Earlier Friday, Dana White spoke confidently about his team’s ability to hold Saturday’s UFC 249 successfully, pointing to the amount of COVID-19 testing everyone involved in the show had to undergo.
Friday night, that testing proved more than useful as news broke that Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza tested positive and is out of his fight against Uriah Hall. Additionally, two of his cornermen also tested positive according to the UFC.
Despite the positive test, UFC 249 is still moving on as planned after the organization conferred with Florida athletic commission officials. According to one commission official who spoke with the Las Vegas Review Journal, “the system worked.” The UFC in their statement said, “The response to this development is indicative of the effectiveness of the health and safety measures UFC has put in place for this event.”
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani tweeted that all other fighters on the show tested negative. Souza and the cornermen are no longer at the host hotel and “and will be self-isolating off premises, where UFC’s medical team will monitor their conditions remotely and will provide assistance with any necessary treatment,” according to the UFC.
During Friday’s weigh-ins, Souza wore both gloves and a medical mask (seen above) and stood a good distance away from Hall at the faceoffs. UFC’s Hunter Campbell revealed the news to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that the positive test came back shortly after that faceoff.
According to ESPN, the middleweight contender arrived in Jacksonville on Wednesday and told officials that a family member had tested positive. He was isolated and tested as he was asymptomatic, but the Friday result showed he was positive.
The questions now surround who Souza may have come in contact with during the three days he was in town and what being “isolated” truly meant in this scenario. There are also questions about why the positive test took two days to come back and whether other personnel involved in Saturday’s show are also asymptomatic.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi laid out a detailed plan of how fighters and personnel were to be treated through the week including COVID-19 testing and antibody tests and later how in the in-arena experience would be different for everyone involved.
There are three UFC events scheduled for seven days in Jacksonville: Saturday’s UFC 249 ppv and two ESPN events on Wednesday and the following Saturday.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On ESPN+ 22: Blachowicz vs. Jacare, emanating from Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The Octagon returns to Brazil for the third time this year with a light heavyweight main event pitting a man looking for a title shot against a man looking for a fresh start in a new division.
Jan Blachowicz looks to put his name in the race as the next in line to face Jon Jones when he welcomes Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to the 205-pound division in the headline bout. Blachowicz is looking for another big win after knocking out Luke Rockhold at UFC 239 in July, pushing his record to 5-1 in his last six fights. Souza moves up in his attempt to fight for a UFC title after dropping a decision to Jack Hermansson in April.
In the co-main event, Brazilian legend and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua looks to score his second straight win when he takes on Paul Craig. Also on the main card is a lightweight battle between the holder of the most submission wins in UFC history, Charles Oliveira, and Jared Gordon.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
Cortez scores with a combo early. Cortez landing kicks followed with punches early but Melo is countering them. They each land a right hand. They trade in close range. Cortez with a combo to the body and goes to the head. Cortez fakes a takedown and lands up top with some punches. Cortez lands some punches and Melo lands some counter punches. Cortez with a left hand. Cortez lands some punches late. 10-9 Cortez.
Cortez tries a takedown to start the second but Melo defends and they clinch against the fence. Cortez lands some knees to the body. Cortez still has the back and is looking to drag the fight to the mat but can’t get Melo down and she lands knees to the legs. All pressure from Cortez but not a lot of offense but she is staying busy. Cortez with short punches from the back. Cortez scores the takedown but Melo gets up and Cortez retains back control. She has the back as the round ends. 10-9 Cortez, 20-18 Cortez.
They come out throwing punches and Melo rocks Cortez. Cortez fires back some punches but Melo lands a right hand and then follows with a combo. Melo with a kick and Cortez grabs the leg and takes Melo down. Cortez working in the half-guard and landing lots of punches from the top as she keeps Melo pinned down. Cortez with heavy left hands from the top. Melo trying to grab the arm for a kimura but Cortez with elbows and knees to the body. Cortez stands up and goes back to the guard with a left hand and hammerfists as the fight ends. 10-9 Cortez, 30-27 Cortez.
Official Result- Tracy Cortez def. Vanessa Melo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
> Ariane Lipski (11-5, 0-2 UFC) vs. Isabella de Padua (5-1, 0-0 UFC) Women’s Flyweights* (de Padua missed weight by 4 pounds)
de Padua took this fight less than 48 hours ago. Lipski coming out with hard shots as he is kicking the body and punching de Padua and she drops de Padua with a right hand. Lipski gets on top in the guard. They get up and Lipski was landing hard punches until de Padua took her down. de Padua landing from the top and Lipski is trying to throw her legs up for an armbar. de Padua landing big punches from the top to the body as Lipski was looking for a leg lock. 10-9 Lipski.
Lipski lands a combo to start the second. Lipski lands some big punches and de Padua tries a takedown but Lipski defends and ends up on top. Lipski lands some from the top as she is trying to pass the guard to side control. de Padua landed an upkick to the face while both were on the ground and the referee calls a timeout. It was a clear illegal upkick. de Padua had a point taken away by the referee and they were put back into the ground position as we get back to action. Lipski with punches to the head and body from the top. de Padua trying for a reverse triangle choke and looks for an armbar but Lipski gets out of danger at the end. 10-8 Lipski, 20-17 Lipski.
de Padua got a takedown to start the third and Lipski works for a kneebar from the bottom. de Padua gets out and lands a couple of hammerfists. de Padua gets to full top control as Lipski is trying to escape. Lipski sneaks out from the bottom and tries to gain top position. de Padua grabbing the neck looking for a choke but doesn’t have it and Lipski gets into the full guard. Lipski landing ground strikes to the body. Lipski with some right hands to the head as de Padua looking for an armbar or a triangle. Lipski ends the fight on top. 10-9 de Padua, 29-27 Lipski.
Official Result- Ariane Lipski def. Isabella de Padua by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
> Douglas Silva de Andrade (25-3 1 NC, 3-3 UFC) vs. Renan Barao (34-8 1 NC, 9-7 UFC) Featherweights
Andrade tries a right hand but misses it and it had a lot of power behind it. Andrade lands a combo. Barao with a left hook. Andrade with a right hand. Andrade with a punch to the body of Barao. Barao with a heavy leg kick. Andrade tries a right hand and Barao dips under and takes Andrade down. They are stood up and that was a quick standup. Andrade with a quick flurry and they clinch. Andrade with some punches in the clinch and they break. Andrade lands some late. 10-9 Andrade.
They trade to start the second and Barao with some leg kicks though he lands a low blow and we have a quick timeout. Barao lands a leg kick as they get back to action. Andrade with the jab and a combo but Barao takes him down again and is in the guard of Andrade. Barao staying busy with punches to the body from the top. They are stood up again by the referee. Both of the standups in this fight have been bad. They trade punches. Barao tries a takedown but Andrade defends as they clinch against the fence. Barao is cut over his left eye and we have a timeout for the doctor to check the cut. Andrade with a couple of kicks and then a left hand. They trade late. 10-9 Barao, 19-19.
Both landing punches to start the third and Andrade is landing harder punches. Barao scores a brief takedown and Andrade is able to scramble to his feet. They trade punches and Andrade wobbles Barao with a right hand. They both land punches. Andrade with an uppercut. Barao tries a takedown but Andrade slips away. Andrade with a big elbow that hurts Barao and follows it with a spinning kick to the body that hurts Barao even more. Deep breaths from Barao. Andrade with a left hook to the body. Andrade with some deep breaths as well. Barao tries another takedown but Andrade slips away. Andrade with a big body kick late. 10-9 Andrade, 29-28 Andrade.
Official Result- Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Renan Barao by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
> Warlley Alves (13-3, 7-3 UFC) vs. Randy Brown (11-3, 5-3 UFC) Welterweights
Alves takes Brown down right away. Alves keeping Brown down on the ground but he stands and tries to go back to the guard but stays standing. Brown rolls to his knees and Alves gets to his back but they scramble up. They go back to the ground and Alves goes to the guard of Brown with some heavy right hands. Brown gives up his back and Alves goes for a rear-naked choke. Alves has his arm under the chin. Alves still working for it. Brown reverses to the guard near the end of the round. 10-9 Alves.
Alves gets a takedown in the first minute of the second and is in the guard of Brown. Brown with some elbows from the bottom. Brown working for a triangle and has it locked it and Alves taps! That is a big win for Brown.
