UFC 250 ‘Nunes vs. Spencer’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Evan Dunham (149.5) vs. Herbert Burns (149.5)

Round 1

Welcome to the Sherdog.com UFC 250 play-by-play, in which you will be treated to 12 fights including several on pay-per-view in the diminutive cage inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. We start things off unusually in a scheduled 150-pound contest, as longtime vet Dunham (18-8-1, 11-8-1 UFC) squares off against Brazil’s Burns (10-2, 1-0 UFC), with the latter making his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon. Refereeing this bout trapped between featherweight and lightweight is Chris Tognoni. There is a quick tough of gloves, and Dunham flicks out a jab but get a nailed in the body with a kick. As Burns crashes forward, Dunham catches him and throws him down. Burns is irritated and jumps back to his feet, but Dunham muscles him back down for a moment. The American backs off and works a few jabs until Burns decides to take the fight to his own world. Burns circles around, snatches up Dunham’s back, and wrenches him to the ground. Burns is immediately in back control and sets up the body lock fast, but a savvy Dunham holds two-on-one wrist control. Dunham tries to roll, and the instant he does, “The Blaze” sinks in a rear-naked choke on the opposite side. It only takes a couple seconds for Dunham to tap, and the squeeze is so tight on Dunham’s jaw that he had to surrender lest his jaw get broken like Rafael dos Anjos against Clay Guida years back. This is a huge win for Burns, who gets the durable vet Dunham out in speedy fashion, and the Burns brothers are 2-0 this week. When Burns gets back to his feet, he is sporting a visible limp, possibly from the very first exchange when Burns went down.

The Official Result

Herbert Burns def. Evan Dunham R1 1:20 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Alonzo Menifield (205) vs. Devin Clark (205.5)

Round 1

Moving up to the light heavyweight division, we will see the heaviest bout of the evening take place between the unbeaten power striker Menifield (9-0, 2-0 UFC) and the durable “Brown Bear” Clark (11-4, 4-4 UFC). Referee Mark Smith will serve as the third man in the cage, and the two men do not touch glove as Clark shoots in immediately for a low takedown. Menifield stuffs it but finds his back against the fence, where he powers Clark around as his corner pleads with him to break away and throw bombs. Clark is throwing knees now with his back to the cage, and he repeatedly kicks out the leg from Menifield in an unusual way. The undefeated fighter does not like them, and tries to set up a Thai clinch of sorts, but Clark protects it and continues the low kicks. Menifield lands a blistering uppercut on the break, and Clark is already hurt. Menifield pours it on and throws heavy punches, and a wincing Clark shoots low for a desperation takedown to survive the barrage. In doing so, he halts the momentum and gives himself a moment to recover until Menifield turns him around and gest free. Both men start slugging it out as soon as they separate, and although he lands flush on the hard-charging Menifield, Clark is already hurt once more as he covers his face. The eye of Clark is closing up already, and by the way he is clearly in pain and swelling, it could be an orbital injury. Clark takes a moment to gather himself as Menifield gets off, and Clark is keeping his left eye closed which will do wonders for his depth perception. Menifield crashes forward to land some strikes, and brings up a big knee that Clark is just barely able to block. Clark starts to rip a few knees to the body until Menifield shoves him away, and Clark clips him with a jab that sends Menifield diving in for some kind of a takedown. Clark keeps throwing with one eye closed and tags Menifield a few more times, forcing Menifield to shake out the cobwebs and fall right into a takedown attempt. Clark cannot quite land it, and Menifield turns him about to the fence as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Menifield
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Menifield
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Menifield

Round 2

The cardio could be a factor as we reach the second round -- a rare occasion for Menifield -- and Clark’s eye is mostly closed. As Menifield wades forward, he gets dinged by a wild punch from Clark. Menifield regathers himself and races in to fire off a head kick and land some bombs. They clinch up for a moment, and Menifield takes a breath to unload a salvo of slowing punches. Clark does not see as affected by these strikes as he was the first round, and he fires right back at him and does some damage as well. When they are clinched up, Menifield passes the mark for the longest fight in his ten-bout career. Clark works some of those low kicks and wings a right hand and then a left when they break. Clark gets racked with an uppercut that bloodies his mouth up, and as he falls to the fence Menifield tries to blast him with hooks but Clark protects himself. Clark goes wild with some looping shots but is bullrushed into the fence, where Menifield puts his full body weight on him. When they are clinched, Clark keeps the knees going and sets up a Thai clinch to score some more. Menifield finally decides to throw punches in the clinch, as Clark’s strikes are adding up fast. Even with his back mashed against the fence wall, Clark is the one working and doing damage with knees to the gut and punches around the head. Menifield has no answer for the knees, and as they separate, Clark goes ballistic with a string of heavy punches until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Clark
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Clark
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Clark

