UFC Fight Night 189 ‘Rozenstruik vs. Sakai’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Claudio Puelles (155) vs. Jordan Leavitt (156)

Round 1

After a very important week to recover, the UFC is back with a stuffed card packed with 14 fights. We begin this marathon evening with a matchup in the lightweight division between promising prospects Puelles (9-2, 2-1 UFC) and “The Monkey King” Leavitt (8-0, 1-0 UFC). The first fight of the night sees a glove touch in front of referee Chris Tognoni, and the fun begins! Leavitt sticks out a long jab and reaches low with a leg kick, and another sticks the calf. Puelles responds with his own kick, and the two stand in front of the other striking with body kicks. Leavitt takes a heavy kick to the torso, and he reaches his arm out before shooting in low for a takedown. Puelles rolls through to scramble, and he stuffs one attempt only to wind up going to the ground on the second try. When the Peruvian gets back up, Leavitt doggedly continues to pursue his single, and they roll to get back to their feet. Leavitt continues to hold on to Puelles’ right leg, where he grinds his foe into the fence. After a stalemate, he trips Puelles’ leg out and gets him down, but only for a moment before Puelles pops back up. The two lightweights break apart, and Puelles chops at Leavitt’s lead leg repeatedly until shooting low for his own takedown. Leavitt reverses the position, but at the end of an exchange, Puelles puts him on his back. Leavitt throws his legs up for a high rubber guard as Puelles looks to advance position, and this forces the Peruvian to stand up and nearly get nailed with an upkick. Puelles lowers himself into his opponent’s guard, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The lightweights cautious touch gloves to clock in the second round, and Puelles goes over the top with a left hand and a body kick. The two come together, with Puelles moving into the clinch, and he gets backed off with a sharp elbow from “The Monkey King.” A few jabs from both men come out as they try to reestablish their range, and Leavitt keeps his right elbow reached out until changing levels suddenly for a single. Puelles sprawls and aims to step over to gain advantageous position, but Leavitt sees it coming and changes angles to get down. Puelles takes Leavitt’s back for a second, but in the ensuing scramble, Leavitt defends with a kneebar or ankle lock setup. The Peruvian makes his way to take top position, and Leavitt throws his legs up for a shoulder lock and then another kneebar try, but Puelles sees them setting up and breaks them up with a stern elbow from on top. Leavitt responds with elbows from his back, and he backs Puelles off with an upkick. “El Nino” storms down with a left hand that surprises Leavitt, and he uses the momentum to circle around and take Leavitt’s back. Puelles hammers away with his fist as he swings it back and forth, all while looking to assume full control of the American’s back. Puelles secures a body triangle to lock up the position, and he starts methodically fishing for a choke. Leavitt keeps wrist control to stop any choke from being locked up, and Puelles elects to slap Leavitt in the face a few times and land heel kicks to the kidney before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

One last glove touch checks in the final round, and Puelles immediately hits a takedown. Leavitt bucks and kicks, but Puelles stays composed and keeps him trapped on the canvas. Puelles postures up to nail his foe with an elbow, and Leavitt puts his legs up only to get smacked in the face by several fierce punches. Leavitt appears no worse for wear, but precious seconds are quickly ticking off the clock as he is stuck on his back. “The Monkey King” tries to kick off the cage, and his legs snatch Puelles’ neck with an inverted triangle, but the grip is not tight so he lets it go in north-south position. Puelles decides to sit flat on Leavitt’s face and pound at his body, and Tognoni asks for the Peruvian to stay busy in this uncomfortable position. Leavitt once more looks for an inverted triangle choke, and when nothing comes from it. Tognoni stands up. Puelles protests, and Leavitt is energized and rushes in to strike. Puelles shoots in for a reactive single, and he hits it with ease, leaving Leavitt frustrated and flat on his back. Leavitt throws hands from his back, but when Puelles sits or stands up with long punches, they are much more impactful than anything Leavitt can muster. The Peruvian ignores Leavitt’s submission setups and slaps on the ear, and he stays busy and advances his position. A few light ground strikes from both concludes this full-length bout.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Claudio Puelles def. Jordan Leavitt via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Sean Woodson (145) vs. Youssef Zalal (146)

