Tag: edson barboza

UFC on ESPN+ 99 live results: Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Action inside the Octagon is back inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the UFC closes out the month of May with UFC On ESPN+ 99.

The main event will be a five-round battle in the featherweight division as Edson Barboza takes on Lerone Murphy. Barboza comes into this fight having won two straight bouts over Billy Quarantillo and Sodiq Yusuff, while Murphy enters his first main event without having ever suffered a loss, with 13 wins and a draw on his record.

The rest of the main card sees a pair of welterweight battles as Khaos Williams takes on Carlston Harris and Themba Gorimbo takes on Ramiz Brahimaj; a bantamweight fight pitting Adrian Yanez against Vinicius Salvador; and a battle of ranked strawweights as Luana Pinheiro meets Angela Hill.

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-Women’s Strawweights- Vanessa Demopoulos (10-5, 4-2 UFC) vs. Emily Ducote (13-8, 2-2 UFC)

Demopoulos with a leg kick and both land some punches before Demopoulos lands a pair of leg kicks. They trade in close range and Demopoulos with another leg kick. They trade leg kicks and Ducote lands a left hook. Demopoulos with a big right hand then follows with a leg kick. They trade. Demopoulos with a body shot then lands a combo as Ducote lands a right hand. Ducote with a leg kick and Demopoulos lands a right hand. Demopoulos with a right hand and then Ducote wobbles her with a right hand. Ducote lands a leg kick. Demopoulos with a combo. She then lands a quick flurry. They both land body kicks. Demopoulos with a combination. Demopoulos with an overhand right. Ducote lands a nice right hand. Demopoulos lands to the body. 10-9 Demopoulos.

Demopoulos throwing and chasing Ducote around the Octagon. Demopoulos pressuring and lands a right hand followed by a jab. Demopoulos lands but Ducote lands a counter right hand. Demopoulos with a head kick and is landing with more volume. They’re trading and Demopoulos lands a body kick. Demopoulos continuing to land with more volume. Ducote lands a right hand. Demopoulos landing and Ducote landing counters. Demopoulos with a right hand. 10-9 Demopoulos, 20-18 Demopoulos.

Demopoulos lands a leg kick and both trade punches. Demopoulos with a big right hand. Ducote with a left hook followed by a right hand. Ducote with a quick combination and a right hand. Ducote lands a leg kick. Demopoulos wobbles Ducote with a right hand. Demopoulos with some follow-up punches as she continues to land a right hand. Ducote is landing with more volume but Demopoulos is landing the more impactful blows. Ducote lands a left hook then a combo. Demopoulos then lands. Ducote lands a right hand. Ducote with a high kick. Ducote with a leg kick. Demopoulos lands a right hand. Demopoulos shoots for a takedown but Ducote ends up on top. Ducote ends the fight landing from the top. Close fights. 10-9 Ducote, 29-28 Demopoulos.

Official Result- Vanessa Demopoulos def. Emily Ducote by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

-Bantamweights- Alatengheili (16-9-2, 4-2-1 UFC) vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (8-3, 1-2 UFC)

Rodrigues with a body kick. Rodrigues trips Heili up with a leg kick then grabs his neck as Heili was getting up. Heili is able to get a takedown and lands some from inside the guard of Rodrigues. Heili still pressuring and landing from the top but Rodrigues is throwing from the bottom. Heili continuing to land punches to the head and body. Heili lands and Rodrigues lands an illegal kick at the end of the round. 10-9 Heili.

Rodrigues with a spin kick. Rodrigues landing calf kicks. Heili lands to the body. Rodrigues with a combo. They both land on the feet. Rodrigues with a flying knee. Both land hard punches and Rodrigues with a leg kick. Heili lands then grabs a single leg and scores a takedown. Rodrigues with some short punches from the bottom. Heili continues to control from the top and lands some. Close round. 10-9 Heili, 20-18 Heili.

Both land to start the third and Rodrigues lands a big right hand. Rodrigues with a body kick. Rodrigues with a head kick. Heili with a left hook to the body. Rodrigues lands a right hand and a leg kick. Rodrigues with a spin kick and they trade right hands. Rodrigues shoots for a takedown but Heili defends and scores a takedown of his own. Heili pressuring and mixing to the head and body from the top as Rodrigues lands some shots from the bottom. 10-9 Heili, 30-27 Heili.

Official Result- Alatengheili def. Kleydson Rodrigues by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

-Women’s Strawweights- Piera Rodriguez (9-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (14-3, 2-2 UFC)

Rodriguez rushes in and both connect. They both connect inside the pocket. Carnelossi with a leg kick. Rodriguez with a combo and Carnelossi lands a right hand at the end of the exchange. Rodriguez lands to the body as she looks for a takedown, but Carnelossi lands in the clinch as they break. Carnelossi lands a pair of right hands. Rodriguez connects as she rushes in but Carnelossi lands a flurry as Rodriguez was circling away. Rodriguez with a combination. Rodriguez scores a takedown and is in side control. Both landing on the mat. Rodriguez stands and lands a pair of leg kicks. She gets back on top and lands a final flurry. 10-9 Rodriguez.

They trade to start the second before clinching. Rodriguez lands a pair of knees and pushes Carnelossi to the fence. Rodriguez landing punches and knees against the fence. Carnelossi lands a couple of knees. Rodriguez with a knee to the body then the head. They separate and Rodriguez lands a flurry and scores a takedown. Rodriguez lands a headbutt on the mat and a timeout is called. Carnelossi is down and seems hurt as it was the second time Rodriguez had landed a headbutt in the fight. Carnelossi is almost at her five minutes on the timeout clock. Carnelossi is unable to continue so the fight has been stopped.

Official Result- Ariane Carnelossi def. Piera Rodriguez by disqualification (illegal headbutt) at 3:16 of Round 2

-Middleweights- Abus Magomedov (25-6-1, 1-2 UFC) vs. Warlley Alves (14-7, 8-7 UFC)

Alves throwing early and Magomedov retreats before they tie up against the fence. Magomedov trips Alves down to the mat and has the neck as they get to the feet, then he lets go and lands a knee. Magomedov with an elbow as they break. Magomedov with a front kick and lands a counter left hand. Magomedov with a jab. Alves swings and Magomedov grabs the back and gets it down. Magomedov with some punches and gets to the half-guard of Alves. Magomedov landing and they scramble up but Magomedov is able to get it back to the mat. Magomedov lands from side control. 10-9 Magomedov.

Magomedov pressing forward. Alves lands a leg kick. They trade and Alves gets a body lock and pushes it to the fence. Magomedov gets it to the ground as he takes the back. Magomedov looking to set up an arm-triangle choke. Alves is able to get out of it but is now eating punches from Magomedov. Magomedov landing lots of left hands. Magomedov gets the mount and is still landing while trying to set up a choke. Magomedov with some elbows and Alves is cut open. Magomedov with more shots from the top. 10-8 Magomedov, 20-17 Magomedov.

Both look to land after Alves slips early and they clinch. Alves lands a right hand as they break. Alves lands a body kick but Magomedov is able to get the back and scores a takedown. Magomedov gets on top and is landing as Alves grabs the neck. Magomedov gets the back and is trying to find a choke. He almost has a rear-naked choke locked in but Alves escapes. Alves spins but it lets Magomedov get the mount and he lands. Magomedov with a big elbow from the top. Alves looks for a guillotine choke but Magomedov escapes and stands at the end. 10-9 Magomedov, 30-26 Magomedov.

Official Result- Abus Magomedov def. Warlley Alves by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

-Women’s Bantamweights- Tamires Vidal (7-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Melissa Gatto (8-2-2, 2-2 UFC)

Vidal with a leg kick as Gatto lands a right hand. Gatto lands to the body. Gatto with a combination. Gatto scores a takedown and Vidal grabs the neck. Gatto is landing to the body as she’s trying to get her neck free. Vidal isn’t doing anything except holding the neck. Gatto lands more to the body and escapes. Gatto is in the half-guard and controlling. Gatto gets the mount and lands a lot of punches and some elbows to the shoulders. Gatto with lots of shots from the top and lands a pair of nasty elbows. Gatto with more elbows. 10-9 Gatto.

Gatto landing to the body early on as Vidal lands a few punches. Gatto lands a right hand. Vidal swings big but doesn’t really connect before they clinch. They briefly break and Vidal swings before they clinch back up. Gatto lands a knee. Vidal with a knee. Gatto has the body lock and scores a takedown. Gatto with some left hands from the back. She gets the hooks around the back. Gatto then gets the mount and lands body punches. Vidal can’t do anything on the bottom. Gatto gets an armbar locked in late but time runs out. 10-9 Gatto, 20-18 Gatto.

They’re landing to start the third as Gatto is landing punches. Gatto lands a body punch and Vidal is hurt and turns her back. Gatto starts to land more and the fight is stopped as Vidal is still hurt.

Official Result- Melissa Gatto def. Tamires Vidal by TKO (punches) at :37 of Round 3

-Light Heavyweights- Oumar Sy (9-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Tuco Tokkos (10-3, 0-0 UFC)

Tokkos with some kicks to start. Sy looks for the takedown and is able to get it. Sy gets the back and is looking to set up a choke. Sy controlling from the back and keeps Tokkos down on the mat. Sy gets the hooks in and locks in a rear-naked choke and it is in tight. Tokkos taps and it is all over as Sy picks up the dominant win in an excellent debut.

Official Result- Oumar Sy def. Tuco Tokkos by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:43 of Round 1

-Lightweights- Victor Martinez (13-5, 0-1 UFC) vs. Tom Nolan (6-1, 0-1 UFC)

Nolan with a body kick then a leg kick then back to the body. Martinez lands a combination. They trade leg kicks. Nolan with a body kick and they trade leg kicks. Nolan with a step-in knee. Nolan with a body kick followed by a left hand. Nolan with another knee to the body. Nolan with more body kicks. Nolan lands some more kicks and follows it with punches but Martinez lands a counter right hand that drops Nolan. Martinez with an elbow and Nolan lands an elbow and Martinez is cut open and they get to their feet. Nolan lands a big knee to the body and Martinez goes down to the mat and Nolan ends it with some follow-up punches. Big comeback from some adversity for Nolan to pick up the win.

Official Result- Tom Nolan def. Victor Martinez by TKO (strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1

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-Women’s Strawweights- #9 Luana Pinheiro (11-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. #12 Angela Hill (16-13, 11-13 UFC)

No one has landed anything inside the first minute. Pinheiro lands a leg kick. Hill lands a left hook. Hill lands a right hand. Hill with a jab and Pinheiro lands a right hand. Pinheiro shoots for a takedown but Hill defends. They trade left hooks at the same time. Pinheiro lands a jab and Hill lands a right hand. They tie up and Pinheiro tries for a throw takedown but Hill defends and pushes it to the fence in the clinch. Pinheiro jumps guard and Hill gets it down as Pinheiro attacks the neck. Hill stands and is looking to get on top of Pinheiro but Pinheiro is throwing upkicks. Hill gets on top and lands a right hand and stands. Hill with a right hand from the top and gets another late takedown. 10-9 Hill.

Pinheiro lands a right hand as Hill scores with an uppercut. Pinheiro with a spinning back fist. Pinheiro working the jab. Pinheiro goes for a hip throw and Hill is able to get the back against the fence. Hill with a left hand. Pinheiro with a knee. Hill with a knee and they separate. Hill lands a body kick. Hill with a jab. Hill with a left hook. Hill with a jab and Pinheiro backs up and stumbles down but lands an uppercut on the way up. Hill with a leg kick. Pinheiro shoots for a takedown but Hill grabs the neck to defend, but Pinheiro breaks free. Pinheiro tries a takedown but it is stuffed and Hill lands a kick. Hill with a combo to the head and body. Hill grabs the neck and drags it down and has a mounted guillotine choke locked in and Pinheiro taps! Hill with an upset win by submission!

Official Result- Angela Hill def. Luana Pinheiro by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:12 of Round 2

-Bantamweights- Adrian Yanez (16-5, 5-2 UFC) vs. Vinicius Salvador (14-6, 0-2 UFC)

They trade leg kicks. Yanez lands a left hook. Salvador lands a left hand. Salvador with a heavy body kick and Yanez lands a leg kick. Yanez with a leg kick. Yanez lands a left hand. Yanez drops Salvador with a big right hand and gets on top and starts landing lots of punches. Yanez keeps landing and it is stopped! What a finish by Yanez!

