UFC 311 ‘Makhachev vs. Moicano’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Clayton Carpenter (125.5) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (125.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ulanbekov (-325), Carpenter (+260)

Round 1

The UFC emerges through the flames of Los Angeles County like an action movie to stage its first pay-per-view of the year, and it should still be a good one. While the main event has shuffled at the last minute, it may be the best of a bad situation and there should still be some fun to be had. The action kicks off with a ranked fight at 125 pounds, as talented contender Ulanbekov (15-2, 4-1 UFC) returns after over a year away against unbeaten phenom Carpenter (8-0, 2-0 UFC). Referee Blake Grice will draw the first assignment of the night, and it kicks off as the flyweights bump fists. The taller Ulanbekov takes to the center of the cage almost immediately, measuring his jab and flicking out a heavy leg kick. Booming chants for “USA” rain down in support of Carpenter, who channels their support with a solid left hand, a follow-up right and a chopping kick. Ulanbekov misses a dangerous front kick by a matter of inches, and he snipes the advancing Carpenter coming forward. Carpenter goes to the lead leg again and is forced to defend a takedown, where he not only stuffs it but turns Ulanbekov about and jams him against the fence. Ulanbekov uses his leverage to turn to the side, hit a body lock and wrench the unbeaten fighter down to the mat. Carpenter hacks from his back with elbows, but not at Ulanbekov’s head, and instead his shoulders. Ulanbekov sits up in the guard, looking for punches and elbows when he can find them. Carpenter maintains an active guard but it is not a good idea to get into a slugfest off your back, as Ulanbekov lands far cleaner and heavier. Carpenter looks to threaten with a high guard, and it gets shut down in a hurry by ground-and-pound. Again, Carpenter shifts his leg up to give Ulanbekov something extra to think about, and his rubber guard is thwarted and his eyebrow is cut open from an elbow. The two fighters explode to their feet at the same time with a minute to go in the round, and Ulanbekov advances only to walk into two low kicks. Ulanbekov parries a front kick and absorbs an inside leg kick when trying to start off some offense, but he has his best success from counters. Carpenter lets his foot fly a few times, and he shoots for a takedown that is stifled to conclude the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov

Round 2

To start the round, Ulanbekov rubs at some swelling that has developed under his left eye, and he offers a glove touch that is accepted. Both men aim and miss with swinging kicks early, and Carpenter steps in to close the distance and deposit a pair of left hooks on the chin. Carpenter then follows the left with a swiping right, and it buzzes past the target. Ulanbekov sets up a number of jabs to work a front kick down the middle, and Carpenter slips it and connects with a leg kick. When Ulanbekov responds with a high kick, Carpenter catches it and bowls him over to the mat. Carpenter leaps down to establish himself on top, and he shifts to half guard to stop Ulanbekov from sweeping or reversing him. Carpenter gets dragged back to the guard, and he opens it up with a pair of slashing elbows from above. Carpenter scrambles madly springing his hips up and around in hopes of getting through to a better position. Ulanbekov times one of these hops, grabs hold of Carpenter’s shorts and tugs himself illegally to his feet. Carpenter complains, but Grice tells them to fight on. Ulanbekov wishes to take the fight to the ground, only this time with him on top, and he meanders forward to get hold of body lock and trip Carpenter to his back. Both fighters are active when the fight gets to the ground once more, with Carpenter more than willing to hack and slash with elbows. Meanwhile, Ulanbekov pummels him with his fists and the occasional elbow to stay more than busy and remain in top position. When Ulanbekov slows down for a bit, Grice calls for more activity, spurring Ulanbekov into some ground-and-pound action. A second call for action comes from Grice as the crowd starts to shower them with boos. When Carpenter attempts to explode and get back up to his feet, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov

Round 3

Ulanbekov starts off the round as the aggressor, fighting behind his jab to get into grappling range. When Carpenter springs at him, Ulanbekov stays elusive enough to dodge, weave and counter with two punches down the middle. Carpenter responds with three low kicks, the third turning Ulanbekov and making him a bit tentative to absorb more. Carpenter attempts a fourth, and he changes his mind as Ulanbekov blasts him with a one-two. As Carpenter steps in without striking, another one-two from Ulanbekov catches him cleanly. Carpenter rips another low kick, and he times a left hand on the way in. Carpenter’s leg kicks have a visible effect, but he elects to push forward and grapple the Dagestan native against the fencing. While trapping him against the wire, Carpenter pounds Ulanbekov’s thigh with several knees. Carpenter leverages Ulanbekov down to a post arm, but Ulanbekov pushes off the floor and back upright. The boo birds start singing as the clinch continues, even as the fighters bring it to the middle of the cage all tied up. Ulanbekov turns the American around and starts talking to commentator Daniel Cormier, telling the former champ, “This is for you” as he hurls Carpenter down to the floor. Ulanbekov lands in full guard, and Carpenter goes all-out spamming elbows to any target, including the back of the head—which draws a warning. Carpenter hooks up rubber guard with his left leg behind the Dagestani fighter’s head, but that has no effect as Ulanbekov easily wriggles out of that setup and winds up relocating himself to side control. Carpenter turns in effort to escape, but it is too little, too late, as his spotless record is almost certainly about to dissipate. The fighters manage to work to their feet at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov (30-27 Ulanbekov)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov (30-27 Ulanbekov)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov (30-27 Ulanbekov)

The Official Result

Tagir Ulanbekov def. Clayton Carpenter via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Bernardo Sopai (135) vs. Ricky Turcios (136)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Sopai (-355), Turcios (+280)

Round 1

The day before UFC Fight Night 247, also known as Magny vs. Prates, went down last November, Turcios (12-4, 2-2 UFC) fell ill during his weight cut and was forced out of his match with Sopai (11-3, 0-1 UFC). It took over two months to get the bantamweight pairing on the books again, but both fighters appear healthy and good to go this time around. They settle their business under the watchful eye of referee Frank Trigg, choosing to touch gloves before getting after it. Sopai pushes the pace immediately, allowing kicks from “Pretty Ricky” to fly past him so he can smack the Texan in the face with the instep of his foot. As Sopai keeps kicking, Turcios strafes left and right to set something up on his end. This results in a lot of chasing from the Albanian, who times a solid head kick to bean Turcios in the forehead. Turcios shakes it off and kicks the lead leg of his opponent two times in a row. Turcios chains a low kick into a spinning back kick to the midsection, and he keeps his gloves up to defend the head kick that aims at his dome. The two fire off low kicks, and one slides up the lead leg and bumps into Sopai’s cup. Trigg tells them to keep it clean and they fight on, with chants of “Let’s go, Ricky” as the Texan finds some success. Turcios steps on the gas and stalks down “The Lion King,” connecting with front kicks and pushing forward so he can grapple his opponent. As they clinch up against the fence, Turcios clings on tight while firing off several knees up the middle, and he keeps in close even as Sopai tries to escape. Sopai manages to get away, but Turcios races after him and tackles him down to his knees. Sopai defends it and stands up, but the second attempt from Turcios drags him down. Sopai scrambles to stand up, and Turcios leaps on his back to threaten with something. Sopai twists to put Turcios on his back, and he lines up some ground-and-pound. The strikes open up a cut on the corner of the face of “Pretty Ricky,” who explodes back to his feet and starts brawling it out with his foe. Sopai welcomes the slugfest, and he eats a hefty low kick, a right hand and some knees with shoved against the wall. The horn sounds to end the close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 2

