UFC Fight Night 201 ‘Walker vs. Hill’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Mario Bautista (135.5) vs. Jay Perrin (136)

Round 1

Twelve fights will treat fans for this all-ESPN+ offering, and name value may be low but potential action could be high if the audience is lucky. We kick things off in the bantamweight division, as MMA Lab product Bautista (8-2, 2-2 UFC) faces short-notice New Hampshire-based newcomer Perrin (10-4, 0-0 UFC). The first assignment of the night goes to nonsense-slaying referee Keith Peterson, and with a touch of gloves between the two competitors, away we go! Bautista leads off with a leg kick when Perrin advances, and he slings another as Perrin backs off. The New Englander rushes forward in pursuit of a takedown, only to get met with a flying knee try on the way in. Perrin absorbs it and presses Bautista into the fence, but they split after a brief exchange. Bautista tries for another flying knee, and this one is less accurate as Perrin backs off in time. The two meet in the middle with right hands, and Perrin is able to gain some space and rip a kick to the calf. Perrin goes high with a kick, Bautista blocks it, kicks the leg and goes up top with a one-two. Bautista presses forward using his jab to back the newcomer off, and he bullies “Savage” Perrin into the wall. When Perrin looks to escape, Bautista muscles him back to the fence and drills him in the solar plexus with a knee. They trade short knees up the middle as they jockey for position against the wire, and when Perrin lifts up a knee, Bautista trips his leg out and drops him to his knees. Perrin muscles his way back up, and they trade short shots before splitting. Bautista reaches with a long combination, and at the end of a punch, he staggers Perrin briefly. The New England native shoots in as a response to hit a quick double-leg takedown, but as soon as Bautista’s backside hits the mat, he is already looking for a way up. Bautista powers his way up, and he turns the tables in search his own takedown entry. There is nothing to be had from it, and Perrin with his back against the fence scores a solid knee up the middle. Bautista responds with a thudding shoulder strike, and this forces a split. Perrin absorbs a knee up close, dislodging his mouthpiece, and he stands back to allow Peterson to replace it. Bautista attacks with a spinning back elbow that goes wide, and the opening round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Bautista

Round 2

The bantamweights offer and accept a glove touch to start the second stanza, and Perrin comes out firing with a couple of looping shots. Perrin backs his man off and attempts to steal his thunder with a flying knee, but it glances off his intended target. Perrin takes a right hand flush on the chin, forcing him to reset, and they both stick jabs out. Bautista walks his man down and leaps in the air with a knee, and the knee brushes off the side of the debuting fighter’s head but does not hurt him. Perrin ties him up, and they both start kneeing each other up close. Bautista goes back to shoulder strikes, mixing in with a few elbows, and he drags Perrin to the mat. “Savage” springs back up, and Bautista grabs him from the neck from behind and throws him down to the canvas in pursuit of a submission setup or back take. Perrin scrambles effectively to break the grip, and he shakes his head to get Bautista’s hands off of him. The clinch ensues again, and Perrin changes levels for a double that does not succeed. Bautista circles around after thwarting an attempt to try to hit a trip, but he bails on it so that he can stand Perrin up with a flush elbow on the nose. Bautista loads up on another elbow to the same spot, and Perrin is forced to blink it out and then takes a few knees to the body. Perrin tries to pay him back with an elbow and a few punches, but Bautista is able to shell up and back out of range. Bautista closes in on him and knees up the middle, and Perrin eats it like a steak and walks forward to land a trio of punches. Bautista shrugs them off and digs the midsection with a kick. They trade strikes, and Perrin charges with a salvo of punches and a kick, only to most hit air or his foe’s guard. Perrin begins to plod forward with strike combinations, and when they are blocked, both fighters opt to throw single high kicks. The round ends after these unsuccessful head kicks.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Bautista

Round 3

The fighters are happy to touch gloves to start off the last round, and Perrin takes a few steps back in anticipation of a flying knee. It comes from Bautista, and Perrin is well out of the way in time. Perrin starts chipping away with low kicks and body shots, but his punches that follow are largely inaccurate as Bautista moves quickly. Bautista answers Perrin’s single shots with some of his own, matching a leg kick for his own that sounds much heavier. Bautista charges in, and his sheer momentum bowls the newcomer over for a moment. Perrin powers his way back up, but he finds himself absorbing shoulder checks to the jaw, one of which dislodges his mouthpiece. Bautista wrangles him down to the mat by taking him from behind, and he kicks at Perrin’s leg to try to trip him out. When this does not succeed, Peterson hands Perrin’s mouthpiece back, and it is replaced. Bautista advances rapidly to start laying into Perrin with close, powerful strikes. Several thumping knees and elbows over the top make Perrin double over, and Bautista continues his surge of strikes that have bloodied Perrin’s face up and forced him to take a few deep breaths. A few more shoulders of the MMA Lab fighter smash into Perrin’s jaw, and Bautista controls his debuting foe against the wire while laying into Perrin with powerful strikes. A huge elbow comes over the top from Bautista, and Perrin is wearing it but not out of it as he turns Bautista around and tries for a takedown. Bautista stops this in its tracks, pounds a knee into Perrin’s chest, and trips the newcomer down in an emphatic “Welcome to the UFC” exchange. Perrin crawls to his knee, and as soon as he stands, Bautista smashes him in the face with a high knee. The relatively one-sided match comes to a close in the clinch position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista (30-27 Bautista)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Bautista (30-27 Bautista)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Bautista (30-27 Bautista)

The Official Result

Mario Bautista def. Jay Perrin via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Jonathan Pearce (145.5) vs. Christian Rodriguez (146)

