UFC 313 ‘Pereira vs. Ankalaev’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Djorden Santos (185.5) vs. Osman Diaz (185.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Santos (-192), Diaz (+160)

Round 1

Fighters need to practice better hygiene. News broke Saturday afternoon that not one but two preliminary matches fell through due to a fighter suddenly getting sick, and one of the two does not cut much weight if any so it likely won’t be attributed to that. While UFC 306 was planned that way, this event marks the first PPV card where unplanned scratches dropped the number of matches to 10. The fights begin at 185 pounds, between two men who would love to pick up their first win in the Octagon. The debuting Santos (10-1, 0-0 UFC), who calls himself “Shakur” in honor of the fallen rapper Tupac Shakur, is a new acquisition fighting out of the Bonfim Brothers camp. He will square off with California’s own Diaz (9-3, 0-1 UFC), who fell flat literally and figuratively in his promotional debut last November. Violence potential for this matchup and many others down the line is high, and referee Marc Goddard is acutely aware of that. The fighters bump fists, and let the mayhem begin. Diaz strafes laterally in the early going while Santos plants his feet in the middle of the cage, and woo birds immediately erupt when the fighters feint and fake one another. The first strike lands courtesy of Santos about 40 seconds in, with a leg kick that turns Diaz around. Santos measures out with his jab, but it is his calf kick that finds its home again. Diaz fires one back to keep him honest, and he turns his shin to check an incoming kick. Santos splits the guard with his jab, probing it out a few times to set something up. Diaz sits down on a check right hook when Santos comes in, and the Brazilian takes it cleanly and smiles. Santos then doubles up on his jab, with it one of two types of blows he has landed about halfway into the round. Santos has another kick partly checked, and he flicks out a jab only to be met with a right hand counter over the top. Diaz slaps his foe’s front leg with a kick, and he hops away from the response. The fans are openly booing, and it grows loud, due to a 10% sparring match going on in the Octagon. Santos puts a little more behind a jab, and Diaz gives him one back to think about. Both fighters string together short combos, with Santos the one pressing forward. Diaz reaches a low kick at the end of his foot, and he snaps Santos’ head back with a sharp jab. Diaz’ jab is far more powerful, prompting Santos to briefly open up only to get tagged with a one-two. Santos marches forward energized, slinging heavy leather and then raising his arms to fire up the crowd and Diaz. Santos connects with body shots and opens up a few head shots, and he backs off when Diaz pops him with a jab and a right hand. They shake hands at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

The fighters clap hands to initiate the second round, and Santos is much more active and aggressive than he was for much of the last round. Santos walks his man down, clubs Diaz in the face and his forward momentum results in a brief clinch. The Brazilian breaks out of it so he can keep punching, tripling up on a jab to disrupt Diaz coming back at him. Diaz gets off his own jab and is met with a chopping calf kick, and he alternates these types of strikes. Santos rushes out with a jab and an overhand right, marking up Diaz’ eye and nose. Diaz goes to the body and head, and Santos no-sells them and cracks him with a big right hand. They jab at the same time, and Santos kicks low and punches to the midsection before coming up top. Diaz backs his man off with a pair of one-twos, wobbling Santos with his effective jab. Santos grits his teeth and swings back with a vengeance-fueled right hand, and Diaz is right there in his face planting a one-two on the chin. Santos drops low for a level change, and Diaz steps back to defend it. Santos loads up with a pair of one-twos, with his right hand more of a clubbing motion than a standard arc and trajectory. Diaz pounds the front calf with a kick and shoulder-rolls a few punches to come back with a head-snapping jab. Santos responds in kind, with the two seemingly taking turns engaging. Diaz lands a few, and Santos marches forward with a left to the body and a couple punches to the head. Diaz peppers with a lead-off jab to fight behind it and come out with his right hand, getting Santos’ attention a few times. Diaz sinks a left hand around the guard, and he eats a powerful counter right. Diaz connects cleanly with a one-two that stuns the Brazilian for a second, and both men slug one another in the face with right hands. When Santos lands cleanly, he raises his arms in the air and shouts while backing off, and the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

Diaz reintroduces himself in the last frame with a right hand, reminding Santos what he brings to the table. Santos gives him back a few low kicks to think about, and he walks through a few punches to club Diaz upside the head with his power right. Diaz calms down and measures his jab, driving Santos back with a clean one-two. Santos retaliates the same way, and Diaz is in his face jabbing him up. Santos pours it on with punches until changing levels, and Diaz shoves him away and swings wide. Santos plants a right hand on the temple, and Diaz dings him with a few faster punches as the Brazilian is slowing to a degree. Diaz accurately gets his jab through, takes an elbow on the nose and rings Santos’ bell with an uppercut. “Ozzy” rips a left to the liver and a right to the head, and this turns into a slow, sloppy but surprisingly accurate boxing match. Diaz mixes things up with a few step-in knees, and Santos grimaces when taking the first one and winces at the second. When Diaz gets him with a third, Santos appears compromised. Gathering a full head of stem, Diaz plods forward pounding Santos in the face and body with a lengthy barrage of punches. Santos breaks free and wills himself back into the fight, taking an elbow off his face that rips open a cut but not caring one bit. Diaz snaps out several punches, and it is his elbow that sends Santos reeling again. Santos is fatigued and hurting badly, but he is still in this fight and powering forward like a Brazilian Terminator. Diaz slips and moves, dodging a few booming right hands so he can peck at Santos with jabs and follow them with fierce overhand rights. Santos ducks down and takes a head kick flush, and he catches it and uses his momentum to bowl Diaz over with seconds to go in the round. Diaz kicks him off at the bell, and the two go the distance.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Santos)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Santos)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Santos)

The Official Result

Osman Diaz def. Djorden Santos via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Chris Gutierrez (144.5) vs. John Castaneda (145)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gutierrez (-110), Castaneda (-110)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Saturday afternoon due to an illness to Castaneda. The fight's cancelation was first reported by the UFC.