Official Result- Adrian Yanez def. Vinicius Salvador by TKO (punches) at 2:47 of Round 1

-Welterweights- Themba Gorimbo (12-4, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4, 2-2 UFC)

Gorimbo with a front kick and Brahimaj grabs him and they clinch along the fence. Gorimbo gets on top as the fight goes to the mat. They work to the fence and get to their feet. Brahimaj with a knee. They battle for position along the fence. They continue to reverse position. Brahimaj tries a trip but Gorimbo reverses and ends up on top. Gorimbo with pressure and lands some short knees. They remain tied up as the round ends. 10-9 Gorimbo.

Gorimbo with a leg kick. He lands another and they tie up along the fence. Gorimbo with some knees. Gorimbo gets it down to the mat. They scramble up but Gorimbo has the body lock and gets it back down, but they scramble back up. Gorimbo still in control along the fence and lands some more knees. Brahimaj tries to trip it down from the back but Gorimbo gets back on top. They stand and Gorimbo still in clinch control. Gorimbo trips it back down. Gorimbo has body control. 10-9 Gorimbo, 20-18 Gorimbo.

Gorimbo with a right hand and leg kick. Gorimbo grabs the body lock and pushes it against the fence. They trade knees and Gorimbo lands some more solid knees. Brahimaj trying hard for the takedown but has had no success. Gorimbo reverses out. Gorimbo with more knees. He lands some more. Gorimbo keeping it tied up. Gorimbo with knees and a few right hands. Brahimaj tries a trip but Gorimbo gets it down right into the mount. Gorimbo moves to the back. They stand and Gorimbo gets it back down and they stand at the end. 10-9 Gorimbo, 30-27 Gorimbo.

Official Result- Thema Gorimbo def. Ramiz Brahimaj by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

-Welterweights- Khaos Williams (14-3, 5-2 UFC) vs. Carlston Harris (19-5, 4-1 UFC)

Harris with an inside leg kick. They trade as Harris lands a right hand. Williams with a leg kick as Harris lands a right hand. Both not quite connecting. Harris lands a right hand then Williams lands a big right hand as a counter and drops Harris and it is all over! Williams with a big knockout win!

Official Result- Khaos Williams def. Carlston Harris by knockout (punch) at 1:30 of Round 1

-Featherweights- #12 Edson Barboza (24-11, 18-11 UFC) vs. Lerone Murphy (13-0-1, 5-0-1 UFC)

Barboza blocks a high kick from Murphy. They trade jabs. We have a brief timeout for a groin strike. They get back going and trade punches. Barboza with a heavy leg kick. They trade punches. Murphy with a jab as Barboza is landing leg kicks. Murphy lands a few nice right hands. Murphy lands a right hand. Barboza with a big leg kick. Murphy lands a leg kick and is finding a home for the jab. Murphy lands a right hand and a body kick. Barboza with a jab. Barboza lands a right hand. He tries to land a knee and slips to the mat. Murphy gets on top and lands and Barboza lands a late upkick in a wild end to the round. 10-9 Murphy.

Murphy with a spin kick. Murphy lands a combo ending with a nice right hand. Barboza with a leg kick. Murphy lands a combination. Barboza with a leg kick. Murphy lands a right hand. Barboza with a leg kick then a jab. Barboza with another leg kick. Murphy with another big right hand and Barboza was wobbled a little. Murphy chasing Barboza down and is landing. They tie up against the fence and Murphy has the back and lands some knees. Murphy with some punches and they separate late. 10-9 Murphy, 20-18 Murphy.

Murphy lands a right hand. He lands another. They trade right hands. Murphy lands a combination. Barboza with a leg kick. Barboza with a big body kick. Murphy with a combo. Murphy pressuring and lands a one-two combo before going for a takedown. They separate and Murphy chases Barboza down. Murphy with a high kick. Murphy kind of gets a sloppy takedown and has the back on the feet still chasing it. They separate and Murphy lands as Barboza stumbles back. Murphy with a lot of big punches as Barboza is in trouble. They clinch and Murphy lands an elbow. Barboza with a leg kick after they break. Murphy tries a takedown but Barboza defends. They stand and separate. Murphy with a spin kick. 10-9 Murphy, 30-27 Murphy.

Murphy lands a leg kick. Barboza with a leg kick. Murphy with a leg kick. Murphy lands a big right hand. Barboza with a body kick and Murphy lands a right hand. Murphy with a left hook. Barboza lands a body kick. Murphy lands a right hand. Murphy works the jab and then lands a calf kick. Barboza with a calf kick then a body kick then a leg kick. Murphy lands a right hand. Barboza with a big spin kick to the body. Murphy lands a jab. Murphy with a leg kick. They trade jabs. Murphy landing some big punches. Murphy gets the back against the fence and lands some knees. They separate. 10-9 Murphy, 40-36 Murphy.

Murphy with an overhand right and a jab to the body. Barboza with a leg kick. Murphy grabs the body lock and pushes it against the fence. Barboza with a body kick. Murphy lands a right hand. Murphy lands a body kick then a left hand. Murphy with some big punches. Murphy with a right hand then a sharp jab. Murphy continuing to land with lots of volume. Murphy with a high kick. Barboza lands to the body. Murphy lands to the body and scores a takedown. Murphy jumps on the back and Barboza is being warned to not grab the fence. They get to their feet and Murphy keeps control as the fight ends. 10-9 Murphy, 50-45 Murphy.

Official Result- Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

UFC on ESPN+ 88 live results: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

UFC action is back for the second straight week inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada as UFC On ESPN+ 88: Yusuff vs. Barboza takes place.

In the main event, it is a five-round battle in the featherweight division as Sodiq Yusuff takes on Edson Barboza. Yusuff is in his first main event and looking to extend his two-fight win streak. Barboza, one of the longest tenured fighters on the UFC roster, steps inside the Octagon for the 29th time looking to make a run at title contention.

In the co-main event, former title challenger Jennifer Maia takes on Viviane Araujo in a women’s flyweight bout. Also on the main card is a bantamweight battle between ranked fighters Jonathan Martinez and Adrian Yanez, a middleweight fight pitting Andre Petroski against Michel Pereira, and a battle of bantamweight prospects as Christian Rodriguez takes on Cameron Saaiman.

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> Women’s Strawweights- Ashley Yoder (8-8, 3-7 UFC) vs. Emily Ducote (12-8, 1-2 UFC)

They trade leg kicks and punches early on as Yoder came out rushing. Yoder lands a jab and Ducote counters with a right hand. Ducote lands a big right hand. Yoder reached for a leg but Ducote backed away. Ducote lands another right hand. Yoder lands a head kick. They trade leg kicks. Yoder lands a high kick followed by a left hand. Yoder lands a left hand as Ducote is mixing her punches. Ducote lands a big leg kick. Yoder lands a head kick. Ducote fires back with a combo. Ducote gets a late takedown and ends the round on top. 10-9 Ducote.

Ducote pressing forward and lands a combo to start the second. They trade in close range. Yoder lands a left hand then a quick knee in a brief clinch. Ducote lands a body shot. Ducote lands a combo after Yoder lands a left hand. Yoder lands again but misses a head kick. They trade as they circle the Octagon and Ducote lands a big right hand. Ducote lands another one. Ducote then lands a big left hand. Yoder lands a pair of left hands. She lands a knee. They trade nice punches. They trade before clinching against the fence. Yoder lands an elbow on the break. 10-9 Ducote, 20-18 Ducote.

They come out swinging. They trade inside the pocket before Ducote backs up. Ducote lands a leg kick. She then lands a nice right hand. They’re trading in close range before Yoder lands some knees in a brief clinch. They clinch back up and Yoder lands several knees and an elbow on the break. They continue to trade. Ducote lands a big right hand. Yoder lands a combo after Ducote lands several shots. Yoder lands an elbow. Ducote lands inside the pocket. She lands a big right hand. 10-9 Ducote, 30-27 Ducote.

Official Result- Emily Ducote def. Ashley Yoder by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Bantamweights- #15 Chris Gutierrez (19-4-2, 7-2-1 UFC) vs. Alatengheili (16-8-2, 4-1-1 UFC)

Gutierrez lands a leg kick. He lands another. He continues to land leg kicks early on and mixes one to the body. He lands some more as Heili lands a left hand. Gutierrez mixing his kicks to the head, body and legs. Heili lands some punches. Gutierrez still landing leg kicks and Heili lands a right hand. Gutierrez lands a leg kick then a left hand. 10-9 Gutierrez.

Heili pressing forward and throwing but not landing. Gutierrez still attacking with leg kicks. Gutierrez mixing the left hand with his leg kicks. Gutierrez lands a spinning back fist. There is a timeout for a groin strike by Gutierrez. They get back to action and Heili is pressuring as both land. Gutierrez lands a left hook then a right hand. Gutierrez lands some more left hands. Heili lands a right hand. Gutierrez still landing leg kicks and Heili’s lead leg is a mess. 10-9 Gutierrez, 20-18 Gutierrez.

Gutierrez lands some leg kicks to start the third. Heili lands a right hand. They continue to trade and Heili grabs the body lock against the fence. He has the back and gets a takedown, but they get to their feet against the fence. Heili still has the body lock. They separate. Gutierrez lands some punches and tries an Imanari roll but they stand. Heili lands a right hand. They tie up and Heili gets a late takedown. 10-9 Gutierrez, 30-27 Gutierrez.

Official Result- Chris Gutierrez def. Alatengheili by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Women’s Bantamweights- Irina Alekseeva (5-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Melissa Dixon (5-0, 0-0 UFC)

Alekseeva attacking with leg kicks early on and Dixon lands a jab. Alekseeva continuing to land kicks all over and Dixon lands some right hands. Dixon lands a snapping jab. They clinch and Alekseeva lands some uppercuts and a left hand as they break. Alekseeva lands a right hand and Dixon counters with a big jab. Dixon lands a combo. They trade in close range. Alekseeva drops Dixon with a right hand and gets inside her guard. They get to their feet and Dixon has the neck as they go back to the mat. Dixon trying to transition to the back and is landing right hands. Alekseeva is fighting the hands now. Dixon with shots from the back as the round ends. 10-9 Alekseeva.

Alekseeva landing leg kicks and some punches early on. Dixon lands a big right hand. Dixon lands a big shot and Alekseeva stumbles to the mat and Dixon gets on top. She is landing before taking the back of Alekseeva. Dixon landing punches from the back as she has the body triangle. Alekseeva is trying to escape but Dixon maintains back control. 10-9 Dixon, 19-19.

Both swinging to start the third and Alekseeva lands. Alekseeva looking more tired to start. They trade jabs and Dixon lands a big right hand. Alekseeva lands a jab. Alekseeva gets a big judo throw takedown and had the neck, but Dixon is able to get it to the feet. Alekseeva looks for a rolling leg lock but it allows Dixon to get her back and then the mount. Dixon gets the back and is in complete control. Dixon landing from the back and then moves to the mount. Dixon landing from the mount to end the fight. 10-9 Dixon, 29-28 Dixon.

Official Result- Melissa Dixon def. Irina Alekseeva by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- Terrance McKinney (14-6, 4-3 UFC) vs. Brendon Marotte (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

McKinney drops Marotte early with a big knee and gets on top. McKinney starts landing big punches from the top and it is over. Quick finish from McKinney as he gets the win.

Official Result- Terrence McKinney def. Brendon Marotte by TKO (strikes) in :20 of Round 1

> Women’s Bantamweights- Tainara Lisboa (6-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. Ravena Oliveira (7-1-1, 0-0 UFC)

Lisboa lands a big right hand to start and then another as Oliveira landed a pair of leg kicks. Lisboa lands a combo then a pair of knees as they clinch. They battle against the fence. Oliveira has the body lock and advantage. She lands a knee as Lisboa lands some soft left hands as she’s defending. Oliveira gets the takedown and lands from the top. Lisboa gets warned for grabbing the cage. They get to their feet and remain tied up. Lisboa is able to get a takedown and lands from the top. She takes the back of Oliveira. Lisboa landing from the back to end the round. 10-9 Lisboa.

Lisboa pushing forward and lands a right hand before getting a takedown. Lisboa gets the back and is landing punches as Oliveira is trying to cover up. Lisboa is now in the half-guard and dominating from the top. Lisboa landing punches from the top as Oliveira regains her full guard. Lisboa stands but ends up back inside the guard of Oliveira. They get to their feet and Lisboa remains in control with the body lock. She lands some knees. 10-9 Lisboa, 20-18 Lisboa.