Round 1

In another fight featuring a more established fighter against a UFC newcomer, Pearce (11-4, 2-1 UFC) will welcome “CeeRod” Rodriguez (7-0, 0-0 UFC) to the organization. On the one hand, “JSP” has not gone the distance in any of his eight fights, and on the other, Rodriguez celebrates a finish rate of 86%. It’s not likely this will make it into the hands of the judges, and referee Jason Herzog is ready for where the fight takes them. The featherweights do not bothering to touch gloves, and want to get after it right away. Both men land strikes from a distance to test one another, and Pearce sits down with a left hand before shooting in to put Rodriguez on the defensive early. Rodriguez keeps himself upright on the first attempt, and he sneaks in a knee when Pearce presses him to the wall heavily. Pearce gives him several knees back, and he looks to throw the newcomer to the ground but cannot quite get Rodriguez to the mat – possibly thanks to Rodriguez grabbing the cage with his toes. Pearce redoubles his effort for a takedown, and as soon as they hit the ground, “CeeRod” locks him down with a nasty guillotine choke. Rodriguez wraps his legs around Pearce’s waist, and Pearce slowly, methodically works his neck out of this dangerous choke. Rodriguez scrambles, but in the process, he gives up his back, and Pearce is quick to snatch on to it. Rodriguez twists through to not surrender dominant position, but “JSP” rolls through it to get a hook around the side of Rodriguez’ legs. The scrambles are wild and frantic, and even when Pearce holds a body lock, he cannot quite assume full back control. Pearce begins to soften his foe up with punches and elbows, and he holds on to an arm-triangle choke when Rodriguez tries to turn into top position. Rodriguez falls to his back after the ground exchange, with Pearce holding on tight, and the round concludes in this posture.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pearce
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pearce

Round 2

The round begins with Pearce coming out aggressively, but Rodriguez is there to greet him with powerful punches. Pearce jumps in the air with a knee, and Rodriguez intercepts him and tags him with a few shots. The strikes force “JSP” to shoot for a takedown, and it get stuffed in his first try. Rodriguez backs Pearce off with his hands, checking a leg kick and stalking him down. His forward momentum gets used against him, as Pearce manages to hit a takedown when Rodriguez is off-balance. Pearce resumes the strange quasi-back control position he held in the end of the round, and he looks to turn it to a twister. “CeeRod” bucks and twists to get out of this precarious position, and he fights his way back to his feet. Pearce threatens with a standing rear-naked choke, and he bails on it so that he can turn about and slam Rodriguez in the face with a jump knee. In the ensuing scramble, Rodriguez attacks with an armbar, and they fall to the mat. “JSP” slides his elbow out of the bad spot and wrenches his arm free, and as soon as they get to their knees, Pearce is on him with a takedown. Pearce manages to climb on top in search of an arm-triangle choke, and he abandons it when Rodriguez turns so that he can slug him in the face. Rodriguez sits up, but Pearce will not give him any space, as he takes Rodriguez’ back and assumes back control. Pearce fishes for a rear-naked choke but he cannot get his hooks in, and this allows Rodriguez to pop back up to his knees. Pearce follows him until he slides out the back door, and he lets Pearce up so that he can drill him with a heavy salvo of punches. Pearce winces but backs away against the fence to make it to Round 3.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pearce
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pearce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pearce

Round 3

To start off the final round, Rodriguez comes out firing, possibly aware that he is down on the scorecards. He tees off on Pearce with a few right hands, and he catches Pearce with a right hand when “JSP” attacks with a flying knee. Pearce falls forward into a takedown, and Rodriguez reverses him and goes after a rear-naked choke. The scramble is furious and fast-pace, and Rodriguez manages to take Pearce’s back as Pearce may be fading from two rounds of heavy grappling. Rodriguez clings to him with a body triangle, and Pearce still stands up. Rodriguez drills him in the face with a blistering elbow, and Pearce is wobbled badly and staggers back to the cage wall. “CeeRod” will not let him off the hook, giving chase and tagging Pearce with a few more punches. Hurt but not out, Pearce ducks down for a double-leg takedown, and he grounds Rodriguez to save his own chin. Rodriguez tries and ultimately fails to scramble, but he fights out of a submission attempt or two that Pearce sets up as he looks to secure Rodriguez’ back. Pearce successfully gets a hook around the waist with his leg, disallowing Rodriguez to turn towards him. Pearce uses this position to hunt for an arm-triangle choke from the back, and Rodriguez turns to his knees to break the grip but cannot get Pearce off of him. “JSP” locks on to a rear-naked choke, and Rodriguez successfully holds it off with wrist control and turns to try to stand up. Pearce wrangles him back down to the ground, making Rodriguez’ life miserable with ground control and back takes. Pearce nearly slides off the top, but he rejiggers himself to claim full mount briefly and hang on tight to the back when Rodriguez turns. Pearce rides out the position to the end of the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pearce (30-27 Pearce)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pearce (29-28 Pearce)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pearce (30-27 Pearce)

The Official Result

Jonathan Pearce def. Christian Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Jesse Strader (135) vs. Chad Anheliger (135)

