Tag: rafael dos anjos

UFC on ESPN 51 live results: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael Dos Anjos

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The Octagon is back inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas this weekend for another fight card as UFC On ESPN 51: Luque vs. Dos Anjos goes down inside of the UFC’s home base.

The card is headlined by a welterweight showdown as Vicente Luque takes on former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Luque is fighting for the first time in a year as he looks to end a two-fight losing skid, having lost to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal. Dos Anjos is making another run in the welterweight division as he looks for his second straight win following a submission of Bryan Barberena in December.

In the co-main event, it’s an exciting featherweight match-up as longtime veteran Cub Swanson takes on Hakeem Dawodu. Also on the main card is a light heavyweight battle between Khalil Rountree and Chris Daukaus, a women’s strawweight fight pitting Polyana Viana against Iasmin Lucindo, and a pair of middleweight bouts as AJ Dobson fights Tafon Nchukwi, and Josh Fremd takes on Jamie Pickett.

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> Women’s Flyweights- Juliana Miller (3-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Luana Santos (5-1, 0-0 UFC)

They both throw right away. Miller lands a right hand. Santos lands a nice right hand then they clinch against the fence. They separate and Miller lands a right hand. They trade before tying up and Santos lands a knee as they break. Santos lands a right hand and Miller is hurt. Santos landing against the fence. Miller lands a jab but eats a right hand from Santos. Santos is still hurting Miller with punches and a head kick. Santos landing and grabs the neck and gets it down. They get to their feet and separate. Santos lands another big right hand and is teeing off on Miller against the fence. Santos landing a lot and it is stopped! Big finish from Santos to get the win.

Official Result- Luana Santos def. Juliana Miller by TKO (punches) at 3:41 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- Da’Mon Blackshear (13-5-1, 1-1-1 UFC) vs. Jose Johnson (15-7, 0-0 UFC)

Blackshear throwing early. Blackshear lands some punches but eats some counters from Johnson. Blackshear scores a takedown. Blackshear lands from the top to the body. Blackshear gets the back as they work to the feet. Blackshear lands some knees. They scramble and Blackshear is able to get it back down and lands a right hand from the top. Blackshear stands and grabs the back as they’re on the mat. Johnson lands a back elbow and punch. Blackshear looks for a twister. He has it locked in and Johnson taps! What a finish from Blackshear!

Official Result- Da’Mon Blackshear def. Jose Johnson by submission (Twister) at 3:47 of Round 1

> Women’s Strawweights- Jaqueline Amorim (6-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Montserrat Conejo (10-2, 1-1 UFC)

They both throw before Amorim pushes it against the fence. Amorim gets the takedown. Amorim is landing from the top as she has the mount. Amorim continues to land from the mount as she’s trying to set up a submission. Amorim still dominating from the top as she’s landing and then she grabs the armbar. Conejo is trying to fight it off. Conejo is scrambling around and gets her arm out of the position but Amorim still has a hold of it. Amorim has the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. She lets it go and is back in mount landing to end the round. 10-8 Amorim.

Conejo lands a side kick and is pawing away. Amorim lands and Conejo lands a left hand. Amorim lands a head kick and Conejo is able to get the takedown somehow. Amorim gets the back and is working for a choke. Amorim landing punches from the back. Amorim moves to the full mount and is still landing punches. Amorim landing lots of shots from the top. Amorim lands a big elbow from the top and is dropping hammerfists. Amorim now looking for an armbar. She ends up landing more punches from the mount to end the round. 10-8 Amorim, 20-16 Amorim.

Amorim lands a body kick. She lands a leg kick. They trade punches. They go back to the mat and Conejo is in Amorim’s guard. Amorim looking to sweep from the bottom. She almost is able to sweep but Conejo is able to maintain top position. Amorim is able to sweep to the top and starts landing punches from the mount until it is stopped. This was absolute domination from Amorim.

Official Result- Jaqueline Amorim def. Montserrat Conejo by TKO (punches) at 3:41 of Round 3

> Heavyweights- Josh Parisian (15-6, 2-3 UFC) vs. Martin Buday (12-1, 3-0 UFC)

They’re trading a lot to start off and Buday is rocking Parisian with some big punches against the fence. Buday lands a knee and is still landing but Parisian is able to land a spinning back fist. Buday pushes it back against the fence and is still landing and lands an uppercut before they break. Buday lands a jab and Parisian is throwing counter shots. They trading in close range and both are landing. Buday lands a left hand then some uppercuts in the clinch. Buday gets it down and is landing from the top. Buday locks up the arm of Parisian in a kimura and Parisian verbally taps! Big finish from Buday.

Official Result- Martin Buday def. Josh Parisian by submission (kimura) at 4:11 of Round 1

> Featherweights- Francis Marshall (7-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Isaac Dulgarian (5-0, 0-0 UFC)

Marshall lands a leg kick. Dulgarian lands a right hand then a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Dulgarian shoots for a takedown and completes it. Both are landing on the mat as Dulgarian is keeping the pressure from the top. Dulgarian with a couple of elbows from the top and he now lands some short hammerfists. Dulgarian lands a big elbow and passes to half-guard. Marshall almost is able to get up but Dulgarian keeps it down. Dulgarian lands some elbows and gets the full mount. Dulgarian landing big shots from the top. Marshall in trouble and covering up. Dulgarian keeps landing and it is stopped! Impressive showing from Dulgarian in his debut.

Official Result- Isaac Dulgarian def. Francis Marshall by TKO (strikes) at 4:48 of Round 1

> Lightweights- Terrance McKinney (13-6, 3-3 UFC) vs. Mike Breeden (10-5, 0-2 UFC)

McKinney lands a left hand and tries for a takedown but lets go. McKinney lands a high kick. McKinney lands another head kick. McKinney lands a left hand. McKinney landing some big punches to the head and body and Breeden is hurt. McKinney landing the left hand at will. Breeden gets it down for a second but they get up. McKinney with a big combo against the fence and he’s teeing off and it is stopped! What a dominant showing from McKinney as he gets back into the win column.

Official Result- Terrance McKinney def. Mike Breeden by TKO (punches) at 1:25 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- JP Buys (9-5, 0-3 UFC) vs. Marcus McGhee (7-1, 1-0 UFC)

They’re feeling each other out early on. McGhee lands a leg kick then Buys lands a body kick. They trade punches. McGhee lands a right hand. McGhee lands a pair of big right hands. McGhee drops Buys with a right hand and it is stopped as Buys starts stumbling around and he’s clearly out of it. Big finish from McGhee to get the win!

Official Result- Marcus McGhee def. JP Buys by knockout (punch) at 2:19 of Round 1

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> Middleweights*- Josh Fremd (10-4, 1-2 UFC) vs. Jamie Pickett (13-9, 2-5 UFC)

*Fremd missed weight by three pounds

Pickett lands a leg kick and Fremd lands a body kick. Fremd lands some leg kicks as Pickett lands some punches before they clinch back up. They’re battling against the fence and we almost had a groin strike but they continue on. Fremd lands a couple of body shots. There’s not much happening here. Pickett reverses position but still not a lot of action going on. They separate. Pickett lands a combo. Fremd lands a high kick. 10-9 Fremd.

They trade kicks to start. Fremd tries to land and looks for a takedown but Pickett had the neck. Fremd got out and they’re clinched but they end up breaking. Fremd lands a couple of jabs. They clinch and Fremd lands an elbow. Pickett gets a takedown but Fremd has the neck with a guillotine choke locked in. Pickett escapes. Pickett gets the back of Fremd. They stand. Pickett pushes it against the fence as Fremd lands some elbows. Fremd has a guillotine choke locked in and they go down and he lets it go. Fremd lands some big punches from the top. 10-9 Fremd, 20-18 Fremd.

Fremd lands a flying knee and Pickett fires back with a combo. Pickett gets a takedown. Fremd gets to the top and is landing and controlling. Fremd has arm control but they get to their feet and are tied up against the fence. There isn’t much happening and they separate. Neither lands and Fremd pushes it against the fence. Pickett lands as they break. They trade at the end. 10-9 Fremd, 30-27 Fremd.

Official Result- Josh Fremd def. Jamie Pickett by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Middleweights*- AJ Dobson (6-2 1 NC, 0-2 UFC) vs. Tafon Nchukwi (6-3, 2-3 UFC)

*Nchukwi missed weight by 3.5 pounds

Dobson landing some leg kicks early. Nchukwi lands one. Dobson lands a jab as Nchukwi attacks the body. Nchukwi with a stiff jab then a hard leg kick. Dobson lands a leg kick. Nchukwi lands a jab to the body then a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Nchukwi with more hard calf kicks. Dobson scores with a combo. Nchukwi lands a leg kick then a body kick. Dobson lands some leg kicks. He’s actually landing more but Nchukwi is landing harder. Nchukwi lands a left hand. Dobson lands a body kick. Nchukwi lands a body kick but Dobson catches it and gets a takedown and lands from the top to end. 10-9 Dobson.

Dobson lands a leg kick. Dobson lands a body kick as Nchukwi misses some punches. Dobson lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks. They trade them again. Nchukwi lands a leg kick and Dobson fires back with a couple of kicks, then lands a right hand. They both land punches and kicks before clinching against the fence. They separate and both land punches. Nchukwi lands a calf kick. Dobson lands a jab. Nchukwi lands a leg kick. Nchukwi lands a body kick and they tie up at the end. 10-9 Dobson, 20-18 Dobson.

Dobson lands a leg kick. He lands a leg kick and Nchukwi lands a jab. They trade leg kicks and Dobson is able to trip Nchukwi up to the mat. Dobson in the half-guard and pressuring from the top. Dobson working from the half-guard and landing as he’s keeping Nchukwi down. Dobson landing to the body but not much else is happening. Dobson lands from the top as Nchukwi scrambles up. 10-9 Dobson, 30-27 Dobson.

Official Result- AJ Dobson def. Tafon Nchukwi by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Women’s Strawweights- Polyana Viana (13-5, 4-4 UFC) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (14-5, 1-1 UFC)

Viana lands a body kick but eats a counter left from Lucindo. Viana lands a leg kick then a right hand. Viana lands and tries for a takedown against the fence. She lands some short punches and is able to get Lucindo down. Viana is controlling from the top but not a lot of action is taking place. They are stood up. Lucindo lands a spin kick but Viana grabs the leg and pushes it to the fence. Lucindo scores the takedown. Both are landing on the mat as Lucindo is pressuring. Lucindo with some hammerfists from the top. Close round. 10-9 Lucindo.

Lucindo lands a spin kick. They trade and Lucindo lands a big punch that buckles Viana. Not much happening on the feet until Lucindo gets a takedown. Lucindo lands a couple of punches from the top. Lucindo looking to improve position and looks for an arm-triangle choke. She has it locked in and Viana taps! Lucindo gets the big win here.

Official Result- Iasmin Lucindo def. Polyana Viana by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:42 of Round 2

> Light Heavyweights- #13 Khalil Rountree (11-5 1 NC, 7-5 1 NC UFC) vs. #14 HW Chris Daukaus (12-6, 4-3 UFC)

Daukaus lands a quick combination. They trade hard punches. Daukaus lands a right hand. Rountree lands a stiff punch. Rountree lands a nice counter right hand. Daukaus lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence and Rountree lands some knees as Daukaus lands to the body before they break. They trade and then Rountree drops Daukaus with a left hand and finishes it off with some follow-up shots. Big finish from Rountree!

Official Result- Khalil Rountree def. Chris Daukaus by TKO (punches) at 2:40 of Round 1

> Featherweights- Cub Swanson (28-13, 12-9 UFC) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (13-3-1, 6-3 UFC)

They trade leg kicks. Dawodu lands a leg kick. Swanson lands a nice right hand. Swanson lands another right hand. Dawodu lands a leg kick as Swanson scores with a jab. They trade leg kicks. Dawodu lands a nice jab. Swanson lands a double jab. They trade punches inside the pocket. Dawodu lands a leg kick. Swanson lands a high kick. Dawodu lands a leg kick. 10-9 Dawodu.

Dawodu lands a spin kick. Swanson scores a double jab. Swanson lands another jab. Swanson with some uppercuts in a quick clinch. They now tie up and Swanson with some body shots as Dawodu pushes it against the fence and lands knees. Swanson lands some knees and they reverse then reverse back. Dawodu with some knees to the body. They separate and trade punches. Dawodu with a quick jab. Dawodu lands another jab. Dawodu with a high kick. Swanson lands a combo. They trade jabs before clinching. Dawodu pushes it against the fence and lands a knee. They trade knees. Dawodu landing more knees as he’s pressuring. Swanson lands a right hand on the break and they trade big punches at the end of the round. 10-9 Dawodu, 20-18 Dawodu.

They’re swinging to start the third. Swanson lands a right hand. Dawodu lands a jab. Dawodu scores with a leg kick. Dawodu lands a jab. Swanson with a leg kick. They clinch and Swanson lands some uppercuts to the body. They went to the mat for a second but popped right up. Dawodu lands a groin strike and we have a brief timeout. They trade and Dawodu lands a head kick. They’re both landing in close range. Swanson lands a big left hand. Dawodu lands a combo. Swanson lands a big combo. Swanson gets a takedown and is working inside the guard of Dawodu. They get up but go back down and Swanson has the back as the fight ends. 10-9 Swanson, 29-28 Dawodu.

Official Result- Cub Swanson def. Hakeem Dawodu by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Welterweights- #10 Vicente Luque (21-9-1, 14-5 UFC) vs. #9 LW Rafael Dos Anjos (32-14, 21-12 UFC)

Luque lands a body kick. Luque throws a head kick but it is blocked. Dos Anjos lands a right hook. He lands a body kick. Dos Anjos goes for a takedown against the fence. He lands some knees to the legs of Luque. Dos Anjos still working for the takedown. They reverse positions a couple of times. Dos Anjos lands some punches as they break. They trade in close range and Luque lands to the body. Luque with a body kick. Dos Anjos lands an elbow as he shoots for a takedown. Luque gets a takedown but Dos Anjos has the neck. Dos Anjos is looking for a guillotine choke but Luque jumps over and gets the back. Luque lands some big punches. They get to their feet. 10-9 Luque.

