as the third starts. Price is throwing leg kicks as well. Luque lands some good punches and Price lands some counters. Price’s face is a mess. They are trading in the pocket. Luque landing some hard punches. Luque with an uppercut and Price fires back with a right hand. Luque with a big left hand and Price falls to the ground. Luque goes down into his guard. Price tries for a triangle and lands some elbows. They stand. A timeout is called to check on the cuts on Price’s face and the fight is stopped. This was a great fight.

Official Result- Vicente Luque def. Niko Price by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 3:37 of Round 3

> Carla Esparza (#7, 15-6, 6-4 UFC) vs. Michelle Waterson (#8, 17-7, 5-3 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

A lot of feeling out each other in the first minute. Waterson with some leg kicks and Esparza isn’t doing much in the way of offense. Waterson with a leg kick. Esparza tries to rush in and close the distance but Waterson escapes. Esparza with a right hand. Waterson with a leg kick. Waterson with a body kick. Waterson with a leg kick followed by a quick round kick. Esparza having trouble closing the distance. Esparza able to get a takedown. Waterson showing good defense on the ground. 10-9 Waterson.

They are feeling each other out to start the second. Waterson with some body kicks. They trade punches and Esparza not doing a lot of offense. Waterson with a leg kick. Esparza goes for a takedown but Waterson defends and they break and Waterson with a knee to the body. Esparza shoots in again but Waterson defends and lands another knee to the body. Waterson with a leg kick. Esparza lands a combo as Waterson circles away. Waterson with a high kick. 10-9 Waterson, 20-18 Waterson.

Waterson with a high kick to start the third. Esparza tries a takedown but Waterson easily defends. Esparza with a right hand but doesn’t follow up on it. Waterson with a leg kick. Esparza lands a leg kick. Esparza attempts a takedown but Waterson changes levels and defends but Esparza lands a few knees to the body. Waterson with some leg kicks. Waterson with a leg kick and Esparza grabs it and tries a takedown against the fence but Waterson defends. Waterson with a body kick as Esparza rushes in. Big right hand from Esparza. Esparza tries a takedown but Waterson defends with a knee to the body. Esparza rushes in with a combo. Waterson with a roundhouse kick and Esparza tees off with a combo but separates. 10-9 Waterson, 30-27 Waterson.

Official Result- Carla Esparza def. Michelle Waterson by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 30-27)

> Aleksei Oleinik (#12, 58-13-1, 7-4 UFC) vs. Fabricio Werdum (23-8-1, 11-5 UFC)
Heavyweights

Werdum returns from a USADA suspension. Oleinik with a right hand. Werdum lands a right hand. Oleinik throws a combo but Werdum is covering up. Werdum with a step-in knee to the body. Oleinik with a right hand. Oleinik is just teeing off on Werdum. Oleinik with some hard right hands that are hurting Werdum. Werdum with a right hand and a knee. They are tied up and trading. Oleinik with a jab. They are tied up and Oleinik is landing body shots. They break. Oleinik with some body punches. Oleinik with a left hand. Oleinik with an overhand right. Oleinik grabs the back at the end. 10-9 Oleinik.

Oleinik with a right hand and they clinch. Werdum grabs the neck and looking for a standing guillotine. They break. They trade and both land some punches. Werdum with some knees to the body. They trade right hands. Werdum with a leg kick. Oleinik with a right hand. Werdum with a head kick that lands. Oleinik breathing heavy. Werdum gets a takedown and is in side control. Werdum lands from side control and then takes the back but was high and Oleinik got out from under and they stand. They both throw winging punches and Werdum lands a knee. Oleinik lands a right hand. 10-9 Werdum, 19-19.

Werdum with a leg kick. Werdum gets a sloppy takedown and is in the half-guard. Oleinik is able to sweep to the top and is in the closed guard of Werdum. Werdum looking for the arm trying to find the kimura from the bottom. He pops the arm out and rolls to the top and Werdum had a straight armbar but lets that go. Werdum is now in full mount and looks to take the back. Werdum looks for an armbar. He lets go but goes back to mount. They slip to their feet. They quickly clinch. Werdum with a knee to the body. Oleinik lands some good punches. Werdum with a big knee. Werdum gets a late takedown. Oleinik has a cut open and Werdum goes for a late guillotine but time runs out. 10-9 Werdum, 29-28 Werdum.

Official Result- Aleksei Oleinik def. Fabricio Werdum by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Donald Cerrone (#6 LW, 36-14 1 NC, 23-11 UFC) vs. Anthony Pettis (#15, 22-10, 9-9 UFC)
Welterweights

Cerrone with a front kick to the body. Cerrone lands a left hand. Pettis with a right hand to the body. Cerrone with a right hand and then a leg kick. Cerrone with a right hand and then grabs the back standing. Pettis with a right hand. Cerrone with a combo. Pettis with a jump kick and Cerrone turns it into a takedown and is in side control. They get to their feet. Cerrone with a good combo and Pettis lands a left hand. Cerrone with a combo and Pettis lands a cracking right hand counter. Cerrone with a left hand. 10-9 Cerrone.

Pettis with a right hand to start the second. Pettis with a leg kick. They both throw kicks as the same time. Cerrone with a left hand. Pettis stuns Cerrone with a left hand. Cerrone with a leg kick and Pettis almost caught him with a spinning back fist. Cerrone with a leg kick. Pettis with a jumping switch kick. Pettis with a good combo ending with a left hand. They trade in close range. They trade and Cerrone scores a takedown. Pettis with short punches from the bottom and they stand and Cerrone lands a knee to the body. Cerrone with a body kick. 10-9 Pettis, 19-19.

Cerrone with a body kick. Pettis lands a left hand. Cerrone with a high kick and then lands a nice combo. Cerrone with a body kick. Cerrone grabs the leg but lets go. Cerrone with a combo ending with a body kick. Pettis with a big body kick and Cerrone grabs it and they clinch against the fence. Cerrone lands a knee to the body on the break. Pettis with a high kick. Cerrone with a low kick. They trade and Cerrone complains he got poked in the eye but the ref says it was a punch and Pettis teed off for a moment. Pettis just barely misses a high kick. Cerrone with a big high kick that lands clean and Pettis somehow takes it. Pettis with a left hand. Pettis with a big body kick. A wild exchange to end the fight. Close fight. 10-9 Cerrone, 29-28 Cerrone.

Official Result- Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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> Greg Hardy (5-2 1 NC, 2-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Yorgan De Castro (6-0, 1-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

De Castro coming out firing. He lands a low kick. De Castro with a left hook. Hardy with a left hand. De Castro with a combo. Hardy with a high kick. De Castro landing when Hardy comes in close. Hardy with a leg kick. De Castro stuns Hardy with a right hand. De Castro with a leg kick. They trade kicks and punches in close range and both stun the other. Hardy with a high kick as De Castro is backed up against the fence. 10-9 De Castro.

De Castro with a leg kick. Hardy lands a leg kick of his own. De Castro rushes in with a nice combo. De Castro with more leg kicks. De Castro lands another leg kick and Hardy checks it and De Castro may have hurt his foot. Hardy with a leg kick followed by a jab. Hardy with another leg kick. De Castro is doing nothing. 10-9 Hardy, 19-19.

Hardy with a big right hand to start the third. De Castro with a body kick. Hardy with an inside leg kick. Hardy with a hard leg kick. Hardy is landing more as not much is going on and De Castro has slowed down considerably. This fight wasn’t good. 10-9 Hardy, 29-28 Hardy.

Official Result- Greg Hardy def. Yorgan De Castro by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Jeremy Stephens (#7, 28-17 1 NC, 15-16 1 NC UFC) vs. Calvin Kattar (#9, 20-4, 4-2 UFC)
Featherweights* (Stephens missed weight by 4.5 pounds)

Stephens with a quick combo and a body kick. Stephens with some leg kicks. Stephens with a body punch followed by a leg kick. Kattar with a body punch. Kattar with a leg kick. They trade in close range. Stephens with a body kick followed by a leg kick. Kattar with a leg kick. Stephens with some leg kicks. Stephens with a quick combo and is still attacking with leg kicks. They trade leg kicks. Stephens with a right hand. Stephens with a couple of body kicks. Stephens with a hard leg kick and Kattar’s leg is hurting. Stephens with a jab and Kattar fires back with a massive right hand. They trade late. Stephens with a hard body punch. 10-9 Stephens.

Stephens with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Kattar lands a right hand and then lands a low kick. Stephens with a body kick. They trade punches in close range. Stephens with a right hand. They are trading in close range. Kattar with a good combo. Kattar pouring it on. Kattar lands another combo and Stephens tries for a takedown and lands an elbow as they break. Kattar then lands a huge elbow that knocks Stephens down and then Kattar lands a huge elbow on the ground that cuts Stephens open and the fight is stopped. What a finish by Kattar and a huge win.

Official Result- Calvin Kattar def. Jeremy Stephens by knockout (elbows) at 2:42 of Round 2

> Francis Ngannou (#2, 14-3, 9-2 UFC) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (#6, 10-0, 4-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

Rozenstruik with an early inside leg kick. Ngannou then throws a combo and lands a left hook that knocks Rozenstruik out cold. It went less than twenty seconds. Ngannou is ridiculous.

Official Result- Francis Ngannou def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik by knockout (punches) at :20 of Round 1

> Henry Cejudo (C, 15-2, 9-2 UFC) vs. Dominick Cruz (22-2, 5-1 UFC)
UFC Bantamweight Championship

Cejudo with a heavy leg kick. Cejudo with another. Cejudo lands another. Cruz using his movement but Cejudo is landing the leg kicks. Cejudo lands another and they scramble for a moment. Cruz with a knee and Cejudo gets a takedown but they get right back up. Cejudo with another leg kick. Cruz with a short uppercut to the body. Cejudo lands a combo. Cejudo with more leg kicks. Cruz lands a nice shot at the end. 10-9 Cejudo.

