UFC Fight Night 38 Results: ‘Gustafsson vs. Manuwa’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Louis Gaudinot vs. Phil Harris

Round 1

Gaudinot fires off a body kick, but Harris drops for a single-leg. The American defends the attempt well with his back against the cage, grabbing a front headlock and firing elbows to the temple of the Brit. Suddenly, Gaudinot jumps guard and slaps on a tight guillotine. “Billy” struggles to escape the choke, somersaulting but landing with Gaudinot in full mount. The green-haired flyweight tightens his squeeze, and Harris has no choice but to tap out.

The Official Result

Louis Gaudinot Def. Phil Harris Submission (Guillotine) R1 1:13

Igor Araujo vs. Danny Mitchell

Round 1

Araujo goes upstairs with a high round kick and then a wheel kick and then dives for a takedown. Mitchell stuffs him and leverages the Brazilian over, landing in guard. Araujo is fishing for a triangle, but Mitchell briefly passes to half-guard before he gets rolled with a hip sweep. Araujo passes to half-guard and starts to work with ground-and-pound, nearly securing mount before Mitchell recovers to look for a heel hook. Mitchell then switches to a toe hold and then back to a heel hook, but Araujo looks bored by the attempts, shaking his head at his foe before pulling his leg out and recovering top position. Araujo drops elbows to the ribs, but Mitchell fires back with some elbows to the top of the head from his back. Mitchell fails with a triangle choke to close out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Araujo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Araujo
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Mitchell

Round 2

Mitchell charges forward with a front kick to the guts and follows up with a round kick to the body. The Jackson’s MMA rep drops for a single-leg, and Mitchell relinquishes the takedown. Araujo works with short shots to the ribs from half-guard. “The Cheesecake Assassin” is trying his best to shrimp out and recover guard, and he finally does so with two minutes left. Soon after, however, Araujo passes to side control, and Mitchell rolls away from him, briefly giving up his back before scrambling to his feet. With a minute to go, Mitchell is now pressing the 33-year-old against the fence and driving knees into Araujo’s quadriceps. Out of nowhere, Mitchell jumps for a flying triangle and then transitions to an armbar. Araujo easily pulls out his arm and pops him with several shots before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Araujo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Araujo
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Araujo

Round 3

Mitchell is the aggressor early, rifling right hands and front kicks down the tube, but nothing lands. Araujo closes the distance and presses the Brit into the fence. Araujo pulls guard and grabs Mitchell’s right wrist, slickly securing a triangle choke. Mitchell stays calm, and Arajujo reverses his triangle into a bolt lock position. Araujo then transitions to an omoplata, but Mitchell steps over and counters, looking for a kneebar and then an inside heel hook. Araujo gives referee Leon Roberts the thumbs up, but Mitchell nails him with hammer fists while holding onto the heel. Suddenly, the men break out into an unbelievable display of mutual hammer fisting, but nothing of significance lands. Araujo’s leg is still trapped, but he is in no danger as the fight comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Araujo (30-27 Araujo)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Araujo (30-27 Araujo)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Araujo (29-28 Araujo)

The Official Result

Igor Araujo Def. Danny Mitchell Decision (Unanimous) [30-27 x 3] R3 5:00

Brad Scott vs. Claudio Henrique da Silva

Round 1

Da Silva paws with a right hook then dives for a fruitless takedown try. “Hannibal” fires off an inside low kick and again closes the distance, but Scott again stuffs the takedown attempt. Da Silva is now in on a single-leg, and the time is the charm for the takedown. Da Silva passes to half-guard and drops a pair of elbows. The Brit recovers a butterfly hook, but da Silva steps over into mount and pounds away with two hard rights. Scott manages to recover half buar and then regains his vertical base in a nice display of skill. Two minutes remain in the round, and Scott is pressing forward. He eats a hard left but retaliates with right to the body. Da Silva looks a little arm-weary as he searches for another opportunity to shoot. Scott pops him with a jab but catches a finger in the eye with 60 seconds to go. Referee Neil Hall restarts them, and da Silva launches a head kick before scoring with a nice trip. “Hannibal” works with short shots from half-guard as the frame expires.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Silva
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 2

Da Silva wings a wild wheel kick at Scott and then eats a right hand before seeing a takedown attempt stuffed. A thudding inside leg kick lands for da Silva, but Scott is stalking him, looking for a window through which to land his hands. A sharp right connects for the Brit, who lands an inside low kick. Da Silva claims the kick was low, but Hall says to fight on. Scott lands a hard right hand and then a cracking hook to the body. Scott is really rolling now, and da Silva tries to pull guard. “Bear” tees off on the Brazilian with a hard one-two, and da Silva is now sporting a large mouse beneath his right eye. Da Silva whiffs with another wheel kick, and Scott connects with a far more economical uppercut on the inside. Scott then lands one more long right hand as time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Scott
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Scott
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Scott