They trade jabs and Dos Anjos lands a body kick. Luque lands a body kick. Dos Anjos tries for a takedown but Luque defends and reverses against the fence. They both land in the clinch. They separate. Luque with a high kick then a left hand. Dos Anjos gets a brief takedown and has the back as they get to their feet. Luque gets Dos Anjos down for a second. Luque has it pushed against the fence. Luque looking for a standing arm-triangle choke but Dos Anjos escapes. Luque lands an elbow as they break. Luque with late body kicks. 10-9 Luque, 20-18 Luque.

They trade and Dos Anjos pushes it against the fence. Luque reverses but Dos Anjos reverses back and is trying for the takedown. Dos Anjos lands an elbow. Luque gets the takedown. They separate and trade jabs. Dos Anjos lands a left hand. Dos Anjos lands a right hook. Dos Anjos lands a body kick. Luque scores with a jab. Dos Anjos lands a left hand. Dos Anjos lands a combo. Dos Anjos lands a combo and gets a takedown. Luque has the neck to reverse then Dos Anjos has the neck. Luque reverses and has the back on the feet. Luque trying for a takedown against the fence. Close round. 10-9 Dos Anjos, 29-28 Luque.

Luque lands a right hand. They trade against the fence. Luque lands a high kick. They tie up against the fence and Luque lands a knee. They trade in the tie up. They break for a moment but tie back up against the fence. Luque lands to the body. Luque dropping down for a takedown. Dos Anjos reverses and they separate. Dos Anjos lands a punch and then shoots for a takedown but Luque defends. Luque trying to get it down but Dos Anjos is defending with some elbows. Luque gets it down for a moment. Luque looks for a choke late. 10-9 Luque, 39-37 Luque.

Luque lands a jab then a right hand. Luque lands a jab then Dos Anjos lands a combo and shoots for a takedown but Luque defends and reverses position. They separate. They trade punches. Dos Anjos lands and looks for a takedown but Luque reverses. Luque pressuring against the fence and gets Dos Anjos down but they quickly get up. They’re reversing positions against the fence. They break. Dos Anjos lands a right hand. Dos Anjos lands a couple of left hands. Luque tries a takedown but Dos Anjos defends and ends up on top. Dos Anjos lands a big elbow and some shots to end it. 10-9 Dos Anjos, 48-47 Luque.

Official Result- Vicente Luque def. Rafael Dos Anjos by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)

UFC on ESPN 39 live results: Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On ESPN 39: Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev, emanating from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Octagon is back at the Apex this week after a crazy International Fight Week, and the show rolls on with a twelve-fight card featuring a lightweight fight between top-ten foes.

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos takes on Rafael Fiziev in a long-awaited five-round headline bout. These two were originally scheduled to headline a card in February, but visa issues pushed the fight back to UFC 272 in March. However, Fiziev had to pull out after contracting COVID-19, and Dos Anjos instead scored a win over Renato Moicano on that card. Dos Anjos has scored two straight wins, while Fiziev is riding a five-fight win streak.

The rest of the main card features some notable match-ups, as middleweights Caio Borralho and Armen Petrosyan battle, bantamweights Douglas Silva de Andrade and Said Nurmagomedov square off, heavyweights Jared Vanderaa and Chase Sherman battle to stay on the UFC roster, and it kicks off with a long-time UFC veteran Michael Johnson taking on Jamie Mullarkey in a lightweight fight.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

*A women’s flyweight fight between Cynthia Calvillo and Nina Nunes has been scratched from the card after Nunes had to pull out due to a stomach virus she contracted following weigh-ins.

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> Bantamweights- Ronnie Lawrence (8-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Saidyokub Kakhramonov (9-2, 1-0 UFC)

Kakhramonov lands a right hand and Lawrence with a leg kick. They clinch and Lawrence tries a takedown but Kakhramonov keeps it up and has the back standing and lands some right hands. Kakhramonov gets a takedown but they get up and Kakhramonov gets another takedown and is in the half-guard. Kakhramonov stands but gets back on the top. Kakhramonov with some elbows and big punches to the body. Lawrence regains the full guard. Kakhramonov with some right hands to the body then to the head before they scramble up. Kakhramonov gets another takedown. They scramble up and Lawrence pushed it against the fence. They trade knees and Kakhramonov with another takedown. Kakhramonov in side control. Kakhramonov with some hammerfists. 10-9 Kakhramonov.

Lawrence lands a left hand. They both miss spin kicks. Lawrence lands an uppercut and a head kick. Kakhramonov gets a takedown. They get to their feet as Kakhramonov lands a right hand. Kakhramonov gets another takedown and is in the half-guard of Lawrence. He moves to the full guard of Lawrence. Kakhramonov with some right hands from the top. He lands more as he’s trying to pin down an arm of Lawrence. Kakhramonov still dominating from the top as he moves to the full guard and then takes the back of Lawrence as they get up. Lawrence gets the takedown but they scramble up and tie up against the fence. They break and Kakhramonov with a head kick at the end. 10-9 Kakhramonov, 20-18 Kakhramonov.

Lawrence with a spin kick. He lands a leg kick. They trade punches. Kakhramonov gets a takedown. Kakhramonov gets inside the full guard of Lawrence. He moves to the half-guard and is just dominating from the top. Lawrence tries to get up but Kakhramonov keeps him down. They eventually work to the feet but Kakhramonov drags it back down to their knees. They stand and Kakhramonov still has the back and lands some knees. It goes back to the mat and Kakhramonov looking for the neck. Kakhramonov goes back into the full guard of Lawrence and lands some punches. 10-8 Kakhramonov, 30-26 Kakhramonov.

Official Result- Saidyokub Kakhramonov def. Ronnie Lawrence by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

> Light Heavyweights- Kennedy Nzechukwu (9-3, 3-3 UFC) vs. Karl Roberson (9-5, 4-5 UFC)

Nzechukwu with a big body kick. Nzechukwu lands a groin strike and we have a brief timeout. Back to action and Roberson goes for a takedown but Nzechukwu defending. Roberson still trying for the takedown against the fence. Nzechukwu now is the one who gets a takedown. Nzechukwu gets the back and has an arm under the chin but lets go. They continue to scramble and Nzechukwu still has his arm around the chin of Roberson. They get to their feet and Roberson with a knee but Nzechukwu gets another takedown and lands some right hands. Nzechukwu still in control on the ground but Roberson defending and staying composed. They get to their feet. Nzechukwu takes the back standing. They remain tied up to end the round. 10-9 Nzechukwu.

Roberson lands some body kicks early in the second but Nzechukwu gets it to the mat. Nzechukwu has the back and lands some punches. He lands some more punches to the head as Roberson looks gassed out. Nzechukwu gets it back down and has the back and looks to put the hooks in. Nzechukwu with big right hands to the body of Roberson. Nzechukwu lands a knee to the body. They get to their feet and Nzechukwu has the back. Nzechukwu looking for the choke again. Nzechukwu ends the round on top. 10-9 Nzechukwu, 20-18 Nzechukwu.

They trade to start the third and Nzechukwu gets the takedown and has the mount. Nzechukwu gets the back and is landing some big punches looking for the finish and it is stopped. Big finish by Nzechukwu.

Official Result- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Karl Roberson by TKO (punches) at 2:19 of Round 3

> Featherweights- David Onama (9-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Garrett Armfield (8-2, 0-0 UFC)

Both looking to land the jab early on. They trade and tie up against the fence. Onama has the back against the fence. Onama gets it down but Armfield scrambles up and they tie up against the fence. Onama looking for the kimura standing and they go to the mat and Armfield in the guard but they get back to the feet. Onama lands a knee as they break. Armfield with a left hand. They trade in close range and Armfield connects with a left hand. They trade right hands and Onama with a left hand. Onama with a body kick. They clinch along the fence. Onama lands a left as they break and then lands a combo. Onama with some big punches late. 10-9 Onama.

They’re trading in close range to start the second. Onama with a knee. Onama gets a takedown and has the back against the fence. They scramble and Onama ends up on top and locks in an arm-triangle choke. Armfield is trying to fight it off and doing a good job but he goes out and it is stopped. Nice finish by Onama!

Official Result- David Onama def. Garrett Armfield by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:13 of Round 2

> Women’s Flyweights- Antonina Shevchenko (9-4, 3-4 UFC) vs. Cortney Casey (10-9, 6-8 UFC)

They trade leg kicks to start the fight. Shevchenko lands a jab. Casey with a high body kick as Shevchenko lands a jab. Shevchenko with a body kick. Shevchenko lands a combination in close. Casey lands a hard right hand as they clinch but break. Shevchenko with a side kick. Casey with a leg kick and Shevchenko lands a counter jab then lands a head kick. Casey tries to land a right hand but Shevchenko gets a takedown. Shevchenko with some right hands from the top. She lands two more. Casey with some shots from the bottom and Shevchenko stands. Close round. 10-9 Shevchenko.

Shevchenko with some side kicks. Casey with a high kick. Casey with a right hand. Shevchenko with a leg kick. Shevchenko with a high kick. They continue to both land short shots in close range. Shevchenko with an axe kick. Shevchenko just misses a wheel kick. Shevchenko with a side kick. Shevchenko keeps throwing side kicks as Casey isn’t able to land much. Casey rushes in and they clinch against the fence. Shevchenko with a leg kick and Casey slips on a kick and Shevchenko kicks her as she was getting to her feet. Casey with a right hand and Shevchenko backs up. Casey with a flurry and lands a big right hand at the end. Close round again. 10-9 Shevchenko, 20-18 Shevchenko.

They trade in close range and Shevchenko with a knee as they break a clinch. Shevchenko with the jab. Casey lands a right hand. They trade in close range. Shevchenko with a spinning back fist and Casey ties up with her against the fence. Casey gets the takedown. She’s in side control and lands a couple of elbows. Casey with some body punches and a few elbows from the top. Casey stands and lands as Shevchenko gets to her feet. Casey with an elbow. Casey with a right hand and Shevchenko goes for a takedown but Casey reverses and has the back then the full mount. They get to their feet. Casey with a left hand and she gets a takedown. Close fight. 10-9 Casey, 29-28 Shevchenko.

Official Result- Antonina Shevchenko def. Cortney Casey by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Middleweights- Cody Brundage (7-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Tresean Gore (3-1, 0-1 UFC)

Gore with a leg kick. Brundage shoots for the takedown and gets it against the fence. They get to their feet and break and Gore with a leg kick. Gore lands a jab. Brundage with a step-in elbow and body kick as Gore lands a leg kick. Brundage with a combo. Brundage throwing the jab. They trade jabs. Gore with a leg kick. Gore with a right hand. Gore with a leg kick. Gore with a leg kick but Brundage drops Gore with a counter right hand and starts landing big punches from the top and Gore goes out cold. Big finish by Brundage.

Official Result- Cody Brundage def. Tresean Gore by knockout (punches) at 3:50 of Round 1

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> Lightweights- Michael Johnson (20-17, 12-13 UFC) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (14-5, 2-3 UFC)

Mullarkey lands a leg kick and Johnson lands a left hand. Johnson lands a combo. Johnson lands a quick combo as Mullarkey landed a couple of body shots. Mullarkey with a hard leg kick. They trade punches. Johnson drops Mullarkey with a left hand and gets on top and grabs the neck. They get to their feet and Johnson lands a right hand. Mullarkey with a head kick and then he rocks Johnson with a right hand and Johnson goes down. Mullarkey gets on top and lands some elbows but they both get to their feet and land big flurries at the end. Close round. 10-9 Johnson.

Mullarkey with a leg kick. Mullarkey with the jab. Mullarkey lands a right hand. Mullarkey with a leg kick. Johnson looking for an opening. Johnson with a quick combo. Mullarkey with a right hand. Mullarkey with a head kick. They both land punches in close range. Mullarkey with a leg kick. Mullarkey with some big punches and Johnson is covering up. Mullarkey with a flying knee and he’s landing knees and elbows inside the clinch. Mullarkey with a right hand. Johnson lands a left hand. Johnson goes for a takedown but Mullarkey defends and Mullarkey lands some knees as they get up. Mullarkey with a head kick. Mullarkey with some big punches and he lands another knee. Johnson with a left hand. Mullarkey with a leg kick. Wild round. 10-9 Mullarkey, 19-19.

They trade left hands to start the third. Johnson lands the jab. Johnson lands a left hand. Mullarkey with a right hand. Mullarkey lands a left hook. Mullarkey with a body kick. Johnson lands a big left hand. Johnson tries a takedown but Mullarkey sprawls away. Mullarkey tries a takedown but Johnson sprawls to defend. They were clinched but break. Mullarkey with a right hand. Johnson with the jab. Johnson with the left hand then a jab then another jab. Johnson with a combo. Mullarkey with a head kick. They trade in close range and Johnson lands a big left hand late. Close fight. 10-9 Johnson, 29-28 Johnson.

Official Result- Jamie Mullarkey def. Michael Johnson by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Bantamweights- Aiemann Zahabi (8-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Ricky Turcios (11-2, 1-0 UFC)

Turcios with a head kick as both are feeling each other out. Turcios with more high kicks. Zahabi with a body kick. They both throw wild punches and Turcios looked for a takedown but they scrambled to their feet. They trade leg kicks. Turcios with a body kick. Zahabi shoots for a takedown but Turcios defends. Zahabi landing with more volume in the round. Zahabi lands at the end. 10-9 Zahabi.

Zahabi with a body kick. Zahabi lands a left hand as Turcios lands a leg kick. Zahabi with a high kick. They trade leg kicks. Zahabi with the jab. They trade in close range. Turcios with a right hand. They trade kicks. They both land in wild exchanges late. 10-9 Zahabi, 20-18 Zahabi.

