UFC 293 ‘Adesanya vs. Strickland’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Kiefer Crosbie (170.85) vs. Kevin Jousset (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Jousset (-155), Crosbie (+130)

Round 1

It’s time to go back down under, with a fight card that should greatly appeal to the fans in the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney even if it may not be on paper the most scintillating for international audiences. When including a pair of foreign competitors that train out of the City Kickboxing camp, 10 of the 12 bouts on the billing see a “local” fighter against an adversary flying in from a great distance. The card starts with a fight that would otherwise be a classic matchup of France vs. Ireland, but for Jousset (8-2, 0-0 UFC) relocating to New Zealand for his camp. He battles SBG Ireland’s Crosbie (10-3, 0-0 UFC), who competed under the Bellator banner as recent as 2021. This opening welterweight affair, under the oversight of referee Jim Perdios, commences with a touch of gloves. Jousset leads the dance initially as the man pawing out to find his distance, and he lands first with a low kick. Crosbie responds with a leg kick that glances off the cup, and he claims he did not and Perdios does not intervene. Crosbie steps forward to dig a left to the body, and he closes the distance a second time with a left and a right on the temple. Jousset attempts another low kick, and Crosbie checks it and absorbs a flush left hand on the side of his head. Crosbie pays it no mind, doubles up on a jab and fires off a right hand, and Jousset stands firm and backs him off with a hefty overhand right. Jousset gets off a thudding calf kick that forces the Irishman to switch stances, and Crosbie manages to gather his thoughts and blitz forward with a right hook. Jousset ignores it and continues to chip on the lead wheel of his opponent, and an uppercut in the midst of a combination busts open Crosbie’s nose. Jousset picks at his man with front kicks and kicks to the calf, and Crosbie is ginger on his lead leg less than three minutes into their fight. Jousset punches his way into a clinch, and he thumps the thigh with a few knees before breaking and blasting Crosbie in the face with an elbow. Jousset backs off and dances out of the way of big strikes from “BDK,” and he connects with a left and a heavy right. They both attempt to load up on body kicks, but the two men turn into their impact to lessen the blows. Jousset stuns his foe with a right hand on the cheek, and he peppers the front leg with additional kicks. Crosbie swats out a few jabs, but there is little on them to keep Jousset at bay. Crosbie looks to hit a throw, and the Frenchman savvily grabs hold of a body lock and throws Crosbie down to his knees. Jousset immediately latches on to take Crosbie’s back, and the rear-naked choke follows in the blink of an eye. By the time Jousset already has the submission securely fastened, Crosbie decides it would be a good idea to fight the hands. It is far too late at that point, and after a second or two, Crosbie turns to his side, he is tapping out. With the victory, “Air Jousset” has now notched his first career submission, doing so over an opponent that had only tapped out once before as a pro.

The Official Result

Kevin Jousset def. Kiefer Crosbie R1 4:49 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Gabriel Miranda (144.95) vs. Shane Young (149.75: Missed Weight)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Young (-166), Miranda (+140)

Round 1

The next pairing comes in a bout initially scheduled for the featherweight division, between two men who are in serious need of a win. Having lost three in a row, Young (13-7, 2-4 UFC) missed weight by nearly four pounds and will likely lose his spot on the roster with another defeat tonight. Standing in his way will be Miranda (16-6, 0-1 UFC), whose 100% finish rate includes 14 first-round stoppages as a pro. Referee Greg Kleynjans will need to be on high alert right out of the gate, although these two men do touch gloves first. Young strikes first a few times with jabs, and when Miranda counters with a few kicks, Young replies with a big overhand right. Miranda rushes at his opponent and pursues a takedown, and he simply tries to tackle Young to the mat. Young hops to the side to try to stop the attempt, and Miranda slides around to grab hold of Young’s back in a hurry. The Brazilian pursues a body triangle and bullies Young to the wall from behind, all the while he fishes for a rear-naked choke. The choking arm presses on Young’s chin, and Miranda is dry as a bone and at full strength. Miranda wriggles his arm beneath the jaw as Young tries to hand-fight, but Young’s attempts to escape are practically ignored. Miranda squeezes with all his might, the rear-naked choke tight as can be, and Young flails his arm and kicks out in what might be a spasm and not a way to get out. Kleynjans sees that Young’s arm goes limp immediately thereafter, and he intervenes to stop the fight as Young has gone out on his shield. Miranda releases immediately as Young’s lifeless body slumps over. A few seconds later, Young snaps back awake, and he is informed that he was rendered unconscious for a moment. That makes 16 submissions in the 17 wins for the CM System fighter, and he becomes the first man to submit New Zealand’s Young.

The Official Result

Gabriel Miranda def. Shane Young R1 0:59 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Mike Mathetha (170.25) vs. Charlie Radtke (170.3)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Radtke (-310), Mathetha (+250)

Round 1

Rounding out the early prelims is yet another contest with a City Kickboxing trainee. This welterweight striker in Mathetha (3-2, 0-2 UFC) has yet to get things going in the Octagon, and his foe Radtke (7-3, 0-0 UFC) will be debuting with the promotion in hostile territory. Drawing the charge for this 170-pound scrap will be referee Herb Dean, and he sits back as the two competitors do not touch ‘em up. Mathetha is right in the center of the cage, where he tosses out a kick from his front leg. Radtke grabs it and counters with two right hands, and “Blood Diamond” pulls his leg back. Mathetha unloads with a pair of punches to get Radtke’s attention, and in his recklessness, he swings himself off-balance and allows Radtke to sling him against the fence with a body lock. Mathetha keeps himself upright, fighting off takedown efforts and trip attempts, and Radtke continues to pressure him and look to take the fight horizontally. Mathetha turns around to put his back against the fencing and protect himself from the back take possibility, and Radtke drops down to grab hold of the ankles of the Zimbabwean fighter. Mathetha keeps himself upright and knees the chest once, and Radtke presses close against him while remaining in the clinch. Mathetha lands another couple knees to the torso as Radtke grinds on him, and the crowd is not enjoying the stall. Neither is Dean, who claps for them to work. Mathetha takes initiative and pushes Radtke away, tagging Radtke with a left hand and pushing him away. When Radtke closes back in, Mathetha times a clean knee on the jaw. Radtke shakes his head and pops Mathetha in the chops with two punches, and he shoots in for a double that puts Mathetha on his seat. “Blood Diamond” springs right back up, wall-walking despite Radtke holding on from behind. Radtke loops one of his legs around in an effort to trip Mathetha out, and Mathetha hand-fights effectively to stop a level change from succeeding. Mathetha spins around again and delivers a knee to the body, and he tries to throw Radtke down only for the two to both drop to their knees. The horn sounds as they split up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Radtke