Round 1

When the dust settles after this bantamweight bout, one man will likely earn their first win inside the Octagon, whether it is the debuting Canadian Anheliger (11-5, 0-0 UFC) or “Sui Generis” Strader (5-2, 0-1 UFC). Referee Herb Dean will know first who this is, and he bears witness to a glove touch that precedes the action. Strader reaches out with several jabs, and he swats away one that comes back at him. The bantamweights look to find their range with jabs and a low kick from Strader, and he is able to duck and move when Anheliger walks him down. Strader lets loose with a few kicks, lifts Anheliger up in the air and slams him to the mat with gravitas. Anheliger scoots his way back to the wall on a single knee, and Strader follows him every inch of the way while trying to take his back. The Canadian still wrests himself back up on two feet, and Strader simply lifts his man up in the air again to set him down. This time, Anheliger answers with a guillotine choke setup, and Strader backs off to let his foe stand up. They trade jabs when upright, and they throw leg kicks at the exact same time. Strader wings a high kick and a right hand, and Anheliger is able to smoothly dodge the strikes but not the takedown that follows. “The Monster” once more clamps down on a guillotine choke, and it is not there but it is enough to keep Strader honest. Anheliger throws his legs up for an armbar setup, and Strader is forced to fight it off. When Strader backs himself off, he nearly lets Anheliger stand up. Strader meets Anheliger on the way up with a knee and an overhand right, and Anheliger smashes him back with a few heavy knees. Strader answers with body shots, and they separate after their back-and-forth flurry. Strader punches his way into a takedown try, but Anheliger stands him up in a hurry and turns him around. When Anheliger misses with a knee, Strader replies with one that glances off the chin. Strader ducks a looping right hand to charge in, and he just misses with a high kick that brushes past Anheliger’s hair. Anheliger comes up short with his own head kick, and he dings his foe with a single right hand before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strader
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Strader
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Strader

Round 2

The fighters come out of their corners with caution, and Strader lands first with a thudding leg kick. When Anheliger replies, Strader comes back harder and with greater volume. Anheliger fires off single strikes, like a knee up the middle and a swinging left hand, but it is Strader who is the more accurate. As Strader lumbers forward, Anheliger clips him with a powerful right hand, one that sends Strader falling to the mat. Strader scrambles, doing enough to take top position briefly, but Anheliger bursts back to his feet and opens up with a barrage of body shots. Anheliger strides forward, hunts for a trip down low, and when that fails, he throws a few quick punches on the inside. Strader lands to the body as he fakes for a takedown, and he ducks back when Anheliger wings a head kick at him. Strader marches ahead with a looping right hand, but it is too wide, allowing his foe to step in with a knee. Strader gives him a knee back, and they both crack one another. Anheliger appears to get the better of an exchange, as Strader staggers back briefly and shrugs. Anheliger meets Strader coming in with a knee, and the strike opens a cut on Strader’s cheek below his right eye. Strader attacks with several leg kicks to the inside and out, and he steps back when Anheliger tries and fails to nail him with a cartwheel kick. The round ends, and the two touch gloves.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Anheliger
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Anheliger
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Anheliger

Round 3

Strader is quick to pursue wrestling to open the third round, as Anheliger appears to be the fresher man who is now landing on him more successfully. Strader tries to pursue a takedown from a body lock, and then transitions into a single-leg takedown. Anheliger lands a few short elbows on the side of the head before hopping back and away. Anheliger jabs and lands a low kick, and Strader appears compromised from the kick as he stopped in his tracks and his poker face abandoned him. When Strader gathers himself, he boots the Canadian in the body. Anheliger answers with another low kick, and he kicks on the outside as Strader winces. Strader pump-fakes with a takedown, drawing a reaction out of the newcomer but not tripping him up. Strader steps forward with a few right hands that club Anheliger in the face, and he slaps away a head kick that zips at him. Strader blasts Anheliger with a shot to the body, and Anheliger returns fire with a bomb of a left hand that detonates on Strader’s chin. Strader spins around and crumbles to the mat, face-first, and Anheliger attacks with all his might. Knowing the finish is right around the corner, Anheliger loads up on a series of nasty punches as Strader turns to give up mount, until Dean has seen enough. Strader jumps back up after the stoppage and even says, “come on, Herb,” but as he does, he falls back to the mat to justify Dean’s intervention. It could have been anyone’s fight to that point, and Anheliger took the judges out of the equation with his hands.

The Official Result

Chad Anheliger def. Jesse Strader R3 3:33 via TKO (Punches)

Diana Belbita (116) vs. Gloria de Paula (115.5)

Round 1

The first of two women’s matches tonight comes in the strawweight division in a possible pink-slip derby between ladies that desperately need a win. “The Warrior Princess” Belbita (14-6, 1-2 UFC) will battle it out with de Paula (5-4, 0-2 UFC), with hopes of one getting their UFC career on track. Drawing the charge will be referee Mark Smith, who takes note when the fighters touch ‘em up. Belbita advances, sticking out several jabs and following one with a low kick. De Paula walks back after taking the kick, puts her guard up and blocks a one-two. The Brazilian uses the opportunity in hopes of drawing out a brawl, but Belbita stays composed and relies on long, straighter punches instead of looping hooks. The two ladies trade jabs, and Belbita mixes things up with low kicks. The Romanian targets the body with a pair of punches, and she goes after a right over the top. “The Warrior Princess” slugs de Paula with a left to the liver, drawing a reaction out of de Paula and a sudden blitz of strikes. Belbita shrugs them off and connects with a big right hand, leading de Paula into a takedown try from a body lock. The two trade knees up close, remaining tightly compressed in clinch position as they go back and forth with these shots. They separate, and de Paula scores a solid jab. Belbita comes back with a left to the body and a right to the head, and she continues combinations with leg kicks. De Paula keeps a wide stance as she loads up on a pair of kicks to the torso, and Belbita does not abandon her own body targeting approach as she batters the midsection with strikes. Belbita turns one-twos into lefts to the body, and de Paula is able to defend some of the strikes but not all of them. The fast hands of de Paula allow her to counter the Romanian, and she ducks a punch in pursuit of a takedown. Belbita remains upright as she gets pushed to the wall, and the round ends in the clinch with a knee and an elbow from “Glorinha.”