Official Result- Randy Brown def. Warlley Alves by submission (triangle choke) at 1:22 of Round 2
> Francisco Trinaldo (23-7, 13-6 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (24-9-1, 5-4-1 UFC) Lightweights
Green with some front kicks to start. Green lands a right hand. Trinaldo misses a head kick. Trinaldo drops Green with a left hand and Green gets up and Trinaldo with a big takedown. Green able to reverse positon as they scramble and Trinaldo grabs a guillotine choke and has it under the chin. Green pops his head out and is on top landing punches. Green looking for a kimura from the top but Trinaldo is defending. Trinaldo escapes and gets up and lands a big slam takedown on Green but Green again ends up on top and moves to side control. Green with body punches late. 10-9 Green.
Green with the jab and Trinaldo with a calf kick. Trinaldo misses a big left hand. Trinaldo with a body kick. Green with a leg kick and Trinaldo counters with a left hand. Trinaldo with another left hand and then Green comes forward with some punches. Green with a body kick. Green ducking away from Trinaldo’s punches. They are trading short punches and Green lands some solid punches late. 10-9 Green, 20-18 Green.
Trinaldo lands some good punches in the first minute of the third. Green now lands some short punches and body kicks. They trade in close range. Trinaldo with a combo. Green fires back with some right hands and Trinaldo now lands a left hand. Trinaldo with a kick and Green catches it and pushes him to the mat. Trinaldo gets up and has the body while Green has his neck. Green is able to switch and takes Trinaldo down to the ground. They get to their feet. Trinaldo with some knees and they break and Green stumbles backwards but gets to his feet. They trade punches. Trinaldo lands a right hand late. 10-9 Green, 30-27 Green.
Official Result- Francisco Trinaldo def. Bobby Green by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ramos moved up in weight for this fight. Both throwing spinning kicks in the first minute. Ramos with a leg kick. Garagorri with a body kick. Ramos with a nice combo. Ramos with a right hand. Ramos gets a trip takedown near the fence. Ramos with a knee to the body. They scramble to their feet. They break. Ramos with a body kick. Ramos gets the back of Garagorri and scores a takedown and works right away for a choke. Garagorri stands and Ramos stays on his back. Ramos has a standing rear-naked choke and they fall to the ground and Garagorri taps out! Ramos with an excellent first-round win.
Official Result- Ricardo Ramos def. Eduardo Garagorri by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:57 of Round 1
> Sergio Moraes (14-5-1, 8-4-1 UFC) vs. James Krause (26-7, 7-3 UFC) Welterweights
Moraes with an immediate takedown into side control on Krause. Moraes not doing anything with the position and just holding Krause in side control. They scramble and Moraes has the back for a split second and Krause ends up in his guard. Krause was covering up the nose and mouth of Moraes and they scramble. They get to their feet. Krause with a leg kick. Krause with some calf kicks. Moraes with a combo. Moraes tries a late takedown but Krause defends. 10-9 Krause.
Krause landing some kicks and punches as he comes forward. Krause lands some right hands. Moraes is looking tired. Krause lands some short punches including an uppercut in close range. Krause drops Moraes with a punch but lets him back up. Krause with a right hand. Moraes is really tired. Krause tries to land an uppercut but Moraes falls to the ground before it lands trying to bait Krause to the mat. The ref orders Moraes up. Krause coming forward and landing punches. Moraes with a spinning back elbow. Krause with some big elbows and right hands and Moraes falls to the mat. Krause gets on top and looks to finish but Moraes stalls him out on the ground. 10-8 Krause, 20-17 Krause.
They trade inside the pocket to start the third but not much power being thrown by either fighter. Krause with a leg kick. They trade punches. Krause with a combo against the fence and Moraes is covering up. Krause landing combos and Moraes is landing one punch at a time. Moraes tries a takedown and misses and stays on his back and wants Krause down but Krause stays standing. Moraes stands and Krause with a combo. Krause with a right hand and Moraes runs away. Krause then lands a big right hand and Moraes goes down and this fight is stopped. Big knockout win for Krause late in the fight. That is six straight wins for Krause.
Official Result- James Krause def. Sergio Moraes by knockout (punch) at 4:19 of Round 3
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> Markus Perez (11-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Wellington Turman (15-3, 0-1 UFC) Middleweights
Turman coming out firing right hands. Turman gets a brief takedown but they get to their feet. Perez with a spinning back fist to break the clinch that Turman had. They trade punches and Perez lands some good shots. Perez with a body kick. Turman with a right hand as Perez landed a body kick. They trade right hands late. 10-9 Perez.
They trade left crosses at the beginning of the second. Perez with a couple of kicks. Turman with an uppercut to the body. Turman with an elbow on the inside. Perez tries a spinning back fist but eats some punches from Turman. Turman grabs the back of Perez and Perez lands a back elbow. Turman with a heavy knee to the thigh of Perez. Turman has full back control. Perez spins and Turman with a high kick but Perez catches it. They break the clinch. Turman with a short elbow and Perez is cut open. Perez with a right hand. They break and Turman with an elbow. Perez with a body kick. 10-9 Turman, 19-19.
They trade to start the third before going to the clinch. Turman moves to the back of Perez and takes him down for a second and retains back control as they stand. Turman with a knee. Turman gets another takedown and has the back of Perez. Turman gets to the full mount and Perez grabs the leg and goes for an ankle lock but Turman gets out and moves back to the guard of Perez. Turman lands from the top until they get to their feet. Perez with some elbows in the clinch. They break and Perez lands a spinning back fist. They clinch and Perez throwing big punches and kicks and lands a knee. They trade at the end. 10-9 Turman, 29-28 Turman.
Official Result- Wellington Turman def. Markus Perez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Antonio Arroyo (9-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Andre Muniz (18-4, 0-0 UFC) Middleweights
Arroyo with some punches to start and he takes Muniz down. Muniz goes for an armbar from the bottom and Arroyo is trying to defend. Muniz trying to crank on the arm as Arroyo is being patient. Arroyo gets his arm free. Muniz scrambles up and takes Arroyo down. Arroyo gets Muniz in his full guard. Muniz landing from the top. They get to their feet and we have a timeout. They thought an illegal knee was landing but replays show there was no illegal knee landed. Muniz was warned but there was nothing illegal landed there. This is bizarre. Arroyo with a combo. Muniz with a body kick and then connects with two left hands. Arroyo with a body kick. Arroyo with a leg kick. Muniz lands a right hand. Arroyo rocks Muniz late. 10-9 Muniz.
Muniz landing some punches early and Arroyo lands a head kick. They trade and Muniz lands a series of punches and works for a takedown against the fence and gets it. Muniz gets the back right away. Muniz looking for a rear-naked choke and has a neck crank in right now. Muniz with lots of punches from the back. Muniz looking for another choke and he turns over to the mount position. Arroyo able to escape and then gets to his feet. Arroyo lands some punches standing as Muniz is down on the mat. Arroyo goes into the guard of Muniz. Not much happens at the end. 10-9 Muniz, 20-18 Muniz.
Muniz gets a takedown at the start of the third and works in the guard of Arroyo. Arroyo switches to the top and gets to his feet and lands some punches. There hasn’t been a lot of action in this round. Arroyo with a right hand and Muniz tries to get another takedown. Muniz with some upkicks. There is nothing happening in this round. The referee orders Muniz up. This round was horrendous. 10-9 Muniz, 30-27 Muniz.
Official Result- Andre Muniz def. Antonio Arroyo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Charles Oliveira (#13, 27-8 1 NC, 15-8 1 NC UFC) vs. Jared Gordon (15-3, 3-2 UFC) Lightweights
Oliveira with a leg kick as Gordon came forward. They tie up and Gordon tried a takedown and Oliveira went for a submission but they got up. Oliveira with a right hand and then a leg kick. Oliveira with a left hook to the body. Oliveira then lands an uppercut that finishes Gordon! Oliveira dropped him with a right hand first, Gordon got up and then Oliveira knocked him down again with an uppercut and it was all over. That was a great win for Oliveira.
Official Result- Charles Oliveira def. Jared Gordon by knockout (punches) at 1:26 of Round 1
> Mauricio Rua (#14, 26-11, 10-9 UFC) vs. Paul Craig (12-4, 4-4 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Craig connects with a spinning wheel kick right to Rua’s head. Rua lands a right hand and Craig clinches with him. They battle for position against the fence. Rua has the body lock against the fence but they break. Craig with a spin kick. Craig with a kick and Rua grabs the leg and looks for a takedown. Craig with the neck and lands some knees and then lands some punches as they break. Rua covering up to block punches and he lands a right hand on Craig. Craig goes for a takedown. They break. Rua misses a right hand. Rua tries a takedown against the fence but the fence blocks it and they break. They trade left hooks. Craig with a spin kick. Rua lands a right hand. Rua lands a late combo. 10-9 Craig.
