UFC 273 ‘Volkanovski vs. Korean Zombie’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Julio Arce (136.5: Missed Weight) vs. Daniel Gustavo Santos (135.5)

Round 1

After a much-needed week away for the UFC, the promotion is coming back guns blazing as it takes to Jacksonville, Fla., for a tentpole pay-per-view. Two title fights and a very highly anticipated welterweight showdown will top off the dozen-bout card, and we begin with a fight scheduled at bantamweight that hit a slight snag. Arce (17-5, 4-3 UFC), who missed weight by half a pound, will welcome “Willycat” Santos (8-1, 0-0 UFC) to the promotion. The Brazilian was originally slated to make his debut in 2021, but a pair of fight cancelations pushed it back to this April event. Referee James Larry Folsom will oversee the first match of the evening, and there is an apologetic glove touch offered by Arce and accepted. The first strike attempt comes from Santos, who comes up short with a high kick as Arce bats it away and flicks out a jab. Santos bears down on him with a standard Chute Boxe-style plodding approach, and Arce dips out of the way when Santos swings wide. A spinning strike gets pulled back from Santos when he finds it would not reach his intended target, and Arce stays on the outside with long single strikes. Arce interrupts Santos coming in, but the Brazilian wings a few hooks at him that partially connect. Arce’s jab continues to find its home as Santos’ strikes have more arc on them, and the New Yorker is able to slide out of the way before they reach him. When Santos punches his way into a clinch, he punishes Arce with a clean elbow. He pushes off, and then storms forward with an up-elbow in the vein of Anderson Silva. Arce wears it well and walks into a right hand, but he does not seem overly concerned as he uses his footwork to stay safe. Santos swings and misses with a spinning hook kick, and Arce’s strikes are still very fundamental and effective, with a jab and a two that comes after every so often. Another spinning kick from Santos misses the mark, and Arce tags him with a few more crisp punches. Santos is still throwing everything he has into his strikes, and Arce sees them coming and evades the brunt of most of them. Arce times his jab and a cross to follow as Santos cannot seem to figure it out, as the Brazilian still meanders forward recklessly while throwing haymakers. One jab is followed by a head kick, and Santos absorbs it without missing a beat. Santos lets go with a heavy leg kick, and Arce replies with a head kick that rings his bell. Knowing Santos is hurt but still dangerous, Arce picks and pokes away at his opponent until the round ends, rather than burning his gas tank searching for a finish with seconds to go.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 2

The fighters come out of their corners to touch gloves in the middle, and Arce resumes his accurate jabbing approach. Santos, on the other hand, is far more aggressively, jumping in the air with a knee and throwing bombs. Arce takes one on the chin that gives him pause, and he is able to dance out of the way when more come from Santos. Seeing Santos charging at him to wind up with a huge right hand, Arce changes levels at the right moment to trip Santos’ leg out beneath him. Arce does not follow him to the ground, and instead just appeared to want to give Santos something else to think about. Santos gets back to his feet and continues his constant forward motion while Arce slips and rips his strikes. Santos lands at the end of a right hand, and Arce escapes out the back door and dodges a spinning wheel kick. Arce is far more mobile of the two, circling on the outside and pawing away strikes that come at him. The Brazilian lands a kick to the body, and Arce returns fire with two to the midsection, with the second colliding with the hip as Arce withdraws his foot gingerly. Arce pushes out a jab as Santos walks him down, and he dings Santos with a head kick. Santos bites down on his gumshield and throws heavy leather, clipping Arce but not slowing him down. Instead, Arce smartly circles away and targets the body with his fists. Santos is the bus that couldn’t slow down, continuously ignoring the offense coming his way and taking practically every jab flush. Santos begins to telegraph his wide strikes, and Arce is able to manage this by planting a clean one-two on the jaw. “Willycat” pays it no mind, steps back and launches a high kick that comes up short. Santos kicks low, and that strike does land, but a head kick shortly thereafter is off-target. Arce scores a right hand, throws a push kick to the chest, and has his leg caught. Before Santos can do anything with it, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 3

There is a final clap of hands to start off Round 3, and Arce gets on his bike early when Santos rushes at him with little defense. Santos gets popped on the chops from a couple sharp Arce punches, and he tries to let loose with a spinning kick that ends up colliding with the wall instead of his opponent. Arce blocks a body kick, and he paws out a handful of jabs as Santos looks for a superman punch. The heavier man is much sharper and practically landing at will, while Santos is all offense without landing much of note. Arce lands a jab and follows it with a left to the ribcage, and Santos grimaces and continues plodding ahead. Santos gives a half-hearted spinning high kick, and then changes things up with an Andy Hug-esque spinning kick to the thigh. Arce walks it off and peppers his foe with jabs and low kicks, doing well enough to keep Santos at bay or disturb him long enough to not get tagged by one of his power shots. Arce sticks him with a jab, slides out of the way from a swinging hook, and comes out with another jab. A double jab into a left hand stings Santos for a moment, but the Brazilian is not going to stop pressing forward. Even though he misses with a spinning back fist and a jumping switch kick, he does not lose heart, ever pushing forward and attacking. Arce can see most of these big shots coming and be out of harm’s way well in time, only to reset and put a jab in Santos’ face. A spinning back fist from Santos does not connect, but a kick to the midsection does push off of Arce’s liver. Arce replies with a head kick, not showing any concern with anything coming back at him. The jabs have begun to mark up Santos’ face, with swelling around the left eye. Throwing caution to the wind, Santos jumps forward with a rolling thunder kick, and Arce rocks him when Santos is on his knees after missing with the kick. Santos gets up, and he initiates a brawl that Arce obliges. They throw down right to the final bell, and this one is going to the scorecards but there shouldn’t be much doubt on who will get their hand raised.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)

The Official Result

Julio Arce def. Daniel Gustavo Santos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Kay Hansen (118.5: Missed Weight) vs. Piera Rodriguez (115)

Round 1

For the second fight in a row, a relative UFC vet that missed weight will serve as the first test for a debuting fighter. This time, Hansen (7-5, 1-2 UFC) drew the gatekeeping assignment for a fight initially booked at strawweight, only to come in 2.5 pounds heavy against newcomer Rodriguez (7-0, 0-0 UFC). Serving as the Octagon ranger for this catchweight contest is referee Keith Peterson, who just got back from escorting all the nonsense out of the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. Hansen reaches out to touch gloves in an apologetic move for coming in over the weight limit, and “La Fiera” obliges her. Hansen measures her distance early with range-finding strikes, and when the Venezuelan pushes past them, Hansen sits down on a few to back Rodriguez off. They tie up in the center of the cage, and Hansen gets off a solid knee to the midsection after throwing quick hands when Rodriguez advances. “La Fiera” plants a fiery leg kick on the calf of her opponent, and Hansen backs away to reset. A left hook from Hansen marks up Rodriguez’ nose, and Rodriguez replies in kind. From a distance, Hansen shoots in for a takedown, and Rodriguez stuffs her and gets backed to the fence. They jockey for position as Hansen goes for a body lock, and as Rodriguez gets her balance back, Hansen changes level for single-leg try. This one, she hits, and Rodriguez is planted on her backside. It does not take “La Fiera” long to burst back up to her feet, but Hansen does not let her go and hunts for a body lock with an inside trip. Rodriguez does slide down to the mat, but she uses butterfly guard to kick off Hansen’s waist and get back to her feet. Hansen swings and misses with a few punches, but a high kick does collide off the guard of her adversary. They come together with a fury of fists, and Rodriguez gets the better of the exchange with a solid one to the body. Hansen charges like a bull, practically tackling Rodriguez off her feet. Rodriguez once more defends with her butterfly guard, and Hansen adjusts well enough to push past Rodriguez’ heels and climb into her guard. Hansen postures up to connect with a clean left hand, and she passes to half guard right after the punch lands. Hansen clings down heavy with an arm-triangle choke in half guard from the opposite side, and Rodriguez does not appear concerned as she hangs on until the buzzer sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hansen
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hansen
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hansen