Round 3

Clark starts off the round as aggressively as he ended the second, with a bevy of big punches that hurt Menifield. The unbeaten fighter can do nothing but clinch up, and as they break for a moment, Menifield still manages to sting Clark with a left and a knee up the middle. Clark pushes away only to shoot in low for a single, and Menifield sprawls to defend it and walks his man down. Like the previous frame, Clark works knees to the body and forces Menifield to consider his own takedown. Clark defends it by partially grabbing the fence, and he manages to turn Menifield around and goes to the body with some thudding punches. As they try to mount offense, Clark manages to finally wrestle the other man down. Clark is on top, and Menifield is flatted out and likely exhausted. A rear-naked choke opportunity goes unnoticed for Clark as “The Brown Bear” has full back control, but Clark instead wants to pound him out. Menifield twists and turns to get to his back sitting down against the cage. Clark flirts with a guillotine choke but does not have enough to keep Menifield down, and Menifield stands back to his feet. The two continue to jockey for position against the fence, and Clark keeps throwing punches and knees until he shoves Menifield away. Clark uses the moment to dive in deep for a takedown, but Menifield catches up and stands him up until they walk across the floor to the other side of the wall. Although Clark is still with his back to the fence and Smith is calling for action, Clark keeps short but effective offense going. They separate at the 10-second clapper, and decide to end the fight in style by throwing bombs until the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Clark (29-28 Clark)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Clark (29-28 Clark)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Clark (29-28 Clark)

The Official Result

Devin Clark def. Alonzo Menifield via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Jussier Formiga (126) vs. Alex Perez (126)

Round 1

Headlining the Fight Pass/ESPN+ prelims -- these are also on ESPN in case you don’t have those subscriptions -- is an inexplicably highly ranked flyweight matchup buried early on the card while multiple bouts between unranked fighters take place later. Longtime contender and seasoned grappler Formiga (23-7, 9-6 UFC) will lock horns with the hard-charging Perez (23-5, 5-1 UFC), and one hopes that this matchup will grant the winner some respect to be placed higher on their next bout order. Referee Keith Peterson’s got this fight covered, and there is now zero nonsense in the building. Perez starts out with a few slapping low leg kicks. Formiga tries to counter over the top with a right hand, but keeps eating these leg kicks and a quick left hook when Perez comes at him. Perez keeps the kicks, and they stand in front of one another and trade huge punches. Formiga might have come out the worse of the exchange, and Perez does not let him off the hook as he walks forward to fires off a few more of those fast-acting low kicks. On one such kick, Perez nearly falls over while throwing it, but it not appear to be damage from kicking it. Instead, Perez hops back up and keeps the kick going, and Formiga has no answer for it. Every so often, Perez works the inside part of Formiga’s leg, and whiffs with a big uppercut in the middle of an exchange. They are not afraid of one another, and are trading punches one after the other. The lead leg for Formiga has started to show some visible damage in the form of redness and swelling, and the two flyweights are three minutes into the fight. Formiga tries to race at him with punches, but Perez ducks it and tries to return fire with that kick. The Brazilian dances out of the way, and stuffs a quick takedown but gets clocked with a four-punch salvo. One big kick from Perez makes Formiga fall over in pain, and Perez invites him to stand back up where he works it again. Perez winds up with one final leg kick and he slaps his foot off Formiga's swollen calf, and Formiga is down for the count. He can’t stand up or put any weight on that leg whatsoever, and Peterson dives in to save the Brazilian from any more harm. This is a massive win for Perez, who finishes the durable Formiga in the first frame in impressive fashion. For the second weekend in a row, we have a finish via leg kicks.

The Official Result

Alex Perez def. Jussier Formiga R1 4:06 via TKO (Leg Kicks)

Charles Byrd (184.5) vs. Maki Pitolo (185.5)

Round 1

Remaining on ESPN for the start of the standard four-fight prelim package, we shift gears to middleweight as two sluggers toe the line in Fortis MMA’s Byrd (10-6, 1-2 UFC) and the man named “Coconut Bombz” Pitolo (12-5, 0-1 UFC). Drawing the assignment for this potential brawl is referee Herb Dean, and the two greet with a glove touch. Pitolo starts out firing his patented “Coconut Bombz”, winging punches and hurting Byrd in the early going. Byrd rushes in to try to take the fight down, and the Hawaiian is sprawled against the fence and now has to defend against a body lock. Pitolo turns him around, kicks out his leg and puts Byrd on his back. In half guard, Pitolo holds his left hand on Byrd’s mouth before pushing off to drop down a few short punches and an elbow that Byrd is barely able to duck in time. Pitolo gets a little overzealous to take Byrd’s back, and “Kid Dynamite” spins around to get on top in the scramble. Byrd tries to set up a few guillotine-type chokes, and then commits to one and nearly sinks it in but uses the position to amble around to nearly take Pitolo’s back. The Hawaiian bursts out of the bad position, scoops up his opponent and slams him down. Pitolo has his opponent flat while he sits in half guard, and looks to set up some elbows but Byrd turns away without issue. Byrd manages to stand up and get out of potential submission danger, and uses his position to lift up and slam Pitolo down hard. Byrd sneaks in a few short, hacking elbows while on top in side control, before putting his knee on Pitolo’s belly. Pitolo explodes out of the position, but Byrd is wise to the attack and keeps him down. The two scramble until the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Byrd
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Byrd
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Byrd

Round 2

Byrd comes charging out of his corner swinging, and Pitolo is barely able to keep him at bay with a front kick. Byrd nearly falls over with a winging overhand right, and Pitolo stays composed with straight punches and a few hooks to make Byrd double over. Byrd unleashes a monster right hand to make Pitolo bounce off the cage, and Pitolo regathers his thoughts. The Hawaiian defends a few strikes and charges forward to unleash a fury of punches to the body and head that leave Byrd turtled up against the fence. That combination starts with a straight left to split the guard, followed by several body shots and a blistering elbow all hurt Byrd, and Pitolo drags him down to the ground. Pitolo senses he has his man hurt, and he puts everything he has into a brutal stream of hammerfists until Dean has seen enough and stops the fight. The “Coconut Bombz” get it done, and Pitolo earns his first UFC win at the expense of Byrd.

