UFC Fight Night ‘MacDonald vs. Thompson’ Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Ali Bagautinov vs. Geane Herrera

Round 1

After a tense opening minute, southpaw Bagautinov swings a wide left hand into Herrera ribs, then follows up with a few snappy kicks to the legs and body. Bagautinov lands the left upstairs, but Herrera keeps stepping forward and walks into another punch. After having a spinning kick partially blocked, Bagautinov explodes into a powerful takedown attempt which floors Herrera near the wall. Herrera grabs for the Russian’s legs, looking to get out of trouble with a submission attempt, but Bagautinov continues to land punches from the standing position. Referee Jerin Valel warns Bagautinov for grabbing the fence as he stands over Herrera, so the “Puncher King” takes his back off the wall and unloads with more heavy shots. With 70 seconds on the clock, Bagautinov comes down to Herrera’s butterfly guard, then opts to stand again and deliver more punishment while Herrera covers up. Herrera pops Bagautinov with an upkick in the last 20 seconds and tries to snare him with a triangle choke, but Bagautinov gets the last word with two more powerful punches.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov

Round 2

Bagautinov shoots underneath a punch from Herrera to complete an early takedown, but he finds himself in trouble almost immediately, as Herrera throws up a nifty inverted triangle. Herrera tries to force the tap by adding an armbar to the mix, but Bagautinov bucks and shakes to eventually slip his head loose. Herrera is on his back with Bagautinov standing over, now tying up the legs of “La Pulga” to avoid another upkick. Herrera powers back to his feet at the midway point of the round and executes a takedown of his own. Bagautinov rolls to his knees, and Herrera quickly secures the back with a body triangle. Bagautinov rolls right over and reclaims top position, and now he grinds away with short punches and elbows as the last 90 seconds tick away. Huge punches are landing for Bagautinov now, bouncing Herrera’s head off the canvas, but the assault stops just as referee Valel appears to be taking a close look. Herrera gets back to his feet with seconds on the clock and tries for a takedown, only to be shoved back to the canvas.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov

Round 3

Herrera presses the action early in the final frame, but there’s little action to be found as Bagautinov backs away and Herrera fails to let loose with his hands. Bagautinov fires off a few flashy kicks to keep Herrera honest, then sticks a jab down the center. Kicks to the legs and body land for Bagautinov, who is outworking Herrera through the first two minutes of the round. Bagautinov once again ducks under a punch from Herrera and tries to hit a takedown, but this time Herrera is able to keep his footing on the fence. Bagautinov keeps working and eventually spins Herrera to the ground, and now it’s the Russian working on top with two minutes left in a fight which appears all but over. Herrera posts and stands, throws a knee and gets taken down again. The sequence repeats, but this time Herrera uses a kimura to take top position. Herrera cranks on the right arm of Bagautinov but cannot get a tap, and his commitment to the submission leaves him open for a Bagautinov sweep. The flyweights scramble up with 30 seconds left; Bagautinov backs away, waits for Herrera to come forward, then dives for another takedown. Herrera denies it at first, but Bagautinov’s second effort pays off, and some big ground punches from the Russian put an exclamation mark on a strong performance.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov (30-27 Bagautinov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Herrera (29-28 Bagautinov)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bagautinov (30-27 Bagautinov)

The Official Result

Ali Bagautinov def. Geane Herrera via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Jonathan Meunier vs. Colby Covington

Round 1

Covington launches a twirling body kick at Meunier, then shoots in directly behind to try an early takedown on the UFC newcomer. Meunier battles to stay standing and manages to keep his footing until 60 seconds into the round, when Covington finally rides him to the canvas. Covington looks to take the back, constantly trying to establish hooks but being foiled by Meunier on each attempt. After two minutes of struggling, Covington finally rips Meunier away from the fence and plants the Canadian on his back. Covington postures up in Meunier’s guard, but he can’t get much power behind his strikes as the lanky Meunier works to tangle him from underneath. Covington continues to chip away with short ground-and-pound in the last minute until the fighters are brought back to their feet by referee Yves Lavigne.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Covington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Covington
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Covington

Round 2

Covington lunges in behind a punch, wraps up Meunier on the fence and spins him to the ground. As the welterweights roll toward the center of the cage, Meunier nearly hits a sweep, but Covington stays heavy on top. Meunier is thinking triangle, then switches to a body triangle, but he releases that, too, after Covington scores with a couple hard strikes. Meunier leans to his right and works for a kimura on Covington’s left arm, but there doesn’t look to be anything to it. Meunier tries a heel hook, Covington responds with a leglock of his own, but neither man can force a tap. Covington remains on top at the halfway mark, but he’s looking to take the back again as Meunier rolls to his knees. Instead, Covington works from ride position and roughs up Meunier with short, hard right hands. Meunier tries to crawl back to his feet, gets wrapped up around the waits and has to drop to his back again.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Covington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Covington
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Covington

Round 3

Covington tries to drift into range for a takedown with a spinning elbow, but this time the strike actually lands flush and knocks Meunier to the ground. The wrestler pounces immediately and attaches himself to Meunier’s back, applying a quick rear-naked choke which forces the Canadian to submit.