Oliveira lands a combo as they get near the fence. Oliveira grabs the body lock and they battle for underhooks. Lisboa reverses position. Lisboa lands some knees and drops down for a takedown. They separate. Oliveira lands a left hand. Oliveira is able to get a takedown and is working inside the guard of Lisboa and landing. Oliveira now has the half-guard and isn’t doing much, but Lisboa is unable to get out from the bottom. They get to their feet and Lisboa gets a late takedown, but they stand before the end. 10-9 Oliveira, 29-28 Lisboa.

Official Result- Tainara Lisboa def. Ravena Oliveira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Featherweights- Darren Elkins (27-11, 17-10 UFC) vs. TJ Brown (17-10, 3-4 UFC)

Brown lands a big right hand. Elkins rushes forward and lands a leg kick as Brown counters. Elkins gets a takedown and is in the guard of Brown. Elkins pressuring and landing from the top. Brown tries to escape but Elkins is able to remain on top and is in the half-guard. Elkins still landing from the top but they scramble up. Brown pushes it against the fence and gets a big takedown. They scramble to their feet. Elkins has the back and drags it down and has the body triangle in. He locks in a rear-naked choke and it is in tight but Brown is able to escape. Elkins landing from the back. He mixes to the body and head. 10-9 Elkins.

Elkins lands a right hand and Brown lands an uppercut. Elkins lands another right hand as he eats a knee from Brown. Elkins attempts a takedown but Brown sprawls away. Elkins gets it down briefly before getting it fully down. They scramble and Elkins ends up in side control. Brown is able to sweep and now he’s in side control. They stand and Elkins gets it back down. Elkins remains on top and is pressuring but Brown gets to his feet late. 10-9 Elkins, 20-18 Elkins.

Elkins gets a takedown to start the third and has the back and hand control. He tries to sweep to the top but ends up in the half-guard. Elkins is able to get the back of Brown and locks in a rear-naked choke. It is in deep and Brown taps. What a win from Elkins.

Official Result- Darren Elkins def. TJ Brown by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:23 of Round 3

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> Bantamweights*- Christian Rodriguez (9-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Cameron Saaiman (9-0, 3-0 UFC)

*Rodriguez missed weight by four pounds

They’re trading and Rodriguez lands a left hand. Saaiman lands a leg kick. Rodriguez lands a combo ending with a knee to the body. They break a clinch and Saaiman lands a right hand. Rodriguez lands a spinning back fist. Saaiman tries one but Rodriguez ducks and grabs the body lock and scores a takedown. They quickly scramble up but Rodriguez has the neck. He locks in an anaconda choke but Saaiman escapes and he grabs the neck of Rodriguez. They get up. Saaiman lands a body kick. They trade punches. Rodriguez lands a knee and Saaiman lands a leg kick. They continue to trade and Saaiman is landing with more volume. Rodriguez lands a nice combo. They trade at the end of the round. Close round. 10-9 Saaiman.

They trade kicks to start the second. They trade inside the pocket as both land big shots. Rodriguez lands a knee as Saaiman grabs him but they break. Saaiman tries a takedown but Rodriguez grabs the neck and drags it down for an anaconda choke attempt. Saaiman rolls out and gets top position. Saaiman takes the back and looks for a choke but they continue to scramble and Rodriguez gets the back of Saaiman. They scramble to their feet and Rodriguez ends up getting it back down and has the back. They roll and Saaiman attacks the leg but Rodriguez is landing from the top. Rodriguez gets the back and they stand and trade at the end. Close round. 10-9 Rodriguez, 19-19.

They’re trading to start the third. Rodriguez connecting more to start as he’s landing to the body. Saaiman tries a takedown and they scramble down then up. Rodriguez lands a snapping jab that backs Saaiman up. Rodriguez lands a body kick. They both continue to land in close range. They clinch and Rodriguez lands a knee then an elbow. Saaiman lands a knee but is getting out-landed by Rodriguez. They trade and Saaiman lands a knee. Rodriguez looks for a takedown but they scramble away. Rodriguez lands a combo with a big knee. Rodriguez lands some punches as Saaiman lands a body kick. Saaiman lands a spinning elbow. Saaiman lands a body kick. Very close fight. 10-9 Rodriguez, 29-28 Rodriguez.

Official Result- Christian Rodriguez def. Cameron Saaiman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Middleweights- Andre Petroski (10-1, 5-0 UFC) vs. Michel Pereira (28-11 2 NC, 6-2 UFC)

Pereira lands a body kick. He drops Petroski with a right hand and starts landing from the top and the referee steps in and stops it. What a finish from Pereira!

Official Result- Michel Pereira def. Andre Petroski by TKO (punches) at 1:06 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- #13 Jonathan Martinez (18-4, 9-3 UFC) vs. #14 Adrian Yanez (16-4, 5-1 UFC)

Martinez lands a body kick. He lands a leg kick. He lands another leg kick. Yanez lands a right hand. Martinez lands another leg kick that drew a reaction from Yanez. They trade kicks. Martinez lands some more leg kicks that hurt Yanez. Yanez lands a combo but Martinez chops his leg again. Yanez lands to the body. Martinez lands a leg kick and Yanez falls to the mat. Yanez gets up and Martinez is continuing to punish the lead leg. Martinez lands again. 10-9 Martinez.

Martinez lands a groin strike and we have a timeout. Yanez starts landing and looks for a takedown. They trade in close range and Martinez lands a leg kick and Yanez falls down, but is ordered up. Martinez continues to land the leg kick. Martinez lands against the fence. They trade punches. Martinez lands another leg kick and Yanez goes down and it is stopped. Big win and finish from Martinez.

Official Result- Jonathan Martinez def. Adrian Yanez by TKO (leg kicks) at 2:26 of Round 2

> Women’s Flyweights- #9 Jennifer Maia (21-9-1, 6-5 UFC) vs. #11 Viviane Araujo (11-5, 5-4 UFC)

Maia lands a pair of jabs. Maia lands a quick uppercut. They trade inside the pocket and both land some big punches. They trade and Araujo lands a nice left hook. They briefly clinch up and Araujo lands on the break. Maia lands a leg kick. Maia lands a nice combination. Araujo lands an uppercut and Maia fires back with a right hand. Maia tries a takedown but ends up landing some punches and a front kick. Araujo shoots for a takedown against the fence. Maia lands a hammerfist and some elbows to defend. 10-9 Maia.

Araujo lands a combination. Araujo gets a takedown and is in side control. She lands before they scramble and Araujo still has the back. Araujo drags it back down and has the back with one hook in. Araujo in complete control from the back. Maia is defending the choke as Araujo lands some left hands. Araujo gets the body triangle in and is working for a choke but lets go near the end of the round. 10-9 Araujo, 19-19.

Maia lands a right hand. Araujo lands a right hand. Araujo looks for a takedown but Maia defends and Maia lands a right hand. Maia lands a right hand. Maia throwing and landing as Araujo is playing defense. Araujo looks for a takedown against the fence. Maia is defending landing elbows as Araujo is holding on. They separate and both land punches. Maia gets a takedown. They briefly get up and Maia drags it back down but they stand up. Maia has control as they’re on the feet. They go back to the mat and Maia looks for an armbar but Araujo escapes and is on top. Araujo lands to end the fight. 10-9 Maia, 29-28 Maia.

Official Result- Viviane Araujo def. Jennifer Maia by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Featherweights- #11 Sodiq Yusuff (13-2, 6-1 UFC) vs. #13 Edson Barboza (23-11, 17-11 UFC)

Yusuff lands a right hand and Barboza fires back with a jumping knee. They’re trading and Yusuff lands a right hand and then a big left and drops Barboza with a punch. Yusuff landing but Barboza gets to his feet. Yusuff lands a big right hand and Barboza is retreating. Yusuff doing a lot of damage. They tie up against the fence and Yusuff gets a takedown and lands some elbows from the top. Barboza tries to attack a leg but Yusuff escapes and ends up back inside the guard of Barboza. The pace has slowed now. Yusuff ends the fight on top. 10-8 Yusuff.

Barboza lands a leg kick after they have an opening exchange. Yusuff pushes it against the fence but they separate. They trade kicks. They clinch against the fence and start trading knees. Barboza lands a right hand. Yusuff landing with more volume here. Barboza lands a spin kick to the body. Barboza landing to the body. He lands to the body again. Barboza lands a leg kick. Barboza started to come back in that round. 10-9 Barboza, 19-18 Barboza.

They trade before clinching against the fence. Barboza lands a body kick and Yusuff lands a right hand. They clinch back again but quickly separate. Brief timeout for a groin strike. Yusuff lands a right hand. Yusuff lands a leg kick. Yusuff lands a jab. Barboza with a spin kick to the body. Barboza lands to the body then the head. They trade leg kicks. Barboza lands a right hand. Barboza drops Yusuff with a spinning wheel kick and then grabs the neck as Yusuff was shooting for a leg. Barboza now landing left hands. He has the back as they stand. Yusuff is able to survive. 10-9 Barboza, 28-28.

Barboza landing the jab. They clinch against the fence. They separate. They trade punches and Barboza is the one pressuring. Barboza lands a right hand. Yusuff lands a leg kick. They clinch and both land as they’re tied up. Barboza lands a knee. He lands another before they separate. Barboza lands a heavy leg kick after they trade jabs. They trade jabs. Barboza lands a body kick. Barboza lands to the body then the head. 10-9 Barboza, 38-37 Barboza.

They trade jabs and Barboza lands a body kick. Barboza lands a right hand. They clinch and Barboza lands a knee. They separate and Barboza lands some body shots. Barboza lands a spin kick. They trade jabs and Barboza lands a body kick. Barboza with a left hook. Yusuff lands a left hand. Yusuff lands another left hook. They trade jabs. Barboza lands a combo and is pressuring. They trade and clinch. Barboza gets a takedown. He has the back as they stand and now the body lock against the fence. Yusuff lands a few soft knees. Barboza gets it down and has the back as they scramble up. Barboza with one last late takedown. Great fight. 10-9 Barboza, 48-46 Barboza.

Official Result- Edson Barboza def. Sodiq Yusuff by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-46, 48-46)

UFC on ESPN 30 live results: Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC on ESPN 30: Barboza vs. Chikadze, emanating from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Octagon closes out the month of August back in the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, with an exciting featherweight main event and the conclusion of season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter with two new TUF winners being crowned.

In the main event, exciting featherweight strikers Edson Barboza and Giga Chikadze will square off in a highly-anticipated bout. Barboza enters the fight riding a two-fight win streak following a third-round knockout of Shane Burgos in May, while Chikadze has won eight straight and is coming off a first-round TKO finish of Cub Swanson in May.

In the two TUF 29 finale bouts, Bryan Battle will take on Gilbert Urbina in the middleweight finals. Urbina replaces original finalist Tresean Gore, who was forced out due to a knee injury. In the bantamweight finals, Ricky Turcious will battle Brady Hiestand. The two winners will earn the standard six-figure contracts with the UFC.

Also on the main card is the return of Kevin Lee, as he moves up to the welterweight division to take on short-notice replacement Daniel Rodriguez, and a middleweight bout between Makhmud Muradov and Gerald Meerschaert.

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.

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> Mana Martinez (8-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Guido Cannetti (8-5, 2-4 UFC)
Bantamweights* (Martinez missed weight by 4 pounds)

Cannetti with a high kick. Cannetti with a leg kick. He lands a body kick then another leg kick. Cannetti lands some more leg kicks. Martinez lands some shots to the head and body. Martinez with a flurry against the fence and is teeing off and Cannetti fires back. Martinez lands a nice left hand against the fence and drops down and gets a takedown. Cannetti reverses to the top and is in the guard of Martinez. Cannetti passes to his feet and lands a couple of hammerfists then Martinez stands and eats a left hand from Cannetti. Cannetti with a leg kick. Martinez has a cut opened up. They trade leg kicks. Cannetti with more leg kicks. Cannetti with a body kick then a leg kick. Cannetti with a hard leg kick late. 10-9 Cannetti.

Cannetti throws a leg kick and Martinez lands a counter left hand. Cannetti with another leg kick. They trade kicks. Martinez with a high body kick. Cannetti lands a left hand but eats a counter combination from Martinez. Cannetti with a leg kick. Martinez with a body kick. Martinez with a leg kick. Cannetti with a hard leg kick. Martinez with a right hook to the body. Martinez lands a left hand and then follows it with a combo to the body and head. Cannetti with some leg kicks and Martinez lands a left hand that makes Cannetti slip up. Martinez with a nice combo but Cannetti slips under a punch attempt. Cannetti with a leg kick. They trade late. 10-9 Martinez, 19-19.

