UFC on ESPN 54 ‘Blanchfield vs. Fiorot’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Caolan Loughran (135) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Loughran (-355), Pacheco (+280)

Round 1

Pacheco and Loughran face off in matching orthodox stances. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro is your referee. Pacheco lands a pair of nice jabs but eats a hard right hand in return. Pacheco steps into the pocket and lands a sweeping left to the body. A minute and a half in, both men are content to exchange in boxing range. Loughran’s right hand is cocked and ready, and he lands a sharp but glancing blow with that hand. Loughran essays a left high kick, but Pacheco sidesteps and returns fire with a jab. Loughran catches Pacheco coming in with a big right hand. Pacheco backs off, stumbling, and Loughran pursues in measured fashion. Under a minute to go and Loughran is still moving forward, marching down his man. Pacheco’s jabs have gotten blood to drip from Loughran’s nose. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Loughran
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Loughran
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Loughran

Round 2

Pacheco comes forward to open Round 2, backing Loughran off with punches. Loughran stands his ground and catches Pacheco with a right hand. Loughran changes levels and drags Pacheco down, moving to the back. Loughran is on Pacheco’s back near the base of the fence. He cinches up a body triangle and works for a rear-naked choke, but he isn’t in good position to get the arm under the chin. Loughran gives up on the choke and unloads with punches from back mount. Pacheco is taking a lot of shots, and referee Ribeiro is looking on closely, but Pacheco squirms into a better position. Loughran adjusts, flattens Pacheco back out and resumes throwing punches. With 90 seconds to go, Pacheco manages to spin into Loughran and regain half guard, but Loughran is still on top and having just about everything his way. Pacheco gets back to his feet, eating a right hand on the way up. They disengage and go back to work with 30 seconds to go. Loughran grabs the oncoming Pacheco with a double collar tie, and they exchange blows until the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Loughran
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Loughran
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Loughran

Round 3

Both men swing freely to open the final round, but it’s Pacheco who gives a big reaction to a low kick from Loughran. Suddenly, Pacheco seems unable to put any weight on his left leg. Loughran spots the reaction and begins working on that leg, incorporating low kicks into just about every combination. Loughran goes for a takedown, but Pacheco stands him up. Pacheco marches forward and launches a flying knee that lands on the chest of Loughran. Loughran steps in, drops levels and takes Pacheco down with a double-leg. Pacheco is seated at the base of the fence with Loughran on his legs. Under two minutes to go and Loughran lets Pacheco up, landing a close-quarters elbow as he stands. Loughran gives ground as Pacheco advances, but Pacheco lands a left hand that hurts him. Pacheco follows up with a flying knee, but Loughran takes him down before he can get anything more going. They pop back up before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Loughran (30-27 Loughran)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Loughran (30-26 Loughran)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Loughran (30-27 Loughran)

The Official Result

Caolan Loughran def. Angel Pacheco via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Jacob Malkoun (185) vs. Andre Petroski (186)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Malkoun (-205), Petroski (+170)

Round 1

Middleweights Malkoun and Petroski go to work under the watchful eye of referee Gary Copeland. Both men are in orthodox stance and the crowd lets fly with its first “USA” chant of the evening for Philly native Petroski. Petroski switches stances frequently in the early going, frequently ending southpaw, but Malkoun catches him with a big jab mid-switch that has him stumbling away, hurt. Malkoun walks him down but does not overcommit to the chase. Petroski fires a righty jab from southpaw, which Malkoun counters with a hard left. Malkoun appears sharper on the feet in the first half of the first round, but Petroski catches him with a clean left that buckles his legs. Petroski changes levels and tries to take the Australian down, but can’t finish. Malkoun turns the tables and tries for a takedown of his own near the fence, but can’t get Petroski off his feet. Malkoun walks Petroski down, but walks right into a level change. Petroski hoists a single-leg and sweeps the other leg to complete the takedown. Malkoun hops right back up and the horn sounds a few seconds later.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun

Round 2

Malkoun comes forward and tries an immediate takedown, which Petroski snuffs out easily. Petroski goes for a takedown of his own, then crumples to the ground on his hands and knees, obviously hurt. Malkoun gives him a single massive soccer kick to the ribs and with Petroski offering no resistance, Copeland steps in for the stoppage. It takes a couple of runs through the replay footage to figure it out, but it appears Petroski’s head might have collided with the point of Malkoun’s hip during the takedown attempt. Whatever the case, it goes down as a win for the “Mamba.”