Mairon Santos (145.5) vs. Francis Marshall (146)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Santos (-355), Marshall (+280)

Round 1

From one Santos to another we go (no relation), as the self-proclaimed “Legend” Santos (14-1, 1-0 UFC) tries to go for two in a row in the Octagon. To prevail, he will need to put out “Fire” Marshall (8-2, 2-2 UFC). The featherweights will be joined by referee Chris Tognoni, who clocks them as they elect not to touch gloves. Santos lunges forward with a front kick, and Marshall slips out of the way and beans him with a right hand over the top that stuns Santos. Santos tries to go one-for-one with his opponent, and Marshall sweeps him off his feet with a powerful calf kick. Marshall shoots in from a distance for a takedown, and the Brazilian skirts out of the way to get back to the center of the cage. When Santos gets off a leg kick, Marshall clips him with a left hand that stumbles him but does not put him down. Santos chambers and fires a low kick, knocking Marshall to his seat for a second. Marshall springs back up and darts in with a one-two, and he scores a leg kick and checks one coming back his way. Marshall backs off with a short combination as Santos bears down on him, and he lashes out with a right hand that just grazes off the chin. When Santos attacks a low kick, Marshall’s counter is primed and ready to fire. Marshall clips Santos with it, and Santos gets back in his face and clubs him with a right hand on the temple. Marshall’s success prompts the fans to cheer “USA” for him until he gets his, and then the chants die down. Marshall gets back to it with a few long punches, only to get chopped at with a leg kick. Marshall gives him one back to think about, and rolls with a booming right hand that bangs into the side of his head. Santos lets loose a leg kick, and Marshall shoots in with a telegraphed takedown and is met with an uppercut. Marshall winds up with a left hand and knocks “The Legend” to the canvas, and he immediately is faced with a takedown attempt. Marshall fights out of it to get to the side while Santos is trying to stand, and he beats on him on the side of the dome. Santos leans himself against the fencing, and Marshall drops in a few more right hands until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marshall
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Marshall
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Marshall

Round 2

The fighters race towards one another to start off the second round, with Marshall looking for his jab early. Santos slaps one away and pops Marshall in the chops with his own. When Santos is faking low kicks, Marshall gets tired of reacting to them and smacks the Brazilian in the face with a left hand. Santos lunges at him with a left hook, and Marshall parries it and cannot get out of the way of two leg kicks, although he partially checks the second. Marshall scoops in a left uppercut when Santos leaves his guard down, and he rails a right hand around the guard to sting Santos. When Santos backpedals, Marshall chases him down and lands a few punches on his foe’s guard. Marshall disengages, and he tries to time a counter but is beaten to the punch by a leaping Santos. Marshall uses his jab to disallow Santos from loading up, and he swats away a front kick to catch his man with a left. The third strike in a combination from Santos busts up Marshall’s nose, which is firmly leaking at this point. Santos slaps a few low kicks in when there is a lull in the action, and Marshall springs into action with a big left hook that brushes past his intended target. Marshall rushes forward with a tackling takedown, taking Santos off his feet and drifting past Santos when the first try fails. Marshall grips Santos from behind and clasps his hands around the waist, kicking Santos’ feet out from underneath him a few times when Santos scampers back upright. Marshall grinds his adversary against the wire, looking for trips until Santos turns around. Marshall considers going after a single-leg takedown, but Santos uses a knee shield to push Marshall away from him and force a separation. Santos lets fly a head kick, and Marshall shrugs it off and blocks another from the other side right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marshall
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Marshall
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Marshall

Round 3

The featherweights clap hands to get going in the last stanza, with Santos again in the center of the cage looking for leg kicks. Marshall spurs himself into action with three clubbing punches, only to back away when Santos is on him with power. Marshall sneaks a right hand in around the guard, and he slips away before Santos can bear down on him. Marshall intercepts an advancing Santos with a stiff jab, and he continues moving so Santos cannot trap him. Marshall leans forward and unleashes a right hand from an odd angle, and he dances out of harm’s way as Santos’ volume has diminished fairly significantly. Santos gets off two punches, but Marshall is elusive and throws back three. The Brazilian absorbs a left hand on the chin when coming forward despite his guard pinned to his jab, and Marshall is slicker and quicker. Santos tries to step in with a knee, and it is a few feet away from a moving Marshall. Marshall sits down on a handful of punches, ignoring what comes back his way and checking a leg kick. Marshall is in and out with a jab, slipping strikes and peppering “The Legend” with offense. Santos is one-and-done with a power overhand right, and he jabs out with a front kick off the midsection. Marshall thumps the front leg with a kick, and he turns his head out of the way of a right hand after completing his own combo. Santos stands firm and plants his fists on Marshall’s chin, and Marshall does not like this and shoots. Santos tries to roll with it, but Marshall smothers him and puts him flat on his back with 25 seconds remaining on the clock. Marshall resides in the closed guard, with Santos swatting at him with his hands that have nothing on them. Before Marshall can get off much ground-and-pound, time expires to conclude the pairing.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marshall (30-27 Marshall)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Marshall (30-27 Marshall)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Marshall (30-27 Marshall)

The Official Result

Mairon Santos def. Francis Marshall via Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

Alex Morono (171) vs. Carlos Leal Miranda (169)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Miranda (-700), Morono (+500)