They trade punches to start the third and Zahabi with a leg kick. Zahabi with a leg kick and he lands a couple more. Turcios with a leg kick. They trade punches and Turcios lands a leg kick. Zahabi with a couple of left hands. Turcios throwing but missing. Turcios lands a short body kick. Zahabi lands the jab. 10-9 Zahabi, 30-27 Zahabi.

Official Result- Aiemann Zahabi def. Ricky Turcios by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Heavyweights- Jared Vanderaa (12-8, 1-4 UFC) vs. Chase Sherman (15-10, 3-9 UFC)

They trade to start and Sherman lands a nice right hand. Vanderaa with a left hook. They trade punches. Vanderaa with a couple of jabs. Sherman with two leg kicks. Vanderaa with a leg kick and Sherman fires back with a right hand. Sherman with a left hook. Sherman with a body kick. They trade in close range and Sherman is being busier. They trade leg kicks. Vanderaa with a leg kick. Sherman with another big right hand at the end. 10-9 Sherman.

They’re trading to start the third and neither is landing anything really impactful. Vanderaa landing the jab a little bit more. They exchange jabs. Vanderaa with a leg kick. They trade jabs again. Sherman with a body kick. Vanderaa with a nice combination ending with a nice right hand. They trade leg kicks and Vanderaa with a body kick. Both are landing hard shots but Vanderaa landing with more volume. Sherman then lands a combo. Vanderaa with a left hand. Sherman lands a right hand. They trade punches and Vanderaa with a leg kick. Vanderaa with a body kick and then another one at the end. 10-9 Vanderaa, 19-19.

Vanderaa with a body kick. Sherman with a combination. They trade in close range. Vanderaa with a combination. Vanderaa with a right hand. Vanderaa with another right hand. Sherman with a big combination. Vanderaa with a right hand. Vanderaa with a left hook to the body as Sherman lands a right hand. They both land big right hands in close range. Sherman landing some big punches and he has Vanderaa in trouble and Sherman continues to land big punches and lands a big right hand and Vanderaa goes down and it is all over! What a finish by Sherman!

Official Result- Chase Sherman def. Jared Vanderaa by knockout (punches) at 3:10 of Round 3

> Bantamweights- Douglas Silva de Andrade (28-4 1 NC, 6-4 UFC) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (15-2, 4-1 UFC)

Andrade with a leg kick. Nurmagomedov tries a spin kick but Andrade grabs the back. Andrade trying hard for the takedown. They trade knees. Nurmagomedov with some short knees. Andrade just pressing Nurmagomedov against the fence. Nurmagomedov almost gets a takedown and they end up breaking. They trade leg kicks. Andrade with a body kick. Andrade has a cut around his left eye. Nurmagomedov lands some nice kicks. Andrade with a leg kick. Nurmagomedov with a high kick. Andrade with a body kick. Nurmagomedov lands a nice combo as Andrade landed a right hand. They scramble to the mat late. 10-9 Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov with a spin kick. Nurmagomedov with a body kick. Nurmagomedov with a right hand. Andrade rushes in looking to land but misses. Nurmagomedov with a body kick. Andrade with a body kick. They trade leg kicks. Nurmagomedov with a head kick. Nurmagomedov with a body kick. Andrade with a body kick. They trade kicks and Nurmagomedov with a flying knee. Nurmagomedov shoots for a takedown but Andrade defends and Nurmagomedov lands some punches as they break. Andrade with a spinning back fist and Nurmagomedov falls to the mat. Andrade gets on top and Nurmagomedov looked for an armbar but Andrade escaped and the round ends. 10-9 Andrade, 19-19.

Andrade gets the back and scores a big takedown but they get to their feet. Andrade still has back control. They separate and trade leg kicks. We have a timeout for a groin strike but they get back to work. Nurmagomedov shoots for the single leg and finishes the takedown. They get to their feet and Nurmagomedov with a head kick. They trade big punches. Nurmagomedov tries a spin and Andrade catches it and Nurmagomedov went to the mat and Andrade gets into his guard. Andrade with a big elbow from the top. Andrade slips out to his feet. Nurmagomedov lands an upkick. They get to their feet and trade late. Close fight. 10-9 Nurmagomedov, 29-28 Nurmagomedov.

Official Result- Said Nurmagomedov def. Douglas Silva de Andrade by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Middleweights- Caio Borralho (11-1 1 NC, 1-0 UFC) vs. Armen Petrosyan (7-1, 1-0 UFC)

Petrosyan with a leg kick and Borralho lands two left hands in return and an open-handed slap. Borralho gets an easy takedown. Borralho gets the back and is after the arm of Petrosyan. Borralho now switching to the leg but abandons it. Borralho has the body triangle locked. Borralho is working for the choke. Borralho still working the back and landing punches from the back. 10-9 Borralho.

Both are looking to land on the feet to start the second. Borralho with a body kick. Borralho gets the takedown. Borralho working from the side and steps over to the full mount. Petrosyan turns in and Borralho looks for a guillotine but Petrosyan slips out to his feet. Petrosyan lands some leg kicks and Borralho is ordered up by Mike Beltran. Petrosyan with a combo. Borralho scores another takedown and is in side control but gets to the top. Borralho gets the back and has the hooks in. He lands some punches from the back. 10-9 Borralho, 20-18 Borralho.

Petrosyan with a big leg kick. They tie up against the fence and both are battling for underhooks. Borralho gets to the back as they remain on the feet at the fence. Borralho tries a takedown and he goes to the mat and Petrosyan lands some leg kicks. Petrosyan with more hard kicks as Borralho is on the mat. Mike Beltran orders Borralho to his feet. Borralho looks gassed out. Borralho shoots for the takedown all the way across the Octagon and gets it but they get right back to their feet. They trade knees against the fence and break late and Petrosyan with two body kicks. 10-9 Petrosyan, 29-28 Borralho.

Official Result- Caio Borralho def. Armen Petrosyan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Lightweights- #7 Rafael Dos Anjos (31-13, 20-11 UFC) vs. #10 Rafael Fiziev (11-1, 5-1 UFC)

Fiziev with a body kick. He lands another. Dos Anjos with a leg kick. Fiziev lands a left hook as Dos Anjos lands a left hand. Dos Anjos with another left hand as he pushes it against the fence. Dos Anjos with the pressure against the fence and he lands some knees. They break and Fiziev lands a knee then a right hand. They trade body kicks. Fiziev with a leg kick. Fiziev with another body kick. Fiziev with a body kick. Dos Anjos pushes it against the fence as he looks for the takedown. They break and Fiziev with a step-in elbow. Fiziev with a right hand and then rocks Dos Anjos with a left hand. 10-9 Fiziev.

Dos Anjos with a body kick. Dos Anjos with another body kick and Fiziev catches it and they clinch but break. Fiziev with a body kick. Dos Anjos with a left hand. Dos Anjos tries a takedown but Fiziev defends and they’re tied up against the fence. They break and Dos Anjos with a high kick. Fiziev with a combo then a leg kick. Fiziev with a body kick. Dos Anjos with some jabs. Dos Anjos with a body kick and tries a takedown but Fiziev reverses into one of his own and they get up. They remain tied up and both battle for position. They break and Dos Anjos with a knee. Dos Anjos with an uppercut leading to a combo. Fiziev lands a left hand. Fiziev with a combo. Dos Anjos with a leg kick. Fiziev with a couple of body kicks. 10-9 Fiziev, 20-18 Fiziev.

They clinch against the fence to start the third as Dos Anjos is pressuring and looking for the takedown. Dos Anjos has the back. Fiziev goes to the mat for a moment but gets up and they’re still tied up against the fence. They break. Fiziev with a couple of body kicks. Dos Anjos with a left hand and shoots for the takedown. They clinch against the fence and Fiziev reverses position. Dos Anjos with a knee to the body as they break. Fiziev with a body kick. They clinch against the fence. They break. Fiziev with a right hand. Fiziev with a knee. Dos Anjos lands the jab. Fiziev with a combo to the body. Fiziev with a body kick. He lands another. Fiziev with a late right hand. 10-9 Fiziev, 30-27 Fiziev.

They trade leg kicks to start and Dos Anjos shoots for the takedown and pushes it against the fence. They break after not much happens and then clinch against the fence again with Fiziev in control. They break and Dos Anjos with a flying knee followed by a left hand. They clinch once again. They break. Dos Anjos tries for a single leg but Fiziev defends the takedown attempt. Fiziev with a right hand. Dos Anjos with a body punch and gets a big takedown. Dos Anjos works from the top and Fiziev works his way to the feet and Dos Anjos lands an elbow at the end. 10-9 Dos Anjos, 39-37 Fiziev.

Dos Anjos lands a left hand and then Fiziev drops Dos Anjos with a left hand and follows it with a couple of punches and it is all over. What a finish by Fiziev!

Official Result- Rafael Fiziev def. Rafael Dos Anjos by knockout (punches) at :18 of Round 5

Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael dos Anjos to headline UFC’s next FOX special

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The UFC announced today that a battle of former champions will headline the company’s next FOX special as Robbie Lawler, the former welterweight champion, will face Rafael dos Anjos, the former lightweight champion.

The next FOX special will air on December 16th from the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

With the show headlining on FOX, the winner would have a strong case for a title shot at welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who is currently out of action with a torn labrum.

Lawler, who is currently ranked as the number one contender for the title, has a 28-11 record with one no contest. He lost the title to Woodley via first round stoppage and has yet to get a rematch, but also hasn’t pushed hard for it.

Dos Anjos, 27-9, is ranked fifth in the division. Dos Anjos had a strong run at lightweight before losing the title to Eddie Alvarez. Then, after losing to Tony Ferguson, he moved up saying the weight cut had been difficult. He moved to welterweight and has beaten Tarec Saffiedine and Neil Magny.

The other top fight currently on the show is Glover Teixeira (26-6) vs. Misha Cirkunov (13-3). Cirkunov had won eight fights in a row before being knocked out in 28 seconds by Volkan Oezdemir on May 28th in Stockholm.

Tickets for the show go on sale to the public on October 20th, and to Fight Club members on October 18th.

Other fights UFC has announced for the show are:

  • Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jared Cannnonier
  • Tim Elliott vs. Justin Scoggins
  • Chad Laprise vs. Galore Bofando
  • John Makdessi vs. Abel Trujillo
  • Nordine Taleb vs. Sultan Aliev
  • Alessio DiChirico vs. Oluwale Bamgbose
  • Vitor Miranada vs. Julian Marquez

UFC Fight Night 98 live results: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tony Ferguson

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 98: Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson, eminating from Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.

After having no action for the last three weeks, the UFC is returning with a stretch that will see nine events take place inside the Octagon over the final ten weeks of 2016.

The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the lightweight division as former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos, fighting for the first time since losing the championship, takes on top contender Tony Ferguson, winner of eight straight fights. Dos Anjos lost the title to Eddie Alvarez in July, and after going through some training camp changes, he looks to get back to title contention and derail the win streak of Ferguson. Ferguson is a former TUF winner who has won eleven of his twelve UFC bouts, and he’s stopped six of his last eight opponents during his win streak. Dos Anjos comes into the fight as a slight favorite according to the oddsmakers.

The co-main event is a lightweight bout between original TUF winner Diego Sanchez and debuting Marcin Held. Sanchez looks to rebound from a knockout loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 200 in July while Held moves over from Bellator, where he once fought for their lightweight championship. Also on the main card is a bout between Ricardo Lamas and Charles Oliveira. Lamas was originally scheduled to fight BJ Penn at UFC Fight Night 97, but with Penn withdrawing due to injury and that event being cancelled, he was moved to a fight with Oliveira on this card. Oliveira took the fight on short notice and came in missing weight badly, weighing at 155 pounds for a featherweight bout, where the limit is 146 pounds.

Making her UFC debut on the card is Alexa Grasso as she takes on Heather Jo Clark. Grasso is undefeated in her eight-fight career and was one of the top stars in Invicta, and she has all of the makings to be a top star in the UFC with her looks and fighting ability. Clark is a veteran of the sport, but she has lost four of her last seven fights, and she looks to play the spoiler as she comes in as the biggest underdog on the card.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

Some additional coverage:
– UFC Fight Night 98 DFS Playbook

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT

> Enrique Barzola (11-3-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Chris Avila (5-3, 0-1 UFC)
Featherweights

The first round belonged all to Enrique Barzola. He was landing leg kicks, which weren’t being checked by Chris Avila. That haindered Avila in his last fight with Artem Lobov and it did in this round. Barzola scored a couple of takedowns and had ground control, but Avila was able to get up both times. Barzola went back to landing some leg kicks and was on the attack more. Avila did land some nice punches but nothing that had Barzola in trouble. It was a clear 10-9 round for Barzola.

The second round again was controlled by Barzola. He scored more takedowns and was controlling on the mat. He also was landing leg kicks at will on the feet and getting the better of the offensive striking. Avila has alright technique on his feet but the volume just isn’t there, and Barzola was capitalizing on the openings. On the mat, Avila had no defense for the pressure of Barzola, and while he was in no danger of being finished, he was being outclassed everywhere. It was another 10-9 round for Barzola and I had him up 20-18 going into the final round, and he was well on his way to a win.

Avila was needing a finish in the third to win, but he looked the more tired of the two heading out for the last round. Unfortunately for him, it was more of the same in the last round. Barzola was getting the better of the striking battle, and he had the takedowns and ground control to go with it. Avila didn’t have much of an offensive attack other than landing some slow punches, but takedowns and clinch work wasn’t there for him. Avila was constantly over-reaching on his right hand and Barzola would counter with takedowns. It was another clear 10-9 round for Barzola, and I had him winning it 30-27 as it went to the judges.