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Belbita
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 de Paula
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 de Paula

Round 2

The strawweights are quick to engage to start off Round 2, with quick hands from de Paula that beat Belbita to the punch. De Paula maintains a high guard and blocks several strikes coming over the top, but this allows Belbita to work her body. De Paula replies with straight punches, and she absorbs a few leg kicks as she walks forward. De Paula marks the Romanian up with a few crisp shots, and she ducks back as an elbow whizzes by her. The Brazilian rushes in for a takedown, but Belbita’s takedown defense remains solid as she manages to turn de Paula around momentarily. They separate, and de Paula flicks out a few more jabs as she evades the wide shots coming at her. Both stand in front of one another, throwing hands, and they land one after the other. De Paula defends well with her guard, and she is forced to defend herself from winging strikes that soar towards her. The Brazilian presses forward into a clinch with no takedown to be found, and the knees fly from both women. It’s one knee after the other, and Belbita attempts to change things up by tripping de Paula over. De Paula sprawls, pushes Belbita back and connects with a slew of knees. Belbita manages to get herself upright, shoves her foe off and targets the body with a right hand. De Paula scores a head kick, Belbita returns fire with one, and the closely contested round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Belbita
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Belbita
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Belbita

Round 3

There is a touch of gloves to clock in the final round, and de Paula leads off with a jab and a shot for a takedown. The Romanian successfully sprawls, and she waits for de Paula to stand so that she can slap her in the face with a head kick. They start to slug it out in the pocket, with one taking a strike and giving it right back in sequence. As de Paula advances, Belbita pushes off with her thumb that totally goes into de Paula’s eye. After about 30 seconds of recover, Belbita comes out firing with punches and high kicks. De Paula walks forward and grabs hold of her opponent, where she finally lands the takedown she had been seeking for the better part of two and a half rounds. In a demoralizing fashion for the Brazilian, Belbita springs right back to her feet, but she goes get shoved into the wall. “Glorinha” knees the body several times up close, and Belbita answers her back with knees. One knee from the Brazilian collides with the groin, and Belbita groans but does not ask for a pause. Smith asks them to do more than throw short knees up the middle, and they stop doing this as Belbita pummels and pushes off to block a head kick that comes at her shortly thereafter. Belbita marches forward throwing punches and front kicks, and de Paula steps back with kicks to the body. Belbita gets the better of one exchange, de Paula gets her back, and they proceed to swing it out down to the wire. The last bit of energy is expended between the two as they throw down to the final bell, and scores could be all over the map in this one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Belbita (30-27 Belbita)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Belbita (29-28 Belbita)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Belbita (29-28 Belbita)

The Official Result

Gloria de Paula def. Diana Belbita via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Chas Skelly (146) vs. Mark Striegl (145)

Round 1

At 36 years of age with soon-to-be 12 UFC fights under his belt, “The Scrapper” Skelly (18-3, 1 NC; 7-3, 1 NC UFC) is ready to say goodbye to the sport – for now, as we all know MMA retirements rarely stick. In this last UFC bout for Skelly, he will face a fellow grappler in Striegl (18-3, 1 NC; 0-1 UFC). Referee Keith Peterson is prepared for a tap, nap or snap, although no nonsense will come. The respectful glove touch comes between the featherweights, and Striegl strikes first with a low kick. He backs Skelly off with a few more. Skelly grabs one in an effort to trip “Mugen” up, but he lets it go and absorbs a kick to the body. “The Scrapper” advances aggressively, walks through a strike and grapples with Striegl to try to drag him to the mat. Striegl turns him around and elbows him in the face, but it is one-and-done as Striegl holds Skelly tightly to the wire. Striegl goes after a trip takedown, and Skelly manages to turn him around and take his back standing. Skelly cannot hit his own takedown, and Striegl stands him up and shoves him back up against the fence. “The Scrapper” manages to eventually trip Striegl’s legs out beneath him on a subsequent try, and he puts Striegl on his back in the middle of the cage. Striegl keeps a closed guard as he hopes for a standup, locking Skelly down and not allowing him to get anything of merit off from ground strikes. Striegl tries to scoot his way to the fencing, and Skelly keeps heavy top pressure and clings to Striegl like saran wrap. Try as he might, Striegl cannot sit up or twist to his side to gain space, and Skelly continues to grind him out with short strikes and consistent top pressure. “Mugen” kicks Skelly off of him, and he lets loose with a few upkicks that get Skelly’s attention, but they cannot keep Skelly away for long. When Striegl stands, Skelly follows him, and the round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Skelly
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Skelly
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Skelly

Round 2

The round begins with a glove touch, and Skelly advances quickly with a few jabs to advance. Striegl backs him away with a low kick, but he cannot keep Skelly at bay for long. “The Scrapper” pushes forward, wrapping his hands around Striegl’s waist and wrenching him to the canvas. Striegl winds up in an opportunistic position momentarily, only for Skelly to turn him around and get him down. “Mugen” explodes to stand up, and he fights out of the clinch as Skelly resets. Skelly plods forward, absorbing a front kick and scoring a crisp uppercut. Skelly steps forward with a vertical elbow and a right hand, and he unloads with a knee that catches Striegl square on the chin. The Filipino fighter crumples to the mat, and Skelly gives chase to pound him out and try to notch the final win of his career. “The Scrapper” lets loose with everything he has, finishing the job with ferocious ground-and-pound until Peterson has to step in. In his post-fight interview, Skelly admits that he plans to be done with the sport, but will remain in the USADA testing pool in case an interesting fight presents itself for him.