Cannetti with a kick but Martinez catches it though he lets go. Cannetti with a leg kick. Martinez with a combo against the fence. Cannetti with a high kick. Martinez with a leg kick. Martinez with a combo to the body. Martinez lands a right hand. Cannetti lands the jab. Martinez lands a left hand. Cannetti lands a left hand. Martinez with a body kick. Martinez with an uppercut to the the elbow and lands a combo against the fence. Cannetti lands a left hand. Martinez gets a takedown next to the fence and is in side control. Martinez gets on top and is landing some nice left hands. Cannetti gets Martinez in his guard. Martinez stands and lands a combo late. 10-9 Martinez, 29-28 Martinez.

Official Result- Mana Martinez def. Guido Cannetti by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Jamall Emmers (18-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Pat Sabatini (14-3, 1-0 UFC)
Featherweights

Emmers with a leg kick. We have a groin strike and a timeout but get back to action. Emmers lands a left hook as Sabatini’s legs buckled and they go to the mat and Emmers gets on top and then takes the back but moves back to mount. Sabatini looking for the leg from the bottom and almost has a heel hook in. Emmers looking for a toehold. Sabatini has a heel hook locked in and Emmers taps and screams out in pain. Wow, what a finish by Sabatini.

Official Result- Pat Sabatini def. Jamall Emmers by submission (heel hook) at 1:53 of Round 1

> JJ Aldrich (9-4, 5-3 UFC) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (6-3, 0-0 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

Demopoulos with a leg kick and eats a left hand from Aldrich. Aldrich gets a big takedown after ducking under a Demopoulos punch and is in the guard. Aldrich staying on top but neither doing a lot of work on the ground. Aldrich now landing punches from the top and some good ones got through. They get to their feet. Aldrich lands a left hand. Demopoulos chases a takedown but Aldrich slips away. They tie up and Demopoulos with some knees late. 10-9 Aldrich.

Demopoulos throws some punches and tries for a takedown but Aldrich defends. Demopoulos with a combo. She lands a knee then an elbow. Demopoulos with a leg kick and Aldrich lands a left hand. Demopoulos with a combo. Demopoulos with a leg kick. Aldrich lands the jab. Aldrich lands a nice left hand. They both miss in close and Aldrich lands a right hook. They clinch for a moment but break and Aldrich lands a couple of left hands. They clinch again and Aldrich lands on the break again. Demopoulos lands a couple of body kicks. Aldrich hurts Demopoulos with a punch and rushes in trying to land. Aldrich with a body kick then a combo. 10-9 Aldrich, 20-18 Aldrich.

Aldrich lands a left hand. Demopoulos tries for a takedown against the fence. Aldrich with short slaps against the fence. They break. Demopoulos goes for a leg looking for a takedown but Aldrich lands some hammerfists and then more punches from the top. Aldrich with left hands from the top. Aldrich with some more left hands and they get to their feet. Aldrich lands a left hand. Aldrich lands another left hand. Demopoulos lands a right hand and goes for a takedown. Demopoulos with a knee. They break and Aldrich with a high kick. Demopoulos lands a combo but eats a counter right hook from Aldrich. Aldrich with a head kick. Demopoulos tries a takedown and pushes it against the fence. They trade knees before breaking and both land at the end. 10-9 Aldrich, 30-27 Aldrich.

Official Result- JJ Aldrich def. Vanessa Demopoulos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Dustin Jacoby (14-5-1, 2-2-1 UFC) vs. Darren Stewart (12-7 2 NC, 5-6 2 NC UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Jacoby with a head kick and Stewart grabs him and takes him down but they get up. Stewart with a knee and they remain tied up. Jacoby lands a knee and Stewart gets another takedown. They get up and Stewart with a knee. They tie up and Jacoby pushes Stewart to the fence but they break and Jacoby with a combo. They trade jabs. Jacoby working the jab. Stewart lands a right hand. They trade right hands and Jacoby lands some big punches. Jacoby teeing off against the fence as he lands a knee and some punches. Both are swinging and Jacoby landing big punches and Stewart starts to stumble and the fight is stopped. What a finish by Jacoby.

Official Result- Dustin Jacoby def. Darren Stewart by TKO (punches) at 3:04 of Round 1

> Sam Alvey (33-15-1 1 NC, 10-10-1 UFC) vs. Wellington Turman (16-5, 1-3 UFC)
Middleweights

Turman with a soft leg kick. Turman lands a left hook and goes for a takedown. Alvey defends and Turman has the back standing. Alvey defending the hard takedown attempt from Turman. Alvey lands some right hands as they break. Turman with a leg kick then a spin kick. Alvey lands a combo. Turman with a leg kick. Alvey with a left hand and we have a timeout for an eye poke by Turman. They get back to action and Turman with a right hand. Turman tries a takedown but Alvey defends and they clinch against the fence. Turman lands a knee. They break. Turman tries a spinning elbow and they tie up and Alvey has a cut below the eye. Alvey lands some punches and Turman gets a brief takedown. He gets another brief one at the end. 10-9 Turman.

Turman lands a right hand. He lands a body kick. Turman lands a spinning back fist. We have a groin strike and a timeout. They get back to action and Turman goes for a takedown. Alvey lands some elbows to the side of the head and Turman takes the back standing. They break and Alvey with a combo. Alvey lands an uppercut. Alvey lands as Turman throws a spin kick. They trade punches. They trade again. They tie up again but break. Alvey lands as Turman comes forward. They trade late and Alvey with a flurry late. Weird round to score. 10-9 Turman, 20-18 Turman.

Alvey with a left hand. Turman with a leg kick. They trade in close. Alvey with a right hand. Alvey landing more early in the third. Turman with a right hand to the body. Alvey lands a couple of jabs. Alvey with a right hand. They clinch up and Alvey lands a knee in better position. We have a timeout for another eye poke on Alvey by Turman. Turman has a point taken away. They get back to action. Turman with a right hand. Turman pokes Alvey in the eye again and has another point taken away. They get back to action and both are throwing. Turman lands and Alvey is hurt. Turman pushing forward and now Alvey lands a right hand. They clinch trade knees. They break and both land at the end. This will be a mess on the scorecards. 9-8 Alvey with the two points taken away, 28-27 Turman.

Official Result- Wellington Turman def. Sam Alvey by split decision (27-28, 28-27, 28-27)

> Alessio Di Chirico (13-5, 4-5 UFC) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-4, 4-4 UFC)
Middleweights

Alhassan backing Di Chirico up to the fence. Alhassan then throws a head kick that connects flush and Di Chirico goes down and is out. What a finish by Alhassan.

Official Result- Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Alessio Di Chircio by knockout (head kick) at :17 of Round 1

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> Makhmud Muradov (25-6, 3-0 UFC) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (31-14, 7-6 UFC)
Middleweights

Meerschaert comes forward and Muradov lands a couple of punches. We have a timeout for an eye poke on Muradov. They get back to action. Meerschaert lands a left and Muradov lands a hard right hand. Meerschaert tries a takedown and Muradov defends and they stand. Muradov with a flurry and a head kick. Muradov lands a right hand as Meerschaert shoots. Meerschaert with a leg kick. Muradov with a clipping head kick and then lands some punches. Muradov lands another right hand. Meerschaert goes for a shot from a mile away and Muradov slips away. Meerschaert with a leg kick. Meerschaert lands a left hand. He lands a left hand. They trade body kicks. We have a groin strike and a timeout. They get back to action. Meerschaert with a left hand. They trade punches and Meerschaert with a head kick. Muradov lands a right hand that wobbles Meerschaert. Meerschaert then lands a big left hand. Meerschaert gets Muradov down and lands some punches from the back. Meerschaert ends the round there. 10-9 Muradov.

Muradov looking to land to start the second but misses. Meerschaert tries a head kick but Muradov blocks. Meerschaert shoots for a takedown but Muradov defends. They trade punches. They both land left hands. Meerschaert with a left hand and then another that has Muradov backing up. Meerschaert with a left hook and then gets a takedown and has the back. He’s looking for a rear-naked choke. He has it locked in and Muradov taps! What an upset by Meerschaert! He was the biggest underdog on the card tonight.

Official Result- Gerald Meerschaert def. Makhmud Muradov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:49 of Round 2

> Andre Petroski (5-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Michael Gillmore (6-3, 0-0 UFC)
Middleweights

Petroski comes forward and Gillmore lands a right hand. Petroski with a body kick. Gillmore with a leg kick. Petroski lands a right hook and then goes for a takedown against the fence. He picks Gillmore up and carries him and slams him down in the middle and is in side control. Petroski trying to improve position and has corner mount. He lands a nice elbow. Petroski is landing big punches from the top. Gillmore giving up his back as they stand and Petroski takes him right back down. Petroski has back control and a hook in. He is looking for a rear-naked choke and has it across the chin but lets go. Gillmore tries to sneak out and lands an elbow. 10-9 Petroski.

Petroski lands a left hand. Gillmore with a leg kick. He throws high but misses. Petroski with another left hand. Gillmore lands a jab. Gillmore with a leg kick. Petroski with a body kick then a left hand. Gillmore lands a right hand as Petroski shoots for a takedown and Gillmore defends. Gillmore with an uppercut. Petroski with a high body kick. Gillmore with a leg kick. They trade punches. They trade punches that stun each other. Petroski gets a takedown. Petroski working from side control. He gets the mount at the end and lands punches. 10-9 Petroski, 20-18 Petroski.

Gillmore with a leg kick and Petroski gets a takedown. Petroski gets to the mount and is landing big punches. Petroski with big punches from the top and starts mixing in elbows and he gets the finish. Impressive performance from Petroski.

Official Result- Andre Petroski def. Michael Gillmore by TKO (strikes) at 3:12 of Round 3

> Kevin Lee (#11 LW, 18-6, 11-6 UFC) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (15-2, 5-1 UFC)
Welterweights

They trade kicks to start the fight. They trade kicks again. They trade punches. Rodriguez with a leg kick and Lee counters with a right hand. Lee with a high kick. They trade leg kicks. Lee lands an overhand right. Lee with a body kick and then goes for a takedown but Rodriguez defends. Rodriguez with an inside leg kick. Lee gets a takedown. Lee in the half-guard and landing punches. He ends the round on top. 10-9 Lee.

Lee with a right hand to the body and Rodriguez with a combo in return. Rodriguez with a high kick. Lee with a high kick. Rodriguez with a combo. Rodriguez with a leg kick. Lee gets a takedown and is in side control. Lee gets the back for a moment but Rodriguez reverses to the top. They get to their feet. They trade punches. Rodriguez with a leg kick. They trade and Rodriguez landing some leg kicks. Lee lands a few jabs. Rodriguez with a big leg kick and then rocks Lee with a left hand. Lee tries a desperation takedown and Rodriguez landing big punches to end the round. 10-9 Rodriguez, 19-19.

Rodriguez landing some leg kicks and the jab early in the third. They trade punches and Lee with a high kick. Rodriguez with more leg kicks. Lee tries a takedown but Rodriguez defends and lands a big left hand as they get to their feet. Lee with a body kick. Lee lands a couple of heavy low kicks and Rodriguez falls for a moment. Lee shoots for the takedown against the fence and gets it. Rodriguez with an elbow from the bottom. They get up and Lee grabs the back. They break. Rodriguez with a combo. They exchange in close range and Lee shoots for a takedown. Lee with a body kick. They trade punches. Rodriguez with a leg kick and they trade punches. They trade kicks and punches. They trade kicks. 10-9 Rodriguez, 29-28 Rodriguez.

Official Result- Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Lee by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Ricky Turcios (10-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Brady Hiestand (5-1, 0-0 UFC)
TUF 29 Bantamweight Finals

Turcois with a leg kick and they clinch up against the fence. They break and Hiestand being the aggressor. Hiestand gets a takedown right as Turcios tried to grab the fence to block. Hiestand gets on top and lands and then moves to side control. Turcios with a hammerfist from the bottom and they scramble up. Hiestand gets another takedown. Turcios tries for an armbar from the bottom but Hiestand escapes and they get to their feet. Hiestand tries a takedown but Turcios defends and has the back and lands some punches and is looking for a choke. Hiestand escapes and gets into the guard of Turcios. Turcios looking for an armbar but landing hammerfists from the bottom. They get to their feet and break. Turcios with a combo. They trade and Turcios with a leg kick. Turcios lands a nice right hand. Turcios with some knees as he has the Thai clinch. Turcios lands late. 10-9 Turcios.

