‘The Ultimate Fighter 26’ Finale Play-by-Play, Results & Round-by-Round Scoring

Gillian Robertson vs. Emily Whitmire

Round 1

Robertson catches Whitmire stepping forward in the opening moments and pops her with a jab. Whitmire tries to clinch and gets hit with a hook as Robertson breaks away. Robertson sticks another jab, then shoots in and floors Whitmire with a quick takedown near the center of the cage. Whitmire tries to kick Robertson away and jump to her feet, but she get stuck on her knees. Robertson immediately moves to take Whitmire's back; she's only able to sink one hook as they roll toward the fence. Whitmire twists around to take top position, so Robertson throws up an armbar from the bottom. Whitmire pulls the arm free and uses to to sock Robertson in the face, but Robertson continues to hunt for an armbar from guard. Robertson catches Whitmire's right arm underneath her left armpit and stretches it over her left leg, forcing Whitmire to shout in pain and then submit to the straight armbar.

The Official Result

Gillian Robertson def. Emily Whitmire via Submission (Armbar) R1 2:12

Ariel Beck vs. Shana Dobson

Round 1

The southpaw Beck opens with some body kicks, a few of which land heavy on Dobson's midsection. Dobson answers with an inside leg kick but can't find the mark with her follow-up punches. Dobson sticks a jab and goes upstairs with a head kick as she begins to press the action, moving Beck backward around the cage. Beck is staying outside of striking range and keeping Dobson at bay with body kicks. Now, Beck steps inside to deliver a hard, straight right hand. Dobson lands another right high kick, but Beck eats it and throws a few low kicks in return. Beck get into the pocket to land another left hook and nearly has her right leg kicked out from under her. The tide looks to be turning in Beck's favor in the second half of the round, with Dobson's offense dropping off a bit after taking a few hard shots from "Sunshine." In the final seconds, Dobson steps forward to throw a straight right and gets a left hook to the ribs in return.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Beck
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Dobson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Beck

Round 2

Dobson checks a low kick from Beck, then marches forward on "Sunshine" and slugs her with a hard left hook. Dobson clinches and throws a knee to the body, then releases with a right hand for Beck's jaw. Back up top with the right high kick goes Dobson, who looks to be headhunting early in round two, charging forward with a big overhand right which Beck barely dodges. Beck starts to aim left hands at Dobson's body, again going to her back foot as Dobson presses forward. Dobson jumps forward with a right hook that lands clean, leaving Beck covering up. Dobson follows with an uppercut that makes Beck quit immediately, dropping to the fetal position up against the cage as referee Mark Smith rushes in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Shana Dobson def. Ariel Beck via TKO (Punches) R2 2:53

Karine Gevorgyan vs. Rachael Ostovich

Round 1

Ostovich completes a takedown in the first 40 seconds, driving Gevorgyan to the floor near the center of the cage. Gevorgyan throws up an armbar, but Ostovich denies it and catches Gevorgyan in a front headlock. Gevorgyan drives forward, getting back to her feet, and now she turns the table by shooting a single-leg on Ostovich. The Hawaiian fights off the takedown, steps over the top and tries to take Gevorgyan's back, but Gevorgyan escapes out the back door. Ostovich transitions to an armbar, extends the limb of the now-standing Gevorgyan, and coaxes a quick tap.

The Official Result

Rachael Ostovich def. Karine Gevorgyan via Submission (Armbar) R1 1:40

Ryan Janes vs. Andrew Sanchez

Round 1

Sanchez comes out slinging big right hands, trying to fire an overhand haymaker over the top of Janes' more measured jabs. Sanchez dives in behind a punch and drives Janes to the floor with a quick takedown, but Janes is able to get back on his feet right away. Sanchez goes body-head with a pair of punches, then clinches up and pushes Janes against the wall. A big right hand to the jaw sends Janes crashing to the canvas, and Sanchez pins the Canadian's left arm behind him, landing punches to Janes' unprotected face, gunning for the finish. Janes somehow maintains consciousness and climbs back to his feet, circling away as Sanchez gives chase. Sanchez is still landing hard shots, but Janes' chin is holding up, and now the Canadian comes off the fence, pressing forward on Sanchez. Janes gets his jaw jacked with another overhand right, but he doesn't budge this time. Two minutes left in the opening round as Sanchez slows the pace with a clinch on the fence. Janes breaks loose, and suddenly it's Janes pushing the pace on a tired-looking Sanchez, who expended lots of energy going for the early finish. Sanchez is taking some deep breaths as Janes goes to the body with a right hand. In the final minute of the round, it's Janes pushing the pace, ripping into Sanchez's body with some nice shots.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-8 Sanchez
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-8 Sanchez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Sanchez