The Official Result

Maki Pitolo def. Charles Byrd R2 1:10 via TKO (Punches)

Cody Stamann (145.5) vs. Brian Kelleher (146)

Round 1

Hot off the heels of a big win less than a month ago, Kelleher (21-10, 5-3 UFC) will be looking to keep it rolling against bantamweight ex-pat and vaunted wrestler Stamann (18-2-1, 4-1-1 UFC). Holding on tight for this bout that could have a high pace is referee Mark Smith. There is no touch of gloves, as Kelleher starts off with a low kick and gets countered over the top with a right hand. Stamann sticks and moves, blocking a head kick and avoiding a few power punches from “Boom.” When Kelleher commits to a front kick to the torso, Stamann rips two hooks and Kelleher covers up. Stamann lands a solid left hand, and Kelleher backs off to reset and goes after another low kick. Stamann is ready for it, and stings him another left-right powerful hook combination. The two feint and fake towards one another, and Stamann is slightly quicker on the draw as he slips a left and lands his own right. Stamann darts out of the way from a few front kicks, and proceeds to march down Kelleher and ding him with a head kick. The impact gets through the guard but Kelleher wears it well. When Kelleher throws up a high kick, Stamann catches it and pushes Kelleher over. “Boom” bounces back to his feet and tries to chase Stamann down, landing a few body shots while Stamann counters with a left over the top. Stamann is back to stalking down his opponent, and as Kelleher comes in with one, Stamann throws four or five back at him to the body and then the head. Stamann comes in with a stomp kick to the knee and a left jab, but Kelleher dances out of the way before Stamann can put together a combination. Stamann sticks to a few more of those jabs, allowing Kelleher to commit to leg kicks on the inside and outside of Stamann’s lead leg. Kelleher misses wide with a spinning back kick, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stamann
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Stamann
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Stamann

Round 2

Stamann comes out swinging to start off the second, with crisp boxing that throws Kelleher off. A head kick from Stamann forces Kelleher to shoot in for a takedown, and “Boom” drops down to the ankle but still can’t get him down. Stamann pushes him away and starts working the jab, before making him pay with a few quick hooks. A one-two from Stamann does lead into a subsequent combination, but he backs off and keeps his jab flowing. Stamann admires his work and lets his hands down to his waist, and he has started to mark up Kelleher and bloody the nose. Kelleher pushes forward to unload some punches, but the speedy Stamann is out of the way from most danger. Stamann rolls through some looping shots from “Boom,” and they get into a proverbial phone booth and throw down. An eye poke may have snuck in to land on Stamann’s eye, and he blinks through it while Kelleher pours it on. Stamann circles out of danger and they trade leather, allowing Kelleher to close the distance and ring home a hard elbow. “The Spartan” immediately reacts by taking the fight down, where he lands in full guard and looks to posture up to do some damage. Kelleher tries to throw his legs up for a high guard or to push him away, but Stamann stays high and tight. “Boom” cannot secure a triangle setup that he reaches for, allowing Stamann to sit up and bust him in the chops with a thudding elbow. Kelleher is not amused, and he kicks away to walk up the fence to not take another one of those strikes. Stamann separates and connects with a few strikes, but after a short exchange it is his left eyebrow that appears to show a cut. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stamann
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Stamann
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Stamann

Round 3

Stamann begins the final frame aggressively, and when Kelleher tries to counter with a kick, Stamann grabs his leg and throws him to the canvas. Kelleher looks to set up some upkicks, but Stamann won’t have it, and allows Kelleher to stand back up. “Boom” goes for the home run shot, but Stamann easily evades the looping power punches. Stamann sticks him with a jab, and gets caught on the end of a right hand as he tries to keep more jabs going. Kelleher rushes forward to hit him with an elbow, or a liver punch, or a spinning back elbow, but Stamann is largely wise to any of these wild attempts. Kelleher works a left and a low kick, and throws a lazy body kick that Stamann catches and almost uses to take Kelleher down again. Kelleher retains his balance and tries to unload a bomb of a right hand, but it falls short of its intended target. Kelleher does score a hard one-two, and he is committing to power shots while Stamann is more interested in just touching him with jabs and quick punches. Kelleher’s combinations may lead to one strike successfully landing, but the power is behind those shots. “Boom” looks for a kick, and Stamann counters him with two hooks as they clinch up briefly. Kelleher backs Stamann up against the fence and unloads a few vicious body shots, and Stamann brawls his way free. Kelleher loads up with a left hand and nearly knocks the mouthpiece of his opponent loose, and follows it with more winging punches. After a string of blocked strikes, Kelleher shoots in for a single with about 20 seconds left, and he manages to pull Stamann down. Stamann hooks on to a guillotine from his back to nullify the position, and when the horn sounds, the two men embrace. Stamann, who lost his younger brother last week, lets all of his emotions out in the cage likely in victory.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kelleher (29-28 Stamann)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Stamann (30-27 Stamann)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Stamann (30-27 Stamann)