Round 1

Welterweights are on deck as the abbreviated prelims roll on. With his back against the wall, Morono (24-11, 1 NC; 13-8, 1 NC UFC) needs to pick up a W in order to likely stay in the UFC’s good graces—although several fighters of late have built losing streaks of five straight or more and still had their jobs, so who is to say. He takes on PFL crossover talent Leal (21-6, 0-1 UFC), who by all rights should be 1-0 in the UFC but for a robbery decision loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov this past October. As Miranda looks to put it behind him, he looks to his left and sees referee Keith Peterson standing stoically in the cage. There is no nonsense before the fight, nor is there a fist bump. These two want to get after it. Leal leans back to avoid a few jabs to wing back an overhand right, and he has to parry a couple front kicks aimed at his chest. Morono checks a leg kick and slugs Leal in the chops with a right hand. “The Great White” spins with a wheel kick that grazes the side of the head, and Leal grabs him and knees him in the gut. Both men stuck in the clinch elbow one another, and Leal knocks his man out of the clinch and has his guard up to block a one-two. Morono prods out his front kick, and when he whips a left hand up top, Leal kicks him in the front leg. The two welterweights jab at one another, with Morono bouncing in and out and sneaking in a right hand. Leal ignores it to punch Morono in the face, and he jams him up against the fence and knees him in the belly. Morono pushes off courtesy of a right hand, and he stings Leal coming in with another short, quick overhand right. Leal hand-fights and dodges a haymaker while pressuring his opponent, and when he lands one body shot, Morono swings for the bleachers. Morono leaves himself exposed when throwing hard, and Leal fires back hard. Morono takes a left to the liver and is elbowed twice up top, and Leal marches him down hitting him with everything he has. A second body shot from Leal buckles Morono, and he easily shuts down a failed takedown from the Texan. Morono, upright and his back against the wall, knows he is in trouble and starts letting go with bungalows. Leal tanks them and throws back with blistering power, and even when Morono responds, it is a massive differential in damage. Morono appears shellshocked as he absorbs punishment to the body and head, with Leal indiscriminately targeting him everywhere. Leal loads up with all his might, blasting Morono on the side of the dome with a ruthless right hand. Morono staggers to the side but is still somehow with it, and he wills himself into tossing out a half-hearted body kick and slings a desperate right hook. Leal times him with a combination, bending Morono over and making Peterson take a very close eye on the action. As Leal beats on a wounded Morono, he seals the deal with one final flurry of fists. Peterson has seen enough, awarding the Brazilian the standing TKO after a hellacious thrashing. Leal puts himself on the map with this one-sided win over a durable, longtime vet, claiming his first victory in the Octagon and showing off his mouthpiece to the camera that writes “Jesus.”

The Official Result

Carlos Leal Miranda def. Alex Morono R1 4:16 via TKO (Punches)

Brunno Ferreira (186) vs. Armen Petrosyan (186)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Petrosyan (-148), Ferreira (+124)

Round 1

Fists and feet and the other four limbs are about to start flying when referee Mark Smith tells these two gunslinging middleweights to get after it. Fans will be finally able to answer the live-action question of whether “The Hulk” Ferreira (12-2, 3-2 UFC) could beat “Superman” Petrosyan (9-4, 3-3 UFC) in the ultimate Marvel vs. DC nickname battle. Everyone in the building takes a sharp inhale when the two get going, as they touch gloves first. Petrosyan stalks a retreating Ferreira down, with Ferreira on the outer edge of the cage circling. Petrosyan chops at his foe’s front leg, and Ferreira misses the check on it. He has his leg ready for a second. The lunges from Ferreira are forcing Petrosyan to jump back, but he does not strike. They trade low kicks from a safe distance, and Petrosyan doubles up on his kick effort. Ferreira roars forward, getting off a right hand and blasting Petrosyan in the face with a huge left hand. Petrosyan takes it on the button without flinching, and he kicks the inside leg and skips his foot into Ferreira’s cup. Smith calls time, and Ferreira takes less than 30 seconds before he wants to go again. Petrosyan leads off with an inside leg kick, and the impact is much harder and louder as it ricochets off Ferreira’s cup. Smith recognizes the foul again and once more issues a time-out. While Ferreira is recovering, Smith deducts one point from Petrosyan for the foul. After one minute, Ferreira is good to go, and he has to immediately block a head kick. Petrosyan wants nothing to do with low kicks again, aiming his next several kicks high or extremely low. Ferreira charges forward, nearly gets caught in the groin again from a framing Petrosyan knee, and Petrosyan backs off and chops at his front leg. Ferreira sits down on a blistering right hand, and Petrosyan again eats it without batting an eye. “Superman” comes out swinging, catching Ferreira with a response, and Ferreira walks him down and targets his body. Petrosyan mixes up kicks to the body and lower leg, and he gets bounced into the wall by a front kick. Ferreira rushes at his opponent, looking for a takedown using sheer horsepower. The second attempt does get Petrosyan down, but Petrosyan springs back up and flashes his jab in Ferreira’s face. Petrosyan presses forward with a right hand and a jump knee, opening a cut on the corner of Ferreira’s right eyebrow. Petrosyan keeps close, whipping a head kick at him, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Ferreira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 9-9
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Ferreira

Round 2

The middleweights clap hands to re-engage, and Ferreira keeps his knee up to block incoming strikes. Petrosyan uses the opportunity to kick him upside the head, and Ferreira shrugs it off and throws bombs. Petrosyan hand-fights and uses head movement and footwork to evade the worst hurled at him, jogging from side to side and kicking high again. Ferreira responds with a body kick, and his leg kick is met with a sharp jab. Petrosyan splits the guard with his own jab, snapping out a body kick when Ferreira walks him down. Ferreira winds up with a bomb of a right hand, catching Petrosyan with one and forcing Petrosyan to run to the side to reset. The Brazilian reaches Petrosyan with a right hand to the body and a left up top, and Petrosyan replies with a body kick and a few jabs that have further damaged Ferreira’s eye. Ferreira times a kick to tackle Petrosyan to the mat, and Petrosyan scoots himself upright and escapes. Ferreira walks him down and jabs him in the face, following it with a mean overhand right. Petrosyan kicks his foe in the lead leg and lead arm, and he sneaks an uppercut beneath the guard. Ferreira targets the body with a few punches, and Petrosyan runs away. When Ferreira punches him in the midsection, Smith calls time as if it was a low blow, but it was nowhere near the groin. Smith quickly restarts the round, and Petrosyan flashes out his right hand a few times. They blast one another with loud body kicks, and Ferreira runs at his opponent like a lineman and tackles him to the mat. Petrosyan gets away with grabbing the fence, and Ferreira is still able to keep him on his knees but is prevented from going flat. Petrosyan sits up and has his back taken, and Ferreira immediately pursues the rear-naked choke. Petrosyan keeps moving, and he finds the Brazilian has set a trap for him. “The Hulk” locks down an armbar with a triangle choke also in the works, and Petrosyan is in trouble. It does not take more than a second for the Armenian to have to surrender, lest his limb be snapped the wrong direction. This stoppage keeps Ferreira’s finish rate at 100%, while handing Petrosyan his third straight loss inside the distance. “The Hulk” roars, blood streaming down his eye, and he goes to celebrate with his corner.