They trade to start the second. Rua just misses an uppercut. They both land left hands at the same time. They do it again. Craig with a body kick and Rua takes him down and lands some heavy punches from the top. Rua with some hammerfists but Craig dodging a lot of it. Rua tries to pass guard and moves to side control for a moment but goes back to the guard. Rua stands and lands a right hand as Craig remains on his back. Rua goes back into the guard with a right hand and works in Craig’s half-guard. Rua ends the round on top. 10-9 Rua, 19-19.
Craig with a body kick but misses a wheel kick. They trade punches. Craig with some kicks. Craig shoots in and Rua gets him on his back and is in the guard of Craig. Rua works from the top and stands and then swings a right hand as he enters back into the guard of Craig. Rua gets back to his feet and Craig remains on his back. He goes back to the guard of Craig with a right hand. Rua seems content to ride out the fight on top. Craig with short punches from the bottom. Rua stands and Craig gets up. Rua lands some punches and Craig gets a late takedown against the fence but unable to do anything with it. 10-9 Rua, 29-28 Rua.
Official Result- Mauricio Rua vs. Paul Craig ends in a split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)
> Jan Blachowicz (#6, 24-8, 7-5 UFC) vs. Ronaldo Souza (#8 MW, 26-7 1 NC, 9-4 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Souza just misses a right hand and shoots in for a takedown but Blachowicz defends against the fence. They remain clinched against the fence until Blachowicz slips out. Souza with a leg kick. Blachowicz with a leg kick. Blachowicz with a body kick. Souza just misses a right hand and they clinch against the fence. There isn’t a lot happening against the fence as they battle for underhooks. 10-9 Souza.
They trade right hands. Blachowicz with an inside leg kick. They both land hard right hands. Blachowicz with a body kick. Souza with a leg kick. Blachowicz is landing the jab well in the first 90 seconds of this round. Souza shoots in for a takedown against the fence. Souza working hard to get Blachowicz down. Blachowicz with some knees. Souza with a foot stomp. They break. Blachowicz tries a body kick but Souza blocks it. Blachowicz landing the jab and then lands a combo. Souza with a leg kick and Blachowicz lands a counter combo. Souza lands a nice right hand. 10-9 Souza, 20-18 Souza.
Blachowicz with the double jab. Souza with a right hand and Blachowicz rushes forward with a combo. They trade and clinch and Souza pushes Blachowicz against the fence. They separate and trade. Blachowicz with a short uppercut as Souza rushes in looking for a takedown. Blachowicz reverses and they break. Souza controlling more of the action. Souza with a leg kick. Souza with a right hand. 10-9 Souza, 30-27 Souza.
Blachowicz lands a few jabs but not doing much else. Souza isn’t doing much either. Blachowicz lands a couple right hands and Souza pushes him against the fence. Not much happened and they broke back to the center. This fight is not entertaining. Blachowicz with a body kick and then a leg kick. Souza backing up. Blachowicz with another leg kick. Blachowicz with a body kick. 10-9 Blachowicz, 39-37 Souza.
Souza trying another takedown to start the final round but still can’t get Blachowicz to the mat. The crowd has been booing this fight for a while. They break and Blachowicz lands a combo. Souza shoots in again and fails to score the takedown again. They are broken up by the referee after not much action against the fence. Blachowicz with a high kick that is checked. Blachowicz with a leg kick. Blachowicz with an uppercut and Souza tries a takedown but fails. Blachowicz lands some punches and Souza slips down. Blachowicz with a leg kick. Souza is not doing much. This was such a boring fight. 10-9 Blachowicz, 48-47 Souza.
Official Result- Jan Blachowicz def. Ronaldo Souza by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson, emanating from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The Octagon heads back to Sunrise for the first time in almost seven years with a middleweight main event and a lot of potential exciting fights.
Long-time UFC middleweight contender Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza looks to secure a title shot in the main event when he takes on rising contender, Jack Hermansson, in the night’s five-round headline bout.
Souza is coming off an impressive win over Chris Weidman in November and has long been a top contender, but has yet to get a UFC title shot. He says he has been promised a shot with a win over Hermansson, who takes this fight on short notice after fighting less than a month ago and is gunning for his fourth consecutive win.
Also on the main card is a series of bouts that have violence written all over them. Alex Oliveira takes on Mike Perry in a welterweight bout, former title challenger Glover Teixeira battles Ion Cutelaba in a light heavyweight bout, and bantamweight contenders John Lineker and Cory Sandhagen thrown down in the Sunshine State.
Among those competing on the preliminary card is former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza, and long-time UFC veterans Jim Miller, Court McGee, Ben Saunders and Gilbert Burns.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
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> Court McGee (19-7, 8-6 UFC) vs. Dhiego Lima (13-7, 2-5 UFC) Welterweights
McGee lands a right hand as he comes forward. They trade and Lima stuns McGee with a counter left hook. McGee lands a combo. Lima lands a nice right hand. Lima staying on the outside but lands another hard left. McGee goes to the body now but Lima still lands the counter left hook. McGee lands a right hand. Lima lands to the body. McGee goes for a takedown but Lima defends. McGee still controlling the Octagon but misses an entry to the takedown and Lima gets a brief takedown. Lima has the back but McGee judo throws him off and now has underhook control. McGee tries a late lift for a takedown but Lima grabs the fence. 10-9 Lima.
They trade and Lima lands a hard left hook. Both landing punches and McGee lands a high kick. Lima with a hard combination. Lima landing to both the body and the head. McGee shoots for a takedown but Lima defends. McGee with a leg kick but Lima counters with a left hand. Lima lands a hard left hook again. McGee still coming forward. Lima with a leg kick. Lima still landing some left hooks. McGee throwing more but Lima landing more effectively. Lima gets a brief takedown and has the back standing but McGee has the neck as the round ends. 10-9 Lima, 20-18 Lima.
Lima with a left hand to the body. Lima really trying hard to land the left. McGee goes for a takedown but it is defended. He’s missed on all six of his attempts. Lima with a right hand. Lima continuing to land as McGee just can’t get anything going. Lima circling and landing leg kicks and lands a big right hand. McGee goes for another takedown against the fence but Lima defends it. Lima with a right hand. McGee goes for another takedown but it is defended. They start trading at the end and McGee knocks Lima down and finishes the round landing punches in his guard. I don’t think it’s enough to win the round or fight. 10-9 Lima, 30-27 Lima.
Official Result- Dhiego Lima def. Court McGee by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
> Angela Hill (8-6, 3-6 UFC) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-4, 0-2 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
They come out trading right off the bat. Esquibel trying to land right hands. Hill lands a right hand. Esquibel lands a right hand. Hill with a right hand. Esquibel lands a combo. Hill with a right hand. Hill lands another right hand. They trade in close range. Esquibel with a front kick. Hill with a knee to the body. Hill gets a brief takedown but Esquibel right up and they trade punches. Hill with a right hand. Esquibel with a left hand. Esquibel tries a takedown but Hill with great defense to keep it standing. They trade late. 10-9 Hill.
Esquibel lands a right hand. Hill with the jab. They trade punches. Hill lands a jab. Both land combos and Hill with an uppercut. Hill with a body kick. They trade and Hill lands a knee to the body and then an overhand right. Hill with another right hand. Esquibel throwing punches but Hill keeping her away from range with kicks. They clinch for a moment. Hill with a right hook. Esquibel with a combo and Hill counters with a right. Hill with a knee and then a head kick. 10-9 Hill, 20-18 Hill.
Hill landing but Esquibel keeps coming forward. Hill with a high kick. Esquibel cut open over her left eye which came from an elbow from Hill. Esquibel lands a right hand that briefly drops Hill. Esquibel with a front kick to the body. Hill with a body kick. They both land punches. Esquibel with an uppercut. Hill with a combo but eats a counter left hook from Esquibel. Hill with a body kick. Esquibel with a combo. Hill looking tired. Esquibel with a left hand. They both land. Hill with a right hand. Hill with a combo and then a knee to the body. 10-9 Hill, 30-27 Hill.
Official Result- Angela Hill def. Jodie Esquibel by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
> Jim Miller (29-13 1 NC, 18-12 1 NC UFC) vs. Jason Gonzalez (11-4, 1-2 UFC) Lightweights
This is Miller’s 32nd UFC fight, a company record. Miller with a left hand. They trade punches. They both land again. Gonzalez with a left hand. Miller gets a takedown and grabs the back as they get to their feet. Miller drags it to the ground and has the back and the rear-naked choke locked in. Gonzalez trying to fight it off but he taps! Miller with a big submission win in front of his four children, who watch him fight live for the first time.