The Official Result

Chas Skelly def. Mark Striegl R2 2:01 via TKO (Knee and Punches)

Jessica-Rose Clark (135.5) vs. Stephanie Egger (135)

Round 1

The second of two women’s matches comes now between bantamweights, in a classic battle of nations as Australia’s Clark (11-6, 1 NC; 4-2 UFC) takes on Switzerland native Egger (6-2, 1-1 UFC). The referee assignment goes to Jason Herzog for this 135-pound affair, and the ladies touch hands to start their melee. Clark leads the dance with a leg kick, and she targets another before bearing down on her opponent. Egger tries to time a big right hand to catch Clark coming in, but Clark ducks it and grabs hold of a body lock. Clark keeps tightly pressed to her opponent, kneeing every so often as she attempts to lift Egger off the ground to take her down. Egger turns the tables briefly, going after a head-and-arm toss, but Clark is wise to it and wriggles her neck free. Clark mashes Egger into the wall, and Egger deftly trips her to the mat. They both stand up at the same time, and Clark downs her in response. Egger climbs back to her feet, and she gets pressed back up against the fencing. Egger hits another head-and-arm throw, landing in a scarf hold position as she pounds on Clark’s head. Clark defends temporarily with an inverted triangle choke, and Egger breaks the leg grip and turns to set up an armbar. Clark twists and rolls to her back, and fights the hands with both arms. The Swiss fighter isolates the right arm of Clark, locking it down and cranking it with all her might. Clark surrenders shortly thereafter, not wanting to have her tendons snapped or bones broken, and she has now suffered the first stoppage loss of her career.

The Official Result

Stephanie Egger def. Jessica-Rose Clark R1 3:44 via Submission (Armbar)

Gabriel Benitez (148: Missed Weight) vs. David Onama (144.5)

Round 1

For the second time in recent memory, Benitez (22-9, 6-5 UFC) missed weight, coming in this time two pounds heavy for his featherweight contest against fellow ex-lightweight Onama (8-1, 0-1 UFC). In their 30 combined wins, the two men have only won four decisions, and all four can be attributed to the heavier “Moggly.” Referee Mark Smith could have his hands full for this preliminary headliner, and the gloves do not get touched before they are traded. The first strike of the fight is a body kick from “Moggly,” and Onama walks through it and a leg kick so that he can throw hands. Benitez replies with a few looping punches of his own, and Onama walks him down in search of a big left hand. Benitez rips the body with a pair of punches, while skirting out of the way when Onama attacks him. Benitez attacks with a low kick to the calf, and Onama replies in kind. Another leg kick from Benitez succeeds, and Onama tries to spin with it for a back fist, but there is nothing on it. Benitez strikes, Onama responds, and Benitez backs away to stab at his foe with punches. Benitez continues to chop Onama’s leg down, but Onama catches him with a left hand as these two are putting everything they have into their strikes. Onama goes after a pair of failed one-twos to the body, and Benitez snipes him coming in with a right hand. Onama kicks the midsection, Benitez counters and chips at the lead leg a few more times. Onama looks to sit in the pocket and trade bombs, but Benitez is smart to not let this happen. Benitez lets loose with a left hand, and Onama wipes at his eye as a knuckle may have gone into his eye as it was not from a poke. Benitez blitzes with several more head shots in an effort to finish the job, and Onama shoots in for a takedown that gets stuffed. Benitez pushes him away and hacks at the Ugandan’s lead leg. Benitez goes high with a kick, and Onama eats it like matoke and manages to throw several long punches back at him. Onama is not fazed any longer, as he has cleared his eye out, and he charges with multiple winding hooks that Benitez dodges. Onama corners him momentarily, and Benitez tries to play head movement as he gets trapped against the cage. Onama leads an assault with a seemingly unending salvo of punches, putting together over a dozen strikes to the head in a brutal combination that connect one after the other. Benitez absorbs a few without effort, but they keep coming, and suddenly his hands drop and his head hangs low as Onama completely separates him from his consciousness. Onama pulls back once Benitez hits the mat, knowing his work here is done, and he celebrates the first win of his UFC tenure in style all while keeping his finish rate at 100%.

The Official Result

David Onama def. Gabriel Benitez R1 4:24 via KO (Punches)

Joaquin Buckley (183) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (186)

Round 1

The UFC has chosen violence with this main card opener, which practically guarantees something wild, when Buckley (13-4, 3-2 UFC) and Alhassan (11-4, 5-4 UFC) throw down at middleweight. Holding on to his hat will be referee Herb Dean, and for good reason, as these two combine for 21 knockouts across their 24 victories. Alhassan offers a friendly glove touch to his adversary that is not quite accepted, and the next outstretched fists will likely come much faster and substantially harder. Alhassan walks Buckley down, reaching out with a high kick in his first honest attempt to throw a strike. Buckley returns fire with a similar blow, and both come up short. Buckley slings another head kick that slaps off the guard, and Alhassan chops down the lead leg as Buckley ducks down to try to grab it. Buckley jabs out to the body as he remains light on his feet, and he spins with a back kick as Alhassan just swats it away in time. Alhassan goes for a big kick that comes up short, falling to the mat. Dean calls a pause to the fight for some reason, but the fighters shrug and get right back to it. Alhassan finds an overhand right above the guard, and the strike does enough to get Buckley to shoot in on him for a takedown. “New Mansa” scoops his man up and sets him down, but Alhassan is quick to pop back up. When the Fortis MMA fighter springs back to his feet, Buckley rapidly secures a mat return in the form of a trip. Alhassan once more powers back up, and he absorbs a clean elbow on the way up. Alhassan sits down on a two-punch combination when Buckley advances, and Alhassan walks through a side kick so that he can land the right hand again. From one side of the cage to the other, Buckley attacks a double-leg takedown that makes Alhassan bounce into the wall and down to the floor. Alhassan is quick to return standing again, and he absorbs a flush uppercut when recovering. They both crack one another in a fierce exchange, and Buckley staggers back after taking the worse of the blows. Alhassan throws so hard he nearly topples over, and Buckley gathers himself and pushes Alhassan over with a jab. Alhassan climbs back to his feet and they re-engage, with Buckley attacking with a pair of punches and a spinning back kick that goes wide. Buckley dives forward with a single to end the round, and Alhassan stuffs it and drills Buckley in the face with a right hand. Buckley stands, slugs it out for a moment, and the tense first round is over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Buckley

