Tag: UFC Atlantic City

UFC on ESPN 54 live results: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The UFC closes out a busy month of March with a return to Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the first time in six years for UFC on ESPN 54 from the famed Boardwalk Hall.

The main event is a pivotal bout in the women’s flyweight division as second-ranked Erin Blanchfield takes on third-ranked Manon Fiorot. Both are on long win streaks as Blanchfield has won nine straight while Fiorot has won eleven straight. The winner is expected to earn a title shot at against current champion Alexa Grasso.

The co-main event sees an exciting matchup in the welterweight division as Vicente Luque takes on Joaquin Buckley. Also on the main card is former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman looking to get back into the win column against knockout artist Bruno Silva; middleweights Nursulton Ruziboev and Sedriques Dumas squaring off; and Bill Algeo taking on Kyle Nelson in featherweight action.

ESPN2 PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Bantamweights- Angel Pacheco (7-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Caolan Loughran (8-1, 0-1 UFC)

Pacheco lands a leg kick. Pacheco lands a jab then Loughran lands a stiff right hand. Pacheco lands to the body. Loughran lands a right hand. Pacheco lands a leg kick. Loughran with an overhand right. Loughran with another right hand as Pacheco lands a leg kick. Loughran lands a hard right hand. He lands another. Loughran with another right hand. Loughran lands a left hook then an uppercut. Pacheco with a jab and leg kick then back to the jab. Loughran lands an uppercut then a big right hand. Loughran with a flurry against the fence. Loughran with a combination. Pacheco with a couple of jabs and lands to the body as Loughran lands a counter right hand. They trade late. 10-9 Loughran.

Pacheco lands a left hook and Loughran lands back with some big right hands. Pacheco lands a jab. Pacheco lands a right hand and Loughran lands one before getting a takedown. Loughran takes the back against the fence. Loughran has the body triangle and is looking for a choke. Loughran starts pouring on right hands and is landing a lot of them but it keeps going. Loughran keeps the back and starts landing more punches. Loughran continues to land as he moves to the half-guard. They get to their feet and Loughran lands an elbow on the break. Loughran with a leg kick. Pacheco lands a body kick. They clinch at the end. 10-9 Loughran, 20-18 Loughran.

Loughran lands and Pacheco lands and lands awkwardly on his leg and his ankle is hurt. Loughran with a flurry of punches and lands a pair of leg kicks. Loughran with a combo to the body followed by a right hand. Loughran looks for a takedown against the fence. They separate. Loughran lands a combo. Loughran continues to land and Pacheco lands a jumping knee. Loughran with a pair of right hands and gets a takedown. They get to their feet and Loughran lands an elbow. Loughran with a leg kick then a right hand. Loughran with a leg kick followed by a jab. Pacheco lands a left hand that hurts Loughran and then lands a flying knee but Loughran is able to get a takedown from it. They get up and Loughran with a combo. 10-9 Loughran, 30-27 Loughran.

Official Result- Caolan Loughran def. Angel Pacheco by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

> Middleweights- Andre Petroski (10-2, 5-1 UFC) vs. Jacob Malkoun (7-3, 3-3 UFC)

They trade and Malkoun makes Petroski stumble after landing a jab. Petroski misses a head kick and lands a leg kick as he eats a right hand from Malkoun. Petroski lands a left hand as Malkoun lands a jab and right hand. Malkoun presses forward and lands. Petroski lands a left hand and Malkoun briefly falls to the mat but quickly gets up. Malkoun looks for a takedown as he pushes it against the fence. They separate. Petroski with a leg kick. Malkoun lands a right hand. Petroski with a high kick and Malkoun lands a right hand to the body. Petroski gets a takedown and they scramble. Petroski has the back but they get to their feet and separate. Close round. 10-9 Malkoun.

Petroski with a leg kick. Petroski looks for a takedown but Malkoun defends and Petroski falls to the mat after hitting his head on the hip of Malkoun. Malkoun lands with a body kick on the ground and starts landing from the top and gets the finish. Big win for Malkoun.