Round 2

Hansen comes off her stool to take the center of the cage, and Rodriguez walks right towards her ready to throw hands. A brief brawl ensues, and Hansen pulls back rather than deal with the power punches coming at her. Hansen slips back when Rodriguez advances, and two punches connect cleanly as she does. When Rodriguez rushes forward, she is able to land cleanly, but Hansen dictates much of the range thus far. Hansen uses a jab until Rodriguez throws a body kick, and the American takes advantage of this by catching it and pursuing a takedown. Rodriguez hops back to the fence as she remains upright, and Hansen chains into a single on the other side. “La Fiera” keeps herself on her feet after the subsequent attempt, and she pushes off and manages to get some separation. Rodriguez leaps forward with a knee, but it only glances off the guard. When she lands, a few punches do get off for her, and Hansen retains a high guard to defend from most of the blows. Hansen goes low with a kick, and she changes levels quickly for a double. Rodriguez sprawls effectively, but gets backed up to the wire in the process. The Venezuelan does manage to turn Hansen around, and she turns the tables and trips her leg out to take her down. Hansen defends with a kimura off her back, but Rodriguez rolls through it after a wild scramble. As Hansen looks to get back up, Rodriguez miraculously circles around to take her back, and she gets both hooks in. Rodriguez hunts for a rear-naked choke, but Hansen is able to control her wrists to stop a choke from materializing. Hansen twists, as she tries to break out of the position, and Rodriguez turns with her and climbs on top. Hansen falls to her back, in search of a heel hook, but there is nothing to it as Rodriguez counters with a toe hold. The horn blares before either woman can lock anything up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez

Round 3

The two ladies meet in the middle, and Hansen throws first with an overhand right that comes up a foot away from her opponent. Rodriguez ducks down to scoop up an uppercut hook, and she pops Hansen to back her off. The Venezuelan lands a kick, and instead of allowing Hansen to catch it and go for a takedown, Rodriguez pursues her own single and trips Hansen up to drag her to the mat. Hansen keeps an unusual guard to not let Rodriguez to lower into her guard, and she threatens with a sweep attempt. Rodriguez pushes off to stand up, and she slaps a kick on Hansen’s thigh when Hansen is butt-scooting towards her. Hansen vaults back to her feet, and she whiffs on a left hand immediately thereafter. Hansen’s punches are way short of the mark when she extends them, and Rodriguez connects with a clean head kick after. Rodriguez pushes forward, cracking Hansen with a few punches before clinching up with her to press her to the wall. Hansen fights for underhooks while Rodriguez is practically trying to squeeze Hansen through the chain-link fence. Rodriguez ducks down for a single, but she bails on it when Hansen keeps her balance. The newcomer continues to grind on her adversary, and Hansen every so often lifts up a high knee. Rodriguez goes for another single, and Hansen defends with a standing guillotine choke. Rodriguez pops her neck out, and she loose a stern knee to the breadbasket. “La Fiera” once more attempts to pursue a single-leg entry, only for this to come up short. The control time continues to rack up for the Venezuelan, who keeps flowing from one takedown effort to another. Hansen defends them all, rips a knee to the body and manages to kick the body to push Rodriguez away. Rodriguez is a woman possessed, charging from across the cage to grab hold of Hansen’s left leg, and she wrenches Hansen to the mat with 10 seconds to go. The time ticks away with Rodriguez on top, and she ends the fight in top position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (29-28 Rodriguez)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (29-28 Rodriguez)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (29-28 Rodriguez)

The Official Result

Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Alexey Oleynik (244) vs. Jared Vanderaa (266)

Round 1

The lone heavyweight rumble of the evening takes center stage now, “The Boa Constrictor” Oleynik (59-16-1, 8-7 UFC) will be taking on short-notice replacement Vanderaa (12-7, 1-3 UFC). The former will be hunting for his 60th career win, while “The Mountain” is aiming to score win number 13. Suitable for a heavyweight matchup, the powerful Mike Beltran takes the charge for this bout that combines for 510 pounds, and the fighters bump fists to start things off. Oleynik scores first with a low calf kick, and he wings a right hand over the top to force Vanderaa to retreat quickly. The Russian plods forward with another overhand right, and Vanderaa checks a calf kick that comes after it. Vanderaa sticks out a few jabs on the nose of his opponent, and Oleynik comes in fast with a right hand. Vanderaa eats it like a sandwich and takes a step back, and when Oleynik attacks for a takedown, Vanderaa meets him with a knee to the body. A right hand from Vanderaa gets through and stings Oleynik, but the Russian wears it well and continues to slowly move forward. Oleynik clinches up and pulls guard, but Vanderaa is smart to stand up and land a few punches. Oleynik rolls for a leg, and he drags Vanderaa to the mat. Oleynik keeps pursuing a leg, and Vanderaa slides around and manages to take the back of “The Boa Constrictor.” Oleynik defends the choke, and he eats several heavy punches before scrambling. As they continue to keep moving, Oleynik somehow claims Vanderaa’s back and puts the American in danger in a hurry. Oleynik gets hooks in, and opts to shift over to mount before hopping over to side control. From there, his favored move of a scarf hold materializes, as he loops his arm beneath Vanderaa’s neck and squeezes with all his might. The grip of the Russian is brutally tight, and Vanderaa can do nothing but tap out so that he does not go out or have his neck permanently damaged. When Beltran intervenes and Oleynik releases the move, Vanderaa gets up and races to his corner to start vomiting in a bucket, with the pain or pressure of that maneuver so completely overwhelming. “The Boa Constrictor” has done it, recording the 60th win of his storied career, with an incredible 47 coming by submission. In his post-fight interview, when commentator Joe Rogan asks how much longer the 44-year-old wants to keep fighting, Oleynik responds, “Not too much, maybe five or ten years” with a laugh and a pat on Rogan's belly.

The Official Result

Alexey Oleynik def. Jared Vanderaa R1 3:39 via Submission (Scarf Hold)

Mickey Gall (170.5) vs. Mike Malott (170.5)

Round 1

Once the new kid on the block, now 30 years old and 10 UFC fights in, Gall (7-4, 6-4 UFC) finds himself in a different role than usual as he takes on a company debutant in Canada’s Malott (7-1-1, 0-0 UFC). It will be the first time since Gall took on Phil “CM Punk” Brooks that he will have an experience advantage, and he will have to take on a man in Malott who holds all of his wins by stoppage. Referee James Larry Folsom is ready for wherever the fight goes, and the welterweights do not touch gloves before getting after it. Instead, Malott comes out with a jumping side kick, pushing Gall back right out of the gate. He slows down, and then wings a high kick that Gall is able to block in time. Chants of “USA” rain down in support of Gall against the Canadian, which empower him to score a right hand across the top. Malott returns fire with a pair of punches that knock Gall back, but Gall regains his composure and pressures forward. The newcomer lands a leg kick as Gall throws hands at him, and Malott replies with a right hand that hurts Gall. Gall tries to clinch up, and he whiffs on a standing hammerfist when Malott backs away. Malott pushes out a jab and a right hand to follow it as Gall ignores them and throws caution to the wind to engage. Both men land cleanly, and a Malott right hand hurts Gall badly. Gall, cut and bleeding out of the corner of his right eye, does not look overly fazed as he shakes off the cobwebs, and he comes out to attack with straight punches with his chin straight in the air. Malott comes at him, and Gall pursues a standing guillotine choke before Malott pushes off and dings him with a left hook. Gall races forward in pursuit of a takedown, and he yanks Malott down to the mat. The Canadian does not stay grounded for long, walking off the wall back to his feet, and he pushes away as Gall is landing shots. Malott throws a left hand into a high kick, and Gall crashes forward to blast him with a barrage of blows. As Gall blitzes him, “Proper Mike” stays composed and sits down on right hand on the ear and a left that completely shuts Gall’s lights out. Gall crumples to the mat like a bird that just had its wings clipped, and when he hits the ground face-first, he reactivates. Malott is on him in an instant, raining down hammerfists until Folsom intervenes. Gall does get back up rather quickly after the stoppage, although he is not frustrated by it as he face-planted moments earlier. This is a big introduction to the promotion for Malott, who now celebrates half of his wins by knockout and the other half by sub. Making the most of his post-fight interview, he states that he will donate his show money ($10,000) to help a coach's daughter fight against cancer, and asks people to donate to the cause on his Instagram.