Round 2

The second round begins like the first, with an exchange from both sides in the form of distant kicks. Alhassan overthrows another haymaker, and Buckley is able to move out of the way and escape. Alhassan kicks at the lead leg, and Buckley changes things up with a single-leg takedown try in the center of the cage. “New Mansa” cannot get it this time, but he redoubles his effort and gets a body lock to ground Alhassan. Alhassan leaps back upright, gets dragged down, and is able to find his footing when Buckley lets him go. Buckley lets loose with a long combination of punches that largely collide with the guard, and Alhassan bides his time and prepares a huge counter when Buckley lets up. Buckley sees this coming, and he manages to chip away at Alhassan with jabs and body shots. “Judo Thunder” leaps forward with a trio of punches, and Buckley smoothly dodges them. Alhassan’s power shots are inaccurate as Buckley keeps actively moving his head and slipping the punches just in time. Buckley is able to protect himself from harm, and then get Alhassan back with a few punches. Buckley backs Alhassan up against the cage, and Alhassan blocks them with a high guard until Buckley goes to the body. Alhassan looks to keep playing rope-a-dope against the cage wall, guarding from the shots and readying heavy responses. The Fortis MMA fighter succeeds in this strategy, taking punches to the body and tagging Buckley with an uppercut and a left hand in a salvo. A possibly wobbled Buckley shoots in from a distance, grounds Alhassan, and keeps him there until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Buckley

Round 3

Alhassan barely walks out of his corner, preferring to allow Buckley to come to him to start off the final round. Buckley appears far fresher, landing strikes from afar and not absorbing any counters. Buckley flicks out jabs and body shots, while sprinkling in high kicks and some to the body as Alhassan’s volume dwindles to very little. Buckley rushes in shoulder first to bully Alhassan into the wire, and he explodes with a loud shout when Alhassan turns him around momentarily. Alhassan sneakily trips Buckley’s legs out from beneath him, and he lands on top to start delivering vicious ground-and-pound strikes. One huge right hand from above shakes Buckley up, only for Buckley to gather himself when Alhassan swings so hard that he falls over the side. Buckley is slowing, but he still works the midsection a few times. Alhassan pushes forward, tripping Buckley’s legs out again, and landing on top to keep Buckley stuck on the mat. Alhassan holds on in a strange half guard until he postures up, and he batters Buckley with swinging punches from above. Buckley pushes him off with upkicks, turns to his side, and sits up to walk up the wall. “Judo Thunder” drags him back down to the mat, and Alhassan takes him from behind and looks to do damage with punches. Buckley manages to break the grip around his waist long enough to work himself upright, but Alhassan is a dog with a bone with these takedowns, grounding Buckley once more. Alhassan considers a keylock when he takes half guard, but bails on it to sit up and try to reintroduce his fists to Buckley’s face. Alhassan holds on tight when he claims side control, and he mashes Buckley with a few elbows. Alhassan takes mount with seconds to spare, and he hammers his foe with punches until the final bell. We have gone the distance, and both men are completely spent as they fall to their backs, sucking wind.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alhassan (29-28 Buckley)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Alhassan (29-28 Buckley)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Alhassan (29-28 Buckley)

The Official Result

Joaquin Buckley def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Jim Miller (156) vs. Nikolas Motta (154.5)

Round 1

The widest gap in Octagon experience comes in this lightweight tilt, as the most active fighter in company history in the legendary Miller (33-16, 1 NC; 22-15, 1 NC UFC) comes to blows with the debuting Motta (12-3, 0-0 UFC). Miller has fought more than twice as many times in the UFC as Motta has competed in his whole career, but the 29-year-old from Brazil is undaunted. Watching closely to see if Motta can pass this difficult test is referee Keith Peterson, and Motta shows plenty of reverence but not a lick of nonsense as he chooses not to touch gloves with the longtime vet. Miller begins with several jabs, and he chains a few together into a slapping leg kick. Miller gets off a one-two, and he swats away the quick hands coming back at him from the Brazilian. Miller gets cracked with a short combination, but he give its right back to Motta. “Iron Motta” connects with a short punch, and Miller steps in with an elbow to keep him honest. Miller slings a high kick, and Motta sticks him with a right hand that hurts Miller cut does not send him down to the mat. Motta does not capitalize on this, and he lets the vet off the hook. Motta sticks him with a jab, stunning Miller again, but Miller attacks with a leg kick on the inside. Miller blocks another power right hand so that he can kick Motta’s lead leg once more, and Motta visibly reacts from it. A kick from Miller may have glanced off the cup, but Motta signals that he can keep fighting and they don’t slow down. Miller chops down Motta’s leg again, leading Motta to stumble forward and try to find his footing. Although Miller gives chase, Motta is able to duck out of the way and recover. “A-10” charges ahead with a short salvo of long punches, and Motta escapes the brunt of the damage but cannot escape the low kick from the vet. Motta rips the body with a left, and he barely avoids a looping left hand from Miller. Miller scores a leg kick, and he gets tagged with a clean counter right, but he shows no worse for wear from it. Miller continues to sting the leg a few more times, and Motta winces from the strikes. Miller leaps forward with a superman punch, using his forward momentum to tie the newcomer up and press him tightly against the fencing. Miller uses several close clinch strikes to his advantage, including a few knees to the inner thigh, until Motta pushes off to reset. Motta zips a high kick up and wraps his foot around Miller’s guard, and the New Jersey native wears it well and continues to assault his foe’s lead leg. One more leg kick from Miller ends the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Miller
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Miller
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Miller