The Official Result

Brunno Ferreira def. Armen Petrosyan R2 4:27 via Submission (Triangle Armbar)

Joshua Van (125.5) vs. Rei Tsuruya (125.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Van (-192), Tsuruya (+160)

Round 1

Preliminary headlining focus shifts from the heaviest weight class in the UFC instead to the lightest men’s division, as Van (12-2, 5-1 UFC) vs. Tsuruya (10-0, 1-0 UFC) has been elevated to that vaunted cable slot. As a note, this will be the first fight in the history of the promotion between two competitors born after the year of 2000, and referee Jason Herzog will do his best to keep pace with these two youngsters. The flyweights bump fists, and Tsuruya takes the center of the cage and hand-fights his opponent. Van starts to walk forward, where he jabs the body. Tsuruya shoots in on his hips, and Van shucks him off and escapes. Van stuffs a second takedown, and he turns Tsuruya towards the fence but is unable to keep him there. They jockey for position while kneeing one another in the thigh and midsection, and Van frees himself. When Tsuruya fakes for another takedown, Van sells out defending it and eats a left hand down the pipe. Van pays him back with a snappy right hand, and Tsuruya turns and runs to reset. Van tags him with another right, and he has to fend off another takedown from a long way away. Van works his way to the wall to put his back against it, helping defend the level change. Tsuruya keeps him tied up until Van explodes out of position, and he throws himself off-balance when trying to back off. Van walks him down and punches him in the face, stifling a takedown effort and breaking out of the tie-up. Tsuruya reaches out with a right hand, and he leans back to dodge a head kick that buzzes his cornrows. Van times a perfect right hand when Tsuruya ducks, and Tsuruya has to take a moment to recover. Van keeps after him, ready for the incoming takedown, and Tsuruya still manages to get lower and throws Van to his back. Van gets to his knees and escapes before anything comes from the successful takedown, and he gets back to walking the unbeaten fighter down. Tsuruya again ducks away to get safe, and Van punches him in the nose to bloody it. When Van looses a head kick, Tsuruya hits a successful single-leg entry and puts Van on his seat. Van jumps back up again and elbows Tsuruya on the break to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Van
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Van
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Van

Round 2

It takes no more than a few seconds for Tsuruya to shoot for a takedown, and Van shuts him down. The second effort results in both men dropping to their knees, and Van gets out of this one again and goes back to marching his opponent down. Tsuruya ducks and eats a right hand, and Van runs at him with his hands flying. Tsuruya takes one or two on the chin before grabbing Van’s arm and expertly slinging him to the floor. Tsuruya holds on from a high side control, keeping his right arm beneath Van’s head while his left hand slugs Van in the face. Van bursts back to his feet, and he uncomfortably frames of Tsuruya’s face to get some space. Van stuffs a takedown and lands a punch, and Tsuruya gives him two back that set up a single. Van drops to his knees to stop the takedown from going anywhere, and he lets go to stand up. Tsuruya connects at the end of a one-two, and he gets back to circling on the outer edge of the cage. Van disallows him from getting another takedown, pushing out of the clinch so he can throw hands. Tsuruya tries to pay him back, and Van goes to the body with two thudding punches. Tsuruya whiffs, dodges and comes out with a right hand over the top, only for Van to be in his face working him with front kicks and right hands. One particularly damaging front kick forces Tsuruya to shoot, and Van laughs it off and elbows Tsuruya in the face. Tsuruya tries to spin with an elbow in close range, and Van ducks and walks him down to club him in the face with a right hand. Van scores a left hand, grabs the back of Tsuruya’s neck and lowers himself into a painful knee, and Tsuruya shakes it off and spins with a back fist that does land. Van keeps after him until the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Van
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Van
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Van

Round 3

There is a glove touch to open the last round, and three seconds in, Tsuruya shoots. Van is reminded by Herzog that his opponent is grounded so he does not throw knees, and he lets Tsuruya up so he can bust him in the face with an elbow. Van keeps plodding ever forward, kicking Tsuruya in the face and eating a right hand on the way out. Two more shots from Tsuruya run into a 125-pound brick wall, and Van wants nothing to do with the grappling and gets back to throwing hands. Any time he is about to land with something effective, Tsuruya shoots, and Van easily sprawls. Tsuruya sneaks in a right hand, and he wobbles back when apparently clipped on the way out. Van goes to the body, and his foe fakes a takedown to knee him in the body. Van fires off a front kick, and it bangs into Tsuruya’s cup to force a Herzog stoppage. After 75 seconds, the fighters get back to it with a touch of gloves. Tsuruya shoots in with a naked takedown, and Van belts him in the side of the head as he backs himself to the fence. Van unleashes vicious left hands to the side, with Tsuruya all the way in for a takedown that he is not landing. Van turns the corner and gets out, and he puts his foot on the gas and hops away from a low kick. Van jabs his way in, and he walks through a Tsuruya punch to put one on Tsuruya’s chin. Tsuruya comes up short on a one-two, and Van stings him with a straight right hand. A second from “The Fearless” stumbles Tsuruya, who gathers his thoughts and spins with a back fist that brushes off the side. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 failed takedowns have now come from Tsuruya, and Van walks him down and kicks him in the gut. Van goes to the body and wings a right hand up top, but the big right hand misses his target. Van jams a front kick into Tsuruya’s midsection, and Tsuruya goes down clutching his groin. However, the toes from Van are shown to have stabbed into Tsuruya’s torso, and Herzog ushers them back to restart the fight despite that it was partially a groin shot. Van walks his man down, punching in the face repeatedly, and nearly dropping him right before the final bell. When time expires, Van raises his arms in the air and goes to talk to someone outside the cage, proud that he very likely ejected the Japanese fighter from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Van (30-27 Van)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Van (30-27 Van)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Van (30-27 Van)

The Official Result

Joshua Van def. Rei Tsuruya via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Curtis Blaydes (262) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (264.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Blaydes (-310), Kuniev (+250)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Saturday afternoon due to an illness to Blaydes. The fight's cancelation was first reported by the UFC.