The Official Result

Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall R1 3:41 via TKO (Punches)

Aspen Ladd (136) vs. Raquel Pennington (134.5)

Round 1

Two ladies in the top 10 at bantamweight will toe the line next with significant divisional implications ahead, as Ladd (9-2, 4-2 UFC) moves back down to 135 pounds to face former title challenger “Rocky” Pennington (13-8, 10-5 UFC). With his nonsense-proof shoes laced up properly, referee Keith Peterson is in it for the long haul, in case these two go three hard-fought rounds. There is no touch of gloves to seal the cage behind the women, and there is a very slow start to the two. Neither woman engages with much for the first 30 seconds, until Pennington suddenly attacks with a pair of punches. She backs off to avoid a Ladd counter, and jumps forward with a superwoman punch that lands flush on the chin. Ladd reels but gathers herself, and Pennington records a clean kick to the body. Pennington walks through a left hand from Ladd to pressure her for a takedown, and when there is nothing there, she scores a solid knee to the body. “Rocky” pushes her foe back flat to the wire, and then bails on it suddenly to back off. Pennington gets off a low kick, and she absorbs a Ladd punch to land one of her own. Pennington goes to the body twice, and Ladd is putting her hands in her foe’s face. Ladd steps in with a kick to the torso, and Pennington answers with a leaping left hook that just misses the mark. Ladd connects with a clean left hand as Pennington plods towards her, and Pennington shakes it off and winds up on a right hook. Ladd’s preemptive counter is faster, getting the attention of “Rocky” with another right. Pennington aims her own right to the head, and then rips a left to the body so she can wing a right to the head. Ladd tries to defend it, only to eat a punch on the jaw. Pennington looks to step in with an elbow, but when that misses, Ladd is there to throw a head kick at her. Pennington blocks it in the nick of time so that she can swat a left hand at her foe. The two ladies go strike-for-strike, getting off clean shots. Pennington slips a punch to ring Ladd’s bell with a fast left hook, and Pennington splits the guard with a straight right to follow. “Rocky” strings a right to the body and a left to the head this time, and she chains a leg kick into a combination. Pennington marks Ladd’s face up with punches, and Ladd responds with a fast salvo of blows. Ladd, getting the worse of an exchange, shoots in for a takedown. Pennington meets her in the center of the cage and stops it, and she lifts Ladd up to knee her in the head. A final exchange of punches concludes what turned into furious first round towards the end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pennington

Round 2

The bantamweights meet in the middle, looking to resume where they left off, but instead of punching, it is kick-for-kick. Pennington connects with one, Ladd replies, and this goes on for a few volleys. Pennington aims a punch to the body, and she ducks a Ladd strike and hops away when Ladd tries to kick her in the head. The speed of Pennington is able to intercept and catch Ladd coming in, and she clips Ladd with a pair of punches before pressing forward to tie her up. In the clinch, Pennington is in pursuit of a body lock when there is no leg to swipe, and they trade short clinch strikes up close. Pennington gets a knee up to the body before slipping out of the grasp, and she takes a step back to pound Ladd in the face with a right hand. As Ladd lets loose a head kick, she pushes off with her fingers to jab right into Pennington’s eye. After 30 seconds, even though the poke was very deep, Pennington is able to clear her vision enough to continue fighting. Ladd is on the offensive when they resume, but Pennington is quickly able to resume her composure and get shots off. Ladd lands a low kick, and Pennington nails the body with a few punches. Ladd goes to the body and head, and Pennington blasts her in the face with a right hand. Ladd clips her back with a jumping left hook, and they are just throwing haymakers at this point. Pennington lands a few and ties Ladd up before Ladd can respond, and she starts spamming knees to the torso as Ladd is mashed up to the wire. Ladd muscles her way out of the position with a minute left in the round, and she lets loose a high and body kick that Pennington can barely block. When Ladd sets her leg down, Pennington is there with a right hand across the bow. Another heavy right hand from “Rocky” pounds into the jaw of her opponent, and she links several punches together with a standing elbow in the midst of it. Pennington unloads with a fierce combination of head and body punches, ending the round in an impressive fashion as Ladd can do little more but shell up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pennington

Round 3

They touch gloves to start off round 3, and Ladd is motivated and ready to engage. Pennington is right there to throw back at her, and they trade one after the other with powerful blows. Pennington eats a body kick so that she can land one back, and she lances a right hand through Ladd’s guard. Pennington’s pace and volume is making Ladd struggle, and she makes Ladd pay when Ladd does land. Ladd has a right hand connect, and Pennington plants a superwoman punch on the chin to follow. Pennington bullies her back to the fencing, and Ladd wraps up a Thai clinch to fire off several knees to the body. Pennington trades knees with her as they are tied up high, and Ladd perfectly times a Pennington knee to grab her leg, scoop her up with a double and plant “Rocky” firmly on the mat. Ladd lands into her opponent’s guard, and Pennington locks her down until she explodes back up to her feet. Ladd circles around to her back in an attempt to hit a mat return, and Pennington walks to the wall but gets dragged down to the canvas again. Ladd is not able to keep her down, but she does get one hook in from behind as Pennington leans on the fence again. Pennington holds on to the wrist as she tries to break the grip, and she turns through it to get Ladd off her back. Ladd lays into her with knees and elbows, and they clash heads when up close but nothing comes of it. Ladd looks for a takedown entry, but Pennington is wise to it and keeps her upright. Ladd continues spamming knees to the midsection, and she muscles Pennington to her knees. Ladd looks to take Pennington’s back again, but she cannot get it when Pennington powers her way upright once more. Ladd is glommed on to the former title challenger, and they trade short knees to the body again and again. With seconds to spare, they push off and swing for the fences. Both women tag one another in a ferocious exchange of punches, and the fight ends before either can hurt the other.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ladd (29-28 Pennington)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ladd (29-28 Pennington)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ladd (29-28 Pennington)

The Official Result

Raquel Pennington def. Aspen Ladd via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Josh Fremd (185.5) vs. Anthony Hernandez (186)

Round 1

Two LFA vets will meet in the Octagon next in the middleweight division, in an early preliminary match elevated to the ESPN prelims due to the loss of Marcin Tybura vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik on Friday. Hernandez (8-2, 1 NC; 2-2 UFC) will look to lift his UFC record above .500 when he faces tough newcomer Fremd (9-2, 0-0 UFC), with the latter stepping in for Albert Duraev and Dricus Du Plessis. There is no touch of gloves as referee Herb Dean locks the cage door behind them, and Fremd starts off with several quick leg kicks. Hernandez shoots in from afar with a takedown, and the newcomer keeps his balance and wings elbows at his man. A big left hand gets Hernandez’ attention, and Hernandez backs away before attempting a takedown after clinching him up. Fremd keeps himself on his feet, and he begins to blast Hernandez with several knees. “Fluffy” wings an elbow from up top, and he ducks down for a double, before turning it to a single. Hernandez lifts Fremd up in the air and puts him down, and he quickly takes Fremd’s back. In pursuit of his arm-in guillotine choke, he moves over and around to snatch it up. Fremd fights his way back up to his feet and gets his neck out, but Hernandez is relentless as he yanks Fremd down to the ground again. With one hook in, Hernandez pounds on the side of Fremd’s head before setting up his modified guillotine choke. He switches the choke up to a brabo, before turning it back to his power guillotine. Fremd is not panicking, as he calmly turns his head out and gets back up to the fence. When grabbing the cage to stand, Dean admonishes him, and Fremd is on the ground again with Hernandez running game on him. Fremd works his way back up again, and Hernandez continues to threaten with submissions. A standing arm-triangle from Hernandez comes, but Fremd turns himself free and slams a knee into Hernandez’ chest. Hernandez swings wildly before tying Fremd up again, and he separates to drill a right hand on the jaw. Fremd pushes off and clocks Hernandez with his own right hook. Hernandez appears the better of the punch exchange, and he bursts forward and shoots low for a takedown to rip Fremd’s legs out from beneath him. Hernandez goes for his signature move once again, but abandons it to smash his knees in Fremd’s ribcage. Hernandez keeps Fremd down to end the round, and he scores several punches to the side for good measure before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez

Round 2

The second frame begins with Fremd pushing the pace, even if Hernandez strikes first with a left hand. As Fremd walks forward, Hernandez spins with a wheel kick that glances off his intended target. Hernandez frantically attacks for a takedown, and when the first attempt does not get Fremd down, the second drags him to his knees. Fremd is in defense mode when Hernandez grounds him, but Hernandez is unable to set up any submission as Fremd muscles back up to his feet. Hernandez looks for a neck any time he can, or occasionally lands an elbow. Fremd goes for a single to changes things up, and Hernandez hacks at the side and possibly back of the newcomer’s head with his elbows. Fremd catches Hernandez attempting to maneuver something with a roll through, putting Hernandez on his back. “Fluffy” scrambles, and when he does, Fremd jumps on to a guillotine choke and tries to set up mount with it. Hernandez kicks his legs and scrambles well enough to get his neck free, but Fremd is on top now. The debutant sets up an arm-triangle choke while in half guard, and Hernandez tries to sweep only for Fremd to end up in north-south position. Hernandez continues to move, and Fremd takes his back for a second, before Hernandez powers up to his feet. Fremd goes after a double, and he hits it as Hernandez is starting to take deep breaths. Hernandez works his way back up, and Fremd is still on him. When Fremd goes after a trip, Hernandez may have snagged the fence to stay on his feet, but it is uncalled and they continue. Fremd separates, and he lays into “Fluffy” with punches and a head kick to knock Hernandez back to the wall. As Fremd attacks, he falls neck-first into a choke attempt, and Hernandez cannot land it as Fremd keeps moving. Fremd winds up on his knees, and Hernandez boots him in the body. The furious round ends with one final scramble, where Fremd puts Hernandez on his back.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fremd
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fremd
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fremd

Round 3

The third round starts with a flurry, as both men want to end things early. Fremd attacks with all his might, but Hernandez is able to go low and take him down. Fremd works his way back up, and Hernandez lifts him off the ground and slams him hard to the canvas. From there, Hernandez sets up his arm-in guillotine choke, and Fremd shrugs it off and pushes through a follow-up brabo choke to get on his knees but safe from submission danger for the moment. Fremd goes for a double, and Hernandez stacks him up and snatches up a guillotine to slide into mount. Hernandez climbs into a dominant top position, and he starts slashing down with elbows before Fremd sits back to his knees. Hernandez blasts him with several heavy knees to the shoulder and side, and he climbs on to Fremd’s back to get hooks in. Fremd turns, only for Hernandez to secure mount for a second, before he gets hold of the back control again. Fremd’s mouthpiece goes flying, and when Fremd reaches for it, Hernandez is on him in an instant. With a hook around Fremd’s back, he is able to keep Fremd grounded and work on him with elbows. Hernandez attacks a rear-naked choke, and when that fails, he claims mount. With a tiny lull in the action, Dean replaces Fremd’s mouthpiece, and “Fluffy” attacks when they resume. Fremd swings a no-look elbow, but Hernandez ignores it to keep his back control and keep looking for submissions or some angle in which to pursue them. Fremd gets pushed back to the wall when on his knees, and Hernandez smashes him in the ribcage with a powerful knee. As Fremd scrambles, Hernandez turns all the way around to lock in an inverted triangle choke, as he grips his hands around Fremd’s waist. Dean checks Fremd to make sure he is still conscious, and Fremd gives him a thumbs-up. The fight ends in this position, with “Fluffy” unable to elicit the tap despite a litany of attempts. What a fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Hernandez (29-27 Hernandez)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Hernandez (29-27 Hernandez)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez (29-28 Hernandez)

The Official Result

Anthony Hernandez def. Josh Fremd via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Ian Garry (170.5) vs. Darian Weeks (170.5)

Round 1

It’s time to find out if “The Future” is really the future of the organization, when proud Irish prospect Garry (8-0, 1-0 UFC) aims to keep his unbeaten record intact against hard-charging Weeks (5-1, 0-1 UFC). The welterweights will draw oversight from referee Herb Dean, and they are happy to touch gloves before the inevitable brawl commences. Weeks marches forward, engaging first with a kick to the body. The Irishman replies with a front kick to the chest. Weeks is stalking the undefeated fighter down, but not letting loose before he corners him. Chants of “Ole ole ole” rain down in support of the man from Ireland, and Weeks keeps calmly walking Garry down. Garry eats a leg kick, and he sweeps the leg in a response with a hard kick to the calf of his own. “The Future” lands a punch or two as Weeks keeps a high guard, and he absorbs a clean left hand down the pipe as Weeks bears down on him. Garry sneaks out a jab, and Weeks walks into a knee when he goes after a takedown. The knee does not fluster Weeks, who attempts to trip Garry down but cannot get him there. Weeks circles around to take Garry’s back standing, and he kicks at Garry’s leg to try to sweep him down. Weeks mixes things up with a high knee, and he switches things around with his hands clasped to try to hit a body lock. Garry does not fall for any of it, and pushes away so that he can land a front kick and have a head kick blocked. Garry goes low with a calf kick, and Weeks walks through it but does not answer it. They trade right hands, and Weeks ducks back when Garry throws a front kick at his face. A body kick from Weeks knocks Garry off-balance, and Garry scrambles back up as Weeks kicks at his knee. Weeks charges with a left hand, and he clinches Garry up and knees him in the thigh. Garry slides out of the way when Weeks tries to land a few strikes on the break, and a single stomp kick to the knee ends the round from Weeks.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garry
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Garry
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Garry

Round 2

The fighters touch gloves to start off the second round, and Weeks starts up where he left off with a consistent forward movement that backs Garry up. The Irishman snaps out a pair of jabs that sting Weeks, and Weeks gathers himself and strides forward to kick down at Garry’s knee. Weeks swipes at him with a left hook that misses the mark, and he tries to cut Garry off, but Garry is quicker and tags him with a right hand on the way out. A brief mirror match of feinting and faking ensues, with both eventually kicking at the same time and clashing legs. Garry pokes out with several jabs as he stays moving, going laterally until Weeks crashing the pocket and clinches him up. The American holds him tight, but he does little else with it besides cling to him and occasionally bring up knees. Fireworks go off in a local park, and fans and the commentary team are briefly confused before commentator Joe Rogan informs the audience of this. Weeks cracks Garry with a right hand, and they clack legs again. Garry strings two punches together, and he pushes out another one-two as Weeks plods forward. Garry catches Weeks coming forward with a head kick, and Weeks eats it and moves straight at him. Garry potshots him with a few one-twos, and Weeks blocks most of them but a few get through. Garry kicks the body, and he plants the end of a right hand around to guard. Weeks rips the body with a right hand, and he comes forward to push through a kick so that he can pursue a takedown. Weeks grabs his man and lifts him in the air, but Garry is crafty enough to stay on his feet. Thanks to a fence grab, Garry does manage to stay upright, and Weeks pops him with a right hand. Garry leaps in the air with a knee, and they both smack each other with punches as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garry
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Garry
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Garry

Round 3

The two fighters slap hands and briefly hug to begin the final frame, and Weeks looks much more amped up and ready to start throwing hammers. Weeks chases Garry down, and he scores a few punches, but Garry replies with a long, straight left hand. Garry nails his foe with a front kick on the chin, and he follows it with a few punches as Weeks tries to roll with the punches. Weeks wears it well and keeps marching forward, even as Garry snipes him on the way in. Weeks dives low for a single, and Garry sprawls away from it and pierces the midsection with a left hand. Weeks throws a haymaker of a right hand, and Garry is well out of harm’s way when it was set to reach him. Weeks connects with a stomping kick to the knee, and Garry rings him up with a few punches and a head kick to punctuate the combo. Weeks keeps advancing but his volume is sparse, as Garry jabs him several times and chains a few punches after. Weeks swings and misses, and Garry is able to push off with a front kick. Weeks will not slow down coming forward, but Garry is leading the dance by connecting practically at will. Weeks charges and pops Garry with a few punches and a knee, and Garry’s nose is busted up because of it. Garry winds up with a big right hand and smashes Weeks in the face, dropping Weeks to a knee. The Irishman does not try to finish the job, instead letting Weeks get his wits about him as Weeks rushes in for a telegraphed takedown. Garry turns him around in the fence, planting a knee on Weeks’ jaw as he takes Weeks back standing. Weeks spins around and tries to unload with a right hand, but Garry is well out of the way. Weeks gives chase, landing a few punches right on the bloodied nose of his foe, and Garry sneaks away before the heavier blows land. Garry stays elusive, on his bike, as Weeks looks for one last salvo. Garry eats a few, ducks down, and is forced to fight off a takedown with seconds to spare. The final bell rings, and they embrace after their 15 minutes of fighting.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garry (30-27 Garry)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Garry (30-27 Garry)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Garry (30-27 Garry)