Cejudo with more leg kicks to start the second. Cruz lands a leg kick. Cejudo with another leg kick. They exchange punches in close range. Cejudo with another leg kick. Cruz lands a nice right hand. Cruz lands a nice combo in close. They trade in close range. Cejudo lands a nice right hand. Cejudo with a body kick and follows it with a right hand. Cruz with a nice inside kick that caught Cejudo’s attention. There was a clash of heads and a cut is open on Cejudo’s head. We have a timeout. We get back to action. Cejudo then lands a knee right to the jaw and Cruz stumbles to the mat and Cejudo starts to land punches and was landing a lot and it is stopped as Cruz was working to his feet. It was a close, questionable stoppage but Cejudo gets the win and remains the champion.

Official Result- Henry Cejudo def. Dominick Cruz by TKO (strikes) at 4:58 of Round 2 to retain the UFC Bantamweight Championship

> Tony Ferguson (#1, 25-3, 15-1 UFC) vs. Justin Gaethje (#4, 21-2, 4-2 UFC)
Interim UFC Lightweight Championship

Gaethje with a leg kick. Ferguson lands a kick followed by a punch. Ferguson with a combo. They trade punches. Ferguson lands a leg kick as Gaethje lands a left hand. Ferguson with a leg kick after Gaethje lands some punches. Gaethje with a leg kick. Ferguson with a high kick followed by a jab. They trade punches but neither one really landed. Gaethje lands a combo. Gaethje lands a right hand as Ferguson was coming in. They both land left hooks at the same time. Gaethje lands another left hook. 10-9 Gaethje.

Gaethje with a right hand to start the second. They both throw and Gaethje lands the left hook. Gaethje lands a left hand. Ferguson’s chin is something else. Gaethje with a couple of leg kicks. Gaethje landing way more right now. Ferguson lands a right hand. Gaethje lands a right hand. Gaethje with a left hook. Ferguson not getting a lot of offense. Ferguson lands a high kick. Gaethje lands some more hard punches and Ferguson is just eating them. Ferguson lands a few leg kicks. Gaethje missing more punches right now but then lands a left hook. Ferguson lands a combo. Ferguson lands an uppercut that drops Gaethje right at the end. 10-9 Gaethje, 20-18 Gaethje.

Ferguson coming out strong to start the third. Gaethje lands a right hand. Ferguson lands a combo but Gaethje land a left hook. Ferguson is cut around both of his eyes. Ferguson with a short uppercut. Gaethje stuns him with a right hand. Ferguson lands a right hand and then a left hook. Gaethje with another right hand and then lands a hard combo. Gaethje keeps spitting blood onto the Octagon mat. Ferguson’s face is a mess. Ferguson with a sweeping leg kick. They trade in close range. 10-9 Gaethje, 30-27 Gaethje.

They trade leg kicks to start the third. Gaethje lands a right hand. Gaethje lands a left hook. Gaethje lands some good shots in close. Ferguson with a leg kick and Gaethje lands a counter left hand. They trade in close range. Gaethje hurts Ferguson with a right hand. Gaethje lands a hard right hand. A groin strike from Ferguson and we have a timeout. Ferguson with a jab and then a left hook. Gaethje with a leg kick. They trade in close range. They trade high kicks at the end. 10-9 Gaethje, 40-36 Gaethje.

Gaethje lands a right hand and then lands a combination. Gaethje with a leg kick. Ferguson is limping. Gaethje lands the jab and then a huge left hook that hurts Ferguson. Gaethje with the jab. Ferguson with a leg kick. They trade and Gaethje lands some huge punches. Gaethje with the jab that sends Ferguson to one knee for a brief second. Gaethje with a big combo. Gaethje lands a punch that hurts Ferguson and he is hurt standing and Herb Dean stops the fight. An unreal showing from Gaethje as he ends Ferguson’s win streak and wins UFC gold.

Official Result- Justin Gaethje def. Tony Ferguson by TKO (strikes) at 3:39 of Round 5 to win the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship

UFC 207 live results: Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey, eminating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event is headlined by UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes making her first title defense as she defends against former champion, Ronda Rousey, in Rousey’s return to the Octagon.

Nunes submitted Miesha Tate at UFC 200 in July to win the championship, and she has won four straight fights overall. Rousey returns to competition for the first time since losing the championship to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015, and the entire world is interested in seeing how Rousey rebounds from her first career loss. The anticipation has been heightened by Rousey not doing any media obligations in the lead-up to the fight.

In the co-main event, Dominick Cruz defends the UFC Bantamweight Championship against Cody Garbrandt. Cruz has won 13 straight fights and is looking to defeat another member of the Team Alpha Male camp. Garbrandt is undefeated in his career, winning all ten of his career fights, and has been very vocal in his intentions of knocking out Cruz to win the championship.

Also on the main card is a fight to determine the next contender at 135 pounds as former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw takes on John Lineker.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

Some additional coverage:
– UFC 207 Weigh-Ins
– UFC 207 Observer Panel Predictions
– UFC 207 Betting & Fantasy Playbook

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT

> Alex Oliveira (16-3-1 1 NC, 5-2 UFC) vs. Tim Means (26-7-1, 8-4 UFC)
Welterweights

Oliveira dropped Means with a spin kick in the first round but Means was able to recover and they traded takedowns. Means landed an illegal knee that hurt Oliveira badly. Oliveira looked awful and he got stretchered out from the Octagon as he was completely out of it. Means was complaining that it was a legal knee but it clearly wasn’t as Oliveira had a knee down. They actually called the fight a no contest as the ruling was it was accidental but he clearly landed two knees to the head while Oliveira had a knee on the mat. This was a giant cluster and there was a lot of confusion. Means called out the media after the fight and he seemed to have trouble knowing the rules.

Official Result: Alex Oliveira vs. Tim Means declared a no contest (accidental knee) at 3:33 of Round 1

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> Brandon Thatch (11-4, 2-3 UFC) vs. Niko Price (8-0, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Thatch was winning on the feet before being taken down by Price. Thatch almost had a kimura but Price got out of it. Price was working for chokes from all positions and finally locked in an arm-triangle choke that forced Thatch to tap out in the first round. Price was a big underdog and Thatch, who was once a hot prospect at 170 pounds, has now lost four straight fights, all by submission.

Official Result: Niko Price def. Brandon Thatch by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:30 of Round 1

> Mike Pyle (27-12-1, 10-7 UFC) vs. Alex Garcia (13-3, 3-2 UFC)
Welterweights

Garcia rocked Pyle early and got a takedown and was controlling on the mat before Pyle got to his feet. Garcia then timed a right hand perfectly as Pyle was going for a knee and landed the punch right to Pyle’s chin and Pyle was knocked out cold. Pyle took a hard flat back bump onto the mat and it was a violent knockout win for Garcia. Garcia asked to fight on the Brooklyn card but that card looks full.

Official Result: Alex Garcia def. Mike Pyle by knockout (punch) at 3:34 of Round 1

> Antonio Carlos Junior (6-2 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Marvin Vettori (11-2, 1-0 UFC)
Middleweights

The story of the first round was eye pokes as each man poked the other in the eye, Vettori on the receiving end twice. When they weren’t fouling each other it was Carlos Junior in control with the grappling and pressure against the fence. It was Carlos Junior 10-9 in the first. It was more of the same early in the second until Vettori took Carlos Junior down and was pounding away. He came close to finishing with a guillotine choke. Both men landed on the mat but Vettori had more power and volume from the top. Big round two for Vettori, 10-9, and 19-19 after two.

Carlos Junior went back to applying pressure with back control in the third, but Vettori was doing better on the feet. In the end, it was Carlos Junior pressuring Vettori against the fence and holding onto the body lock for a lot of the round, mixed with a takedown, that got him the third, 10-9. I had it 29-28 for Carlos Junior, but a close fight. The judges all agreed as they all had the same scores.

Official Result: Antonio Carlos Junior def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Johny Hendricks (#6, 17-5, 12-5 UFC) vs. Neil Magny (#8, 18-5, 11-4 UFC)
Welterweights, Hendricks missed weight at 173.5 pounds

They were even on the feet and Hendricks got a takedown and was working on the top. Magny was active on the bottom and both were landing on the mat. Magny tried a triangle but couldn’t get it but landed elbows. Magny got the round due to be super active from the bottom, 10-9. Hendricks got four takedowns in the second round. He was playing a lot of defense on the top and wasn’t landing much as Magny was very active on the bottom. Neither man did much on the feet. The second had to go to Hendricks due to all the takedowns and I had it 10-9 for him and 19-19 after two.

Magny was more active on the feet but Hendricks was trying to wrestle. Magny was defending the takedowns as Hendricks was just hanging on. Hendricks did get a big slam with just over a minute left. Magny had a triangle in late and was landing elbows at the end of the round. It might have stolen him the round. I think it did as I had it 10-9 for Magny and him winning 29-28. Magny got the decision with the same scorecards. The crowd booed the decision very loudly.

Official Result: Neil Magny def. Johny Hendricks by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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> Louis Smolka (#12, 11-2, 5-2 UFC) vs. Ray Borg (#13, 9-2, 3-2 UFC)
Flyweights, Borg missed weight coming in at 129.5 pounds

Borg got a couple of takedowns and was winning the grappling by using very good transitions and sweeps on the mat. Borg landed some punches from the back as well and had Smolka bleeding. A 10-9 opening round for Borg. Borg got some more takedowns in the second and was being patient on the mat and countering all of the sweeps that Smolka was attempting. Smolka couldn’t do much to get out from the bottom and the round was all Borg. A 10-9 second round for Borg and him up 20-18.

Borg told his corner between rounds that he broke his ankle. It didn’t stop him in the third as he got more takedowns and was transitioning well on the mat. Borg had an arm-triangle in deep but Smolka was able to survive but Borg didn’t let up on his pressure.They got to their feet and Smolka landed some clean shots but it was too late to do anything. A 10-9 round for Borg and a clear 30-27 for him, and he looked fantastic here. The missing weight is going to cost him, though.