Round 2

Sanchez tags Janes with another big right hand at the start of round two, but Janes is picking up where he left off, bringing the fight to the American with punches, now a clinch knee. Sanchez pushes Janes to the fence, then drops to try a high double-leg. Janes resists the takedown at first, then succumbs to an ankle pick, but again Sanchez is unable to keep Janes on the floor. Now it's Janes taking the outside position in the over-under clinch on the wall, driving hard knees into Sanchez's body. Remarkably, despite suffering a flash knockout and nearly being finished in round one, Janes looks to be the fresher fighter. Sanchez is still finding a home for his right hand, but the shots aren't having the same effect as they did early on. Janes pops Sanchez with a few jabs, and "El Dirte" drops his hands to his waist, inviting Janes to come forward. Sanchez looks wobbly as he circles the edge of the cage, though it seems to be more from exhaustion than Janes' strikes. Sanchez hits a takedown with 80 seconds left, but Janes posts and stands right away, then feeds Sanchez some clinch elbows. Sanchez's striking is extremely sloppy now, and Janes is picking off his telegraphed punches in almost every exchange. Janes is just battering Sanchez down the stretch, walking through whatever the American throws his way in order to land even hard shots.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Janes
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Janes
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Janes

Round 3

Sanchez tries to catch a kick and score an early takedown, but instead Janes keeps his balance and gives Sanchez a pair of knees to the gut. Sanchez stumbles forward to clinch and is fed uppercuts by Janes, who is landing strikes at will now. Sanchez staggers backward to the fence, where Janes opens up a barrage of hooks. Sanchez drops to his knees, and Janes only needs to land a few more punches before referee Mark Smith halts the contest.

The Official Result

Ryan Janes def. Andrew Sanchez via TKO (Punches) R3 0:58

Christina Marks vs. Montana De La Rosa

Round 1

Marks pops De La Rosa with a left hook in the opening exchange, sending the wrestler driving forward, looking to clinch. De La Rosa wrangles Marks against the fence but can't keep her there, and now Marks crouches low, stalking forward. Marks catches a kick and uses it to trip De La Rosa to the ground, but once they hit the floor, De La Rosa throws up her guard and locks up Marks' right arm. De La Rosa tries to go belly-down on the armbar, but Marks steps over the top. Even with Marks straddling her, De La Rosa is able to roll her opponent onto her back and extend the arm to force a tap.

The Official Result

Montana De La Rosa def. Christina Marks via Submission (Armbar) R1 2:00

Brett Johns vs. Joe Soto

Round 1

Johns presses forward with jabs and hooks, backing up Soto to the fence. Soto changes levels and brings Johns to the floor with a single-leg takedown. As soon as Johns touches the canvas, however, he grabs holds of Sotos' legs and applies a nasty calf slicer which has Soto tapping out instantly. Brett Johns collects his first UFC finish with a lightning-fast submission.

The Official Result

Brett Johns def. Joe Soto via Submission (Calf Slicer) R1 0:30

DeAnna Bennett vs. Melinda Fabian

Round 1

Bennett clinches Fabian against the fence, holding the Hungarian in place with double underhooks. Fabian reverses to the outside, puts a short elbow on Bennett's face but is quickly turns against the wall again. Bennett drops levels, looking for a single-leg, but she's denied by Fabian and has to return to the clinch position. Fabian gets an overhook and struggles to free herself from the clinch, but Bennett looks to be the stronger fighter, keeping her pinned to the cage. Referee John McCarthy separates the fighters with two minutes left in the opening round. Bennett shoots in behind a left hand but Fabian denies the takedown again, leading to another stalemate on the wall. Bennett tries to turn a front headlock into a guillotine in the final 10 seconds, but Fabian shoves her away. Just before the horn, Fabian drops Bennett with a massive left high kick to the jaw. Fabian pounces and tries to pound out her wounded foe, but she runs out of time.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Fabian
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Fabian
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Fabian