The Official Result

Ian Garry def. Darian Weeks via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Mark O. Madsen (155) vs. Vinc Pichel (155.5)

Round 1

Carrying on a career racked by injury, 39-year-young Pichel (14-2, 7-2 UFC) will enter into his 10th UFC bouts after nearly 10 years with the company. In this lightweight main card opener, he will attempt to become the first man to defeat “The Olympian” Madsen (11-0, 3-0 UFC), who claimed a silver medal in Greco-Roman in 2016 for Denmark. Marshaling the Octagon will be referee James Larry Folsom, who keeps a close watch on this one even though they touch gloves sportingly ahead of their melee. Pichel takes the center of the cage, and he leads off with a low kick that makes Madsen take a funny step. Madsen replies with one of his own. Pichel throws a front kick, and he sets it down to have his lead leg kick hard. The Danish fighter goes after another calf kick, and Pichel jumps forward with a front kick in response. “The Olympian” continues his offense almost exclusively of leg kicks, and Pichel is not checking them and just walking through them. “From Hell” lets go with a slapping body kick, and when Madsen keeps battering his lead leg, Pichel is forced to switch stances. Pichel jabs at him several times, but they all miss the mark, as Madsen rips the lead leg kick again. Pichel gives him back one low kick, and a right hand grazes the target. Pichel winds up on a right hook, and he starts talking to the Danish fighter after landing it. Madsen will not stop kicking Pichel’s calf, and it is turning a brilliant shade of red even with Pichel’s tattoo. Pichel welcomes a brawl, backing up and landing a big kick to the body, as Madsen chases after him and slugs it out for a moment. Pichel backs away, and he gives Madsen to heavy leg kicks back. The Olympic silver medalist changes levels to hit his first takedown of the fight, and Pichel scrambles and fights out of a possible choke setup to get back to his feet. They both trade punches when upright again, and Pichel delivers a thudding low kick before checking one that comes back at him. Pichel puts heat on a right hand, and when that misses, Madsen responds with one that blasts straight into Pichel’s mustache. Pichel laughs it off, and he scores a low kick and a right hand on the bell. Concerned it might be a little after the bell, Pichel quickly apologizes, and Madsen is not concerned.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Madsen
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Madsen
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Madsen

Round 2

The lightweights touch ‘em up to start Round 2, and Pichel comes out jumping back and forth switching stances and playing hands to disrupt Madsen. Madsen darts forward, and a finger grazes into his eye. Madsen waves it off, and the two trade jabs for a time. Madsen looks for a trip, and when that fails, his foe waves him forward. Madsen does not oblige him, instead sitting back as Pichel’s low kick finds a home on his own calf. Pichel cracks him with an overhand right, and Madsen winds up with a big low kick that is dodged in time. They trade big punches, and then commit to low kicks one after the other. They take turns attacking one another, and Pichel tries to break up the rhythm with a swiping left hand. Madsen closes in to take him down, dragging him down from behind with relative ease. Wrenching Pichel to his knees, he eventually muscles Pichel over to his back. The American scrambles, and he threatens with a heel hook on his back. Pichel sets up a calf slicer unexpectedly from a strange angle, and Madsen wings an elbow behind him that smacks Pichel right in the nose. Madsen fights his way back up to his feet, and he is immediately forced to defend a single. “The Olympian” sprawls well to back off and stand up, where they begin to trade hands again. Pichel lets loose with a few uppercuts and punches, mixing them up before going after a double-leg takedown to ground Madsen for the first time in his UFC career. Pichel lands a few punches from on top before the horn sounds, and then he shoves Madsen away.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pichel
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pichel
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pichel

Round 3

The third round begins as both men throw hard at one another. Pichel lands, Madsen replies, and Pichel leaps in the air with a knee that cracks Madsen on the chin. Madsen blocks the counters, and he is forced to defend when Pichel scores high and low in a varied attack. After concluding a combination with a leg kick, he drops down for a single, and this time, Madsen stops it in its tracks. Pichel breaks off when Madsen attempts to turn the tables and take him to the mat, and he just misses with a big right hand. Pichel resets, and the Danish fighter bull-rushes him with a takedown right in the center of the cage. Madsen looks to keep his foe down, but “From Hell” is always busy scrambling, even throwing his legs up to set up a triangle choke. Madsen pushes through it and advances to half guard, only to get sucked back to full guard. Pichel is throwing punches and elbows from off his back while Madsen secures position and keeps him flat on his back, and the crowds rains down boos at Madsen’s lay-and-pray approach. The American tries to strike with elbows, and Madsen steps over to half guard to trap Pichel again. “The Olympian” slowly sets up an arm-triangle choke, and Pichel threatens off his back with a kimura in an effort to sweep. Madsen wriggles his arm out, and Pichel begins trash talking him as Madsen holds him down with little other offense. The audience is giving Madsen the business as Madsen has embraced the grind, and Pichel uses their irritation to energize himself and get to a knee. Pichel then threatens with a kneebar as Madsen tries to wrench him back down, and Madsen lands a punch or two from above. “From Hell” explodes back up to his feet, and what turned into a grueling fight comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Madsen (29-28 Madsen)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Madsen (29-28 Madsen)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Madsen (29-28 Madsen)

The Official Result

Mark O. Madsen def. Vinc Pichel via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Mackenzie Dern (115.5) vs. Tecia Torres (115.5)

Round 1

The last women’s bout of the evening brings a match as close as the classic “striker vs. grappler” archetype can get, as BJJ wizard Dern (11-2, 6-2 UFC) will attempt to become the first fighter to finish “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (13-5, 9-5 UFC). In it for the long haul is referee Keith Peterson, who understands the stakes for this strawweight affair just as much as anyone else and will not allow any nonsense. The ladies touch gloves, and Dern charges with an overhand right. Torres is easily out of the way, and she slides out of the way when Dern attacks to pop her with an overhand right. Dern throws too hard with her punches, and her movement allows her to fall into Torres. “The Tiny Tornado” does not let her use the close proximity to pursue a takedown or try to body lock or trip her, and instead Torres keeps a wide berth. Torres sticks out a few jabs, and she times a Dern leap to slide out of the way. Torres dips away with a right hand, and Dern eats it and grabs hold of her. Torres turns her into the fence, and Dern looks to trip her out or otherwise yank her down to the mat. Torres grinds her opponent into the wall instead of breaking away to avoid any grappling exchanges, and then suddenly bursts out of the way to land a trio of punches. Dern jumps face-first into a punch, and Torres is far faster at landing punches and avoiding Dern’s looping shots. Torres intercepts Dern coming in with a kick to the knee, and she lands two more right after as Dern can do nothing but walk her down. Dern tries to grab her from behind the neck to punch her with her free hand, only for Torres to slip out of harm’s way without concern. Torres lands two punches and an inside leg kick, and Dern clips her with a right hand when sitting down on a punch. A kick from “The Tiny Tornado” interrupts Dern coming in, and Dern still loads up on punches and mostly hits air. Dern does score a right hand when throwing a salvo of strikes, and she gets off another as Torres wants to engage with her. The Florida native bites down on her mouthpiece and lands flush, and Dern stings her with a big right hand. Torres slips and rips, hyperextending her foe's knee briefly with a kick. A pair of side kicks from Torres land on the body and push Dern away, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Torres
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Torres
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Torres