Round 1

We move along to the featherweight division with a match between sharp strikers as “The Sniper” Woodson (7-1, 1-1 UFC) takes on “The Moroccan Devil” Zalal (10-4, 3-2 UFC). Keeping his head on a swivel is referee Keith Peterson, who destroys all the nonsense in the building. A touch of gloves to start things off, and Woodson reaches out with several long strikes and takes advantage of his sharp jab early. Zalal returns fire with a calf kick, and Woodson changes stances and walks face-first into a punch. “The Sniper” snipes at Zalal’s legs with his own calf kicks, and the preeminent strike thus far is a kick down low. Zalal advances and looks to close the distance, crowding Woodson and getting past his reaching jabs. Zalal gets off a few punches on the outside, and “The Sniper” chases after him but is reaching and lunging recklessly. Zalal corners his foe into the cage, and he starts to rip into Woodson, only to eat a stiff counter. Zalal backs off, rushes back in and ducks low for a double. The Glory MMA & Fitness representative stuffs the takedown, and he gets a break to fire off a few distance kicks. Woodson clocks Zalal with a one-two, and he just whiffs with a high kick. Zalal takes a kick to the body as he stays loose and on his bike, trying to find his way back in. Both men fire off spinning kicks, but it is Zalal that connects with one to the body. “The Sniper” snipes with a left hand, only to be greeted with a takedown attempt. Like before, Woodson defends it well, and hacks at Zalal’s head with a couple elbows. Woodson punches the thigh and body as he is pinned to the wire, and he makes Zalal pay for the attempt with a few strikes on the inside before breaking. Zalal backs off, and he attacks one final takedown right before the 10-second clapper. When he lands it, Woodson stands up, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Woodson marches out of his corner to engage, and Zalal is right there to meet him. A few reaching punches from Woodson score, and Zalal fires back with some calf kicks and a clubbing right hand. Woodson does not let him of the hook, as he pressures Zalal towards the cage, landing a few punches to varying targets. Zalal looks to brawl, and Woodson eats a right hand while trying to jab his way out of danger. “The Moroccan Devil” throws hands until ducking down for a takedown attempt, and Woodson keeps his wits and balance about him as he pushes away and shakes his head. Zalal answers this with another double, forcing the striker to defend with his back on the cage wall. Zalal turns it into a single, and he elevates Woodson in a moment only to set him back down where there is nothing to it. Woodson fires off an elbow to get Zalal to back off, and he tattoos Zalal’s body with a kick on the way out. Woodson goes up high with a kick, and Zalal ducks and weaves with a counter right hand. Zalal dodges another looping high kick, and Woodson grabs hold of him to clinch up on his own terms. Woodson lands an elbow and loads up on a few shots, but Zalal dances out of the way as he escapes. Zalal swipes with a left hand on the way in, and Woodson responds with three punches up top. Both men trade hacking calf kicks, and Woodson catches Zalal coming in with a stiff knee. Zalal eats it like a traditional Moroccan dish and gathers himself, only to take a few jabs on the chin. The momentum shifts keep occurring as one lands in volume, and the other answers with their own salvo. Zalal pushes in to grab hold of Woodson’s right leg, and Woodson snatches up a guillotine choke and pulls guard to fall to his back and secure it. Time expires before he can get a tap.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a glove touch to begin the last round, and there is immediate action as Zalal goes low with a kick. Woodson tags him with a left hand, and he follows it with a solid one-two. Zalal lands a few of his own, only to duck down to pursue a single leg takedown. Woodson keeps his back on the fencing and splits his legs to stuff the attempt, where he stands Zalal back up and turns him about. Woodson tries to get off a few knees, and Zalal does not like these so he bails and backs off. Woodson rushes after him to push the pace, and Zalal drops down for a double. “The Sniper” is forced to stave off the try instead of getting strikes off, and he keeps his hand pressed on the back of Zalal’s neck to stop the takedown from succeeding. Woodson pushes off and lands a knee to the liver, and he flicks out a front kick to follow suit. Zalal scores a leg kick, and he whiffs on a huge left hook. Zalal’s hands are by his waist as he escapes, and Woodson is chasing him down with strikes. Zalal breaks up this advancement with a double that turns into a single, and Woodson stands tall and keeps it from succeeding. With Woodson stuck against the fence, he signals to Peterson that he is being held and not doing anything with it. Zalal answers with a single, and Woodson latches on to a guillotine choke to defend the position. “The Moroccan Devil” notices this, and he lets go, where Woodson thanks him with a body kick. When Zalal shoots in for a takedown, Woodson meets him in the middle and snags on to a guillotine choke. Zalal squirms his neck out, escapes a potential triangle setup, and rolls through. Woodson follows him, but the two stand up to bang it out to the final bell. Both men flail wildly and recklessly, and they laugh as they largely do not connect. The round ends, and the featherweights embrace after an exhausting battle.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Sean Woodson def. Youssef Zalal via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Manon Fiorot (125.5) vs. Tabatha Ricci (124.5)

Round 1

The first women’s match of the night takes place in the flyweight division, as French powerhouse Fiorot (6-1, 1-0 UFC) meets Brazilian newcomer Ricci (5-0, 0-0 UFC). Referee Herb Dean will take charge of this 125-pound contest, and the ladies do not touch gloves before coming out swinging. Fiorot opens up with a side kick that pushes Ricci back, and she uses another that catches the Brazilian unaware. Fiorot continues to walk Ricci down, and she kicks high and low as she looks a weight class larger than her opponent. Fiorot takes advantage of her size by landing more side kicks and punches, and Ricci tries to fire back but her strikes are far less impactful. Ricci uses jabs to keep her distance, and Fiorot marches forward with a pair of looping right hands. Ricci’s counters are all inaccurate, and a potential takedown attempt is shoved away with ease. “The Beast” rages with kicks to the legs and head, and Ricci is forced to charge forward to break these up, where she scores a single right hand. Fiorot chows down on it like a baguette and strides forward to land a swarm of punches and a knee up the middle. Fiorot splits the guard with a left hand, and Ricci gathers herself and slings a right hand that catches Fiorot flush. Fiorot scores a few punches and a kick to the knee, and she chains a few punches together to knock Ricci back. “Baby Shark” swims forward to consider a takedown, but she is easily rebuffed as Fiorot tees off on her. Ricci tries to keep her at bay with punches buoyed by kiais, but Fiorot’s are louder and her strikes are heavier. Two big punches from Fiorot surprise Ricci, and she slips as she rushes forward and gets countered to the body. Fiorot shakes it off and lands a stern left hand right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The Frenchwoman comes out of her corner possessed, landing a few side kicks and heavy punches as Ricci throws wildly in response. Fiorot plants the ball of her foot on Ricci’s body, and she pushes forward to take the fight down. Ricci breaks free and pushes off, where she takes a few jabs in the face when backing off. A few punches from “The Beast” score directly, and she has found the mark and is teeing off on Ricci. Ricci stays tough, blocking the heaviest kicks and backs out of danger before any of the biggest shots connect flush. Fiorot stings her foe with a left hand, and she continues wading forward with punches and a few elbows when Ricci is on the fence. Fiorot turns up the heat as she lands strikes, and Ricci tries and fails with a takedown. Fiorot clubs Ricci with several ferocious punches, making the newcomer stumble to the ground in dire straits. Fiorot does not let her off the hook, holding on tight and blasting Ricci again and again while Dean keeps a close eye on the action. Ricci works her way up, but she takes a short, final barrage of punches to give Dean cause to stop the fight. With this drubbing, Fiorot becomes the first woman to defeat Ricci.