Official Result- Jim Miller def. Jason Gonzalez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:12 of Round 1
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> Gilbert Burns (15-3, 7-3 UFC) vs. Mike Davis (7-1, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Burns with a body kick followed by a leg kick. They trade hard punches. Burns with a left hand and then shoots but Davis defends and lands a knee to the body. Burns gets a takedown and takes the back. They get back to their feet and Davis lands a kick. Burns with a right hand. Davis with a big body kick. Both are swinging wildly. Burns with a couple uppercuts and a right hand. At this rate someone is getting knocked out. Burns with a right hand. Burns with another right hand. Davis misses a right hand and gets taken down by Burns. Burns lands some big punches and elbows as the round ends. 10-9 Burns.
Burns gets a takedown and gets the back of Davis. Burns looking to set up a choke and landing punches from the back. Burns with elbows now. Burns working to find the choke but Davis able to get an underhook to escape. Burns in the half-guard of Davis. Burns gets the back again and is getting close to having the choke locked in. Burns lands punches to soften Davis up. Burns now has the choke locked in and Davis taps! Burns gets the submission win in impressive fashion.
Official Result- Gilbert Burns def. Mike Davis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:15 of Round 2
Esparza catches a kick and gets a big takedown and is in the full guard of Jandiroba. Esparza trying to advance but Jandiroba just holding onto her. They scramble to their feet. Esparza lands a left hand. Esparza gets another takedown. They both land on the ground. Esparza going in-and-out of the guard. They get to their feet. Jandiroba gets a scramble takedown but they get to their feet. Esparza with a knee to the body. They trade knees. Esparza with some knees and a hook kick. 10-9 Esparza.
Esparza with a right hand. Esparza shoots and gets a brief takedown but they get up. Esparza with a combo. Jandiroba defends some takedown attempts and then gets her own takedown. Esparza able to explode from the bottom and they get to their feet. They trade punches. Esparza ducks under on a takedown attempt and gets the back against the fence. They scramble and Esparza lands a couple punches and a knee as they break. Esparza gets a takedown but Jandiroba has the neck and a guillotine locked in. Jandiroba sweeps to the top. Jandiroba lets go and is on top. Jandiroba gets to the mount and Esparza gives up her back. Esparza scrambles to the top and lands punches as the round ends. 10-9 Jandiroba, 19-19.
Jandiroba tries a sweep to guard but Esparza counters it with a takedown and is in the guard of Jandiroba. Esparza lands from the top. Jandiroba unable to get up from the bottom as Esparza is nullifying any attempts. They get to their feet and Esparza just misses a kick as they stand. They trade punches. Esparza with a big knee as she defends a takedown from Janidroba. Jandiroba with a takedown as Esparza grabs her for a choke attempt but Jandiroba escapes. They are scramblng and they get to their feet. Esparza with a knee as they scramble to the mat. Close fight. 10-9 Esparza, 29-28 Esparza.
Official Result- Carla Esparza def. Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
> Andrei Arlovski (#15, 27-17 2 NC, 16-11 1 NC UFC) vs. Augusto Sakai (12-1-1, 1-0 UFC) Heavyweights
Arlovski with an early flurry of punches. Arlovski with two right hands. Sakai lands a left hand as Arlovski throws a kick. Arlovski with a left hand. Arlovski with a right hand. Sakai with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Arlovski with a right hand. Arlovski with a right hand as Sakai keeps walking into it. They clinch against the fence. Arlovski lands an elbow as they break and trade kicks. 10-9 Arlovski.
Arlovski with a left hand. Sakai with a combo against the fence and Arlovski has to circle away. Sakai with a leg kick and Arlovski counters with a right hand. Arlovski with a body kick. Sakai with a leg kick. Arlovski with a short leg kick. Sakai with a combo. Arlovski with a right hand. Sakai with a right hand. Arlovski with a body kick. They clinch and Sakai with an elbow. They break and Arlovski with a combo. Arlovski with a low blow. Back to action they trade punches. Arlovski with a right hand to the body. 10-9 Sakai, 19-19.
Arlovski with a step-in elbow as they clinch. Sakai slips out and gets the back and they trade as they break. Arlovski lands a combo ending with a right hand. Sakai with a leg kick. Arlovski with a couple of leg kicks. Arlovski with a kick and Sakai lands a right hand and they clinch. They continue to clinch and not much is happening. They break and both men land punches. Arlovski coming forward. Arlovski with an inside leg kick. Arlovski with kicks late. Close fight. 10-9 Arlovski, 29-28 Arlovski.
Official Result- Augusto Sakai def. Andrei Arlovski by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Ben Saunders (22-11-2, 9-8 UFC) vs. Takashi Sato (14-2, 0-0 UFC) Welterweights
Saunders with an overhand right. Saunders with a leg kick. Saunders with a leg kick. Saunders with another leg kick. They clinch and Saunders with a couple of knees to the body before they break. Saunders back with a leg kick. Saunders stuns Sato with a right hook. Saunders with a combo then a high kick and then a leg kick. Saunders with a body kick. Saunders lands a right hand. Sato misses a left hand. Saunders with a knee to the body and then back with more leg kicks. They clinch and both land strikes. Saunders with a few knees. 10-9 Saunders.
Saunders with a leg kick. Saunders with the jab. Sato drops Saunders with a left hand and goes to the guard and starts landing heavy elbows. Lots of elbows on the ground and Sato finishes Saunders! Brutal finish by Sato as he wins his UFC debut.
Official Result- Takashi Sato def. Ben Saunders by TKO (strikes) at 1:18 of Round 2
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> Roosevelt Roberts (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Thomas Gifford (17-7 2 NC, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Roberts with a knee to the body as they clinch right away then break. Roberts with a leg kick. Roberts lands a left hand. They trade punches. Roberts gets a takedown and passes to side control. Roberts looking to grab the arm for a kimura. Roberts lets go but still has side control. Roberts with some shots on the mat and gets to his feet but gets back to north-south position. Gifford attempts an armbar. Roberts patient as he looks to escape. Gifford loses it and eats some hammerfists from Roberts as Roberts gets to side mount. Roberts with punches before the round ends. 10-9 Roberts.
Roberts with a big combo that tags Gifford good. Roberts with another big combination and Gifford eats those shots well. Roberts with a left hand. Both landing punches. Roberts with more big punches as they clinch. Gifford jumps up looking for a guillotine but loses position and Roberts now on top in the guard. Roberts landing on top and keeping busy. Gifford trying to find an opening for a triangle. Roberts gets back to the guard and Gifford almost had an armbar in late. 10-9 Roberts, 20-18 Roberts.
Roberts with a leg kick. Gifford lands a right hand. Roberts with a combo and they clinch. Gifford dropping down for a takedown but Roberts defending. Gifford gets a takedown against the fence. Gifford in the half-guard of Roberts but not doing much and they get to their feet. Roberts goes back to the clinch. Roberts gets a takedown and is in side control and lands some elbows. Roberts gets into the guard of Gifford. Roberts with some body punches and now to the head. Roberts with more punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Roberts, 30-27 Roberts.
Official Result- Roosevelt Roberts def. Thomas Gifford by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> John Lineker (#8, 31-8, 12-3 UFC) vs. Cory Sandhagen (10-1, 3-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Lineker throwing bombs early. Lineker with a combo to the body. Sandhagen with a leg kick. Lineker lands a left hook. Lineker with a leg kick. Sandhagen has a huge height advantage. Sandhagen lands a right hand. Lineker with a combo. Sandhagen tries a takedown but uses it to land an elbow. Lineker with a left hook. Sandhagen with a body kick. Sandhagen with a knee but Lineker throwing bombs still. Sandhagen with a hook to the body. Lineker with a leg kick. 10-9 Lineker.
Lineker with a leg kick. Sandhagen lands a right hand. Sandhagen with a body kick. Lineker with a combo to the body and head. Lineker lands a right hand to the body as Sandhagen tries a jumping knee. Sandhagen with a body kick. Lineker with a combination. Sandhagen attempts a takedown but Lineker defends. Sandhagen gets the body lock and scores the takedown. They get up and both land punches. Lineker gets the takedown and has the back and the neck but they get to their feet. Lineker with a right hand. They both land punches. 10-9 Sandhagen, 19-19.