Bobby Green (155.5) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ruffy (-470), Green (+360)

Round 1

Two 155-pound strikers will light up the T-Mobile Arena to open up the main card. Green (31-16-1, 1 NC; 13-11-1, 1 NC UFC) has seen better days but is still dangerous even at the age of 38, but he will have to mind his P’s and Q’s against the man 10 years his younger in Ruffy (11-1, 2-0 UFC). Before the frenetic action, referee Chris Tognoni makes sure to keep things official and starts the fight. Ruffy offers a glove, but Green would rather just fight. Green backs himself intentionally to the wall, hands low, ready to counter. Ruffy is composed rather than a marauder, and he blocks a push kick when standing in front of his opponent. Ruffy is keeping Green confused with his rangy punches and movement, and this results in a stalemate and stretches of inactivity. When Green kicks low, Ruffy rings his bell with a straight right hand. Green bounces off the wall and gives a right hand back, but it has far less mustard on it than the one that shook him up. Green surges forward with a left high and a right to the ribs, and chants for “Let’s Go Ruffy” start spreading. The Brazilian absorbs all of this energy from the audience and channels it like a Spirit Bomb, only instead of into his hand, he puts it into his right foot. A picture-perfect spin from Ruffy delivers the wheel kick square into the side of Green’s head, and Green is immediately unconscious and slumps face-first the ground like he got shot by a sniper. Absolutely incredible! Forget “Knockout of the Year,” that wheel kick is up there when it comes to “Knockout of the Decade,” much less one of the best in company history. Unreal. The crowd is electric, no one can hear anyone think. Knowing that there is nothing else he needs to do tonight, Ruffy stands stoically above his fallen opponent, while Tognoni sprints in to make sure Green does not take any more damage. Meanwhile, blood pours out of the nose of the flattened Green, who manages to come to and eventually makes it back to his feet. With plenty of energy left in the tank, Ruffy goes off to perform several flips and capoeira moves, sticking the landing each and every time to further wow the fans. The Fighting Nerds have one more highlight on the reel, and the victorious Ruffy dons his team’s famed glasses and gives commentator Joe Rogan a pair to sport as well. Knowing exactly what he wants next, Ruffy calls for a headlining opportunity against Beneil Dariush. The UFC would be hard pressed to pass that up. Wow. What a knockout. Mauricio Ruffy is for real.

The Official Result

Mauricio Ruffy def. Bobby Green R1 2:07 via KO (Spinning Wheel Kick)

Amanda Lemos (116) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (115.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lucindo (-148), Lemos (+124)

Round 1

The sole women’s bout on the billing is a rock solid one, as aging ex-title challenger Lemos (14-4-1, 8-4 UFC) tries to keep herself afloat in a tough division. She greets Lucindo (17-5, 4-1 UFC), 14 years her junior, in a potential passing of the torch contest. The Octagon will be graced by referee Keith Peterson in addition to these two strawweights, and he tells them it’s go time. They touch gloves with no nonsense in sight. Lemos is the one to take center cage, where she works her way forward looking for her reach. Lucindo fires off a head kick and is well out of range, and Lemos strikes first at the 40-second mark with a calf kick. Lemos dodges the responsive low kick, and nothing else comes from either woman for a time. Lemos chases after her opponent, dodging a spinning wheel kick by a wide berth and charging in to crack Lucindo in the jaw with a right hand. Lucindo instantly grabs her and pushes her to the wall, and she works the body with a few knees to the side. Lucindo gets away with a few fence grabs to keep her in this position, until Lemos hurls her to her back and climbs into her guard. Lucindo throws her legs up in pursuit of an armbar or triangle choke, and Lemos fights her way through the leg setups to step over to half guard. Lemos gets off a single elbow before Lucindo resets her into the guard, and blood trickles down Lucindo’s right cheek. Lemos measures up one more right hand before Lucindo tries for another submission, and that too is nowhere to be found. Lucindo keeps Lemos tightly pressed to her, taking the lion’s share of Lemos’ offense off the table despite the top position. Lemos drives an elbow to the cheek when fans grow restless, and Peterson asks for more than that. The slow round ends with another elbow from the former title challenger.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lemos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lemos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lemos

Round 2

The strawweights clap hands, and Lemos backs off to let a high kick soar past her. A second from Lucindo is nowhere near the mark, and when she spins with a back kick, Lemos closes in and crowds her. Lucindo pushes her hands off the mat to power back upright, and they get back to being several feet apart not throwing anything. Lucindo might not have landed a single noteworthy strike yet, while Lemos spins her halfway around with a chopping low kick. This makes Lucindo rush at her and clinch, and she grinds without doing anything more until Lemos puts her back against the wall. Lemos lifts Lucindo up and drags her to a knee, and she lets Lucindo stand up so she can hit a sweep and dump Lucindo to the mat. Lucindo stays on her side in hopes of turning and exploding out of the bad position, but Lemos is a wet blanket. Lemos presses her knee on the midsection as she looks to pass, only for the younger woman to pull her back into the closed guard. Lemos is stuck without able to strike, while Lucindo is flat on her back leaning her neck against the fence, neither woman doing anything offensively. Lemos pulls on the fence to posture up, dragging Lucindo away from the wire so she can lay her down without an escape route. The lay-and-pray approach for Lemos continues, with Lucindo wriggling her way to lean back in the wall again. Lemos tries to break out of the grip, and she lands two big standing-to-ground hammerfists to conclude the dreadful round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lemos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lemos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lemos