Official Result: Ray Borg def. Louis Smolka by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

> Dong Hyun Kim (#9, 21-3-1 1 NC, 12-3 1 NC UFC) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (#12, 16-5, 2-2 UFC)
Welterweights

They traded takedowns and were trading on their feet and Saffiedine was finding a home for his right hand. Kim was pushing Saffiedine against the fence but wasn’t doing anything. Saffiedine got a late trip takedown and it likely got him the round as neither were able to take advantage. 10-9 Saffiedine. Not a lot happened in the second round. Both men got brief takedowns and Kim was pressuring Saffiedine around the Octagon. They traded knees in the clinch but neither man landed with a lot of volume. A real boring and nothing round. I gave it 10-9 to Kim with it tied 19-19.

They traded back-and-forth at the start of the third round in the most exciting moment of this fight. This round was boring. Kim was all pressure going for takedowns he couldn’t complete and Saffiedine wasn’t taking advantage of the striking battle. Both fighters were exhausted. Kim had the pressure but Saffiedine landed harder strikes when there were strikes landed. A close round and close fight. I had round three 10-9 for Kim and Kim winning 29-28. Two judges had it the same and one judge actually gave Saffiedine every round.

Official Result: Dong Hyun Kim def. Tarec Saffiedine by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

> TJ Dillashaw (#1, 13-3, 9-3 UFC) vs. John Lineker (#2, 29-7, 10-2 UFC)
Bantamweights

They were both landing shots on the feet with Dillashaw getting the better of it before Dillashaw took Lineker down. Lineker was staying active on his back but Dillashaw got the better of it before they got to their feet. Dillashaw was doing an excellent job of staying on the outside and landing from a distance and was keeping Lineker from getting inside the pocket. Good round for Dillashaw as he got it 10-9.

Dillashaw got a brief takedown in the second. Lineker was throwing big punches but Dillashaw was able to stay far enough away to where they missed. Dillashaw got another takedown and was landing big elbows from the top and then came on with punches. Dillashaw just kept Lineker planted on the mat and was landing bunches of punches. He completely controlled Lineker on the ground. A big second round won by Dillashaw. I don’t think it was a 10-8 round because it wasn’t close to being finished, but Dillashaw’s round 10-9. He is up 20-18 after two.

Dillashaw was throwing Lineker off base with movement and scored a takedown. Dillashaw looks fantastic in this fight. Dillashaw cracked Lineker with some punches and had another beautifully timed takedown. He continued to land punches and went for a leg lock to no avail. Lineker was able to land some big body punches in the last minute of the fight but in the end, Dillashaw was too much for Lineker in this round and on this night. 10-9 Dillashaw in the third and I had him winning 30-27. Outstanding performance from Dillashaw. He got all the scorecards 30-26, so the judges gave him a 10-8 round in there. Dillashaw said he wants his belt back, called Dominick Cruz a bitch, and said if he doesn’t get the next title shot then it shows the UFC has rigged matchmaking. Wow.

Official Result: TJ Dillashaw def. John Lineker by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

> Dominick Cruz (C, 22-1, 5-0 UFC) vs. Cody Garbrandt (#5, 10-0, 5-0 UFC)
UFC Bantamweight Championship

Garbrandt was swinging for the fences and he did tag Cruz a couple of times, and he tagged Cruz with some leg kicks. They were trash talking each other. Big chants for Garbrandt. Garbrandt had good head movement and was mocking Cruz at times. Cruz got a takedown and Garbrandt sprawled but they got right back up. Cruz was working his usual movement but Garbrandt was light on his feet. They both landed good punches with a minute to go in the round. Garbrandt got a well-timed takedown at the end but the scrambled to their feet. It was a good round for Garbrandt and I had him 10-9.

Cruz tagged Garbrandt and had him stunned. Loud chants for Cruz started to come in. Garbrandt was landing some punches but Cruz was able to circle away and was using really good movement like usual. They were talking a lot of trash to each other inside the Octagon. Cruz landed a counter right hand after a body kick from Garbrandt and they had a flurry at the end. A very close round but Garbrandt looks to be slowing down. I had it 10-9 for Cruz, and 19-19 after two.

Garbrandt tagged and rocked Cruz early and Cruz was cut open over the left eye. Garbrandt tagged Cruz multiple times during this round. The cut appeared to be from a headbutt. Garbrandt dropped Cruz with a left hand and hurt him with a knee but Cruz was able to survive. Garbrandt had great head movement as he was able to duck under a lot of Cruz punches in this round. Garbrandt is throwing big punches when he has openings. A solid round for Garbrandt, who takes it 10-9, and I have it 29-28 for Garbrandt.

They are still talking trash before the fourth round. Garbrandt dropped Cruz with a big punch and thought the fight might be over so he didn’t go on the attack and Cruz was able to get back to his feet. Garbrandt ducked under a lot of Cruz’ punches and then started mocking Cruz and clowning with him. Big chants for Cody from the crowd. Garbrandt dropped Cruz again and started dancing instead of going for the finish. Garbrandt dropped Cruz a third time. A big round for Garbrandt, 10-8, and I have him up 39-36 Garbrandt. This is a star-making performance.

Garbrandt slowed down in the fifth and Cruz was looking for an opening to finish the fight. Garbrandt spent more time mocking Cruz this round than he did really going after Cruz, almost like he was on cruise control. Cruz started putting the pressure on Garbrandt and was swinging. Garbrandt decided to push Cruz against the fence. Cruz landed a leg kick late. Tough final round to score. I have the last round 10-9 for Cruz, but I have the fight 48-46 for Garbrandt.

Official Result: Cody Garbrandt def. Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision (48-46, 48-47, 48-46) to become the new UFC Bantamweight Champion

> Amanda Nunes (C, 13-4, 6-1 UFC) vs. Ronda Rousey (#1, 12-1, 6-1 UFC)
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship

This didn’t last long. Nunes rocked Rousey early and often and Rousey was out on her feet early. Nunes was landing a lot of punches and before Rousey could fall to the mat Herb Dean stepped in and stopped the fight. It went less than a minute and Nunes remains the champion. This may be the last time we see Ronda Rousey in the UFC.

Official Result: Amanda Nunes def. Ronda Rousey by TKO (punches) at :48 of Round 1 to remain the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion

UFC 207 betting & DFS playbook: Who to pick & why

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Looking for some advice to gamble some of your Christmas cash Friday night? Here’s suggestions, odds and tips for both betting and DFS for UFC 207.

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes (13-4) vs. Ronda Rousey (12-1)

  • Betting Odds: Nunes (+120), Rousey (-130)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Nunes- $8,000, Rousey- $8,400
  • Key Statistic: Rousey hasn’t fought since November 2015

This is an interesting fight to say the least, mainly because there are a lot of question marks surrounding Rousey. Is she better than ever? Has she lost the passion to fight? Is it her last fight? Why is she being so quiet? We haven’t seen much of her since she was knocked out by Holly Holm and while she looks in the best shape of her career heading into fight week, she has refused to do any kind of media, so fans don’t know what to expect. Meanwhile, the dangerous Nunes is on a tear, winning four straight fights and becoming champion at UFC 200 by throttling Miesha Tate.

At her best, Rousey is a better fighter despite her not being as great on her feet. She has brought in new boxing training partners, but she hasn’t switched camps, and she comes from one that many think stunts her growth as a fighter. Nunes is dangerous on her feet, but she fades in fights.

I don’t expect this to go long and maybe not even get out of the first round. The longer it goes, it favors Rousey more. It favors Nunes on the feet, and Rousey on the mat. I think this is a toss-up fight, and a bet on either fighter is a good one. Both are good fantasy plays as well, so it’s best to go with your gut. Mine favors Rousey winning by submission in the first.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz (22-1) vs. Cody Garbrandt (10-0)

  • Betting Odds: Cruz (-210), Garbrandt (+190)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Cruz- $8,700, Garbrandt- $7,700
  • Key Statistic: Garbrandt has nine wins by knockout

Both men are looking to cement their names in contention for the best fighter of 2016, and Garbrandt is looking to unseat Cruz as the best bantamweight in the world. Cruz has long been one of the best fighters in the sport, and despite his injury-plagued past, he hasn’t lost a step inside the Octagon. He is also the smartest fighter in the sport, and he has made a career of beating guys from the Team Alpha Male camp. Garbrandt is the next in that line.

Cruz is a big favorite for good reason. Garbrandt is a knockout artist, but Cruz rarely gets hit. When he has, he isn’t chinny at all, and can take a punch. Cruz has excellent movement and Garbrandt is going to have to chase him a lot. The guys from his camp haven’t been able to emulate that, and the one who could, TJ Dillashaw, left the camp over a year ago.

I don’t expect Garbrandt to knock him out, and I doubt he can outpoint Cruz over five rounds. Cruz will land a lot and score some takedowns and rack up fantasy points. He is the better bet and the better fantasy play, especially in a five-round fight.

TJ Dillashaw (13-3) vs. John Lineker (29-7)

  • Betting Odds: Dillashaw (-240), Lineker (+220)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Dillashaw- $8,800, Lineker- $7,400
  • Key Statistic: Both men land over five significant strikes per minute

This is an incredibly interesting fight. Lineker is one of the toughest fighters in the sport and among the hardest-hitting fighters. He is also difficult to prepare for. Dillashaw has become a great fighter under the wing of Duane Ludwig, but he doesn’t have the finishing instinct that Lineker has. He fights too safe at times, and it will hurt him against Lineker.

Lineker is an action fighter and he will bring the fight to Dillashaw. The former champion is in a vulnerable position, and I don’t think this is a great match-up but one he had to take to get a title shot. Both men land a lot of strikes, and Dillashaw could look to take the fight to the mat, but Lineker is dangerous there too. Lineker has the power to end the fight with one punch.

This could be the best fight on the card. Dillashaw is a big favorite, so there is a lot of money to be made on Lineker in this fight. I actually think he will win the fight, which makes him the better fantasy play. I wouldn’t play Dillashaw in fantasy lineups as his salary is at the price where you need a finish, and I don’t see him finishing Lineker.