Official Result- Jacob Malkoun def. Andre Petroski by TKO (strikes) at :39 of Round 2

> Women’s Flyweights- Viktoriia Dudakova (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Melissa Gatto (8-2-2, 2-2 UFC)

*Breaking: This fight has been cancelled after Dudakova was pulled from the fight due to medical issues.

> Light Heavyweights- Ibo Aslan (12-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Anton Turkalj (8-3, 0-3 UFC)

Aslan with a leg kick and Turkalj lands a leg kick. They continue to trade kicks. They exchange right hands. Turkalj with a body kick and Aslan catches it and lands a right hand. They trade snap jabs. Turkalj lands a right hand and they trade. Turkalj with a flying knee. Aslan with a leg kick. They trade punches. Turkalj with a leg kick. Turkalj lands a flurry as he rushes in and presses Aslan back. Aslan then lands a combination. Aslan with another winging combo. Aslan with a leg kick. 10-9 Turkalj.

They’re swinging wildly and have a wild exchange in the pocket. Aslan lands a big right hand. They trade inside the pocket again. We have a timeout for a groin strike. They get back to action. Aslan with a calf kick. Aslan lands a left hand that hurts Turkalj. Turkalj slips on a head kick but Aslan can’t take advantage. Aslan lands a right hand. Both throwing wild haymakers. Aslan with a right hand. He lands a leg kick. They trade right hands. Aslan with a big right hand. Aslan with a pair of leg kicks. 10-9 Aslan, 19-19.

Turkalj lands a right hand and a body kick. Aslan catches it and lands a right hand. Turkalj lands a right hand. Turkalj with a combo. They trade right hands. Aslan with a big right hand and Turkalj is stumbling and falls down and it is stopped! Big finish from Aslan!

Official Result- Ibo Aslan def. Anton Turkalj by TKO (punch) at 1:32 of Round 3

> Featherweights- Dennis Buzukja (11-4, 0-2 UFC) vs. Connor Matthews (7-1, 0-0 UFC)

Matthews with a body kick as Buzukja lands a left hand. They trade body and leg kicks. They trade more kicks. They trade wild punches. Matthews lands a leg kick. Buzukja lands a combo. Buzukja with a leg kick. Both throwing a lot but not landing much. Matthews lands a leg kick. Buzukja with a left hand and a leg kick. Buzukja with a leg kick. Matthews lands a body kick. Buzukja lands a left hook then a right hand. We have a timeout for a groin strike. Buzukja lands a high kick as they get back. Buzukja with a high kick. Matthews lands a right hand. Buzukja with a right hand. Buzukja with a leg kick followed by a combination. 10-9 Buzukja.

They trade leg kicks. Buzukja lands a right hand. Matthews with a combo against the fence. Buzukja lands a hook kick to get back to the center. Buzukja lands a left hand and Matthews stumbles a little. Buzukja with a combo and Matthews lands a right hand. Buzukja mixing punches and kicks as he is landing more. Buzukja lands a combo. Matthews with the jab. Buzukja with a body kick. Matthews lands a right hand. Buzukja with a left hook. They trade leg kicks. Buzukja with a left hook. Buzukja lands a big right hand. Buzukja follows with a combo. Matthews grabs the back looking to get it down but Buzukja is defending. Matthews gets the takedown. They scramble to their feet and separate. Matthews lands a right hand and Buzukja counters with a body combination. Matthews with a right hand. 10-9 Buzukja, 20-18 Buzukja.

Buzukja drops Matthews early with a left hand and starts teeing off from the top and gets the finish! Big finish for Buzukja to pick up his first UFC win.