Round 2

Both welterweights make it to the center of the cage, and Radtke winds up and swings a big left hand that glances off the guard. Radtke walks through a body kick as he pressures the kickboxer back, and he parries a high kick to get off two punches up top. Mathetha throws a kick low, and the kick slams into the cup to draw an eventual stoppage from Dean after a moment of confusion. Radtke is good to go after about 30 seconds, and when they resume, Mathetha delivers a solid kick to the body. Radtke springs into action, unloading a vicious barrage of punches that rattle Mathetha all the way to his bones. Mathetha stumbles back, barely on his feet, and Radtke lays into him with a few more strikes before pulling back to not gas himself out. Mathetha shoots in for a desperation takedown, and Radtke stops it in its tracks and shoves the City Kickboxing fighter into the wire. Radtke drops to a knee to prevent a counter trip from his opponent, and he gets in a hook as he holds onto “Blood Diamond” from behind. Radtke is warned for inactivity, and he answers this by dropping down and cinching his hands together in pursuit of a double-leg takedown. Radtke changes his grip to grab hold of a single-leg entry, and that too fails. Mathetha sneaks in a few short punches, and Dean splits them up. Radtke protests and claims that Mathetha was grabbing his gloves, and they resume in striking range. Radtke paws out a left hand, and Mathetha wobbles again. This allows Radtke to sling two punches together, and the kickboxer barely blocks them in time. Radtke drills his man with a left hand and rushes forward to clinch him up, and he holds the fatiguing Mathetha against the wall. Mathetha tries to reach a few knees up high from close proximity, and Radtke stays pressed up tight. Dean tells them to work, and Radtke pushes off, connects with a left hook and leans back to dodge a spinning wheel kick. The two trade hands right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Radtke

Round 3

There is a final touch of gloves before the two engage in the last round. Both men get off a quick combination early, and Mathetha reaches out with a high kick. Radtke jabs, and Mathetha responds in kind. When Radtke puts his hands together, Mathetha flails back with a back fist, and he lays into Radtke with a right hand and a fierce pair of elbows. Radtke gets pushed against the fence, and he stays on his feet when Mathetha tries to throw him down. Radtke turns him around and presses on him, grinding out the kickboxer and not succeeding in taking him down. Dean asks the American to work a few times, and he gets between them to separate – but not for inactivity, but because Mathetha drives his knee right into the cup. Radtke yelps in protest, and as he walks away and leans over, his right eye is swelling up like a balloon due to the powerful elbow Mathetha hit him with. Dean tells Mathetha to keep it clean, and he tells Radtke that he is going to reset them in neutral position upright. Radtke acknowledges this, and the two start slugging it out. Radtke nails his man with a right hand, and he jams Mathetha up against the wall. Mathetha responds with a knee that bounces in the cup, and Radtke protests but they do not separate. Instead, Mathetha gears up and looks to attack, and he surges forward with punches and a knee that drives into the cup. Radtke is not amused. Dean deducts one point for Mathetha due to the number of fouls he has committed, and Radtke takes 30 seconds to recover. Mathetha races forward swinging his fists, and Radtke turns him around and pushes him to the fence. Mathetha grabs the cage to stay on his feet, and foul tally is massive at this point. Radtke keeps tight to his man, and “Blood Diamond” knees him one or twice as Dean claps for them to do more. Radtke stops a throw and shoots in for a double, but Mathetha stuffs it and leans his back against the cage. The fight ends in this grinding position, and the crowd showers the fighters with boos.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Radtke)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Radtke)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Radtke)

The Official Result

Charlie Radtke def. Mike Mathetha via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Nasrat Haqparast (155.85) vs. Landon Quinones (155.75)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Haqparast (-470), Quinones (+360)

Round 1

Born in Germany and previously representing Afghanistan, Haqparast (14-5, 6-4 UFC), who now fights out of Morocco, will be doing so with a very heavy heart due to the tragedy that struck his country on Friday. While he will be looking for some way to brighten the spirits of his adopted countrymen, he will need to get through Kill Cliff FC trainee Quinones (7-1-1, 0-0 UFC) to do so. With both of their favored methods of victory the knockout, referee Marc Goddard may have his hands full here. The lightweights rush towards one another with no plan on touching gloves, and Quinones is the immediate aggressor as he connects with several quick punches before Haqparast can bat an eye. Haqparast looks to counter and gets his lead leg kicked. Haqparast skips to the side to dodge a kick, and he jabs the midsection. Haqparast doubles up on a jab and springs away but still absorbs a low kick. As Quinones goes high with a kick, Haqparast stays in his face and zips a left hook at him. Haqparast parries the punches and lands three punches on the chin of his opponent. A right hand from Haqparast marks up the left eye of his opponent, and he blocks a punch and a high kick in rapid succession. Quinones times a calf kick to trip up his man, but Haqparast hops back up and puts hands on Quinones’ face. Haqparast unloads with a vicious left hand, and he shells up to defend three punches that fly at him. Quinones sticks out a jab, and he spins through it to plant his foot on Haqparast’s body. When two jabs from Haqparast are blocked, he rips a left to the liver. A pair of swinging punches allow Haqparast to bust up Quinones’ eye a bit further, and he walks through a spinning kick to reach Quinones with a left hook. Three punches from Haqparast allow him to back Quinones against the wall, but the Floridian surges forward to strike. Haqparast blasts the body with another left, and he feeds Quinones a steady diet of punches in a flurry. Quinones continues to land low kicks, but Haqparast is busting him up with his fists. “The Lone Wolf” scores kick after low kick, and Haqparast largely headhunts and then times body shots out of nowhere. A left hand from Quinones rips open a cut on the corner of Haqparast’s eye, and Quinones celebrates this by clinching up. Haqparast turns him around and wings an elbow to break off, and he backs away from two kicks. Haqparast stands in the pocket and trades, and Quinones backs off to land two leg kicks at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast

Round 2

Haqparast practically sprints out of his corner to attack, and Quinones retreats and chips at the lead leg with a nasty kick. The kick hurts Haqparast, who shoots for a takedown. Quinones stops it and throws hands from up close, and the two brawl in a phone booth until Quinones resets to land two kicks on the other leg. Quinones jams Haqparast up against the fencing, and the two jockey for position with little intent on a full-throated takedown effort. Quinones steps back, rips a kick to the lead leg, and Haqparast marches after him and unloads with a series of heavy punches. Quinones blocks most of them, jabs and scores a leg kick. When Quinones attempts a knee up the middle, Haqparast knocks him back with a long left hand. Haqparast strings several punches together on the jaw, and Quinones slides to the side and gets off another leg kick. Haqparast snaps the head back a few times with his punches, and Quinones escapes to dig a kick to the ribs. Haqparast parries a punch and cracks Quinones with a left hand, and Quinones stumbles back and is in trouble. Haqparast walks him down cautiously but confidently, and he mixes punches up high into several thudding body shots. Quinones survives the assault and gives it back, and the two lightweights start brawling recklessly and powerfully. While Quinones has damaged Haqparast’s eye more, it is Haqparast who is busting Quinones in the chops time and again. Quinones delivers a hard kick to the lead leg, and Haqparast immediately switches stances but does not take his foot off the gas. Haqparast just misses with a left hook, and he allows Quinones to counter so he can belt him in the face with a left. Quinones scores a left leg kick and boots Haqparast upside the head, but Haqparast no-sells it and pounds the liver with his fist. Quinones gets tagged again from the Moroccan, and he bounces off the cage wall to reset. Haqparast does not let him breathe, and he strings several punches together and punctuates the combo with a ferocious left hook. Quinones is wide-eyed and puts his back flat against the fence, and Haqparast drives a right hand on the jaw before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast

Round 3

The fighters come to the center of the cage and embrace after 10 minutes of wild action, and they promise more intensity right out of the gate as they start trading. Haqparast attacks the body with his lead left hand, and he looks to time Quinones’ jab with an overhand right. Haqparast gives chase as Quinones backs away, and he clubs the Florida native in the face with a right hand. Quinones wobbles back, and he pushes forward to potentially clinch up. Haqparast judo throws Quinones to the floor, and he lets him back up so he can blast the body with his fists. Quinones jabs and eats a left hand, and Haqparast puts five punches together to the head and body in an effective combination. Haqparast stuns his man with a left hand, and Quinones gathers his thoughts and eats a right hand as he bounces off the fencing. Haqparast rattles off four punches in a second, and he absorbs a flush head kick and keeps on churning. Haqparast counters a right hand with a left hook, and he chains four punches into it and slides away. Quinones triples up on a jab, only for Haqparast to slings a left hook around the hand and on his temple. Quinones sneaks in a surprise left hand, and Haqparast blinks it out and goes headhunting. Quinones works the body with a few kicks, and Haqparast drives several punches on the jaw. Haqparast lays into his foe with a left hand, and Quinones counters and takes a long look at the clock that reads 1:45 left. Haqparast remains right in his face, despite the body shots that Quinones lands, and he rarely throws a single punch. Even when Haqparast swings an elbow, he puts a few punches behind it. Quinones tags his foe with a spinning elbow in the same vein of Yair Rodriguez against Chan Sung Jung, except Haqparast shrugs it off and races forward. Haqparast kicks the body and falls over, and when he stands, he dives forward to secure a double-leg takedown. Quinones jumps back up and tags Haqparast with a few punches, and Haqparast nods at him to start one final brawl. Both men bludgeon and batter one another with seemingly unending punch combinations, and both sting the other but have no plan on backing down. The fighters continue swinging until the final horn, and they immediately hug it out to celebrate a hard-fought battle that is an early “Fight of the Night” contender.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast (30-27 Haqparast)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast (30-27 Haqparast)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Haqparast (30-27 Haqparast)

The Official Result

Nasrat Haqparast def. Landon Quinones via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

John Makdessi (155.1) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (155.35)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mullarkey (-265), Makdessi (+215)

Round 1

For most of the remainder of the card, fights will feature one person from the Oceanic region. The representative in this lightweight encounter will be Mullarkey (16-6, 4-4 UFC), with sights of bouncing back from a knockout loss in June in a big way. Across the Octagon from him will be 38-year-old veteran Makdessi (18-8, 11-8 UFC), who wants to prove he still has something left to offer in the talent-stacked division. The third man in the cage will be referee Jim Perdios, and he observes the fighters touching gloves before getting after it. Makdessi circles along from the outside, avoiding a high kick and sticking out a jab about 25 seconds into the fight. Mullarkey looks for his range with a few more jabs, and he kicks the inside of Makdessi’s lead leg. Mullarkey snaps the head back with a sharp jab, and he looks for a long one to the body. Mullarkey kicks the body, and his foe replies in kind. Makdessi tosses out a pair of front kicks that are about a foot away from his intended target, and Mullarkey splits his guard with a jab and a couple kicks down low. Makdessi commits to a body kick, and Mullarkey counters him with a straight right hand that skims the side of the head. Mullarkey slams home two low kicks, and he coils back and unleashes a big right hand. Makdessi shakes it off and jumps forward to kick the ribs. Mullarkey kicks the side as well, and he sits down on a low kick and darts back when Makdessi throws inaccurate punches back at him. Mullarkey gets off one more low kick, and he slides away to not absorb a single counter. The two engage in pitter-patter shots, until Mullarkey sits down on a jab that knocks Makdessi’s head back and opens a cut on the bridge of the Canadian’s nose. Mullarkey trades leg kicks with his foe, and he lands the harder strikes as Makdessi’s lead leg welts up. Makdessi charges like a bull, and he surprises the Aussie with a few power punches before Mullarkey is able to figure it out and get away. Mullarkey swats away a few punches and blocks two body kicks, and he parries a lunging Makdessi. Both men land leg kicks, and Makdessi tries to crowd his foe and throw hands but gets pushed away before he gets off anything of note.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mullarkey
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Mullarkey
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Mullarkey

Round 2

The fighters touch gloves to engage, and Makdessi quickly kicks low and has that strike checked. Makdessi overspins into a back fist, and Mullarkey easily avoids it without concern. Mullarkey jabs and follows it with an overhand right, and Makdessi replies with a head kick that Mullarkey completely ignores. Mullarkey kicks low, and when Makdessi again kicks towards his head, Mullarkey blocks and returns fire to the thigh. Makdessi tries to land a spinning back kick, and Mullarkey dodges and kicks him twice. During an exchange, Mullarkey is tripped up and falls to his seat, but Makdessi lets him up and offers a glove touch. Mullarkey accepts and sticks him several times with single straight punches, mixing it up with one or two the body as he jabs the bloodied nose. Makdessi crowds him and scores two left hands, and he leans back to avoid a one-two. Makdessi lands a single leg kick, and Mullarkey pays him back with a resounding kick to the ribcage. Mullarkey flashes his jab several times, and he catches a front kick and tosses Makdessi back but does not throw him to the floor. Mullarkey chains a few punches together from close range, beating the Canadian to the punch but ultimate absorbing a flush kick to the groin. Mullarkey groans, but he tells Perdios he is fine, so there is practically no pause. Mullarkey resumes to keep doing work on Makdessi’s noggin with his effective jab, and Makdessi charges and dings Mullarkey with a left hand that marks up Mullarkey’s right cheek. Makdessi walks his man down and starts spamming kicks to all targets, and Mullarkey says two can play that game and returns fire with a hard body kick and one to the glowing red thigh. When Makdessi advances, Mullarkey times a kick to the liver, and he steels himself to crack Mullarkey with a left hand. Makdessi spins with a back kick to follow it up, and the two go tit-for-tat with kicks. Mullarkey blocks a kick and has his own guard split with a jab, and Makdessi unloads with a vicious right hand and a shove that knocks Mullarkey down to his seat. Mullarkey springs back up, and before Makdessi can do any further damage, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mullarkey
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Mullarkey
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Makdessi