The Official Result

Manon Fiorot def. Tabatha Ricci R2 3:00 via TKO (Punches)

Alan Patrick (154.5) vs. Mason Jones (156)

Round 1

A lightweight contest keeps the night rolling, when Brazil’s Patrick (15-3, 5-3 UFC) tries to hand Jones (10-1, 0-1 UFC) his second loss in a row. The referee assignment for this pairing is referee Chris Tognoni, and the glove touch proceeds the action. Jones wades forward to press the action, walking Patrick down but getting kicked on the way in. Patrick charges in suddenly to fire off a few hands and a knee, and Jones defends with a takedown attempt but gets rebuffed. Patrick swings a spinning back fist, and Jones is surprised when it lands and he backs off, only to get kneed to the body. Jones tries to tie Patrick up, and the Brazilian shoves him away but gets tagged with a right hand on the way out. Jones aims a shovel uppercut, and he backs away when Patrick fires off a spinning back fist that makes him fall over. Jones does not chase after him, and instead stays composed when Patrick aims wild strikes. A blocked spinning back fist from Patrick leads to a few big punches that clip Jones on the chin, but the Welshman shakes it off and pressures Patrick around the cage. Jones blocks a big looping shot, and he keeps straight punches and scores a one-two that staggers Patrick. The Brazilian gathers his thoughts and he charges in for a possible takedown attempt, but Jones staves it off and reaches up a high kick. When Patrick spins for a back fist, Jones ducks it and hits an easy takedown. “Nuguette” scrambles back to his feet, only for Jones to follow him and drag him back down. Jones sits up and blasts his foe with several thumping punches, and busting up Patrick’s eye. Jones smashes Patrick with an elbow, and he postures up standing with several big punches. Tognoni asks Patrick to fight back, and Jones pours it on to force a finish. Patrick stands up, and the two slug it out to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Patrick, who barely made it to his corner between rounds, reaches to touch gloves when the second round begins. Jones clinches up immediately, pressing the growingly tired Brazilian on to the fence and hitting an inside trip takedown. Jones delivers a few standing punches as he lowers himself into the guard, and Patrick locks up his legs and holds on tight. Jones postures up every so often to land punches, and Patrick capitalizes on a Jones scramble to climb to his knees and up. Patrick whirls around with a back fist, and uses the momentum to wing a right hand. As Jones blocks them both and looks to get off his own offense, he jabs his finger out and pokes Patrick in the eye. The Brazilian needs ample time to recover as he appears visibly exhausted, but he quickly signals that he cannot see from the poke. Tognoni asks if Patrick can see, and Patrick says “no.” This leads to an immediate response of Tognoni to call the fight off, and this fight will likely be ruled a no contest as it did not reach the third round and was not deemed an intentional foul. This is a disappointing end to a wild battle, but if there is any silver lining, it is that this fight may be run back in the not-so-distant future.

The Official Result

Mason Jones vs. Alan Patrick is Ruled a No Contest (Accidental Eye Poke) at 2:14 of R2

Makwan Amirkhani (146) vs. Kamuela Kirk (146)

Round 1

There is little time to catch our breath after the last result, as we move back to the featherweight division, this time when “Mr. Finland” Amirkhani (16-5, 6-3 UFC) welcomes “The Jawaiian” Kirk (11-4, 0-0 UFC) to the Octagon. A fun grappling contest will draw officiating from nonsense-averse referee Keith Peterson, and Amirkhani is ready to fight and there is no offer of a glove touch. Amirkhani jumps forward with a right hand, and he follows it with a flying knee that Kirk narrowly avoids. Kirk slaps at him with a high body kick, and he tries to paw at his opponent with a left hand. Kirk pushes off a flying knee attempt that comes shortly after, and Amirkhani suddenly drops down for a low single. When it fails and Kirk scrambles away, Amirkhani attacks it again, but no dice. Kirk backs off and gets kicked in the chest a few times, and he lines up a one-two that just gets through. Kirk sneaks in a right hand after the combination, and he chops at the lead leg and reaches with a right hand. When he lands his right hook, he drops his hands to celebrate, and he scores a front kick and pulls his leg back before it gets snagged. Amirkhani wants that leg, so he lifts Kirk in the air. Amirkhani finally gets the high-amplitude takedown he was searching for, tossing Kirk through the air and putting the newcomer on his back. “Mr. Finland” calmly advances position, looking for submission setups and not landing much in the way of strikes. Kirk too stays composed, and he pushes him off and manages to power back to his feet. When the two exchange blows, Kirk accidentally pokes Amirkhani in the eye, but this time, there is no fight stoppage. Instead, Amirkhani blinks it out, and the two back away and stare the other down until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Kirk takes the center of the cage early, where he chips at his opponent with calf kicks repeatedly. Kirk gets off a right hand, and he chains it into a one-two that knocks Amirkhani back. Amirkhani tries to counter with an overhand right, but the two elect to kick at the same time and clash shins. Kirk works the body with a few right hands as Amirkhani backs off, and Kirk mixes it up with punches and kicks high and low. A deep takedown is easily stuffed by Kirk, who shoves Amirkhani to the floor face-first with dramatic effect. Kirk rips the body with a knee, and Amirkhani is surprised but he manages to shake it out and give Kirk back a right hand on the chin. Kirk walks into a double leg takedown attempt, and Amirkhani hits it but finds his neck in guillotine choke danger quickly. Kirk lets the grip go and falls to his back, but he ties the leg up and threatens with a heel hook when Amirkhani scrambles back to his feet. “Mr. Finland” kicks his leg free, backs off and re-enters the guard. Kirk tries to get offense off from his back, but Amirkhani ignores it and angles to set up a possible arm-triangle choke. Kirk continues to try to force a firefight with his back pinned to the ground, and he nearly hits a sweep but throws his legs up for a triangle choke. When Amirkhani stands up, he falls into a quick armbar, and Kirk wrenches the arm with all his might. The elbow may have hyperextended and Amirkhani appears to tap on the canvas once, but it could have been him pushing off to move through the armbar. The Finnish fighter stays calm and rides it out, freeing his arm and maintaining top position to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a glove touch to open the final round, and Amirkhani leaves his hands by his waist while Kirk scores a left hand. Amirkhani shoots in for a feeble takedown, and Kirk shoves him away and clubs him with a right hand. Amirkhani is no worse for wear, and Kirk aims a long punch to the body and a leg kick. “Mr. Finland” reaches out with an uppercut, and he chains the strike into a takedown, planting the newcomer on the ground. Kirk closes his guard for a moment, only to get elbowed in the face to force him to open it. Amirkhani grinds his left elbow on the chin a few times, and he gets complacent as Kirk throws his legs up and grips a triangle choke. Amirkhani sees this one coming and does not fall prey into this move, and he keeps Kirk on the ground as he searches for an anaconda choke. Kirk bucks his neck free but is stuck on his knees, and Amirkhani knees him in the backside as Kirk is unable to stand. Amirkhani drags him back down with his full body weight, but he inadvertently falls to his back and allows Kirk to take top position. A sweep from Amirkhani nearly allows him to switch over position, but Kirk is the fresher man and he bowls Amirkhani over and hops into half guard. Kirk works the head and body with short strikes, as Amirkhani holds on with all his might to prevent any serious damage. Amirkhani locks him down and takes a few short elbows on the chin, and he lets go when Kirk tries to advance to mount. The fight ends as Kirk is midair from attempting to pass, and this close fight is now in the hands of the judges.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Kamuela Kirk def. Makwan Amirkhani via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Francisco Trinaldo (169.5) vs. Muslim Salikhov (171)