Official Result- Dennis Buzukja def. Connor Matthews by TKO (punches) at :22 of Round 3

> Featherweights*- Julio Arce (18-6, 5-4 UFC) vs. Herbert Burns (11-4, 2-2 UFC)

*Arce missed weight by one pound

Burns pressuring early as Arce is circling around, but not much action is taking place. Burns with a body kick. Arce with a stiff jab. Burns with a high kick. Arce lands a left hand. Arce with a left hand to the body. Timeout for a groin strike by Burns. They get back to action and Burns lands a body kick and shoots for a takedown. Burns lands another knee to the groin and we have another timeout. Burns has a point taken away. They get back to action. Burns with a high kick. Burns looks for a takedown. Arce lands a knee as they break. Arce with a left hand to the body. Burns lands a right hand. He lands another as he looks for a takedown. 9-9 round due to the point deduction.

Arce hurts Burns with a right hand as Burns was rushing in. Burns lands a flying knee. They clinch and Burns lands a knee. Arce lands a knee in the clinch. Arce drops Burns with a knee but lets him up. Arce with a combo and a head kick. Arce with a big flurry against the fence and drops Burns with a left hand and it is stopped. What a finish from Arce!

Official Result- Julio Arce def. Herbert Burns by TKO (punches) at 2:00 of Round 2

> Women’s Strawweights- #5 Virna Jandiroba (19-3, 5-3 UFC) vs. #10 Loopy Godinez (12-3, 7-3 UFC)

Jandiroba lands a right hand. Jandiroba with a jab. Godinez lands a jab. They trade in close range. Jandiroba gets a takedown but Godinez is able to get to her feet. They remain clinched against the fence. Godinez with a knee. Jandiroba rolls for a leg lock. They get to their feet and trade right hands. Jandiroba with a jab. Godinez lands a right hand. Godinez lands a right hand. Jandiroba pushes it against the fence. Jandiroba drags it down and is able to get the back of Godinez. Jandiroba looked for the neck. 10-9 Jandiroba.

They trade to start the second as Godinez lands a leg kick. They trade in close range with Godinez landing more. Jandiroba lands a combo. Jandiroba looks for a takedown but Godinez ends up on top. Godinez with a hammerfist. Godinez looking for a leg lock. Jandiroba with a pair of hammerfists. She lands more hammerfists. Godinez lands a right hand from the bottom. They scramble and Jandiroba still landing. They get to their feet. They trade. 10-9 Jandiroba, 20-18 Jandiroba.

Jandiroba looking for the takedown. They are tied up against the fence. They separate. Jandiroba lands a combination. They trade before clinching up. Godinez with some knees. Godinez lands as they break. Jandiroba rushes it and lands. Godinez lands a nice left hand. Godinez lands a knee. Jandiroba shoots for a takedown but Godinez defends. They tie up against the fence and are scrambling on the mat. Jandiroba is on the back as they get to their feet. Jandiroba looking for a rear-naked choke. Jandiroba has it across the jaw and is squeezing as Godinez is bleeding. Jandiroba with punches at the end. 10-9 Jandiroba, 30-27 Jandiroba.

Official Result- Virna Jandiroba def. Loopy Godinez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> Featherweights- Nate Landwehr (17-5, 4-3 UFC) vs. Jamall Emmers (20-7, 3-3 UFC)

Emmers hurts Landwehr with a right hand and lands some follow-up shots but Landwehr circles away. Emmers lands to the body but falls off balanced. Emmers with more right hands. Emmers with some more hard punches. Landwehr lands a right hand. Emmers landing some big right hands and Landwehr has a big cut opened up. Landwehr lands a big right hand. Landwehr stuns Emmers with a right hand. They tie up and Landwehr with some uppercuts as Emmers lands some knees. They separate. Emmers lands a combination. Landwehr with a pair of right hands. Landwehr lands an uppercut and drops Emmers with a punch and Emmers is out! What a huge comeback from Landwehr!