Round 2

When Miller reaches out with a right hand to start off the second stanza, Motta replies with a pair of punches to break it up and catch Miller standing still. Miller revs up his engine and slams his shin into the inner thigh of his opponent, and Motta hops back only to take one on the outside. Miller stands firm when Motta advances, landing a check right hook on the inside and sending the Brazilian back. Motta escapes and circles away, and Miller gives chase and scores another solid right hand when Motta tries to get strikes going over the top. “A-10” is relentless when it comes to the inside leg of his opponent, and one big kick gives Motta all sorts of problems. Smelling blood, Miller leaps forward to blast Motta in the face with a huge right hand, and Motta’s legs give way beneath him. With Motta falling to the ground with one arm trapped beneath his body, Miller is there to maul him with a blinding barrage of punches and hammerfists. The longtime vet does not take his foot off the gas, knowing he is about to finish the job, as Peterson gives Motta every possible chance to get out of it. With nothing left to offer from Motta, Peterson steps in, and Jim “Expletive Deleted” Miller has done it again. Not only does Miller hold the most fights in company, but he is also now the winningest fighter in UFC history alongside Donald Cerrone with 23 victories apiece.

The Official Result

Jim Miller def. Nikolas Motta R2 1:58 via TKO (Punches)

Parker Porter (263) vs. Alan Baudot (256)

Round 1

The obligatory unranked heavyweight slobberknocker comes rather high on the main card, when Porter (11-6, 2-1 UFC) faces off against “Black Samourai” Baudot (8-2, 1 NC; 0-1, 1 NC UFC). Twelve knockout wins in their 19 victories, as well as 5 stoppage losses due to strikes in their eight defeats, lead most to believe that someone will end up face-down on the canvas before too long. The big men combining for a stout 519 pounds will get after it in front of referee Mark Smith. They touch gloves, and Porter begins the fight with a quick jab. Following his jab with a left hand, Porter finds his range quickly and ducks back as Baudot swats at him with a left fist. Porter walks into a few punches to start brawling with Baudot, and Smith warns Baudot to close his hands. They both blast one another with short punches when they come in tight, and Baudot greets him with a few elbows and uppercuts that hurt Porter. The American ducks down in search of a single-leg takedown, with his bell apparently rung from the uppercuts, and he elects to grind Baudot against the wall when he cannot ground him. Baudot frames off with an elbow and a knee, but Porter’s chest pressure is as heavy as he can manage with the weight advantage slightly in his favor. Porter holds on to the top of the cage to keep Baudot there, and he gets warned for this infraction and motions an apology that Baudot could not see. Baudot finally pushes off and looks to get his hands going, and he measures his uppercut a few times as Porter wings hooks at him. Baudot circles in the outer edge of the cage, drilling Porter with a few more of his uppercuts until Porter leans towards him and pushes him to the wall. Porter drives an elbow into the side of Baudot’s head, and he presses heavily and puts his weight on his man. Baudot wants nothing to do with this, and he shoves the American away to let his hands go. Baudot steps forward into a body kick, and Porter catch the leg and falls on top of Baudot to make the walls of the Octagon shudder. The round ends a second after they hit the mat, and Porter offers to help his fallen foe up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Baudot
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Baudot
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Baudot

Round 2

The big men clap hands to start off Round 2, and Porter turns with a big kick to the lead leg of his opponent. Porter charges ahead with a swarm of punches, head-first into his attack, and Baudot scampers out of the way in time. Porter resets, coughs loudly, and throws a kick from each leg. Baudot keeps circling away and scores a few jabs, and Porter walks forward to score a knee to the body. Baudot gladly meets him in the middle with uppercuts, and Porter ducks down in pursuit of a single. When that does not succeed, Porter chains it into a double, and he hits a trip that ultimately pulls Baudot on top of him. Porter springs back up, scrambling well enough to drag Baudot down to his knees, and the two climb their way back to their feet and up against the cage. The Frenchman fights off a takedown try and hops around to try to shake something off. Porter walks forward with a jab and a low kick, and when he attempts a second kick, Baudot checks it. Porter ducks a punch to shoot for a takedown, and “Black Samourai” stuffs it but cannot get enough space as Porter jams him into the cage. Stuck in the clinch with little activity, Smith calls for the fighters to work. This prompts Baudot to move, pushing his arms out to back Porter off of him. Baudot reaches a right hand out to the body, and the both hook their elbows together when they duck and wing hooks at one another. Baudot lands a few punches, Porter kicks him in the calf, and Baudot motions for him to come at him. Porter does not oblige him, and Baudot ducks back to sneak in one last uppercut when Porter kicks the body. As soon as the horn sounds, Baudot shouts something inaudible.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Porter
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Porter
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Porter