Round 1

For the first time in many years, Trinaldo (26-7, 16-6 UFC) is fighting outside of the lightweight division. In this return to welterweight – Trinaldo started his UFC career at middleweight but his pro career in this 170-pound category – he will meet “King of Kung Fu” Salikhov (17-2, 4-1 UFC). The Octagon ranger for this interesting style matchup is referee Mark Smith, and the two fighters do not touch gloves to begin their melee. Trinaldo wades forward to pressure Salikhov, and “King of Kung Fu” jabs at him from a distance. Trinaldo catches his man on the way in with a looping shot, and a body kick surprises Salikhov. The two are not committing on strikes of note, preferring to find their range and fake the other out. Salikhov unleashes a nasty body kick that slaps on the midsection of his opponent, and the sound echoes throughout the empty UFC Apex. The Brazilian tries to chase Salikhov down to make him pay, but Salikhov keeps his man at bay with kicks. “Massaranduba” rushes through strikes to land a left hand of his own, and Salikhov laughs it off to tag Trinaldo with a huge right hand. Trinaldo chases after him with a swarm of inaccurate punches, but he does bully the Dagestani fighter into the cage to knee him in the chest. Salikhov swipes at him with a left hand, and he chops the lead leg of the Brazilian on the way out. Trinaldo scores a right hand and just narrowly avoids a head kick and a subsequent spinning heel kick. “Massaranduba” bites down on his mouthpiece to throw hands, but Salikhov slips and rips with counters. A quick uppercut from “King of Kung Fu” clips Trinaldo on the chin, and the Brazilian falls to his back in serious danger. Salikhov chases him down and slams his fists on the side of his head, but Trinaldo survives by throwing his legs up for a desperation heel hook to occupy Salikhov’s time until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The welterweights meet in the center of the cage, and Trinaldo is ready to go back to battle as he presses forward to land a left hand on the backpedaling Dagestan native. Salikhov sits on an uppercut, but he comes up just short of the mark. Trinaldo comes forward confidently and knees the body a few times, but Salikhov tags him with fierce punches on the way out. “King of Kung Fu” gets off a crisp uppercut and a follow-up punch, and a low kick to the calf nearly puts Trinaldo down. Trinaldo times a big left hand as Salikhov advances, and Salikhov does not even register the strike as he puts his own combination together. A nasty right hand shocks Trinaldo, who is on wobbled legs but not going down this time, and Salikhov leaps in the air with a knee that glances off the target. The Brazilian only appears enraged, as he takes a punch on the chin and lashes out with a huge strike that Salikhov can barely dodge. The two are loading up on their strikes with everything they have, until they come together in a clinch. Salikhov does not way to stay here for long, as he backs off and pins a one-two on the chin. A few jabs from Salikhov find their home, and a high kick blazes up and just gets blocked in time. Salikhov ducks a looping shot to tag his foe with an uppercut, and he escapes as Trinaldo bears down on him with reaching shots. Trinaldo throws so hard he nearly falls over, and Salikhov lands a few quick strikes on the way out. A heavy body kick from Salikhov finds its mark on the midsection, and he steps forward to throw the Brazilian down to his back. “Massaranduba” slowly climbs to a knee and back up, and the tense round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The two men are amped up to get after it, and Smith needs them to back off before he calls time. Seconds into the round, as Salikhov is readying a strike, Trinaldo lunges his fingers out and one goes deep into the eyeball. Salikhov falls to the ground in pain, clutching his eye, and Smith rushes over to attend to him while calling in the doctor. Salikhov’s eye appears bloodied and his eyelid is not opening all the way, but he tells the doctor that his vision is blurry but returning. The doctor wipes Salikhov’s eye clear, and Smith issues Trinaldo a hard warning. The action resumes after about two minutes in the break, and the two offer a glove touch before getting back down to business. Trinaldo winds up a bomb of a left hand that clacks off Salikhov’s chin, and Salikhov wobbles but backs off. Trinaldo knows the vision is compromised, and his left hand finds its home on that eye repeatedly, doing some serious damage. Trinaldo pushes in for a clinch to land a few knees, and Salikhov backs out of the clinch and catches a charging Trinaldo with an uppercut. The Brazilian swings with reckless abandon, with looping shots nowhere near the mark. The Dagestani fighter blocks a big head kick, and he lances Trinaldo with a straight right hand. Trinaldo falls over throwing so hard, and Salikhov backs off and kicks his leg a few times before Smith stands him up. Salikhov gets off a one-two when they start up, and he dances out of the way as Trinaldo bears down on him. Salikhov sits down on a left hand, and a spinning heel kick glances off the shoulder. Trinaldo is not afraid, taking strikes on the jaw and marching forward to throw haymakers. Salikhov absorbs a stern body kick that makes him drop his right hand, and Trinaldo follows the kick with a big right hand. Salikhov stings him with a few punches, and the Brazilian maintains his composure and takes another one-two on the chin. Ever the Terminator, Trinaldo plods forward through a few strikes to land his own, but Salikhov is much faster, putting a few punches together in rapid succession. Salikhov ends a combination by lifting Trinaldo in the air and slamming him down. From on top, Salikhov delivers a wild barrage of ground-and-pound to end the round in style.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Muslim Salikhov def. Francisco Trinaldo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Tanner Boser (242) vs. Ilir Latifi (240)