Round 3

Mullarkey appears to have recovered fully from the flash knockdown, and he is ready to engage right out of the gate. Seeing that Makdessi is rushing at him, he steps back and times a few kicks and a right hand. Makdessi spins with a back fist that smashes the Aussie’s nose wide open, and blood sprays from it down his face. Mullarkey blocks a few kicks and switches up his timing to leap in the air and smash Makdessi in the face with a knee. Makdessi tanks it without flinching, and Mullarkey lands and puts a two-piece on his face to follow. Mullarkey settles down, pushing out his jab, and he swings hard with two hooks that Makdessi eats. The Canadian is putting more on his punches and kicks, and he stuns Mullarkey for a moment with a straight right hand. Mullarkey gathers his thoughts and scores a hard calf kick that irritates Makdessi. Mullarkey strides forward behind his jab, and he plants a right hand on the nose and blocks a head kick that comes back at him. Mullarkey also has a high kick blocked, and Makdessi counters his advancing man with a leg kick and a spin kick. The latter misses, and Mullarkey fakes a takedown and draws a huge reaction out of his opponent. Mullarkey chews up the lead leg, and he shells up to block a left hook and gives two punches back down the pipe. Mullarkey stabs out a jab, and he ducks down to avoid a looping shot. Makdessi catches the Aussie with a left hand, and he tosses out a head kick and catches the response leg kick to trip Mullarkey up. Mullarkey looks for a possible takedown, and he has Makdessi bend over to stop it so he can smack him upside the head with a left. Mullarkey surges forward, and he gets stung with a few jabs. The bloodied visage of Mullarkey roars, as he looks for one final exchange of punches to punctuate the close battle. Mullarkey avoids the worst of it, goes high with a kick, and the battle concludes. Both men raise their arms in the air after 15 minutes of combat, and it could be anyone’s fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Makdessi (29-28 Mullarkey)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Makdessi (29-28 Mullarkey)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Makdessi (29-28 Makdessi)

The Official Result

Jamie Mullarkey def. John Makdessi via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jack Jenkins (145.85) vs. Jose Mariscal (145.85)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Jenkins (-205), Mariscal (+170)

Round 1

If fans want action, action is likely what they are about to receive between Melbourne’s Jenkins (12-2, 2-0 UFC) and furious striker Mariscal (14-6, 1 NC; 1-0 UFC). The 30-year-old featherweights sport similar finish rates and are not afraid of a fracas, so referee Greg Kleynjans needs to be on his toes. Before the melee commences, the combatants offer a sporting touch of gloves. Jenkins moves to the center of the cage and has to take an immediate step back to dodge a front kick that blazes past his face. Mariscal tosses out two punches that are easily parried, and he comes forward with a stomping kick to the thigh. Mariscal goes for that kick again, and Jenkins chambers and fires a body kick and one to the lead leg. Mariscal just misses with a high kick, and he sticks out his jab and is jabbed back. Jenkins counters him with a kick that slides up and pops into the cup, and Kleynjans pauses the action for a moment but Mariscal is able to continue without needing the break. They touch gloves, and Jenkins looses a body kick. Mariscal slides back and absorbs two body kicks, and he blitzes forward to give one back and slings a right hand that misses by a matter of inches. Jenkins goes up high with a kick, and Mariscal greets him with a knee on the jaw as the two get up close and personal. In the clinch, they trade body shots until pushing off, where Jenkins lands a leg kick on the break. Mariscal circles away and kicks the midsection, and he leans forward with a jab and takes a front kick to his own body. Mariscal tries to check a kick, and Jenkins powers forward and puts three punches on the chin. Mariscal takes them flush and eats one more for good measure, and he just bites down on his mouthpiece and goes towards his opponent. Jenkins stuns him with a front kick and a right hand, and he chops down the lead leg with a kick. Jenkins checks a kick and stabs forward multiple jabs, and his strikes are marking up Mariscal’s face. Mariscal swings a right hand over the top, and Jenkins slips the second punch and replies with a right hook. “Machine Gun” comes out firing, and Jenkins is out of the way from all but a slapping right hand. The two trade body kicks, and Jenkins hammers the lead calf of his opponent with a kick. Mariscal pushes forward to clinch, and Jenkins backs up, leans against the cage and knees Mariscal in the torso. Jenkins lands another knee, and Mariscal pushes off and tries to brawl it out as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins

Round 2

Both fighters measure one another with jabs and high kicks to start off the second round, and Jenkins tags his foe with a body kick. Mariscal walks him down and busts him in the chops with a ferocious right hand, and when Jenkins backs off, Mariscal slugs him in the face with another. This forward momentum leads to a clinch, where he knees Jenkins in the thigh and drops down for a potential takedown but only ends up checking Jenkins’ oil with his right hand. When Jenkins turns him around, Mariscal muscles him back to put the Aussie’s back against the wire and immediately jams a knee in his chest. Jenkins manages to push off, and he lands a left hand as he lunges forward. Jenkins ties him up, and Mariscal whips him around to press him against the cage. Mariscal stays busy enough with short body shots and knees, and he drops down for a single but is shut down. Mariscal takes one knee to the solar plexus, and he counters a throw from Jenkins by throwing him down on his face. Jenkins posts off his right arm to break his fall, and in turn, his elbow snaps and bends completely the wrong direction. As a result, Jenkins lands on his head, and he yells out in pain. Kleynjans races in to pull Mariscal off of the defeated Australian fighter, as Mariscal does not realize the fight is over and is throwing punches and knees. “Chepe” runs off to celebrate his win over a home country fighter, having attempted the throw and his opponent suffered an injury from it. Jenkins is attended to by the medical staff, and Mariscal has now defied the odds to win two in a row in the Octagon.

The Official Result

Jose Mariscal def. Jack Jenkins R2 3:19 via TKO (Arm Injury)

Da Woon Jung (205.3) vs. Carlos Ulberg (204.7)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ulberg (-270), Jung (+220)

Round 1

Concluding the preliminary portion of the billing, knockout artist and proud City Kickboxing athlete Ulberg (8-1, 4-1 UFC) will make the local fans proud and hunt for his fourth straight stoppage due to strikes. The UFC will be placing in front of him a willing striker in Jung (15-4-1, 4-2-1 UFC) who has lost his last two, in which one of those defeats saw him get knocked out for the first time in his career. It’s a light heavyweight slugfest, and only one of these two – along with referee Herb Dean – will likely be standing when it’s all over. Fists are not bumped before they get traded, and instead Ulberg circles around to put his foot on the gas first. The two men trade low kicks, and Ulberg tosses up a high kick without any setup. Jung blocks it and kicks low, and Ulberg push kicks the knee in response as his foot glides up and slides off the cup. Dean asks if Jung is fine, and Jung nods. Jung slowly moves forward to back Ulberg up, only to have to block a speedy head kick. Jung paws out a low body kick, and he absorbs a stiff calf kick. Neither man is willing to commit to anything serious in the opening 90 seconds, and they trade jabs and leg kicks from a safe distance. Ulberg jabs his way forward, but he does not follow them when he draws a reaction. Jung jabs the body and ducks a counter, and he crowds Ulberg only to get backed off with a jab. Jung throws a leg kick and eats a left hand over the top in the process, and he kicks low as Ulberg pulls back on what could have been a right hook. Ulberg chops at the calf, and Jung responds with a similar blow. Jung continues working on the calf a few times, and he disrupts the oncoming Ulberg. The Kiwi walks through a leg kick to string two jabs into a right hand, and the follow-up punch knocks Jung to his seat. Jung survives the following onslaught from “Black Jag,” and he stands up and gets some space so he can recover. Ulberg whips a lead leg kick low as Jung appears to have his sea legs about him again, and he strides forward to knee Jung on the jaw. Jung shakes it off and plods forward, jabbing the body and kicking the lead leg until the horn awkwardly blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg

Round 2

The light heavyweights meet in the middle of the cage, but it does not take long for Ulberg to be the one backing Jung off. Ulberg splits the guard with a half-hearted front kick, and he wings a left hand over the top and is stung with a short right hook from Jung. The South Korean goes to the body and the kicks the leg, and he turns his hips into a second chopping kick. Jung kicks on the inside to mis it up, and Ulberg is warned for outstretched fingers as he points direction towards his opponent. The two crash together, with Ulberg coming out throwing, but Jung sits down on two kicks to take a little extra wind out of Ulberg’s sails. Ulberg swipes out with a left to the body that hits nothing but air, and Jung is cutting him off but not engaging with much. Jung ducks a swinging head kick, and he eats a jab. Ulberg absorbs one calf kick as he skirts on the outside edge of the cage, and the two are largely having a staring contest with one another. Jung delivers one kick low, and Ulberg marches forward to swing hard but gets backed off by a counter from Jung and a shrug. The jab from Ulberg splits open a cut on Jung’s cheek, and Jung continues to pressure forward and lets go with a right hand. Ulberg rolls with it and keeps his jab flowing, and he digs his toes to the body with a sharp kick. Ulberg peppers his oncoming foe with jab after unanswered jab, and Jung manages to get two kicks off before Ulberg paws him in the face with a left. Jung keeps working on the lead leg, and Ulberg answers with two more left hooks. Jung slams his shin on the thigh, and Ulberg triples up on the jab as a response. Ulberg checks a kick and sticks out a few more jabs, and he follows one with a right hand as Jung’s face is leaking blood. Jung gives chase with a left hook, and he does not catch Ulberg before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg

Round 3

The last round kicks off with more jabs from Ulberg, who appears to have entered cruising altitude without fearing anything that comes back his way. Ulberg slides to the side and whips up a head kick, and it slams into Jung’s raised guard. Jung swipes out a left hook, and Ulberg slips when he looks to try to roll with it. Jung cannot make him pay for this awkward moment, and instead just follows Ulberg around and lands a few low kicks. Coming back at him are several more jabs, and they open the cut on his cheek further. Ulberg patiently picks at his foe and dips away from an occasional power punch, and he pushes off when Jung tries to tie him up. The jab from “Black Jab” has no answer, and Jung is not hurt by it but he cannot time it. Jung tries to swing for the bleachers, but the jab poking his nose time and time again stop him from getting anything of merit off. The momentum clash leads to a clinch, and Jung thinks about grabbing hold of a low-percentage standing submission but gets nothing. They split apart, and Jung races forward and secures a double to put Ulberg on his seat. Ulberg powers back up, and Jung cannot hold onto him but is wearing Ulberg out a bit. Ulberg retreats, and Jung follows him until the two clinch again. Ulberg considers his own takedown, and Jung stops it and knees Ulberg several times to the body. Ulberg looks to muscle Jung down, and he completes his throw despite Jung grabbing the cage. Jung tugs on the fence again, and Dean slaps his hand away. Ulberg steps into three-quarter mount and he traps Jung’s right arm beneath his leg to pound away with left hands. Ulberg lays into Jung with punches, and he sees an opening and snatches up a rear-naked choke. Ulberg puts his full weight on the choke and fastens it as tightly as he can, and it is now a matter of time. Ulberg puts all the pressure possible to complete the submission, but the final horn sounds to conclude the fight. As the fight wraps up, the replay officials signal that there may have been a tapout from Jung before the five-minute mark. The review shows that Jung did indeed tap, and the result of a decision has been overturned into a submission victory for Ulberg. This unexpected result marks his first career submission, and his win streak moves to five in a row.

The Official Result

Carlos Ulberg def. Da Woon Jung R3 4:49 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Tyson Pedro (205.45) vs. Anton Turkalj (205.35)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Turkalj (-115), Pedro (-105)

Round 1

From here on out, fans stateside will be expected to throw down about $85 to watch the next five matchups. Each has the potential to end violently in a hurry, so it remains to be seen how it all shakes out. The first rumble comes at 205 pounds, and it just so happens to feature a man in Pedro (9-4, 5-4 UFC) who has earned all nine of his wins by first-round stoppage. The 87% stoppage rate of opponent Turkalj (8-2, 0-2 UFC) is not to be sneezed at either, with five of his seven finishes also coming in the opening frame. Referee Marc Goddard’s seat is in its upright and locked position as the sluggers think about touching gloves but miss. Turkalj opens up with a front kick that misses the face, and he loads up on a leg kick to follow. Pedro responds with one with less intensity to the calf, and he circles on the outside with a wry grin on his face. Turkalj whiffs on a low kick, and Pedro marches forward with a solid one-two. Turkalj gives back another leg kick, and he chops at Pedro once more when Pedro throws a punch. Turkalj crowds him with a right hand, and Pedro bounces off the fence. Both men miss on kicks aimed at one another, and they do get off a leg kick or two along the way. Turkalj tries to find his range with a front kick, only for Pedro to step back and deliver a heavy leg kick. Pedro winds up with a one-two that collides with the temple, and Turkalj is shaken up but he keeps a relatively solid poker face as Pedro does not rush at him. Pedro asks, “what’s your pleasure, sir” as he rifles a right hand over the top, and once more the Swedish fighter is in pain. Pedro realizes that his foe is in the danger zone, and he unloads with a one-two that knocks Turkalj clean off his feet. When “The Pleasure Man” hits his back and his head bounces off the floor, Pedro follows him with one mighty consciousness-severing hammerfist, and Turkalj is all the way out. Pedro walks off as Goddard waves the fight off, and he motions like a samurai slicing down his opposition, as the crowd explodes in support of the City Kickboxing student.