The Official Result

Colby Covington def. Jonathan Meunier via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R3 0:54

Randa Markos vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger

Round 1

Markos pulls up short on her first punching combination and gets plunked with a wide left hook. The rangy Jones-Lybarger uses his length to touch Markos’ face with a few more straight shots before the Canadian has enough and shoves her opponent against the wall. Markos puts a few body shots in Jones-Lybarger’s breadbasket, but now it’s Jones-Lybarger reversing to take the outside position in the clinch. Markos puts her back against a cage post and keeps her footing as Jones-Lybarger tries to trip and stomp her feet. Markos breaks out of the clinch with a knee to the body and charges forward on Jones-Lybarger, running her to the wall on the other side of the cage. Markos fails to trip Jones-Lybarger, and now the strawweights separate to resume striking in the center with 90 seconds left in the round. Jones-Lybarger hits a bodylock takedown in the center of the cage but then has to extract her left leg from a Markos heel hook attempt. Markos looses her grip at the 30-second mark but uses the foot to sweep, and she finishes the round strong with a dozen or more unanswered punches to Jones-Lybarger’s face.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Markos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Markos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Markos

Round 2

Markos ducks under a punch and runs Jones-Lybarger against the fence, looking for a takedown, but she’s soon reversed. The strawweights split and come back to the middle, where Jones-Lybarger is able to touch Markos’ face with a long jab. Markos tries a spinning backfist, then a spinning kick, but Jones-Lybarger sees them both coming from a mile away. “Quiet Storm” is flicking her jab in Jones-Lybarger’s face and trying to follow through with a long right hand, but the follow-through punch isn’t connecting on the taller woman. Inside the last two minutes of the round, Markos whiffs on another spinning backfist but connects with a short right hook upstairs.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Markos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Markos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Markos

Round 3

Jones-Lybarger scores with two or three punches in a close-quarters combination, then slides away before Markos can get hold of her for another clinch. Markos eventually works her way inside, spins for a standing waistlock and sits out to pull Jones-Lybarger to the ground with her. Jones-Lybarger is right back on her feet, peeling away Markos’ hands and separating with about half the round left to go. Both women look to be fading a bit here in the late going, having a harder time connecting with punches. Markos gets low on a single-leg and brings Jones-Lybarger to her knees, but the American springs back to her feet and turns the tables by shoving Markos against the wall with an underhook. Markos shoves her away and presses forward on Jones-Lybarger with 80 seconds on the clock. Jabs are landing for Markos, who’s doing well to slide her head out of the way of Jones-Lybarger’s counter left hands, though a few of the strikes get through. Jones-Lybarger scores with a body kick, grazes with a Superman punch in the closing seconds, and this one will go to the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Jones-Lybarger (29-28 Markos)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Markos (30-27 Markos)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10 (30-28 Markos)

The Official Result

Randa Markos def. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Elias Theodorou vs. Sam Alvey

Round 1

Referee John McCarthy issues two early warnings to Theodorou for leaving his hands open as he sticks them in Alvey’s face. Theodorou is trying to keep a wide stance against the taller man, and that involves sticking his arms straight out with fingers extended. Alvey seems content to wait out Theodorou’s early feeling-out period, standing just out of range with his left hand cocked. Theodorou lands a few leg kicks as the middleweights continue circling through the first three minutes. Alvey starts to press forward a bit more in the last minute, but his offensive output doesn’t pick up much. Theodorou continues to land slapping kicks from the outside.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Theodorou
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Theodorou
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Theodorou

Round 2

After another minute of slow going, Theodorou lands a hard kick to the chest of Alvey, who responds with an inside leg kick. Theodorou comes shooting for a takedown, denied by Alvey, and the American scores with a knee on the split. Theodorou keeps changing levels, ducking in front of Alvey, but now Alvey times one of the ducks to land a sneaky uppercut. Theodorou stumbles momentarily, grabs hold of Alvey and pushes him against the fence, but Alvey turns him around with head-and-arm control. Theodorou uses his free arm to punch Alvey’s ribs but can’t escape from the wall. Referee McCarthy isn’t seeing enough action and restarts the fighters with 80 seconds on the clock. Theodorou leaps into the air and slaps Alvey’s left forearm with a hard kick. The ref continues to give verbal warnings for Theodorou to keep his hands closed. The middleweights tangle on the fence again, and another stalemate closes out a busier round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Theodorou
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Theodorou
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Theodorou