They trade to start the third. Lineker with a combo. Lineker throwing heavy punches. They are both just throwing punches and kicks. Lineker with the combo. Sandhagen with a lead elbow. Sandhagen with a right hand. Sandhagen with a body kick. Lineker with a body kick. Lineker with a good combination that backs Sandhagen up. Sandhagen with a jumping knee. Lineker with a right hand. Lineker with a big combination and Sandhagen gets a takedown but Lineker has a guillotine choke locked in and it is in tight. Sandhagen fighting it but time runs out. Great fight. 10-9 Lineker, 29-28 Lineker.
Official Result- Cory Sandhagen def. John Lineker by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Glover Teixeira (#11, 28-7, 11-5 UFC) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-3 1 NC, 3-2 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Cutelaba with a front kick. Cutelaba with a head kick. They trade right hands. Teixeira shoots in for a single leg but Cutelaba stuffs it. They trade punches. Cutelaba stuns Teixeira with a right hand. Cutelaba cut above his right eye. Cutelaba with a jumping knee. Cutelaba lands a spinning back fist and then just misses an illegal knee as they go to the mat. Cutelaba landing from the top. Cutelaba with a hammerfist and lands more but Teixeira scrambles up and had a standing guillotine but lets go. Teixeira with a left hand to the body. Teixeira with underhooks and lands a knee but they break. Teixeira with a combo. Cutelaba with a spinning back fist. 10-9 Cutelaba.
Both landing punches and Teixeira hurts Cutelaba with a right hand. Teixeira now times for a takedown but Cutelaba defends. They trade and Cutelaba tries again to land an illegal knee but misses. Cutelaba with a groin strike but it isn’t called. Teixeira with a combo. Cutelaba lands a right hand. Teixeira with a left hand and then a big combo. Cutelaba tries to land a knee but Teixeira shoves him to the mat and goes into the guard and moves to half-guard and looking to mount. Teixeira gets the mount and landing punches. Cutelaba gives up his back. Teixeira has a rear-naked choke locked in and Cutelaba taps! Big comeback win for Teixeira in a great fight.
Official Result- Glover Teixeira def. Ion Cutelaba by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:37 of Round 2
> Alex Oliveira (20-5-1 2 NC, 9-4 1 NC UFC) vs. Mike Perry (12-4, 5-4 UFC) Welterweights
Oliveira with a spin kick right off the bat. Oliveira just misses a wheel kick. Oliveira lands a right hand. Perry with a body punch and they clinch. Perry has the body lock but Oliveira defends and breaks. Oliveira with a leg kick. Oliveira gets a brief takedown to get the back. They break. Oliveira lands a right hand. They clinch and Perry lands an elbow as they break. Perry with a right hand. Perry is cut under his left eye. Both land big right hands. Oliveira with a big right hand. Perry ducks under a right hand and grabs the back and lands a big knee and they break. Perry with a leg kick. Oliveira with a right hand. Oliveira with a spinning back fist and Perry lands a flurry against the fence as the round ends. 10-9 Oliveira.
They come out trading to start the second. They clinch for a second and Oliveira lands a short uppercut. Oliveira with a body kick and then lands a combo but then Perry hurts Oliveira with a left hook to the temple and Oliveira goes to the mat. Perry lets him get up. Oliveira with a leg kick. Oliveira with an inside leg kick. Oliveira with an inside kick but Perry picks him up and throws him to the mat and then stumbles away and Oliveira rushes to him. Oliveira with some leg kicks. They trade punches. Perry clips him with a right hand and follows through with the takedown. Perry in the half-guard. Perry with punches from the top. Perry with more big punches from the top and they are huge punches. Perry with a knee to the body and they stand. Oliveira hurts his toe on a kick at the end and is hobbling. 10-9 Perry, 19-19.
They trade kicks and Oliveira has a broken toe on his right foot. Oliveira kicks with his left foot. Perry with a left hand and one to the body. Neither man committing on their punches yet. Oliveira with a right hand. Perry with the jab. Oliveira lands a combo. Perry with a hard left hook that rocks Oliveira. Perry with a right hand. Oliveira missing punches and just misses a back elbow. Perry with a combo against the fence and an uppercut. Oliveira sprints away. Oliveira lands a right hand. Oliveira with a calf kick. Perry lands a right hand. Fun fight. 10-9 Perry, 29-28 Perry.
Official Result- Mike Perry def. Alex Oliveira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Both missing on their punches in the first minute. Hardy with a right hand. Hardy with a head kick. Smoliakov tries a takedown but its defended and Hardy lands an uppercut. Hardy with a right hand that drops Smoliakov and Hardy gets on top landing punches looking to finish. Hardy with hammerfists and this fight is stopped and Hardy gets the win and the crowd is booing loudly.
Official Result- Greg Hardy def. Dmitrii Smoliakov by TKO (punches) at 2:15 of Round 1
> Ronaldo Souza (#4, 26-6 1 NC, 9-3 UFC) vs. Jack Hermansson (#10, 19-4, 6-2 UFC) Middleweights
Hermansson with a leg kick and misses a flying knee. Hermansson lands a right hand. Souza looks like he’s loading up his right hand. They trade right hands. Hermansson with a power leg kick. Souza with a right hand and they briefly clinch but Hermansson breaks with a knee to the body. Souza with some body shots. Hermansson rocks Souza with some short punches and then locks in a guillotine. It is tight but Souza defending. Souza with some back punches and he escapes. Hermansson lands a right hand as they get up. Hermansson has the body lock and looks for a takedown. Souza breaks with a right hand. Hermansson lands a jab. 10-9 Hermansson.
Hermansson with a couple of kicks. Souza lands a left hand. Souza with a combo. They both land right hands. Hermansson lands a combo. Souza with a kick but Hermansson catches it and gets a takedown. Hermansson in the guard of Souza and that is dangerous. Hermansson with punches from the guard on Souza. Hermansson with an elbow from the top. Hermansson with more punches from the top and Souza isn’t doing much to escape from the bottom. Souza with little-to-no offense. Hermansson with an elbow. 10-9 Hermansson, 20-18 Hermansson.
Hermansson with a couple of leg kicks. Hermansson shoots for a takedown but Souza defends and lands a body punch on the break. Hermansson with a combo. Souza lands an overhand right as he stuffs a takedown. Souza with a body punch. Hermansson slowing down a little bit. They trade punches. Souza with a left hook. Souza with a left to the body followed by an overhand right and then lands another right hand. Souza landing body shots and Hermansson is starting to feel it. Souza with a big right hand. Souza with another right hand. Souza with another hard right hand. Souza coming on strong this round. 10-9 Souza, 29-28 Hermansson.
Souza may have landed an illegal knee but the knee was off the ground. Hermansson lands an uppercut and is landing big punches that has Souza hurt and now Souza starts landing. Hermansson with a body kick. Souza with a right hand. They trade punches. Souza with a right hand and they clinch for a second. Hermansson with an uppercut. Souza lands a hard right hand. Souza with a body kick. They clinch against the fence. They break and Hermansson with a teet kick to the body. They trade at the end. 10-9 Hermansson, 39-37 Hermansson.
Hermansson comes out swinging as he closes the distance and gets a takedown. Souza gets up and lands a back elbow. They break. Hermansson with a combo. Souza lands a right hand. They trade punches. They trade and Hermansson with short leg kicks. Souza lands a right hand. Souza with a combo and he rips the body. Hermansson ducks under a right hand from Souza and tries a takedown but Souza defends. Souza with an overhand right. Souza with a left hand to the body. Souza hurts Hermansson with a body shot and then lands two right hands. Hermansson lands with an uppercut. They clinch and Souza digs in with hard body punches. Hermansson scores a late takedown and rides it out in the guard. Close final round. 10-9 Hermansson, 49-46 Hermansson.
Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Ronaldo Souza by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show headlined by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s first round win over Derek Brunson did 1.59 million viewers based on the overnight ratings.
The number would be the lowest overnight rating in the history of the series as the previous low was the July 22nd show with Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum that did 1.64 million viewers.
Making it worse is that the winter number are historically stronger for UFC than the summer numbers.
The number isn’t a surprise, since the show looked to be the weakest UFC on FOX event based on marquee star power, with no names on the undercard having any strong name value.
FOX finished in last place among the networks in total viewers, and even in the 18-49 demo, where the show did a 0.5, it placed third among the four networks.
The Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics game on ABC did a 1.3 in the 18-49 demo and 3.70 million viewers.