Round 3

Scott leads with a left, but the Brazilian drops for a single-leg. The Brit defends it well and snaps da Silva’s head back with a cobra-like right straight, but the Englishman catches another finger in the eye. The doctor examines Scott for a moment, but he says he is OK to continue. Da Silva now drives forward but eats a left hand in closing the distance. Da Silva trips his man to the mat and then sinks in one hook as Scott pops back to his feet. Scott bends over and shakes him off, but da Silva is deep on a kneebar attempt. He lets the attempt go and falls into Scott’s half guard, dropping short shots as he looks to pass into mount. Scott scoots his hips out, but da Silva immediately rolls for a heel hook and uses it to finish the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Silva (29-28 Silva)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva (29-28 Silva)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Silva (29-28 Silva)

The Official Result

Claudio Henrique da Silva Def. Brad Scott Decision (Unanimous) [29-28 x 3] R3 5:00

Luke Barnatt vs. Mats Nilsson

Round 1

Barnatt immediately looks to establish his jab, but Nilsson appears game to trade with his longer opponent. Barnatt fires off a one-two and a front kick, grabbing a Thai plum and digging a knee into the Swede’s ribs. Nilson walks through and uppercut and starts firing off punches, backing Barnatt up with a series of hard shots on the inside. Barnatt keeps throwing from range, but the Swede still able to navigate the range, catching “Bigslow” with a left hook. Several more stinging jabs land for Barnatt, and Nilsson’s right eye is showing the damage. Barnatt eats a left hook but fires right back with a sharp one-two. Nilsson absorbs a left hook that guides him into a right high kick, which is partially blocked. Barnatt next fires his left shin upstairs, and this high kick connects through Nilsson’s gloves, wobbling the 30-year-old Swede. Nilsson backpedals, and Barnatt smells blood, digging several punches to the body and then polishing off his foe with a knee to the head as Nilsson crumples to the canvas against the cage.

The Official Result

Luke Barnatt Def. Mats Nilsson TKO (Kick and Punches) R1 3:24

Cyrille Diabate vs. Ilir Latifi

Round 1

Both light heavyweights come out southpaw and then switch to orthodox. No strikes are thrown in the first 60 seconds. Latifi shoots a single-leg from a mile away and still scores the takedown. Diabate pulls guard, but the big Swede passes to half guard and fishes for a brabo choke. “The Snake” defends the submission, but Latifi retains top position and grabs a power guillotine. Diabate tries to scramble away from the squeeze, but Latifi clamps down with even more pressure, pinning the Frenchman against the fence and forcing him to submit.

The Official Result

Ilir Latifi Def. Cyrille Diabate Submission (Power Guillotine) R1 3:02

Gunnar Nelson vs. Omari Akhmedov

Round 1

Nelson blocks a body kick but eats one to the outside of his lead thigh. Akhmedov cracks him with another low kick and then whiffs on a hard right hand as he circles away to his left. Nelson switches to southpaw and swallows another body kick, but the Icelander cracks him with a left straight and shoves him to the canvas. Nelson quickly passes to mount, showcasing his high-level jiu-jitsu. Akhmedov is bleeding now and eats an elbow to the mush. He does his best to shrimp away, but Nelson sticks to him like super-glue and continues to pound away with efficient elbows and hammer fists. The 25-year-old now looks like he’s setting up an armbar, and he allows the Dagestani to briefly recover half guard. Akhmedov tries to explode to his feet, but Nelson catches his neck cleanly and falls back into a high-elbow guillotine. The gorgeous submission caps a near-perfect performance for the 25-year-old from Iceland.

The Official Result

Gunnar Nelson Def. Omari Akhmedov Submission (Guillotine) R1 4:36

Brad Pickett vs. Neil Seery

Round 1

Pickett lands a low kick to Seery’s calf and then connects with a sweet counter left hook. Another low kick from Pickett, and both flyweights hit air on wild overhands. Seery lands a short left hook that knocks Pickett off-balance, but the Englishman responds with a hard right of his own. Referee Neil Hall halts the contest temporarily due to an accidental eye poke, but Pickett is fine. Pickett changes levels and hits a nice double-leg slam against the fence. Seery clamps down on double overhooks from guard, but Pickett swims his hands free and passes to half guard. Picket grabs hold of an arm-triangle grip and tries to pass to side control, but the Irishman defends the submission well. Pickett retains top position, but Seery manages to stand and cracks Pickett with a hard left hook to finish the frame.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pickett
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pickett
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pickett