Round 1

In the first of a trio of heavyweight slobberknockers tonight, Boser (19-7-1, 3-2 UFC) will try to get back on the winning track at the expense of the skidding ex-light heavyweight Latifi (14-8, 1 NC; 7-6 UFC). Keeping tabs on this match between big men is referee Herb Dean, and there is a respectful glove touch to start things off. Boser keeps a healthy distance early, landing leg kicks from afar and avoiding the reaching strikes of “The Sledgehammer.” Latifi catches him on the way in, and Boser is able to get out of the way to avoid the brunt of the damage. The Canadian sticks out a jab and fires out a body kick, but the kick gets caught and Latifi throws him down to the ground. The Swede climbs into his foe’s guard, and he steps over to half guard with working on Boser with slow, methodical strikes. Boser recovers his guard without taking much damage, but Latifi slices over to the other side. Latifi latches on with an arm-triangle choke from above, using his full body weight as a smothering device more than actual technique from a choke. Boser explodes out of danger and back to his feet, where he grinds Latifi against the wire. Latifi pushes off thanks to an elbow, and Boser is right there to pop him in the face with a left hand. Boser sits down on a huge right hand, but Latifi crashes in to avoid it and try to throw his own bomb. As a result, neither man connect, and they back off to measure their range. Latifi eats a crisp jab, and slaps another away as he can do nothing but absorb a subsequent body kick. A quick Boser right hand concludes the opening frame.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Boser offers a glove touch to begin the second frame, and he snaps out a jab and ducks out of the way from an oncoming counter. Latifi presses forward to swing a looping left hand, and Boser takes it on the chin and responds with an uppercut. Boser stabs the body with a kick, and he stutter-steps his way in to connect with a right hand and not fall into a clinch. Boser chips away with a body kick, and he comes over the top with a big right hand that glances off the forward bow. Latifi prepares counter left hands, so Boser elects to jab from a distance and sling body kicks that Latifi cannot properly retaliate against. Boser pops out a crisp jab, breaking up a plodding Latifi’s forward movement. Both men trade leg kicks, and “The Bulldozer” tries to knock Latifi over with a head kick that careens off the high guard. Several sticking left hands from Boser find the mark, and Latifi comes back over the top with a single right hand that makes Boser’s mullet shake. The Canadian is no worse for wear from the blow, and Boser reaches out his fist and pokes Latifi in the eye with his thumb. Latifi falls over in pain, but Dean does not recognize the blow, so Boser tries to finish the job with an onslaught of strikes. Boser pounds away on his opponent as Latifi turtles up, and Dean tells him to fight back. This leads Latifi to bursting back to his feet, where he turns him around and even pursues a takedown that falls short. Latifi appears to have recovered, even if his sight may be compromised, and Boser walks him down with punches and a body kick. Boser stays loose and active from a distance, snapping out jabs and body kicks as Latifi is frustrated. Latifi walks away before the round ends, but Boser cannot capitalize on this and time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Between rounds, Dean calls in the doctor to examine Latifi’s eye. Latifi says he can see, so the fight continues, and the two touch gloves. Boser sticks out a jab, and Latifi is there to meet him with two looping hooks that bounce off his opponent’s shoulders. Boser backs him off with a few jabs, and he ducks down to tag Latifi with a left hand. “The Sledgehammer” gathers himself and ducks down with a double leg takedown, where he slams Boser to his back and may have hurt Boser by landing head-first. Boser punches with both hands as if he were Sakuraba from his back, and Latifi gloms on to him and keeps his full body weight pressed down. Latifi slowly works Boser’s body and head from above, which may not be individually effective, but are adding up. Boser keeps an open guard and tries to buck and kick off, and this does not succeed, allowing Latifi to keep pounding away on him. “The Sledgehammer” keeps landing his sledgehammers as he tries to break Canadian stone, all while the control time is rapidly accumulating for the Swede. Boser paws at Latifi with a line of short right hands, and he tries to sit up but gets easily pushed over. Latifi climbs into half guard as he squeezes down on his adversary, and a few more punches connect before the slow fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Ilir Latifi def. Tanner Boser via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Montana De La Rosa (126) vs. Ariane Lipski (124.5)

Round 1

Two flyweights elevated suddenly to the main card as a result of a fight cancellation is De La Rosa (11-6-1, 4-2-1 UFC) vs. Lipski (13-6, 2-3 UFC), with very contrasting styles between them. There is a sudden lack of nonsense in the room, as Keith Peterson takes charge. The two women do not touch gloves, as De La Rosa instead reaches out to jab. Lipski is the much quicker fighter, and she tags De La Rosa with a right hand. The American marches forward possibly in pursuit of a body lock, and Lipski catches her repeatedly with a sharp stream of strikes. De La Rosa tries to counter an advancing Lipski, but the Brazilian scores a series of punches before De La Rosa can do anything. They come together, but De La Rosa cannot latch on to her. When Lipski lands a few strikes, De La Rosa pushes the pace and grabs hold of a body lock. After a standing tug-of-war, the American manages to push Lipski over, where she sits on top in half guard dropping knees to the body. Lipski turns her head to avoid punches, and she throws her legs up to quickly recover guard and tie De La Rosa up. “The Queen of Violence” hacks from her back with elbows across the forehead, and one slices open a small cut on De La Rosa’s forehead. De La Rosa replies in kind with elbows from above, and she has slashed open a cut on the side of Lipski’s left eye. A few more elbows conclude the round with De La Rosa on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa

Round 2

Lipski starts off the round firing, with an uppercut and an elbow that hurts De La Rosa. The American does not want to eat strikes like these, so she shoots in and hits an easy double leg takedown to put Lipski on her back. Lipski immediately looks to scramble, but De La Rosa flattens her out and starts landing ground-and-pound. Lipski attacks a heel hook to force De La Rosa to scramble, but this allows De La Rosa to turn and take side control, where she hacks down with a brutal elbow that cuts Lipski again. De La Rosa hammers a few strikes down as the blood pools beneath Lipski’s head, and Lipski threatens with a kimura sweep before letting go when a few more elbows bounce off her face. Lipski kicks off to recover guard, but she cannot keep this position for long as De La Rosa rapidly climbs back over and attack. Lipski struggles to clear her vision as she is pinned to the canvas, and De La Rosa slowly but deliberately grinds her elbow into Lipski’s head to keep her trapped. De La Rosa looks to advance her position and she shucks off another kimura sweep from Lipski, and all the while she is working Lipski over with strikes. De La Rosa climbs into mount thanks to strikes, and she sits up and starts wailing away with elbows and punches. De La Rosa pours it on with punches and elbows, and Peterson is taking a close eye on a pained Lipski. The punches keep coming, and Peterson has no choice but to call a halt to the fight. In victory, De La Rosa earned her first career knockout, with all of her past stoppage wins coming by tapout.