The final number, which comes out on Tuesday, will rise based on including the West Coast, which the overnights only measure FOX stations from 8-10 p.m. and the show aired 5-7 p.m. on the West Coast. But the gain will be less than usual since the main event only went one round. For a UFC on FOX special, the highest ratings are traditionally after 10 p.m. and the longer the main event, the better for the final ratings.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 27: Jacare vs. Brunson 2, emanating from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Octagon heads to Charlotte for the first time in almost eight years with a main event that could have future title shot implications on the line.
Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will look to get back into the win column as he takes on Derek Brunson, winner of two straight, in the five-round main event. The fight is a rematch of an August 2012 bout in Strikeforce, which Souza won by a knockout in the first round.
Also on the main card, Dennis Bermudez takes on Andre Fili in featherweight action, Jordan Rinaldi looks to hand Gregor Gillespie his first career loss in a lightweight bout, and a welterweight bout between Drew Dober and Frank Camacho kicks off the main card.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
Sandhagen presses forward early looking to land and lands a right hand before they clinch. They break and Arnett landed a left hand. Arnett is landing punches as Sandhagen was coming forward but Sandhagen started landing punches and kicks to the body. Sandhagen landed a left hook to the body and followed it with a knee to Arnett’s head. Sandhagen scored a takedown and was landing elbows and punches from the top. Arnett landed an upkick but kept eating punches. Arnett was able to get to his feet. Sandhagen landed a left hand. They were trading and Arnett got underhooks against the fence to end the round. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Sandhagen starts landing punches and kicks to start the second round. Sandhagen landed some knees in the clinch. Sandhagen landed an elbow on the break from the clinch and then a head kick. Arnett has been unable to counter with offense. Sandhagen with more attacks to the body. Arnett grabbed the back and was too high on the back and Sandhagen slipped out and end up in the half-guard and was landing punches and elbows from the top. Arnett cut open. Arnett was able to escape from the bottom. Sandhagen landed a spinning back fist. Sandhagen landed a big liver punch and was landing knees and then dropped Arnett with another liver punch and then finished him off with more punches on the ground. Impressive stoppage by Sandhagen.
Official Result- Cory Sandhagen def. Austin Arnett by TKO (strikes) at 3:48 of Round 2
> Niko Price (10-1 1 NC, 2-1 1 NC UFC) vs. George Sullivan (17-5 1 NC, 3-2 UFC) Welterweights
Sullivan is coming off of two USADA violations. They both press forward and Sullivan is the aggressor. Price landing some punches but missed a big right hand. Sullivan with a body kick. Sullivan with a combo ending with a big right hand. Price went for a takedown but Sullivan was defending with punches. Price got the takedown and was in side control. Price went to the half-guard then got into full guard. Sullivan gets back to his feet. Sullivan grabbed the body and was working for a takedown. Price has been landing more on his feet. Sullivan got a brief takedown. Price got to his feet and landing a big knee to the body at the end. 10-9 Price.
They came out trading punches and then Price rocked Sullivan with a right hand. Price was looking to finish but Sullivan recovered with a body lock and then got a takedown. Sullivan working inside the guard of Price and was landing some elbows and punches. Sullivan remained on top and cut Price open with an elbow. Price was able to slip out from the bottom and got a takedown on Sullivan and grabbed the back and was working for a choke while landing punches. Price got the choke locked in deep and Sullivan tapped! Nice stoppage by Price as he worked out of trouble there.
Official Result- Niko Price def. George Sullivan by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:21 of Round 2
They traded early. Pichel with a leg kick. Pichel looking for head kicks but both being tentative so far. Pichel with another inside leg kick. Silva keeps circling away. Silva lands a combo to the body. Pichel with another leg kick. Silva with a big body kick. Silva landing more punches. Silva just misses a head kick. Pichel tried to pick Silva up and slam him but Silva had good balance and was able to stay on his feet. 10-9 Silva.
Pichel just misses a right hand. Pichel landed an elbow and then shot in for a takedown but it was defended. Pichel landed a left hand. Pichel with a big combo. Silva firing back with body kicks. Silva just misses a wheel kick to the head. Pichel with a leg kick and follows it with an uppercut. Silva with a spin kick to the body but Pichel swarms on him with right hands and a knee to the body. Pichel with a low kick. Pichel with some more kicks. Pichel with more leg kicks late. 10-9 Pichel, 19-19.
They are trading kicks and body punches. Silva went for a jumping high kick but slipped and Pichel almost took advantage of it but Silva got back to his feet. Silva landed a couple of right hands. Silva with a body kick but Pichel counters with a right hand. They trade punches. Pichel with a body kick. They are trading punches and Silva is pouring it on late. Pichel got a brief takedown late. Pichel landed a knee but slipped. They clinched and Silva landed some knees. Fun fight. 10-9 Silva, 29-28.
Official Result- Vinc Pichel def. Joaquim Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Justine Kish (6-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ji Yeon Kim (6-1-2, 0-1 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
Kim landed a right hand to start. Kish landed some low kicks. A lot of tentativeness on the feet. Kish with a solid combo. Kim landed a hook that rocked Kish. Kim lands the jab and Kish counters with a body kick. They were trading and Kish slipped on a high kick. Kish throwing and landing with more volume but Kim landing bigger punches. They get in close range and Kish landing. 10-9 Kish.
Kish is landing kicks but Kim is countering with punches. They are trading punches in the pocket. Kish with a leg kick. Kish still landing leg kicks and Kim trying to find an opening with just a right hand. Kim isn’t changing up her attack. Kish landed a left hook right on the chin. Kish landed a nice combo. 10-9 Kish, 20-18 Kish.
They were trading and Kish was starting to land with more volume. Kish landed an uppercut but Kim was poked in the eye at the same time. We have a brief timeout. They get back to action and Kim is chasing Kish around with the right hand. They are trading punches. Kim is looking for the knockout punch. Kim lands a left hand. Kim is rocking Kish. Kish is bleeding from her nose. Kim landing the left jab but Kish counters with a leg kick. Kim lands a combo. Kish with some leg kicks. Kish with a left hand and a spinning back fist. 10-9 Kim, 29-28 Kish.
Official Result- Ji Yeon Kim def. Justine Kish by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
> Randa Markos (#11, 7-5, 3-4 UFC) vs. Juliana Lima (9-4, 3-3 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Lima was landing leg kicks early but Markos was able to clinch Lima against the fence and has the underhooks. They exchange some knees as they hold onto each other. They are still battling for underhooks against the fence. They keep switching positions as neither is able to get an advantage. Lima gets a takedown and is in the guard of Markos. Markos is able to sweep and ends up in the mount and lands some punches and elbows from the top. 10-9 Markos.
Lima lands a kick but Markos fires back with a combo. Markos goes for a takedown but Lima reverses it and ends up on top. Lima lands some on top before they are stood up by the referee. Markos lands some punches. Lima with a kick but Markos grabs her and lands some uppercuts and then scores a takedown. Markos is on top in full mount and is landing a lot of punches. Markos with more punches from the top. Markos with some elbows to the body. Markos back into the full guard. 10-9 Markos, 20-18 Markos.
Markos lands a big combo of punches before they clinch. Markos gets a judo throw takedown and is landing big punches from the mount. Markos is trying to find a finish. Markos remains on top and Lima is unable to do anything to get out from the bottom. Markos now in side control. They scramble to their feet and clinch. Markos looking for a takedown as they battle for underhooks. 10-9 Markos, 30-27 Markos.
Official Result- Randa Markos def. Juliana Lima by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Katlyn Chookagian (#11 WBW, 9-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Mara Romero Borella (#9, 12-4 1 NC, 1-0 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
They trade some punches early on. Borella lands a right hand. Borella with a couple of leg kicks and Chookagian lands a right hand counter. Borella with another leg kick. Borella lands a right hand. Chookagian only throwing the jab. Chookagian now mixing her strikes but not landing much. Borella with a couple more leg kicks. Chookagian with a body punch but Borella fires back with a combo. They trade punches. Chookagian now throwing some kicks. Chookagian with a combo late. 10-9 Borella.
They are trading and while Chookagian is throwing more volume, she isn’t landing much and Borella is landing more. They clinch and Borella lands a knee to Chookagian’s head as they break. Chookagian back to throwing more punches that aren’t landing. Borella with a leg kick. 10-9 Borella, 20-18 Borella.