Round 2

Bennett seems to have recovered from the near-knockout between rounds, and she wastes no time trapping Fabian against the fence early in the second frame. Bennett drops to her knees to try a single-leg, then stands up when Fabian drives a few elbows into the side of her head. Fabian defends the takedown by grabbing the fence; referee McCarthy issues a verbal warning, but Fabian immediately repeats the foul. McCarthy pauses the fight to take a point away from Fabian, and the fight resumes with Bennett working from the bodylock position, still desperately trying to drag Fabian to the floor. Fabian looks to be hunting for a guillotine but can't find room to operate as Bennett stays glued tight to her body. Referee McCarthy splits up the flyweights with 1:45 on the clock; Bennett shoots straight back in, drawing boos from the sparse Las Vegas crowd. The fighters are separated again, and once again, Bennett goes right back to shooting her fruitless shot. Fabian continues to pepper with short punches while Bennett just hangs on to her legs.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Bennett
Brian Knapp scores the round 9-9
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bennett

Round 3

After a slow opening minute with ineffective striking from both fighters, Fabian finds the chin of Bennett with a straight right hand. Fabian comes over the top with a right hand counter to a Bennett kick. Bennett catches a kick and uses it to drive Fabian against the fence, and the flyweights return to their familiar position on the fence. Virtually nothing happens in the ensuing minute, and referee McCarthy splits up the fighters again. Bennett shoots yet another single-leg, pushing Fabian to the wall, and the crowd lets Bennett hear it once again. Bennett switches to a double, then back to a single, and finally stands up to trap Fabian with an underhook. Fabian lands a few knees to the body, then shoves Bennett away with about 40 seconds on the clock. Fabian cracks Bennett with a step-in elbow, then a straight right. Bennett catches Fabian throwing a kick and chops out her back leg. Bennett tries to pounce and land some ground-and-pound just as the final horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Fabian (29-28 Fabian)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Fabian (29-27 Fabian)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Fabian (29-28 Fabian)

The Official Result

DeAnna Bennett vs. Melinda Fabian is a Majority Draw (28-28, 28-28, 29-27) R3 5:00

Gerald Meerschaert vs. Eric Spicely

Round 1

The southpaw Meerschaert tests the range with flickering jabs, then sends a few left hands down the center. Spicely responds with a nice right hand over the top, then gets backed up by "GM3" with a hard body kick. Meerschaert seems to smell blood and attacks Spicely with a barrage of punches on the fence. Spicely manages to cover up, bobbing and weaving until he's able to clinch and trip Meerschaert to the floor. Spicely attaches himself to Meerschaert's back with a body triangle and begins thumping the Roufuspot product with right hands, maybe looking to soften up Meerschaert for a rear-naked choke. Meerschaert uses two-on-one defense to keep Spicely's arms from around his neck. Spicely gets a neck crank as they hit the halfway point of round one, but Meerschaert peels his hands away. Spicely rolls Meerschaert onto his left side, opens up the body triangle and hits some heel strikes to the body, then rolls him the other way and goes back to hunting for the neck crank. Spicely is relentless in working for a neck crank or choke, but Meerschaert continues to defend each attempt. "Zebrinha" peels off the back to attempt an armbar, but Meerschaert defends well and finishes the final 10 seconds in top position.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Spicely
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Spicely
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Spicely

Round 2

Meerschaert opens with a body kick, steps forward with a punch and has to defend a takedown as Spicely ducks underneath for a shot. Meerschaert tags Spicely with a left hook, then another, and suddenly it's Meerschaert who has Spicely on his heels, backing up to the fence. Spicely grabs for a single-leg from way out and gets shoved away by Meerschaert. "GM3" is picking at Spicely from range, landing punches at will, now mixing in some body kicks. Meerschaert denies another single-leg attempt before slamming Spicely with a kick to the gut. Meerschaert stalks Spicely around the outside, keeping the submission specialist's back near the fence. Suddenly, Meerschaert wheels up with another kick to the body. This one lands to the liver with a sickening thud, and Spicely collapses to the ground immediately. Referee Herb Dean rushes in to stop the fight before Meerschaert can inflict any further damage.