The Official Result

Montana De La Rosa def. Ariane Lipski R2 4:27 via TKO (Elbows and Punches)

Tom Breese (186) vs. Antonio Arroyo (186)

Round 1

The match was canceled on Saturday afternoon due to a medical issue for Breese, with the news first coming on the UFC broadcast.

Dusko Todorovic (186) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (186)

Round 1

Moving along to the middleweight category, Serbian striker Todorovic (10-1, 1-1 UFC) comes to blows with UFC newcomer and excellently nicknamed “Robocop” Rodrigues (9-3, 0-0 UFC). The third man in the cage is referee Mark Smith, and there is a polite touch of gloves to seal the cage. Todorovic is aggressive in the early going, and he reaches out with a jab and a swarming right hand that presses them into the clinch. The two 185-ers jockey for position against the wire, and Rodrigues hits a throw that puts the Serb on his back for a moment. “Thunder” blasts back up to his feet without issue, and Rodrigues jabs him a few times to the body and chops at his leg. Todorovic tries to return fire, but Rodrigues is well out of harm’s way. Rodrigues scores a quick one-two, and Todorovic ducks a punch to aim for a double. Rodrigues defends with a shoulder throw, and when they clinch, Todorovic pushes him off. “Robocop” clips his man with a few punches, and he backs off to tattoo Todorovic’s chin with a few more. Rodrigues splits the guard with a left hand, and he follows it with an overhand right that Todorovic is barely able to avoid by leaning back. Rodrigues dodges and weaves to evade strikes, and he sits down to punch Todorovic in the head repeatedly. Todorovic fires right back and scores a knee, and a leg kick gets countered by a straight right hand across the forward bow. “Robocop” sticks out a power jab, and he tags his foe with a right hand. Another finds its mark on the chin, and Todorovic wears them well but is getting worked with two-punch combinations. Todorovic tries to tie him up and knee him, but Rodrigues pushes him away and ducks when Todorovic chases after him. Todorovic wings a big right hand, and Rodrigues sees it coming a mile away and is able to get off a right hand. The two feint and fake their way to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two come out swinging, and both land flush early and often. Rodrigues scores a huge right hand and a left uppercut, and he ducks when Todorovic swings at him. “Robocop” crashes forward into a takedown attempt, and he puts Todorovic on his back. Rodrigues lands several punches from above until Todorovic powers back to his feet, and the two tie up and work the body repeatedly. They separate, and both middleweights connect, one after the other, with neither’s chin fading. Todorovic charges in to throw looping punches, and Rodrigues avoids the brunt of the damage but still gets bullied into the cage wall, where Todorovic knees him in the torso before changing levels for a takedown attempt. Rodrigues powers out of the position as he defends it, and he sticks out a left hand and a high kick that does not reach the shoulder. Todorovic triples up on jabs as Rodrigues appears to be slowing, but “Robocop” still manages to time a left hook when Todorovic comes in recklessly. Both men jab at the same time, but Todorovic recovers quicker to throw another after it. The Brazilian kicks the leg and makes Todorovic hop away, but Todorovic walks him down and into a punch. The round ends with the two standing front of the other.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Both men embrace to open up the final round, and Todorovic marches forward to throw to the body. Rodrigues retreats, and Todorovic leaps forward suddenly with a flying knee that clips off Rodrigues’ chin. Todorovic uses the pressure to mash Rodrigues into the fence, and he rips the body a few times until Rodrigues explodes out. The pace dwindles to single strikes, as one lands a leg kick and the other jabs. Rodrigues taps his nose a few times to incite a brawl, and Todorovic does not bite, instead keeping his range and firing off jabs. Rodrigues marches forward to throw bombs, and he slips a jab to drill Todorovic on the side of the head. Rodrigues lets fly a head kick that partially connects, and Rodrigues fires back and dings up Todorovic but does not draw blood or do any visible damage. “Robocop” loads up on two right hands that snap the head back, and Todorovic is content to power out a jab. Two jabs from Rodrigues are followed by a right hand, and Todorovic walks face-first into a few punches. A left into a right connect as Todorovic tries to back off, and Rodrigues chases after him with a barrage of punches. The middleweights stand in the center of the cage and let loose with hellacious strikes, but neither budges an inch as defense is not a priority at this point of the match. Todorovic reaches out with a few jabs to disrupt the power punches from Rodrigues, and a right hand surprises “Robocop.” When Todorovic clinches, Rodrigues greets him with two right hands to the body and over the top. As soon as the 10-second clapper sounds, Todorovic shoots in for a takedown. Rodrigues stuffs it, and he blocks an elbow that zooms at his face. The fight ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Gregory Rodrigues def. Dusko Todorovic via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Santiago Ponzinibbio (170.5) vs. Miguel Baeza (171)