They clinch up early on as Hiestand looks for a takedown. They break and Hiestand lands a couple of left hooks. Hiestand trying hard for a takedown and gets Turcios down but Turcios lands some elbows. They get to their feet and break. Hiestand lands a nice left hand. Turcios gets a takedown and gets the back and has both hooks in but is in high. Hiestand escapes and takes the back standing and gets a big takedown. They get to their feet and Turcios grabs the neck and jumps for a guillotine but Hiestand escapes to side control. They get to their feet and Hiestand lands more late. 10-9 Hiestand, 19-19.

Hiestand comes forward and Turcios lands a body kick. They trade and both are landing good. Turcios rocks Hiestand with a right hand and then drops him with another right hand but Hiestand gets up and gets a takedown. They get to their feet and Turcios lands some punches and then a knee that was just barely legal. Turcios pushes Hiestand to the fence. Turcios lands an elbow and they break. Hiestand with a head kick. Turcios landing as Hiestand tries for takedowns, but Turcios defending well. Turcios with a body kick. They trade late. 10-9 Turcious, 29-28 Turcios.

Official Result- Ricky Turcios def. Brady Hiestand by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) to win TUF 29 Bantamweight tournament

> Bryan Battle (5-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Gilbert Urbina (6-1, 0-0 UFC)
TUF 29 Middleweight Finals

They were trading early and Urbina hurts Battle with a punch and gets a takedown and lands from the top. Urbina looks for a choke but Battle escapes and they get to their feet. They trade and both land body kicks. They are both landing punches on the feet and clinch up. Battle did a lot of work to the body in the round. Urbina got the takedowns and had more control. Close round. 10-9 Urbina.

They trade to start the second and Battle with some body kicks. Urbina gets the back of Battle standing and looking for a takedown. He lands some elbows as they break. Battle lands a left hand. Urbina shoots for a takedown but Battle defends. Battle then scores a takedown. He gets the back of Battle and lands some hammerfists. Battle gets the rear-naked choke locked in and Urbina taps! Battle gets the submission win to win the TUF 29 middleweight finals.

Official Result- Bryan Battle def. Gilbert Urbina by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:15 of Round 2 to win the TUF 29 Middleweight tournament

> Edson Barboza (#9, 22-9, 16-9 UFC) vs. Giga Chikadze (#10, 13-2, 6-0 UFC)
Featherweights

Chikadze with a leg kick. Chikadze with another leg kick. Chikadze with a body kick then a leg kick. Barboza still looking for an opening and lands a leg kick. Chikadze has a head kick blocked but then lands a right hand. Chikadze with a jumping knee and then a left hand. Barboza with a leg kick. He lands another. Chikadze lands more kicks but Barboza is checking them. Chikadze with a spin kick. Chikadze lands a right hand. Chikadze rushes in but Barboza lands a right hand that backs him up. Barboza with a leg kick. Chikadze lands a leg kick and rushes forward as Barboza is retreating. Chikadze lands a left hand. He lands a hard body kick. 10-9 Chikadze.

Barboza with a body kick. Chikadze with a leg kick and Barboza with a right hand. Chikadze lands a left hand. They trade leg kicks. Chikadze lands to the body. Barboza with a hook to the body. Barboza with a head kick. Barboza doing more work to the body in the second. Chikadze slowing down a little. Barboza with a calf kick. They trade jabs. Chikadze lands a left hand. Barboza with a body kick. Barboza with a body kick. Barboza with a leg kick. Close round. 10-9 Barboza, 19-19.

Barboza lands the double jab. Barboza with a jab as Chikadze lands a leg kick. Chikadze with a knee to the body and then rocks Barboza with a punch. Chikadze chasing Barboza around the cage. Chikadze lands a right hand. He lands another and Barboza is wobbly. Barboza goes to the ground and Chikadze rushes and gets on top. Chikadze landing big punches from the top. Chikadze grabs the neck and looks for a guillotine and turns it into a D’Arce choke. Barboza gets out and they stand and Chikadze lands a right hand and Barboza falls down again and it is over. Chikadze with the big finish.

Official Result- Giga Chikadze def. Edson Barboza by TKO (punches) at 1:44 of Round 3

UFC Fight Night 128 live results: Barboza vs. Lee, Edgar vs. Swanson 2

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 128: Barboza vs. Lee, emanating from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The Octagon returns to New Jersey for the first time since 2014 with a fight card that has a lot of depth and a lot of intrigue.

The event is headlined by two men looking to get back into the title picture as Edson Barboza takes on Kevin Lee. Both men saw their win streaks ended in their previous bouts, and a return to the win column for either one keeps them in the hunt in the crowded lightweight picture. Lee comes into the fight having missed weight by one pound, and that could play a key different.

In the co-main event, former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar makes a questionable quick return to action, taking on Cub Swanson, in a rematch of a November 2014 bout won by Edgar. Also among the main card fights is undefeated bantamweight Brett Johns battling Aljamain Sterling, and long-time exciting UFC veteran Jim Miller fights in his home state against Dan Hooker.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

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

> Tony Martin (12-4, 4-4 UFC) vs. Keita Nakamura (33-8-2 1 NC, 4-5 UFC)
Welterweights

Both miss head kicks early. Nakamura lands a left hand. They trade jabs. Head kick from Martin glances, but he follows with a right hand and then drops Nakamura for a moment with another right hand. Martin lands another right hand. Martin with a left hook and then follows with a right hand. Nakamura just misses a left hand but lands a body kick. Martin then rocks Nakamura with another right hand. Nakamura scores a takedown but Martin has the neck. They ride out the round on the mat. 10-9 Martin.

They trade punches and Martin lands a right hand. There isn’t a whole lot of action going on in this fight. Martin lands a counter combo after Nakamura misses a left hand. Martin lands another right hand to the chin. They trade punches. Martin lands a jab. Nakamura can’t land anything. Martin with another right hand. They trade kicks and Martin cracks Nakamura with another right hand and then a head kick. Nakamura gets a late takedown but Martin has a guillotine locked in as the round ends. 10-9 Martin, 20-18 Martin.

Martin coming out after Nakamura with some right hands. Nakamura gets a takedown but Martin grabs the arm. They scramble on the mat and get to their feet. Martin lands another right hand. Martin lands a couple of left hooks. Martin with another right hand. Nakamura doing a whole lot of nothing. Nakamura gets a takedown but Martin reverses to the top and grabs the arm looking for a late submission but is unable to get it. 10-9 Martin, 30-27 Martin.

Official Result- Tony Martin def. Keita Nakamura by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Corey Anderson (#10, 9-4, 6-4 UFC) vs. Patrick Cummins (#11, 10-4, 6-4 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Anderson landing the jab early. Cummins works for a takedown against the fence. They trade punches. Anderson lands a right hand and has Cummins in trouble. Anderson with a knee. They are trading against the fence. Cummins is bleeding already. Cummins shoots in and eats a knee. Anderson with a big elbow and then an uppercut. Anderson lands a left. Cummins in a lot of trouble. Anderson lands a combo and grabs the leg of Cummins and gets a takedown. They get to their feet and break. Anderson with some body kicks. Anderson gets another takedown and has the back and is landing punches. They get to their feet. 10-9 Anderson.

They trade early. Cummins looking a lot stronger in the first minute but Anderson is still landing. They clinch and Anderson with some diry boxing before they break. Anderson lands a right hand. Anderson gets a big takedown. Anderson has the back but Cummins is able to get to his feet and shakes Anderson off. Anderson with a leg kick. Anderson with a left hand. Cummins is hanging on but Anderson firmly in control as he gets another takedown. Anderson gets the back. They get to their feet but Anderson with one last big takedown to end the round. 10-9 Anderson, 20-18 Anderson.

Anderson lands a left hand. Anderson gets another takedown and has the back again. They get to their feet but Anderson has a hold of Cummins and gets him back down. Anderson has back control again. They get to their feet for a moment before Anderson takes it back down. Anderson has the back and working for a choke but lets it go. They get to their feet but Anderson gets yet another takedown. He’s cruising to victory. Anderson with punches from the back. Anderson with a dominant win. 10-8 Anderson, 30-26 Anderson.

Official Result- Corey Anderson def. Patrick Cummins by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

> Siyar Bahadurzada (23-6-1, 3-2 UFC) vs. Luan Chagas (15-2-1, 1-1-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Bahadurzada with a leg kick. Chagas just misses a flying knee. They trade and Chagas goes for a kick but Bahadurzada grabs the leg and takes Chagas down. Bahadurzada in the full guard of Chagas and landing some punches from the top. Chagas is able to transition and take the back of Bahadurzada and is working for a choke. Chagas still working for it while looking for wrist control. They get to their feet but Chagas still has the back and drags the fight back down. Chagas has the back to end the round. 10-9 Chagas.

They trade punches to start the second round. Bahadurzada lands a hard uppercut. Chagas just misses a head kick. Bahadurzada landing with more volume in this round and he is hurting Chagas with body shots. Chagas is firing back. Bahadurzada then lands a vicious liver kick that sends Chagas to the ground and lands an uppercut as he’s going down and this fight is stopped. That was a vicious finish by Bahadurzada.

Official Result- Siyar Bahadurzada def. Luan Chagas by knockout (kick & punch) at 2:40 of Round 2

> Merab Dvalishvili (7-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Ricky Simon (12-1, 0-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

Dvalishvili with a spinning back kick and then a body punch followed by a right hand. He goes for another spin kick but misses and Simon grabs him but they break. They go to the mat but scramble to their feet. Dvalishvili with a head kick but Simon counters with a right hand. Dvalishvili with a quick combo. Dvalishvili then drops Simon with a big right hand. They get to their feet but Simon still in trouble. Dvalishvili chasing him around the Octagon and throwing punches. Simon is surviving. Dvalishvili grabs the back but unable to get a takedown as they break. They trade late. 10-9 Dvalishvili.

Dvalishvili lands a couple of punches. Simon misses a spinning back fist. Both are throwing punches but missing them. Dvalishvili grabs the single leg and gets Simon down for a moment but they get up as Simon shakes him off. Dvalishvili lands a left hand. Simon gets a takedown and is in the full guard and lands a couple of elbows. Simon gets the back but they scramble to their feet and break. Dvalishvili grabs the back and gets a brief takedown. They get to their feet and at the fence. Dvalishvili gets a brief late takedown. 10-9 Dvalishvili, 20-18 Dvalishvili.

Simon grabs the back of Dvalishvili and is working for a takedown against the fence. Dvalishvili spins out and they break. Dvalishvili lands a big right hand. Dvalishvili with a leg kick. Simon shoots for a takedown and gets it and is in half-guard. They scramble back to their feet. Dvalishvili continues to press the action and lands some punches. Dvalishvili with a combo and a head kick. Dvalishvili with a big takedown less than a minute left. Simon grabs the neck and has a guillotine locked in and has Dvalishvili in a lot of trouble. It is tight. Holy crap Dvalishvili survived almost a full minute in a deep guillotine and looked out at times. That was a crazy sequence. 10-9 Simon, 29-28 Dvalishvili.

Ok, this decision doesn’t make sense. The referee determined that Dvalishvili was out at the end of the fight and awarded the fight to Simon by TKO. I’ve never seen anything like this before.

Official Result- Ricky Simon def. Merab Dvalishvili by TKO at 5:00 of Round 3

> Ryan LaFlare (13-2, 6-2 UFC) vs. Alex Garcia (15-4, 5-3 UFC)
Welterweights

LaFlare with a body kick. Garcia just misses a big right hand. Garcia with a body kick. They are feeling each other out. They clinch against the fence. LaFlare gets a brief takedown. LaFlare with some knees to the body. They break. LaFlare with a body kick and they clinch again but Garcia escapes. Garcia with the double right hand. LaFlare trips Garcia up with an inside leg kick. Not much to the round. 10-9 LaFlare.

LaFlare gets a takedown inside the first minute of the round. Garcia able to scramble to the top but they get to their feet. Garcia gets a takedown but LaFlare has the neck. Garcia gets the back and lands a couple of punches. LaFlare is able to scramble out to his feet. Garcia gets another takedown but LaFlare ends up in the half-guard after a scramble. LaFlare looking to set up a choke but he’s not doing much else. LaFlare with some body punches from top. 10-9 LaFlare, 20-18 LaFlare.