Round 3

The third round is reached, and the ladies clap hands. Lucindo is fired up and starts swinging for the fence, and this opens Lemos up to hit her in the face and send her careening to the mat. Lucindo climbs back up and grabs hold of Lemos in the open cage, where she uses a body lock to lower herself down to get on top of “Amandinha.” Lucindo passes to half guard, otherwise handcuffed by the elder statesman from getting anything off. Lemos lets go as Lucindo jumps to the side, and then nothing happens. Lemos pushes her feet on the wall, hooking her toes in the wire until Lucindo drives down a couple short elbows. Lemos gives her one back to think about, and Lucindo gets off a few more. Lemos tugs her toes off the fencing to allow her to twist back to her feet, and she trips Lucindo up and plants her on her back. Lucindo hangs on in guard, and nothing more than a few short punches from Lemos come in the ensuing minute or so. Lucindo swats at her foe’s ear with feeble strikes off her back, and to say the crowd is restless is a massive understatement. Peterson acts for Lemos to do something, as Lemos is smothering and holding while amassing more control time. The horn sounds seven seconds before the time clock reads 0:00, perhaps an indication that the timekeeper figured enough was enough and called it on account of boredom. Thankfully, this horrible fight is over, and may we never speak of it again.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lemos (30-27 Lemos)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lemos (30-27 Lemos)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lucindo (29-28 Lemos)

The Official Result

Amanda Lemos def. Iasmin Lucindo via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jalin Turner (154.5) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bahamondes (-118), Turner (-102)

Round 1

Two of the tallest, rangiest lightweights on record will collide in what could be a fascinating affair. Turner (14-8, 7-5 UFC) would like nothing more than to right the ship and collect his first win since 2023, while Chile’s Bahamondes (16-5, 5-2 UFC) wants to keep it rolling and hunt for his third straight knockout. No matter what happens, referee Mark Smith will be there for it every step of the way. Fists are bumped before they are traded, and Bahamondes says hello with a slapping low kick. They get right to business, throwing hands immediately after the kick lands, and Bahamondes ends his combo with another leg kick. Bahamondes reaches out with an overhand right, and Turner ducks, shifts and pushes out a front kick. Bahamondes misses a head kick by a whisker, and Turner grabs hold of him and throws him to the mat. Bahamondes recovers to full guard, and Turner starts to get busy with body shots when briefly posturing up. Turner slashes down with an elbow, and Bahamondes strikes Turner’s kidney with his heel before hacking with elbows from his back. Bahamondes tries to roll for an armbar, and Turner is wise to it. Bahamondes tries for a second, and he lets go of the limb and fastens the triangle choke around the neck. The Chilean fighter squeezes his legs with all his might, and Turner’s eyes go wide as he realizes he is about to get put out. With no way out and dry as a bone, Turner is forced to surrender. Smith recognizes the tap and immediately pulls them apart, making official the biggest win in the career of “La Jaula.” In the process, he hands Turner his first loss via submission. There is no bad blood between the two fighters, as Turner offers to train with him any time he wants.

The Official Result

Ignacio Bahamondes def. Jalin Turner R1 2:29 via Submission (Triangle Choke)

Justin Gaethje (156) vs. Rafael Fiziev (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Fiziev (-148), Gaethje (+124)

Round 1

It might not be the fight some were hoping to see, but if their first rumble was any indication, Gaethje (25-5, 8-5 UFC) vs. Fiziev (12-3, 6-3 UFC) 2 should be crackerjack material. Due to the late notice of this lightweight rematch, the two will be scheduled for three five-minute rounds instead of 5x5 like when Gaethje was planning on facing Dan Hooker. In a contest that could easily headline any Fight Night offering out there, these two strikers plan on picking right where they left off. Referee Jason Herzog has donned his hard hat to protect from any errant blows once these two mighty gladiators start swinging. There is a sign of respect before the anticipated brawl, as the men high-five in the center of the cage. Immediate chants of “USA” in support of Gaethje drown out any other audio in the building, and they die down as the fighters do not commit to much. When Gaethje lands his first full-throated strike, Fiziev tackles him to the canvas with a surprise takedown. Gaethje scrambles to get out of the precarious predicament, and Fiziev quickly tries for another level change. The man from Kazakhstan successfully puts Gaethje down again, where he winds up sitting in an inverted triangle choke position dropping down elbows. Gaethje calmly remains in the position until exploding out, and he resets in the center of the cage and takes a right hand over the top. Fiziev jabs his foe in the stomach and then comes up top with another, only for Gaethje to walk him down and uppercut him in the jaw. Gaethje wings a right hand that lands at the end of it, and it is one-and-done as he slowly creeps forward towards his adversary. Fiziev pushes his foe back with a jab to the chest and a leg kick, and his jab keeps Gaethje from engaging fully. Gaethje swings his way in, and Fiziev greets him with a knee and a tie-up. Fiziev rips another two knees to the body, and Gaethje strikes back and swings a right hand up top. Fiziev targets the body with a kick and stings him with a left hand, and he goes after another audible body kick. Gaethje closes in on him as if he wants to take the fight down, but Fiziev’s balance holds up as he knees Gaethje in the ribcage. Gaethje slashes with an elbow up close and forces a break, and he unloads a right hand square on Fiziev’s eye socket. Fiziev kicks, and he recoils it awkwardly. Gaethje shoots for a takedown, and when it fails, he catches Fiziev with a pair of punches. Gaethje goes wide with a kick, and Fiziev sneaks in a left right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev

Round 2

The lightweights touch gloves to get back to it, and Gaethje leads the dance with two inaccurate hooks. Gaethje ducks and lashes out with a right and a left, staying in Fiziev’s face until Fiziev partially lands a groin kick. Herzog calls time, and Gaethje takes a little more than 15 seconds before he’s good to go again. Fiziev lunges with a left hand, and his right that follows scores effectively. Gaethje dings him with two hooks, and he absorbs a leg kick before he can back out. “The Highlight” come up short on most of his swings, but he does clip the striking coach with a left hook. Fiziev considers a takedown, bailing on it and taking a few punches on the way out. Fiziev lands a couple in the pocket, but he wants to get out of the brawl and into his preferred technical range. Fiziev looses a body kick and a left to the ribs, and he waves Fiziev on for more as he walks him down. Gaethje slips and comes up top with a vicious overhand right, and he absorbs a body kick and has a head kick skim his dome. Gaethje shakes it off, asks for more and puts his hands on Fiziev’s face. Fiziev misses with a massive right hand, and he kicks low and is checked. Fiziev steps in with a knee to the torso, and Gaethje gives him a clean uppercut to the body and a right hand to break up the brief clinch. Gaethje intercepts his foe with a short left, and he ducks into an uppercut. Fiziev times a perfect knee when Gaethje ducks, and Gaethje slips a few punches and blasts Fiziev with a brutal uppercut that knocks him clean off his feet. Gaethje pounces to try to finish the job, smothering Fiziev when Fiziev turns to his knees and starts beating on his side. Fiziev grits his teeth and works to his feet, but Gaethje drills him with a right hand on the way. Fiziev swings a head kick that bangs into the raised guard, and he leans back to watch a Gaethje head kick pass him by. The tense, exciting round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje

Round 3

There is a final high-five to open the final stanza, and Gaethje is quick to engage and swat his left hand. Gaethje looks for his uppercut, and it just grazes the beard. Fiziev backs off to unload a spinning wheel kick that bangs into Gaethje’s chin, and Gaethje wipes his nose and paws out a left hand. Fiziev chops at the lead leg, and Gaethje unloads three successive uppercut right hands that catch Fiziev cleanly. Fiziev stands firm in the pocket and cracks Gaethje with a left hand, and Gaethje waves him on. Fiziev whips kick after kick to the body, with Gaethje calling him on every time. Fiziev kicks him upside the head, and Gaethje drills him with an uppercut on the way out. Gaethje trips and stumbles but gathers himself, tying Fiziev up and clipping him with a right hand. Fiziev blasts him with punches and knees to the body, while Gaethje punches him in the head time and time again. One fierce right hand from Gaethje lumps up Fiziev’s left eye in a hurry, and the two get in the clinch and practiced muay thai with ferocious knees. Gaethje breaks and swings a sneaky head kick up top, catching Fiziev in the side of the head leaned over. Gaethje pushes his foe against the wall and delivers three crisp uppercuts on the jaw, and he takes a step back and slips. Gaethje pours it on with power punches, and he uppercuts Fiziev a few more times when they are tied up. Fiziev knees Gaethje in the belly any time they clinch, and Gaethje scores the right hand frequently when breaking. Gaethje strings a jab and an uppercut into a takedown effort, where he pushes Fiziev to the wire but does not ground him. Gaethje imposes his pressure and works the body, and Fiziev knees him back up close. When Fiziev tries to escape, Gaethje catches him on the way out. Fiziev sits on two punches and a high kick, and Gaethje laughs it off and kicks Fiziev in the face. Gaethje unloads a swarm of wild hooks, rocking Fiziev and hurting him badly. Fiziev steels himself and knees Gaethje, and the horn sounds to conclude the dramatic lightweight tilt. What a fight, living up to the hype about as much as it can.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje (29-28 Gaethje)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje (29-28 Gaethje)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje (29-28 Gaethje)

The Official Result

Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Alex Pereira (205) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (205)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pereira (-115), Ankalaev (-105)

Round 1

In what many are heralding as Pereira’s (12-2, 9-1 UFC) toughest test to date at 205 pounds, he puts his light heavyweight strap on the line against Dagestani wrestle-boxer Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC; 11-1-1, 1 NC UFC). While the latter is lauded as a takedown machine, he has never landed more than three in a UFC fight so far. With a maximum of 25 minutes to share in the cage, he best hope those few do the trick or he will be in for a long night. Referee Marc Goddard will receive the honor of officiating the final bout of the evening, and he brings the two men in the center of the Octagon to issue instructions and have them touch gloves. They do. It’s on with the show. Pereira strides to the middle of the cage, where he proceeds to walk the challenger down. Pereira pump-fakes kicks to draw reactions, and he fires off an outside calf kick. Ankalaev swats out with a few right hands that are more range-finders than honest efforts, and “Poatan” chips at his lead leg again. Pereira scores another, backing away from a jab and slipping back in to connect with one more as the calf is already starting to turn red and swell. Pereira comes up short on a lunging left hand and kicks the front leg once more, keeping his hands up to parry the strikes coming back his direction. Pereira dances in with a kick and back, and this time, Ankalaev decides to toss one. He gets off a second, and then a third after Pereira kicks him. Pereira jabs the body with his toes outstretched, and he has an overhand right come up short. After a body shot from Pereira, he leans back and evades several punches and a head kick. Ankalaev sinks in a solid low kick, and Pereira tries to pay him back and slips. Pereira goes high with a kick that gets blocked, and he pokes at the front leg and spins with a wheel kick. Two more low kicks get in before Ankalaev swings back, and the kicks are showing an appreciable effect already. Ankalaev toughs it out and wings a big left hand, and Pereira rolls the right direction and resets to fire off a head kick into the Russian’s guard. Ankalaev scores an inside leg kick, and Pereira slaps him with a kick on the outside of his lead leg. Ankalaev comes up hitting air when throwing fists, with Pereira in and out like the wind. Ankalaev reaches his man with a front kick, and he absorbs an audible leg kick and shoots in for a takedown. Pereira fights off the takedown, keeping his back to the fence and taking a knee to the belly as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 2