The Official Result

Tyson Pedro def. Anton Turkalj R1 2:12 via KO (Punches)

Austen Lane (242.3) vs. Justin Tafa (265.2)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Tafa (-218), Lane (+180)

Round 1

Back in June, heavyweight flamethrowers Tafa (6-3, 1 NC; 3-3, 1 NC UFC) and Lane (12-3, 1 NC; 0-0, 1 NC UFC) ended up flaming out due to an eye poke around the 30-second mark. Running it back two and change months later, the big men with 18 finishes across their 18 combined wins will be rumbling, bumbling and stumbling their way towards victory. Referee Jim Perdios is ready to get out of the way of any errant blows. There is a fist bump before the two swing for the fences, and Tafa walks forward right into a jab from the longer Lane. The American uses his reach to push back Tafa, and he kicks low and pushes off with his hand as a finger slides into Tafa’s eye. Tafa protests, and Perdios calls time to allow him to recover. History repeats itself, except Tafa is able to continue after about 20 seconds of a break. Tafa plods forward and absorbs three kicks, and he winds up with a big left hand that brushes off the shoulder. Lane resets and circles to get off a low kick, only for the Aussie to crack him on the chin with an overhand left. Lane swings an ill-advised hook kick, and Tafa ducks it and charges forward throwing hammers. Lane barely escapes, and Tafa rushes after him swinging with all his might. Lane swings a haymaker, only for Tafa to respond with a big right hand. Seeing that success, Tafa clobbers Lane with a windmilling left hook, and Lane crashes to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Tafa follows him down, instead of walking off, and he smashes Lane in the face with a number of devastating hammerfists. Lane goes out during the bombardment, and Perdios wrenches "Bad Man" off of the wrecked Lane. The audience is elated at the victorious Aussie pulling off a terrific knockout on home soil, and Tafa feels vindicated and thrilled the UFC ran the fight back so he could get some closure.

The Official Result

Justin Tafa def. Austin Lane R1 1:22 via KO (Punches)

Felipe dos Santos (125.4) vs. Manel Kape (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Kape (-410), dos Santos (+320)

Round 1

The UFC lost a terrific flyweight matchup of Kape (18-6, 3-2 UFC) vs. Kai Kara-France due to the latter’s concussion issue, and it tried to make the most of a bad situation by shuttling in a fighter who was going to make his mark on the Contender Series a few weeks ago. Instead of an audition, dos Santos (7-0, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) is thrust right into a pay-per-view main card, with the lights blindingly shining. A win for the Brazilian would be one for the ages as he would immediately jump into the rankings, but the hard-charging Kape will not go easy on him. Referee Greg Kleynjans takes charge of the cage for this “featured fight of the night,” and Kape is happy to still be fighting tonight so he offers a glove touch that is accepted. The two fighters clash together with immediate kicks, and Kape throws back with higher volume. The Brazilian wings a left hand over the top, and Kape gets stung but fires back with a vengeance. Kape connects with a low kick, and he gets knocked back with a jab. “Starboy” launches a rocket of a right hand that separates dos Santos from his balance, and Kape jumps on top of him and starts dropping strikes down until dos Santos throws his legs up for a desperation submission. Kape backs off to let him up, and he drives his fists into dos Santos’ dome a few more times to rock the newcomer once again. Dos Santos swings wild, and Kape is more composed and snipes him with a left hand. Kape paws out his jab and clips dos Santos on the way in with a short left, and when he kicks, dos Santos catches it. Kape tumbles to the mat, and as they scramble, Kape moves on top of him and busts him in the chops with several heavy punches. Kape gets pushed off and the two get back to striking, and dos Santos surprises the big favorite with a right hand and a knee up the middle. Kape is surprised but ready to keep attacking, and he walks into a front kick. Dos Santos is met with a leg kick, and he powers forward throwing hard but missing by a small margin. The Brazilian follows a jab with a head kick, and the two clinch up and start trading knees. Kape breaks with a big left hand, and dos Santos rolls with it and walks forward to swing with a haymaker. Kape times a spinning back elbow right on the dome, and the younger dos Santos eats it like a sandwich and keeps powering forward. Kape has a foot grabbed when kicking, and dos Santos tries to throw him down but Kape grabs the fence to stay upright. Kape muscles his man down to the mat, only to back off and keep trading. The two men get off power punches, and Kape scores a body kick and an elbow. Kape walks him down and smashes him in the face with a right hand, and dos Santos gives him one right back. A furious trading of fists ends the exciting round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kape

Round 2

The flyweights do not race out of their corners this round, and instead dos Santos slowly wades forward reaching out with kicks. Kape slides out of the way of all of them, including a head kick that grazes his hair, and he returns fire with a low kick. When dos Santos commits to one in response, Kape drills him with a left hook. Dos Santos spams front kicks until charging forward with a right hook, and Kape takes the punches and counters, only to have his head snapped back with a right. Dos Santos kicks high as it bounces off the guard, and he spins with something but does not let it go. Instead, he settles down to fire off a right hand, and Kape trips him to the mat with a stern leg kick. Dos Santos climbs back up and connects with two low kicks, and he rushes forward and gets popped by a shovel uppercut of a right hand. Kape puts everything behind a right hand, and dos Santos slips it and counters, and Kape keeps his head movement active as well to make for an exciting near-miss exchange. Kape sits down on a right hand as dos Santos crashes the pocket, and the newcomer’s chin is impressive. Dos Santos gets off a jumping front kick, and both men smack one another in the face with right hooks. The two trade jabs, and Kape goes to the body and slips the long left that aims past his head. Kape counters a jab with three punches, and he staggers dos Santos with a left hook. The Brazilian wears it well once more, and he chains two punches together on the inside to drive dos Santos back. Kape digs his shin into dos Santos’ thigh, and he cracks dos Santos with a few punches. From up close, dos Santos spins with a kick, and it brushes into the cup but it is not called. Kape motions to his groin, and when it goes ignored, Kape surges into action and starts ripping into dos Santos with a flurry of ferocious fists. Dos Santos survives the assault and races forward, and Kape times an elbow right on the way in. Kape pierces the guard with a right hand, and he puts his hands behind his back. Dos Santos motions to him to hit him, and the two showboat and taunt at one another until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kape

Round 3

Kape allows dos Santos to come at him so he can lean back and bat dos Santos in the jaw with a clubbing right hand. Dos Santos meanders forward, letting Kape kick him so he can try to front kick his way in. Kape does not allow him to close the distance, and instead tags the unbeaten fighter with a right hand. Dos Santos, not to be outdone, runs at him and reaches Kape with two punches. When Kape knocks him back, dos Santos replies, but Kape works the body as well. Dos Santos kicks the chest and swings hard, and he clips Kape and gets popped in return. The Brazilian lands a kick and gets tripped up, and when he gets back up, he connects with several punches that rock and cut Kape on the corner of his left eye. Despite the damage, Kape is excited when he gets blasted, and he chambers and fires a right hand that stuns dos Santos and knocks him down to a knee. Dos Santos races forward with a jump knee, and he pressures forward giving Kape everything he can handle with high volume and decent power. Kape moves enough to take the sting out of the shots, and puts himself in position for an effective counter. Kape times a huge right hand that snaps dos Santos’ chin to the side, but dos Santos is not shaken and he continues moving forward. Kape lets go with a flurry of hands, and dos Santos blinks it out and has entered “Terminator” mode. Despite taking shots, dos Santos will not back down, and even throws a spinning kick. Kape is composed and calm enough to time his counters, and he lets dos Santos charge at him and busts him in the chops. As dos Santos gets a bit too wild, Kape times a takedown and takes dos Santos off his feet. When on top, Kape rains down a final barrage of punches to conclude the fantastic scrap. Both men climb on top of the cage to motion to the crowd, and despite the all-out battle that Kape delivered, the crowd boos him heartily. What a fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape (30-27 Kape)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Kape (30-27 Kape)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kape (30-27 Kape)