Round 2

Dern leads off the second round with a leaping right hand, and Torres ducks out of the way and cracks Dern with a similar punch of her own. Torres lands a few punches, and Dern ties her up and pulls guard. Torres stays standing instead of falling to the mat, and while keeping Dern upright, Dern pulls for a kimura. Torres leans against the fence to keep the torque from her shoulder, but she turns Dern around as Dern wrenches on that arm with all her might. Dern transitions into an armbar, and Torres places on the ground as Dern goes after the submission. “The Tiny Tornado” is composed and calm despite the imminent danger, and she wrests her arm out but does not stand back up. Dern works for an armbar on her back, as Torres stacks her up to prevent the submission danger. It is a battle of wills as Dern has an arm locked down, and Torres is slowly able to free it so Dern attacks a leg. In search of a kneebar, Dern forces Torres to roll, and Torres hooks her legs together to keep it from being completely set. When Torres pulls her knee back, Dern shifts for a toe hold, and that too falls short. Dern tries to punch behind her back a few times, and the round ends in this precarious position without getting a tap.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dern
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dern

Round 3

Torres keeps a safe range to start off Round 3, and she hops back when Dern plods forward. Torres lands a quick jab, and she spins with a back kick as Dern comes at her. Dern connects with a heavy body kick, and she loops a pair of punches that make Torres retreat. Torres chops at Dern’s calf, and then pushes off with a side kick. Dern strides forward, unconcerned about anything to come back at her, as Torres’ offense is muted given that she wants to keep Dern away. A few pitter-patter punches and kicks come from Torres in an effort to back Dern off, and Dern is constantly coming at her. Torres spins with a wheel kick, and Dern walks through it and snatches up the single with Torres’ leg in the air. Dern kicks the other leg out, and Torres gets off an upkick that slams into Dern’s chest, pushing Dern off of her. Dern is hurt or at least shocked, and Torres lets loose with a short barrage of punches. Dern stands up, and Torres spins with a back kick to the side. The ladies continue to trade punches, and “The Tiny Tornado” is energized from the exchange and her success to get off the mat. Torres trips her opponent up after landing a right hand, and she backs away to make Dern return to her feet. Playing the matador to the bull, Torres slips out of the way when Dern swings wildly with big punches. Dern eats a front kick to the chest, and Torres keeps working her with kicks and long punches as Dern ambles forward. Dern sits down on a right hand, and Torres shoots in for a single. With a second to go, the ladies both hit the mat, and Dern winds up on top. This could be a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Torres (29-28 Torres)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Torres (29-28 Torres)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Torres (29-28 Torres)

The Official Result

Mackenzie Dern def. Tecia Torres via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Gilbert Burns (170) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (170)

Round 1

The people’s main event is here now, as former title challenger Burns (20-4, 13-4 UFC) will try to blunt the momentum of wrecking machine Chimaev (10-0, 4-0 UFC). The finish-friendly welterweights with a substantial size disparity – Chimaev is taller, longer in the arms and appears much heavier – will receive supervision from veteran ref Mike Beltran, who will need to be ready to jump in at any moment. The intensity is palpable, and there is absolutely no interest in a glove touch. Chimaev pressures right out of the gate, kicking with front kicks with both legs. From there, he darts in for a takedown, and Burns stuffs it. Chimaev presses him into the wall, and Burns complains that at least one knee collided with his cup. Beltran does not intervene, and Chimaev shoots in for a low single. Chimaev lifts Burns off the ground and sets him down, and he ties up one of Burns’ legs before pulling Burns down flat to the mat. Burns keeps two-on-one wrist control to fight his way back to his feet, and he lets go with an elbow as Chimaev ducks down to wrap him up and bring him down. Burns rolls through to let Chimaev lord over him, and after a few Chimaev low kicks, Beltran lets Burns stand back up. Burns pushes off a knee and winds up with a right hand, but it comes up short of the mark. A heavy kick from Burns turns Chimaev around, and Chimaev crashes forward with heavy hands. Burns rolls with the punches, and he boots the body with a kick. Burns sits down on a huge right hand, and he knocks Chimaev back as Chimaev waves him on. Burns lands a low kick and catches Chimaev with a left hook, and Chimaev staggers back but gets his bearings. “Borz” storms forward with a trio of punches, and Burns bounces off the fence and lets loose with a right hand over the top. Burns swings with a few punches as Chimaev backs off, and then Chimaev comes back at him and eats a left hook on the chin. Burns blocks a few punches and counters with a heavy overhand right, and he scores a hard leg kick and a left hand that knocks Chimaev off his feet. Chimaev scrambles back to his feet, whether from being knocked down or slipping from throwing so hard, and he delivers a thudding low kick on the Brazilian’s leg. A straight right hand from the undefeated fighter blasts Burns and knocks him off his feet, and after a fierce scramble, Chimaev backs off and lets Burns get back to his feet. Chimaev intercepts Burns coming in, and the Brazilian is cut high on his forehead. Chimaev gets tagged with a huge right hand, and a left knocks him back right at the bell. What a round!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chimaev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Chimaev
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Chimaev

Round 2

The first few seconds of the second round are tense until Chimaev punctuates the lull with a slapping leg kick. Burns ducks down with a takedown, and Chimaev nearly tags him with a right hand on the way in as he stuffs it. Burns gets back up and jumps forward with a swiping right hook, and Chimaev comes back with one that is blocked. A pair of jabs from Chimaev split the guard, and Burns answers him with a right hand that stings him. Burns rolls with a punch and kicks the body hard, and Chimaev winces and slams his shin into Burns calf. Burns leaves a left hand out too long and gets countered, and he lands two low kicks and a right hand over the top. Chimaev attacks back at him, and Burns grabs his leg for a single and cannot hit it. “Borz” stays on his feet as he hops back, and Burns resets. Chimaev gets nailed with a left hand, and he drops Chimaev. Burns lets him stand up so that he can blast him with more strikes, and Chimaev is hurt badly but still throwing back. Burns does not empty his gas tank, but he does bust Chimaev up. Burns gets rocked with a pair of punches that come back at him, and Burns kicks the body to further deplete his foe’s gas tank. Chimaev chops at the lead leg, and Burns nails him with a left hook. Chimaev just misses with a massive left hook, and he rocks Chimaev with a right. Chimaev stuffs a takedown that comes at him, and Burns falls to his back to set up a submission. Chimaev stands up, and Burns drills him in the body with a kick that sends Chimaev flying. They both climb back up to their feet, and he rings Chimaev’s bell with a right hand. Chimaev comes back at him, but Burns is getting the better of the exchanges. Burns catches his foe, and he slips out of the way and rolls with a few right hooks. “Durinho” lands a low kick on the inside, and he smacks the unbeaten fighter with a left hand. A body kick and a right hand connect cleanly for the Brazilian, and Chimaev attacks with a flurry. Burns cracks his foe with a right hand, and Chimaev falls to the ground again. Burns kicks at him when Chimaev is down, and there is no call on it, so they resume throwing. Burns gets taken down in a wild exchange, and when the round ends, Chimaev slaps Burns after the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 3