Round 2

Both men wing punches to start the second round, with each flyweight giving as good as he gets. Pickett closes the gap, but Seery shoves him off and lands a hard one-two, followed by a sweet left hook counter. Seery blocks a head kick and defends a takedown attempt, but Pickett connects with a right straight and a left hook downstairs. “One Punch” clinches and chops away with knees to the inside of Seery’s left thigh. Pickett drops for a double-leg, locks his hands and dumps Seery to the mat once again. Pickett drops a clean left, but Seery mostly defending well. Pickett then lands a series of mashing elbows and passes to half guard just before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pickett
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pickett
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pickett

Round 3

Seery clips Pickett with a counter right hook and then drops for a takedown, but Pickett easily throws him off. The Irishman connects with a hard right-left and then a stiff left-right. Both men then land left hooks simultaneous, and Pickett catches another accidental thumb in the eye. Pickett is OK, and Seery goes to work, cracking the Brit with a hard right. Pickett charges forward like a bull and looks for a takedown, planting his foe on the mat for the third time midway through the final frame. Pickett passes to half guard and chops away with short shots to the ribs, but Seery manages to scramble to his feet and returns to firing hard hooks in the standup. Seery urges the Englishman to engage. Pickett fires back hard but then scores with another double-leg slam, finishing the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Seery (29-28 Pickett)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-10 (30-28 Pickett)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Seery (29-28 Pickett)

The Official Result

Brad Pickett Def. Neil Seery Decision (Unanimous) [30-27, 30-27, 29-28] R3 5:00

Melvin Guillard vs. Michael Johnson

Round 1

Johnson moves forward to start, while Guillard looks to counter. “The Young Assassin” connects with a counter knee but catches a low kick on his cup. Guillard recovers and then eats a straight left when the action resumes. Johnson clinches up, but neither lightweight can land cleanly from close quarters. Guillard separates and fires a one-two, but Johnson counters with a glancing left. Guillard is light on his feet and drills his man with a counter right uppercut as Johnson rushes forward. Guillard then uses a whizzer to defend a takedown attempt, but Johnson keeps pressing ahead and lands a slapping left to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Guillard
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Guillard
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Guillard

Round 2

Guillard leads with a right hand, and the men trade low kicks early in round two. Both men are feinting heavily, and Johnson finds a home for a body kick. Guillard then rifles off a one-two and moves out of the way. “The Menace” presses on works more kicks to the legs and body before connecting with a left hook counter upstairs. Guillard fires an overhand right, but his former Blackzilians teammate is more active this round, mixing up his attack. Another body kick lands for Johnson, as does a left hook. Johnson follows up with a right hook that hurts Guillard with his back to the cage.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Johnson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson

Round 3

Guillard is the aggressor to start the final round, but he leaves himself exposed for a takedown. The veteran easily returns to his feet, however, as Johnson can’t hold him down. Guillard can’t land a spinning back kick, but Johnson does find a home for an outside low kick and a left hook to the temple. Guillard steps in with a nice left hand, but he is still moving backward. The southpaw is stalking Guillard and puts him off-balance with a hard left hand and then cracks him with an elbow from the clinch. The Grudge Training Center rep is on the figurative ropes after Johnson cracks him with another left. Guillard complains of an eye-poke, but the referee says fight on, and Johnson attacks with a hard elbow to the face and a flurry of punches.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)

The Official Result

Michael Johnson Def. Melvin Guillard Decision (Unanimous) [30-27, 30-27, 29-28] R3 5:00

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jimi Manuwa

Round 1

The light heavyweights trade low kicks to start this main event, and Gustafsson wrestles Manuwa to the mat. The big Swede grabs wrist control on Manuwa’s far arm and fishes for a figure-four grib from half guard. Manuwa’s strength is quite apparent, but the patient “Mauler” is still fixated on that arm. Gustafsson lands a pair of Dan Henderson-esque shoulder butts and then slaps Manuwa with a right hand. The Englishman works back to guard, but Gustafsson methodically works with punches. Manuwa places his feet on his foe’s hips and kicks him off. Gustafsson tries to pounce back on him, but Manuwa shucks him off and explodes to his feet, ripping a knee and a left hook to the body. Gustafsson lands a light one-two and eats a low kick to end round one.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Gustafsson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Gustafsson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gustafsson

Round 2

Gustafsson lands with a low kick, and Manuwa retaliates in kind. The men exchange from close quarters, and Manuwa takes a poke to the eye. After recovering, “The Poster Boy” comes hard with an overhand right, but Gustafsson returns fire with a violent knee from the clinch and follows up with a cracking right uppercut. The Swede bombs his wounded opponent against the cage, knocking him to the mat and forcing referee Marc Goddard to stop the bout.

The Official Result

Alexander Gustafsson Def. Jimi Manuwa TKO (Knee and Punches) R2 1:18