Round 1

In a highly anticipated welterweight battle, Ponzinibbio (27-4, 9-3 UFC) will look to get back to his winning ways against the unbeaten finisher Baeza (10-0, 3-0 UFC). Referee Herb Dean will have his hands full with this striking-friendly battle, but there is still a sporting glove touch before fists and feet go flying. Ponzinibbio takes the center of the cage and slaps away a kick that reaches out at him, and he marches forward to bully Baeza against the cage. He lands several punches and ignores a few chopping leg kicks, checking one as Baeza backs off. Ponzinibbio checks another kick and throws a one-two, and he continues to absorb kicks as he marches forward. Baeza spams leg kicks on the inside and outside whenever Ponzinibbio advances towards him, and “Argentine Dagger” throws a dagger of a right hand but takes a counter on the way back. Ponzinibbio evades a few jabs and takes a body kick flush, and he takes a leg kick that makes him fall over. Ponzinibbio scrambles back to his feet, but Baeza is targeting the same spot again and again with these effective kicks. Ponzinibbio’s leg is already compromised from these kicks, as his calf reddens up and swells, and Baeza pushes the pace on him and throws two big punches to make Ponzinibbio back off. When Ponzinibbio gathers himself, Baeza chops the tree down a few more times, and Ponzinibbio grits through it to land a few punches. “Caramel Thunder” strikes with a right hand, and a head kick just glances off the shoulder. Ponzinibbio’s footing has begun to abandon him, and Baeza stings him with a right hand. Two punches from Baeza wobble him, and Ponzinibbio’s leg is betraying him when Baeza damages it again with more kicks. Ponzinibbio swarms at the 10-second clapper with a wild flurry of punches, and a few land but he cannot hurt Baeza before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Baeza picks up right where he left off, with a calf kick. “Caramel Thunder” goes up high with a kick, and then one more to the low leg of his opponent. Ponzinibbio lifts his leg up in anticipation, but he walks forward to throw hands. A few strikes get in, but Baeza is much more composed and accurate, landing kicks to the body and head and keeping Ponzinibbio at bay. A leg kick is followed by an overhand right, and Baeza has finally damaged the chin of the Argentinian. Baeza wisely does not chase him down recklessly, and instead attacks the body to open up strikes up top. Ponzinibbio crashes forward for a body lock takedown, but when it fails, Baeza backs off to land a pair of leg kicks. Baeza snaps out a few jabs and a front kick, but Ponzinibbio walks through them to try to swing hammers. Ponzinibbio scores several stern left hands to back Baeza off, but Baeza gathers his thoughts and rings Ponzinibbio’s bell. “The Argentine Dagger” pays Baeza back a little with a few thudding calf kicks, so Baeza stands tall and rocks him with a right hand. Ponzinibbio shakes out the cobwebs and retreats, and when he fins an angle, he looses a head kick. A calf kick does not stop Ponzinibbio from advancing, and three punches from Ponzinibbio get Baeza’s attention. Ponzinibbio keeps lunging out with punches, and jabs are followed by punches that wobble Baeza briefly. Baeza gets back to a rhythm of jabs and front kicks, and Ponzinibbio rushes ahead to rip the body and head with a stream of punches. Ponzinibbio keeps jabbing until he suddenly changes levels for a takedown, and the jabs are bothering Baeza. Ponzinibbio turns it on with several more punches, and he is headhunting with punches in bunches. Baeza cannot get off his kicks with Ponzinibbio pressuring him, and the Argentinian takes his foot off the gas for a moment to get his leg kicked twice. Ponzinibbio lands a few punches, and Baeza pushes his foe away with a kick to conclude the exciting second frame.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Both men gingerly come out of their corners to meet in the center of the cage, and Ponzinibbio flicks out a few jabs to reintroduce himself to his opponent. Baeza fires off a single calf kick, and Ponzinibbio walks through it to land a few punches. Baeza kicks to the chest and low leg as Ponzinibbio is feinting and faking his way forward. Baeza scores a big one-two on the chin, and Ponzinibbio comes back at him with a tripled-up jab. Ponzinibbio hurts his opponent with a huge kick below the knee, and he follows suit with one more as Baeza’s knee is buckling. Both men trade single strikes one after the other, and Baeza wings a right hand that Ponzinibbio is just able to duck. Three more jabs from Ponzinibbio come forward and meet Baeza’s nose, and Baeza returns fire with a right hand that bounces off the beard. Ponzinibbio chains a jab into a big punch, and he checks a leg kick to lob a bomb. Baeza wears it well, and Ponzinibbio slips and rips with a right hand. The jabs are not single from Ponzinibbio, and he puts two or three together to disrupt Baeza’s movement. Ponzinibbio hurts Baeza with a slew of punches, and the two start brawling and drilling each other on the chin. Baeza gets hurt, and then Ponzinibbio, and they are throwing everything they have at one another. Baeza thumps a kick to the body and one to the calf as Ponzinibbio catches his breath from his onslaught, Ponzinibbio gets off a few leg kicks that make Baeza stumble, and Ponzinibbio is right there ready to throw with bad intentions. Baeza tries to tie him up, but Ponzinibbio pushes him away and nails him with a salvo of punches. Baeza responds and hurts his opponent, but Ponzinibbio bites down on his mouthpiece and slugs it out. The two are throwing caution to the wind, and Baeza may be out on his feet as Ponzinibbio continues to nail him with punches. These contenders give it everything they have left, and with one second to go, a huge shot from Ponzinibbio knocks Baeza’s mouth piece out. A big left hand from Ponzinibbio ends the round, wrapping up this spectacular battle with a bright red bow. What a fight! This is instantly in contention for “Fight of the Year,” as both men went at it from bell to bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Miguel Baeza via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Roman Dolidze (186) vs. Laureano Staropoli (185)