Round 3

They touch gloves one last time to open the last round, and Porter takes a solid left hand on the nose that busts it up. Porter returns fire with a couple looping punches, and Baudot steps back and blasts the American with an uppercut on the increasingly bloody nose. Baudot is lighter on his feet, bouncing on his toes, and he sticks out a jab and pops Porter with a shovel uppercut of a right hand. Porter comes in close, but he leaves his hands too low, allowing Baudot to smack him in the face with a short but effective combination. Porter plods forward, only to absorb punches as his volume has diminished greatly. Baudot is enjoying his handiwork, connecting with a few shots and slipping Porter’s wider strikes as he starts to showboat a little. Porter changes levels in search of a takedown, but he cannot even buy one at this stage in the fight, as Baudot simply steps out of it. Using sheer muscle, Porter decides to lift Baudot up in the air and deposit him to the mat. The Frenchman appears irritated by landing on his back, and Porter resides in half guard as he fishes for a keylock. Letting go with the wrist control, Porter sits up and exerts his full body weight on his opponent to keep Baudot trapped with no way up. Porter passes to mount, and as soon as he starts raining down strikes, Baudot sits up and scoots himself to the fence. Porter drags him back down, hacking at him with punches and elbows, and he ends the round in a dominant position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Porter (29-28 Porter)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Porter (29-28 Porter)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Porter (29-28 Porter)

The Official Result

Parker Porter def. Alan Baudot via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Kyle Daukaus (193.5) vs. Jamie Pickett (194)

Round 1

Receiving an upgrade to the co-main event slot, Daukaus (10-2, 1 NC; 1-2, 1 NC UFC) and Pickett (13-6, 2-2 UFC) will handle their business at a pre-planned 195-pound catchweight due to the latter taking the fight on short notice. This fun stylistic clash will draw officiating from referee Herb Dean, and the fighters gladly touch gloves as they are happy to be fighting tonight. Pickett strikes first with few low kicks, and Daukaus replies in kind. Right after Daukaus wings a right hand, he changes levels to go after a takedown. Although Pickett stays upright on the first attempt, Daukaus sucks his legs out beneath him and drags him down. From his back, “The Nightwolf” holds on to a guillotine choke, and Daukaus wisely comes around with his own shoulder to set up a Von Preux shoulder choke. Pickett lets go of his arm grip so that he does not himself get submitted, and instead sits up and turns on his hip to try to stand back up. Daukaus keeps his man trapped beneath him, smacking him in the face with a few right hands, but Pickett explodes out of the position and powers back to his feet. Pickett tries to let his hands go when he gets upright, only to find Daukaus right on him to go hunting for a single. The Philadelphia native successfully lifts Pickett’s leg all the way up in the air before slamming him to the mat, and he is quick to secure half guard. When Pickett sits up and turns like before, Daukaus times this to try to take his back. Pickett simply stands up from this position, and he shucks Daukaus off of his back. Daukaus does not let up, remaining tied to Pickett until he lets go of his own accord. Out of nowhere, Daukaus drills Pickett with a few punches square on the chin, and when Pickett is shaken up, Daukaus leaps forward to snag another takedown. Pickett falls to his back, and when he rolls to his side, Daukaus quickly attacks with a sneaky brabo choke from a difficult angle. In half guard, Daukaus keeps the choke snaked around Pickett’s neck and it is tight. With no way to get out, Pickett wriggles his arm free so that he can tap out on Daukaus’ side barely one second before the horn blares. There is a bit of confusion as to the timing of the stoppage, or whether Pickett reached the end of the round, but it appears that he tapped out just before the bell. What a way to win a fight!

The Official Result

Kyle Daukaus def. Jamie Pickett R1 4:59 via Submission (Brabo Choke)

Johnny Walker (206) vs. Jamahal Hill (205)

Round 1

We have finally reached our headliner, in a light heavyweight fight that only earned the marquee assignment a week ago when the previously scheduled tilt of Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev fell through from visa issues. The last fight of the night will be between new SBG Ireland convert Walker (18-6, 4-3 UFC) and “Sweet Dreams” Hill (9-1, 1 NC; 3-1, 1 NC UFC), and referee Jason Herzog hopes he will not be needed for all 25 minutes but is prepared should it go that long. The competitors are intense but still show respect for one another, and they touch gloves to seal the cage around them. The strikers are notably cautious in the opening 25 seconds, until Walker looses a strong front kick up the middle. The Brazilian follows it with one to the leg, and another on the outside of Hill’s front leg. Hill responds with a high kick of his own, but Walker’s counter head kick is much faster and cleaner. Walker spins with a tornado punch, and Hill wears it well and does not further allow Walker to start getting into his rhythm. Instead, Hill advances slowly and methodically, preparing his left hand but ready to block the high kick from Walker. The Brazilian tags Hill with a left hand, and he believes that he has Hill hurt, so he charges from one end of the cage to the other and ties up with his man. Hill shakes off the cobwebs and drives a knee to the chest before pushing off, and Walker measures his range again with a front kick to the torso. Hill chases Walker down, but Walker is able to duck all but one left hand that comes his way. Walker doubles up on kicks with his rear leg, and rolls with his shoulder when Hill aims a kick at his head. They throw right hands at the same time as if to reenact the memorable moment from Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy, and Hill’s pounds square into Walker’s temple. Walker appears to go limp from the strike as his legs lock up, but his arms raise up in the air as if he were mimicking the “Thriller” music video dance. It is not a gag, as he rigidly topples back into the cage like Terry Etim against Edson Barboza and down to the ground, completely severed from his consciousness from the blow. To seal the deal, “Sweet Dreams” wishes sweet dreams to his opponent as he piledrives Walker with a devastating but completely unnecessary right hand that knocks third grade clean out of Walker’s skull. Unbelievable! What an incredible knockout from the rising star, one that will live on in highlight reels for years to come. In his victorious post-fight interview, Hill instructs Felder and all that ask him questions to posit just how good he is, while guaranteeing that the best is yet to come. That’s how you make a statement in a division hungry for contenders, and Hill will almost certainly vault into the top 10 after that win. Whatever is next for Hill, we will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Jamahal Hill def. Johnny Walker R1 2:55 via KO (Punch)