Dong Hyun Kim (21-3-1 1 NC) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (16-5)

  • Betting Odds: Kim (-140), Saffiedine (+130)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Kim- $8,500, Saffiedine- $7,700
  • Key Statistic: Kim averages three takedowns per 15 minutes

Kim and Saffiedine get the bump to the main card and both are looking to keep themselves in the top ten with an outside chance at contending for the title one day. Kim has won two straight and six of his last seven while Saffiedine has lost two of his last three. Kim is a judo artist with excellent judo throws, and while he is solid on his feet, he isn’t a knockout artist.

Saffiedine is a harder hitter, but he leans more on the safe side as a points fighter. He hasn’t shown that finishing instinct, which is further cemented by the fact he hasn’t finished an opponent in over six years. In fact, Saffiedine has gone the distance in nine of his last ten fights. When it comes to a finish, Kim is the better bet, but I don’t see Kim getting one here as Saffiedine is tough and durable.

I like Kim in this fight, but I wouldn’t bet on either. I also wouldn’t play either in fantasy. However, with only twenty fighters on the card and needing to have six in your lineups, if you are to play one, Kim is the better play due to takedowns and volume.

Louis Smolka (11-2) vs. Ray Borg (9-2)

  • Betting Odds: Smolka (+125), Borg (-135)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Smolka- $8,300, Borg- $7,900
  • Key Statistic: Smolka has a five-inch reach advantage

Smolka and Borg open the main card in a flyweight bout as both look to move up the rankings. Borg missed weight badly though, so his progress may be stunted even with a win.

Smolka is coming off being submitted by Brandon Moreno in a big upset while Borg dropped a decision to Justin Scoggins in his last fight. Smolka has a big advantage in height and reach in this fight, coming in with five inches over Borg in each. Smolka is a good submission artist but he’s had the tendency to get caught when he puts himself in a bad position.

Borg is a solid takedown artist and makes good use of his time in top position. Borg isn’t much of a finisher on his feet and Smolka is the better finisher. Both men have similar wins by submission, and only Smolka has been stopped in his career.

I give the edge in this fight to Smolka, but both men are solid fantasy plays. I feel like this fight will go the distance and it could play a big role in fantasy lineups.

Johny Hendricks (17-5) vs. Neil Magny (18-5)

  • Betting Odds: Hendricks (+110), Magny (-120)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Hendricks- $8,000, Magny- $8,200
  • Key Statistic: Hendricks has 55 takedowns in UFC competition, Magny has 34

Hendricks may have his last chance here at getting back into the title picture as he has lost his last two fights and missed weight again. Magny was on a tear at 170 pounds but has seen his momentum stall recently.

Whenever Hendricks has missed weight, it has hindered his performance as there is a noticeable decline. At his best, Hendricks has the hardest punch at 170 pounds, and a huge wrestling game to back that up. Magny also has a strong takedown game, and he uses his length well. He was hurt pretty badly by Lorenz Larkin in his last fight, and Hendricks can finish him if he is at his best.

This is a tossup fight, and both men are close in the odds and in fantasy. I like Hendricks in this one because of the better chance of a finish.

Antonio Carlos Junior (6-2 1 NC) vs. Marvin Vettori (11-2)

  • Betting Odds: Carlos Junior (-135), Vettori (+125)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Carlos Junior- $8,100, Vettori- $8,100
  • Key Statistic: Carlos Junior has five submission wins, Vettori has eight

This is a solid battle of middleweight prospects. Vettori has won six straight fights and is coming in with a lot of momentum. Carlos Junior has struggled with consistency inside the Octagon as the former TUF Brazil winner has just three wins in six UFC appearances. Carlos Junior is big and athletic, has a fully developed game, and his grappling is very good. Vettori has some good takedowns and good submissions has he has submitted eight of his foes.

Vettori has won all eleven of his fights by stoppage and has never been stopped in his career. Carlos Junior, while an excellent grappler, has some deficiencies on his feet, and Vettori could take advantage there. It is almost a tossup in straight betting, and they have even fantasy salaries. Vettori is the better play in this fight as he has the better chance of scoring a finish, but both are solid plays. I feel Vettori has more opportunities for maximum scoring.

Mike Pyle (27-12-1) vs. Alex Garcia (13-3)

  • Betting Odds: Pyle (+155), Garcia (-175)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Pyle- $7,600, Garcia- $8,600
  • Key Statistic: Pyle has been knocked out in five of his seven UFC losses

Pyle is a 41-year-old veteran of the sport, and his career is starting to come to an end. He is looking for one last big win when he takes on Garcia, who has struggled recently inside the Octagon. This is a good bounce back fight for Garcia, but he shouldn’t take Pyle too lightly. Pyle is a very good fighter and he has 23 wins by stoppage on his record, but his chin is starting to let him down as he’s been knocked out in three of his last four losses.

Garcia is an explosive puncher and he has good takedowns, but he shouldn’t take Pyle lightly on the mat. Pyle can win this fight if he can get the fight in the clinch and wear Garcia down. His chin makes him hard to trust, though. I think this is Garcia’s fight to lose, and I’m sensing a knockout happening here. He is the fantasy play in this one.

Brandon Thatch (11-4) vs. Niko Price (8-0)

  • Betting Odds: Thatch (-175), Price (+155)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Thatch- $9,000, Price- $7,200
  • Key Statistic: Thatch has won all of his fights by stoppage

Thatch was a hot prospect at one time at 170 pounds, but he now finds himself in a must-win situation after losing his last three fights. Price is making his UFC debut on short notice with an undefeated record, and he has a good chance to score an upset. Thatch is a big welterweight and he has explosive striking skills.

All of Thatch’s wins have seen him finish his opponent, with seven wins by knockout and four by submission. If he can find what he’s been missing over the last few years, he is dangerous and this is his fight to lose. Price will try to grapple and find a submission, but he’s far from the level of competition that Thatch has lost to. Thatch has the highest fantasy salary on the card, though I see him winning by a knockout as his striking is too explosive for Price.

Alex Oliveira (16-3-1 1 NC) vs. Tim Means (26-7-1)

  • Betting Odds: Oliveira (-105), Means (-115)
  • DraftKings Salaries: Oliveira- $7,800, Means- $8,400
  • Key Statistic: Means has 22 wins by stoppage

This is one of the better fights on the card and opens the show on Fight Pass. Oliveira is going back up to 170 pounds after missing weight badly for a lightweight bout in his last fight, and he has good size to adjust to welterweight. Means is looking to win his third straight after back-to-back knockout wins, running his record to 22 stoppage wins in his 26 overall wins.

Means is aggressive on his feet and he strings together his punches well, and he is dangerous inside the pocket, in the clinch, and on top in the mat. Oliveira has good reach and he has more power on his feet. Oliveira is the better takedown artist, and he is good as well on the ground. This is a really close fight on paper.

Means has more finishing ability, and Oliveira has been submitted twice inside the Octagon. This fight could see a finish in either way, or it could go the distance. It’ll probably go back-and-forth and will be good. I like Means as the better play in this fight as his finishing chances are higher.

JNPO: UFC 207 preview with MMAjunkie.com’s Dann Stupp

Posted on by Josh Nason

With UFC ready to close out a most eventful year this Friday, we needed a great guest to help unpack the giant suitcase of topics that is UFC 207. Helping Josh Nason with those duties on the 58th edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out is MMAjunkie.com editor and past guest Dann Stupp.

Josh and Dann talked for 45 minutes with highlights including:

– Dann’s thoughts on the year that was

– Ronda Rousey’s media blackout this week and how it’s affecting her, the sport, and the way in which sites like MMAJunkie cover the show

– Rousey’s prospects against the champion Amanda Nunes

– The expectations for Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt and how Garbrandt could pull off the upset

– The situation behind Cain Velasquez getting pulled off the show

– The overlooked greatness that should be John Lineker vs. TJ Dillashaw

– What happened to Johny Hendricks?

Click below to stream or right click to download:

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UFC 199 live results: Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping, Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2 from The Forum in Inglewood, California, just outside of Los Angeles. The event is headlined by two title fights involving two heated rivalries. UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold makes his first title defense against Michael Bisping, who gets his first title shot after almost ten years of fighting for the UFC after he replaced Chris Weidman in the bout. In the co-main event, it is UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz making his first defense since regaining the championship when he defends against long-time rival Urijah Faber, who looks to finally capture UFC gold. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:15 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

UFC 199 Observer Picks & Preview
UFC 199 DFS Playbook

This weekend we’ll be doing polls on this show, as well as Monday and Tuesday’s New Japan show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle and best and worst match to [email protected]

Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT)

LIGHTWEIGHTS- POLO REYES (5-2, 1-0 UFC) VS. DONG HYUN “MAESTRO” KIM (13-7-3, 0-1 UFC)

First round:  The place is pretty empty starting out the show.  I wonder what the odds are of having two Dong Hyun Kim’s in the same promotion.   Both coming out swinging.   Kim hurt him.  Both landing big shots.  Kim now working for a takedown.  Torres  powered Kim down and now punching on the ground.  Hard knee by Torres and he’s landing big punches.  Kim up  and landed a left.  Head kick by Reyes.  Reyes dropped him with a left.  Mexico chants.  Knee by Reyes.  Knee by Reyes.  Trading punches some more.  Knee by Kim.  Another knee by Kim.  Left by Reyes.  Spin kick by Reyes.  Kim got a takedown into side control. Reyes back up.  Kim with punches and knees.  Reyes back.  10-9 Reyes.  This was a round of the year candidate.  Just incedible.

Second round:   Kim landing jabs.  Reyes in with punches.  Spin kick by Reyes missed.  Both back swinging.  Both are continuing to land solid shots.  Head kick by Reyes.  Kim hurt him with a left.  Reyes with knees.  Both landing big shots.  Knee and left by Kim.  Reyes landed solid shots.  Defense does not exist in this world.  Hard left by Kim.  Reyes with a big right.  Reyes now has him hurt.  Kim trying for a takedown and got him down.  Kim got his back.  Reyes back up.  Knee by Reyes.  Kim bleeding from the nose and mouth.  Reyes bleeding as well.  Kim tried for a takedown and pretty much went down almost due to exhaustion and Reyes ended on top.  Reyes 20-18.