Round 1

Kicking things back to middleweight after an absolute barnburner, fans will be treated to a classic battle of nations between Georgia’s Dolidze (8-1, 2-1 UFC) and Argentina’s Staropoli (9-3, 2-2 UFC). This possible slugfest gains oversight from the nonsense-crushing referee Keith Peterson, who watches on as the two do not touch gloves. Dolidze swipes out with left hands, but it is Staropoli who lands first with a solid right hand. Two big leg kicks and a head kick come from the Argentinian, but Dolidze stops this plan immediately with a sudden takedown attempt. Although Dolidze puts Staropoli on his back, Staropoli leaps back to his feet thanks to the wall. Dolidze keeps him pinned to the cage when he gets up, mashing the former welterweight into the wire with his full body weight. Staropoli cannot break the grip, and Dolidze knees him in the face. Dolidze nearly takes him from behind, and thinks about a suplex or throw to put “Pepi” down. The grind is firmly embraced from Dolidze, as he trips Staropoli out for a moment but cannot keep him grounded. Dolidze holds on tight and gets off a few knees, where he uses the body lock to plant “Pepi” on the canvas again. Staropoli walks his way to his knees and feet, and Dolidze wrenches his man back down when he gets there. This stalemate of a position carries on to the bell, ending this slog of a round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Staropoli fakes a head kick, and as soon as he sets his foot down, Dolidze charges forward for a takedown attempt. We begin the same cycle as the previous round, with Staropoli getting taken down, standing back up, and getting kneed once or twice. Dolidze turns around to pursue a double, and he hits it, but once more, the Argentinian climbs back up without much effort. Dolidze holds on from behind until Staropoli spins around, and the two stand before the other in the center of the cage. Both start brawling, and a kick from Staropoli makes him fall over. This allows Dolidze to rush forward and try to keep him grounded, but Staropoli pops up and eats an uppercut. Staropoli responds with a single heavy strike, leading to Dolidze shooting in for a successful takedown. Dolidze circles around to the back when Staropoli reaches his knees, and he holds on for dear life. Like much of the last round, Dolidze clings to his man like Saran wrap, with few strikes coming as Dolidze just has his hands wrapped around him. Staropoli unexpectedly hits a trip, and Dolidze rolls through to spring back standing again. Staropoli, with space to strike, lands a kick and a left hand. The punch carries Staropoli forward, where Dolidze clinches up with him and hangs on until there is one second to spare. Staropoli breaks free and looses a head kick, but the round ends when it gets blocked.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The last round begins with Staropoli hopping around, trying to stay out of grappling range while also slinging long strikes from afar. A high kick gets blocked, and a subsequent leg kick is not. Staropoli chains a front kick into a side kick, and although it pushes Dolidze back, “The Caucasian” wades back forward to chop at his lead leg. Staropoli quickly looses another head kick, but it is subsequently blocked. He continues to spam these kicks to little effect, and Dolidze sticks out his left hand to back him away. Dolidze responds in kind with a high kick, and all of these kicks are defended. Dolidze sprints forward after throwing the kick to latch on like an Alabama tick, and Staropoli begins talking trash and complaining that Dolidze is holding on to him. Dolidze turns the corner to a double, and Staropoli stuffs it and stops a knee from colliding with his face. Staropoli turns him around and grabs hold of a front choke, and Dolidze powers through it to grab a single. Staropoli gets off elbows while trying to defend himself, but the Georgian grabs his leg to throw him off-balance. Two big punches from Dolidze land, and Staropoli sneakily scores a takedown. Dolidze falls to his back, and Staropoli kicks at his leg until he has Peterson stand Dolidze up. Dolidze shoots in at the center of the cage, bullying Staropoli into the fencing, and smothering him with this clinch pressure. This grind carries on until the final horn mercifully sounds, wrapping up this dreadful fight. Staropoli is enraged, and shouts at Dolidze until Peterson separates them and the commission intervenes.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Roman Dolidze def. Laureano Staropoli via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Walt Harris (264) vs. Marcin Tybura (251)

Round 1

It’s all heavyweights from here on out tonight, as the co-main event comes between “The Big Ticket” Harris (13-9, 1 NC; 7-8, 1 NC UFC) and surging Polish standout Tybura (21-6, 8-5 UFC). Striker versus grappler will lock horns, and referee Mark Smith will need to mind his P’s and Q’s as this big burly battle proceeds. There is a glove touch between the two, and both men are patient in the opening seconds. Harris reaches out with a front kick that is swatted away, and Tybura comes back with one of his own. Harris slings an uppercut and a head kick that gets blocked, and Tybura walks through a head kick only to get nailed with a spinning back fist on the way down. Harris unloads on a hurt Tybura, drilling him with big punches and knees. Tybura tries to clinch up, and he throws back to surprise Harris for a second. Harris wings on a few power punches, and takes his foot off the accelerator to measure himself. Harris blasts Tybura with a few massive punches, and “Tybur” crashes forward with a desperation takedown to drop Harris to a knee. Harris climbs back to his feet, and he defends by pushing Tybura’s head down and clipping him with a right hand. Tybura regains his wits about him as he marches forward to kick Harris in the torso. Harris looks to pay him back with a similar strike, and Tybura catches the kick and slams him down to the ground. Tybura jumps over to side control, and as Harris scrambles, he surrenders his back. Tybura gets a hook in and starts slamming his fists on the side of Harris’ head. A few punches may have landed on the mohawk line, and Smith chides Tybura to adjust his trajectory. Tybura gets both hooks in and looks to press Harris flat on the ground. Tybura starts pounding on his opponent with steady diet of right hands, and Smith asks Harris to fight back. Tybura keeps slugging with right after punishing right, and Harris’ knees crumble and he falls to his stomach. The turtled-up posture is not enough for Harris to keep intelligently defending himself, and the punches continue to mount until Smith has to step in and rescue Harris. What a comeback for “Tybur,” who waded through the fire to put Harris away with strikes late into Round 1.

The Official Result

Marcin Tybura def. Walt Harris R1 4:06 via TKO (Punches)

Jairzinho Rozenstruik (254) vs. Augusto Sakai (255.5)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached the end of the night. This heavyweight brawl comes between Rozenstruik (11-2, 5-2 UFC) and Sakai (15-2-1, 4-1 UFC), both sharing a preferred method of victory by knockout – neither man has ever landed a submission. Referee Herb Dean will need to keep his eyes peeled from errant blows, although there is a mild sign of respect as the two big men touch gloves. Sakai begins the round with a front kick, and Rozenstruik counters with a sweeping low kick. “Bigi Boy” lands a stiff leg kick on the inside of Sakai’s calf, and he backs off to find his punching range. Neither commit to a punch for the first 90 seconds, with Sakai chopping at the leg with a kick of his own. Rozenstruik reaches out with a punch to the body, and a slapping leg kick makes Sakai retreat for a moment. Rozenstruik continues to chip at the leg, and he backs off when the Brazilian swings and misses with a body kick. Sakai holds his fingers out to disrupt his oncoming opponent, and Rozenstruik catches a kick and loops back a huge overhand right. The punch blows the hair back but does not land on Sakai’s chin, and Sakai tries to punch him in the face but misses the mark as well. Rozenstruik lands a left hand, slips a hook and fires off a bomb of a right hand, but the big final strike of the salvo hits nothing but air. Rozenstruik lands a leg kick and marches forward with a few punches to the body and head, and Sakai takes them all without issue. Rozenstruik continues his assault on Sakai’s leg, and he strides forward with a clipping left hand that shocks Sakai. Sakai circles away against the fence, and Rozenstruik chases after him with a left hook and plants a right hand behind the ear, sending Sakai crashing down in a heap. Rozenstruik leaps down on top, unaware of how much time is left in the round, and he smashes his fists into Sakai’s face a few times until Dean pulls him off. Although some may protest the stoppage, a massive cut was opened up above Sakai’s left eye, and the Brazilian got up in a daze. Rozenstruik celebrates a massive victory in a headlining spot, with a buzzer-beating knockout that keeps him on the list of heavyweight contenders for a while longer. Next week is a big pay-per-view card with a few championship rematches and the first five-round non-title non-headlining match in UFC history. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Augusto Sakai R1 4:59 via TKO (Punches)