All three judges had the fight 30-26 for Barzola. All three rounds were definitely won by him, and while he didn’t come close to stopping Avila, he controlled the fight. He looked solid in this fight, but it was against a very unworthy opponent in Avila. It is going to be hard to gauge where he really stands as any opponent is a tougher one. He looked good in this fight though. Avila is likely on his way out of the UFC, and he really isn’t ready to be there. He is now just 5-4 in his career, and he hasn’t looked good at all in either UFC fight.

Enrique Barzola def. Chris Avila by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

> Polo Reyes (6-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Jason Novelli (11-2-1, 0-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Polo Reyes was looking for that knockout in the first round as he was loading up on his punches. Jason Novelli was landing a punch every once-in-a-while but wasn’t following up on it. He did score a takedown and a big right hand but Reyes was able to get back to his feet. Novelli’s footwork kept him on the outside and away from the power of Reyes, but he didn’t do much. He did land a couple of kicks but he was doing his best to stay away from the power right hand of Reyes, and he was able to. It was a close round and Novelli landing some clean punches gave him a 10-9 round on my scorecard.

Reyes came out stronger on the offensive in the second round, landing a lot of punches and kicks. Novelli was constantly circling away and unable to get anything going and had a takedown reversed with Reyes getting on top on the mat. Reyes was landing from the top as Novelli was using bad strategy from the bottom against the fence. This round should go 10-9 to Reyes and I had it tied up 19-19 heading into the third.

The altitude slowed both men down in the third, and that will be a recurring theme on this evening. Reyes was the more aggressive fighter in the third but both were landing. Reyes was landing the bigger strikes, but Novelli did land some clean punches. Reyes had the betting Octagon control in this round, and in the fight overall. Novelli mounted a late comeback with a takedown and some elbows, but not enough in my view to get the round. They went the full distance and I had the final round 10-9 for Reyes, and the fight 29-28 for Reyes overall.

The judges had it a split decision, with two judges giving it to Reyes 29-28 and one giving it 29-28 to Novelli. All scores are justifiable as it should be Novelli winning the first and Reyes winning the second, and Novelli did enough late in the third to steal the round. It was a good fight and Reyes was definitely not as strong as in his past two. Novelli is 37-years-old and now 0-2 in the UFC, and while I think he should get another shot, he may not.

Polo Reyes def. Jason Novelli by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Sam Alvey (28-8 1 NC, 5-3 UFC) vs. Alex Nicholson (7-2, 1-1 UFC)
Middleweights

It was a slow opening round as Nicholson was landing some glazing head kicks and Alvey was looking to counter, where he excels. Nicholson was able to stay on the outside and avoid the counters of Alvey, and neither man had the other in too much trouble. I had this round 10-9 for Nicholson.

Nicholson was getting the better of the action on the feet and Alvey started going for takedowns. They both started landing on the feet but Alvey wasn’t doing a good job of following up his strikes that landed. Alvey rocked Nicholson late and it may have been enough to steal him the round. I gave it 10-9 to Alvey and had it 19-19 after two.

The pace was slow in the third. Alvey was landing more and following up better on his first punch, but neither man fought with desperation. Alvey was spending his time working on the outside and trying to lure Nicholson in for a firefight. Nicholson really didn’t do much when he had the chance as he faded. Alvey having more output with his strikes scored the round for him on my scorecard. A 10-9 round for Alvey and I had him winning 29-28.

The judges’ cards all read 29-28 for Alvey. No post-fight promo for Alvey, which are always a treat. Alvey now has three straight wins while Nicholson is 1-2 in the UFC. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nicholson is cut as he has been under recent fire for domestic abuse allegations, though he was cleared after an investigation. Alvey will probably fight again next month.

Sam Alvey def. Alex Nicholson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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

> Henry Briones (16-5-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (23-1 1 NC, 1-1 UFC)
Bantamweights

They were going back-and-forth on the feet in the first with neither man getting a clear advantage. They came on late with Briones rocking Silva late. Briones was pouring it on late and Silva looked stunned, though he fired back. It was close until the end and I gave the round 10-9 to Briones.

The second round was on the feet and much like the first. Silva was rocking Briones and had him rocked with a right hook. They were trading back again and Silva almost finished Briones with a big punch. Briones then did a crazy jumping kick and got dropped again. Silva got a late takedown and I had this fight tied up after two. 10-9 round for Silva and 19-19 after two.

The third round was controlled by Silva but Briones was eating punches well and surviving. Silva was landing big punches and kicks but Briones has a heck of a chin on him. Silva then landed a big spinning back fist that knocked Briones out and the fight was stopped as we got our first finish on the night. A heck of a fight there. Silva is now 24-1 in his career and has a good shot of climbing the rankings. Briones has back-to-back losses, but to two fighters with a combined one loss in their careers. I hope he gets another shot inside the Octagon.

Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Henry Briones by TKO (strikes) at 2:33 of Round 3

> Erick Montano (7-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Max Griffin (12-3, 0-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Max Griffin hurt Erick Montano early and then landed a lot of punches on the mat and this fight was stopped quickly. I didn’t expect this as Montano has a good chin but Griffin landed a big punch and capitalized with a barrage to the point it had to be stopped or he was going to gas himself out. A big first UFC win for Griffin. 

Max Griffin def. Erick Montano by TKO (punches) at :54 of Round 1

> Marco Beltran (8-3, 3-0 UFC) vs. Joe Soto (16-5, 1-3 UFC)
140-pound Catchweight

They were trading early and went to the mat and Joe Soto grabbed the leg, locked a heel hook in and Marco Beltran tapped out. Soto took the fight earlier this week and this is an impressive showing for him with no training camp. 

Joe Soto def. Marco Beltran by submission (heel hook) at 1:37 of Round 1

> Erik Perez (16-6, 6-2 UFC) vs. Felipe Arantes (18-7-1 2 NC, 5-3-1 UFC)
138-pound Catchweight (Arantes missed weight at 138 pounds)

Erik Perez was controlling the Octagon during the first round and scored a takedown. He went to attacking the body and Arantes countered with a heel hook but Perez slipped out and let Arantes on top. Perez was able to escape and was looking for the finish on the top but ran out of time. It was a 10-9 opening round for Perez.

In the second round, Perez was having trouble staying on his feet as his right leg and knee were hurting from the heel hook attempt by Arantes. He ended up taking Arantes to the mount and was dominating there, ending up in the mount. They scrambled and it ended up with Arantes looking for a choke from the back. Perez slipped out and ended back on top and in dominant position to end the round. I gave that round 10-9 to Perez and had him up 20-18 heading to the final round.

A fun moment to start the third round saw both men miss on spinning back fists within seconds of each other, but Perez countered in taking Arantes down. Perez was controlling on the mat but they ended up getting back to their feet and both men were landing solid punches. Perez was still having trouble standing and it caused him to be dropped late. Arantes had a late arm-triangle choke locked in but Perez was saved by the end of the round. Close final round that I gave to Perez, 10-9, and I had him winning the fight 30-27.

The judges had a split decision, with Perez winning on two scorecards with 29-28 scores, and Arantes having a 28-29 on the other. The fight could have gone either way as rounds one and three were close, though I did give both to Perez. It is a solid win for Perez and he fought off a much-bigger opponent. He is popular in front of the Mexican crowd and he has a solid 7-2 record in the UFC. Arantes has struggled but he is solid enough to stick around from prelim fights, especially in Brazil.

Erik Perez def. Felipe Arantes by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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

> Alexa Grasso (8-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Heather Jo Clark (7-5, 1-1 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Clark was on the attack early but got hurt by Grasso and Grasso swarmed on looking for the finish. Grasso landed beautiful combinations in looking for the finish and had Clark pinned against the fence. The crowd was very loud for Grasso. Grasso remained really calm and had Clark bloodied up a little. Grasso ended the round with some more hard punches and kicks. Clark survived but the first round definitely belonged to Grasso, who took it 10-9 on my scorecard.

Clark was saying she was having trouble seeing during the minute in the corner. Clark was controlling the center and pushed Grasso against the fence but Grasso was able to take over from there. Grasso slowed down her output as Clark was pressuring more, but once they clinched, it was all Grasso even when she was pinched against the fence. They went to the mat but scrambled up and Grasso landed a nice combo on the scramble up. I gave it 10-9 to Grasso and had her up 20-18 after two.

Grasso got the early advantage in a clinch but Clark was giving her a fight. Clark was trying to land her strikes but Grasso’s footwork kept her out of range. They traded combos as Grasso has slowed her attack just a little on the feet. Clark is a bloodied mess. Grasso got a big slam late and it showed her overall attack. I gave the third round to Grasso 10-9 and the fight 10-9 overall for Grasso.

The judges agreed and gave Grasso all three rounds, with two 30-27 scores and one 29-28. Grasso showed why everyone is excited for her and that she has a chance to be a real player in the division for years to come. It was a showcase fight for her and you can see this and get excited for her inevitably fighting Joanna Jedrzejczyk down the road. She has star potential unlike many in the UFC. Clark gave her a good test but she was overmatched from the get-go, but put in a good opposing showing, something many haven’t been able to do against Grasso.

Alexa Grasso def. Heather Jo Clark by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Beneil Dariush (#9, 13-2, 7-2 UFC) vs. Rashid Magomedov (#15, 19-1, 4-0 UFC)
Lightweights

This is a high-level lightweight bout and it showed early as neither man could get the advantage of the other. They traded takedown scrambles before a break due to a groin strike. Dariush was the fighter who was on the attack more and the more engaging of the two. He also landed some solid kicks and knees. Magomedov went into clinch mode and got a late takedown but Dariush’s striking was the difference in the opening round. I gave it 10-9 to Dariush.

In the second round, Dariush was landing leg kicks and had more of a sense of urgency between the two. Magomedov was defending the takedowns from Dariush but was stuck in the clinch and Dariush had control. The crowd was booing as this fight hasn’t been much action. They broke and each man landing strikes but Dariush pushed him back against the fence. Two rounds down and both were tough to score but I gave the second to 10-9 to Dariush as well, putting him up 20-18 after two.

The third round started with them exchanging big body kicks before the clinch battle started again. They were trading a little but enough to where it prompted the crowd to do the wave. It was a very uneventful final round with a lot of clinch work. Both men landed at the end. The crowd booed at the signal of the end of the fight. Close final round that I gave 10-9 to Magomedov, but I had the fight 29-28 Dariush overall.

All three judges gave the fight to Dariush, with two 30-27 scores and one 29-28. It was a very uneventful fight and not one worth going back to watch. Dariush now has wins in seven of his last eight fights and he is a title contender. It was only Magomedov’s second career loss in 21 fights, and it ended his 12-fight win streak. He has been good but now will find himself out of the rankings and back down the ladder.

Beneil Dariush def. Rashid Magomedov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Martin Bravo (10-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Claudio Puelles (7-1, 0-0 UFC)
The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Lightweight Finale

They were trading solid strikes and Bravo was controlling the center of the Octagon. Bravo busted up Puelles’ nose with punches. Puelles got a brief takedown but they got to their feet. Bravo landed better on the feet and was advancing more but Puelles kept him in check with body kicks. Bravo landed a big combo at the end and it got him the round as I gave it 10-9 to him.

They were trading and Puelles got a quick takedown before getting back up. Bravo was getting the better on the feet and landed a big body shot that dropped Puelles and he finished him off with a couple more punches on the mat to become the latest TUF winner.

Martin Bravo def. Claudio Puelles by TKO (punches) at 1:55 of Round 2

> Ricardo Lamas (#4, 16-5, 7-3 UFC) vs. Charles Oliveira (#8, 21-6 1 NC, 9-6 1 NC UFC)
155-pound Catchweight (Oliveira missed weight at 155 pounds)

Oliveira had to be no more than 165 pounds when arriving at the arena, and he was, so the fight did go on. Lamas got an early big takedown and was controlling from the top. They got up and Oliveira got a takedown. Lamas survived a choke from Oliveira. Oliveira got the back and was looking for the choke again. He had it locked in tight late but Lamas survived to the bell. That round had to be 10-9 Oliveira.

Lamas got a takedown and was controlling in side control and had a guillotine locked in. Oliveira tapped out! Lamas gets the submission in the second after surviving a tough first round. I’m sure Oliveira will be forced to move up to lightweight again now, if they don’t decide to cut him after this weight cut issue.

Ricardo Lamas def. Charles Oliveira by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:13 of Round 2

> Diego Sanchez (26-9, 15-9 UFC) vs. Marcin Held (22-4, 0-0 UFC)
Lightweights

Held came over from Bellator and is looking to have an impressive debut but he was having trouble early with Sanchez. Held landed a big right hand. Held did a cartwheel kick that landed. They traded and Sanchez went for a takedown but Held held him upright. Held got a choke but Sanchez ran up the fence to escape and just threw Held off. Close round but I gave it 10-9 to Held.

They went to the mat and Held went for a heel hook but it allowed Sanchez to get on top and land punches. Sanchez with a lot of dominant position on the top. More suffocating top control from Sanchez and he has been doing a great job of keeping Held pinned on the bottom. Held gave up his back and Sanchez landed to end the round. A very clear 10-9 round for Sanchez, and I had it 19-19 heading to the final round.

Held looked very tired going into the third and Sanchez was very fresh. Held landed a huge knee and dropped Sanchez for a second. Held went for an armbar but Sanchez rolled out onto the top. Sanchez was strong on top but Held was continuing to go for leg locks. Sanchez still on top and controlling this fight. Sanchez with big punches from the top as the fight ends and this round belonged to him, 10-9. I had the fight 29-28 for Sanchez.

The judges had it all for Sanchez, with him winning two of the three rounds on all scorecards. This is a huge win for Sanchez as Held is a legitimate great fighter coming from Bellator, and was thought to be another fresh contender at 155 pounds. Sanchez looked fresh throughout the fight and he was never in trouble, and he looked like he’s not ready to wind down his career. Held tried too many crafty things, and he ultimately gave the fight away by trying to do things that ended up with him at a disadvantage. He is much better than this performance showed.