The Official Result

Cody Stamann def. Brian Kelleher via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ian Heinisch (185.5) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185.5)

Round 1

Back to the middleweight division we go, where we will get to see a match between Heinisch (13-3, 2-2 UFC) and Meerschaert (31-12, 6-4 UFC) that was briefly pulled from the lineup when one of Heinisch’s new cornermen tested positive for COVID-19. How the UFC can determine that the corner’s first test was a false positive and not that the second test was a false negative, we may never know. Everyone including referee Chris Tognoni has their fingers crossed for this one. There is no glove touch, and Heinisch nearly kicks out the lead leg on his first kick. He fires another, and Meerschaert does not wear it well. Heinisch targets that lead leg once more, and Meerschaert comes at him with a few long punches that glance off the target. “GM3” lands a body kick and comes up short with a left, but more importantly successfully avoids the counter right hand that flies at his head. Heinisch ducks down and blasts him with a monster right hand that sets Meerschaert down, and “GM3” is hurt badly. “Hurricane” lets loose a storm of thunderous punches that continue to batter Meerschaert one after the other. Turtled up on his knees, Meerschaert keeps taking punches on both sides of his head until Tognoni has seen more than enough and calls the fight. From being yanked off the card to recording a crushing victory in mere days, this is an important and emphatic win for Heinisch.

The Official Result

Ian Heinisch def. Gerald Meerschaert R1 1:14 via TKO (Punches)

Chase Hooper (145.5) vs. Alex Caceres (146)

Round 1

Headlining the prelims is a relatively traditional matchup of a young hungry thundercat in Hooper (9-0-1, 1-0 UFC) -- whose previous nickname “The Teenage Dream” no longer fits now that he is 20 years of age and has been updated to simply “The Dream” -- against a far more experienced “Bruce Leeroy” Alex Caceres (15-12, 1 NC; 10-10, 1 NC UFC). The Octagon ranger for this featherweight matchup of young prospect versus relatively older veteran (Caceres is only 31) is referee Keith Peterson. Nonsense has just left the building. They respectfully touch gloves until they start trading leather. Hooper is winging punches and Caceres stays loose. Their hair bounces all around as they are moving and jumping cross the cage. Hooper crashes forward to land a right hand, and Caceres catches him with a solid left hand. Caceres backs off to not follow the younger fighter to the ground, and allows a bloodied Hooper to recover. Caceres circles around the cage and peppers “The Dream” with strikes. Hooper sells out and takes a few shots coming in so that he can drag the fight to the ground, but Caceres stings him with a knee and gets out of the way. Hooper ties him up and somehow grabs his back while standing, and tries to set up a backpack-like position. Caceres is fighting the hands and trying to shuck Hooper off of him, and successfully does so after a slight stalemate. Caceres comes at him with a left to the body and right to the head, and Hooper is caught staring and takes them both. Hooper absorbs one more to the jaw, and gets clipped with a right hand behind the ear. Hooper keeps the pressure on him all while his face is getting marked up, displaying a mouse under his left eye. When Hooper wades forward to start some kind of grappling, Caceres nails him with a left-right. Caceres sneaks out a few jabs, and a hard right gets Hooper’s attention. Caceres avoids the counters coming his direction so rapidly that he nearly bowls over Peterson. Perhaps surprisingly, Caceres shoots in for a takedown and lands it. Hooper stays patient to roll for and set up a leglock, but time expires before he can get anything done.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Caceres
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Caceres
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Caceres

Round 2

Both men start out trading, with Caceres landing a hard right hand and getting countered by Hooper with a solid shot. Hooper crowds him to set up a clinch and Caceres turns him around, lands a crisp elbow and separates without issue. Hooper takes a jab, tries to fire an overhand right across the bow and misses widely, allowing for Caceres to escape against the fence. Hooper walks forward carelessly and takes another solid left hand right on the nose, but he fights through it so that he can grab hold of Caceres. As Hooper tries to hop on his back again, Caceres bucks him off. Hooper tries to chase him down, and ties him up against the fence once more. The action slows to a crawl as Caceres tries to get free, and after a short knee, he gains the separation he was looking for. Hooper tries for a hail mary to get the fight down by jumping guard, and just falls to the floor with a resounding “thump” while Caceres backs off. Hooper gets up, latches on to Caceres, and this time he pulls guard to get Caceres down. From his back, Hooper fishes for a triangle and any submission he can find, but Caceres pushes off to get out of danger. When they are both standing again, Caceres lands a heavy leg kick, and the situation repeats itself when Hooper tries to cling on to his man and pull guard. This time, Caceres follows him down with a few punches, but wisely stands up and lands some heavy leg kicks. Much to the chagrin of Caceres, Hooper scoops out his leg, hops on top and tries to set something up. Caceres scrambles frantically to get free, and he does. Caceres backs off, whiffs on a spinning back kick, and Hooper gloms back on until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Caceres
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Caceres
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Caceres