The Official Result

Jacob Malkoun def. Andre Petroski R2 0:39 via TKO (Soccer Kick to the Body)

Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Aslan (-125), Turkalj (+100)

Round 1

It is a roundabout rematch at “UFC Atlantic City,” as Turkalj and Aslan revisit their 2021 meeting under the Brave CF banner, which Turkalj won by second-round submission. Both men are in orthodox stance, and they go to work at a word from ref Gary Copeland. Turkalj flicks out low kicks in the early going. Aslan inches forward, looking to land a big right hand, and when Turkalj stands his ground, they exchange a flurry of punches. Aslan lands a jab that snaps back Turkalj’s head. Turkalj connects with a pair of punches and a flying knee that comes up just short. Turkalj goes back to work with the outside calf kicks, and Aslan returns fire with a front kick up the middle. Ninety seconds left in the round and Aslan is coming forward, trying to corner Turkalj against the fence. Turkalj bursts forward, winging punches with both hands. Aslan gives ground, throwing back as he retreats. Turkalj backs Aslan off with a jab. Aslan knocks Turkalj down off-balance with a punch just as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Turkalj
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Turkalj
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Turkalj

Round 2

Turkalj comes forward and Aslan is there to meet him. They swing wildly in the pocket. Both men land their share of punches, but Aslan rings Turkalj up with four clean shots to the jaw. It’s a wonder he’s still standing, but he’s right there, throwing back. A moment later, Turkalj catches Aslan to the cup with a bad kick or knee that strays south. Aslan makes his frustration clear, and Copeland calls time. Copeland makes it clear to the fighters that the blow was inadvertent. Aslan indicates that he is ready to go back to work, and they resume swinging away in the center of the Octagon. Again, both fighters land, but Aslan seems to connect harder and cleaner. Turkalj ducks under a punch, grabs a body lock and looks for a takedown, but Aslan shucks him off. They exchange punches again and Turkalj goes for another body lock, which he can’t complete. Turkalj tries for a third takedown and still can’t get onto the hips of Aslan. Aslan’s output has slowed, as he breathes with mouth wide open. With a minute to go, Turkalj backs Aslan up to the fence with punches. Aslan comes off the fence throwing back, but Turkalj backs out of danger. Turkalj comes up short on yet another takedown attempt. Turkalj misses high with a head kick just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Aslan
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Aslan
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aslan

Round 3

Aslan’s left eye is swollen nearly shut as Round 3 kicks off. Turkalj lands a big kick that Aslan catches, but lets go. Both light heavyweights look tired, but continue exchanging single shots in the center of the cage. Turkalj goes for a spinning strike that falls short. Aslan steps into the pocket with a huge overhand right that drops Turkalj. Aslan moves in to follow up, but Copeland sees the eyes and body language of the seated Swede, decides he has had enough, and jumps in for the TKO stoppage. Nice comeback by Ibo Aslan, avenging his sole career loss in the process.

The Official Result

Ibo Aslan def. Anton Turkalj R3 1:32 via TKO (Punch)

Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Buzukja (-115), Matthews (-115)

Round 1

Buzukja is in orthodox, Matthews in southpaw as they engage under the supervision of referee Keith Peterson. Both men freely switch between stances, however, as they reach out with long kicks and one-twos. Matthews catches Buzukja coming in with a left hand. Buzukja lands a hard calf kick to the left leg of Matthews, then another. Matthews has switched to orthodox stance. Buzukja catches him with a nice left jab. Buzukja backs Matthews up with a hand one-two. A Matthews kick lands on the cup of Buzukja, and Peterson calls time. Buzukja proclaims himself ready to go after just a few seconds, and they go back to work. Under a minute to go in the round and Buzukja’s jab is dictating the pace of the fight. Buzukja goes upstairs with a right high kick that bounces off the guard of Matthews. Buzukja lands a low kick and a one-two at the clapper, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja

Round 2

Buzukja scores first with a jab, then a counter left hook. Matthews backs his man up to the fence, but Buzukja slides out the side and they return to the center of the Octagon. Matthews is game, coming forward, but Buzukja’s combination punching is really giving him trouble. Buzukja punctuates his punches with a series of calf kicks. Matthews continues to work to back Buzukja to the cage. Buzukja gives ground willingly, but is catching Matthews with almost everything he throws. Buzukja steps in with a big overhand right that lands cleanly, then a kick and another trio of punches. Buzukja steps in but Matthews slides behind, takes his back standing and hauls him to the canvas. With under a minute to work, Matthews lands a series of blows from the back, before Buzukja escapes to his feet. They flurry at close range and Matthews shoots a double-leg right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja

Round 3

Buzukja clips Matthews with a right cross and left hook, dropping him. Matthews covers up as Buzukja swarms with hammer fists. With Matthews not offering any real defense, referee Peterson steps in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Dennis Buzukja def. Connor Matthews R3 0:22 via TKO (Punches)

Victoria Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gatto (-155), Dudakova (+130)

This bout was cancelled on Saturday due to an unspecified medical issue for Dudakova.

Julio Arce (147: Missed Weight) vs. Herbert Burns (145)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Arce (-410), Burns (+320)

Round 1

Burns and Arce meet, with Gary Copeland drawing the referee assignment. Arce is southpaw, Burns orthodox. Despite Arce being the only fighter to miss weight yesterday, he looks noticeably smaller than “The Blaze.” Burns is methodical, coming forward and trying to back Arce into the fence. Neither man has landed much of consequence through a minute of the fight, with a lot of handfighting happening on the closed side. Arce lands a jab over the top of Burns’ jab. Burns rushes in, clinches with Arce against the fence and immediately lands an illegal knee to the cup. Copeland breaks them up, acknowledges the foul was unintentional and restarts them. Burns again shoves Arce to the fence, grabs an underhook and quickly lands another illegal knee to the groin. Copeland again separates them, consults the replay official and deducts a point from Burns for the foul. Once they get back to work, Arce flicks out the jab while Burns throws kicks to the open side. Burns changes levels, grabs a single leg but can’t finish the takedowns. Arce stands him up with an underhook and they separate. Arce jabs to the body as Burns comes forward. Burns throws an overhand right, then comes in behind it for another takedown attempt. He can’t get it, and is on his back with Arce standing over him as the round expires.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Arce

Round 2

Arce hits the oncoming Burns with a hook to the body. Burns rushes in and Arce catches him with a right hand. Burns launches a flying knee that lands, then comes in behind another overhand right for a takedown attempt. Burns clinches and Arce knees him to the jaw, dropping him. Burns stays down, but Arce shows no inclination to follow him into that world, and Burns is forced to get back up. Arce walks Burns down against the fence and clips him with a pair of punches that send him stumbling. Arce keeps up the pressure, dropping Burns with a series of left hands against the cage. No defense is forthcoming as Burns slumps to the canvas, so Copeland steps in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Julio Arce def. Herbert Burns R2 2:00 via TKO (Punches)

Lupita Godinez (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Godinez (-218), Jandiroba (+180)

Round 1

Strawweight contenders face off under the auspices of “Shaolin” Ribeiro. Both women are orthodox, and Jandiroba lands a jab. Godinez backs her off with a flurry of punches. Godinez catches Jandiroba in the forehead with a jab. Jandiroba grabs a single-leg and runs Godinez to the fence. She tosses Godinez to the ground, but Godinez uses a whizzer to pop right back up. Jandiroba drives Godinez back into the cage and drops for a leglock. Godinez defends well, gets back to her feet and punishes Jandiroba with a knee up the middle on the break. Half the round is gone as they return to the center of the cage. Godinez steps forward with a series of jabs, backing the Brazilian up. Jandiroba lands a solid one-two. Jandiroba throws a head kick that slaps harmlessly off of Godinez’s high guard. Jandiroba shoots a single-leg near the fence, but can’t finish as Godinez defends expertly. Jandiroba muscles her down, but Godinez has an overhook that she uses to block the technique. Jandiroba finally gets it, takes the back and is working for a choke at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba

Round 2

The women exchange in the pocket, but Godinez lands the harder punches. Jandiroba settles down, throwing her jab and one-two and inviting Godinez to enter the phone booth with her. Jandiroba times an entry and hauls Godinez down. Godinez lands on top but Jandiroba instantly goes for a half-guard sweep. Jandiroba, after a moment’s stalemate, takes top position, with a tangle of legs between them. Godinez has a possible leglock, which Jandiroba works to defend, to the exclusion of much offense of her own. With two minutes left in the round, the strawweights are in a leglock race position, throwing sporadic strikes at one another. Godinez tries to lean back into an ankle lock, and Jandiroba answers with a couple of hammerfists to the face. Godinez throws a punch from the bottom that has some steam on it. The position comes apart with 40 seconds left and they return to their feet. The 10-second clapper sounds, and the horn goes off.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Godinez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Godinez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Godinez

Round 3

Jandiroba paws out with the jab to open Round 3. Godinez rushes forward, walking right into a single-leg from the Brazilian, who walks her to the cage. Jandiroba jumps guard against the fence, but lets go and they disengage. Jandiroba lands a left and a right hand. Godinez walks right into a jab, then another. Godinez counters a jab with a nice right hook. Jandiroba jabs, then drops levels for a takedown, but can’t finish. Godinez tags Jandiroba with a right hand. Jandiroba changes levels, but can’t get anywhere near the hips. Jandiroba drives Godinez to the fence and hauls her down. Godinez uses a whizzer to keep Jandiroba from finishing the takedown, but Jandiroba traps that arm against the fence and throws unblocked punches to the face. Godinez gives up the whizzer and Jandiroba hops on her back, sinking her hooks and working for a rear-naked choke. Godinez stands, Jandiroba still attached to her back, and fights off the choke until the horn. Great grappling by the Brazilian to seal the round, and perhaps the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba (29-28 Jandiroba)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba (29-28 Jandiroba)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba (29-28 Jandiroba)

The Official Result

Virna Jandiroba def. Lupita Godinez via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Emmers (-218), Landwehr (+180)

Round 1

The top prelim features featherweights Emmers and Landwehr, with Keith Peterson on referee duty. There is no touch of gloves and Emmers goes right to work, throwing two-and three-piece combinations as he surges forward. Landwehr tries to respond in kind, but Emmers catches him with a clean left hand, then a right that hurt him badly. Landwehr staggers back and recovers as Emmers pours it on. Landwehr’s face is reddened and swollen already. Emmers is looking to land a big right-handed killshot, but Landwehr seems to have regained his composure. Landwehr sticks Emmers with a right hand that splits his guard. Landwehr is bleeding badly from the forehead, but the blood is falling clear of his eyes. Landwehr seizes the momentum with a brawling combo inside that hurts Emmers. Emmers resets and goes back to distance boxing, catching Landwehr on his way in. Emmers with a knee up the middle. Out of nowhere, Landwehr crushes Emmers with a left uppercut inside! Emmers crumples, Landwehr tosses him to the canvas and follows up with standing-to-ground punches until Peterson is forced to intervene. Fantastic come-from-behind win for Nate Landwehr.

The Official Result

Nate Landwehr def. Jamall Emmers R1 4:43 via KO (Punches)

Rhys McKee (170.25) vs. Chidi Njokuani (170)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Njokuani (-142), McKee (+120)