The Official Result

Gerald Meerschaert def. Eric Spicely via KO (Kick to the Body) R2 2:18

Barb Honchak vs. Lauren Murphy

Round 1

Honchak slips a punch from the oncoming Murphy and slugs the Alaskan with a counter right hand. Both flyweights are staying busy and throwing punches, but neither is coming up with anything clean or effective through the first 90 seconds. Murphy counters a body kick with a right hand that knocks Honchak backward a few steps. Murphy lays another right cross on Honchak's face, but the "Little Warrior" shows no ill effects from the strike. Now it's Honchak waiting for Murphy to come forward, stepping off to the left and countering with a right hand. Honchak continues to work off her back foot in the latter half of the round, catching the aggressive Murphy with a few clean right hands. Murphy tags Honchak with a right hand at the 30-second mark, then pops her with two more just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Murphy
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Murphy
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Murphy

Round 2

Murphy continues to be the aggressor at the start of round two, while Honchak is still looking to land counterstrikes off her back foot. The result is a tit-for-tat exchange that sees both flyweights connecting with strikes, but neither seeming to do much damage. One particularly hard right hand from Honchak forces Murphy to take a couple steps backward, but "Lucky" is soon on the advance again. Halfway through the round, Honchak is starting to pick up the pace with her right hand, and Murphy's face is beginning to show the effects. Murphy comes swinging with a big right hand and gets an inside leg kick in return. Murphy is still pressing the action, though, and with one minute on the clock, she shoots a double-leg at the fence. Murphy drags Honchak to the ground and jumps on her back, but Honchak stands up and hits Murphy with an over-the-shoulder elbow. Murphy drops off the back, looking for an armbar, but Honchak bears down in defense and finishes the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Honchak
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Honchak
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Honchak

Round 3

Honchak lands an inside leg kick and snipes over the top with a straight right hand. Murphy isn't landing much with her strikes, so she shoots a single-leg and spins Honchak to the mat in the center of the cage. Honchak tries to wrap up the larger woman in a tight guard, but Murphy is able to create enough space to posture up and land some elbows. Honchak uses wrist control to prevent any further offense, then swings her legs around to apply an armbar on Murphy's right arm. Murphy stacks up Honchak, trying to extract the arm, and it looks like Murphy might have her elbow out of danger. Honchak switches to a triangle, then reclaims the armbar. Murphy is in a bad position with under two minutes on the clock, but she relieves some of the pressure on her arm by stepping over the top of the belly-down Honchak. "Little Warrior" releases the triangle, then loses Murphy's arm soon after, and now it's Murphy jumping on the kneeling Honchak's back. Murphy has both hooks in but little time to work, with the final 40 seconds ticking away. Murphy switches to a body triangle, still can't get anything going as Honchak locks down her hands, and this one will go to the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Honchak (29-28 Honchak)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Murphy (29-28 Murphy)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Murphy (29-28 Murphy)

The Official Result

Lauren Murphy def. Barb Honchak via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Sean O'Malley vs. Terrion Ware

Round 1

Ware opens with a low kick, then slides backward to avoid O'Malley's first offering, a spinning back kick aimed at the body. O'Malley has a head kick blocked, so he goes twice to the body of Ware with hard, loud kicks. Ware blocks a spinning backfist and sticks out his tongue at O'Malley before moving inside and pressing the UFC newcomer against the fence with double underhooks. O'Malley breaks free and now goes to his back foot, looking to draw Ware forward and counter. Ware lands a nice right hand, but O'Malley switches to southpaw and slugs "Flash" with a straight left. Back to orthodox goes O'Malley, splitting Ware's gloves with a straight right. O'Malley slides backward to dodge a punch from Ware, leaving him swinging at air, then cracks Ware with a step-off right hand. Ware clinches up and gets tossed to the ground by O'Malley with a foot sweep. O'Malley allows him to stand as they enter the final minute of the round. Ware denies a takedown attempt from O'Malley in the closing seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 O'Malley
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 O'Malley
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 O'Malley