Garcia lands a couple of punches. LaFlare tries a body kick but Garcia able to counter it into a takedown. Not much happens on the mat and the referee stands them up. LaFlare with a body kick. Garcia blocks a head kick from LaFlare. Garcia goes for a takedown but it is defended. They go to the mat and LaFlare has the back but nothing happening and they are stood up again. They trade late. Dull fight. 10-9 LaFlare, 30-27 LaFlare.

Official Result- Ryan LaFlare def. Alex Garcia by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Jim Miller (28-11 1 NC, 17-10 1 NC UFC) vs. Dan Hooker (15-7, 5-3 UFC)
Lightweights

They trade kicks. Hooker with some more kicks and lands a right hand. Miller with a leg kick. Miller lands a left hand. Hooker lands the jab. They trade big punches. Hooker with a leg kick. Miller grabs the leg of Hooker off a kick and gets a takedown. Miller working in Hooker’s full guard. They get to their feet. Hooker lands a right hand and then drops Miller with a big knee right to the jaw and finishes him off with one more punch on the mat. Big knockout win for Hooker as Miller was out.

Official Result- Dan Hooker def. Jim Miller by knockout (knee) at 3:00 of Round 1

They announced Matt Serra as the Pioneer Wing inductee into the 2018 UFC Hall Of Fame.

> Aljamain Sterling (#8, 14-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Brett Johns (#14, 15-0, 3-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

Sterling trying for some side kicks early. Sterling with a body kick. Johns lands a combo. Sterling with a leg kick. Sterling with an inside leg kick and they clinch. Sterling gets a takedown but they scramble and reverse and Sterling ends up on top against the fence. They get to their feet and Sterling with some knees to the body. They break the clinch. Sterling with a body kick. Sterling with another body kick. Johns gets a late takedown and Sterling has the neck as the round ends. 10-9 Sterling.

They trade kicks. Sterling lands a right hand. Johns lands a right hand. Johns lands a flying knee to the body. Johns working for a takedown. Sterling sprawls on the takedown and both look for an advantage on the mat. Sterling with a knee to the body. They break and Sterling lands a combo to the head and body. Sterling lands a lot of punches. Johns lands a punch as well. Johns with a left hand to the body. Sterling lands a combo and then scores a takedown. Sterling with body punches on the mat. They get back to their feet. They are broken up from the clinch. Sterling lands a left hand. Johns misses a spin kick. 10-9 Sterling, 20-18 Sterling.

Sterling with a body kick. Johns tries to land some punches but Sterling ducks under them all. Sterling with a couple of leg kicks. They are clinched with Sterling in control and he lands a knee to the body. Sterling takes the back. Johns reverses. Sterling still in control of the clinch. Sterling with some knees to the body. They are broken up by the referee. Sterling misses a spinning elbow and Johns misses a flying knee. Sterling grabs the single leg and works for a takedown but now controls the clinch. They break and Sterling grabs the back and gets a big takedown. Sterling works for the hooks. Big punches from the back by Sterling and this should wrap it up for him. 10-9 Sterling, 30-27 Sterling.

Official Result- Aljamain Sterling def. Brett Johns by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> David Branch (#8, 21-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Thiago Santos (#12, 17-5, 9-4 UFC)
Middleweights

Santos with a body kick. They trade punches. Santos with a leg kick. They trade kicks. Santos with another leg kick. Santos lands a left hand. Branch drops Santos with a right hand out of nowhere and then finishes him off with a couple of hammerfists on the mat. Big knockout win by Branch as the right hand connected clean.

Official Result- David Branch def. Thiago Santos by knockout (punches) at 2:30 of Round 1

> Justin Willis (6-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Chase Sherman (11-4, 2-3 UFC)
Heavyweights

They trade punches early. Sherman with a body kick and Willis counters with an uppercut. Willis lands a big left hand. Willis rocks Sherman with another left hand. Sherman catches his legs and lands a high kick. Sherman with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Willis is hurting Sherman when he lands. Willis drops Sherman with a big left hand and gets on top and lands some more punches looking to finish. Sherman ties him up on the mat. They get to their feet. Both men firing. Sherman with some leg kicks. They clinch and Willis lands an uppercut. They survive the round. 10-9 Willis.

Sherman with a body kick. Willis lands a right hand. Willis lands another big left hand. Sherman pokes Willis in the eye and we have a break. They get back to action. Willis lands another big left hand but Sherman is taking them well. Sherman with a front kick to the body and then a high kick. Sherman with a head kick but Willis pushes him to the mat in the process. Willis gets in the guard. Willis landing some punches from the top as Sherman is unable to get out from the bottom. Willis rides the round out on top. 10-9 Willis, 20-18 Willis.

They trade a little early before clinching. Sherman lands a knee followed by an elbow. Sherman lands a combo ending with a body kick. They clinch with Sherman in control against the fence. Sherman with an elbow. This fight has gotten ugly. They break. Willis lands a left hand. They clinch again and Willis in control. They break with thirty seconds left. Willis lands a combo. Sherman with a body kick. Sherman with an elbow late. 10-9 Sherman, 29-28 Willis.

Official Result- Justin Willis def. Chase Sherman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Frankie Edgar (#3, 22-6-1, 16-6-1 UFC) vs. Cub Swanson (#4, 24-8, 9-4 UFC)
Featherweights

They feel each other out early. They trade punches. Edgar misses a high kick. Edgar with a body kick. Swanson lands a left hand. Edgar with the double jab. Edgar lands a right hand. Edgar with a leg kick. Swanson lands a right hand. Edgar hurts Swanson with a right hand and goes for a takedown but it is defended. Edgar lands a left hook as they break. Edgar with a leg kick. Swanson lands a left hand. Edgar slips on a kick. They trade punches. Swanson with a leg kick followed by a spin kick. Close round. 10-9 Edgar.

They trade punches and Swanson lands a left hook. Edgar lands a right hand. Edgar with a combo ending with a right hand. Swanson with a left hand and Edgar fires back with a leg kick. Edgar with an inside leg kick followed by a head kick. Edgar with a right hand followed by a leg kick. Edgar goes for a takedown but it is defended. Edgar with a leg kick. Swanson lands a left hand. Edgar with a nice combo. They trade punches. Swanson lands a big right hand. Edgar is cut under his right eye. 10-9 Edgar, 20-18 Edgar.

They trade early. Edgar with a body kick. Swanson with a left hand. Edgar lands a left hand after breaking a brief clinch. Swanson lands a right hand. Edgar lands one of his own. Edgar lands another right hand. Swanson lands some body punches. Swanson with a right hand and just misses a head kick. Swanson defends a takedown attempt from Edgar. Swanson lands an elbow as Edgar comes in and follows with a left hook. Swanson lands a combo. Edgar fires back with a right hand. Swanson with a body kick. It goes the distance. 10-9 Swanson, 29-28 Edgar.

Official Result- Frankie Edgar def. Cub Swanson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Edson Barboza (#5, 19-5, 13-5 UFC) vs. Kevin Lee (#6, 16-3, 9-3 UFC)
157-pound Catchweights (*Lee missed weight by 1 pound)

They feel each other out and Lee scores a takedown against the fence. Lee gets into side control and now into the mount and lands some hammerfists. Lee back into the full guard of Barboza. Lee mounts Barboza again and lands a lot of big punches and Barboza is in trouble as they are against the fence. Lee with some big elbows. Barboza has a big welt under his right eye. Lee with more punches and elbows from the mount. Lee back into the half-guard. Hammerfists from the top by Lee. Barboza gets his guard back but still eating punches from Lee. Lee back into the mount and lands some big elbows. Lee with more punches to end the round. Dominant round by Lee. 10-8 Lee.

Lee with a head kick. Barboza shot for a takedown but missed it by a mile. They clinch but break. Lee lands a big body kick. Lee gets a big takedown against the fence. Lee in the full guard of Barboza. He lands a big right hand and then lands a few more. Lee back into the half-guard. He gets to the mount and lands some more big punches. Lee now takes the back for a moment. He lands some huge elbows. Right hands and hammerfists from Lee. This isn’t even competitive. Lee with more big elbows. This fight could be stopped at any time. Another dominant round for Lee. 10-8 Lee, 20-16 Lee.

Barboza with a body kick. Lee with a head kick. Lee shoots for a takedown but it is defended. Barboza with a spinnign wheel kick and Lee is in a lot of trouble as it connects and Lee looked out on his feet. Holy cow that was close. Lee recovered and cleared himself and got a takedown and is now on top. Lee lands a few punches but they get back to their feet. Barboza with a leg kick. Lee lands a couple of right hands that rock Barboza. Barboza with a front kick to the body. Lee with a huge body kick and Barboza returns with a leg kick. Barboza with a body kick. Lee with a head kick followed by a right hand. 10-9 Barboza, 29-26 Lee.

Lee with a right hand but Barboza fires back with a body kick and a huge left hand. Lee gets a takedown against the fence. It was getting crazy on the feet for a moment. The fans are booing this because they want to see them fight on the feet but Lee did what he needed to do because he is getting in trouble on the feet. Lee working in the guard of Barboza and is landing punches and elbows. Barboza has been unable to get up from the bottom. Lee gets in the full mount and is landing hammerfists. Lee with more punches from the top. Lee ends the round strong. 10-8 Lee, 39-34 Lee.

Barboza lands a right hand. They are trading on their feet. Lee with a combo and Barboza is cut open under his right eye. Barboza lands a left hook. Lee lands a right hand and goes for a takedown but it is defended. Lee pushes Barboza up against the fence. They break and we have a timeout for the doctor to check the huge cut on the eye of Barboza. The doctor has called off the fight due to the cut. It goes down as a TKO win for Lee in a fight he dominated for a huge portion of.

Official Result- Kevin Lee def. Edson Barboza by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 2:18 of Round 5

UFC on FOX Chicago live results: Holly Holm vs. Valentina Shevchenko

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to our live coverage of UFC on FOX 20: Holm vs. Shevchenko from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

This event is headlined by a five-round bout in the women’s bantamweight division as former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm takes on Valentina Shevchenko. In the co-main event, it is a pivotal lightweight bout as Edson Barboza takes on former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

– UFC On FOX 20 Observer Panel Predictions
– UFC On FOX 20 DFS Playbook

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 4:30 PM ET/1:30 PM PT)

HEAVYWEIGHTS
LUIS HENRIQUE (8-2 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) VS. DMITRY SMOLIAKOV (8-0, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Henrique misses a head kick. Smolyakov with a leg kick and then another. Henrique with a big punch and a knee that rocks Smolyakov and they clinch against the fence. Smolyakov with some punches in the clinch. They trade knees and Henrique lands one on the break. Smolyakov with a right hand and Henrique goes for a takedown but it is defended. Smolyakov with short punches in the clinch and some body punches. Smolyakov with a right hand. Henrique with a takedown attempt and he picks Smolyakov up and slams him. Henrique with some punches from the guard and then a big round of elbows. Henrique looking for a finish with some big punches and elbows. 10-9 Henrique.

ROUND 2- Smolyakov already looks gassed out. Henrique lands a left hand. Smolyakov with a leg kick and stuffs a takedown attempt from Henrique. Henrique looks for a high kick but eats a right hand as they clinch against the fence. Henrique working for the takedown. Smolyakov works for a takedown but Henrique sprawls and starts landing some punches. Henrique takes the back and landing some punches from the back. Henrique with more big punches and looking to finish. Smolyakov is doing nothing. Henrique with more punches. Smolyakov with a back elbow but still eating a lot of punches. Henrique with more punches as Smolyakov is doing nothing. Henrique has the choke in and Smolyakov instantly taps out. Henrique with the submission win.

Official Result- Luis Henrique def. Dmitry Smolyakov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:58 of Round 2

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a very poor fight and not a good showing for Dmitry Smolyakov. He doesn’t look like he is ready for the UFC and tapped out the moment he found himself in trouble on the ground. It’s only his first UFC bout but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is cut- it was that awful of a showing. Luis Henrique got the win but didn’t look like a viable threat in the division. He is just 22, so there is plenty of room for improvement.

FEATHERWEIGHTS
JIM ALERS (13-2 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) VS. JASON KNIGHT (13-2, 0-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- They trade punches to start. Alers lands a solid combo. Knight with an oblique kick. They trade again. Knight with another oblique kick. They trade right hands. Alers with a right hand and a left hand. Knight with a big leg kick that trips Alers up. Knight with a solid jab followed by a right hand and an oblique kick. Knight with some trash talk in the middle of the fight daring Alers to take him down. They trade punches and Knight is cut under the right eye. Leg kicks from Knight and then a high one. They trade and clinch but Knight shakes the clinch off. Alers with a leg kick. Knight with a leg kick but eats a right hand from Alers. Alers scores a big takedown. Knight scrambles to his feet. Alers with a jab. Knight with a leg kick but it is checked. Alers with a left hand. Knight with a good combo. Knight gets a big takedown but gets right back up and begs Alers to stand. Knight with a solid combo. Good round. 10-9 Knight.