The fighters touch ‘em up to get started in the second round, and Sopai quickly backs Turcios to the wall and boots him upside the head. Sopai jabs his way in, and he slips back to avoid a low kick but is not able to get out of the way as Turcios is on him. “Pretty Ricky” lets fly two body kicks and tries to wrench Sopai to the floor, and they land in 50/50 position before pushing off to return to striking range. Turcios chips at the front leg a few times, getting away with naked kicks without reprisal. Sopai bears down on him and slugs him in the chops with a fierce right hand, forcing Turcios to turn tail and sprint away to reset. Sopai chases after him swinging hard, and Turcios gathers his thoughts and wings his own punches back when sitting down on them. Turcios leaps after a takedown, and Sopai turns him about and down to the ground. A furious scramble from Turcios leads to both men getting back upright, and he walks through an uppercut so he can get in close. Sopai connects with a knee that shakes Turcios up, and he pushes Turcios down to his hands to further slow him. Turcios twist and stands up, working the sides with punches only to get met with two crisp knees from the Albanian. Turcios consistently presses forward, backing Sopai off and making him work, and this appears to be bearing fruit as Sopai starts taking deep breaths with 90 seconds left in the round. Turcios, meanwhile, is fresh as a daisy and hurls big punches with bad intentions behind them. A pair of them clip Sopai, who ties his foe up and connects with a few knees to keep Turcios honest. Sopai pushes away a takedown shot to blast the Texan in the face with ferocious punches, and he trips Turcios up but elects not to follow him down so he can keep hitting him. Turcios drops down for a potential takedown, shakes it off and tries to keep swinging until the bell separates them.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 3

There is a glove touch to start the final round, and Sopai further reintroduces himself with a low kick and a body kick. The latter appears to take the wind out of the Texan’s sails, who drops to his knees and is in a bad way. Sopai tries to pound him out, ultimately settling to push Turcios all the way to his back so he can start bludgeoning him with elbows. Turcios’ nose busts open as blood sprays out of it, down his chest and all over the mat. Turcios practically laughs, somehow willing himself back to his feet so he can put hands on the man that hurt him. Sopai backs off, and Turcios races after him to clinch fight him. Turcios walks through punches to land some of his own, and Sopai eats them, shakes his head and knees “Pretty Ricky” in his not-so-pretty face. Swelling, a crunched nose and blood have transformed Turcios’ visage to something out of a European fairy tale, but Turcios has no concern for his outer appearance and just wants to bleed and fight. Turcios runs towards Sopai, throwing everything he has at his tiring opponent, and he hops on Sopai’s back only to slide off thanks to the sweat and blood. Sopai climbs into his guard, and he fights off a triangle choke setup to shift to the side. Turcios turns over to his knees and stands up, and they fire off jabs at one another with about 90 seconds on the clock. Turcios checks a kick and charges into the fray, absorbing plenty of strikes so he can hope to catch Sopai with something. Sopai pushes him away with front kicks, and he leaps in the air with a knee that glances off the target. Turcios walks directly into a knee, and an uppercut puts him down on his face for a moment. Turcios bounces off the mat, head-first, and does not just pop up but is appears totally fine and ready to keep banging. With “Fight of the Night” already having a frontrunner, the two add to it by going for broke with seconds to spare. Sopai flips at his opponent with a somersault kick, and Turcios takes it flush and chucks his opponent to the floor like a 135-pound side of beef. As Turcios tries to beat down his foe, Sopai throws his legs up to hang tight on a triangle choke until the bloody battle comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai (30-27 Sopai)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sopai (30-27 Sopai)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai (30-27 Sopai)

The Official Result

Bernardo Sopai def. Ricky Turcios via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Muin Gafurov (136) vs. Rinya Nakamura (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nakamura (-500), Gafurov (+380)

Round 1

Few fighters these days have represented Japan like young prospects Tatsuro Taira and now Nakamura (9-0, 3-0 UFC). The latter is hoping to push his win streak in the Octagon to four and establish himself as a contender in the overstuffed 135-pound division, and he tangles with Gafurov (19-6, 1-2 UFC) to get there. This class Japan vs. Tajikistan contest will be officiated by referee Jason Herzog, as the fighters come together to touch ‘em up. The bantamweights bounce back and forth towards one another, not engaging with anything until about the 30-second mark, when Gafurov wings an overhand right that glances off his intended target. Gafurov lets fly a heavy low kick, and he keeps his guard up to block a head kick whizzing at his melon. The Tajikistan-based fighter works the front leg again, and he bursts his way forward to connect with a pair of punches. As Gafurov fires off a head kick, he hits the deck and climbs back up. Nakamura digs a right to the midsection, and he wraps his shin around the side of his opponent. Gafurov gives him back a front kick to think about, and he connects with a solid right hand that staggers the Japanese fighter momentarily. Nakamura gathers his thoughts and lets go with a pair of punches to show he is still with it, and he takes a right to the low stomach as the fist might bump off the cup. Nakamura responds with a low kick and a right hook, the former clipping the cup so both men have a foul to think about with neither called. As Nakamura chambers and fires a body kick, Gafurov spins with a back fist that lands clean on the cheek. Gafurov blasts the undefeated fighter in the face with a massive right hand, and he tackles Nakamura down to the floor before the knockdown could officially be scored. Nakamura is active off his back with elbows, but Gafurov is busier with the more effective strikes. Nakamura keeps Gafurov in his guard, scooting his back to the wall and sitting up. The round ends with Gafurov offering to help Nakamura back to his feet.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov

Round 2

The kicks come from Gafurov as soon as the round begins. Nakamura finds a moment to break through them with a single left hand, but it is one-and-done and he has to skirt away from a high kick offered. Nakamura swings too hard on his punches, missing the target by a wide margin. A spinning wheel kick from the youngster from Japan is well off the mark, with Gafurov on him with a head kick that gets his attention. Nakamura strafes to the side, but towards the power side. A clash leads to an eye poke, and Gafurov apologizes for the infraction as Herzog lets it all play out. Gafurov wings a huge right hand over the top that partially connects, and he steps back just enough to dodge the counter. Nakamura chases Gafurov around, winging power strikes, but the big shots largely land from the man from Tajikistan, including a spinning back kick. Nakamura knocks his man back a step with a left hand, and he shoots in for a takedown that is easily stuffed. Nakamura goes for broke with looping punches that are all inaccurate, and Gafurov, the far sharper of the two, says hello with a one-two that set Nakamura down. Nakamura bounces back up as if he had springs in his shorts, and Gafurov grabs hold of him with a head lock while Nakamura is still leaned over. Gafurov holds on and knees Nakamura in the face several times, allowing Nakamura to drop down to a knee to pause them only to keep assaulting him with them when Nakamura stands again. Gafurov looks to his corner, and then stomps Nakamura’s feet. Nakamura tries to wrench himself away, but Gafurov lets him go instead. Two punches and a head kick connect square on the Japanese fighter’s head, and Gafurov raises his arms in the air to celebrate his handiwork. The round ends with Gafurov hollering at the crowd.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov

Round 3

Gafurov is having a blast in the cage, and he offers to hug it out after 10 minutes of combat. Nakamura obliges him, and they get to it. Nakamura tries to work his way forward, only to get smacked with an overhand right that puts him down to his knees. Nakamura leaps back up, but he has no answers, taking shots from afar without being able to land much of his own. Nakamura gives chase, hoping for a Hail Mary type of strike, but Gafurov beats him to the punch figuratively and literally. A slick three-punch combo leads to a kick under the armpit, and as soon as Nakamura gathers his thoughts, Gafurov sets him back a way with a clean side kick. Nakamura returns to his feet, and Gafurov high-fives him to perhaps celebrate the durability of the unbeaten fighter. Gafurov is in his groove, landing seemingly at will and letting loose with flashy strikes. Gafurov shoots for a takedown to mix things up, and the ensuing scramble allows the youngster from Japan to climb into top position. Nakamura grinds with his elbow and tries to break the grip around his waist to advance position, and he pushes to half guard and hooks a guillotine around Gafurov’s head. Gafurov signals a thumbs-up to Herzog, and Nakamura fastens it and leans his side on his opponent while putting everything he has in the torqueing submission. Gafurov grits it out without panicking, and he wiggles his head out of harm’s way before long. Gafurov attempts a leglock off his back to force a scramble, bounding back to his feet with 80 seconds left on the clock. Nakamura kicks him low, and Herzog checks on the Tajik fighter to make sure he is good to go. He is, and proves it by knocking Nakamura down with a haymaker. Nakamura jumps back up as if nothing happened, and he even wraps a kick around the head but it does not have enough on it to do damage. Gafurov responds with a spinning back kick to the midsection, and he avoids a massive punch to give one back. Gafurov checks the clock and backpedals while raising his arms in the air to amp up the fans as time elapses.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gafurov (30-27 Gafurov)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura (29-28 Gafurov)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura (29-28 Gafurov)

The Official Result

Muin Gafurov def. Rinya Nakamura via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ailin Perez (135) vs. Karol Rosa (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rosa (-265), Perez (+215)

Round 1

Since making her promotional debut in 2019, Rosa (18-6, 7-3 UFC) has gone to decision in all 10 of her UFC outings. The Brazilian may tie a record if she hears the final bell against Perez (11-2, 4-1 UFC)—but the only decisions for Perez have come when she won the fight. Serving as the only women’s match of the evening, the ladies try to do their division justice and improve on the paltry finish rate that marred last year. They will do so as referee Mike Beltran takes charge of the cage. A fist bump starts the action, and Rosa assumes the center of the cage to get going. Slowly walking towards the Argentinian, Rosa ignores incoming leg kicks so she can let her hands go. Perez charges her, clinching up with a body lock to try for a takedown, and Rosa slides away and breaks free. As she marches forward again, Rosa lets go with a right hand, and Perez times a tackling takedown to put the Brazilian on her back. Landing in half guard, Perez gets right to work with grinding top control. The action stalls out with Perez dragged back to the full guard, as she lands the occasional blow and amassing plenty of control time. Perez passes to half guard on the other side, and Rosa actively pushes off the leg and launches an upkick to make Perez turn away and back off. Rosa punches her way into another exchange, where she stuffs a takedown and flicks out a jab at the end of it. Perez connects with three punches and darts away before getting caught, and she reaches down in hopes of catching a leg kick to attempt a takedown. Rosa tosses her out of the way and hammers the midsection with a right hand, and both ladies reset. Perez times a spinning back fist as Rosa advances, and Rosa gives her back a low kick to think about. Perez attempts high kick, and she fails to check a low kick when planting. Rosa keeps chewing up the lead leg of her opponent, forcing a stance switch. Perez waves on Rosa to come at her, but the round ends before she can.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 2

Perez leads off the round with peppering low kicks, keeping Rosa at bay early. Rosa jabs her way forward, and she whips a low kick up that appears to slap into Perez’ groin. Beltran calls time, and Perez takes a few seconds before getting back to it. They resume trading leg kicks, and Rosa overswings a right hand that allows Perez to clinch her. Rosa gets out of the tie-up to push out a jab, and she defends a takedown shot with relative ease. Perez paws out a front kick, and she raises her leg in time to stop a low kick from harming her. Rosa keeps her hands up to block a one-two, and she parries a spinning back fist and a body kick while pressing forward. Perez jumps at her with a knee, and Rosa pushes it to the side and punches her in the face. Perez works the body with a kick, and she backs off when a one-two is fired down the pipe. Perez scores a spinning back fist, lands and releases a body kick before Rosa can get to her. Rosa settles down, loops a right hand over the guard, and is out of range before a counter gets to her. Rosa puts two punches on the jaw and pops Perez with a flying knee, but the subsequent takedown attempt slows her down. Rosa defends the first try, but the second effort by the Argentinian leads to her securing top position, landing in half guard. Perez prefers position over offense when getting the fight down, clinging to her foe and softening her up with the occasional blow. Perez hangs on in an arm-triangle setup, only to get bucked back to the guard when it starts getting close. The round ends with both women striking while horizontal, and it might go either way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 3

There is a double touch of gloves to begin the last round, and Perez paws out her left hand to start things off. They connect at the same time with alternating single punches, and then back away to reset. Perez scores a low kick and gets popped with a left hook, but it is one-and-done for the Brazilian. Rosa aims an overhand right at the target, and it brushes past “Fiona,” who chambers and fires two kicks in rapid succession. Rosa stalks down her adversary and jackhammers her with an inside low kick that makes Perez stumble and change stances. Perez returns fire with her own calf kick, and Rosa no-sells it and hacks at the front wheel. Rosa ducks a telegraphed spinning back fist and checks a few low kicks while pressing ahead, and her landed leg kick consistently gets Perez’ attention. Two big punches from Rosa force Perez to tie her up, and she cannot hold her for long before Rosa breaks away. Rosa nails the front leg with a kick that makes Perez wince, and some swelling develops above Perez’ left eye. Rosa stays in her foe’s face, keeping just out of range of the flying strikes so she can sit down on left hooks and leg kicks. Perez is compromised but still in the fight, and at the 90-second mark, Rosa does not appear to be aggressive to the point of forcing a finish. Instead, Rosa remains composed, slowly chipping away at either leg and jabbing her way forward. Perez smacks Rosa upside the head with a right hand, and Rosa stalks her around the cage lobbing punches and heavy kicks. Perez pushes her back with front kicks and a stomping kick to the knee, but Rosa decides to take a page out of her playbook and spin to strike. There is no finish, and the bantamweights go the distance to likely set a record for Rosa starting her UFC run with 11 straight decisions.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Perez)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Perez)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Perez)

The Official Result

Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Grant Dawson (156) vs. Diego Ferreira (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dawson (-258), Ferreira (+210)

Round 1

A generational gap separates the two lightweights about to set foot in the cage, with the fighters 10 years apart. Dawson (22-2-1, 10-1-1 UFC) is the far younger at 30, while Ferreira (19-5, 10-5 UFC) is the kind of guy who wants to get punched in the face for his 40th birthday. If he wins, one hopes that commentator Joe Rogan will urge the crowd to sing to him, but it is an uphill battle to get to that point. The third man in the Octagon for this fringe 155-pound contender pairing is referee Frank Trigg, who sits back as the fighters respectfully touch gloves. Dawson engages in assuming the center of the cage, and his first strike is a spinning back fist that buzzes past his foe. Ferreira moves to the side, aims a low kick, and chants for “USA” come down in support of Dawson. That excites him to the point of hurling a spinning wheel kick that partially lands, and he ignores any counter to spin and plant his foot on Ferreira’s ribcage. Dawson steps in with a right hand, and after connecting with a few punches, he spins with another back kick. Ferreira answers him with a surprisingly effective calf kick, and he goes to it again only to get caught with a pair of overhand rights. Ferreira returns fire with punches until Dawson shoots in on his hips and takes him to the canvas. Ferreira stands back up and leans against the fence, and he gets kneed legally in the face as he has his hands on the mat but no knees. Ferreira lowers himself to the ground to scramble and get up, and Dawson puts him in a precarious position by holding Ferreira’s leg in the air. With Ferreira leaned over and one hand on the ground, Dawson kicks him upside the head twice in what are now legal blows, and Ferreira panics and drops to the ground. Dawson looks to assume top control, and Ferreira hand-fights to keep Dawson from shifting around to take his back. When Ferreira turns to escape, Dawson follows him over and flattens him out while in full guard. Dawson bucks, sits up and drills the Brazilian with a solid left hand, before laying flat to smother. Ferreira pushes off to force Dawson to stand, and he belts “KGD” in the face with an upkick that appears to hurt him. Dawson lowers himself into the guard as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawson
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dawson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dawson