Diego Sanchez def. Marcin Held by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

> Rafael Dos Anjos (#2, 25-8, 14-6 UFC) vs. Tony Ferguson (#3, 21-3, 11-1 UFC)
Lightweights

They traded some big shots. Dos Anjos landed a huge left hand at one point. They were trading a lot of punches and kicks but Dos Anjos was landing the harder punches. Dos Anjos tripped up Ferguson and ended up on top on the ground. Both men landed spinning back fists. Dos Anjos got the better of the round but Ferguson was finding his range late and I think he’s set up to take over starting in the second round. But that round was 10-9 Dos Anjos.

Both guys looking sharp in the second round. Dos Anjos showing a little blood. They are trading. Ferguson does better when he’s just boxing but when he starts mixing everything Dos Anjos is able to fluidly counter and rock him. They are both landing but Ferguson is pushing the pace and landing harder. Straight left hand from Ferguson had Dos Anjos in a whole heap of trouble. Ferguson landed big and blew a kiss to Dos Anjos. That round went to Ferguson, 10-9, and I had it 19-19 after two.

Ferguson continued to have Dos Anjos in trouble as he is the fresher of the two and he is pushing the pace more. Dos Anjos did land a huge head kick. Dos Anjos was having some good timing on his shots and was landing punches and kicks. They were trading hard shots. Ferguson started going after the body of Dos Anjos but Dos Anjos was pressing forward. Dos Anjos has slowed the momentum of Ferguson. Close round there but I gave it 10-9 to Dos Anjos and have him up 29-28 after three.

Dos Anjos has a swollen right eye and Ferguson rocked him with a big knee. Ferguson was getting the edge on the feet in the first half of this round. Dos Anjos would land a kick but then eat a couple punches from Ferguson in return over and over. Ferguson landed a big left hand that rocked Dos Anjos. Ferguson had him in trouble late. I gave round four 10-9 to Ferguson and had it tied up at 38-38 going into the final round.

Dos Anjos hasn’t gone for any takedowns, but that has been because he’s had his back to the fence, and he excels at using the fence for takedowns. Ferguson applied the pressure in the final round and was landing as he had Dos Anjos’ back against the fence. Dos Anjos is bleeding heavily. Ferguson on the agressive attack landing hard combinations. This fight went the full distance and Ferguson had a strong fifth round, winning it 10-9. That gave Ferguson the fight on my scorecard with a 48-47.

The judges had it all 48-47 for Ferguson. That is now nine straight wins for Ferguson. He has earned his title shot and he absolutely deserves it, regardless of whatever happens. He didn’t say much at all after the fight to stamp himself as the next challenger, but he should be.

Tony Ferguson def. Rafael Dos Anjos by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

UFC Fight Night 90 Las Vegas live results: Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Eddie Alvarez

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 90: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event kicks off UFC’s International Fight Week and is the first of three events spanning three consecutive nights in the biggest week in UFC history, capped off with UFC 200.

The event is headlined by UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos defending his championship against challenger and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. In the co-main event, it will be heavyweight sluggers as Roy Nelson takes on Derrick Lewis. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

UFC Fight Night 90 Observer Preview & Picks
UFC Fight Night 90 DFS Playbook

Coverage provided by Ryan Frederick

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)

WELTERWEIGHTS
VICENTE LUQUE (8-5-1, 1-1 UFC) VS. ALVARO HERRERA (9-3, 1-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Luque with a leg kick to start. He lands another one that went low but they continue on. They trade left hands and Luque with a big leg kick but Herrera counters with a huge right hand. Luque with a body kick. Luque gets a brief takedown but they get right back up and clinch against the fence. Luque with a knee to the thigh. Luque trying hard for the takedown and he completes it. Luque with some punches and elbows from the top. Herrera looks to scramble out from the bottom. Luque with more elbows from the top. They get to their feet and Herrera lands a body punch. Herrera with a left hook and a spinning back elbow. Luque scores another takedown and some strikes from the top as the round ends. 10-9 Luque.

ROUND 2- Luque with a body punch then a left hook followed by a body kick. Luque with a leg kick. Luque grabs the single leg and is working for the takedown against the fence and scores it. Luque with punches from the top and then some elbows. Herrera tries to push off and get to his feet but Luque pulled himself right back in. Herrera gives up his back and Luque with some short punches. They get to their feet and Luque with a spinning elbow. Luque scores another easy takedown and back to landing punches from the top. Luque setting up for a choke and he might have it. He does and Herrera taps! Luque with the submission win. 

Official Result- Vicente Luque def. Alvaro Herrera by submission (D’arce choke) at 3:52 of Round 2

BANTAMWEIGHTS
MARCO BELTRAN (7-3, 2-0 UFC) VS. REGINALDO VIEIRA (13-3, 1-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Vieira is a TUF Brazil winner. Vieira comes out with a big combination. Vieira just misses a big right hand and he goes in for a takedown and gets it. They get right back to their feet and Vieira going back for the takedown and gets it. They trade elbows on the mat. They get to their feet and Beltran with a short uppercut in the clinch. Vieira with another takedown but they get to their feet and break. Beltran with a leg kick. Vieira lands a right hand. Beltran with a left hook. Beltran lands a big knee as he has Vieira stunned from a left hook. Vieira lands a right hand and an uppercut. Beltran with a side kick and Vieira gets a takedown right as the horn sounds. 10-9 Beltran.

ROUND 2- They each miss on their opening striking attacks. Vieira lands a right hand but gets stunned on a counter from Beltran. Vieira comes back and hurts Beltran with some punches and in the clinch. They are swinging wildly against the fence and Vieira goes for a takedown. Beltran with some elbows. Vieira lifts Beltran up and takes him down near the center of the Octagon. Vieira with some punches from the top. Vieira gets to the feet and Beltran lands two upkicks that drop Vieira! They are both on the mat with leg locks. Vieira gives up his back to Beltran and Beltran grabs the neck. Vieira with a massive fence grab in an attempt to block but Beltran has the rear-naked choke locked in and Vieira taps! Beltran with a nice comeback win by submission.

Official Result- Marco Beltran def. Reginaldo Vieira by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:04 of Round 2

LIGHTWEIGHTS
GILBERT BURNS (11-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. LUKASZ SAJEWSKI (13-1, 0-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- Both men are coming off their first loss. Sajewski with some quick left hands. They trade body kicks and Burns lands an uppercut. Burns shoots in for a takedown but is unable to finish it. They trade right hands. Sajewski rocks Burns with some punches and they are trading right hands. Burns lands an uppercut. Burns with a kick right right below the belt and we have a break in action. They get back to action and Burns with some kicks. Burns with a right hand and Sajewski is hurt. Burns grabs the neck and is deep but Sajewski escapes. They clinch against the fence and both battle for positioning. They break the clinch and Burns with a big knee and right hand and Sajewski is hurt. Burns gets a takedown. Burns takes the back and is looking for the choke. Burns gets the armbar and Sajewski taps! Burns with the submission win.

Official Result- Gilbert Burns def. Lukasz Sajewski by submission (armbar) at 4:57 of Round 1

BANTAMWEIGHTS
FELIPE ARANTES (17-7-1 2 NC, 4-3-1 UFC) VS. JERROD SANDERS (15-2 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC)

ROUND 1- Arantes with a leg kick and then a jumping high kick. Arantes with a leg kick and then drops Sanders with a right hand. Sanders looked for a takedown but Arantes is now looking for an anaconda choke. Arantes transitions to the back but Sanders scrambles and ends up on top. Sanders with some punches and he moves to the mount position against the fence. Sanders not doing much from the top and now lands punches as he gets to half-guard. Sanders with big punches from the top. Sanders with more big punches from the top and some elbows mixed in there. Sanders dominated from the top there. 10-9 Sanders.

ROUND 2- Sanders goes in for the takedown and Arantes defends for a moment but Sanders completes it. Arantes pushes him off but Sanders gets himself back into the guard of Arantes. Punches from the top by Sanders. Arantes looks for the armbar and he is able to get it! Comeback win from Arantes and Sanders submits. It was a verbal tap from Sanders who was in a lot of trouble.

Official Result- Felipe Arantes def. Jerrod Sanders by submission (armbar) at 1:39 of Round 2

BANTAMWEIGHTS
RUSSELL DOANE (14-5, 2-2 UFC) VS. PEDRO MUNHOZ (11-2 1 NC, 1-2 1 NC)

ROUND 1- Doane coming out with some big kicks to the body and left hands. Big body kick by Doane. Doane with a combo ending with a knee. Doane with another big left hand. Munhoz attempts a takedown but misses. Doane with some big left hands and Munhoz is hurt. They are throwing big punches and Munhoz gets a takedown and they scramble and Munhoz has the back. Muhoz with a guillotine choke locked in and Doane taps out! Another submission tonight as Munhoz comes from being hurt badly and gets the tap out of Doane.

Official Result- Pedro Munhoz def. Russell Doane by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:08 of Round 1

BANTAMWEIGHTS
ANTHONY BIRCHAK (12-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. DILENO LOPES (18-2, 0-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- Birchak with a body kick and Lopes is firing back with punches and has double underhooks. Lopes gets a brief takedown but they are scrambling against the fence. Lopes has the body locked. Lopes tries to drag this fight down but Birchak ends on top and lands punches. Lopes transitions and grabs the back and they stand. Birchak walks to his corner with Lopes on his back. Birchak with elbows to the thighs. Birchak gets him off and they scramble and Lopes pulls Birchak into his guard. Birchak passes and has control of Lopes’ back. Birchack with a knee as they break. Birchak with a head kick and they are trading punches. Lopes gets the body lock and drags the fight to the mat and has the back of Birchak. Lopes has the body lock of Birchak as the round ends. Close round. 10-9 Lopes.

ROUND 2- Birchak with a leg kick. Each miss on their punches. Lopes with two big left hands. They trade short punches and Birchak with a high kick. They clinch and Birchak with short knees as he gets underhooks against the fence. They break and both men land big punches and both are on shaky legs. Birchak lands a nice combo. Lopes lands his own. Lopes tries a takedown but it is defended and they clinch against the fence. Birchak with knees to the legs of Lopes. Lopes looking for a takedown but eating punches from Birchak. Reversal from Birchak but Lopes grabs the neck for a moment but Birchak gets away. Knees to the body from Birchak. 10-9 Birchak, 19-19.

ROUND 3- Lopes with a leg kick. Birchak with a body kick. Birchak lands a big elbow. Lopes goes for a takedown but they scramble and Birchak lands a punch on the break. Birchak with a nice combo. Birchak with a knee. Birchak stuffs another takedown attempt from Lopes. Birchak lands some big punches that hurt Lopes. They are trading punches and Birchak is getting the better of it. Birchak stuffs a takedown and they clinch against the fence. Birchak with a right hand. Birchak with a leg kick. They trade kicks. Birchak stuffs another takedown. They trade punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Birchak, 29-28 Birchak.

Official Result- Anthony Birchak def. Dileno Lopes by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

LIGHTWEIGHTS
JOHN MAKDESSI (13-5, 6-5 UFC) VS. MEHDI BAGHDAD (11-4, 0-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- Makdessi with a side kick. Baghdad with a leg kick but Makdessi catches the leg though he lets go. Baghdad lands a left hook and a leg kick. Baghdad with a leg kick. Makdessi lands a spin kick to the body. Baghdad with a leg kick but Makdessi grabs the leg and lands a right hand. They trade punches. Makdessi with a left hand to the body. Baghdad with a jab followed by a right hand and then lands a head kick. They trade punches. Baghdad with a right hand followed by a leg kick. Baghdad with another crisp combination. Right hand from Baghdad. They trade strikes. lose round. 10-9 Baghdad.

ROUND 2- Baghdad with a strong leg kick. Makdessi fires back with his own leg kick. They trade punches. Baghdad lands a right hand but Makdessi lands a big counterpunch. Makdessi with a spinning back kick to the leg. Baghdad slips on a punch. Makdessi with a nice combo. Makdessi with a leg kick. Baghdad with a leg kick. Baghdad misses a high kick. Makdessi just misses a wheel kick. Makdessi with a nice combo. Baghdad with a leg kick and then a right hand. Makdessi with a spinning back kick right to the body. Baghdad with a leg kick. They trade punches and leg kicks. Another close round. 10-9 Makdessi, 19-19.

ROUND 3- Baghdad with a big knee and Makdessi is in a lot of trouble as he goes down. They clinch and Baghdad goes for a flying armbar but misses it and Makdessi is now in the guard of Baghdad. Makdessi with some short punches from the top. They get back to their feet. Baghdad with a leg kick and Makdessi counters with a nice combo. Baghdad lands a massive left hook. They trade punches and Makdessi lands a big punch. Makdessi tries a takedown to no success. Baghdad just misses an uppercut. Baghdad with a leg kick. Makdessi misses a spinning kick. Baghdad with a leg kick. They start trading punches and Makdessi lands a big punch and Makdessi drops Baghdad and is pouring on the punches. Makdessi gets in the guard and lands from the top to end the fight. A close fight to call and Makdessi may have stolen it at the end. 10-9 Makdessi, 29-28 Makdessi.

Official Result- John Makdessi def. Mehdi Baghdad by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

WELTERWEIGHTS
MIKE PYLE (27-11-1, 10-6 UFC) VS. ALBERTO MINA (12-0, 2-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Pyle with a leg kick. Mina just misses on his punches. Mina with a big leg kick. Mina with a right hand into a takedown and he is in the guard of Pyle. Not much going on down on the mat and they are stood up by the referee. Mina drops Pyle with a left hand and is landing a lot of punches looking to finish but he ends up in the guard as Pyle starts to recover. Mina with body punches on the ground. Mina with more punches inside the closed guard of Pyle. They get to their feet. Mina with another takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Mina.