ROUND 2- Knight with a leg kick. Alers with a big right hand and they scramble to the mat but back up after a second. Knight with a leg kick. Alers lands a big right hand countering a combo from Knight. Knight with another oblique kick. Alers lands a left hook. Knight with a body punch and then lands a left hand. Knight with another leg kick. Knight with a good combo. Alers with a jab to the body. Knight with more taunting during the round. Knight with a leg kick. Knight with more leg kicks. Alers is now cut above his right hand. Knight with more trash talk. They trade and Knight with a right hand and then some more and then a front kick. Knight with a big leg kick and then another. Alers isn’t checking leg kicks but scores a takedown. Alers in the guard and Knight looking for a gogoplata. Alers esacapes to his feet and lands a big right hand as he gets back in the guard. They get to their feet and Knight with a quick takedown and they scramble. Good round and fun fight. 10-9 Knight, 20-18 Knight.

ROUND 3- Alers comes out and hurts Knight right away with a right hand and instantly gets the takedown. Alers with some punches from the top but Knight is very active from the bottom. Alers gets to his feet and Knight is able to push off and gets to his feet. They scramble and finally separate. Knight with a leg kick. Alers looking very tired right now. Knight with a body punch. They trade punches and Knight with a leg kick. Knight with a right hand that cracks Alers. Knight with another oblique kick. Alers goes for a takedown but it is stuffed but he gets one and into side control. Alers into the guard and Knight working rubber guard. Both men scoring with strikes on the ground. Knight with short punches from the bottom. Knight uses the cage to scramble to his feet. Knight gets a quick takedown but back up as the fight ends. Great fight. 10-9 Alers, 29-28 Knight.

Official Result- Jason Knight def. Jim Alers by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Early contender for fight of the night. I’m not sure how you can give Alers two rounds so that is a bad scorecard in my eyes. Knight showed a lot of improvement compared to his first bout against Tatsuya Kawajiri. He can have some fun fights but will need to keep his emotions in check against tougher competition. Alers has just one win in four UFC bouts but with this entertaining bout he will see another fight in the Octagon in all likelihood. Alers has good skills but needs to work on conditioning, checking leg kicks as they did a lot to hurt him in this fight and not telegraphing his takedowns so much.

WELTERWEIGHTS
ALEX OLIVEIRA (14-3-1 1 NC, 3-2 UFC) VS. JAMES MOONTASRI (9-3, 2-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- They both try and land kicks but they miss. Oliveira went for a takedown but it was defended. They are clinched and Oliveira with short punches. They scramble but Oliveira presses Moontasri right back against the fence. Moontasri spins Oliveira around and lands a knee to the body. Oliveira with a knee that went low and we have a timeout. Moontasri is in a ton of pain. He is able to continue after taking time to recover. Moontasri with a leg kick. They are clinched against the fence and each land short punches. They trade knees. Moontasri with an elbow. Oliveira going deep for a takedown but can’t get it. Oliveira lands a knee. Moontasri with an elbow. They are still clinched and Oliveira with some uppercuts as the round ends. 10-9 Oliveira.

ROUND 2- Moontasri with a leg kick and then a high kick. Oliveira with the clinch against the fence. Oliveira going deep looking for a takedown and lands a low knee. Moontasri reverses position but Oliveira reverses back. Oliveira has the single leg. Oliveira with a knee to the body. They both miss uppercuts. Oliveira dropping down working hard for the takedown. Oliveira with the takedown and he steps over to half-guard. Moontasri trying to scramble but ends up getting almost mounted. Oliveira with punches from the top. Oliveira with more punches from the top. Moontasri has Oliveira in his closed full guard. Oliveira with a big right hand followed by hard elbows and punches from the top. Moontasri is tired. Oliveira with big punches to the body from the top. Oliveira with more punches as Moontasri scrambles. They get to their feet and Oliveira with a knee to the body. 10-8 Oliveira, 20-17 Oliveira.

ROUND 3- Moontasri with a high kick. Oliveira lands a right hand and Moontasri is able to counter with a right hand. Oliveira with a right hand and pressures Moontasri against the fence and scores the takedown. Oliveira with punches and elbows from the top. Oliveira in the full guard and lands a body punch. Oliveira with more smothering punches from the top control. Oliveira with body punches from the guard. Oliveira with more short punches from the top as he’s doing enough to keep the fight from being stood up. Oliveira with body punches. Oliveira with more punches to the body from the top. This is going to the judges. 10-9 Oliveira, 30-26 Oliveira.

Official Decision- Alex Oliveira def. James Moontasri by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Oliveira with a very dominant win over Moontasri in kind of a boring fight. He fought a smart fight in keeping the distance closed and using the clinch and takedowns to smother Moontasri. Moontasri is a distance striker but was never able to get a rhythm going on his feet, and he didn’t look like he ever fully recovered from the early low blow. He has some work to do in the clinch and on the ground and Oliveira really exposed his weaknesses. As for Oliveira, he has had some good showings in the UFC and this is his most complete win so far in six appearances.

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX- 6 PM ET/3 PM PT)

LIGHTWEIGHTS
MICHEL PRAZERES (19-2, 3-2 UFC) VS. J.C. COTTRELL (17-3, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- They trade leg kicks. Prazeres with a high kick. Prazeres ducks under a right hand and scores a takedown but Cottrell gets back to his feet. Cottrell with a right hand but Prazeres counters with a takedown. Prazeres tries to scramble to the back and Cottrell reverses and Prazeres is looking for an omaplata. Prazeres’ legs are really locked down on Cottrell’s arm. Cottrell tries to roll out and Prazeres uses the scramble to end up on top. Cottrell attacking the arm from the bottom. He lets go and Prazeres is in the half-guard. Prazeres looking to move to the mount. Cottrell with body punches from the bottom. Prazeres passes to side control. Prazeres does a good job at keeping Cottrell from scrambling out. 10-9 Prazeres.

ROUND 2- Prazeres with a leg kick. Cottrell tries to land a right hand but Prazeres ducks under and lands a takedown. Cottrell scrambles but gives up his back and Prazeres takes him down. They get to their feet but Prazeres still has the back and then lets go. Cottrell misses a body kick. Prazeres ducks under another punch and gets another takedown and has the back of Cottrell. They get to their feet but Prazeres still has the back. Prazeres with a big right hand on the break. Prazeres with a body kick. Prazeres with another takedown. Prazeres with some body shots in the guard of Cottrell. They get to their feet and Prazeres with a knee to the body. Cottrell stuffs a takedown attempt. Prazeres with a couple of leg kicks and then scores another takedown. They both land body punches as both look tired. 10-9 Prazeres, 20-18 Prazeres.

ROUND 3- Prazeres with a solid combination. Cottrell lands a right hand but Prazeres fires back his own right hand and then a head kick. Prazeres with a solid flush combo and then a body kick. Prazeres with punches to the body and head and then a body kick and he goes right into a takedown. They scramble to their feet and Prazeres has the back. They break. Prazeres with a combo to the body and then clunches against the fence. Cottrell is very tired. Prazeres with a combo and then ties up with Cottrell. They trade punches and Prazeres with a right hand. Prazeres with another brief takedown. Prazeres with a right hand. Prazeres with a left hand and then an overhand right. Cottrell with a low blow but there are ten seconds left. 10-9 Prazeres, 30-27 Prazeres.

Official Result- Michel Prazeres def. JC Cottrell by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was an uneventful fight. Cottrell took the fight on short notice and it really showed as he got tired early. Prazeres is physically imposing at 155 pounds with a large, muscular frame, but he played it completely safe in this fight. When he had Cottrell in trouble, he wasn’t looking for a finish but instead went for takedowns. He was getting them all, and it made him tired, and while he dominated the fight, it didn’t show much in the case of overall ability. He can get the takedowns, but against a good wrestler, he’s gonna need to rely on the striking, and his gameplans are gonna hurt him against better competition.

WELTERWEIGHTS
KAMARU USMAN (7-1, 2-0 UFC) VS. ALEXANDER YAKOVLEV (23-6-1, 2-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- They clinch right away against the fence. Usman with short punches. Yakovlev with a knee. Usman with a brief takedown and gets another. Usman with punches from the top. Usman gets Yakovlev back down and he is warned multiple times about grabbing the fence. John McCarthy takes a point away as he did give Yakovlev multiple warnings and he did grab the fence about three times. Yakovlev gets to his feet but Usman still has the body locked. Usman with knees. Usman with another takedown and Yakovlev is grabbing both fence and Usman’s shorts again. Usman drags Yakovlev down and is in side control. Usman back in the full guard of Yakovlev and lands an elbow. Usman controlled the round and wins big with the point deduction. 10-8 Usman.

ROUND 2- Yakovlev with a leg kick and Usman with a right hand. Yakovlev with a body kick. He lands another. Usman with a right hand to the body. Yakovlev with another hard body kick. Yakovlev with a knee to the body. They clinch and Usman deep in for a takedown. Usman gets the takedown and is in the half-guard. Usman with body punches from the top. Usman with more big punches from the top. He is doing enough to keep the fight on the mat. Yakovlev attempts to scramble as Usman made a mistake in stepping over and Yakovlev looking for a leglock. Usman escapes and is in the north-south position. Usman with elbows to the body. Usman with more punches to the body. 10-9 Usman, 20-17 Usman.

ROUND 3- Yakovlev misses a knee and Usman closes for a takedown. Usman with body punches as he has the back. Usman steps over into the half-guard. Usman with body punches. Yakovlev trying to scramble out from the bottom. They get to their feet and Usman gets another takedown and is in full mount. Usman with punches from the top. Usman with elbows looking for the finish in the full mount. Usman with more elbows from the top. Yakovlev rolls and gives up his back. Usman with a knee to the body. Usman has the back. Yakovlev got to his feet and grabbed the fence again. Usman with some knees to the legs and drags Yakovlev to the ground and gets into the mount. Yakovlev with a cut under the eye. Usman with punches and elbows from the top. Yakovlev survived the fight but this was complete domination. 10-8 Usman, 30-25 Usman.

Official Result- Kamaru Usman def. Alexander Yakovlev by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a completely dominant performance from Kamaru Usman. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that exciting. Yakovlev had nothing for him on the mat and couldn’t avoid the takedowns if his life depended on it. Yakovlev’s best defense on the mat was grabbing the fence and he could’ve had more than just one point taken away. A complete nothing performance from Yakovlev, and he could be cut after this. Usman looks like he’s going to be a real solid threat at 170 pounds, and his wrestling is very strong. This was a strong win for him.

FEATHERWEIGHTS
(#11) DARREN ELKINS (20-5, 10-4 UFC) VS. GODOFREDO PEPEY (12-3, 4-3 UFC)

ROUND 1- Pepey with a spinning back kick and then a spinning back fist to start and he stuns Elkins. Pepey with a knee in the clinch and they break. Pepey with a high kick and Elkins is able to counter with a takedown and is in the guard. Pepey looking for a kimura and Pepey reverses to full mount. They scramble and Pepey pins Elkins down and is on top. Pepey with a big right hand. Pepey passes to half-guard and they scramble to their feet. Elkins looking for a takedown against the fence and gets it and lands an elbow on the way down. They trade punches on the ground. Pepey attacking from the bottom by throwing up the legs. Elkins with body punches from the full guard. Pepey looking to attack with his legs again. Elkins with some hammerfists from the top. Elkins with short elbows and Pepey is able to scramble to his feet. Elkins picks Pepey up and Pepey looking for a kimura as he has the arm of Elkins. Elkins back in the full guard. Good round of action. 10-9 Elkins.

ROUND 2- Pepey with a spin kick and he goes to the mat and Elkins chases him down. Pepey has the leg and is looking for a kneebar and Elkins is scrambling to escape. Pepey with some hard elbows from the bottom. They scramble to their feet and Pepey lands an illegal knee. Elkins was clearly down and that was clear as day. Pepey landed a right hand after as well. Herb Dean deducts a point from Pepey. Elkins is bleeding. Pepey with a right hand. Elkins ducks under a right hand from Pepey and gets a takedown. Elkins with some body punches from the bottom and blocking Pepey’s offensive attempts. Hard elbows from the bottom by Pepey. Elkins with some hammerfists from the top and then goes with the elbows. 10-8 Elkins, 20-17 Elkins.