Third round:  The doctor is checking on Kim.  Elbow by Reyes.  Reyes dropped him and ref Mike Beltran stopped the fight.  A right staggered him and a second right as Kim was falling finished it.  Beltran jumped in after one more punch on the ground. 

Joe Rogan just called this one of the most entertaining fights he’s ever seen in his life.  It was incredible.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS- KEVIN CASEY (9-4 2 NC, 1-1 2 NC UFC) VS. ELVIS MUTAPCIC (15-4, 0-1 UFC)

First round:  Casey’s father-in-law was Muhammad Ali.  Body kick by  Casey.  Mutapcic landing body kicks.  Casey with an uppercut.   Casey with a body kick.  Casey took him down.  Casey landing body shots from the top.  Casey with more body punches from the top.  Casey moved to side control.  Casey got behind him in a scramble.  Mutapcic back to his feet.  Mutapcic with a flying knee.  Casey 10-9

Second round:   Casey winged a few punches.  Hard body kick by Mutapcic.  Casey with a takedown but Mutapcic right back up and landed punches and knees.  Casey with another takedown into full mount.  Elbows by Casey.  Mutapcic rolled out of it and back to his feet.  Mutapcic throwing elbows.  Hard knees by Mutapcic.  Mutapcic with a lot of knees.  Mutapcic landing knees and threw an elbow late.  Close round.  10-9 Casey       

Third round:  Head kick by Mutapcic and jumping knee and more elbows.   Casey with a right.  Casey poked him in the eye.  Mutapcic kicked him in the jaw.  Mutapcic kicked to the body.  Knee by Mutapcic.  Casey went for a takedown but Mutapcic landed on top in the mount.  Mutapcic landing a lot of elbows at the end.  Almost a 10-8 round but I’d go 10-9 Mutapcic so 29-28 Casey.  But the second round could easily go to Mutapcic and he could take it, or you could go 10-8 and have it a draw.

Scores:  29-28 Mutapcic 29-28 Casey 28-28 draw.  You can’t fault the judges on any of those scores.

Mutapcic said he wanted to dedicate the fight to Ali.  Casey kind of said the same thing. 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- JONATHAN WILSON (7-0, 1-0 UFC) VS. LUIS HENRIQUE DA SILVA (10-0, 0-0 UFC)

First round:    Low kick by Da Silva.  Wilson with uppercuts.  Trading kicks.  Hard body kick by Da Siva.  Both landing.  Hard knee by Da Silva.  Da Silva  with an uppercut and a knee.  Another uppercut by Da Silva.  Body shot by Wilson.  Wilson with a left.  Another body kick by Da Silva.  Elbow by Wilson and a right .  Wilson landing hard shots.  Wilson now landing hard shots.  Knees by Da Silva.  Da Silva 10-9

Second round:   Da Silva landing knees.  Da Silva with knees and a lot punches.  Takedown by Wilson.  Wilson landing lard lefts and rights  and dropped Da Silva with a left.  Wilson is on top.  Wilson with lefts on the ground.  Da Silva reversed to the top into full mount.  Da Silva landing hard punches and elbows.  Da Silva with a lot of punches.  He kept landing punches until ref Mike Beltran waved it off.  This was  a really good fight. 

WELTERWEIGHTS- SEAN STRICKLAND (17-1, 4-1) VS. TOM BREESE (10-0)

First round:  Hard body kick by Breese.  Another body kick by Breese.  They are trading low kicks.  Some booing because it’s starting slow.  Breese moving forward and landed a left.  Body kick by Strickland.   Breese with more body kicks.  10-9 Breese

Second round:   Body kick by Strickland.  Nice right by Strickland.  Breese coming back.  Low kick by Strickland.  Crowd booing and restless.  Strickland landing punches.  Body kick by Strickland.   Strickland’s round 19-19.  Crowd booed both guys when the round was over

Third round:  Nothing much to this fight.  Fans booing loudly now.  Takedown by Breese with one minute left but Strickland right back up.  He tried another takedown but Strickland blocked it.  Strickland got a takedown and landed punches when it was over.  I Gave it to Strickland so he won 29-28.  Crowd booed this finish heavily.

Scores:  29-28 Breese 29-28 Strickland 29-28 Strickland.  Crowd heavily booed the decision but .  Strickland apologized for the fight and said Breese kept backing up.

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

FEATHERWEIGHTS- COLE MILLER (21-9 1 NC, 10-7 1 NC UFC) VS. ALEX CACERES (11-8 1 NC, 6-6 1 NC UFC)

First round:   Caceres dropped him with a left right away.  Miller right back up.  Miller hip tossed him down.  Miller dragged him down a second time.  Caceres  reversed to the top.  Caceres let him back up.  Body kick by Caceres.  Head kick by Caceres.  Caceres with punches.  Spinning backfist by Caceres.  Caceres landed a hard left.  Caceres took him down.  Caceres  let him up.  Body kick by Caceres.  Punches and a head kick by Caceres.  Miller tried a takedown, Caceres ended up on top and let him up.  10-9 Caceres.

Second round:  Jumping kick by  Caceres.  Caceres landing several punches.  Miller with a head kick.  Caceres hurt him with a left and landed several more punches.  Caceres threw him down.  Caceres threw him down a second time.  Miller back up.  Body kick by Caceres.  Caceres landing a lot of punches.  Caceres threw him down a third time.   Caceres continuing to land.  He landed a left and a high kick and then a right.  Good right by Miller.  Caceres 20-18.

Third round:  Caceres did a marital arts pose to stat the round which popped the crowd. Cesares back landing punches.   Left and a takedown by Caceres.  Head kick by Caceres.  Miller with a takedown.  Miller working for an armbar.  Caceres out into side control.  Great sequence.  Crowd went bananas as he escaped.  Leroy chants.  Caceres threw him down again.  Miller with a left.  Knee by Miller.  Caceres with punches and took him down again.  Miller reversed  to the top.  Miller now working for a choke with 25 seconds left.  Miller punching from back position but Miller needed a finish and didn’t get it.  Miller’s round 29-28 Caceres overall.

Scores:  29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 Caceres.  Not sure about that 30-27 because Miller won that third round. 

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#6) JESSICA PENNE (12-3, 1-1 UFC) VS. JESSICA ANDRADE (13-5, 4-3 UFC)

First round:  Andade came out strong landing a ton of punches.  Andarde in with another flurry.  Andrade firing away again.  Andade in with another flurry.  Adnrade  landing a ton of punches and Penne is in a lot of trouble.  Penne went down from punches just as the round ended.  10-8 Andrade for sure.

Second round:  Andrade landed a ton of punches and Penne went down and Andrade let her back up.  Andrade killing her with punches.  It’s really time to stop this one.  Jason Herzog stopped it.

LIGHTWEIGHTS- (#10) BENEIL DARIUSH (12-2, 6-2 UFC) VS. JAMES VICK (9-0, 5-0 UFC)

First round:  Dariush got poked in the right eye.  Vick poked him in the right eye again.  Hard body kick by Dariush . Dariush decked him  and his pounding him on the ground.  Dariush with hard elbows on the ground.  Dariush with hard punches but Vick up.  Dariush with a right.  Vick with a body kick.  Dariush landed  a right and Vick lost his legs.  Dariush with punches and dropped him with a left and it’s over.  The place came unglued with that finish.

FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#12) BRIAN ORTEGA (10-0 1 NC, 2-0 1 NC UFC) VS. CLAY GUIDA (32-16, 12-10 UFC)

First round:  Guida dropped him with a left.  Guida chants even though Ortega is from Los Angeles.  Guida connected with a right.  Guida moving forward.  Loud Guida chants.  Guida landing lefts in a clinch.  Both trading now.  Guida landing a number of punches.  Guida even tried a head kick.  Body kick by Ortega.  10-9 Guida.

Second round:  Guida went for a takedown but Ortega sprawled.  Body kick by Ortega.  Left by Ortega.  Guida tried a takedown but Ortega blocked it again.  Ortega with a right.  Spin kick by Ortega.  Ortega’s round so 19-19 after two.

Third round:  Ortega with a jab.  Guida with a right.  Ortega landed some. Spin kick by Ortega.  Guida can’t get inside to land.  Knee by Ortega and another  knee.  Guida with left.  Ortega dropped him with a knee and it’s over.   

MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

LIGHTWEIGHTS- (#11) DUSTIN POIRIER (19-4, 11-3 UFC) VS. (#13) BOBBY GREEN (23-6, 4-1 UFC)

First round:  Poirier with some low kicks.  Green landed some punches  and Poirier came back and decked Green.  Body kick by Poirier.  Left by Poirier.  Poirier landing big punches.  Another left landed by Poirier.  Poirier with another left.  Poirier decked him again with a left and after a few punches on the ground referee Jason Herzog stopped it. 

They just aired a wonderful tribute to Muhammad Ali narrated by Dana White.  One of the best videos they’ve done, particuarly on such short notice.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#15) DAN HENDERSON (31-14, 8-8 UFC) VS. (#14 WW) HECTOR L

First round:  This place will come unglued if Henderson wins.  Super loud Hendo chants.  Henderson clocked him and Lombard clocked him back and took  Henderson down into side control.  Lombard went for a straight armbar.  Henderson out.  Henderson back to his feet and the place exploded.  They were trading big shots and Lombard decked him.  Lombard is all over him and Henderson back up.  This fight is insane. Lombard took him down again and held him there until the end of the round.  Lombard 10-9.

Second round:  Body kick by Lombard.  Both landed big shots.  Lombard landed a right after Henderson missed.  Crowd chanting for Henderson.  Henderson landed a head kick and a hard side elbow and Lombard went down hard.  After two more elbows on the ground it was over.  This place is going insane.  This was one of the loudest pops you’ll ever hear.  Lombard is still down.  1:27

Lombard is now sitting up.  Henderson thanked the fans for their reaction.  The place is going so nuts for Henderson it isn’t funny.  All of his kids were at ringside for the first time.  He said he’s not sure what’s going to happen but that may have been the last fight of his career.