ROUND 2- Mina gets Pyle down to the mat quickly but Pyle gets up. Mina misses a big punch. Pyle with a leg kick. Mina then lands a flying knee that sends Pyle to the mat and Mina finishes him off with big punches on the mat! Pyle is still down and hurt as Mina has scored the big knockout win in devastating fashion. Huge flying knee ended it all and Mina remains undefeated.

Official Result- Alberto Mina def. Mike Pyle by knockout (flying knee) at 1:17 of Round 2

MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

LIGHTWEIGHTS
JOSEPH DUFFY (14-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. MITCH CLARKE (11-3, 2-3 UFC)

ROUND 1- Duffy drops Clarke with a right hand and quickly takes the back. He has a choke locked in and Clarke taps out! Duffy makes quick work of Clarke and gets the submission win! 

Official Result- Joseph Duffy def. Mitch Clarke by submission (rear-naked choke) at :25 of Round 1

WELTERWEIGHTS
ALAN JOUBAN (13-4, 4-2 UFC) VS. BELAL MUHAMMAD (9-0, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Jouban with a leg kick. Jouban with a low kick and we have a quick break. Jouban drops Muhammad with a left hand and goes into his guard. Muhammad sweeps back to his feet and scores a takedown. Muhammad with some left hands as they get to their feet. They break after Muhammad tries a sweep. Jouban with a body kick. Jouban with a leg kick. Jouban drops Muhammad with a big head kick and is looking to finish. Jouban with huge elbows and punches but Muhammad is surviving. Jouban with a knee to the body and is in side control. Big elbows from Jouban. They get to their feet and Muhammad somehow survived. They are clinched against the fence. Jouban with a leg kick as the round ends. 10-8 Jouban.

ROUND 2- Muhammad lands a right hand. Jouban with a body kick. They each land a solid punch. Muhammad lands a jab. Jouban lands a body kick. Jouban drops Muhammad again with a left hand but Muhammad quickly gets up and they clinch against the fence. They trade shots against the fence in the clinch. Muhammad looking for a takedown but it is defended and they break. Jouban with a head kick. Muhammad with a leg kick. Jouban with a body kick. Muhammad gets a late takedown and lands some punches. 10-9 Jouban, 20-17 Jouban.

ROUND 3- Jouban lands some kicks but Muhammad lands a right hand. Jouban with a leg kick and Muhammad shoots for a takedown but Jouban sprawls and defends. Muhammad with a heavy head kick. They trade punches again as both men have slowed down. Muhammad lands a solid combo and then a big right hand that has Jouban in trouble. Muhammad with a solid combo. Jouban with a body kick. Muhammad lands a big right hand. Muhammad has Jouban in a lot of trouble as he lands another big right hand and then another. Muhammad looking to finish as Jouban fires back. Muihammad with big right and left hands and an uppercut. Jouban in a lot of trouble but he survives to end the fight. Great fight. 10-9 Muhammad, 29-27 Jouban.

Official Result- Alan Jouban def. Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-27)

HEAVYWEIGHTS
(#10) ROY NELSON (21-12, 8-8 UFC) VS. (#12) DERRICK LEWIS (15-4 1 NC, 6-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- These are some large men inside the Octagon. They trade and Lewis lands a knee to the body. They clinch against the fence. Not much happening as they remain in the clinch. Lewis with a head kick and then throws some big right hands. Nelson counters with a big takedown. Nelson in the half-guard. They get to their feet and Lewis rocks Nelson with a big knee to the body. Lewis pouring it on with big right hands and he has Nelson in a ton of trouble. Nelson is able to grab Lewis and work for a takedown against the fence. Lewis with a big elbow and Nelson is just hanging on. Nelson not doing anything as he is holding on and they are broken up again by John McCarthy. Lewis with big right hands and looking to finish. Lewis with a head kick. Nelson grabs the body and gets a takedown at the end of the round. Exciting round. 10-9 Lewis.

ROUND 2- Lewis with a right hand and then a flying knee. Nelson with a leg kick. Lewis with his own leg kick. Lewis with a head kick. Nelson misses a big right hand. Both men have slowed down. Lewis with a right hand and Nelson clinches with him. Nelson not doing much but gets a takedown into side control. Nelson with short punches on the ground. Nelson looking to mount but Lewis is able to get to his feet. Nelson takes the fight back to the mat. Lewis gets right back to his feet. They are clinched. Nelson gets another takedown into side control. Nelson with short punches on the mat. Lewis to his feet. Not as exciting as the first round. 10-9 Nelson, 19-19.

ROUND 3- Lewis with a double knee to the body. Both men are very tired. Nelson with the clinch and lands punches to the inside of the thigh of Lewis. Not much happening in the clinch. Nelson gets the takedown with not much defense from Lewis. Nelson in the half-guard landing small short punches. They get to their feet and Nelson lands a knee to the body. Lewis lands some elbows and Nelson takes him back down. They are clinched again. They are broken up. Big right hand from Lewis and Nelson clinches as the crowd boos. They break. Uppercut from Lewis. Big right hand from Lewis and Nelson is rocked and Lewis lands another to end the fight. Close round. 10-9 Lewis, 29-28 Lewis.

Official Result- Derrick Lewis def. Roy Nelson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
(C) RAFAEL DOS ANJOS (25-7, 14-5 UFC) VS. (#2) EDDIE ALVAREZ (27-4, 2-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- Alvarez with an inside leg kick. Alvarez with another. They each land a punch. Dos Anjos with a leg kick. Dos Anjos lands a big uppercut. Dos Anjos lands a left hand and then another. Alvarez gets a takedown but Dos Anjos grabs the neck. They get up and Dos Anjos lands a knee. Dos Anjos goes for a takedown. Alvarez with a big right hand and Dos Anjos is in a lot of trouble. Big uppercuts from Alvarez and Dos Anjos is in trouble. Alvarez with a flying knee but misses and Alvarez with a takedown. Dos Anjos is in a lot of trouble. Big uppercuts from Alvarez and Herb Dean steps in! Eddie Alvarez has finished Rafael Dos Anjos and is the new UFC Lightweight Champion!

Official Result- Eddie Alvarez def. Rafael Dos Anjos by TKO (punches) at 3:49 of Round 1

UFC Fight Night 90 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

It is UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada and Thursday night brings us UFC Fight Night 90, the first of three straight nights of action inside the Octagon.

This event will be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout as champion Rafael Dos Anjos defends against challenger Eddie Alvarez.

Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy lineups for Thursday night’s event.

STUDS

Joseph Duffy ($11,100)

Joseph Duffy is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in which he was completely outclassed, so he takes a big step backwards in taking on Mitch Clarke on Thursday.

Clarke will be fighting for the first time since losing to Michael Chiesa in April 2015. The 2-3 Clarke appears to be a rebound fight for Duffy, who is 14-2 in his career and was ranked in the top 15 prior losing against Poirier.

Duffy is a finisher and 13 of his 14 wins have come by stoppage. Clarke has only been finished once in his career, but he doesn’t have the same skillset that Duffy does. Duffy is a strong striker, has excellent submissions and good grappling. Clarke is a good grappler as well, but loses this match-up on foot.

Duffy has the highest salary of all the fighters on the card, but is still a good investment. I expect him to win big on Thursday.

Gilbert Burns ($10,800)

Gilbert Burns is looking to bounce back from his first career loss when he fights Lukasz Sajewski on the card’s prelims Thursday night. Burns had won the first 11 fights of his career before dropping a decision to Rashid Magomedov in November.

That loss is nothing for Burns to hang his head about as Magomedov is 19-1 in his career, but it showed some holes that Burns needs to fill to get back on track inside the Octagon.

At his best, Burns is arguably the lightweight division’s best submission artist and has the strongest grappling chops. He has scored 10 of his 11 wins by finish, with seven wins by submission. He also trains with a strong camp in the Blackzilians.

He is a strong favorite over Sajewski, who also lost for the first time in his career when he made his UFC debut in his last fight. Sajewski hasn’t fought the level of competition that Burns has. And if Burns can avoid the slow start that has often plagued him, he should be able to end this quickly. I feel confident in having him as a stud play.

VALUE PLAYS

Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)

Eddie Alvarez is looking to make history when he challenges Rafael Dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90. And he is also looking to become the first fighter to hold championship gold in both the UFC and Bellator promotions.

He gets his title shot against Dos Anjos on the heels of wins over former champions in Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. Alvarez has just two losses in the last eight years, coming to Michael Chandler and Donald Cerrone, so he presents a real challenge in this fight.

Dos Anjos has looked like a killer the last several years and is the rightful champion at 155 pounds. He finished Cerrone quickly in his last fight, but is coming off an injury and no one knows what he will look like in this new era of the UFC.

I actually like Alvarez to score an upset as this fight goes the distance and the extra time allows for more point scoring opportunities. He is a risk, but I find a lot of value in Alvarez.

Alvaro Herrera ($8,500)

Alvaro Herrera is another interesting fighter with a low salary who has a lot of value on Thursday night’s card. He is coming off a 30-second knockout win in his UFC debut in November, which was his first fight in over three years.

He gets back to action against Vicente Luque in the opening bout of Thursday’s card, and Luque is looking to score his second straight win.

Luque has been inconsistent in his career, winning just eight times in 14 career bouts. He is tough to finish, having only been finished twice in his five losses. But Luque has finished opponents in seven of his eight wins, including in his last bout against Hayder Hassan in December. Herrera has scored finishes in eight of his nine wins, but has also been finished in all three of his losses.

This fight is primed for a finish, and I see Herrera’s punching power being the difference. His salary is worth a good amount of value.

FIGHTERS TO AVOID

Anthony Birchak ($10,700)

Anthony Birchak has one of the highest salaries on the card, and I don’t think he’s worth that high price.

Birchak is just 1-2 inside the UFC Octagon, and all three of his fights have ended in the first round. He has suffered a submission loss to Ian Entwistle and a knockout loss to Thomas Almeida, and scored a knockout win over Joe Soto in betweeen those losses. Birchak does have 10 wins by finish, but he has been finished in all three of his losses.

I do like him to get the win over Dileno Lopes on Thursday, but I’m not all that confident in him winning by stoppage. I see him going the distance and getting a decision over Lopes. With his high salary, you have to expect a finish if you have him on your team. Birchak is an easy avoid for me.

Russell Doane ($9,000)

Russell Doane is another fighter that should be avoided on Thursday night’s card.

He hasn’t fought in almost a year and is coming in riding a two-fight losing skid. His last three fights have gone the distance and he hasn’t looked overly impressive in those bouts.

He gets a tough match-up against Pedro Munhoz, who has been one of the top prospects in the bantamweight division, but has struggled against tougher competition.

Doane doesn’t land a lot of strikes in his fights, but he is good at takedowns. Munhoz has good takedown defense and is the more well-rounded fighter. And I see that being the difference with him taking a decision. Avoid Doane as I feel he will be fighting a losing battle on Thursday.

OUR LINE-UPS

RYAN FREDERICK- Joseph Duffy ($11,100), Gilbert Burns ($10,800), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)

I like Joseph Duffy as my top play on the card and I see him having no troubles against Mitch Clarke. I’m expecting him to end it by at least the end of the second round, and probably even in the first.

I also like Gilbert Burns to bounce back and get a stoppage win, likely by submission as his ground game is so good.

I have Derrick Lewis on my team as well. He has the size and power edge over Roy Nelson, and I think he can knock Nelson out. Alberto Mina is undefeated with 11 stoppage wins, and is facing Mike Pyle who is nearing the end of his career. I can see Mina knocking Pyle out early in their fight.

The last fighter on my team is Eddie Alvarez. I believe he will end Thursday night as the new UFC Lightweight Champion, and that it will go the distance, which gives him more chances to score points.

PAUL FONTAINE- Vicente Luque ($10,900), Reginaldo Vieira ($10,200), Roy Nelson ($9,800), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Dileno Lopes ($8,700)

All but one of Luque’s career wins have come by finish and his opponent Alvaro Herrera has been finished in all three of his losses. To me, that’s a recipe for some bonus points for Luque.

Vieira was the TUF Brazil season 4 champion and he beat a guy I also have on my team in his official UFC debut. That win was the first time he’d gone to the judges in one of his wins. I see the fight with Marco Beltran being an all-out balls to the wall brawl with Vieira being the last one standing.

Roy Nelson should score a late KO or submission over Derrick Lewis. Nelson is tough to finish and Lewis will probably gas out before getting caught by a shot that drops him.

I’m surprised Alberto Mina is an underdog against the aging Mike Pyle. Mina scored a finish in his UFC debut and then beat a tough vet in Yoshihiro Akiyama in his follow-up. He’s unbeaten and an impressive finish over a another vet like Pyle should move him up the ranks.

My last pick is more a pick against Anthony Birchak than for Dileno Lopes. Birchak has been finished in the first round of two of his last three fights. And Lopes has a KO or sub in eight of his last nine wins. 

PEACH MACHINE- Rafael Dos Anjos ($11,000), Alan Jouban ($10,000), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Marco Beltran ($9,200)

I hate this card, but I love Rafael Dos Anjos. He’s really good and will most likely be one of the most dominant champions in UFC history after it’s all said and done.

Nelson is done and Lewis will KO him. I hate Pyle so I’m picking Mina. Jouban is handsome. I just love Carlos Beltran of the NY Yankees and I assume Marco is related. Play this lineup!

VIDEO: Watch today’s UFC 197 Press Conference

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AQ7dlmZIFU

UFC 197 is still over a month away, but with tickets going on sale this week, UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos, UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Miesha Tate will be involved in today’s UFC 197 Press Conference from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which hosts the event on March 5. Dos Anjos will defend the UFC Lightweight Championship against McGregor, who will be looking to become the first fighter to hold two titles in two different weight classes at the same time when he goes for 155-pound gold in the main event of UFC 197. In the co-main event, Holm will make her first title defense against Tate, winner of four straight fights. Hear from those four, along with UFC President Dana White, at 2 PM eastern time by watching above.