Round 2

Ware drives forward, touching O'Malley with a few jabs, but O'Malley is sniping back with even harder, more accurate punches as he circles off his back foot. Ware goes to the body with a right hand, then barely gets his left mitt up to block an O'Malley head kick. Ware connects with a nice overhand right, but O'Malley seems unfazed as he continues to duck in and out of range. Ware finally gets hold of O'Malley on the fence and makes the UFC newcomer pay with a few hard knees to the body. O'Malley breaks free, but suddenly his offense seems to be dropping off. Ware hits O'Malley with an overhand right-left uppercut, bloodying the unbeaten fighter's nose. O'Malley has all but stopped striking as they enter the final two minutes of the middle stanza. Ware is turning up the heat, stepping inside with some more clinch knees. O'Malley throws a high kick and slips, dropping to the ground, and Ware follows him to the floor. O'Malley rolls to his knees, then blocks Ware's attempt to take his back and stands. O'Malley hits Ware with a back-elbow as they separate, but soon after, it's Ware back on the offensive, cracking O'Malley with another hard right hand. O'Malley slugs back with a left to the jaw, then one to the body. O'Malley grabs Ware in the collar tie and tries a flying triangle, but Ware pulls out almost immediately.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Ware
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Ware
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Ware

Round 3

Ware pushes the action from the center of the cage as the final frame begins, keeping O'Malley on the outside, his back near the fence. O'Malley comes back to the center with a spinning back kick to Ware's body, then pops the Californian with a hard, straight left to the jaw. Ware's punches are coming slower now, while O'Malley seems to have recovered from his sluggish second round. Ware lands an inside leg kick, eats a jab and continues chasing after O'Malley on the outside. Halfway through the round, Ware ducks under a punch and clinches, but it's O'Malley breaking out of the clinch with a body kick, then a pair of punches. Ware dodges a spinning backfist but takes two hard right hands to the chin right afterward. O'Malley hits a takedown with 80 seconds left, then stands and lets Ware come back to his feet. Ware clinches and gets tripped to the floor, now with 50 seconds left to fight. O'Malley catches Ware kneeling and tries to set up a D'arce choke, but Ware breaks the grip and stands, now trying to take O'Malley's back on the feet. O'Malley busts out and dodges a few last-ditch kicks from Ware. The last action of the fight is Ware being denied a takedown, forced to the ground and elbowed in the face by O'Malley.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 O'Malley (29-28 O'Malley)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 O'Malley (29-28 O'Malley)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 O'Malley (29-28 O'Malley)

The Official Result

Sean O'Malley def. Terrion Ware via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

UFC Women's Flyweight Title Fight:
Roxanne Modafferi vs. Nicco Montano

Round 1

Veteran official "Big" John McCarthy is the referee for tonight's inaugural UFC women's flyweight title fight, with judges Derek Cleary, Junichiro Kamijo and Jeff Mullen scoring at cageside. Montano opens the striking with a low kick, eats a pair of punches from Modafferi and then shoves the short-notice replacement against the fence. Modafferi pushes her way out, swings and misses with a right high kick aimed at the southpaw's head. Montano initiates a clinch in the center of the cage and gets pushed to the fence by Modafferi, who's unable to hold the UFC newcomer on the wall. Montano touches the face of Modafferi with a left high kick but doesn't land it clean. Modafferi gets taken down but throws up an armbar; Montano is quick to snuff out the sub attempt and set up in the guard of the "Happy Warrior." Modafferi locks down both of Montano's arms and tries to pivot her hips to catch the armbar. Montano is wise to it and uses the opening to pass to side control, but Modafferi soon pivots to reclaim guard. Montano stands up with 60 seconds left, and Modafferi follows. Modafferi lands a nice right hand over the top, then clinches and trips Montano to the floor. Modafferi works from side control in the final 30 seconds, landing some short left hands to Montano's face. Montano avoids a mounted crucifix and puts Modafferi back in half guard before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Montano
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Montano
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Montano