Henderson’s kids were all in the ring with him after along with other family members.

FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#4) MAX HOLLOWAY (15-3, 11-3 UFC) VS. (#5) RICARDO LAMAS (16-4, 7-2 UFC)

First round:  Holloway landing some early.  Spin kick by Lamas landed short.  Holloway landed some punches.  Hollloway all over him with punches and a knee.  Lamas went for the takedown and Holloway blocked it.  Lamas short on a spin kick.  Body kick.  Lamas fighting for the takedown and couldn’t get it.  Holloway landed several punches and a spin kick.  Holloway 10-9.

Second round:   Lamas threw a kick that was blocked.  Lamas with a low kick.  Both landing a lot of punches but Holloway getting the better of it.  Lamas now back with hard punches.  Lamas went for a takedown.  Holloway blocked and on top.  Holloway for a split second  had a dragon sleeper.  Holloway with a body kick as Lamas got up.  Lamas shot in and Holloway got a choke.  He didn’t have it fully in and let go.  Holloway threw punches from back position as the round ended.  Holloway 20-18

Third round:  Holloway landing punches.  Lamas back with a kick.  Head kick by Lamas.  Holloway landing punches and kicks.  Spinning elbow by Lamas.  Both threw for all they were worth in the last ten seconds to elicit a standing ovation.  30-27 Holloway although the third round was closer than the first two.

Scores:   All three had it 30-27 for Holloway.  

Holloway asked for a $50,000 check for best fight.  He’s not getting it.  He also asked for a title shot.

UFC BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- (C) DOMINICK CRUZ (21-1, 4-0 UFC) VS. (#2) URIJAH FABER (33-8, 9-4 UFC)

They just showed the UFC 200 commercial.  They spent huge on it.  Brock Lesnar was in the tail end of the commercial.

UFC BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:  (C) DOMINICK CRUZ (21-1, 4-0 UFC) VS. (#2) URIJAH FABER (33-8, 9-4 UFC)

First round:  Cruz booed a lot.  Analysts are not getting over with this audience.  Faber chants.  Faber threw a knee and Cruz took him down.  Faber scrambled  but Cruz up and got behind him.  Cruz took him down  and Faber scrambled.  As he got up, Cruz hit him.  Body kick by Cruz.  Faber moved in and slammed Cruz but Cruz reversed to the top immediately.  Faber out and landed a left.  Faber landed a right.  Cruz with a low kick.  Cruz went for a takedown and didn’t get it.  Cruz landed few shots  Cruz 10-9.

Second round:    Cruz dropped him with a left.  Faber back up.  Cruz missed a kick and Faber is  in trouble.  Knee by Cruz.  Cruz landing jabs.  The crowd is turning toward Cruz.  Cruz with a low kick.  Another low kick by Cruz.  Back to chants for Faber.  Cruz landed a left.  Cruz with a left.  Low kick by Cruz.  Faber missed a big shot.  Faber with a right.  Head kick by Cruz.  Cruz landed a body shot.  Cruz 20-18.

Third round:  Cruz with a low kick.  Cruz slipped  and Faber landed a punch but Cruz hurt him with a counter.  Cruz landed a good left.  Cruz landed more shots.  Low kick by Cruz.  Left by Cruz.  Cruz went for a takedown and didn’t get it. Cruz went for another takedown and didn’t get it.  Cruz missing a lot but Faber couldn’t land.  Cruz said something to him after the round and Faber shoved him.  Cruz 30-27.

Fourth round:  Faber missed on punches.  Cruz with a left.  Faber clipped him with a punch.  Cruz with a left.  Both are missing a lot now.  Cruz dropped him with a left and landed a head kick.  Faber back up.  Cruz with a right.  Now crowd chanting for Cruz.  Faber with a right.  Both missing  more.  Cruz 40-36.

Fifth round:  Cruz landed two head kicks.  Cruz landed punches as Faber moved in.  Cruz with lefts.   Cruz took him down as Faber went for a big shot.  Body kick by Cruz as Faber got up.  Cruz with another takedown.  He moved into side control.  Faber back up.  Faber tried the guillotine but he’s not getting that tonight.  Cruz 50-45. 

They did have a short sorta hug after.

Scores:  50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 Cruz  

Cruz again said ring rust wasn’t real.

Faber was booed after and said he can’t say anything other then pushing that Cruz had power but nothing like Cody Garbrandt.  He priased Cruz’s wrestling.  By the time Faber was done fans wer cheering him.  He said he wants to be at the top, he wasn’t at the top tonight and talked about supporting Gardbrandt and his guys.

WWE has already starting promoting Lesnar at UFC 200.

UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- (C) LUKE ROCKHOLD (15-2, 5-1 UFC) VS. (#4) MICHAEL BISPING (28-7, 18-7 UFC)

First round:  Bisping got a mixed reaction.  He doesn’t have that veteran sympathy thing going for him.  Rockhold also got a mixed reaction.  And he’s from California.  Both were mouthing off before it started.  Rockhold with a push kick.  Bisping landed a punch to the face.  Bisping with a low kick.  USA chant.  Rockhold with a left and Bisping back.  Body kick by Rockhold.  Bisping with  a body kick.  Bisping landing more.  Low kick by Roickhold.  Rockhold landing body kicks now.  Bisping dropped him with a left and dropped him a second time with a left and landed two punches on the ground and it was stopped.  This was very much like the GSP vs. Serra fight.    3:36

Bisping’s family is in the ring celebrating with him.  Bisping said I have to be humble, thanked everyone for being here.  I stated fighting when I came out of my mother.    Priased his wife and parents.  I’m an average guy  this is my dream, two weeks notice, two hours two minutes I’ll fight anyone.  Thanked people in the UK. 

Rockhold was booed.  Congratulations to Michael, he caught me.  I took it for granted.  Admitted he was overconfident.  I didn’t fight my fight.  He’s a tough guy and he’s a warrior.

FS1 scores big ratings success from UFC Boston event

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Photo: Esther Lin of MMAFighting.com

Ratings are in for this past Sunday’s UFC Fight Night on Fox Sports 1 and they’re excellent. 

Sunday’s four fight main card from Boston, headlined by Dominick Cruz defeating TJ Dillashaw for the UFC bantamweight title, averaged 2.288 million viewers for the nearly three hour broadcast — the second highest number ever for UFC on that network, trailing only the January 2015 Boston show headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Siver.

Even more impressively, the two-hour prelims show (Patrick Cote vs Ben Saunders was the featured fight of four televised bouts) averaged 1.767 million viewers. That’s good for the fourth highest rated UFC show on FS 1, just behind the promotion’s debut show in August 2013 that was headlined by Chael Sonnen vs. Shogun Rua. Coincidentally, that was also in Boston.

With the expirement of running a UFC show following NFL’s NFC playoff games earlier in the day on FOX – and heavily promoting the show during the game – proving to be a ratings success, expect the Sunday January show to become an annual tradition.

UFC Fight Night 81 Boston live results: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz

Posted on by Josh Nason

Welcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The event is headlined by UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw making his third title defense against the man who never lost the championship, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who fights for the title for the first time since having to vacate it due to injuries. The co-main event will be a fight between former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis and former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. 

Ryan Frederick will be providing additional commentary on our Twitter account too.

Fight Pass Prelims —

> Francimar Barroso (18-4, 3-1 UFC) def. Elvis Mutapcic (15-4, 0-1 UFC) via u/d (30-27 x 2, 29-28)​
Light Heavyweights

Kicking off right on time with our first prelim fight of the night. Light attendance in the upper level and the lower bowl is slowing filling in. I’ll be tweeting random stuff as well, so follow me at @JoshNason for that and press conference stuff. I will say that I saw JNPO guest and Sherdog scribe/audio stylist Jack Encarnacao at dinner and he confirmed he will not be in this year’s Royal Rumble. 

R1: Mutapic was breathing through his mouth early, likely because of a combination of an adrenaline dump in his first UFC fight and the kicks to the midsection from Barroso. Barroso got a takedown midway through the round and didn’t do a lot of advance, finally landing some ground and pound late to earn him the round. I didn’t catch the ref’s name, but he might be having a little Octagon shock himself. 10-9 Barroso

R2: Barroso found homes for his continued kicks to the midsection, landing a few leg kicks for good measure. Mutapcic’s mouthpiece fell out twice, much to the dismay of the crowd. Barosso bloodied up Mutapcic’s nose and right eyebrow, but Mutapcic started to find his range at the end of the round. Tough one to call, but I’ll swing it 10-9 Barroso for more damage. Mutapcic is mouth open gassed.

R3: Mutapcic’s mouthpiece fell out again and he was admonished by the ref. He’s got Octagon control on his side, and Barroso is looking like he’s in survive and escape mode. He keeps landing that midsection kick through, but isn’t throwing enough of them. Mutapcic won this round 10-9 as Barroso seemed confident he won the first two. If the judges saw that second round differently though…

Story Of The Fight: Barroso wins with one judge seeing it the way I did. Neither guy looks to be a prospect to worry about at 205.

> Rob Font (12-1, 2-0 UFC) def. Joey Gomez (6-1, 0-1 UFC) by TKO at 4:13 of round 2
Bantamweights

Gomez got introduced as Barroso was leaving as we’re on a tight timeframe for these FP prelims. Lots of bass in the intros. For those that haven’t been to UFC before, your ears will be ringing the next day. Font has trained a lot of BJJ with one of New Hampshire’s few BJJ black belts in Tim Barchard, the man I earned my blue belt from. During the intros, Font got a Joe Lauzon pop from the Boston crowd. Who knew he was such a hit?  For those that went to that first Boston show, the Lauzon finish of Gabe Reudiger and the resulting ovation is something of legend in my old mind anyway. 

R1: Not much happening on the feet, but Font is controlling the center of the cage early on. Font had no issues getting several takedowns and started to get more comfortable on his feet as the fight evolved. Font lands a nice right elbow near the end of the round to seal it 10-9. Gomez looks overwhelmed in his first UFC outing.