The Official Result

Manel Kape def. Felipe dos Santos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Tai Tuivasa (265.6) vs. Alexander Volkov (262.95)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Volkov (-250), Tuivasa (+205)

Round 1

Hold onto your hats, because when these heavyweights start swinging, someone may go down hard. While Tuivasa (14-5, 8-5 UFC) has struggled against the top echelon of the division, the same can be said about his Russian adversary Volkov (36-10, 10-4 UFC) – although only the former is on a losing streak. Combining for about 528.5 pounds in the cage, not counting referee Herb Dean, the large strikers will be performing a stress test on the cage floor and walls for as long as one remains standing. The heavy fists are bumped first as a courtesy, and Volkov goes right after a leg kick. He lifts his leg up when Tuivasa slings one back harder, and he tries to check it again when Tuivasa swings hard. Volkov counters another low kick with a right hand over the top, and he shoulder-rolls a punch to smack “Bam Bam” with an uppercut. Tuivasa comes up close and digs a right hand to the body, and his leg kicks might already be having an impact. Volkov slaps back a low kick, and he strings a one-two into a body kick that rustles Tuivasa’s cup. Tuivasa laughs it off, and the two resume after a glove touch. Volkov doubles up a low kick with one to the body, and Tuivasa runs at him flailing his fists. The Russian counters him and slides out of the way, and Tuivasa keeps coming towards him as his nose starts to bleed from jabs and straight right hands. Tuivasa has a leg kick caught, and he gets knocked to his knees from a piston-like right hand from “Drago.” Volkov allows his foe to get back up, and he times a Tuivasa charge with a right hand and two more quick punches on the inside. Tuivasa walks into a leg kick that he tries to turn with, and Volkov circles on the outside not allowing the Aussie to trap him. Tuivasa scores a low kick, and Volkov responds with a body kick, a left hand and a head kick. Tuivasa takes it all flush and ducks down while swinging a huge right hand, and Volkov counters him and gets nailed with a leg kick. Tuivasa unloads with another leg kick, and Volkov lifts his leg up and then strings several punches and kick together. Tuivasa scares his man with a pair of punches, but Volkov rolls well enough and resets to target Tuivasa’s body several times. Volkov dips out of the way of an overhand right, and he tries to check a leg kick and drops Tuivasa with a right hand. Volkov grips a guillotine choke, and he lets it go to bust Tuivasa up with several short punches and two nasty elbows. Tuivasa backs off, and he lets loose a leg kick with all his might. Volkov grunts and racks Tuivasa up with six punches and two body kicks. Tuivasa gets knocked against the wall, and he bends over, taking shots, until the horn sounds to possibly save him.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Volkov
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Volkov
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Volkov

Round 2

The big men clap hands to start off the second round, and Tuivasa plods forward and releases a powerful leg kick. Tuivasa closes in and gets popped with a few shots, and he leans back and connects with another leg kick. Tuivasa continues to batter the lead leg with kicks, and Volkov is wearing it and is quite ginger on it. Volkov kicks the midsection, and he gets off two uppercuts as Tuivasa bears down on him. Tuivasa blocks several punches but cannot stop the knee that comes up the middle, and he misses two punches and gets knocked back from a huge right hand. Tuivasa’s chin holds up and he grins, blood leaking out of his mouth, and the crowd gives it up for the two putting on the show. Tuivasa kicks low, and Volkov times a perfect right hand to send Tuivasa tumbling to his seat. Volkov climbs on top and advances right to half guard, and he considers a choke only for Tuivasa to muscle his way out of it. Tuivasa blitzes forward, and Volkov lets him do this so he can counter with sharper strikes. Volkov checks a kick and plants a one-two on the chin, and when he checks another, he gets off a right hand that knocks Tuivasa down. With two minutes and 10 seconds remaining, Volkov jumps into full mount, and he unloads punches and smashes the Aussie in the face with an elbow. The Russian keeps his legs intertwined with Tuivasa’s to disallow him from an escape, and Volkov lowers himself down in pursuit of an arm-triangle choke. Volkov bails on it to start striking, and Tuivasa throws back but is getting pummeled. “Bam Bam” rolls over to his stomach and keeps getting pounded, and he nearly escapes out the side only for Volkov to recover and get back to mount. Volkov keeps working with short strikes, and he sets up an Ezekiel choke out of nowhere as he fastens his left forearm arm over the neck and hooks his right arm behind the head. A frantic Tuivasa tries to buck off the massive Russian with all of his energy left, but Volkov uses his full body weight to finish the choke and trap Tuivasa fully. Tuivasa has nothing left to do at this point but choose whether he will submit or go out on his shield, and he taps out on Volkov’s side to conclude the fight. Remarkably, “Drago” has performed just the fourth submission of his career, and it marks his first since 2016. He joins countryman Alexey Oleynik and UFC 7 combatant Remco Pardoel as the only three to ever perform an Ezekiel choke in promotional history.

The Official Result

Alexander Volkov def. Tai Tuivasa R2 4:37 via Submission (Ezekiel Choke)

Israel Adesanya (184.8) vs. Sean Strickland (184.9)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Adesanya (-650), Strickland (+470)

Round 1

This main event is for all the marbles, with a middleweight belt and plenty of bragging rights following ample trash talk on the line. Intending on making the first defense of his second middleweight title reign, Adesanya (24-2, 13-2 UFC) comes in with about -700 odds as the most heavily favored fighter on the lineup. With plans of springing one of the largest championship upsets in recent memory – Grasso vs. Shevchenko and Pena vs. Nunes notwithstanding – Strickland (27-5, 14-5 UFC) would like nothing more than to spoil the party and play the ultimate villain in Sydney. The striker-on-striker affair will be officiated by referee Marc Goddard, and due to their bad blood, the middleweights have no plan on bumping fists. Adesanya is already talking to Strickland, and he feints several times to make Strickland react immediately. Adesanya paws out a low kick and then a front kick, and Strickland pushes it out of the way and blocks another front kick. A body kick from the champ grazes off the intended target, and he moves laterally to not let Strickland get into his preferred range. Adesanya continues hip-thrusting and faking strikes, and Strickland bites on most of them and is prepared to block when Adesanya commits to a strike. Strickland meanders forward, missing with a jab, and Adesanya hops away. Adesanya reaches his man with a straight left hand, and he sinks a leg kick down hard. Both men try to land long punches, and Strickland whiffs on a one-two. Adesanya kicks the body, and Strickland catches it, walks him to the fence, and lets it go so he can poke out his jab. Strickland sees the big kicks coming from his foe, but he is offensively muted even as he keeps after Adesanya. Adesanya chews up the lead leg with a few kicks, and he jabs to the body to stay busy. Strickland misses with two leg kicks, and he is jittery and keeps a tight Philly Shell defense when coming forward. Adesanya is still able to get in on him, and he kicks the lead leg when circling to the left. Strickland catches him with a few punches, and he lands a punch that drives Adesanya back to the wall. Adesanya allows him to rattle a few punches off the guard, and he bounces off it to stick out his own jab and loose a head kick. Strickland guard against the high kick but cannot stop the low strike, and he continues to give chase and cut Adesanya off. Adesanya stays on his bike and just misses with a head kick, and out of nowhere, Strickland blasts him in the face with a straight right hand. Strickland sees that he has his man hurt badly, and Adesanya drops to his knee. Strickland unloads on him with punches, and Adesanya stands up and turns his back while leaning forward against the fence. As Strickland keeps throwing everything he has, Adesanya motions to Goddard that he is fine. Adesanya turns around, and he survives the assault when the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 2