Official Result- Nate Landwehr def. Jamall Emmers by knockout (punches) at 4:43 of Round 1

ESPN MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Welterweights- Chidi Njokuani (22-10 1 NC, 2-3 UFC) vs. Rhys McKee (13-5-1, 0-3 UFC)

They trade short leg kicks. Njokuani with a pair of leg kicks. McKee lands a grazing right hand. Njokuani with another leg kick. Njokuani with a leg kick as McKee lands a combo. Njokuani with more leg kicks. McKee lands a nice right hand. They exchange leg kicks and McKee with a pair of right hands. Njokuani with more kicks. McKee with a right hand and then another. They trade leg kicks. They clinch and McKee with a little dirty boxing before he pushes it to the fence. Njokuani with a knee in the clinch. He lands another. Njokuani with an elbow. They are separated by Keith Peterson. McKee with a jab. Njokuani with a body kick then a pair of leg kicks. 10-9 Njokuani.

Njokuani with a hard leg kick as McKee lands a right hand. They clinch again. Njokuani with a knee. They separate. Njokuani with an elbow followed by a knee. Njokuani with a pair of leg kicks with a jab mixed in. McKee tries for a takedown and Njokuani lands a knee to the head. Njokuani gets the back and they scramble up and are tied up against the fence. Njokuani lands a hard elbow. McKee trying hard to get it down by sweeping but Njokuani keeping it on the feet. Njokuani with an elbow. McKee lands a knee. Njokuani with more knees. 10-9 Njokuani, 20-18 Njokuani.

Njokuani with a leg kick. Njokuani tries for a takedown but they separate. Njokuani with a body kick then a leg kick. Njokuani with a knee to the body and they clinch up. They separate. Njokuani with a pair of knees. Njokuani lands a right hand. Njokuani gets the takedown. They quickly get up and Njokuani has the back. McKee lands to the body as Njokuani lands a right hand. Njokuani lands a pair of elbows as they clinch back up. They are separated. McKee trying again for the takedown. McKee lands a knee. Njokuani lands some knees as they break. Njokuani with a body kick. Njokuani with a spinning elbow. 10-9 Njokuani, 30-27 Njokuani.

Official Result- Chidi Njokuani def. Rhys McKee by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

> Featherweights- Bill Algeo (18-7, 5-3 UFC) vs. Kyle Nelson (15-5-1, 3-4-1 UFC)

Algeo with a body kick and he keeps throwing kicks. Algeo with a leg kick and a body kick. Nelson lands a body kick. Nelson hurts Algeo with a right hand and both are swinging before they tie up against the fence. They break away. Algeo with a leg kick then a body kick. Nelson with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Algeo with a right hand. They trade jabs. Algeo with a spin kick. Nelson lands a left hand. Algeo with a leg kick then a right hand to the body. Nelson rocks Algeo with a right hand and swarms with big punches. Nelson lands a knee and both are swinging with wild punches. Nelson lands a big right hand and then another. Nelson with another right hand and is still landing and it is stopped on the feet. Algeo immediately protesting and it might have been early but he was eating hard punches.

Official Result- Kyle Nelson def. Bill Algeo by TKO (punches) at 4:00 of Round 1

> Middleweights- Nursulton Ruziboev (33-8-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. Sedriques Dumas (9-1, 2-1 UFC)

Ruziboev lands a right hand. Dumas with a right hand. Ruziboev with an uppercut and lands a combo. Ruziboev with another right hand. Ruziboev lands to the body. Ruziboev with a body kick. Dumas pressing forward. Ruziboev with an uppercut. Dumas complains of an eye poke and Ruziboev starts landing punches and drops Dumas, then lands a barrage from the top to get the finish. Big finish from Ruziboev.

Official Result- Nursulton Ruziboev def. Sedriques Dumas by knockout (punches) at 3:18 of Round 1

> Middleweights- Chris Weidman (15-7, 11-7 UFC) vs. Bruno Silva (23-10, 4-4 UFC)

Weidman with a body kick. He lands a front kick to the body. Silva with a body kick. Weidman with some body kicks. Weidman lands a right hand that hurts Silva for a moment. Weidman lands some knees as he grabs the neck. Weidman gets a takedown and looks for the back. Weidman with some left hands from the back. Not much is happening. Weidman with some knees to the thighs. Silva is doing nothing. Weidman with more knees. 10-9 Weidman.