Round 3

Hooper begins the round racing forward and eats a hard right hand on his way in that makes him stumble. The younger fighter gets his bearings back and doggedly continues to pressure forward and try to attach himself to Caceres to get the fight down. Caceres beats him to the punch with a few body shots and overhand lefts. Hooper tries to close the distance with some loose punches, but manages to get his hands on Caceres and takes his back. Caceres is not concerned, as he maintains a double wrist lock to get himself free from the disadvantageous position. A kick lands south of the border of Caceres, and after a very brief pause, Peterson resumes the action. Caceres stays loose with low kicks and punches high and low. Hooper gives it all he has to tie “Bruce Leeroy” up and get him down, but simply ends up flopping to his back while Caceres picks at him with low kicks. Caceres allows him to stand up, and rings his bell with a solid left-right combination. The two come together and may have clashed heads, but they seem no worse for wear as Hooper continues his gameplan of jumping on Caceres to pull guard. Caceres does not oblige him, and prefers to work on the outside as he puts together a decent combination to the body and head. Hooper’s chin holds up as it keeps getting tested, and he finally gets a good grip to yank Caceres down. Much to the dismay of the younger fighter, he gets drilled in the face with a plethora of elbows and punches, all while Caceres avoids any submission danger. A few heavy exchanges in favor of Caceres conclude the fight, and “Bruce Leeroy” may very well have handed Hooper his first career defeat.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Caceres (30-27 Caceres)

The Official Result

Alex Caceres def. Chase Hooper via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Sean O'Malley (136) vs. Eddie Wineland (136)

Round 1

Kicking off the pay-per-view main card is yet another one of those bouts pitting an up-and-coming prospect of “Sugar Sean” O’Malley (11-0, 3-0 UFC) against former WEC champ Wineland (24-13-1, 6-7 UFC) at bantamweight. Will O’Malley remain undefeated, or can Wineland show that he is not a spent force at 35? Like referee Herb Dean, we will find out very soon. Wineland comes out charging hard, and O’Malley starts with a few low kicks and just misses with a head kick. Wineland takes a few more kicks up the middle while trying to close the distance, and the vet is looking to land that big right hand. Wineland ducks another head kick, and whiffs on a right while stalking him down. Wineland tries to swing his way in, and O’Malley ducks away and bounces off the fence before scoring with a solid right hand and two kicks to the body. Wineland cracks him with a right hand, and he stands O’Malley up and makes him backpedal. Another thumping right lands on the shoulder, and O’Malley visibly reacts to the shot. O’Malley recovers and scores a spinning back kick, and then a body kick. He clips Wineland with a right hand at the end of that exchange, and backs off to reset. O’Malley fakes with an uppercut, unloads a blistering right hand on the jaw, and Wineland crashes to the canvas. It’s good night Irene! The former champ is out cold, and O’Malley walks away to celebrate. Seeing that Wineland is done like dinner, Dean indeed stops the fight, and this is by far the biggest win of O’Malley’s career. The “Sugar” show keeps on rolling, ladies and gentlemen.

The Official Result

Sean O’Malley def. Eddie Wineland R1 1:54 via KO (Punch)

Neil Magny (171) vs. Anthony Rocco Martin (170.5)

Round 1

In the welterweight division, we celebrate the new nickname of “Haitian Sensation” Magny (22-7, 15-6 UFC) as he takes on fellow rebranded fighter Martin (17-5, 9-5 UFC) -- Martin was once known as Tony Martin, but changed his look and name recently. Referee Mark Smith will keep things clean between these two consummate professionals. There is no touch of gloves, as Martin walks forward while pawing out his left hand. Magny circles around the outside but has not initiated much offense. Martin rushes forward, and Magny misses with a front kick while Martin grabs hold of him and presses him against the cage. Magny breaks free, and nearly lands a solid left to make him pay for it. Magny scores a hard leg kick, and Martin ducks down to circle around and take the back of “The Haitian Sensation.” Magny keeps control of a single wrist to get out of a bad position, and evades a trip attempt with his face mashed against the fence. Magny continues to fight the hands as Martin gives everything he has to try for the takedown. Transitioning to a single for a moment, Martin bails on it and gets slapped in the face for his effort. Martin leans heavy until suddenly he decides he is done with the position, and backs away. Magny tries to throw out a jab and gets countered by a stiff left hand on the way in, so he works the lead leg a few times until he crashes forward for his own takedown attempt. Martin reverses the position and presses Magny to the wall again, and Magny thinks about a high clinch until Martin peels away. Magny targets the lead calf once more, and Martin just misses with an overhand left counter. A double jab from Magny leads to a leg kick that makes Martin flinch. Martin shakes it off and crashes in to pursue a takedown, and Magny spins him around to fire a knee up the middle. Magny sticks him with one more low kick, and pushes off with a front kick as Martin blitzes in. Martin cannot reach him before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martin
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Martin
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Martin

Round 2

Magny leads off with the calf kick, and reaches his hand out only to get warned by Smith for outstretched fingers. Magny goes to the lead leg once more, and Martin rushes forward with winging punches but Magny rolls with it. A few punches from Martin ending with a solid right hand connect flush, and Magny may be hurt as he circles away on the fence to get a quick count of his teeth. Magny comes back with a low kick and a jab, allowing Martin to close the distance and lift him in the air. Martin slams him down, and Magny scrambles while giving up his neck. Martin is unable to capitalize on a submission attempt, and the two jockey for position on the fence while throwing up short knees. Magny pushes off, and a double jab along with a right hand connect for Martin. Magny aims to the lead calf with a kick and another jab, while Martin is loading up on responsive strikes. Martin whiffs on a left hook, but only because Magny shoots in low for a takedown, and Martin stuffs it and turns him about. The two stay clinched and take it to the center of the cage for a moment, where Magny drops in a few knees. Martin pulls for a standing kimura and forces a separation, where he starts to take a few more leg kicks but checks one. Magny is now stalking Martin down, where he changes levels but is once more muscled against the fence. Magny looks to set up a Thai clinch, but they are too close so he abandons it, and they separate. Trading low kicks, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martin
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Martin
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Martin