ROUND 3- Elkins with a big body kick to start the third round. Elkins with another high kick. Pepey with a body kick and Elkins gets the body and Pepey pulls guard. That was a dumb move by him. Pepey with a punch from the bottom. Elkins with some elbows from the top. Elkins with some more ground and pound. Pepey pushes Elkins off but Elkins gets right back into the half-guard. Pepey separates and they get to their feet. Pepey misses a jumping knee and pulls guard and Elkins back on top. Elkins with more hard elbows from the top. Elkins with a big right hand from the top. Elkins mixing it up with strikes to the body and head. Pepey with small punches from the bottom but doing nothing to escape. Pepey tries to push off but Elkins is relentless from the top. Elkins with more big strikes from the top as the fight ends. 10-9 Elkins, 30-26 Elkins.

Official Result- Darren Elkins def. Godofredo Pepey by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was your standard smothering performance from Elkins. He looked as good as usual and Pepey gave him a fight. Unfortunately for Pepey, he made a lot of mistakes. Not only was the blatant knee that led to a point deduction a head-scratcher, so was him pulling guard multiple times and allowing Elkins’ suffocating top game to take over. Pepey hasn’t fought in a long time but is not ready for the level of Elkins. Elkins just keeps grinding along.

BANTAMWEIGHTS
(#12) FRANKIE SAENZ (11-3, 3-1 UFC) VS. (#15) EDDIE WINELAND (21-11-1, 3-5 UFC)

ROUND 1- Saenz with a couple of leg kicks to start. Saenz with another leg kick. Wineland with a quick takedown but they scramble right back up. Wineland with a right hand. Saenz with a leg kick. They trade punches. Saenz with a leg kick and lands a right hand after. Wineland drops Saenz with a right hand and he has him in trouble. Saenz recovers but gets tagged by Wineland again. Saenz lands an uppercut. Saenz gets a takedown. Saenz with some body punches on the ground. Wineland with an elbow from the bottom. Saenz with an elbow from the top. Wineland scrambles and gives up his back. Saenz drags him down. Saenz is cut pretty big at the top of his head. Saenz just holds position as the round ends. 10-9 Wineland.

ROUND 2- Saenz with a low kick and we have a timeout as it got the wrong part of Wineland. Back to action and they trade kicks. Wineland just misses an uppercut. Saenz lands a right hand after Wineland lands a right hand to the body. They trade right hands. Saenz with a right hand. They each land and Wineland with some solid punches. Saenz with an inside leg kick and it went low. We have a brief timeout as Wineland says it wasn’t that bad. Saenz lands a right hand but Wineland counters with a combo. Saenz misses a spinning back fist and eats a combo from Wineland. Wineland stops a takedown from Saenz. Saenz with a knee to the body and then a leg kick. Wineland lands an uppercut. Wineland clips Saenz with a right hand and he goes down for a moment. 10-9 Saenz, 19-19.

ROUND 3- This is a close fight. Saenz with a leg kick after they trade punches. Wineland lands a right hand. Wineland ducks under a Saenz punch and lands a right hand to the body. Saenz with an inside leg kick. He goes for a takedown but Wineland throws him back off. Wineland with a big right hand that drops Saenz and Saenz is in big trouble. Saenz to his feet and Wineland with more big punches and it is stopped! Big TKO win for Wineland in the third.

Official Result- Eddie Wineland def. Frankie Saenz by TKO (punches) at 1:54 of Round 3

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a very solid fight and Wineland looked solid for being out for the last year. He dropped Saenz multiple times and connected clean in the third and finished Saenz when he had him in trouble. Saenz was unable to find openings against the unique style of Wineland but it was a close fight until the finish. Both men are still solid top-15 fighters in the division.

MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS
FELICE HERRIG (10-6, 1-1 UFC) VS. KAILIN CURRAN (4-2, 1-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- Herrig with a body kick. Herrig with a left hand. Herrig with a combo and a body kick. Herrig with another body kick. Curran tags Herrig but Herrig takes the fight to the mat. Herrig gets the back and has a rear-naked choke locked in and Curran is fighting it off. It is still in but Curran trying to survive. Curran taps! Herrig with the submission win in the first round.

Official Result- Felice Herrig def. Kailin Curran by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:59 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This fight went quick but Herrig looked like the veteran she is and Curran looked a little cautious and nervous out there. Herrig has been out of action for well over a year due to a lot of personal and mental issues but the layoff didn’t seem to effect her here. Curran is just now 1-3 in the UFC, and while she has loads of potential, she may be on the chopping block. That may be a good thing for her since she had only three pro bouts before coming to the UFC, and some more experience against lesser competition may be the best for her.

HEAVYWEIGHTS
FRANCIS NGANNOU (7-1, 2-0 UFC) VS. BOJAN MIHAJLOVIC (10-3, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Ngannou is a specimen to be seen. I hope he’s not USADA’s next victim. Mihajlovic misses a right hand. Ngannou with a left hand that drops him. Ngannou with big punches from the top and this fight is quickly stopped. Mihajlovic is upset but this was a mauling that went quick.

Official Result- Francis Ngannou def. Bojan Mihajlovic by TKO (punches) at 1:34 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- That went how it was supposed to go. Ngannou is a big, scary dude at heavyweight and with tons of power. He made a bold statement that he will be champion in his post-fight interview. Mihajlovic was just a sacrificial lamb giving up five inches in height, 31 pounds and ten inches in reach. Ngannou can be a legitimate contender but needs to fight someone who has been around in the UFC for a while in his next fight. Mihajlovic may be one and done in the UFC. He is definitely too small for heavyweight and would get crushed by a lot of light heavyweights as well.

LIGHTWEIGHTS
(#6) EDSON BARBOZA (17-4, 11-4 UFC) VS. GILBERT MELENDEZ (22-5, 1-3 UFC)

ROUND 1- Melendez lands a right hand. Barboza with two leg kicks and Melendez with two right hands. Melendez with a combo. Melendez goes for a takedown but it is defended and he lands a right hand. Melendez fakes a takedown and throws Barboza’s footwork off track. They trade and Melendez lands a left hand. Barboza goes for a kick but Melendez catches it and chases him to the fence and lands a knee. Barboza with two heavy leg kicks. Barboza with a spinning back kick to the body. They trade punches. Melendez lands a nice combo and a solid left hook. Barboza with a left uppercut. Barboza with a body kick. They exchange punches and Barboza with a right hand. Melendez with a right hand. Barboza with a flying knee to the body. 10-9 Barboza.

ROUND 2- They trade wild punches to start the second round. Melendez just misses a right hand as he tries to close the distance. Melendez with some right hands. Melendez goes for a takedown but Barboza throws him off and Barboza with some leg kicks from the standing position. Barboza with a leg kick. Barboza with another leg kick and Melendez goes down and eats a right hand on the way back to his feet. Barboza with another leg kick. Barboza with a switch kick to the body and then a leg kick and then one back to the high body. Melendez stuns Barboza with a right hand. They are firing away. Melendez had Barboza in trouble there. Barboza has slowed down but lands a leg kick. Melendez with a body kick but Barboza catches the leg and gets a takedown. Both men landing on the ground in an exciting end to the round. 10-9 Barboza, 20-18 Barboza.

ROUND 3- Barboza with two leg kicks. Another big leg kick from Barboza forces Melendez to switch stances. Barboza with a left hook and another leg kick. Barboza with another leg kick. Melendez misses a right hand. Barboza with more leg kicks. Melendez misses a right hand and eats another leg kick from Melendez. Barboza with another leg kick. Melendez shoots for a takedown but easily defended by Barboza. Barboza with more leg kicks but Melendez checked one. Melendez just misses a right hand. Barboza misses a leg kick. Melendez with a right hand. Great performance from Barboza. 10-9 Barboza, 30-27 Barboza.

Official Result- Edson Barboza def. Gilbert Melendez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Another great showing from Barboza, who keeps improving every time he’s inside the Octagon. He went to his bread and butter, the leg kicks, and Melendez paid for it. Barboza is technically great, but there are still some signs that he leaves himself open for trouble. Melendez dropped him once and didn’t capitalize on it, and by going for the takedown instead of attacking Barboza more on the feet, likely cost him the second round and could’ve changed how he fought in the third. Barboza is in an interesting position now as his teammate is Eddie Alvarez, the lightweight champion, but Barboza is definitely creeping up in the title discussion.

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS
(#2) HOLLY HOLM (10-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. (#7) VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO (12-2, 1-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- Both faked leg kicks to keep the distance in the opening minute. They trade leg kicks. They trade leg kicks again. Shevchenko with a left hand. Holm drops Shevchenko with a left hand and lands a high kick as Shevchenko got up. Shevchenko with an inside leg kick. Shevchenko lands a right hook and Holm lands a side kick. Holm misses a head kick. Shevchenko lands a right hand. They each land kicks. They clinch and Shevchenko with a takedown. Holm right back up. Holm with knees in the clinch. Holm with short knees as she has Shevchenko pressed against the fence. They break. 10-9 Holm.

ROUND 2- Shevchenko with a leg kick. They trade kicks. Shevchenko misses an axe kick. Holm just misses a side kick. Shevchenko with a leg kick. The pace is slow this round. Shevchenko with the clinch looking for a takedown but Holm turns her around. They break and Holm stumbles. Shevchenko with a right hook. Shevchenko with a spinning back fist that Holm blocks. Holm with a side kick to the body. Holm lands a right hand but Shevchenko counters with a left hand. Shevchenko with an inside leg kick. They trade punches. Shevchenko with a left hand. Holm lands a right hand as Shevchenko stumbles. Holm with a leg kick and Shevchenko misses a spinning back fist but lands a leg kick. 10-9 Shevchenko, 19-19.

ROUND 3- Shevchenko with a leg kick. Shevchenko with a right hook. Shevchenko just misses the spinning back fist. She is trying to time it. Shevchenko with a leg kick and then a side kick. Holm misses a head kick. Holm with a right hook. Shevchenko lands a right hand and then a jab. Holm tries a leg kick and Shevchenko catches it and takes her down. They scramble up and Holm puts Shevchenko against the fence. Holm is cut above her right eye. They scramble and Shevchenko with another takedown. Shevchenko in the half-guard. Shevchenko lands a couple short punches and then a knee to the body but not very active otherwise. Crowd booing big time hoping for a standup. Shevchenko lands some elbows from the top. 10-9 Shevchenko, 29-28 Shevchenko.

ROUND 4- Holm with a right hand and Shevchenko with a high kick. They trade kicks. They both miss kicks. Holm just misses a side kick. Shevchenko lands a combo. Shevchenko with a wheel kick. Holm with a leg kick. They trade kicks. Shevchenko with a combo. Shevchenko with a leg kick. They clinch for a moment and Holm with a body kick on the break. Holm lands a left hand. Shevchenko with a combo and a leg kick. Shevchenko with a combo. Not much happened this round. 10-9 Shevchenko, 39-37 Shevchenko.

ROUND 5- Shevchenko lands a right hand. Shevchenko with a Superman punch. Shevchenko lands a combo. Holm lands a right hand. Holm with a leg kick. Shevchenko with an inside leg kick and then a wheel kick that lands and then a counter right hook. They trade leg kicks. Shevchenko lands a right hand and then a left hand. Holm with a leg kick. Holm with a body kick. They trade punches and Holm lands a side kick. Shevchenko lands a right hand and then a jab. Holm getting aggressive at the end and lands a right hand. Shevchenko misses the spinning back fist. Shevchenko lands a combo. 10-9 Shevchenko, 49-46 Shevchenko.

Official Result- Valentina Shevchenko def. Holly Holm by unnaimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- With this result, you really have to question even more the booking decisions made in this division. There was lots of money thrown away by not going with the Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm rematch, and now neither are champion and Holm is no longer in title contention. As for this fight, it was clear that Holm couldn’t get going because she works best as a counterstriker, and Shevchenko fought a calm and patient fight where she didn’t get aggressive and Holm had no answer for her. Holm is clearly not what she was when she fought Ronda Rousey, for whatever reason that may be. Shevchenko could’ve beaten Amanda Nunes had there been two more rounds, and she is a threat in that division. Still, this risky booking in this division may have killed it dead for now. Holm didn’t get going, expecting the counterpunches, and Shevchenko was the better fighter in this fight.