Weidman with a leg kick and Silva lands a right hand. Weidman with a leg kick. Weidman with a pair of body kicks. Weidman with a body kick. Silva lands a right hand. Both land punches in an exchange. Weidman shoots for a takedown but Silva defends. Silva lands a left hand and complains of an eye poke and we have a timeout. They get back to action. Weidman with a leg kick then a body kick. They trade jabs. Weidman lands a nice jab. Silva lands a combo. Weidman with a body kick. Silva with a combination. Silva with a big left hand. Weidman lands a right hand. Weidman with a left hand. Weidman with a combo as Silva was covering up. Weidman with a big flurry against the fence. Close round. 10-9 Weidman, 20-18 Weidman.

Silva lads a jab. We have a timeout for a double eye poke. They get back to action. Both land body kicks. Silva lands a combo. They trade right hands. Weidman lands a right hand. Weidman drops Silva with a left hand and Silva was grabbing his eye. Weidman with a flurry from the top and it is stopped. Silva is complaining about the stoppage but Weidman picks up a massive win. They originally announced it as a TKO win for Weidman, but it was changed to a technical unanimous decision win after the commission ruled it was a foul and they went to the scorecards.

Official Result- Chris Weidman def. Bruno Silva by technical unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at 2:18 of Round 3

> Welterweights- #11 Vicente Luque (22-9-1, 15-5 UFC) vs. Joaquin Buckley (17-6, 7-4 UFC)

They clash legs with kicks. Buckley with a leg kick. Luque with a leg kick. Luque with a pair of kicks. Buckley lands a double jab. Luque with a body kick and Buckley counters with a combination. Buckley lands a left hand. Luque with a body kick. Luque with a leg kick. Buckley lands a leg kick. Luque with a body kick. Luque gets it somewhat on the mat late. Close round. 10-9 Luque.

Luque with a body kick. Buckley with a flying knee but Luque blocked it. Luque with a leg kick. Luque lands another leg kick. Buckley with a leg kick. Buckley with a head kick that Luque mostly blocks. Buckley with a combination. Buckley lands a right hand. They go to the mat with Buckley on top and he starts landing lots of punches from the top. Big flurry from Buckley as Luque is covering up. Buckley with more punches and it is stopped! Big win for Buckley!

Official Result- Joaquin Buckley def. Vicente Luque by TKO (punches) at 3:17 of Round 2

> Women’s Flyweights- #2 Erin Blanchfield (12-1, 6-0 UFC) vs. #3 Manon Fiorot (11-1, 6-0 UFC)

They trade to start as both land punches and leg kicks. Fiorot with a right hook. She lands a left hand. Fiorot with a body kick as Blanchfield rushes in. Fiorot with a body kick and a right hand. Fiorot gets a big takedown. Blanchfield has the neck and locks in a guillotine choke. Fiorot scrambles to her feet. Blanchfield still has the choke locked in on the feet. Blanchfield lets go. Blanchfield with an elbow as they break. Fiorot lands a left hand. Blanchfield with a leg kick. Fiorot with a combo. Fiorot landing with slightly more volume. They clinch and trade knees and Fiorot lands a right hand as they break. 10-9 Fiorot.

They trade punches as both are pressing forward. Blanchfield with a high kick. Blanchfield gets it down but Fiorot reverses and they stand. They clinch back up and Blanchfield has the body lock but lets go. Fiorot with a right hook. Fiorot with another right hook as Blanchfield tries to land. Fiorot with a jab. Blanchfield with a body kick. Blanchfield is pressing forward but just can’t find openings. They trade in close range. Fiorot with a side kick and a right hook. Blanchfield lands a right hand. 10-9 Fiorot, 20-18 Fiorot.

They trade as Blanchfield is still trying to rush in and land. Fiorot lands a left hand and is working the jab. Blanchfield lands a right hand. Blanchfield lands a left hand. They tie up for a moment but quickly separate. Fiorot lands a right hand. Fiorot lands a right hand after Blanchfield lands. Blanchfield with a leg kick and body kick. Fiorot with a combo. They trade in close range. 10-9 Fiorot, 30-27 Fiorot.