Round 3

Magny comes out aggressively, sensing he might be down on the scorecards. Martin swings and misses with heavier punches, and Magny stays on him with straight punches and leg kicks on the inside and outside. Martin jumps forward into a clinch, where he picks Magny off the ground but sets him down against the cage wall. Martin then pushes off, allowing Magny to return with his pressure. Magny sticks out his jab and lands a slapping leg kick, before landing a flush right into a takedown attempt. Magny cannot successfully get him down, although he is grinding out what could be a fatigued Martin. Magny’s jab is now in full display, as he doubles and triples up on it to follow it with right hands. Martin tries to clinch up, so Magny nails him with a few knees until they separate. Martin starts taking some very deep breaths, as Magny’s pace may be getting to him. Magny tries to jump in with a knee, and Martin snatches it up to hunt for a single leg takedown. Magny pushes free, and chases him down with long punches. A fierce right hand snaps the head back of Martin, and Magny ties up the lead leg to try to take him down. Martin still stays standing, so Magny goes after it once more to no avail. Magny works the body on the inside, and a big knee makes Martin back off and get on his bike. Magny is on the warpath now, scoring a thudding knee and a quick elbow. Martin clinches up, and Magny shoves him away while ducking a big right hand. They start to slug it out with about 20 seconds left, and a huge right hand clips Magny. “The Haitian Sensation” eats it like a sandwich and keeps plodding forward, landing some looping punches as Martin tries to grab hold of him to ride the rest of the round out. The horn sounds, and then seconds later, we hear it again.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magny (29-28 Martin)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Magny (29-28 Martin)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Magny (29-28 Martin)

The Official Result

Neil Magny def. Anthony Rocco Martin via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Cory Sandhagen (135.5) vs. Aljamain Sterling (136)

Round 1

In a bout that some consider to be a title fight and UFC President Dana White has called a bantamweight championship eliminator matchup, the surging Sandhagen (12-1, 5-0 UFC) comes to blows with the underappreciated Sterling (18-3, 10-3 UFC). Serving as the referee for this high-stakes collision that some wish had two more rounds is Chris Tognoni. They touch em up, and Sterling races towards him. Sandhagen whips at him with a high kick, and Sterling blocks it and keeps walking forward. Sandhagen kicks at him to the body, allowing Sterling to grab his leg and comes in for a single leg takedown. Instead, Sterling circles around and hops on his back, where he instantly latches on a rear-naked choke attempt as Sandhagen falls to his back to the ground. Setting up the body triangle for added pressure, Sterling squeezes tight and stretches him out, but miraculously, Sandhagen survives the first attempt and tries to turn into the body triangle. Sandhagen attempts to get to his knees and stand up, but he does so at the worst possible moment as Sterling locks up a rear-naked choke once again. This one is under the chin, and there is nothing Sandhagen can do but pray. Sandhagen tries to fight it off, but at the last possible second he taps out. As Tognoni rushes in to stop the fight, Sandhagen goes out like a light. This is a monumental win for Sterling, who almost certainly punches his ticket to a UFC title opportunity -- although the current bantamweight contender Jose Aldo has lost his last two matches so anything is possible these days. As Sandhagen comes to and they embrace in the center of the cage, he tells Sterling to “win the belt.” What an outstanding victory for the “Funk Master.”

The Official Result

Aljamain Sterling def. Cory Sandhagen R1 1:28 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Raphael Assuncao (136)

Round 1

In the co-main event, former bantamweight king Garbrandt (11-3, 6-3 UFC) looks to right the ship after a trio of bad knockout losses against perennial contender Assuncao (27-7, 11-4 UFC). Our referee is Keith Peterson, but surprisingly there is some nonsense in this bout as it takes place in the co-headliner spot despite the two men combining for five straight losses. The two do not touch gloves, and come out tentatively until Garbrandt whips a low kick to start things off. Garbrandt goes for one more, and the Brazilian takes one on the inside as he tries to close the distance. Assuncao digs to the body with a kick, and gets countered over the top with a right hand. Assuncao pursues his own leg kick, and Garbrandt replies with one that forces Assuncao to switch stances briefly. Just over a minute in, Assuncao may have already sustained some damage to that lead leg. Both men come up short on head kick attempts, and Garbrandt pauses before spinning with a back kick. Assuncao emulates him with a similar kick that likewise comes up shy of the mark, and Garbrandt comes back at him with a slapping kick to the body. Another low kick from Garbrandt forces a stance switch out of his opponent, and Assuncao returns to orthodox where he fires up a high kick and falls over after missing. Garbrandt stings him with a right hand, all while avoiding the counterattack flying his direction. When Assuncao tries to let fly a high kick, Garbrandt blocks it and blasts him on the opposite leg on the inside. Assuncao stands before him while waving his hands, and Garbrandt is content to feint and fake before sticking that lead leg with a kick that has turned Assuncao’s lead leg red. As Assuncao rushes forward, Garbrandt kicks his other leg out from beneath him. Garbrandt slips in, lands a right, and eats a counter right on the way out. When Assuncao attacks the lead leg with a kick, he nearly stumbles, but recovers before Garbrandt makes him pay. Assuncao is just barely able to duck when Garbrandt wins a counter left hook as the Brazilian kicks the front leg. As Assuncao whiffs with a spinning wheel kick, Garbrandt moves around the cage until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garbrandt
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Garbrandt
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Garbrandt