Borella lands a leg kick. Chookagian is still throwing at air. Her style of throwing more volume, while not landing, may get her the decision. Borella with an inside leg kick. Borella lands a right hand and a body kick. This fight is really boring. Both land a jab. Borella lands a combo. Borella gets the body lock and is looking for a takedown against the fence. Borella gets the takedown and is in the guard. Chookagian looking for a triangle but Borella gets out and they’re on their feet. They trade some more late. 10-9 Borella, 30-27 Borella.
Official Result- Katlyn Chookagian def. Mara Romero Borella by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
They are both swinging at air to start the fight. Pepey with a spin kick to the body. Bektic lands a right hand and they clinch but break. Pepey landing the jab and Bektic has a mouse under his left hand. Bektic then lands a right hand right to the solar plexus and Pepey crumbles to the mat. Bektic lands a few more punches from the top and the referee waves off the fight! Big knockout win in the first for Bektic.
Official Result- Mirsad Bektic def. Godofredo Pepey by TKO (punches) at 2:47 of Round 1
> Erik Koch (15-5, 4-4 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (23-8-1, 4-3-1 UFC) Lightweights
They traded kicks to start off the fight. Koch landed a left hand that rocked Green. Koch then landed another. Green fired back with a combo that stunned Koch for a moment. Koch lands a big right hook. They clinch and both land some knees. Koch gets a trip takedown. Koch looking to set up a choke. Green is defending and Koch moves to mount and lands some big elbows. Green gives up his back and Koch is working for a choke. Koch has the hooks in. Green able to escape and they get to their feet. Green lands a kick and grabs the back and Green lands a right hand off the break. 10-9 Koch.
They trade and Koch lands a body kick. Koch lands a left hand. Green lands a body kick. Green with some punches to the body and then lands some knees to the body. Koch lands a left hand. They clinch for a moment. They trade punches after they break. Koch lands a counter left hand and then a nice body kick. Green coming forward chasing Koch around. They are trading and Green lands a right hand. Green attacking the body with a lot of volume. They clinch and Green with some knees to the body. Green with a body kick and just misses a right hand as Koch circles away. Green with a body punch. Green with some right hands in the pocket at the end of the round. 10-9 Green, 19-19.
Green lands a nasty right hand. Koch is hurt but still pressing forward. They clinch and Green with some dirty boxing. They break and Green back to attacking the body. Green with a right hand to the body and then one to the head. They trade punches. Green is stalking Koch around the Octagon. Green gets a takedown and is in side control. Green with some elbows from the top and the blood is flying off of Koch. Green tried to transition but Koch found an opening and exploded to the top. Green going for a switch and gives up his back and then ends up winning the scramble and Green is in side control. Green with some punches to the body on top. Green with punches from the top to end the fight. Good fight. 10-9 Green, 29-28 Green.
Official Result- Bobby Green def. Erik Koch by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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> Drew Dober (18-8 1 NC, 4-4 1 NC UFC) vs. Frank Camacho (21-5, 1-1 UFC) Welterweights
They trade in close range and then clinch inside the opening minute. Camacho gets a trip takedown and is in side control. They scramble back to their feet. Dober with a leg kick. Dober landing combos. Camacho with a right hand. Dober with a body kick. They are trading and then clinch. Dober with an elbow but Camacho gets another trip takedown. Camacho on top and landing. They got to their feet and Camacho dropped Dober with a right hand at the end of the round. 10-9 Camacho.
They come out swinging in the pocket before clinching. Camacho grabbed the neck as they were standing and they both went to the ground and Camacho ended up in Dober’s guard. They get to their feet and Camacho is looking tired. Dober with some body punches and then starts attacking the head. Dober is coming on strong with big combos. They clinch and trade knees. Camacho lands a big right hand. Dober landing combos and big left hands. Dober landing more combos. Dober with a leg kick. Camacho countered with some attacks to the body. Dober with a leg kick. Dober with a combo and Camacho is tired. Dober lands a left hand and then to the body and then back to the head. Dober with a body kick. They trade at the end. 10-9 Dober, 19-19.
They were trading and Dober shot in for a takedown but Camacho was able to reverse it with a trip takedown. They got back to their feet and Dober is still the fresher fighter. Dober landing punches as Camacho takes a couple of deep breaths. Dober with a spin kick to the body. They trade big combos. They trade inside the pocket. They clinch and Dober with some dirty boxing. Dober with an uppercut. They trade big punches at the end of the fight. Close final round. 10-9 Dober, 29-28 Dober.
Official Result- Drew Dober def. Frank Camacho by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Jordan Rinaldi (13-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gregor Gillespie (10-0, 3-0 UFC) Lightweights
Rinaldi lands a couple of left hooks. Rinaldi with a head kick but Gillespie fires back with some quick punches. Rinaldi with a step in knee but Gillespie grabs the leg though Rinaldi slips out. Gillespie gets the single-leg takedown and is in the half-guard. Gillespie goes to side control but transitions to the mount. Rinaldi gives up his back for a moment but back to half-guard and back to mount for Gillespie. Gillespie is working for a choke. Rinaldi gives up his back but gets to his knees. Gillespie still has the back. Gillespie with a knee to the body as he still has the back. Big punches from Gillespie. More big punches and he’s looking to finish. The fight is stopped! Gillespie made it look easy as he gets the stoppage in the first.
Official Result- Gregor Gillespie def. Jordan Rinaldi by TKO (punches) at 4:46 of Round 1
> Dennis Bermudez (#12, 16-7, 9-5 UFC) vs. Andre Fili (17-5, 5-4 UFC) Featherweights
Bermudez with a leg kick. Fili with a leg kick and Bermudez shoots for a takedown but it is defended. Bermudez with the double jab and then a leg kick. Bermudez with a left hook to the body but Fili counters with a combo. They clinch and Bermudez has Fili against the fence. They break and Fili with a body kick. They trade punches. Fili gets a brief takedown but right back to their feet. Bermudez with a big leg kick. Bermudez with the double jab. Fili with a counter right hand. Fili with a leg kick. Bermudez with a heavy leg kick. Fili with a combo. Fili scores a late takedown. They get to their feet. 10-9 Bermudez.
They clinch and Bermudez lands on the break. Bermudez with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Bermudez with a leg kick and Fili counters with a takedown. They get to their feet quickly and Bermudez is looking for a takedown. Bermudez looks to lift Fili but Fili shakes himself away. Bermudez with a leg kick. Bermudez with another. Fili is working the jab. Bermudez tries a takedown but it is defended. Fili lands a left hand as he was backing away. They clinch and Bermudez pushes the fight against the fence. Fili gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Bermudez. Bermudez with the underhook to get to his feet. Bermudez with a right hand. 10-9 Bermudez, 20-18 Bermudez.
Fili landing the jab. Bermudez with a leg kick. Bermudez goes high with the kick. Bermudez with the triple jab but Fili counters with an uppercut. Bermudez with the jab. Fili lands a big left high kick. They clinch and Bermudez lands a low knee and we have a timeout for Fili to recover. We get back to action and Bermudez with some leg kicks. Bermudez coming on strong going after Fili. Bermudez with a right hand. Fili missing the jab. Bermudez with a leg kick and then a left hand. Fili lands a left hand. Bermudez lands a good combo against the fence. Bermudez gets a takedown late but Fili able to scramble to the top. 10-9 Bermudez, 30-27 Bermudez.
Official Result- Andre Fili def. Dennis Bermudez by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
> Ronaldo Souza (#3, 24-5 1 NC, 7-2 UFC) vs. Derek Brunson (#8, 18-5, 9-3 UFC) Middleweights
Souza with a body kick. Brunson with a body kick. Souza with another. Brunson just misses a left hand. Souza with a big right hand followed by a leg kick. Both being very patient. Souza with a right hand. Souza gets a brief takedown. Brunson stumbles backwards after they get up. Brunson with a combo but Souza lands a counter right hook. Souza with a right hand to the body and then drops Brunson with a head kick. Brunson stumbles down and Souza lands a left uppercut and a right hand that drops Brunson again and Souza finishes Brunson off with a couple more punches. Souza with the big knockout win!
Official Result- Ronaldo Souza def. Derek Brunson by knockout (strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1
UFC returns to “big” Fox tonight featuring a champion trying to make history.
In the Octagon’s debut in Kansas City, MO, flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will attempt to match Anderson Silva’s UFC record of 10 straight title defenses as he puts his title up against Wilson Reis. While this is Reis’ ninth fight in the UFC, it’s the first time the Brazilian will have ever fought on a main card.
In the co-main event, former title challenger Rose Namajunas takes on the former Invicta atomweight champion Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson while we also get a key middleweight tilt with overdue title challenger Jacare Souza vs. rising start Robert Whittaker, who comes in on a six-fight win streak.