R2: Font is looking more and more comfortable on his feet, but is lunging a little bit — almost impatient waiting for Gomez to do something which he really isn’t. As I type that, Gomez lands a hard kick to Font’s side. Font hits Gomez with a left hook andd swarms. Gomez wisely waits out the storm and goes for a takedown, savvy for a young fighter. It’s almost like it woke him up. We get back to the feet and Font is pouring it on, knocking out Gomez’s mouthpiece with an uppercut. Gomez covers up, falls to his butt, and Herb Dean calls it quickly.

Story Of The Fight: With Joe Lauzon part of the old guard of New England MMA, Font could be the new guy around these parts if he can continue to put things together. Gomez looks overwhelmed and Font’s stand-up was just too much of him.

> Charles Rosa (11-2, 2-2 UFC) def. Kyle Bochniak (6-1, 0-1 UFC) by u/d (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
Featherweights

Bochniak changed his nickname for the night to “Crash” out of respect to Ben “Killer B” Saunders who fights later in the show. This is the third straight fight of the night where a guy is making his Octagon debut, a symptom of an undercard crushed by injury.

R1: Large “Rosa” chant early as Bochniak makes Rosa’s left cheekbone turn pink. Rosa is content to throw kicks, but Bochniak nails him with a right to put him down. As Bochniak attacks, Rosa goes for a leglock but Bochniak escapes. Bochniak has a big red welt on his right side. With about 10 seconds to go, a whistle went off and both guys stopped for a minute. That was weird. 10-9 Bochniak. He seems very comfortable in there for a rookie.

R2: This is turning into a spirited affair on the feet. Rosa has a lot of fans, but Bochniak has got his people too. Rosa is still throwing kicks while Bochniak wants to throw harmful shots. Rosa secures a takedown with about a minute to go that might win him the round, but can’t hold him there for long. Then with 20 seconds left, bloody noseed Bochniak secures a power takedown on Rosa. Tough round to score, but I’ll say 10-9 Bochniak for the variety of shots, aggression, and the takedown.

R3: Bochniak is gassed, hands down by his side, and in survival mode. He’s still looking for headshots, but Rosa is smartly picking and choosing his shots. Still, Bochniak is landing. People are loving this fight. Bochniak looked for a takedown twice, but is dead. Rosa 10-9. Fun round between two completely exhausted fighters. 

By my scorecard, that’s a 29-28 for Bochniak but that second round was tough to call. 

Story Of The Fight: There were a few boos for the decision — surprising since Rosa is a Boston guy. I don’t understand a 30-27 card for Rosa, but then again, I scored the second for Bochniak, so what do I know?

> Ilir Latifi (11-4-0-1, 4-2 UFC) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7, 2-3 UFC) by first round KO (:30)
Light Heavyweights

These guys are out here in record time and only got one entrance song!

R1: Latifi hit a power right to O’Connell that put him on his back. He hit him again with a right on the way down and ref Kevin MacDonald jumped in to stop it quick. This felt like a quick stoppage for sure. Needing some extra time, UFC got a gift on that one.

Story Of The Fight: Latifi is a strong freakin’ dude, but the stoppage felt quick as O’Connell didn’t go flat and MacDonald essentially called the fight before he even fully hit the mat. Latifi said in the postfight that he wants to go fight in the main event of the next UFC show in Sweden this summer.

> Paul Felder (11-2, 3-2 UFC) def. Daron Cruickshank (16-8-0-1, 6-6-0-1 UFC) by third round RNC submission (3:53)
Lightweights

This one should be fun as both guys are known for having, well, fun fights. I still can’t get over how Latifi and O’Connell got one entrance song and the fight was over in just 30 seconds, can you? UFC continues to experiment with having a “featured fight” on Fight Pass instead of loading up FS1 with all the good stuff. If you’re trying to build a service where people are paying for good fights, that seems to be a pretty good idea. Also a good idea: putting a guy named “The Irish Dragon” on a Boston show.

R1: Cruickshank is so quick with his kicks, it’s amazing. He went after Felder’s hips with them, which seems like a good idea. Felder is content to stalk him down, but the “Detroit Superstar” is too fast for that. Great spot with about 1:30 to go where Cruickshank went for a takedown and the crowd began to buzz, but Felder attempted a guillotine instead. After another spinning back kick from Cruickshank, Felder went for a takedown and got reversed immediately. Great round for DC: 10-9.

R2: Cruickshank is just so good on his feet; he misses a kick and lands one .0005 seconds later. This round was great when it wasn’t wrestling on the ground. Cruickshank loves the “spinning shit” and is overwhelming Felder with spinning back fists and spinning kicks. He hit a perfect side kick to the face that was a work of stand-up art. So much fun. Felder went for a reverse triangle ala Liam McGeary which has the Shankster in some trouble. The fans are into Shank’s stand-up so they want to see him get out of this. That offensive barrage in the middle? Awesome. 10-9 Shank.

R3: Cruickshank spent the first half of the round fighting off Felder’s backpack attack. With about 1:10 to go, he sunk in a guillotine choke and got the tap which the crowd popped big for. Impressive come from behind win!

Story Of The Fight: Cruickshank had this one in the bag, but had nothing in the third round and it cost him. At 3-2, he needs some consistency in the division to really be a force but he’s an action fighter so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve.

Fox Sports One prelims —

> Luke Sanders (11-0, 1-0 UFC) def. Maximo Blanco (12-7-1-1, 4-4 UFC) by first round submission at 3:38
Featherweights

R1: Another UFC debut in Sanders, an undefeated fighter giving up a little bit of size. A hard left by Sanders puts Blanco on his rear, but Blanco is a veteran and reversed it into top position and a sub attempt. Sanders hit another big left hook and dropped him again, snagging back control and a deep rear naked choke for the tap and win. Huge win by Sanders.

Story Of The Fight: Sanders made his mark here, the most impressive of the UFC Debut Crew tonight. His cornerman was talking to press row and I think he said Sanders usually fights down a weight class. That snaps a three-fight win streak for Blanco. Hard to say where Sanders goes from here, but I’m interested.

> Chris Wade (10-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Mehdi Baghdad (11-3, 0-0 UFC)
Lightweights

If there was a musical artist that is most tied to UFC entrances, it’s think it’s either Eminem or DMX. Baghdad is our 5th of the UFC Debut Crew but the final one of the night. 

R1: Crowd is chanting ‘USA’ a minute into the fight with the American on top. Okay then. The fight was all Wade working on the ground and Wade eventually sneaking in a rear naked choke for the tap. Baghdad had nothing for him from the second this started.

Story Of The Fight: There really wasn’t one. Wade cruised through an injury replacement and made it look easy.

> Ed Herman (23-11-0-1, 10-7-0-1 UFC) def. Tim Boetsch (18-10, 9-9 UFC) by second round TKO (1:39)
Light Heavyweights

I am all in on these veteran vs. veteran “let’s see what you got” fights. Neither dude is going to be a UFC champion, but desperation and having nothing to lose usually makes for entertaining fights. Let’s do this.

R1: Slobberknocker action early on and Boetsch staggers Herman with a big left hand. In watching this, I feel like I’m outside a bar in my UMaine days at around 1:15 AM. Herman isn’t doing much as I think his gameplan is to have Boetsch wear himself out early. If so, he’s got to survive the meathooks TB is throwing. Herman did well in the clinch, so look for more of that in the second round. Boetsch 10-9

R2: Herman is starting to find a home for his punches and lands a huge knee up the middle to drop TB on his knees. I’m tempted to call ref MacDonald “Quick Draw”, but Boetsch was out of it and taking more shots on the ground. Nice effort for Herman in conserving energy and picking up a much-needed win in a new weight class.

Story Of The Fight: Herman survives to fight another day and with his third straight UFC defeat (six of his last eight), I could see Boetsch either getting cut or retiring. Post-fight, Herman said he’s at 205 to stay and thinks the drug testing and “the sport being cleaned up” will help him out a ton.

> Patrick Cote (24-9, 10-9 UFC) def. Ben Saunders (19-7-2, 7-4 UFC) by 2nd round TKO (1:14)
Welterweights

We got another battle of veterans here to close up the FS1 portion of the show. A winner of five of his last seven, Cote is looking for his third straight victory tonight. Saunders has won all three of his fights since returning to the UFC and has won six of his last seven.

R1: Cote is having a tough time trying to get inside Saunders’ long reach. Saunders hits a takedown, but Cote is doing a nice job at closing the guard and not letting Saunders posture up. Then like an RKO outta nowhere, Cote nearly gets Saunders to tap to an armbar. Cote ended the round on top and won that round 10-9.

R2: For a Quebec guy, the Boston faithful love them some Patrick Cote. Clinch work in the middle and Cote starts landing 10 or so uppercuts in a row. Saunders ate a few and then folded, succumbing to some ground and pound for the finish. 

Story Of The Fight: Cote now has three straight wins and six of his last seven. I’d like to see him in there against a higher level of competition, but does he want it or are these veteran fights satisfying enough for him?

FOX SPORTS ONE MAIN CARD — 

> Francisco Trinaldo (19-4, 9-3 UFC) def. Ross Pearson (18-10-0-1 NC, 10-7-0-1 UFC) by u/d (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
Lightweights

At 37 years old, Trinaldo is suddenly riding a four-fight win streak while Pearson is looking for his first two fight win streak since 2012-13.  Also, I didn’t realize Face The Pain Classic was back as I missed the last few PPV opens. They just couldn’t do it, could they?

R1: Crowd booking early for this one as there’s a lot of feeling out…kind of like when a couple first starts dating. Trinaldo punctuated the round with a huge slam that nearly put Pearson on his head. I think that won the round 10-9 for Trinaldo.

R2: Pearson scored a big takedown, but couldn’t hold Trinaldo down for long. Following a nice spinning kick from Pearson, Trinaldo got Pearson up against the cage and landed two big knees of the ‘ooh…ahh’ variety. Pearson was game to get in there and throw, but Trinaldo’s collection of kicks and knees are finding places to inflict pain. 10-9 Trinaldo.