Round 2

Modafferi counters a body kick from Montano with a right hand over the top, and suddenly Montano is on roller skates. Modafferi connects with a few more punches as she storms forward, catching Montano in a clinch at the fence. Modafferi can't do anything with the position, now releases and draws Montano back to the center of the cage. Montano has a left high kick blocked, then denies a clinch attempt from Modafferi and shoves the veteran away. Modafferi lands the right hand counter to another Montano kick, but this one doesn't have the same damaging effect. Montano is starting to land her left hand with greater regularity in the second half of the round, while Modafferi's three- and four-punch combinations are starting to come up short. Modafferi lands a left hand, denies a clinch attempt from Montano and trips her to the ground. Montano throws up a triangle, but Modafferi stands up to relieve some pressure. Montano keeps the triangle locked on in the final 30 seconds, slamming Modafferi with elbows until time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Montano
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Montano
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Montano

Round 3

Modafferi comes out trying to push the pace, but Montano is doing well to pick off the veteran's wide punches with shorter, more accurate boxing. Modafferi lands a pair of punches over the top but finds herself tied up and shoved against the fence by Montano. The clinch doesn't last long, and the flyweights come back to the center of the cage. Montano starts coming forward and twice finds the mark with hard, straight left hands. Montano mixes in a few low kicks, but Modafferi gets her back with a nice kick to the midsection. Montano controls the center of the cage in the remainder of the round, while Modafferi hops around the outside. The more effective striking comes from Montano, who gets in some of her best shots in the last 10 seconds when she traps Modafferi up against the fence.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Montano
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Montano
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Montano

Round 4

Montano is tagging Modafferi with left hands in the first 30 seconds of the championship rounds, though Modafferi continues to eat the strikes and doesn't seem close to going down. Montano attacks the legs of Modafferi with some kicks, then goes back upstairs to land a straight left that gets Modafferi off balance. Montano rushes forward to push her against the fence, and Modafferi tries a foot sweep that ends with Montano on top and Modafferi upside down. The flyweights come back to their feet with half the round remaining. Both fighters score with right hands, then Montano counters a Modafferi low kick with another right over the top. Modafferi grabs the Thai clinch and runs Montano against the fence, where the "Happy Warrior" switches to underhooks. Montano catches Modafferi leaning over and pops her in the face with a knee, prompting Modafferi to bail out of the clinch. Modafferi socks Montano with a right hand, then another; they look like arm punches, but Montano doesn't seem to like them and opts for a takedown. Modafferi looks for a submission from guard, prompting Montano to stand up and spend the final 10 seconds on the feet.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Montano
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Montano
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Montano

Round 5

Both fighters come out swinging, though it looks to be Montano landing the harder punches, also mixing in some low kicks with her attack. Fifty seconds in, Montano snatches up a leg and dumps Modafferi to the ground, then steps over to full mount and begins elbowing Modafferi in the face. Modafferi gets a knee in and pushes Montano out of full mount. Modafferi gets back to her feet, but she's only there for a few seconds before Montano drives her back to the mat. Montano sets up in side control, leaning left to right across Modafferi's body, looking to set a crucifix. Montano has half the round left to work as she steps over to full mount, but once again Modafferi is able to escape from the dangerous position with ease. The flyweights are back on their feet with two minutes left, and suddenly Modafferi looks to be doing some damage with her strikes. A body kick gets Montano going backward, and Modafferi chases her down with punches. Montano thwarts a trip attempt, then extracts her arm from an omoplata to set up in Modafferi's guard. Modafferi is locking down both arms, hunting for a last-ditch sub attempt from the bottom, but Montano is heavy on top and isn't giving the veteran any opportunities. Modafferi catches an arm with 30 seconds left but Montano slips out. Montano stands up with 10 seconds left and allows Modafferi to do the same, and this one will be decided by the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Montano (50-45 Montano)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Montano (50-45 Montano)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Montano (50-45 Montano)

The Official Result

Nicco Montano def. Roxanne Modafferi via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) R5 5:00