Fiorot with a combo as Blanchfield rushes in. Blanchfield lands a body kick. They trade in close range. Blanchfield landing some punches as Fiorot is retreating. They both land flurries. Blanchfield with a body kick. Fiorot with a combination. Blanchfield with a body kick. Both are landing a lot but Fiorot with more volume and is connecting better. Fiorot with a side kick. 10-9 Fiorot, 40-36 Fiorot.

Fiorot lands a left hand as Blanchfield lands a right hand. Blanchfield lands a head kick. Fiorot with a jab. Blanchfield lands a right hand. Blanchfield with a leg kick. Blanchfield with a body kick. Fiorot with a right hook. Blanchfield with a body kick. Fiorot with a side kick to the body then lands a combination. Blanchfield keeps trying to rush in and land but Fiorot is using her reach to keep Blanchfield from landing. Blanchfield with a combination. Fiorot lands a big left hand. They tie up and Blanchfield pushes it to the fence. Fiorot with a side kick. They have a wild exchange late. 10-9 Fiorot, 50-45 Fiorot.

Official Result- Manon Fiorot def. Erin Blanchfield by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

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

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our questions about UFC Atlantic City: Lee vs. Barboza

Posted on by Josh Nason

April is apparently UFC Lightweights Month as we get our third straight show headlined by the 155-pound division, this time by a former title challenger and an opponent that is looking to pick up the pieces after a one-sided beatdown in his last outing.

Helping me examine the show a bit more is the usual suspects in fellow MMA scribes Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick.

Note that the Lee/Barboza fight is now a catchweight affair as Lee missed weight, Aspen Ladd missed weight for her fight with Leslie Smith so that fight is off, and Magomed Bibulatov injured his back so his fight with Ulka Sasaki is off the show.

First, The Card

  • Kevin Lee vs. Edson Barboza (catchweight)
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Cub Swanson II
  • Chase Sherman vs. Justin Willis
  • David Branch vs. Thiago Santos
  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Brett Johns
  • Jim Miller vs. Dan Hooker
  • Ryan LaFlare vs. Alex Garcia
  • Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Luan Chagas
  • Corey Anderson vs. Patrick Cummins
  • Merab Dvashilli vs. Ricky Simon
  • Tony Martin vs. Keita Nakamura

What are you most looking forward to?

Nason: That co-main really stands out although we’ll find out pretty quick if it was too soon to re-book Edgar after his brutal KO loss at the fists of Brian Ortega. The main event has some intrigue for me as well, but I’m also not a big Lee fan. Overall, this is a quality show, especially on free TV.

Ryan: I actually like this card a whole lot as it has some very good depth on it. Barboza against Lee is a high-quality main event, and both are looking to keep themselves in the title hunt. I like the fact that Edgar and Swanson are rematching, but as I’ll get into later, I hate the circumstances. Branch vs. Santos is quality matchmaking and Santos is on a good win streak. Johns is undefeated and has a tough test against Sterling, who has the ability to contend for a championship. Miller always has good fights as does Hooker. We also have some solid prelims with Bahadurzada on them as well as a very solid fight between Anderson and Cummins. Overall, this is a very good card with a lot of depth.

Paul: This is a great free TV card with pretty much all FS1 televised fights having recognizable names in them. In addition to the fights Ryan mentioned, I’m also curious to see ifJohns can keep his unbeaten record going. He hasn’t lost in 18 fights going back to his amateur career and he’s a helluva promo as well, so an impressive showing here could get him a real big fight his next time out.

What is being overlooked?

Ryan: I’m not sure anything is being overlooked, but I don’t think the main event has been getting a lot of extra attention that is deserving. Barboza is one of the most dangerous strikers at 155 pounds, but as Nurmagomedov showed, he still can have issues getting up from the mat if taken down. Lee is a strong wrestler with good submissions. It is such a great matchup that isn’t getting the recognition it deserves.