Round 1

The six-fight main card of “UFC Atlantic City” kicks off with a welterweight scrap between Njokuani, who will test his luck at 170 pounds after hitting a losing streak at middleweight, and McKee, who comes back for a second try in the UFC, having picked up a Cage Warriors welterweight title while he was away. Keith Peterson is the referee. They exchange low kicks. Njokuani comes back with another low kick, parrying the counter punch that comes back his way. McKee is poised, looking to counter Njokuani’s kicks with big punches upstairs. Njokuani connect with a right leg kick, then steps inside the pair of hooks that McKee throws in return. Two minutes in, it’s still a very tense, tentative kickboxing match. McKee surges forward and shoves Njokuani to the cage with underhooks. McKee locks his hands behind Njokuani but can’t elevate him. Njokunai uses an over and underhook to control McKee’s posture and knees him up the middle. McKee keeps working to get a single-leg, perhaps a high-crotch, but has not made much progress towards bringing the fight to the ground. The Atlantic City crowd is letting its displeasure be known, but Peterson has been patient about letting the men work through the position themselves. Finally, with under 30 seconds to go in the round, he breaks them up. They return to the center of the cage and Njokuani immediately begins flicking out leg kicks; his tally must be nearly two dozen so far. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 McKee

Round 2

Round 2 kicks off with Njokuani showing southpaw, switching to orthodox as he lands low kicks from both stances. McKee stays orthodox, keeps marching forward and looks to counter kicks with punches. Njokuani clinches and McKee shoves him to the fence, and the crowd erupts in boos instantly. McKee is on the inside, pushing his man into the fence, while Njokuani uses an overhook to control him. They separate and Njokuani lands a nice level elbow in the pocket. Njokuani sprawls on a single-leg and throws a knee to the head that is legal, as McKee’s hand was off the ground. McKee works for the takedown and Njokuani grabs a front headlock. He lets go of it as McKee drives him to the fence. Njokuani frames McKee out with one arm and elbows him with the other. McKee drops to Njokuani’s hips, looking to pull his base out from under him, but there’s nothing doing. Njokuani uses a wide stance and an overhook to defend the position, throwing knees up the middle as he does so. The crowd is still airing out its grievances. The horn sounds on a grueling round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Njokuani
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Njokuani
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Njokuani

Round 3

Njokuani throws a head kick that just grazes. They clinch and careen into the fence, but they bounce off and break up the clinch right away. Njokuani lands a couple more low kicks. McKee reaches out with a head kick that comes up short. Njokuani catches McKee entering with an intercepting knee. A moment later, he cracks him with a right hand. McKee bounces on his feet, showing no worse for wear, but as he comes back into range, Njokuani times him for a beautiful double-leg, plowing him to the canvas with ease. McKee pops right back up, but considering he has spent most of two rounds laboring to bring Njokuani down, that was a statement. Njokuani nails McKee with a level standing elbow. They clinch against the fence, but this time Peterson gives them only a few seconds before breaking them up. McKee shoots a takedown and drives Njokuani nearly to his seat, but the fence holds him up. Njokuani gets his feet back under him and defends McKee’s reshoot with an overhook and underhook. Under 40 seconds left and both men seem content to exchange at distance. McKee lands a nice left hand after the clapper, but the final horn sounds before either man can do anything else.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Njokuani (29-28 Njokuani)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Njokuani (29-28 Njokuani)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Njokuani (29-28 Njokuani)

The Official Result

Chidi Njokuani def. Rhys McKee via Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)

Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Algeo (-225), Nelson (+185)

Round 1

Featherweights Algeo and Nelson square off, with Gary Copeland the third man in the cage. Algeo is southpaw, Nelson orthodox, and Algeo is the aggressor immediately, springing into range and unleashing kicks and wild punches. Nelson is more measured, but fires back willingly. Algeo lands a big leg kick, then checks a kick coming back his way from Nelson. Nelson grabs a body lock and shoves Algeo to the fence, where Algeo uses double overhooks to keep Nelson close. Nelson pummels for a better grip, looking for a way to bring the fight to the ground, but can’t get it and they disengage. They’re back to exchanging kicks in the center of the cage. Algeo scores with another big calf kick, then a head kick that clatters off the Canadian’s guard, but still has plenty of impact. Nelson absorbs a calf kick, then another. Nelson blasts Algeo with a right hand that has him careening across the cage. Nelson senses his foe is in a bad way, and swarms for the finish. Algeo tries to reset and throw back, but Nelson is all over him. Nelson nails Algeo with a knee from the clinch, then a clean left hand as Algeo stumbles away. Referee Copeland jumps in for the standing TKO stoppage. The crowd doesn’t like it, nor does Algeo, who was badly hurt but standing and trying to defend himself. Debate may rage, but it goes down as a TKO win for “The Monster.”