Round 2

The fighters bump fists to get going, and Ferreira leads the dance with a front kick. Ferreira follows it with a flurry of punches to get Dawson’s attention, and his forward momentum allows him to take Dawson off his feet. Ferreira attempts a leglock from a strange angle, and he attempts to take Dawson’s back but slides off. Dawson stands up and misses with a back fist, and the two walk towards one another and starting swinging heavy leather. Ferreira catches Dawson with a huge right hand, only to get taken off his feet with an easy takedown. Dawson postures up to strike, exerting full pressure on his foe while dragging things to a crawl. The audience responds in kind, not thrilled by the grind being embraced. When Ferreira sits up against the fence, Dawson sucks his hips out and lays into him with ground-and-pound. Dawson continues to force Ferreira flat on his back, unleashing strikes any time he can find an opening. When Ferreira raises his legs up for a possible choke attempt, Dawson pushes past it and smashes into the Brazilian with a crushing elbow. A second comes shortly thereafter, authoring a loud clacking sound from the elbow connecting with some face bone. The ground strikes continue as the round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawson
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dawson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dawson

Round 3

At the very first second of the round, Dawson rushes for a takedown. Ferreira fights off the first attempt, and he scrambles to set up an unorthodox leglock when Dawson drags him down. The submission is nowhere to be found, and Dawson rolls him over to his back and gets in the guard. Dawson beats down on Ferreira slowly and methodically, and suddenly, Trigg tells them to get back to their feet and stands them up without a warning. This lights a fire under Ferreira’s backside, who swings for the bleachers. Dawson does the same, and he sets Ferreira to a knee with a huge right hand. Dawson tackles Ferreira to the floor, and he gets right to it with body shots and the occasional one up to the head. Trigg almost immediately calls for more action, and Dawson proves this by posturing up to rain down heavy blows. Ferreira closes his guard and locks Dawson down in hopes of a standup, but Dawson pulls through it and starts pummeling the Brazilian with his fists. The audience is not happy about Dawson’s ground assault, and Dawson shuts them up for a moment by standing up and beating Ferreira down with high-amplitude punches. Dawson backs off Trigg by connecting with further firepower, and Ferreira manages to sit up but gives up his back. Dawson gladly takes it and wraps up the body triangle, his knees red and layers of skin ripped off from his takedown efforts. With seconds to spare, “KGD” attempts a rear-naked choke, but there is not enough time to wrap it up. Time elapses, and the fighters hug it out. This makes it five decisions in a row to start off this event.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawson (30-27 Dawson)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dawson (30-27 Dawson)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dawson (30-27 Dawson)

The Official Result

Grant Dawson def. Diego Ferreira via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Billy Elekana (200) vs. Bogdan Guskov (205.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Talbott (-1200), Barcelos (+750)

Round 1

It is time for two light heavyweight sluggers to do just that in the cage until one falls down. Guskov (16-3, 2-1 UFC) will take his surprising momentum and attempt to move another step forward in the wide-open 205-pound category, and he meets ex-LFA talent and late replacement Elekana (7-1, 0-0 UFC) in that next test. Referee Mike Beltran and his glorious mustache will need to watch out for errant blows, and he clocks the heavy hitters in as they clap hands. Guskov starts the match with a pair of low kicks, and he gets away with a third as he stalks the newcomer around the cage. Elekana goes to the body and head with kicks, and he suddenly shoots for a takedown to surprise Guskov. In the ensuing scramble, Elekana gets hold of Guskov’s back, sliding both hooks in and threatening with a rear-naked choke. Guskov hand-fights to defend the initial choke, and Elekana uses his long arms to wrap around and smack Guskov in the face. The fighter known as “Son of Susie” wraps up the body triangle around the waist, and he has Guskov totally shocked as he searches for another choke that does not materialize. Fans voice their disapproval as little more comes from the control, until Elekana nails Guskov with a pair of 12-6 elbows on the side of the dome. Elekana remains on the back when Guskov sits up, and he cuts Guskov on the eyebrow with one of his glancing wraparound strikes. Guskov turns to the side and briefly breaks the leg grip, but Elekana recovers it and gets the hooks back in. Guskov gets to his knees in hopes of tossing Elekana off of him, and he rips a hook off his torso so he can spin around. Elekana is unable to hold Guskov in the dominant position, and Guskov turns around and makes Elekana pay for his actions in the previous four minutes. The powerful punches slide around the guard and hurt Elekana, opening up a rear-naked choke of his own. Guskov takes the back and wraps it up, but time expires before he can finish the job. There is a bit of an awkward moment as Guskov holds the choke after the bell, but nothing comes of it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elekana
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Guskov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Elekana

Round 2

On the replay, Elekana is shown as having tapped, but it took place after the bell so it did not count. The fans are not thrilled, thinking a stoppage was missed. The fighters get to it, back on the feet to start off the second round, and Guskov wants to get out of her soon. He walks Elekana down and slugs him in the face with power punches, only to get clipped with a right hook that sneaks around his guard. A right hand from Elekana further surprises Guskov, who marches forward after it only to get caught with a one-two. Elekana dodges to evade what comes his way, and Guskov feints and fakes to draw repeated reactions out of him. Elekana scores a single left hand, and Guskov lays into him with three heavy punches. Guskov backs his foe up to the fence with a right hand, and Elekana counters him over the top. Elekana grins, under fire from the man from Uzbekistan, as he prepares to let counters fly as soon as Guskov drops his hands. Guskov stays in front of his man, splitting the guard with powerful punches, but it is the body shots that hurt Elekana. Guskov senses his opening and strings together a ferocious combo of head and body shots that lead him to a knee in the face. Elekana drops to a knee to defend from getting kneed in the head again, and Guskov tries to wail away on him with standing-to-ground punches. Guskov backs off, and Elekana elects to sit in the same position instead of standing. Guskov, seeing there is little resistance coming his direction, strides forward and wraps a power guillotine around Elekana’s throat. With Guskov’s full weight bearing down, it takes no more than a couple seconds for Elekana to surrender from the submission, as he is spent and about to go out. We have our first finish of the night, with the knockout artist Guskov picking up a submission victory.

The Official Result

Bogdan Guskov def. Billy Elekana R2 3:33 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Azamat Bekoev (185.5) vs. Zachary Reese (185.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bekoev (-198), Reese (+168)

Round 1

As recent as a week ago, Reese (8-1, 2-1 UFC) was planning on facing Sedriques Dumas. Unfortunately for the latter, he was forced to withdraw, and in steps a former LFA middleweight champion—but not Eryk Anders, Markus Perez, Anthony Hernandez, Ian Heinisch, Brendan Allen, Gregory Rodrigues, Josh Silveira, Osman Diaz or Lucas Fernando. It is all about the self-proclaimed “Iron” Bekoev (18-3, 0-0 UFC), a Russian in the American Top Team pipeline that can end a fight any way he chooses. Referee Blake Grice draws the charge for the 185ers, sealing the cage as the combatants come together to gingerly touch their tips—of their gloves. Bekoev pushes the pace immediately, and he walks straight into a head kick. The Russian wears it well and then absorbs a right hand, and he responds with a high kick that bangs into the pectoral. Reese reaches out with a knee and swipes out with a left hook, and he sways back to avoid a counter. Reese knees the body, and Bekoev responds by attacking a single-leg takedown. When Reese connects with an elbow, he falls to his back and almost instantly sets up an armbar. Bekoev punches his way out of it but cannot quite establish top control, holding on as he slides into the guard landing strikes. Reese replies with sharp elbows off his back and an upkick anywhere he can find the space to hit. Both fighters trade surprisingly heavy blows, with Reese hacking with elbows while Bekoev beats on him with his fists. Reese pushes off but cannot get Bekoev off of him, so he resorts to spamming more elbows while absorbing punishment from above. Reese rolls for an armbar, but there is nothing to it as Bekoev starts to work Reese over with punches. Bekoev continues to club Reese with vicious ground-and-pound, and as his strikes land, Reese goes out. Grice rushes between them to stop the fight, and he inadvertently tackles Reese to bang his head off the back of the mat. Reese is totally unconscious, and it takes a frightening amount of time for him to regain his senses. He tries to sit up and then stand, but he does not have his legs beneath him as medical professionals tend to him. He has regained consciousness and is responsive to questions, but still looks around the arena wide-eyed as if he has no idea what just happened. Meanwhile, this is a statement introduction for Bekoev, who completely flatlined Reese with ground-and-pound while in the guard—a rare knockout indeed.