Paul: Cummins vs. Anderson kicking off the prelims seems like odd match placement for two guys bordering on the top 10 who have both had high profile fights in the past. Johns, who I mentioned before, has the quietest 15-0 record you’ll ever see. 

Nason: Sterling vs. Johns should be a bit higher up the card as I’m not sure why Sherman-Willis is third from the top. Branch vs. Santos might also a banger too depending on which Branch shows up.

What’s not doing it for you?

Paul: Edgar being put back into the Octagon definitely rubs me the wrong way so quickly after his brutal knockout loss just last month. The heavyweight bout between Willis and Sherman has two great characters, but they could have a really bad fight and doesn’t belong anywhere near the main card, especially with a deep lineup such as this. And on the flip side, while Jim Miller is at least on the main card, it seems like a slap in the face that the tough vet is in the opener in his home state. He really should be pushed as one of the big stars on the show.

Ryan: It is the entire Edgar situation and the fight against Swanson. I’m glad that Swanson and the UFC agreed to a new contract as he deserves to remain in the UFC and is still an elite featherweight. He gets his crack at trying to avenge a loss to Edgar, but the circumstances surrounding it aren’t pleasing. Edgar was just knocked out cold seven weeks to the day on Saturday, and this is rushing him back. I get the likely story: he probably wanted back in as soon as possible to shake off the loss, and with this event being in his home state of New Jersey, it might be his last chance to fight in front of his friends and family. I wish they would have slowed down his return to at least July, but here we are. I like the fact we are getting this rematch, but I don’t like the fact it’s happening this weekend.

Nason: Anderson vs. Cummins and Sherman vs. Willis could be snoozers, but perhaps there’s a reason why UFC placed them as they did.

What’s the big intrigue with this show?

Nason: For me, it’s Lee and Edgar. I still don’t know if Lee is an elite talent at lightweight or someone that talked himself up so much that he finds himself in that spot. I still don’t buy the win over Chiesa and this is now two straight fights in which there’s been weight and/or health issues. He’s a fun personality, but this fight should tell how much of that is smoke and mirrors. For Edgar, a win should give him a title shot against the winner of Max Holloway vs. Ortega unless if Holloway loses. In that case, expect a rematch.

Ryan: It’s whether some fighters can break out of the pack, and whether some  veterans have anything left in the tank. The winner of Barboza and Lee remains in the talk of the crowded lightweight picture, but they have long roads ahead. This could be the official beginning of the end for two Jersey veterans in Edgar and Miller. Santos could continue to climb up the 185-pound rankings. There are lots intriguing on this card.

Paul: It’s the amazing run Santos is on as four straight wins via KO is not something you see all the time. A fifth straight will make people notice. In fact, eight of his nine UFC wins have been by knockout, a ratio usually only seen in the heavyweight division. I think it’s also intriguing how Edgar does and, should he lose, where does he go from here?

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Ryan: It’s another in a string of several events over several weeks, but this one has some good name value on it. It likely won’t matter in the grand scheme of things, unless this is truly the beginning of the end for future Hall of Famer Edgar. It still should be a good fight card.

Paul: I really don’t think the show in general matters all that much but there are guys on this show that are a couple steps away from title contention and this could be one more rung up that ladder. But, it’s a fun night of fights and it’s free so this is a great treat for the hardcore UFC fans.

Nason: I doubt this will have long-term impact, but like Ryan and Paul alluded to, we could get two interesting names in title contention after the night is through. Whether they get those shots with a win, however, is another set of questions entirely.

Who wins?

Lee vs. Barboza

Barboza: Paul, Ryan
Lee: Nason

Edgar vs. Swanson

Edgar: Nason
Swanson: Ryan, Paul

Branch vs. Santos

Santos: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Anderson vs. Cummins

Cummins: Ryan, Paul, Nason

Follow along with our coverage on Saturday night.