For our other panel picks, we’re looking at a couple key prelim fights that will also air on Fox instead of FS1. Popular heavyweight Roy Nelson will attempt to hand former Bellator champion Alexander Volkov his first UFC loss as they square off, and in what could be a show-stealer, flyweights Tim Elliott and Louis Smolka go to battle. Elliott was last seen taking Johnson to the limit after he won his season of TUF.
If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks in addition to how the betting favorites did:
Dave Meltzer (19-9; .679) — Wrestling Observer publisher
Consensus Picks (19-9; .679)
Favorites (19-9; .679)
John Pollock (19-9; .679) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
Mike Sawyer (19-9; .679) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
David Bixenspan (18-10; .643) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
Steve Juon (18-10; .643) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
Mike Sempervive (17-11; .607) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
Ryan Frederick (16-12; .571) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
Paul Fontaine (13-15; .464) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
Front Row Brian (13-15; .464) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
We are still waiting on picks from Dave Meltzer.
> UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson (25-2-1) vs Wilson Reis (22-6)
Johnson is the first and only flyweight champion in UFC history and he’s run through all the top contenders, some more than once. Reis, on a relatively modest three-fight win streak over the lower end of the division, is the latest to try and topple him from his throne.
Johnson already seems to be looking past this fight as he’s made some overtures toward challenging UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt which honestly might be the best challenge for Johnson at this point. His last loss was to former 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz and he’s not only won 11 straight fights, but he’s looked completely dominant in doing so.
Johnson is the biggest favorite on the card and there’s not much doubt what the outcome will be here, either with the betting public or from our panel.
> Rose Namajunas (5-3) vs Michelle Waterson (14-4) STRAWWEIGHTS
One again, two of the most popular fighters in the 115-pound division get a featured fight on Fox. “Thug” Rose is coming off a tough split decision loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who went on to put up a tough fight against division queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk. If not for one judge’s scorecard, she’d be on a four fight win streak.
Waterson, meanwhile, destroyed Paige VanZant in the biggest and most high profile fight of her career in the main event of a highly rated show on Fox. She’s now 2-0 in UFC and if she gets past Namajunas, she’ll likely earn a title shot.
> Jacare Souza (22-4) vs Robert Whittaker (17-4) MIDDLEWEIGHTS
There is a lot of intrigue in this fight. Souza is the most feared submission expert in the division and if not for a controversial loss to Yoel Romero at UFC 194, he’d be on an 11-fight win streak. Division champion Michael Bisping has publicly stated on more than one occasion that he has no intention of defending against Souza who just re-upped for eight fights with the company Friday.
Whittaker comes in with six straight wins and the New Zealander may be that country’s best hope for a UFC world title as Mark Hunt’s career nears the end. If he should pull off the upset, he may be the next top challenger that Bisping spends time ducking.
Whichever guys comes out of this fight with a win will certainly earn a title shot. Whether he gets it is a completely different story.
> Roy Nelson (22-13) vs Alexander Volkov (27-6) HEAVYWEIGHTS
This will be an interesting spectacle. Nelson is the most unlikely of heavyweight contenders with his terrible physique but he’s managed to carve out a successful career in UFC. Volkov looks like he’s built to be a champion but has lost some key fights in his career and did not look good at all in his UFC debut despite squeaking out a win over Timothy Johnson.
Nelson is on a mini career resurgence with two wins in his last three with the lone loss by split decision to rising contender Derrick Lewis. Volkov has won three straight, but two of those fights were in Russia against weaker opponents and his split decision win over Johnson in his UFC debut was generous at best. Prior to this win streak, he’s lost his last two fights in Bellator.
Nelson #12; +131 betting underdog: Frederick, Sawyer, Fontaine
> Louis Smolka (11-3) vs Tim Elliott (13-7-1) FLYWEIGHTS
In that title loss to Johnson, there were moments in the first round where it seemed Elliott could pull off the biggest upset in divison history. He ended up losing a one-sided decision but his stock rose in return to the UFC despite the loss.
At one point, Smolka seemed to be on the verge of a title shot but with two straight losses, he could be fighting for his job here. The Hawaiian is one of the best finishers in the division with three stoppages in his five UFC wins. In a division where the champion has mowed through most of the top contenders, he could be just a couple wins away from that elusive title shot. At just 25 years old, there’s still a lot of time for him to get his career back on track.
> Jeremy Stephens (25-13) vs Renato Carneiro (10-0-1) FEATHERWEIGHTS
Stephens #7; -167 betting favorite
Carneiro #48; +160 betting underdog
> Tom Duquesnoy (14-1) vs Patrick Williams (8-1) BANTAMWEIGHTS
Duquesnoy #19; -700 betting favorite
Williams NR; +660 betting underdog
> Rashid Magomedov (19-2) vs Bobby Green (23-7) LIGHTWEIGHTS
Magomedov #29; -330 betting favorite
Green #61; +300 betting underdog
> Devin Clark (7-1) vs Jake Collier (10-3) LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Clark #66; -137 betting favorite
Collier #70 at middleweight; +130 betting underdog
> Anthony Smith (26-12) vs Andrew Sanchez (9-2)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Smith #40; +309 betting underdog
Sanchez #33; -303 betting favorite
> Aljamain Sterling (12-2) vs Augusto Mendes (6-1) BANTAMWEIGHTS
Sterling #17; -400 betting favorite
Mendes #40; +365 betting underdog
> Nathan Coy (15-6) vs Zak Cummings (20-5) WELTERWEIGHTS
Coy #76; +420 betting underdog
Cummings #34; -400 betting favorite
> Ketlen Vieira (7-0) vs Ashlee Evans-Smith (5-1) WOMENS BANTAMWEIGHTS
Vieira NR; +185 betting underdog
Evans-Smith #16; -199 betting favorite
Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 4 PM EST and moves over to Fox at 6 PM EST. The main card continues on Fox at 8 PM EST, covered by our Ryan Frederick, who will be live at cageside.
The UFC has lost a main event as former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold suffered a knee injury and has pulled out of his November 27th rematch against Jacare Souza in Melbourne, Australia.
Rockhold had injured his knee prior to his June title loss to Michael Bisping.
The co-main event of Robert Whittaker vs. Derek Brunson was promoted to main event.
The story by Ariel Helwani quoted Souza’s manager Gilbert Faria who said at this point, he would only be open to facing Bisping for the middleweight championship. What makes that notable is that Bisping was interested in fighting on the December 10th Toronto, Canada, PPV, although he was looking for a big money payday against either Georges St-Pierre or Nick Diaz.
Souza has won nine of his last ten fights since a 2011 loss to Rockhold where he also lost the Strikeforce middleweight title. His lone UFC loss was to Yoel Romero — a fight that many media and fans had Souza winning or, at worst, ending in a tie.
Chris Weidman and Romero will face each other at the upcoming UFC 205 megacard in NYC where it’s likely the winner wll get the next shot at Bisping.
A key middleweight bout has been announced for the main event of the UFC’s return to Australia in November as former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold and long-time top contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza meet in a five-round bout at UFC Fight Night 101.
Rockhold announced the bout on his social media late Sunday night, and it was later confirmed by UFC officials.
Rockhold and Souza have met once before when both were fighting in the Strikeforce promotion. It was for Souza’s Strikeforce Middleweight Championship in September 2011, a bout won by Rockhold via unanimous decision. At the time, it was considered one of the bigger upsets to happen in recent time.
Rockhold is returning to the Octagon for the first time since losing the UFC Middleweight Championship to Michael Bisping by first-round knockout at UFC 199 in June. Rockhold had won the title from Chris Weidman in his previous bout at UFC 194 in December.
UFC officials were trying to get Rockhold to return for the last few weeks, but he had been holding out for a better contract, stating he is making enough from doing modeling that he doesn’t need to fight if the money isn’t right. With this announcement, it seems those issues have now past.
Souza is looking to score his second straight win after beating Vitor Belfort by first-round TKO at UFC 198 in May. Souza bounced back from losing a split decision to Yoel Romero at UFC 194 in December in a key top contenders’ bout, which ended Souza’s eight-fight win streak. Souza is 6-1 since coming to the UFC from Strikeforce, also scoring wins over Gegard Mousasi, Francis Carmont, Yushin Okami, and two wins over Chris Camozzi.
UFC Fight Night 101 takes place on November 27th from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The event airs on Fox Sports 1, and due to the time difference between the United States and Australia, the event is broadcast on November 26th. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