The Official Result

Azamat Bekoev def. Zachary Reese R1 3:04 via KO (Punches)

Raoni Barcelos (135.5) vs. Payton Talbott (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Talbott (-1200), Barcelos (+750)

Round 1

A red-hot commodity in flashy, undefeated Talbott (9-0, 3-0 UFC) will serve as the preliminary headliner, hoping to wrest the torch from aging Brazilian Barcelos (18-5, 7-4 UFC) in a pivotal bantamweight affair. Talbott has only heard the final bell one time, while his opponent can say he has been involved with more decisions than Talbott has pro fights. Referee Herb Dean will serve as the arbiter of this bout, and the fighters acknowledge him and one another but do not tap their gloves together. Barcelos starts the fight by leaping at Talbott’s left leg, pursuing a single without letting the youngster get started. Talbott backs himself to the wall and sets up a guillotine choke, but the veteran trips him up and puts him on his seat without fear of the submission. Talbott is loudly warned by grabbing inside of Barcelos’ gloves, and he wall-walks to get back up and lean against the fence. Barcelos laces his legs between his opponent’s in hopes of snaking him down, and he jumps on Talbott’s back to further threaten him. Talbott shakes him off, and Barcelos tries again to be a malicious backpack but settles for pulling the unbeaten fighter face-first to the floor. Barcelos wraps his leg around the waist for a single hook, and Talbott is once more warned for foot grabs. Barcelos times a Talbott scramble perfectly to wrap his forearm around the neck, only to let it go so he can start slugging Talbott on the side of the head. Talbott turns to his side while under fire, and he fights off a choke and finds himself in a second. Barcelos does not have the choke under the chin and is more neck/face cranking him to make his life miserable, and he once more releases it to shift into full mount. The Brazilian drops down a powerful elbow and he moves to half guard to he can set up an arm-triangle choke, squeezing down hard but not going for broke to get it done. Talbott remains calm and composed despite getting dominated, and Barcelos leaps over him and holds him down from the other side while in half guard. Barcelos gets directly to full mount like a hot knife cutting through butter, and he lets Talbott give up his back so he can go for one final choke before time runs out in the round. The one-sided round ends before Barcelos can get it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Barcelos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Barcelos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Barcelos

Round 2

The fighters race towards one another to start the second round, and Talbott is the aggressor as he pushes jabs out to keep Barcelos honest. Barcelos scores a few low kicks, but one is met with a right hand over the top. Barcelos shoots, and Talbott shuts him down. As Talbott slides forward to strike, Barcelos deftly trips him up and places him flat on his back. Barcelos lands immediately in half guard, and he is active on top. Talbott scrambles to get to his knees, and he takes a knee on the chin while freeing himself. Talbott walks Barcelos down with long, straight punches, and Barcelos returns fire with a right hand that leads into a clean takedown. The Brazilian hits the mat on top in side control, and he leaps into full mount uncontested. Barcelos gets a little high, and before Talbott can buck him off or sneak out the back, he moves himself down a bit. This does not matter, as Talbott still escapes to get up, but not before taking a knee on the liver. Talbott is surprised by the strike, opening Barcelos up to nail him with a spinning back fist. The prospect walks forward ready to trade, and he connects with a few punches only to get nailed with a right hand on the way back. Talbott smiles and waves him on, as he is much more comfortable in a wild striking exchange than a grappling affair. Talbott shucks off a takedown and connects with a powerful uppercut, and he fights off another takedown try. On the third, Barcelos manages to wrangle Talbott to the floor, and he gets to half guard and hops to the side to drop down a powerful elbow. As Barcelos is about to set up a crucifix, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos

Round 3

The bantamweights get right to it to start off the last round, with Talbott pressuring fully and clipping Barcelos with an uppercut. A few more punches are strung together, and Barcelos goes after a telegraphed takedown. Talbott sees it coming and hits a beautiful throw that reverses the Brazilian and puts him on the mat. As “USA” chants echo through the Intuit Dome, Barcelos worms his way to the fencing but absorbs some ground-and-pound to get there. Talbott scores a few punches, and Barcelos tosses his leg up to hook an omoplata shoulder lock. As he does this, he hooks his hand in the fence, and Dean sees it and pauses the fight. Dean offers to take away the position from the foul, and when Talbott says no, they resume in the position they left off. Barcelos explodes back to his feet and blasts the youngster with a flurry of punches, including a flying knee that does some damage. Talbott responds with a flying knee that rocks the Brazilian, and as they both hit the ground from wild strikes, they climb back up and trade again. Barcelos backs off to take some breathes, and Talbott drops his hands and marches forward like a Terminator. Barcelos fakes a level change, and Talbott answers with a spinning wheel kick that slaps him in the face. Barcelos grins and attacks another takedown, landing it and taking some of the wind out of the American’s sails. Talbott turns to his knees, and Barcelos follows him every step of the way and wraps his legs around his waist. Barcelos slides into full mount when Talbott turns to his back, and he sets up an arm-triangle choke. Barcelos releases the choke and sits up to wrench on the arm with an unorthodox straight armbar, and he switches gears for a rear-naked choke that is not under the chin. Talbott signals a thumbs-up, and Barcelos lets it go to pound on Talbott with punctuating ground-and-pound. Barcelos unleashes a fury of punches and elbows, laying down one final bombardment that only ends with 15 minutes elapsing—a few more seconds and he might have gotten the stoppage. The elder statesman put on a show here, shutting down the likely formerly unbeaten prospect and spring what may be “Upset of the Year” with Talbott closing with a betting line around -1200. What a performance, as Barcelos appears to have found the fountain of youth at the tender age of 37.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (30-26 Barcelos)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (30-26 Barcelos)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (30-26 Barcelos)

The Official Result

Raoni Barcelos def. Payton Talbott via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Kevin Holland (183.5) vs. Reinier de Ridder (184.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: De Ridder (-112), Holland (-108)