R3: Trinaldo is throwing Pedro Martinez 1999 heat in there. I remember a few weeks ago when Dave Meltzer was talking about judging, seeing the impact of the punches and how it meant something when it came to scoring. Not having been to a live UFC event in 16 months, I kinda dismissed it as, “Yeah, but…” Seeing this live, however, you really get the idea of how hard these Trinaldo shots are coming in. Pearson got a takedown midway through the round as Trinaldo is starting to fade a bit. Tight round that I’d give to Pearson but not by much.

Trinaldo wins and Pearson doesn’t like the decision.

Story Of The Fight: This is quite the improbable run for Trinaldo, now a winner of five straight. There is hope for guys in their late-30s! Pearson is a .500 fighter at this stage and perhaps a 155-pound liability for someone the UFC doesn’t want to lose. Just a thought.

> Travis Browne (18-3-1, 9-3-1 UFC) def. Matt Mitrione (9-5, 9-5 UFC) by third round TKO (4:09)
Heavyweights

The last time Browne was on an FS1 show in Boston, he scored a huge come from behind win over Alistair Overeem. A loser in two of his last three, he needs to win big again here tonight. The same could be said for Mitrione who will become a free agent after this fight and turned down a new contract to see what he’s worth. Yep, we got some stakes in this one. Browne was also booed at weigh-ins, likely due to the accusations of domestic violence as well as his relationship to Ronda Rousey. Fans are like that.

R1:  After a lot of circling, Browne opened up on his feet, landing a kick. Mitrione is charging in, but Browne is just missing on a crisp counter. Browne hits the deck, but it was hard to tell whether it was a slip or from a punch as he was back up quick. With 10 seconds to go, Mitrione got poked in the right eye as he charged in. Doctors came in, but Mitrione sad he was ok. I’ll give that to Browne 10-9, but that was kinda dull.

R2: Ohh boy. Browne poked Mitrione again, but because there was a flurry of action, the ref couldn’t stop the fight or didn’t see it so they kept going. Mitrione is fighting with one eye closed and still no stoppage. The look on the ref’s face during this was priceless. The doctors came in to examine as the ref finally called timeout and they didn’t seem to want to let it go. Mitrione seems fine though and we finally get back to action. You know there’s another poke coming though. You just know it. Weird spot as Browne feigned a strike and Mitrione covered up as if he had been hit…but he didn’t pop right back to action.

What a weird round. The one thing I know is these people hate Browne. 10-9 Browne, I guess?

R3: Browne hit a hard straight right that would have dropped either you or I, but man, this is not a good fight. Browne looks tentative, Mitrione probably can’t see, and this crowd is restless. Mitrione has some nasty looking swelling above his right eye. Browne hits a huge takedown, is in full mount, and is pounding away with two minutes to go. With less than a minute to go, the ref calls it and Browne is enjoying a raining of boos. Mitrione’s eye is enormous and the crowd responds like someone just got shot. 

Story Of The Fight: Bad fight, everyone hates Browne (no post-fight interview), and Mitrione’s eye will be one of the most shared pics on Twitter tomorrow. At least we have a clear path to Mitrione vs. Kongo II: Electric Boogaloo. (Yes, I used the same joke on Twitter.)

> Eddie Alvarez (27-4, 2-1 UFC) def. Anthony Pettis (18-4, 5-3 UFC)
Lightweights

The former UFC lightweight champion vs. the former Bellator lightweight champion? That’s what you call a dream match. I have a feeling we’ll be wanting five rounds of this before it’s over. There’s a lot to prove for both guys in this one. This is Pettis’ first fight since getting trucked by Rafael dos Anjos for the 155-pound title, while Alvarez is coming off a summer ’15 decision over Giblert Melendez. We still haven’t seen the best Alvarez yet and he’s got a big stage here to make a big statement.

Pettis is out to Eminem, so my prior theory is looking better, isn’t it? As Pettis got in the cage, he walks by Alvarez and the two locked eyes in one of those big fight glances. Good lord, I can’t wait. Both guys are jacked and in fantastic shape. Here we go!

R1: Alvarez doesn’t want to give Pettis any distance and is grinding him up against the cage. Finally free and Pettis shows why that game plan might be best as he throws a head kick and later a glancing back kick with crazy speed. Seconds later, Alvarez is back to the grind. Pettis is punishing Alvarez’s right side with kicks. There’s a group of fans here who are just yelling nonstop swears to Alvarez, but security is doing nothing. I’ll give that 10-9 to Alvarez because of the grappling control. I can see a round for Pettis as he did land more clean shots, just not a ton of them.

R2: Pettis a lot faster than Alvarez, landing two punch combos before Alvarez can respond. EA is going away from the cage grind and wants more of a kickboxing match. Tight round but I give it to Pettis 10-9. Thinking about round 2, I can see Pettis winning that so EA has to come out strong in the third. Security finally told the swearing dudes to hush up. I bet that won’t last long.

R3: If Alvarez thought he won the first round, his approach of grinding here in the third makes a ton of sense. Bloodied up, Alvarez secured a takedown about halfway through the round but Pettis nearly turned it into a heel hook. As Pettis worked his way back up, Alvarez dropped him back down. The last 30 seconds or so were a labor for Alvarez physically. People are going to be pissed one way or another, but this was a close, close round and fight. I gave this round to EA 10-9. Big “Eddie” chant as we await the judges’ scores.

Lots of cheers and boos for the decison and Alvarez’s post-fight promo. He said he wants the champion next and you know, he might have earned it.

Dominick Cruz (21-1, 4-0 UFC) def. T.J. Dillashaw (12-3, 8-3 UFC) to win the UFC Bantamweight title (48-47 Cruz, 49-46 Dillashaw, 49-46 Cruz)

This is a head vs. heart fight pick. My head tells me that Dillashaw was the guy to go with considering Cruz has fought once in the last four years or so. But my heart is saying Cruz is more experienced, confident, and will game plan accordingly. There’s no pressure on Cruz here as he’s playing with house money after all of the surgeries, injuries, and time off from the sport. Cruz’s footwork is on point in the pre-fight warmups.  

R1: Dillashaw is swinging at air in the first few minutes. Cruz is still quick as all hell, so Dillashaw is likely going to want to get ahold of him and go to work. Cruz ducks out of the way and lands a nice two-punch combo. This is pretty incredible to watch in person. Dillashaw stalked him the entire round, did catch him occassionally, but Cruz was better on the feet and quicker. Cruz was walking kinda gingerly to the corner like he hurt his foot or something. Might be something to watch. 10-9 Cruz.

R2: Cruz is slowing down a bit and his mouth is open. Dillashaw is finding a rhythm, landing two head kicks and a few punches. Cruz gets back to back takedowns, but can’t hold Dillashaw down for long. These two can’t seem to hit each other. Cruz stared down Dillashaw after the round ended. There’s definitely is something up with Cruz’s right leg. Dillashaw 10-9. 

R3: Media scores are all over the place, meaning this is a close fight and probably will end up in another controversal decision. Dillashaw again is landing more and more shots as Cruz slows down, mouth agape. The head kick is landing time and time again. Cruz gets a takedown with less than two minutes to go, but Dillashaw reverses and both guys get a huge pop. People are quietly just watching this play out — it’s kinda nice. Cruz is getting kicked when he looks to escape out the side hatch after a quick clinch. Jesus, that’s another tough round to score. I think Dillashaw took that one 10-9, but it’s a coinflip. 

R4: Another Cruz takedown is reversed in milliseconds. Looks like Dillashaw has some swelling above the right eye. Cruz with some nice combos and Dillashaw answers with a takedown and submission attempt. Dillashaw has some blood above his left eye as Cruz is hitting a little harder on the exchanges. Again, another glare at Dillashaw as he walks away. I had this 10-9 Cruz and all tied up going into the 5th.

R5: I don’t even know how you begin to score this round or this fight. I would say 10-10, but that’s the coward’s way out. I think Cruz won that 10-9 and indeed, he is limping around in the cage. He might have a broken foot and is chatting with Dana and Lorenzo about it.

Cruz wins a tight split decision and the crowd is euphoric. What a moment. Dillashaw is just in disbelief, pacing around. Cruz says that his left foot was injured coming into the fight and is “torn in half” right now. Oh boy. Cruz says to Kenny Florian, “Quit copying and pasting, man!” Dillashaw thought he had the fight won, but there’s no surprise there. Cruz is noticably limping badly walking to the back. 

That’s it from here. Hit me up on Twitter for any press conference news and notes!

UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz weigh-in results and live video

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz weigh-ins from the Wang Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Sunday with the main card on FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 6 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This will be the fourth trip for the Octagon to Boston.

The event is headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout that will determine the true undisputed champion at 135 pounds as current UFC Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw makes his third title defense when he takes on the man who never lost the championship inside the Octagon, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, who fights for just the second time in 51 months. In the co-main event, it will be former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis fighting for the first time since losing the 155-pound title when he takes on Eddie Alvarez. Also featured on the main card is a heavyweight battle between Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione.

MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
T.J. Dillashaw (135) vs. Dominick Cruz (135) – UFC Bantamweight Championship
Anthony Pettis (155.5) vs. Eddie Alvarez (155.5)
Travis Browne (238) vs. Matt Mitrione (249)
Ross Pearson (155) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (155.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Patrick Cote (171) vs. Ben Saunders (170)
Tim Boetsch (206) vs. Ed Herman (204.5)
Chris Wade (155.5) vs. Mehdi Baghdad (156)
Maximo Blanco (146) vs. Luke Sanders (145.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6 PM ET/3 PM PT):
Paul Felder (155.5) vs. Daron Cruickshank (155)
Ilir Latifi (205) vs. Sean O’Connell (205.5)
Charles Rosa (145.5) vs. Kyle Bochniak (145)
Rob Font (135) vs. Joey Gomez (135)
Francimar Barroso (205) vs. Elvis Mutapcic (201)

NOTES:
-Mehdi Baghdad initially missed weight, coming in one pound over at 157 pounds, but made weight after the towel was brought out. He did take his fight against Chris Wade on short notice.