The Official Result

Kyle Nelson def. Bill Algeo R1 4:00 via TKO (Punches)

Sedriques Dumas (185) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (185)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ruziboev (-265), Dumas (+215)

Round 1

Ruziboev and Dumas go to work under the supervision of referee “Shaolin” Ribeiro. Both middleweights are in orthodox stance, and Dumas comes forward with kick feints and a long jab. Ruziboev isn’t throwing anything back, but once he has the read, he nails Dumas with a righty counter over the jab. Dumas backs off, and when they come together again, Ruziboev meets him with an uppercut up the middle. Ruziboev tries a lead left hook that glances, and backs away from a Dumas front kick. Dumas continues to match forward, but he backs away from the ensuing collision pawing at his right eye. He looks at the referee, but Ribeiro either didn’t see a foul, or saw a legal strike. Ruziboev gives no quarter, coming forward and laying into Dumas with a string of punches. Dumas wilts under the barrage, covering up as Ruziboev pours on the punishment. Ribeiro interposes himself for the stoppage, but this is going to be one heavily viewed replay. The replay, when it comes, shows Ruziboev appearing to drag his open fingers across Dumas’ face during one of the final exchanges. We will see if that leads to any sort of appeal in the coming days.

The Official Result

Nursolton Ruziboev def. Sedriques Dumas R1 3:18 via KO (Punches)

Bruno Silva (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Silva (-285), Weidman (+230)

Round 1

The feature fight of “UFC Atlantic City” features former middleweight champ Weidman, fighting near his Long Island home turf and looking to reverse the fortunes that have seen him go 2-7 since his title loss to Luke Rockhold eight years ago. His foe, Silva, will attempt to reclaim some of the shine he earned after knocking out his first three UFC foes upon his arrival in 2021, before embarking on a dismal 1-4 run of his own. Overseeing the proceedings will be referee Gary Copeland. Weidman is orthodox, Silva southpaw. Weidman is reaching out with the lead hand, looking to tie up or parry the hand of Silva. Weidman throws a right kick, then another, getting some work for the leg he broke against Uriah Hall a couple of years ago. Weidman goes upstairs with the left leg, then throws a pair of punches up the middle that hurt Silva. Silva ties Weidman up and looks for a takedown. Weidman takes a front headlock and throws some knees to the head of Silva. Weidman moves to the back, holding Silva with a rear waistlock and dragging him to his knees. Silva posts his hands on the ground, forestalling any more knees to the head, and builds back up to all fours. Silva uses the fence to deny Weidman full back control, but Weidman is throwing short strikes and keeping the Brazilian completely corralled. Under a minute to go and it’s all Weidman, as Silva is parked against the fence, defending himself but doing nothing else. Weidman is throwing knees to the back of Silva’s legs, and the round ends in that position.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Weidman
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Weidman
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Weidman

Round 2

Silva is bouncing on his toes, showing both stances. He catches a Weidman kick and pushes him over onto his seat, but Weidman pops back up. Weidman comes forward, reaching with the left hand and throwing kicks with both legs. Weidman lands a right kick to the body. Silva comes back with a pair of punches that land. Silva steps in and throws a pair of big hooks that glance off of Weidman’s arms. Weidman lands a body punch, then in the next collision, thumbs Silva right in the eye. Copeland calls time and gives Silva time to recover. There is a moment of confusion as Copeland requests a towel to clear the eye, but thankfully it arrives and they go back to work a few seconds later. Weidman immediately goes back to the right body kick, and Silva answers with a pair of punches. Weidman changes levels but Silva is all over it. Weidman catches Silva with a punch that makes him stumble, but Silva recovers quickly. Silva throws a huge hook that misses by a mile, nearly spinning him around. Silva rushes forward with hooks, all of them wild, but several land nonetheless. Weidman answers with punches of his own. Both men have been rocked. Weidman catches Silva with another left hook, backs him up to the fence and lets fly. Silva is in some trouble, even as he tries to throw back, but the round expires before either man can capitalize.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Weidman
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Weidman
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Weidman