Round 2

Garbrandt starts up with a sweep kick reminiscent of something one would see in “Mortal Kombat,” and Assuncao chases him down to the ground but cannot capitalize as he has him down. Garbrandt stings him with few punches, and Assuncao does not have the speed to catch the former champ coming out. A low kick from Garbrandt forces Assuncao to hide the damaged leg, which is starting to swell and glow red. When he does, Garbrandt goes to the body instead with a kick. Assuncao is well off the mark when he plants his hand on the floor to try a spinning kick, and Garbrandt smiles and may be trash talking him. Assuncao unloads a right hand, and Garbrandt rolls with it to avoid the brunt of it. They trade leg kicks from a distance, and Assuncao paws out his right hand to find his distance as Garbrandt slaps it away. Assuncao tries to score a high kick, and Garbrandt runs towards him into a short-lived brawl. Garbrandt thinks about a takedown, but bails on it to get his distance. The Brazilian comes up short of the mark with a spinning kick, but the left hand that follows connects well. Garbrandt replies in kind with a right hand that drops Assuncao, and Garbrandt marks a 1 on an invisible scoreboard. Assuncao hops back up and assures his opponent it was a slip, and Garbrandt practically rolls his eyes at him. Assuncao comes in to finish the round with a flurry, and Garbrandt ducks and unleashes a lightning-quick right hand from the underworld that obliterates Assuncao. The Brazilian faceplants on the canvas as we hear the horn sound, and what an insane knockout! Unbelievable! Garbrandt is back in such an incredible fashion, and when Assuncao tries to get back to his feet he nearly falls off his stool. Wow.

The Official Result

Cody Garbrandt def. Raphael Assuncao R2 4:59 via KO (Punch)

UFC Women's Featherweight Title Fight:
Amanda Nunes (145) vs. Felicia Spencer (144.5)

Round 1

We have now reached the headliner of UFC 250, as current two-division champ and prohibitive favorite Nunes (19-4, 12-1 UFC) takes on durable grappler Spencer (8-1, 2-1 UFC) for the featherweight throne. In comparison, Nunes has a longer win streak (10) than Spencer has in total fights; referee Herb Dean will be right on top of the action. The two women touch gloves a few times, and Nunes quickly takes the center of the cage. Nunes begins with a front kick with her toes extended, and as Spencer comes at her, she lands a quick check left hook. Spencer rushes in to try to clinch up, and Nunes tags her on the way forward while getting out of danger. Nunes loads up on a big right hand, and Spencer is already marked up a minute in. Spencer does take it well, and absorbs a short uppercut and a straight left to follow seemingly without issue. While trying to keep the advancing Spencer at bay with a front kick and a jab, Nunes scores with a huge overhand right. Spencer takes it on the chin and closes in to try to take the fight down. As she is about to hit one, Nunes reverses her, and the Brazilian ends up in side control while looking to set up a crucifix. While on top, Nunes digs a knee to the body, and as she tries to keep her down with a knee on her belly, Spencer attempts to walk up the fence. Before Nunes can pursue a submission attempt, Spencer turns around and gets Nunes back to half guard. This does not keep Nunes at bay for long, and the champ rains down a couple hard elbows while Spencer looks to tie her up. Nunes connects with a few more thudding elbows, and Spencer considers throwing some while on her back. One such elbow slices up Spencer, so Nunes keeps at it with a few more for good measure. Spencer throws up a high guard and is targeting a potential armbar, and takes a punch on the way through. When the 10-second clapper sounds, Spencer starts to employ a rubber guard, so Nunes obliges with one more noisy elbow. The horn sounds, and Spencer has made it out of the first round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Nunes
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Nunes
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Nunes

Round 2

The two women touch gloves to start the round, and Spencer crashes forward to take the fight down but gets punched in the head as a response. Nunes picks away at her with a body kick and another heavy right hand while Spencer tries to kick back. Nunes has begun to grin as she stalks down her adversary, and as she lets her guard down, Spencer sneaks in a long left straight. Nunes practically ignores it as she continues her slow, plodding advance. Nunes digs low with a kick that nearly buckles the knee, and she follows it with a blistering right hand that Spencer takes right on the jaw. Nunes goes after the same right hand, and Spencer jabs forward to try to take the fight down. Like the previous frame, Nunes reverses it and gets on top, all while avoiding a potential submission that flies her way. Nunes hammers down a few elbows, and elects to stand up to dodge an upkick or two. The “Lioness” is grinning once more as she hunts her prey, scoring a thudding right hand as a thin trickle of blood comes down the side of Spencer’s head. A few front kicks from Nunes lead to a sweeping low kick, and she has no issue backing away from a single shot from Spencer. When they both try to swing at the same time, Nunes is much faster and nails Spencer, sending her a little off-balance. Nunes starts to get comfortable, winging a spinning back elbow that Spencer is able to guard against. Nunes calmly walks forward, and deflects a front kick before letting loose another big right hand. Spencer is unfazed by these big strikes, but is not delivering much of her own offense. The round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nunes
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nunes
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Nunes