Ankalaev comes out of his corner with a slight limp, and he is much more amped up than before and puts early pressure on the champ. Pereira stays on the outside prodding with kicks, drawing a stance switch. Ankalaev drives a front kick to the sternum of his opponent, and seeing its success, he plants one more at the same place. Pereira kicks up high to no effect, and Ankalaev walks him down starting to kick his front leg. They hand-fight while in alternating stances, and Pereira flicks out a jab when Ankalaev comes at him. Ankalaev bites down on his mouthpiece to sling a big overhand right that pounds into the champ’s chin, and Pereira drills the front leg with a few more painful kicks. Ankalaev pressures forward, into a few jabs from his opponent. Pereira lets go with a low kick and a head kick, and Ankalaev blocks the latter and checks the chin of “Poatan” with a right hand. Ankalaev catches a retreating Pereira with another right hand, and a third when Pereira goes to the body. Ankalaev keeps Pereira honest with a solid left, and Pereira answers them with a few low kicks and a power jab. Ankalaev ducks and attempts to wing two overhand lefts, but the former kickboxer is wise to them and swats them aside. Ankalaev sits down on a left hand, and Pereira jabs him in the body. Pereira chops down the front leg, absorbing a body shot but not budging. Ankalaev walks him down and blasts him in the face with a trio of heavy punches, and Pereira answers with jabs. At the sound of the 10-second clapper, Ankalaev surges forward, nailing Pereira with two crisp punches that send him staggering back into the fencing. The round ends before Ankalaev can take advantage of the damage.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev

Round 3

Ankalaev is even more energized than the previous round, perhaps hoping to capitalize on the end of the last period, but settles himself down and stays safe with low kicks and distance strikes like a front kick. Ankalaev snaps the head back with a jab and misses a huge left hand by a small amount. The champ lets fly a kick to the ribcage, and he absorbs a few more front kicks. Ankalaev whiffs on a left hand after getting in close, and Pereira smartly keeps working on the red front calf of his opponent. A kick on the other side from Pereira leads to a takedown shot from Ankalaev, but he runs into a steel wall and goes back to kicking. Pereira uses decent head movement to sway away from some strikes, and he sneaks in two inside low kicks while Ankalaev marching him down. Ankalaev gets hold of him in a clinch and knees him to the belly, and Pereira escapes before getting caught on the way out. Ankalaev tries to trip the champ up, but Pereira backs off. When Ankalaev meanders a little too carelessly in, Pereira clips him with a right hook. Pereira’s leg kicks rarely miss, and he ducks away from a winging hook. Pereira has a one-two bounce off the guard, and he eats a jab that trips him up for a second. Ankalaev stays as the aggressor moving forward, walking through leg kicks and chambering big punches he occasionally releases. Pereira misses on a left hook, blocks a head kick, and the tentative round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev

Round 4

The round opens up with a takedown attempt from Ankalaev, where he ends up pressing Pereira to the fence so he can knee him repeatedly. Ankalaev looks for trips from up close, and the Brazilian ignores them and defends a double attempt to stand the challenger up. The fans are not amused as Ankalaev embraces the grind, and Pereira hears their boos and explodes out of the clinch. Ankalaev follows, tags him at the end of a left hand and re-engages up close. Goddard asks for more activity as Ankalaev is hanging on like a cheap suit, depositing the occasional knee to the thigh or side. Pereira knees him once back, and Goddard calls for more from the 205ers. When they do not listen, he separates them. Pereira steps in with a knee, and he pulls it back to get punched in the face twice. Pereira scores a low kick and then goes high, with the latter careening off the guard. Ankalaev targets the body with a left hand and wings a right hand, and his front kick pushes a struggling Pereira back. Ankalaev shoots again for a takedown, resulting in a clinch as he presses the champ against the wall. Fight as he might, Pereira is stuck in the grueling position, with Ankalaev doing just enough to outwork him and keep him there. Ankalaev knees the body a few times, and Pereira does the same but does not have the same oomph to them. The horrendous round ends with a few knees, and an angry Pereira slinging Ankalaev to the floor with a trip.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ankalaev

Round 5

The fighters have one round to cement their performance, and it is Ankalaev who leads off with jabs. Pereira pecks with a kick or two, and he is pushed back by the ball of Ankalaev’s foot. Ankalaev opens up with a bomb of a right hand, and Pereira rolls just in time to take the worst out of it. Ankalaev scores another front kick, and he comes up an inch away from the nose with a left hook. Pereira connects with a single left hook, and it is one-and-done as he resets before jabbing his man in the belly. Ankalaev answers in kind, and he kicks at the retreating champ’s front leg. They jab at one another, and Pereira leans back from a right hook and takes a left to the chest. Pereira strikes the lead leg with a kick and follows it with one high that rattles the challenger. Pereira walks him down, only to have to back off from two swiping hooks. A jab and a leg kick get through from Ankalaev, chasing down a Brazilian who is not as willing to engage. Pereira sticks his man with a single jab, and his leg kick lands loudly but is a leg kick with 100 seconds to go in a fight he might be down. Pereira dings the challenger with another jab, and Ankalaev sells out for a takedown he cannot land. Pereira gets pushed against the wall, and the entirety of the T-Mobile Arena lets Ankalaev have it with a torrential downpour of boos. Pereira turns the corner in hopes of getting free, and Ankalaev wraps his arms around Pereira’s waist and keeps him pinned to the cage. Ankalaev transitions from a double to a single, and when both do not work, he again settles to grind in the clinch. Ankalaev lines up a few knees from up close, and he hangs on in this controlling position until the disappointing main event ends. It could go either way, with neither man putting a stamp on the fight or winning any fans. No one should feel great or confident about pulling off the win, and it is unlikely that anyone will clamor for a rematch no matter the victor.

When the scores are read, the audience makes sure to let its collective voice be heard, and they are not cheering. Russia has another champion. Who knows what the UFC will do next for the division, but we will be here for it. We hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (48-47 Ankalaev)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (48-47 Ankalaev)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (48-47 Ankalaev)

The Official Result

Magomed Ankalaev def. Alex Pereira via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)