Round 3

Silva throws a lead right hook, which Weidman slips and counters with a left. Seconds later, each man pokes the other in the eye almost simultaneously, though Silva appears to get much the worse of it, going to his hands and knees in pain as Weidman steps away blinking. During the ensuing time-out, Copeland tries to determine whether both blows were fingers or one was a fist. It turns out that both strikes were fouls, and the fighters go back to work after a warning. Weidman goes back to reaching with the left hand, and Silva goes upstairs with a huge head kick that misses high. Two minutes gone in the rounds and Weidman steps in with a straight right. Silva leaps in with a pair of punches, and Weidman levels him with a short counter punch. Silva goes down pawing at his eye, but Weidman swings away and Copeland is there in seconds for the stoppage. Weidman celebrates to the roars of the crowd as Silva protests. Replay shows that Weidman actually managed to poke Silva in both eyes—one with each hand!—rather than any clean punch. This is going one of the weirdest endings to a fight on a card full of weird fight endings.

The fight result is initially announced as a TKO win for Weidman. A few minutes later, however, the UFC booth states that the result will go down as a unanimous decision win for Weidman, based on the scorecards up to the point of the fight-ending foul. No individual scores are announced, nor is it clear whether the third round was scored at all, or if any point deduction was assessed for the final pair of eye pokes.

The Official Result

Chris Weidman def. Bruno Silva via Technical Decision (Unanimous).

Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Vicente Luque (170)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Luque (-112), Buckley (-108)

Round 1

Buckley and Luque engage, with referee Keith Peterson charged with keeping things clean, though the odds are against him, if the first 11 fights are any indication. Luque is orthodox, Buckley southpaw but switching stances constantly. They exchange low kicks in the early going, with Buckley landing a body kick as well. Luque sticks out the jab, trying to keep the shorter man from getting into punching range. Luque lands a leg kick, and Buckley answers with a pair of punches upstairs. Luque fires off another low kick, and Buckley responds with punches once again, which Luque does not appear to like. They both bounce into the pocket at the same time and Luque goes down, but it appears to be a combined slip and collision rather than a knockdown strike. Luque gets back up and goes on the offensive, backing Buckley up with punches. Luque shoots for a takedown at the 10-second clapper, but can’t finish before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Buckley

Round 2

Buckley reaches out with long kicks to the leg and body. They exchange a flurry of punches at close range, most of which are blocked. Buckley jumps in with a knee that glances. Luque goes for a takedown but Buckley sprawls well. Buckley walks Luque down and lands a blistering pair of punches that have an effect despite landing on Luque’s arms. Buckley reaches out with a head kick that slaps off the high guard. Luque shoots a slow double-leg, then pulls guard when Buckley pancakes it. Buckley fires off punches from half guard, some of which split Luque’s raised arms and do damage. Luque tries to get to a better position, but Buckley keeps firing away, and as Luque is not giving anything back and has gone completely into his shell, referee Peterson has seen enough, moving in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Joaquin Buckley def. Vicente Luque R2 3:17 via TKO (Punches)

Erin Blanchfield (125) vs. Manon Fiorot (125.25)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Blanchfield (-192), Fiorot (+160)

Round 1

A possible shot at the flyweight title is on the line here as Blanchfield and Fiorot bring their dueling six-fight Octagon winning streaks into the “UFC Atlantic City” main event. Drawing the final referee assignment of the evening is Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro. Fiorot is southpaw, Blanchfield orthodox. Fiorot sticks out the jab early. Blanchfield throws a body kick, but takes a lefty counter upstairs. Fiorot changes levels, hoists Blanchfield into the air and slams her to the canvas. Blanchfield grabs a guillotine and it’s tight. Fiorot tries to get out of Blanchfield’s guard and to safety, and Blanchfield gets to her feet, still holding the choke. They fight out the position against the cage, Fiorot fighting the hands as Blanchfield tries to tighten the choke. Blanchfield finally gives up on the submission and they split and reset in the middle of the cage. Fiorot works with the jab again, keeping the shorter woman on the outside. Blanchfield throws a high kick that glances off the chest and arms of Fiorot. Blanchfield backs Fiorot up to the fence with a string of punches, then grabs a body lock and tries to take her down. She can’t get the takedown, and eats a sharp right hand on the break. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot

Round 2

Blanchfield bounces into range, trying to get past Fiorot’s jab, but Fiorot is wise to it. Blanchfield throws a body kick that glances off the arms. Blanchfield steps in and uses a body lock and trip to take Fiorot down. She succeeds, but Fiorot uses muscle and balance to sweep her and land on top, then stands and makes Blanchfield follow. Fiorot lands a karate-style side kick to the lead leg of Blanchfield, stopping her forward progress. Blanchfield steps in and grabs another body lock, and again Fiorot just kind of muscles her away. Fiorot steps inside a punch to clinch, then throws a knee as they separate. Blanchfield is relentless in her forward movement, but Fiorot is doing a brilliant job so far of using jabs and low kicks to keep her outside, or collapsing the distance and clinching when she gets in. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot

Round 3

Blanchfield swings her way into the pocket and lands a couple of punches. Fiorot makes some space between them and meets Blanchfield’s next entry with a downward low kick. Blanchfield shoves into the clinch, and Fiorot simply tosses her by, throwing her toward the fence. Blanchfield draws a jab out of Fiorot and counters with a nice straight. Blanchfield is finding some success landing her right hand over Fiorot’s left. Blanchfield charges in, and once again Fiorot just kind of flings her on her way. Blanchfield spins down to one knee before turning to re-engage. Blanchfield is bleeding from a small cut outside her left eye, though the blood is thankfully not running into the eye. Blanchfield clinches, and while Fiorot shucks her off, Blanchfield connects with a nice short right on the way out. Under a minute to go, and the Atlantic City crowd is audibly restive. Fiorot meets a Blanchfield charge with a hard knee up the middle. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot

Round 4

The main event rounds open with Blanchfield again coming forward aggressively, swinging hooks with both hands. Again, Fiorot meets her calmly with the jab and leg kick. Blanchfield, perhaps knowing that she needs to do something big, throws caution to the wind, charging into the pocket and swinging away. Fiorot gives ground, her composure momentarily shaken, and Blanchfield lands a couple of solid punches. They clinch and Fiorot grabs a body lock, considers hoisting Blanchfield for another slam, but can’t complete it and they separate. Two minutes to go in the round and Blanchfield is still the aggressor, but Fiorot is back to managing the distance and keeping the shorter woman on the outside. With under 30 seconds to go, Fiorot catches Blanchfield coming in with a kick to the body, stopping her in her tracks. The 10-second clapper sounds, and neither woman lands anything of substance before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot

Round 5

Blanchfield’s corner sends her back out with the instruction, “You need a f***in’ finish,” mirroring our scorecards here at Sherdog. Blanchfield comes out throwing with abandon, and lands a head kick that staggers the Frenchwoman. Fiorot recovers quickly, but damage was done. Fiorot enters the pocket and Fiorot shoves her with both hands, dropping her to her seat. Blanchfield is trying to walk Fiorot down, perhaps corral her against the fence, but Fiorot is wise to it and continues to dominate the distance battle. Fiorot’s lead left hook is finding the American’s head on the entry or exit from almost every exchange. Blanchfield marches forward, but Fiorot meets her with a one-two that snaps her head back. Blanchfield pushes through, clinches and shoves Fiorot into the cage with under a minute left. They disengage and Fiorot, far from sitting on her lead, throws a flying knee at the oncoming Blanchfield. Blanchfield misses with a high kick and Fiorot throws a spinning attack that ends in a collision. The final horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot (50-45 Fiorot)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot (50-45 Fiorot)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fiorot (50-45 Fiorot)

The Official Result

Manon Fiorot def. Erin Blanchfield via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)