Round 3

Spencer tries to charge in with a few punches, and Nunes catches her rushing in with a looping left. Spencer is able to successfully connect with a knee, but it is one-and-done before she starts backing away to the fence. Spencer bites down on her mouthpiece to start exchanging, and Nunes gets fired up by hacking with an elbow and a few punches while smiling like Robbie Lawler in a firefight. Nunes can land practically at will from a distance, whether low kicks or long punches. Nunes blasts her on the chin, and Spencer’s mouthpiece goes flying. Dean instantly pauses the fight to replace it, halting the assault of Nunes for a fleeting moment. Nunes starts back up by shrugging off some single-strike offense from Spencer while landing her own strikes at a distance. Spencer pops out a jab and snaps Nunes’ head back, but she is unable to follow through with other strikes. Spencer tries to dig to the body with a kick, and Nunes catches the leg and tosses her to the ground like a sack of oats. The champ allows Spencer to stand up, and even throw a few punches before hurting her with some punches. Nunes has started to do some damage and possibly crack the chin of her durable opponent, launching up a head kick that staggers Spencer even though she blocks it. Nunes cracks her with a few more overhand rights, and Spencer pursues a desperation takedown now that she is starting to wear it. All the while, Nunes is chipping away at the lead leg of the challenger, and Spencer is showing some difficulty putting weight on it. Nunes keeps her at bay with front kicks and long straight punches, and a low kick hurts Spencer as she switches stances. Nunes unleashes a one-two, and rocks her with an uppercut that nearly sends the mouthpiece soaring. Nunes tries to load up on one more home run shot, but the horn sounds in time to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Nunes
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Nunes
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-8 Nunes

Round 4

Spencer begins by rushing towards her opponent, and swings with looping punches as Nunes parries them without much effort. Nunes kicks the lead leg again, and Spencer tries to check it. As she does, she gets nailed with a left hand that sends Spencer staggering back. Nunes unloads one more heavy right hand, and Spencer’s durability is outstanding. Of all the damage ensued this fight, the most significant for Spencer is that of her lead leg. When she tries to hit a takedown, Nunes just tosses her aside. Spencer stands back up, and when she does, she is greeted with a heavy leg kick that forces an immediate stance switch from the Canadian transplant. Spencer is well shy of her target with some spinning kicks, and Nunes stays composed with a heavy right hand. When Spencer attempts a superwoman punch, Nunes blocks it and throws a right hand back her direction. With Spencer standing in front of her, Nunes drills her in the torso with a spinning back kick that sends Spencer hurtling towards the fence. A takedown attempt for Spencer is thwarted without much concern from the champ, who lords over her opponent and catches an upkick while Spencer tries to stand up. A couple jabs for Nunes get countered by looping and leaping left hooks from Spencer, who then aims for a takedown attempt that is staved off. Nunes cracks the lead leg with a kick that forces Spencer to pick her leg up out of concern to take another. Nunes racks her with a big right hand, and Spencer may finally be hurt. Nunes pours it on with several punches including a few more nasty right hooks. Spencer takes them all one after the other, and doubles over in pain before shooting in for a desperation takedown. Nunes pushes her down, where she drops down some hard punches on top. As Spencer tries to turn away to survive to the end of the round, Nunes takes her back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. It is tight, and the only thing that saves her is the bell. The corner could stop this between rounds, it would not be a travesty of justice.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Nunes
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Nunes
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-8 Nunes

Round 5

We see a fifth and final round, and Spencer comes out swinging but Nunes is quicker to the punch and hurts Spencer again. A failed takedown attempt from Spencer leads to Nunes considering taking her back. Instead of a submission attempt, Nunes works some ground-and-pound from on top while Spencer rolls to her back. Spencer tries to buck as Nunes sits in half guard, before fishing for an arm-triangle choke that she cannot land. Spencer throws her legs up and isolates an arm but there is nothing doing. Instead, Nunes punishes her with an elbow, and we can see even more damage showing on Spencer’s face. A cut has opened above the right eye, her mouth is bleeding and she now has a large hematoma on the left side of her head. Dean is taking a very close look at the action, and Spencer is doing anything she can to stay in the fight. Nunes slices down with another elbow, and stops a brief triangle attempt to avoid becoming the women’s version of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. The champ stands up, and Spencer scoots towards her with upkicks. When Spencer returns to her feet, Dean calls in the doctor to check on the cut. She is asked if she can continue, and Spencer nods and carries on with less than a minute remaining. Nunes hits a takedown to try to bring down some punishment, and when Spencer attempts to stand, Nunes yanks her down again. The fight ends with Nunes standing above and punching down at her doomed opponent. Once more, the horn is the thing that saves Spencer, whose durability can never be questioned. In overwhelming victory, Nunes becomes the first champion to ever simultaneously hold and defend two belts. Who can beat Amanda Nunes?

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Nunes (50-41 Nunes)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Nunes (50-41 Nunes)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-8 Nunes (50-42 Nunes)

The Official Result

Amanda Nunes def. Felicia Spencer via Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45)