Also announced for the UFC 197 card is Filthy Four Daily co-host and our very own Tom Lawlor taking on Corey Anderson in a light heavyweight bout, Erick Silva taking on Nordine Taleb in a welterweight bout, and a featherweight clash between Darren Elkins and Chas Skelly.

UFC On FOX 17 Orlando live results: Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The UFC’s final event of 2015 airs on FOX with UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos making his first title defense against top contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, winner of eight straight fights. They fought once before in 2013, a bout won by Dos Anjos. In the co-main event, it will be a long-awaited heavyweight bout as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on Alistair Overeem. Follow along with our live coverage beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action.

We’re looking for your thoughts on these three shows this weekend, with a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

NXT on Wednesday

ROH from last night

UFC tonight 

UFC On FOX 17 Weigh-In Results
UFC On FOX 17 5 Storylines To Watch
UFC On FOX 17 DFS Playbook
UFC On FOX 17 Observer Picks & Preview

Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT)

HEAVYWEIGHTS- FRANCIS NGANNOU (5-1, 0-0 UFC) VS. LUIZ HENRIQUE (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

First round: Ngannou has an 83 inch reach.  Low kick by Ngannou and Henrique, a Brazilian wrestling champion, got the takedown.  Henrique keeping busy from the top.  The ref ordered a standup even though he was busy.  Henrique going for a takedown but Ngannou defending.   Trading punches and Ngannou landing and got a nice punch.  Close round.  Henrique got the takedown and top control but Ngannou had the best punch late.  Ngannou 10-9.

Second round:   Ngannou landing punches.  Knee by Ngannou.  Henrique moving in trying for a takedown.  Crowd booing as they are in a clinch.  The ref separated them.  Henrique moved him into the cage.  Nganou landing punches. He dropped him with a hard left uppercut in a flurry and it’s over.

WELTERWEIGHTS- HAYDER HASSAN (6-2, 0-1 UFC) VS. VICENTE LUQUE (7-5-1, 0-1 UFC)

First round: This a rematch of a fight Hassan won on TUF.  Both throwing and missing.  Luque landed a left.  Luque landed a big right, Hassan shot in for a takedown and Luque immediately grabbed his neck, working for an Anaconda choke and Hassan passed out.  Hassan had no idea what happened. 

WELTERWEIGHTS- KAMARU USMAN (6-1, 1-0 UFC) VS. LEON EDWARDS (10-2, 2-1 UFC)

First round: Usman working for a takedown but doesn’t have it Edwards landed a head kick Edwards with more punches.  Usman again working for a takedown and got it.  Edwards is working for a triangle.  Usman landing punches from the top now Edwards back up.  Close round.  Usman 10-9.

Second round: Usman with a body kick.  Nice left by Umasman.  Usman working for a takedown and got him down.  Usman working the body from the top.  Edwards go back up.  Edwards trying for a takedown but can’t get it.  The ref separated them.  Trading punches.  Nice right by Usman.  Edwards kneed him low.   Usman with a takedown.  Usman 20-18.

Third round: Usman with another takedown.  Edwards back up.  Edwards went for a guillotine but Usman took him down into side control Usman landing a lot of punches from back postion now.  Lots of knees to the butt by Usman.  Usman dominated the round, should win 30-27, could be 30-26 or 29-28 or 29-27.

Scores: 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28 for Usman.  

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)

FEATHERWEIGHTS- COLE MILLER (21-9) VS. JIM ALERS (13-2)

First round:  Both guys trading punches and kicks from distance early. Miller with a huge reach advantage. Alers landing slightly more through 2:00.  Miller with a nice punch combo at 2:15.  Nice punch exchange at 3:15. Miller with a nice punch combo at 4:00.  Alers answers back with a combo at 4:15.  10-9 Miller but really close.

Second Round:  Alers staggers Miller with an early punch and also landing leg kicks.  Alers with some damage around his right eye from the first round.  Nice combo at 1:00.  Total strikes are 29-26 Alers. Miller hit with an eye poke.  The poke was really bad and Miller can’t open his eye so the fight is called off.  No Contest.

NIK LENTZ VS. DANNY CASTILLO, LIGHTWEIGHTS

First round:  Castillo tried for a takedown.  Nice right by Castillo and left hook by Lenz.  Lentz with an awesome looking hip toss into side control.  Lentz going for  a guillotine.  Castillo out and on top.  Lentz again going for a guillotine.  Castillo with a head and arm choke attempt.  Nice punches by Lentz and knee from a Thai plumb.  Big right by Lentz.  Knee and punches by Casillo.  Great round.  Right by Castillo.  Lentz 10-9.

Second round:  Head kick and punch by Castillo.  Right by Lentz.  Good body kick by Lentz.  Punches moving in by Lentz.  Lentz with punches and a body kick plus a takedown.  Knee by Lentz but Castillo avoided it.  Lentz with a body kick.  Castillo looks tired.  Castillo failed on a takedown.  Lentz  landing knees.  Lentz tried for a guillotine but lost it as Castillo got on top in side control.  Lentz gained guard and Lentz got back up. Left by Lentz.  Castillo landing punches.  Lentz 20-18.

Third round:  Lentz with a hip toss but Castilo back up.  Right by Lentz.  Lentz with punches and a knee.  Castillo took him down.  Knee by  Castillo.  Castillo poked his eye.  Castillo with a kick to the jaw.  Takedown by Castillo.  Lentz back up.  Lentz wanted a takedown but Castillo on top.  Lentz moving.in.  Body kick by Lentz.  Close round but I’ve got Lentz 30-27, could be 29-28.

Scores:  29-28 Castillo, 29-28 Lentz 30-27 Lentz

Lentz said he’s had a lot of medical problems stemming from  cutting to 145 in the past.  He also said he’s had trouble and even had problems making 155, said he hyperextended his knee in the fight.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS- JOSH SAMMAN (12-2, 3-0 UFC) VS. TAMDAN MCCRORY (13-3, 3-3 UFC)

First round:  McCrory pressing him against the fence.  Samann took him down.  McCrory working for a triangle.  NowMcCrory is working for an ambar.  Now he’s back to attempting a triangle.  McCrory scrambled to the top.  Escape and reverse by Samann.  McCrory reversed and got his back working for a choke.  McCrory working for an armbar now.   Samann out and on top. Samann landing some punches from back position.  Very close round.  McCrory 10-9.

Second round:   Samann is working for a takedown.  He powered McCrory down.   McCrory used a headlock to reverse to the top, and got Samann’s back and is working for a choke.  McCrory keeping back control.  McCrory landing punches and elbows.  McCrory with hard elbows.  McCrory keeping hin down.   McCrory 20-18.

Third round:   McCrory with a head kick.  Samann back with McCrory with a head kick and Samann back with a head kick.  McCroty took him down, landing punches and now working for a choke.  McCrory staying on top.    McCrory remaining on top and landing punches.  McCrory working for an uma plata.  Now McCrory is working for a triangle.  McCrory holding the triangle and throwing elbows.  Samann finally tapped.

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#5) SARAH KAUFMAN (17-3 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) VS. VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO (9-1, 0-0 UFC)

First round:  Shevchenko landed several shots.  Now they’re in a clinch.  Takedown by Shevchenko.  Kaufman back to her feet.  Kaufman went for a takedown and Shevchenko blocked it and ended up on top in the mount.  Kaufman regained guard.  Kaufman back up.  Kaufamn went for  a heel hook.  Shevchenko escaped and has Kaufman’s back.  Elbow from close range by Shevchenko.  10-9 Shevchenko.

Second round:  Spin kick b Shevchenko.  Knee by Shevchenko.  Shevchenko with an elbow.  Hip toss by Shevchenko.  Kaufman throwing elbows off her back.  Kaufman back up and they’re in a clinch.  Both trying to throw the other.  Shevchenko 20-18.

Third round:  Shevchenko with another takedown.  Kaufman back up.  Knee by Kaufman.  Another bodylock takedown by Shevchenko.  Kaufman with a takedown into side control.  Kaufman throwing elbows to the head.  Kaufman landing elbows.  Now she’s throwing elbows to the body.  Kaufman throwing elbows to the body.  Kaufman has the mount and pounding on her.  Kaufman went for an armbar in the last seconds but Shevchenko slipped out.  Kaufman’s round but Shevchenko should win 29-28.

Scores:  29-28 Kaufman 29-28 Shevchenko 29-28 Shevchenko.  The judge scoring for Kaufman, man, I don’t know about him. 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#12) C.B. DOLLAWAY (15-7, 9-7 UFC) VS. NATE MARQUARDT (33-15-2, 11-8 UFC)

First round:  Body kick by Dollaway and low kick by Dollaway.  Dolloway missed a punch and Marquardt with a hard body kick.  Low kick by Marquardt.   Dollaway rocked him with punches.  Low kick by Marquardt.  Knee by Marquardt.  Head kick by Dolloaway.  Dollaway 10-9.

Second round:  Trading punches and Marquardt knocked him out on a counter right.  It was a right to the jaw.  

FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#7) CHARLES OLIVEIRA (20-5 1 NC, 8-5 1 NC UFC) VS. (#9 LW) MYLES JURY (15-1, 6-1 UFC)

First round:  Oliveira missed weight by 4.5 pounds.   Oliveira took him down.  Jury went for an armbar and Oliveira got his back.  Olivera now with a  guillotine and he tapped out  Great ground work by Oliveira.

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

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#7) RANDA MARKOS (5-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. KAROLINA KOWALKIEWICZ (7-0, 0-0 UFC)

First round:  Both out swinging.  Karolina landed a few punches.  Markos with a  right.  Crowd going crazy all night with Whoos.  Flair is not in the building.  Karolina cracked her with a right.  Marko s with a right.  Markos pushed her into the cage.  Karolina with punches .  Markos with a right.  Right by Markos.  Markos with low kicks and punches.  She landed a lot of shots but Karolina nailed her with a right. Close round.  Karolina 10-9.

Second round:  Karolina thowing low kicks now.  Nice right by Karolina.  Left and right by Karolina.  Low kicks  by Karolina. Markos with a takedown.  Markos in piggy back position.  Markos is also holding a body triangle.  Markos stayed behind her the entire round.  Markos so 19-19.

Third round:  Markos landed rights.  Markos with a takedown but Karolina rolled through and on top.  She’s in full mount.  Punches and elbows by Karolina.  Knees to the body by Karolina.  Markos back up.  Time running out.  Karolina’s round so she should win 29-28.

Scores:  29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 Karolina. 

They just announced Sage Northcutt vs. Andrew Holbook to the main card on the 1/30 FOX card from Newark. 

LIGHTWEIGHTS- (#6) MICHAEL JOHNSON (16-9, 8-5 UFC) VS. (#15) NATE DIAZ (17-10, 12-8 UFC)

First round:  Johnson landing low kicks.  Johnson continues to land low kicks.  Left by Diaz.  Diaz starting to land.  Diaz starring to land and laughing at him.  Diaz chants.  Hard body  kick by Johnson.  Johnson missing punches short.  Competitive  fight.  Close round 10-9 Diaz.

Second round:   Johnson with body kicks.  Diaz switching stance.  Diaz landing jabs.  Diaz landing more.  Diaz staring to land regularly.   Left by Diaz..    Johnson with a left.  Johnson with a right and Diaz with a left.  Body kick by Johnson.  Johnson big left.  Diaz chants.  Another left by Johnson.  Diaz with lefts.  Great round.  Johnson with a right.  Diaz landed.  Diaz landing and making fun of him and landed a left and another left.  Johnson back with a right.  Left by Diaz.  Another left by Diaz.  Johnson with a left. Another left and another by Johnson.  Body kick by Johnson.  Diaz with two lefts. Diaz continues to land.  High kick by Diaz.  Diaz continues to land now.  Diaz’s round 20-18.

Third round:  Johnson with a body kick.  Both throwing.  Nice left by Johnson.  Diaz with a left.  Head kick by Diaz.  Diaz landing punches.  Knees by Diaz.  Diaz landing more punches.  Jabs and a left by Diaz.  Johnson back landing and Diaz back.  Johnson landing all kinds of punches.  Johnson with a right.  Johnson took him down, which made no sense.  Diaz 30-27.

Scores:  All three had it 29-28 for Diaz.

So Nate Diaz did an interview where it was all bleeped out but he wanted Conor McGregor saying he already punked out Cerrone and Dos Anjos at the press conference.  

HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#2) JUNIOR DOS SANTOS (17-3, 11-2 UFC) VS. (#9) ALISTAIR OVEREEM (39-14 1 NC, 4-3 UFC)

First round:   Brazilians chanting “You’re gonna die” at Overeem.  Nobody touched for nearly two minutes.  Body kick by Overeem.  High kick by Dos Santos blocked.  Low kick by Overem.  Overeem short on a left.  Knee to the body by Overeem.  Left by Overeem.  Left by Overeem.  Low kick by Overeem.  Crowd booing.  Dos Santos bleeding from the nose.  Overeem with a body kick.  Dos Santos missed a spin kick.  Overeem 10-9.

Second round:   Body kick by Junior  Body kick by Overeem.   Another body kick by Overeem.  Dos Santos missed a spin kick.  This fight sucks by the way.  Knee by Dos Santos  First  thing he’s done the whole fight.  Low kick by Dos Santos.  Another low kick by Overeem.  Overeem with a kick to the body.  Low kick by Overeem.  Nice left by Overeem.  Dos Santos bleeding from the right eye.  Dos Santos finally started punching late in the round.  Overeem dropped him with a left and finished him with a punch on the ground.  The left hook knocked Dos Santos flying.  Dos Santos was really mad at the stoppage.  4:43

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- (C) RAFAEL DOS ANJOS (24-7, 13-5 UFC) VS. (#2) DONALD CERRONE (28-6 1 NC, 15-3 UFC)

First round:  Loud USA chant.  Dos Anjos landed early.  Low kick by Cerrone.  Knee by Dos Anjos and now he’s taking him apart, a kick to the body and Dos Anjos throwing a ton of punches and Cerrone is in a lot of trouble.  He’s taking a ton of punches.  Cerrone survived.  Dos Anjos had his back and kept throwing punches until Herb Dean stopped it.  1:06

Dos Anjos said he was happy.  Dos Anjos said he’d face McGregor in Brazil or in Ireland.

UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 weigh-in results and live video

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 weigh-ins from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX at 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 3:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 5 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This is the second time the Octagon has appeared in Orlando and it marks the 41st and final UFC event of 2015.

The event is headlined by UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos making his first title defense against challenger Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who enters his first UFC title fight riding an eight-fight win streak. They have met once before, at UFC Fight Night 27 in August 2013, a bout won by Dos Anjos. The co-main event will be a heavyweight battle years in the making as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on Alistair Overeem. The card also features the return of Nate Diaz after a year out of action as he takes on Michael Johnson.

MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Rafael Dos Anjos (154.5) vs. Donald Cerrone (154.5) – UFC Lightweight Championship
Junior Dos Santos (239) vs. Alistair Overeem (243)
Michael Johnson (155.5) vs. Nate Diaz (156)
Randa Markos (116) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (114.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT):
Charles Oliveira (150.5) vs. Myles Jury (146)
C.B. Dollaway (185.5) vs. Nate Marquardt (186)
Sarah Kaufman (136) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (134)
Josh Samman (186) vs. Tamdan McCrory (185)
Nik Lentz (156) vs. Danny Castillo (156)
Cole Miller (146) vs. Jim Alers (145)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT):
Kamaru Usman (171) vs. Leon Edwards (171)
Hayder Hassan (170) vs. Vicente Luque (171)
Francis Ngannou (254) vs. Luiz Henrique (248)

*Danny Castillo missed the lightweight limit by two pounds. He later came back and made weight at 156 pounds.

*C.B. Dollaway missed on his initial attempt but made weight after the towel was brought in.

*Charles Oliveira missed weight badly, once again. He weighed in 4.5 pounds over the featherweight limit.

*Many fighters looked confused at the scale.

UFC On FOX 17 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The 41st and final UFC event of 2015 comes fight fans’ way on Saturday as the Octagon returns to Orlando, Florida and the FOX network with a title fight closing out a big year of fights. UFC On FOX 17 comes from the Amway Center in Orlando and airs on FOX with a main card start time of 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 3:30 PM eastern time before heading over to FS1 at 5 PM eastern time.

New UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos makes his first title defense when he defends against one of the most popular fighters in the sport, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, in the headline bout as Cerrone looks to capture the championship gold on the heels of eight straight wins. Dos Anjos and Cerrone have fought before, in August 2013, a fight won by Dos Anjos. In the co-main event, it will be a heavyweight slugfest that has been years in the making as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Also on the card is the return of former “TUF” winner Nathan Diaz as he takes on Michael Johnson. Let’s take a deeper look into the fight card and give you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC On FOX 17 on Saturday.

1. Can Donald Cerrone finally win that elusive UFC gold in his first chance?

Donald Cerrone has been chomping at the bits for years in an attempt to get a chance to become the UFC Lightweight Champion. Every time he has come close to a title shot, a setback has come in the way. Finally, on Saturday night, he gets that elusive title fight in the main event on the heels of an eight fight win streak. He is 15-3 since moving over from the WEC to the UFC in 2011, and has made a name for himself for his fight anytime, anywhere, against anyone frame of mind. There have been times where he has only had two weeks between fights, but, uncharacteristically, it has been since May that Cerrone has fought. It’s not like he didn’t want, or tried, to fight, but he had the title shot sewn up and didn’t wanna lose it. Eight straight wins over the likes of Benson Henderson, Myles Jury, Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller and Edson Barboza to name a few have led him to the man who last defeated him.

That man is UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Dos Anjos defeated Cerrone in August 2013 by unanimous decision. Even though he is now the champion, Dos Anjos actually lost his next fight, to Khabib Nurmagomedov, but three straight impressive performances following that loss, coupled with injuries to key fighters, opened the door for Dos Anjos to earn a title shot. He fought Anthony Pettis for the title at UFC 185 in March, and thoroughly dominated Pettis to post a five-round shutout and win the championship. Dos Anjos underwent a skill and physical transformation after being a gatekeeper in the division, and there have been questions about his physique. There are many who say that Dos Anjos looks completely different in the new era of drug testing, way different than the man who is 9-1 in his last ten fights, different than the man that won the championship in March, and different than the man that defeated Cerrone over two years ago. Those questions certainly open the door for Cerrone, who has even questioned Dos Anjos himself.

Dos Anjos and Cerrone both competed on the card the last time the UFC was in Orlando. That is when Dos Anjos lost his bout with Nurmagomedov that propelled him to the championship. Cerrone submitted Edson Barboza in the third of his eight straight wins. They descend back to Orlando with both looking to leave with championship gold around their waist. Cerrone has the excellent kickboxing with good takedowns and submissions. Dos Anjos has become a more well-rounded fighter over the last few years but it still remains to be seen what has changed for him. Cerrone will need to avoid being taken down, which likely cost them their first fight. Cerrone came on strong while Dos Anjos faded late in their bout, and a five-round bout last time may have seen a different outcome. They have five rounds this time. Interestingly, Dos Anjos is more than a two-to-one favorite, and that may be too long of odds. I see Cerrone finally reaching the top of the lightweight mountain.

2. Who wins the long-awaited heavyweight battle between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem?

A heavyweight bout between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem has been almost four years in the making. It was nearly four years ago that Overeem made his UFC debut at UFC 141 and defeated Brock Lesnar. After that, Overeem was scheduled to next fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, which was held at the time by Dos Santos, who had just come off of knocking out Cain Velasquez to win the title. They were set to meet at UFC 146 in May 2012, but issues with taking a drug test forced Overeem out of the bout. Dos Santos would eventually lose the championship in December 2012 back to Velasquez. Overeem didn’t fight again until February 2013, when he lost to Antonio Silva. They were again set to meet at UFC 160 in May 2013, but Overeem pulled out due to injury. After those false starts, they weren’t booked to fight again until they were scheduled to meet on Saturday. Since their initial booking in early 2012, Dos Santos has gone 3-2 and Overeem has gone 3-3.

They will finally step inside the Octagon on Saturday across from each other. Dos Santos hasn’t fought in over a year since earning a hard-fought decision win over Stipe Miocic. In fact, that is Dos Santos’ only fight in the last two years as injuries and beatings at the hands of both Velasquez and Miocic have taken their toll on him. Meanwhile, Overeem is riding a two-fight win streak that has him talking again of title shot aspirations. A win over a former champion in Dos Santos could put him just one fight away, but defeating Dos Santos, one of the hardest hitters in the sport, will be a tough task. Dos Santos has moved his training to American Top Team while Overeem continues to work on his skills with Greg Jackson. It will be interesting to see how each man fights the other as both have strong knockout power. Overeem showed a different approach in his last two fights, and has slimmed down a little. It is tough to say how much fight Dos Santos has left after his tough fights. It may be four years after they were first set to fight, and the championship gold may not be at stake, but it is still an interesting heavyweight bout between two big men, and it will finally go down on Saturday night.

3. Is Nate Diaz ready to make another run at 155 pounds?

One of the Stockton bad boys makes his long-awaited return on Saturday when Nate Diaz fights for the first time in over a year. After talk of moving, again, to 170 pounds, Diaz will come back at 155 pounds, and he looks to be in the best shape of his career. He will need to be as he takes on a tough opponent in Michael Johnson, a top-six ranked lightweight. Johnson should be on a five-fight win streak, but he lost a split decision to Beneil Dariush in August in a big controversial decision. Every media outlet scored the fight for Johnson, as did most observers, including UFC brass. They even paid Johnson his win bonus because they thought he won. Regardless of that, it still remains a loss on Johnson’s record, and he will be looking for a more impactful win when he takes on Diaz.

Diaz is coming off a loss to Rafael Dos Anjos last December, a bout he missed weight for, blaming it on a training injury. That is the only time Diaz has fought in the last two years, but when he is at his best, he remains one of the most complete boxers in the division, and a dangerous submission artist. Johnson is a solid striker who mixes everything well, uses a lot of volume, and has good takedowns. Diaz could suck Johnson into a striking battle, and if Diaz starts landing the punches, they may not do a ton of damage, but they will be very effective. The biggest question is whether the time away benefits Diaz, and if the last we saw of him is a true representation of where he is today, or if he is still the guy who blasted Gray Maynard in his bout prior to Dos Anjos. If Johnson lets Diaz hit him, it could be a field day for Diaz. Johnson is ever improving, but it is still hard to count out a Diaz brother. If he wants to make another run at a title shot, he has to get by a very tough Johnson.

4. Will Randa Markos keep making her climb up the 115-pound division ladder?

Randa Markos ended up being one of the big surprises during the strawweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. She came into the show with a 4-1 record, a solid record, but unlike the rest of the competitors, hadn’t had the exposure from fighting for Invicta, and she was one of the unknowns. She showed strong skills in making it all the way to the semifinals after defeating Tecia Torres and Felice Herrig as the 14-seed before losing to Rose Namajunas. Markos hasn’t had an easy road post-TUF as she has gotten tough opponents in Jessica Penne and Aisling Daly. She lost a close split decision to Penne before scoring a unanimous decision over Daly in convincing fashion at UFC 186 in April. Since then, she has quit working her full-time job and moved to Montreal to train at the Tristar camp, and Saturday represents her first time fighting since the move.

She gets the main card treatment as she takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who makes her UFC debut sporting a solid, and perfect, 7-0 record. Both women are skilled and will get attention due to looks, but they can fight. They are very similar, with good skills on their feet, but neither are overwhelming with power, and both are patient fighters. Both tend to have close fights when they go to the judges, but Markos has the better finishing ability. She is also a better wrestler, and that was before going to Tristar, one of the best camps in the world. That is going to be a key factor, and also having one of the best coaches in the sport in Firas Zahabi in her corner will as well. Markos has a very solid shot at becoming a real title challenger as her skills evolve, and much like her nickname, she is looking at making a quiet storm brew in the strawweight division.

5. What is there to watch for on a solid preliminary card?

The preliminary card on Saturday features a lot of solid fights that could easily be main card bouts on a lot of fight cards. In the featured prelim bout, Myles Jury makes the move down to featherweight to take on Charles Oliveira. Jury started his career a perfect 15-0 before losing his last fight to Donald Cerrone. He made the switch to the Power MMA team in Arizona and decided to try his hand at 145 pounds. He gets a tough first test in Oliveira, a very skilled submission specialist looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss in August. Another Power MMA fighter, C.B. Dollaway, will be taking on Nate Marquardt in a pivotal bout that could determine the UFC future for both. Dollaway is looking to rebound from two straight losses while Marquardt has also lost two straight, but, more importantly, has lost five of his last six fights.

Also on the prelims, Sarah Kaufman welcomes Valentina Shevchenko to the UFC. Shevchenko makes her debut on short notice, but she is a seriously skilled kickboxer with a 9-1 MMA record to go along with her 60-2 kickboxing record. Middleweight Josh Samman looks to remain perfect in the UFC as he welcomes Tamdan McCrory back to the UFC. Samman has four straight wins and has won all three of his UFC fights by stoppage. McCrory went 3-3 during a UFC stint from 2007 to 2009, but after being cut after a boring decision loss, he retired from the sport for four years. He made his comeback in Bellator in 2014, scoring two wins in a combined 1:27, and was then re-signed by the UFC. Another bout is a lightweight contest between Nik Lentz and Danny Castillo. Lentz is moving back up to 155 pounds following a loss to Charles Oliveira while Castillo is looking to avoid the chopping block as he has lost three straight and four of his last five.

Full UFC On FOX 17 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

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

UFC Lightweight Championship: (C) Rafael Dos Anjos vs. (#2) Donald Cerrone
Betting Odds: Dos Anjos (-200), Cerrone (+170)
Prediction: Cerrone by decision

Heavyweights: (#2) Junior Dos Santos vs. (#9) Alistair Overeem
Betting Odds: Dos Santos (-350), Overeem (+290)
Prediction: Dos Santos by knockout in round 2

Lightweights: (#6) Michael Johnson vs. (#15) Nate Diaz
Betting Odds: Johnson (-500), Diaz (+400)
Prediction: Diaz by submission in round 2

Women’s Strawweights: (#7) Randa Markos vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Betting Odds: Markos (-185), Kowalkiewicz (+160)
Prediction: Markos by decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)

Featherweights: (#7) Charles Oliveira vs. (#9 LW) Myles Jury
Betting Odds: Oliveira (+130), Jury (-150)
Prediction: Jury by decision

Middleweights: (#12) C.B. Dollaway vs. Nate Marquardt
Betting Odds: Dollaway (-400), Marquardt (+325)
Prediction: Dollaway by knockout in round 2

Women’s Bantamweights: (#5) Sarah Kaufman vs. Valentina Shevchenko
Betting Odds: Kaufman (-225), Shevchenko (+185)
Prediction: Shevchenko by decision

Middleweights: Josh Samman vs. Tamdan McCrory
Betting Odds: Samman (-175), McCrory (+155)
Prediction: Samman by knockout in round 2

Lightweights: (#10 FW) Nik Lentz vs. Danny Castillo
Betting Odds: Lentz (-105), Castillo (-115)
Prediction: Castillo by decision

Featherweights: Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers
Betting Odds: Miller (+105), Alers (-125)
Prediction: Miller by submission in round 3

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT)

Welterweights: Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards
Betting Odds: Usman (-250), Edwards (+210)
Prediction: Usman by submission in round 1

Welterweights: Hayder Hassan vs. Vicente Luque
Betting Odds: Hassan (-120), Luque (+100)
Prediction: Luque by decision

Heavyweights: Francis Ngannou vs. Luiz Henrique
Betting Odds: Ngannou (-110), Henrique (-110)
Prediction: Ngannou by knockout in round 1