Burns begins the final frame with a body kick and a low kick, and Chimaev advances but does not throw. Burns jabs, and Chimaev jabs back harder. The two go strike-for-strike, and Burns backs away and counters effectively. The Chimaev jab is his best weapon, as he backs Burns up and cuts up the side of his eye. “Durinho” shoots for a takedown, and Chimaev is powerful enough to stay upright even on the second attempt that comes right after. Burns lands, Chimaev fires back, and Burns is hurt from an exchange. Burns shells up against the fence, and Chimaev leans in with a knee and heavy punches. They tie up against the wire, and Burns is sucking wind now. When they separate, it is Burns who lands harder with a huge right hand, and Chimaev staggers but keeps his balance. Burns hops forward with a few left hands while Chimaev is delivering sharp jabs on the chin. Chimaev backs his man up again, with Burns bleeding badly, and Burns swings wildly with power punches. Two punches get Burns’ attention, and he works the body with a front kick after Burns swings at him. A clean uppercut rocks Burns, but Burns is able to grit through it and wing a right hand that knocks Chimaev back. Burns throws a pair of hooks, and a right hand lands square on the temple. Chimaev loads up on a right hand of his own, and these two are still swinging with everything they have. Burns goes up high with a kick, and he wipes his eye from the blood flowing into it. Burns wings a right hook, and Chimaev closes in on him but backs off when there is nothing to the exchange. Chimaev marches forward like a Terminator, and Burns clubs him with a right hand that stuns him. With everything he has and more, Burns rocks Chimaev again with a trio of hooks. Chimaev stays up on his feet, and Burns looks to the clock to see when it’s time for one final barrage. Burns wings power punches, and he kicks as Chimaev jumps at him with a knee to knock both of them off their feet. They swing for the bleachers right to the final bell, ending an absolutely spectacular battle that lived up to the hype and then some. Regardless of who gets their hand raised, fight fans certainly got their money’s worth.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns (29-28 Burns)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Chimaev (29-28 Chimaev)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Chimaev (29-28 Chimaev)

The Official Result

Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC Bantamweight Title Fight:
Aljamain Sterling (134.5) vs. Petr Yan (134)

Round 1

Bad blood has been brewing between these bantamweights for over a year now, as Sterling (20-3, 12-3 UFC) and Yan (16-2, 8-1 UFC) will run it back after their first meeting at UFC 259 in March 2021. While Sterling had early success, Yan picked it up in the later rounds before landing an illegal knee and losing his title by disqualification. Everyone at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena hopes that this championship rematch and title unifier will avoid any such controversy, and referee Keith Peterson is on call to make sure no nonsense comes from this fight. Unsurprisingly, there is no touch of gloves, as these two just want to hit one another. Sterling strikes first with a kick to the body, and he stays on the outside as he lets go with a high kick shortly thereafter. Yan walks him down, keeping his guard high and tight, while Sterling chips at his lead leg. In Florida, fans are chanting for the Russian fighter that landed an illegal blow to disqualify him, and not an American who received the illegal strike. Some parts of the crowd try to counter this with “USA” chants, meanwhile the pace is slow and calm in the cage between the two. Sterling is only throwing kicks, while Yan is not willing to commit to any power punches. Sterling shoots in for a takedown, and Yan pushes him away and backs off. Sterling scores a body kick, and he eats a jab and gets backed up to the cage wall. Yan lets loose with a sudden left hook and a kick, but he pulls back as Sterling circles away. Sterling thinks about trying another takedown, and he gets shucked off quickly. The Russian wings a left hand, and he stands right in front of Sterling unafraid of anything that the American dishes out. Both men throw punches so hard, they topple over, but nothing comes from either falling over. Yan eats a right hand, comes back with a left, and Sterling ends the combination with a body kick. Yan darts forward with a pair of left hands, and Sterling skirts out of the way and steps in with an elbow. “Funk Master” stays funky with stance switches and awkward movement, landing many kicks at range and keeping Yan guessing. Yan comes forward recklessly and into a single-leg takedown try, and Sterling gets stuffed for it. The round ends as Yan scores a left hook.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sterling

Round 2

They come out a little more intense than the previous round, with Sterling sticking out several low kicks as Yan walks forward. Yan misses on a punch as Sterling stays elusive kicking from range. Sterling swings right hands at him, and Yan ducks and plods forward to boot the New Yorker in the midsection. Sterling plants the ball of his foot on Yan’s chest, and he shoots in for a takedown after it. Sterling latches on to a kick from Yan, and he trips Yan out as they race to scramble. In the frenzied ground exchange, Sterling locks up a body triangle and takes Yan’s back. Yan leans back to the fence, and Sterling makes his opponent’s life miserable by covering his mouth, popping him in the face to soften him up and threaten with chokes. Yan boxes from behind his head to little effect, while Sterling is body slamming his fists into Yan’s sides. Yan traps one of Sterling’s arms beneath his armpit, in hopes of frustrating Sterling and fighting off a choke, and Sterling frees his hand and looks to set up a choke. Yan leans to his side, and Sterling begins to load up on punches to the side of the head that hurt Yan. As one of his powerful punches lands, he snakes his arm beneath Yan’s neck. Yan rolls over to his stomach, and Sterling is happy to take this posture as he smashes Yan in the face with vicious ground-and-pound. The body triangle is still tight while Sterling has mount, and he continues to slug away until Yan turns to give up his back again. Yan does not appear upset that he is being controlled and pummeled, and Sterling continues to smack him upside the head. The round comes to an end with Sterling working the body.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Sterling
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Sterling
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Sterling

Round 3

Yan strides out of his corner pawing out jabs, and Sterling lands with a hard body kick. Yan comes out firing, and Sterling ducks and shoots in for a takedown. The Russian stops it, and Sterling backs off to kick the body. A powerful leg kick drills Sterling on the calf, and he appears slightly compromised from the strike. Yan continues to kick at his lead leg, and Sterling shoots again. Yan presses forward and pushes Sterling on the mat, but he does not do anything with it. Sterling attacks with all his might for a takedown, and when Yan stops it, Yan gets hurt with a few punches. The Russian is suddenly in trouble from either absorbing strikes or hurting himself when evading the blows. With this momentum, Sterling jumps forward for a takedown, and this one, he hits as he trips Yan out. As soon as they hit the mat, Sterling circles around to take Yan’s back, where he resumes the position he rode out most of Round 2. Sterling quickly threatens with choke attempts, and he cinches up a body triangle and starts pounding on the side of Yan’s head. Yan wriggles but there is no way to break the grip around his body, and he is forced to fight off choke tries. Yan barrel rolls while Sterling is on his back, and the back control time is adding up fast. He cannot get a choke, but he rides the back without letting up. Yan explodes with a second to spare and flips Sterling over, but the round is over before he can fully take control.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sterling

Round 4

Sterling strikes first with punches to the body, and Yan counters him effectively and rocks Sterling with his initial salvo of punches. Sterling falls to his knees, and he lets Yan grapple him and looks to sweep or reverse him to put Yan on the ground. Yan backs off, and Sterling follows him in pursuit of a takedown. The Russian pushes him away and scores a hard leg kick, leading into another takedown entry for “Funk Master.” Sterling gets pushed to the mat on his knees, and Yan punches him a few times before they both stand up. Sterling scrambles and gets up, and Yan rails him with a clean knee that wobbles him. Sterling lands a front kick as well, and a subsequent strike may have bounced off Yan’s cup. Yan motions that it landed, and Sterling backs off to let Peterson assess the possible foul. Peterson does not call it, and Sterling advances to go after another takedown. Yan leans over to stop it, and in the process, Sterling circles around to take his back standing up. Yan shimmies him off and slides Sterling down to the ground, where the Russian climbs into Sterling’s guard. Yan begins to grind” Funk Master” out with short punches to the side, holding Sterling down and doing little else with the position. Sterling is able to lock him down, perhaps in hopes of a referee standup, and Yan bursts back to his feet and drops down a hammer of a right hand. Sterling rolls through and gets to a knee, so Yan lets him to this to drop down some punches and elbows. Sterling grabs hold of Yan’s leg in an attempt to sweep him, and Yan remains heavy on top in an odd position where he can drop down a punch or two. The round ends as Yan sprawls a takedown from Sterling.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Yan