The champ appears recovered from the assault that ended the previous frame, and he peppers Strickland with distance strikes to initiate the second stanza. Strickland splits the guard with a jab, and Adesanya whips a leg kick at him and has a head kick bounce into the block. Adesanya lands kicks with body legs, and he connects with a left hook and rolls just in time to dodge a one-two from the challenger. Adesanya stretches his hand out several times to get a read on his distance, and he comes up short on a one-two to a high kick. Adesanya attacks the body, and he slaps with his right hand and follows it with a solid left. Strickland parries jabs and body shots, and he ignores a jab and a leg kick while plodding forward. Adesanya looks to loop a left around the guard, and Strickland pops him in the face with a sharp jab. Adesanya gets a right hand over that jab, and Strickland takes it without batting an eye. Strickland jabs with the ball of his foot to the midsection, and Adesanya keeps circling and moving while putting jabs together. Adesanya lands a few leg kicks, and Strickland reaches him with his toes for a push kick. Adesanya strikes the body and the lead leg, and Strickland pushes him back with an accurate jab. Adesanya winds up and drills the challenger with an overhand right, and Strickland can do little beyond block the body kick that comes after it and keep the forward pace constant. Strickland prods out a jab, and Adesanya answers him with a big right that grazes off the shoulder. Adesanya again opens up with a wide right hand, and he kicks the body and fakes to spin as he dips and ducks. Strickland lands with a right, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya

Round 3

Adesanya starts the third round by slapping a kick off the raised guard. Strickland moves forward, but his offense is largely relegated to a jab or a front kick as Adesanya keeps strafing. Adesanya hand-fights to stop a left hand from coming over the top, and he flicks out a number of jabs and kicks the body with either leg. Adesanya pushes off with a front kick, and Strickland answers him with one of his own. When Strickland raises his leg to prepare for a kick, Adesanya kicks him anyway. Adesanya connects with a right over the top in the midst of an exchange, but he mixes up strikes to the body and head to keep Strickland guessing. Strickland walks him down with a pair of jabs and a push kick, and he protects himself from most of what comes back towards him. Adesanya reaches him with a right hand, and Strickland counters with one that brushes off his foe’s forehead. A head kick from Adesanya is narrowly guarded in time, and Adesanya resets and eats a check left hook. Strickland gives chase with a one-two, and he stands Adesanya up with a left hand when swarming him. Adesanya gathers himself and jabs the head and body, only to be met with a push kick. When Adesanya kicks low, Strickland pops him in the chops with a sharp jab. Adesanya slips a punch, retaliates, and takes a body shot and a left hook. Adesanya jabs a few more times as Strickland cannot reach him, and he gets knocked back to the wall from a jab. Strickland lands a front kick, misses with a left hand, and the tepid round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 4

The two have reached the championship rounds, and Adesanya begins a bit more aggressive than before with a number of snappy jabs. Strickland ignores them all as he continues to come towards his foe, and Adesanya responds with a left hand. Strickland pushes his foe back with a punch to the chest, and Adesanya gives him a head kick back. Adesanya moves and kicks the challenger’s body, and he whiffs on a left hook. Adesanya lands a left hand to the body, and Strickland kicks him three times down the middle. A Strickland right hand draws a reaction out of his opponent, and Adesanya tries to slug it out only to get caught with a left hook from Strickland. Adesanya rebounds with a right hand and a kick to the ribs, only to get no-sold by “Tarzan.” Both men trade jabs, and the champion does not get a head kick through but does reach the mark with a right hand. Strickland lets Adesanya come at him so he can string together five or six punches, and Adesanya is surprised as he puts his guard up and backs away. Adesanya springs into action with an overhand right, but it is one-and-done as Strickland is back in his face with a jab. Strickland gets intercepted on his way in, and Adesanya chains a punch into a ripping body kick. Strickland pokes with a front kick, and he keeps jabbing to fluster Adesanya further. Adesanya has a low kick checked, and he keeps his hands low while Strickland is chasing after him. Adesanya tries to swing hard, but Strickland closes in to let the strikes go wide. The champ gets off a jab, and he snipes his target with a right hand. Strickland stands firm and composed while Adesanya is struggling to find any effective offense. Strickland has two punches pound off the guard, and he kicks the body once before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 5

Strickland is so fired up between rounds, he gets out of his corner, jumps to the center of the cage and starts hitting himself in the face. When the last round opens, Adesanya lands a low kick and circles. Adesanya puts up two high kicks, and Strickland’s defense is tight and solid. The two graze right hands off the other, and Adesanya leans back and gets popped with a right hand. Adesanya chips at the lead calf, and he forces a right hand over the top but does not quite reach him. Strickland picks away at the champ with a jab, and Adesanya reaches out with a body kick. Strickland checks a kick and continues to walk him down, and Adesanya may be a few minutes away from losing in a massive upset. He recognizes this and lands a huge right hand, and Strickland responds with a jab on the nose. Adesanya whips a high kick that gets guarded, and they both land jabs at the same time. A push kick from Strickland forces Adesanya to reset, and he is fearlessly approaching the champion. Strickland connects with an overhand right, and he lands a second to force Adesanya to escape out the side. Strickland backs his foe up against the fence, and Adesanya swings with a left but it does not get through. Strickland stings “The Last Stylebender” with a short combination, and he continues to come at Adesanya. Strickland starts shouting at the champion, telling him to fight him, and Adesanya can only muster a few kicks. Strickland powers forward swinging for the fences, and Adesanya has nothing left to offer. The final horn blares to end this fairly lackluster match, but it is one that will make history. Barring a bizarre series of scorecards, the challenger has done it, pulling off an upset that few if any expected would happen. When the scorecards are read, the UFC has a new middleweight king, and the belt belongs to Strickland. MMA might be the craziest sport in the world. The fights never stop coming, however, and another title is up for grabs next week. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-46 Strickland)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-46 Strickland)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-46 Strickland)

The Official Result

Sean Strickland def. Israel Adesanya via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)