Round 1

Striker battles grappler to kick off the main card of UFC 311, although that might be a bit of an overgeneralization considering Holland (26-12, 1 NC; 13-9, 1 NC UFC) has landed some nifty brabo chokes in recent memory. He will come to blows, and/or roll with de Ridder (18-2, 1-0 UFC, who got his feet wet in the UFC last November by outhustling savant submission specialist Gerald Meerschaert and tapping “GM3” out. Whether this fight ends by knockout, submission or something else entirely, referee Frank Trigg will be here for the middleweights every step of the way. There is a touch of gloves to get things going, and de Ridder shoots in for a single immediately. Holland hits his back and wraps a leg around the head of his opponent, setting up a triangle and nearly transitioning it to an armbar. When de Ridder lords over him, Holland drills him with surprisingly effective hammerfists from his back. De Ridder lowers himself down into the guard, thwarting any subs coming his way. De Ridder grinds down with elbows to the chest, with Holland hanging onto the wrists before flailing his legs to get some space. An upkick or two may have gotten de Ridder’s attention, but de Ridder is still on top of him. Holland starts talking to Trigg, mentioning that he took a knee to the head, and he laughs. Holland keeps striking from off his back, and de Ridder elbows him back to shred a mean cut open on his forehead. Holland sways to avoid more ground-and-pound, but the Dutch fighter drew first blood. De Ridder unloads with standing-to-ground punches, pinning Holland to his back and letting Holland scramble so he can take his back. Holland stands up, and de Ridder is on his back, but barely. Holland lowers himself down to put his arms on the mat to take some of the weight off, and he rolls through and is followed. “RDR” fastens the body triangle around the waist and locks down a rear-naked choke, and it is tight in a hurry. Holland considers taking his mouthpiece out to alleviate some of the danger, but he realizes that his goose is cooked and that the man formerly known as “The Dutch Knight” has him dead to rights. As the choke is not going anywhere, Holland has no choice but to tap out before getting put to sleep. With that clear-cut win in his pocket, de Ridder places himself in prime position for big fights ahead.

The Official Result

Reinier de Ridder def. Kevin Holland R1 3:31 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Jailton Almeida (235) vs. Serghei Spivac (233)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Almeida (-425), Spivac (+330)

Round 1

Two of the best grapplers currently in the UFC’s heavyweight division ply their trade against one another, with snake-like Almeida (21-3, 7-1 UFC) hoping to constrict “The Polar Bear” Spivac (17-4, 8-4 UFC) and charge up the ladder once more. Keeping tabs on how it all plays out will be referee Jason Herzog, cognizant that this will not likely end up in the hands of the judges as the fighters combine for 35 stoppages in their 38 victories. Before going for broke, the athletes engage with a fist bump. Almeida whips a kick low at the lead leg, and he leans down and gets popped with a right hand in response. Spivac flicks out a few jabs and dodges an overhand right, but he is not able to get out of the way of another leg kick. Spivac engages in a clinch and hits a toss to put the Brazilian on his back with a surprising amount of ease, and he lowers himself flat down inside of the guard. Almeida employs butterfly hooks to get a modicum of space on his back, and he clings to the Moldovan to protect himself from offense. Spivac sits up and fights his hands to sneak in a left hand, and he rails his foe with two big elbows. Spivac continues to lay into Almeida with power strikes, and he lowers himself down to half guard so Almeida cannot escape. Almeida sits up, and rolls Spivac to his back so he can climb into half guard and work. Almeida moves to full mount and lets Spivac turn so he can take the back, and Spivac fights the wrist to pull the Brazilian off of him. Almeida is wise to it and clings to Spivac, and he lets Spivac lay on his back. Spivac turns around to get top position and start raining down Donkey Kong-esque punches, and he gets swept. Both fighters get to their feet, and Almeida surges into action with a mighty flurry of punches starting with a clean right hook and chaining to an uppercut that hurts Spivac. Almeida lifts Spivac off his feet and slams him down to the mat, landing in full mount while further beating Spivac down. Spivac turns to his stomach, and Almeida flattens him out and rattles off punches to the side of the head. Even with a few seconds left in the round, Herzog is watching very closely. The fists of “Malhadinho” continue to batter Spivac on the side of the dome, and Herzog has no choice but to wave the fight off with the Moldovan no longer registering intelligent defense. Almeida leaps on top of the cage to celebrate with the crowd, not listening to anyone asking him to get down including Bruce Buffer so he can take it all in.

The Official Result

Jailton Almeida def. Serghei Spivac R1 4:53 via TKO (Punches)

Jamahal Hill (204.5) vs. Jiri Prochazka (204.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Hill (-115), Prochazka (-105)

Round 1

Ever since both former light heavyweight champions voluntarily surrendered their titles due to injury, what seemed like an eventual collision course has finally come. In a battle that could easily headline even a fairly solid event, Prochazka (30-5-1, 4-2 UFC) plans on inflicting violence and destruction against Hill (12-2, 1 NC; 6-2, 1 NC UFC). The two 205ers vastly prefer the knockout, whether it plays out on the ground or on the feet, so referee Mike Beltran will need to be aware of each and every position until he needs to break out the smelling salts. There is plenty of intensity between the combatants, but they touch gloves before getting started. Prochazka prods out pushing kicks to the knee to look for his immediate range, and Hill changes stances multiple times. Prochazka measures his man with long jabs that are more push-offs than actual strikes, and he swipes out with a left hand. Prochazka takes a low kick, and he hops back to avoid a second. Prochazka tosses out a half-hearted high kick, and he suddenly darts in with an unorthodox right hand. A speedy left from Prochazka tags Hill on the chin, who smiles at him. Prochazka’s hands fall to his waist as he tries to open up with a few power strikes, and Hill responds with a trio of punches and a knee that flusters “BJP.” Prochazka uses head movement to dodge the firepower blazing his direction, barely evading the huge strikes aimed at lopping his head off at his shoulders. Prochazka sticks out a right hand and ducks the counter he knows is coming so he can push off with a front kick. The crowd is on the side of Prochazka and lets him hear it, but the fighters continue at their own pace. Prochazka reaches the target with a long right hand, and a short but ruthless left sets “Sweet Dreams” down to the floor. Hill is able to grab hold of Prochazka to pull him back to his feet, and he gets his hands on Prochazka and clips him with his own power strike. Both fighters sting one another in a fierce exchange, and Prochazka backpedals only to eat a mean-spirited right hand down the pipe. Hill walks and ducks into a knee, and he is no worse for wear as he settles down to evade a head kick. Prochazka smacks him upside the head with a back fist and blasts him with two heavy punches, and he seems to see the strikes coming as he ducks and sways right on time. Hill keeps throwing, and he cracks the Czech fighter in an exchange. The damage from Prochazka is significant already, as Hill’s nose is busted and leaking while swelling is growing fast under both eyes. Prochazka stabs a kick to the body, and he leans back instinctively to dodge the counter. As Prochazka opens a cut on the bridge of Hill’s nose, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka

Round 2

The light heavies touch ‘em up to get going, and both men let fly kicks that miss. Prochazka goes after a head kick and slowly spins in hopes of catching Hill with the spinning back fist at the end of it, and Hill nearly bites. Prochazka jabs the body a few times with a front kick, and Hill answers in kind. Prochazka comes up short on a head kick, and when Hill jabs his way in, Prochazka leaps at him with a knee that bounces off the guard. Prochazka frames off, and his thumb swipes into Hill’s eye. Beltran calls time, giving Hill time to get his vision back. Hill takes 40 seconds before he is ready to resume, and they touch gloves again to signal no ill will. Prochazka uses his lead leg to kick off twice and not let Hill get into range, and he dips straight into an uppercut. Prochazka pays it no mind, his hands still low, and he rolls as a left hand bangs into his temple. Prochazka keeps working the body with doubled kicks, and he uppercuts “Sweet Dreams” only to get uppercutted right back. Prochazka wraps his shin around the head, and Hill pushes him away and drives his finger in the eye to prompt another foul stoppage. Beltran recognizes it and brings in some water and a towel to let Prochazka wipe out his eye. Prochazka lets out a shout, appearing that he is seriously struggling to see, and the doctors are called in to check on his condition. Beltran instructs the physicians after 90 seconds elapse to give him more time to collect himself, informing the fighter that he does not need to rush back to it. Prochazka says he can see, and after a bit over two minutes, it’s back to it—but Prochazka is visibly compromised still. A fighter’s fighter he is. Prochazka resumes with kicks to stay far enough away to not eat strikes, but Hill still partially lands a right hand. Prochazka fakes a jumping strike, and Hill reaches out with a long left hand. Prochazka fires back a right at him, and Hill beans him in the temple in response. Prochazka’s chin holds up, and he tries to spin but does not have enough momentum to land it with much. Prochazka scores, Hill replies, and the two lay into one another like car crashes. Hill gets a head of steam and strings combinations together, eating strikes that fly at him so he can knee Prochazka in the face. Hill rifles off a right hand, his long strikes having an appreciable effect and his body shots doing some work as well. Hill goes back to the midsection, seeing they might be doing something, and Prochazka holds his right hand closer to the body to parry other strikes aimed at that target. Prochazka appears to be slowing, and Hill charges at him with fists and knees flying. The horn sounds, and the two high-five.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hill
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka

Round 3

The two gladiators hug it out to begin the final frame, and everyone takes a deep breath. The two pick at one another with straight strikes, with Prochazka firing off a head kick that gets blocked after watching out for jabs. Hill reaches him with a body shot, and then a second follows it up as he knows where to aim now. Prochazka ducks down and smashes Hill in the face with a blistering left hand, hurting Hill badly and forcing the American to back away in big trouble. Prochazka gives chase, attacking him to all targets but not emptying his gas tank. As Prochazka sees Hill may be bleeding again but not going down, he disengages to gather his thoughts and find another way in rather than get sucked into a bomb-throwing contest. Prochazka the slowing offense of his opponent and aims his own strikes to the body, and Hill is also fairly heavily focused on the midsection. Hill rips a knee to the body and tries to work clinch strikes, but Prochazka slips a blow and sends Hill flying with a cruise missile of a right hand. Hill’s eye is almost completely closed, but he still finds his way back to his feet by turning and standing through sheer force of will—all while under fire. Prochazka does not let him off the hook, unloading with devastating punches that crack the chin and send Hill crashing to his knees. Prochazka sees the end is near, and he unloads with one final salvo of punches on the ear to seal the deal, prompting Beltran to tackle him off of the defeated Hill. What a fight, what a round and what a finish! Prochazka loudly reminds the masses that he is one of the best fighters in the world, doing so in a way that few others could possibly replicate. It may be a bit soon to start writing the list, but another year-end accolade may have been reached in the “Fight of the Year” between these two greats.

The Official Result

Jiri Prochazka def. Jamahal Hill R3 3:01 via TKO (Punches)

UFC Bantamweight Title Fight:
Merab Dvalishvili (134) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (135)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nurmagomedov (-325), Dvalishvili (+265)

Round 1

In September, Dvalishvili (18-4, 11-2 UFC) did just what he planned, outworking Sean O’Malley to capture the bantamweight throne. After some deliberation about next contenders, the rightful one emerged as the undefeated Nurmagomedov (18-0, 6-0 UFC) earned his shot at gold. This championship contest has the potential to play out anywhere, exciting many of the fans but forcing referee Jason Herzog to consume an energy drink ahead of the contest to keep up with them. Despite the Georgia vs. Russia rivalry, the competitors decide to touch gloves to seal the cage. They keep a safe distance early, with Nurmagomedov in the middle of the cage but far away from the champ. There is little more than bouncing for the first 45 seconds, until Nurmagomedov tests the water with a high kick. Dvalishvili responds with a low kick, and he slides away from a jab. There is another lull of about 30 seconds before Nurmagomedov pitches out a head kick from far away, and he finally lands the first strike with a standing backfist. Dvalishvili rushes forward, tackling Nurmagomedov to his seat but not from a traditional takedown and more of a shoulder check. As a result, Nurmagomedov gets right back up and makes Dvalishvili back away, and Dvalishvili walks him down and catches him with an overhand right. Nurmagomedov gets Dvalishvili to back away with a front kick, and both men swing hard fists at one another while Dvalishvili grins. Dvalishvili shoots for a takedown, and when Nurmagomedov defends it, Dvalishvili catches him with a few strikes on the inside. Nurmagomedov lands a body kick, and he reddens the champ’s face up with a one-two, a head kick and another few punches. Nurmagomedov shoots for a single, and he tosses Dvalishvili off-balance but is unable to ground him. As Dvalishvili scampers away, Nurmagomedov leaps at him with a knee that ultimately sends him careening into the wall. Dvalishvili bounds at his man with a pair of looping punches, and he absorbs a body kick and stuffs a takedown. Both men share knees as Dvalishvili pushes his man against the cage, and he scores a right hand and a low kick to break off. Nurmagomedov kicks high and misses again, but a left hand does find the range to the body. He follows it with a one-two, and Dvalishvili runs at him with punches flying. Nurmagomedov sits down on a clean right hand that stings the champ, who backs off and smiles while chewing on his mouthpiece. Nurmagomedov does not take advantage of it, instead measuring a body kick before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 2

Herzog has to try hard to get them to stay apart, as the bantamweights want to get back to it before it’s time to fight. They get clocked in, and they back away from one another like the start of the first frame. Dvalishvili reaches his foe after 40 seconds with an overhand right, and he gets countered on the way out. Dvalishvili crashes forward to land another right, and Nurmagomedov stands firm and slings punches while simultaneously booting the champion in the head with his shin. When they crash together, Nurmagomedov is landing cleaner and harder, and he is making the champion’s face turn red in a hurry from impactful blows. They slow down for a moment to find an attack strategy, and that is Dvalishvili shooting for a takedown. Nurmagomedov not only stops it, but he turns the corner to put Dvalishvili down to the ground, and he takes the champ’s back. With a cut leaking a bit on the corner of the Georgian’s left eye, Nurmagomedov has one hook in from behind. Dvalishvili shakes his head incredulously, and he bursts back to his feet and breaks away. Dvalishvili meanders forward, walking into a few jabs but flinging an overhand right that tags the Russian on the forehead. The jabs from Nurmagomedov have bloodied Dvalishvili’s nose, and he keeps working on it when not shutting down a takedown. Dvalishvili shoots for a single that get stonewalled, and he unleashes a tornado of strikes including a few solid body shots. Nurmagomedov fires back with his own offense, and he stops a takedown in its tracks as he gets pushed to the wall. Nurmagomedov breaks out of the clinch, but not before absorbing a right hand on the way out. When Dvalishvili crashes the pocket, Nurmagomedov scores again with a right. The recklessness of Dvalishvili allows him to land as much as Nurmagomedov, even if there is a power disparity. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 3

The exciting tilt continues in the third round, with Dvalishvili bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet while Nurmagomedov plants more frequently to set something up. Dvalishvili leaps forward with a right hand that misses the mark and a low kick that does not, and he swings his way into a single. Nurmagomedov hops to the side and is dragged to a knee, but he gets away while absorbing a right hand on the escape. Dvalishvili spins way past his foe as he tries to come in, and they get up close and personal with short but effective strikes. Nurmagomedov digs a kick to the ribs, and Dvalishvili rushes at him flailing with fists that connect. The Georgian lands a right hand but still cannot get the takedown, and they crash together and bang their heads together. Herzog checks on Nurmagomedov’s condition, who appears unconcerned. Nurmagomedov tosses out a low kick that brushes the cup, and now Herzog is asking Dvalishvili if he is alright. He is, and the fighters start trading in the pocket. Nurmagomedov backs off and is followed by the champion, who lets him have it with a long combination of punches. Whether they land or not is immaterial to Dvalishvili, who wants to make Nurmagomedov think about the rushing offense. When Nurmagomedov blocks strikes, Dvalishvili tosses the Russian down on his seat and backs away to celebrate his work. Dvalishvili shoots in for a double, and when Nurmagomedov hits the mat, he sweeps his foe and lifts them back to their feet. With Nurmagomedov on his hips, pushing the champ against the cage, Dvalishvili looks outside of the Octagon and starts talking to people outside of it. Dvalishvili breaks out of the tie-up and absorbs a head kick, and he gets his chin checked by a solid left hand. Dvalishvili surges forward and into a takedown attempt, and he grabs the fence and somehow remains on his feet when pulled away from the cage wall. On Nurmagomedov’s second effort, while Dvalishvili is showboating, he drags Dvalishvili to the floor. Dvalishvili wall-walks to get upright, and he raises his arms in the air while the Russian holds him from behind. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili

Round 4

The championship rounds are reached, and Nurmagomedov is calm as a cucumber while Dvalishvili is energized as ever. Dvalishvili digs a few body shots when Nurmagomedov goes up top, and he shoots for a single that makes Nurmagomedov do a split but not go down. When Nurmagomedov stabilizes himself, he lances out a one-two, and Dvalishvili walks through it to land his own combination. Nurmagomedov scores last with a left hand, and Dvalishvili trips him up and puts him on the canvas. Nurmagomedov bounces back to his feet, and Dvalishvili practically sprints at him in pursuit of a takedown, resulting in Nurmagomedov dropping down to his knees. Dvalishvili holds on with a head lock to keep Nurmagomedov down, and he knees him in the head and drills him with a right hand up top. Nurmagomedov slows but still gets a head kick up there, and he shoots for a takedown that is nowhere near putting the Georgian on his back. Dvalishvili absorbs a punch to dig a left to the liver, and he starts to gain the upper hand as he puts his right hand on Nurmagomedov’s forehead in a veiled shot. They trade huge right hands, and Dvalishvili stuffs a takedown and grins maliciously. Nurmagomedov stands in the pocket and trades, and Dvalishvili connects back with a right hand. Dvalishvili shoots in, and Nurmagomedov stops it and may be running out of steam fast. Dvalishvili swarms him with a big right hand, backing Nurmagomedov up and putting fists in his face. Nurmagomedov backs him off with a left, but it is more a push than something damaging. Nurmagomedov pushes for a single, and Dvalishvili stifles it and rips a left hand. As Dvalishvili goes after a takedown, Nurmagomedov not only stops it but is very slow to stand up. The champion is a man possessed, and he scoops the unbeaten fighter up and deposits him gingerly to the canvas. Far more labored than before, Nurmagomedov works back to his feet, and he hooks his fingers in the fence to not get taken down again. A few punches from up close land for Dvalishvili, who ends the round as they might be all tied up going into the final frame.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili

Round 5

Twenty minutes are in the bank, and the fighters have five more to go to possibly settle everything. They spend ample time apart from one another, until Nurmagomedov reaches the target with a few punches. Dvalishvili fires back immediately, and he swings himself too far with a back fist but Nurmagomedov is too tired to take advantage of it. Dvalishvili shoots for a naked takedown, pushing Nurmagomedov to the wall and kneeing him before breaking off. Nurmagomedov reaches him with a long left, and he gets off two more—one high and the other low. Dvalishvili goes after a single, and when that fails, he attempts a second in rapid succession, and a third as Nurmagomedov is a tree stump. Dvalishvili goes for a right to the midsection, and he gets popped in the chops by a left hand. This does not bother him in the slightest, as he shoots for a double, and he trips Nurmagomedov’s one leg up but is unable to plant him on the canvas. Dvalishvili breaks off with a pair of short hooks, and he parries a jab. The Russian goes high with a kick and slips a punch to shoot in on the hips, and Dvalishvili sprawls perfectly and bounces back up. They both land alternating fists, and Nurmagomedov preemptively defends a takedown shot with a right hand. Body kicks from Nurmagomedov strike both sides, but they do not slow the Georgian down, who races at him with missed fists. Dvalishvili raises his arms in the air, and he shoots down low for a single. Nurmagomedov does another split to stop it from getting anywhere, and he bounds back up to put fists on face. Dvalishvili springs away and then forward, eating a body kick and resetting while looking at the clock that reads 64 seconds. Dvalishvili cannot get the single, and the takedown defense from the challenger is staggering. Nurmagomedov boots Dvalishvili in the face, and right when the momentum is about to shift, Dvalishvili staggers him with a right hand. Dvalishvili starts showboating, and he trips Nurmagomedov up and puts him down on his hands and knees. Although Nurmagomedov stands up, Dvalishvili drags him back down, and he sits up and postures to the crowd victoriously. The horn blares as the crowd goes wild, and fans got their money’s worth here for sure. It may come down to this final round, as these two bantamweights put in an instant classic that will almost certainly result in a rematch in the future.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili (48-47 Dvalishvili)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili (48-47 Dvalishvili)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili (48-47 Dvalishvili)

The Official Result

Merab Dvalishvili def. Umar Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

UFC Lightweight Title Fight:
Islam Makhachev (154.5) vs. Renato Carneiro (155)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Makhachev (-1000), Moicano (+625)

Round 1

Hindsight will be 20-20 when the dust settles in this new UFC 311 main attraction. Fearless in his championship reign, Makhachev (26-1, 15-1 UFC) takes on all comers from all weight classes, no matter the time he has to prepare. It may be an unorthodox title run to go from winning the belt rightfully from Charles Oliveira, defending it twice against the featherweight king, going down to the wire with Dustin Poirier and then now battling Carneiro (20-5-1, 12-5-1 UFC) on late notice, but the Russian will take what he can get. The challenger “Moicano”—who will be called that for the remainder of this coverage rather than his actual surname of Carneiro—takes the ultimate risk in stepping up into this massive opportunity. Whether it pays off for him or results in a devastating defeat, referee Herb Dean will be on top of the action from start to finish. The lightweights do not touch gloves and instead share a stoic nod, and it’s on with the show. Moicano is quick to advance, kicking low and then high as greetings to the champion. Makhachev blocks and returns fire with a right hand, but he lg kick does get in on him. Makhachev reaches out with two punches, and the Brazilian stands firm and counters with an overhand right. Makhachev tosses out a head kick that brushes past the target, and Moicano walks him down with his fingers outstretched. This draws a warning from Dean, and they get back to it with Moicano scoring a low kick. Makhachev rips a kick to the ribs, and it is one-and-done as he backs away. The fighters hand-fight from alternating stances, and Makhachev finds an opening with a kick to the side. Moicano’s best work may be the low kick, although he fearlessly approaches the champion slinging leather. Makhachev ducks and gets clipped with a right hand, and whether by being off-balance or from a clean connect, the result is that the Russian hits his seat. After Makhachev springs up and shakes it off, he shoots in for a double, and his second effort puts the Brazilian flat on his back. Makhachev climbs into half guard, and he smothers rather than initiating much in the way of offense. Moicano bucks Makhachev off of him after kicking off the fence, and when he sits up, it is the worst thing he can do. Makhachev leans down and wraps up a brabo choke, and like a Mundials gold medalist, it is textbook and flawless. Moicano turns to his side in an attempt to escape, but Makhachev has him locked down. With nowhere left to twist, “Money” frantically surrenders, and Makhachev has made history. Getting pulled away by Dean, Makhachev becomes the first lightweight champion to register four consecutive title defenses, doing so with style points while surpassing greats like B.J. Penn and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. The pound-for-pound king of the sport has won 15 fights in a row as well, one shy of the record set by Anderson Silva. Ever the champion, Makhachev declares that anyone who wishes to challenge him can step up, as he likes the belt and wants to keep it. When the next championship collision involving the star from Eagles MMA takes place, we will be there for it. We hope you are too.

The Official Result

Islam Makhachev def. Renato “Money Moicano” Carneiro R1 4:05 via Submission (Brabo Choke)