Round 5

The bantamweights meet in the middle, and they both throw kicks. A body kick from Sterling is blocked, leading to him falling to the mat. He springs back up, and he lands another kick to the midsection. Yan plants his shin on Sterling’s calf, and Sterling rushes forward to snatch up a single and deposit Yan to the ground. When that does not succeed, Yan gets up and cracks Sterling with a right hand. Sterling rips the body with a left hand, and he telegraphs his way in with a takedown that is stuffed with ease. Sterling steps in with an elbow, surprising Yan, and he circles around to partially take Yan’s back to drag him down. Sterling presses Yan, who is standing with both hands on the mat, to the fence, but he does not throw an illegal knee. After Sterling knees the thigh, Yan explodes and gets back to the center of the cage. Two failed attempts from Sterling lead to a third try, and Yan is composed and careful not to succumb to getting grounded. Yan gets off a punch, and he leaps forward with a knee that partially connects as Sterling barely gets up his guard. Yan lands a right hand, and he shoves Sterling over and circles to take Sterling’s back on his knees. Yan lands soft punches as Sterling fights his way back to his feet, and he just misses with a head kick on the break. They land punches at the same time, and Sterling connects with an up-elbow. Yan wildly scrambles to stop a takedown from Sterling, where he claims Sterling’s back and keeps him stuck on the ground. Yan knees the body while Sterling is downed, and Sterling scoots his way to the fence as he remains on his knees. Yan gets his hooks in and considers a rear-naked choke, but he stands up as Yan lets go of the choke. When the final horn sounds, the two celebrate after a hard-fought battle, and they appear to have buried the hatchet.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yan (48-46 Sterling)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Yan (48-46 Sterling)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Yan (48-46 Sterling)

The Official Result

Aljamain Sterling def. Petr Yan via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)

UFC Featherweight Title Fight:
Alexander Volkanovski (144.5) vs. Chan Sung Jung (144.5)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached the main event of the evening, one that is also accompanied with the biggest betting favorite on the card. Around -750 and holding, Volkanovski (23-1, 10-0 UFC) is on a mission to become the 11th fighter in company history to amass a win streak above 10 in a row. He will look to do so, and defend his featherweight strap for the third time, when he comes to blows with extremely live underdog “The Korean Zombie” Jung (17-6, 7-3 UFC). Unlike the last few matches, there is ample respect between these two, and gloves are happily touched before they are traded mercilessly on one another. Referee Herb Dean, who draws loud cheers from the audience, is locked in for what could be a thriller in this headliner, and away we go. Jung walks forward to engage first, and the fans in the building appropriately cheer his nickname of “Zombie.” They tensely follow one another early, and Volkanovski lands a heavy low kick that surprises Jung. A right hand connects for the champ and he inadvertently gets poked in the eye. Volkanovski is fast and hitting hard, and he clips Jung with a crisp left hook. They clash heads, and there are no ill effects from it. Chipping away from the outside, Volkanovski works on the lead leg of “The Korean Zombie.” They trade powerful jabs, and Jung jumps forward to swat with a pair of punches. A speedy head kick comes over the top from Volkanovski, and Jung just evades a huge right hand. Jung walks into a jab so he can commit to a low kick, and Volkanovski rings his foe’s bell with jabs and power punches that follow. Some swelling begins to grow around the South Korean’s eye, and his nose is turning red from the unblocked strikes. Volkanovski connects with a low kick and chains it into a big left hand, and Jung is shaken up but stays composed. Volkanovski snaps out a jab that works on the right eye of “The Korean Zombie,” who marches forward fearlessly despite taking some damage early on. Volkanovski pushes his foe up against the wall, and he trips him out to the mat with ease. Jung is able to fight his way back up, and he leaves his neck out for a possible guillotine choke. The Aussie bails on it when Jung stands upright, and he pops him with a clean left and changes stances to frustrate Jung coming forward. Volkanovski keeps a jab going, and he swipes with a right and tags Jung with a right that knocks “The Korean Zombie” off his feet. Jung pops back up, and the round ends with a leg kick that knocks Jung right back down.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Volkanovski
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Volkanovski
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Volkanovski

Round 2

They clap hands to start off the second period, and they both initiate their jabs. Jung paws at him with a left hook and plants his shin on Volkanovski’s calf, which immediately turns red. Volkanovski tosses out a few high kicks that are blocked, and Jung snaps out a right hand. Jung throws so hard he falls over, and when he stands, he has a kick checked that makes him recoil his right leg in pain. Volkanovski blasts “The Korean Zombie” with a powerful punch, and Jung keeping his hands low is not working to his benefit as Volkanovski is landing practically at will. Volkanovski slides forward with a low kick, and a straight right hand pushes Volkanovski back. Jung scores a clean front kick on the chin, and Volkanovski eats it like shrimp on the Barbie. Jung gets rocked with a clubbing right hand from Volkanovski, and Volkanovski thinks about giving chase but lets him back up. Jung sits down on a counter left hand, cracking the champ and making Volkanovski think twice about coming in to finish the job. Volkanovski trips his opponent’s feet out and claims top position, and Jung scrambles and avoids most of the damaging strikes to get back up. “The Korean Zombie” ducks a huge right hook and gets muscled against the wall. Volkanovski elbows, scores a right and a left, and whiffs on a monster left hook. Jung might be too tough for his own good, as he continues to take punishment from the Aussie. Hearkening back to his rugby days, Volkanovski simply tackles Jung over, bowling him to the mat. When Jung turns to his knees, Volkanovski unloads with an uppercut that barely misses. Jung comes forward, and Volkanovski is able to anticipate his attacks and counter, or jab to catch him on the way in. Jung scores a leg kick, Volkanovski jabs, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Volkanovski
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Volkanovski
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Volkanovski

Round 3

The third round opens up with a glove touch, and Jung is on the offensive only to walk face-first into a head kick. When he tries to respond in kind, Volkanovski slips him and moves. Jung bites down on his mouthpiece and throws bombs, clipping the champ and making him back off. A jab pierces Volkanovski’s guard, and the Aussie kicks low. Jung and his opponent trade heavy leather, and Jung stumbles and gets his balance again. Jung sits down on a clean uppercut, making the champion shake it off and backpedal. Jung keeps pressing the pace, landing another uppercut as he walks through blows. Volkanovski goes after his lead leg, and he connects with a crisp right hand and is about a centimeter short from a booming left hook. Volkanovski goes back to his bread-and-butter jab, and none seem to disrupt Jung’s forward momentum. Changing levels in the blink of an eye, Volkanovski drops down for a takedown, and he puts Jung on the mat for a second. “The Korean Zombie,” possibly bolstered by his Fight Ready training, is able to climb back up to his feet without being grounded for long. Jung marches down Volkanovski, absorbing jabs and hooks, but giving a few back as well. Volkanovski shoots low for a takedown after a low kick, and Jung stuffs it and comes out firing. Volkanovski beats him to the punch, figuratively and literally, with his fists and feet. Jung walks through a leg kick to whip his own, and he tries to go punch-for-punch with Volkanovski but the champ is quicker on the draw. A left to the body and a right to the head come out for Jung, and Volkanovski bounces off the wall and resets like nothing happened. Jung bears down on him with a long right hook, and Volkanovski catches him with a low kick coming forward. Jung lets rip with a right hook, and Volkanovski counters him with two big punches that knock Jung off his feet. Volkanovski gives chase, pouncing on a downed Jung to try to finish the job. Jung defends from his back, and he is battered and bloodied but the round does end. Jung does not go back to his stool and instead sits on the floor as his team wipes him down between rounds. A corner stoppage would not be out of line at this point.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Volkanovski
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Volkanovski
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Volkanovski

Round 4

The doctor quickly comes in to check Jung’s condition between rounds, and Jung immediately says he wants to keep fighting, so they check in for the fourth round as they touch gloves. Volkanovski pushes out a jab and a leg kick, and he chains another kick on the calf as Jung reels from the strikes. Volkanovski snaps his head back with a few punches, and he goes after a low kick. With everything on it, the champion winds up and unloads a sharp jab and a brutal right hand that connects about as cleanly as one can, and he follows it with a right hand that practically knocks Jung clean out – only Jung is still on his feet, but his hands are down and he is completely in a daze. Dean recognizes that “The Korean Zombie” is a walking zombie at this point with nothing left to give, and he grabs Volkanovski from behind to stop the fight and put a merciful end to the beating. A standing TKO, an act of kindness to save Jung from further damage, is the result as Volkanovski is now on a 21-fight win streak, winning all 11 of his appearances inside the Octagon. A conversation will soon need to be had about the pound-for-pound greatness for the featherweight champion, as he has shown few signs of weakness in his run to the belt and his current title reign. Next week, welterweights are on the menu for an ESPN card with a rematch on top, as Vicente Luque takes on Belal Muhammad for the second time. We will be there for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Alexander Volkanovski def. Chan Sung Jung R4 0:45 via TKO (Punches)