Round 3

Theodorou stretches out his arms and ducks low, narrowly dodging a head kick from Alvey before cutting more angles around the outside. The Ottawa crowd begins to jeer after another 90 seconds of inactivity from both men. Theodorou catches a kick and runs Alvey against the cage, but they soon separate and go back to moving around the edge of the cage. Alvey continues to mean-mug as he stomps toward Theodorou, but Alvey’s offense isn’t matching his face. Two minutes left now; Alvey times a counter right hook that catches Theodorou throwing a kick, but “The Spartan” is able to get his arms up to block. The middleweights clinch up, Alvey taking the outside position as they grapple on the fence in the final minute. Neither man is doing enough to warrant the position, and referee McCarthy splits them up with 20 seconds left. Alvey comes swinging forward with punches at the very end, but it’s too little, too late.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Theodorou (30-27 Theodorou)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-10 (30-28 Theodorou)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10 (30-28 Theodorou)

The Official Result

Elias Theodorou def. Sam Alvey via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Joe Soto vs. Chris Beal

Round 1

Soto takes over a minute to shoot in for a takedown, and when he does, Beal easily defends the single-leg shot. The bantamweights look tense, pawing with jabs which don’t connect and moving in awkward angles, neither man in a rhythm through the first half of the round. Beal gets something going with a body shot and a hook upstairs; he waits for Soto to step forward again and snaps back the former Bellator champ’s head with a jab. Soto lands a leg kick, shoots again for Beal’s hips and then sits down to pull guard, but Beal leaves him sitting there. Soto stands and is greeted by a body-punch combination from Beal, who continues to avoid damage by sliding out of the pocket after each attack. Soto shells up as Beal reels off a five- or six-punch combination on the back of a blocked shot. Soto is trying to get inside and grab hold of his opponent’s legs, but Beal’s fast hands and speedy strikes are making it impossible.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Beal
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Beal
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Beal

Round 2

Beal continues to keep Soto on the end of his jabs through the first minute, then connects with some clean left hooks and straights when “The Hammer” gets into range. Soto tries some jabs and body shots of his own, but his punches are coming too slow to catch the speedy Beal. One jab catches Beal off-balance, but “The Real Deal” is able to keep his footing even as Soto marches after him. Soto looks willing to eat Beal’s range punches in order to step inside, and the tactic may be paying off here in the last two minutes, as Beal appears to be tiring a bit. After whiffing on a few punches, Beal comes shooting for a takedown and has to fight out of a guillotine choke after Soto opts to pull guard. Soto releases Beal’s neck and spins to take his back, and suddenly it’s Beal fighting for survival with less than one minute on the clock. Beal fends off the rear-naked choke attempt and turns his back to the floor, but Soto stays on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Soto
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Soto
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Soto

Round 3

Soto is aggressive once again in the opening minute, but his storming offense leaves him open to a counter right hand. Beal strikes again with the right hook, and this one gets Soto’s attention, causing him to back up rather than continue pressing forward. Soto tries a single-leg shot in the center of the cage and is shoved away. An uppercut-left hook from Beal knocks around Soto’s head as the bantamweights circle with less than half a round remaining. Soto shoots on Beal at the fence and drags him to the ground, transitioning to back-mount as they hit the deck. Beal rolls onto his stomach, then onto his back again, and Soto mounts him immediately. Beal gives up his back again, and this time Soto isn’t letting him escape. Soto applies a rear-naked choke, bears down hard and forces Beal to tap out.

The Official Result

Joe Soto def. Chris Beal via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R3 3:39

Tamdan McCrory vs. Krzysztof Jotko

Round 1

McCrory takes the center of the cage while Jotko circles around him, bouncing on his toes and lobbing out long power punches. McCrory keeps a high guard until he steps into the pocket to throw; then, he lowers his right hand just in time for Jotko to come over the top with a sledgehammer left hand. McCrory slumps to the ground in a daze, and two follow-up punches from Jotko knock him out cold, sending referee Yves Lavigne rushing in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Krzysztof Jotko def. Tamdan McCrory via KO (Punches) R1 0:59

Misha Cirkunov vs. Ion Cutelaba

Round 1

Cutelaba is swinging for the fences early and clips Cirkunov with a pair of wide hooks on a kick counter. Cirkunov answers with a stiff left hand down the middle, but a few seconds later, Cutelaba knocks him off balance and Cirkunov takes a seat. Back up comes Cirkunov, continuing to press forward as Cutelaba tries to behead him with overhand rights. A hard left hand connects for Cirkunov, but Cutelaba eats it and keeps bouncing on his toes. Cirkunov clinches up and tries to throw Cutelaba to the ground, but the Moldovan thwarts the toss and lands atop Cirkunov on the mat. Cirkunov powers back to his feet again; he ducks under a spinning backfist from Cutelaba to land a left hand on the other side.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cirkunov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cirkunov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cirkunov

Round 2

Cirkunov continues his forward plod while Cutelaba flashes feints and jabs in an attempt to keep the larger man at bay. A jab snaps back the head of Cutelaba, and his retaliatory overhand right bounces harmlessly off Cirkunov’s arms. Cutelaba gets his hands up to block a high kick, eats another jab. There’s a lot of movement coming from Cutelaba, but he’s mounting little in the way of effective offense. A brief clinch ends with a pair of hooks from Cirkunov, and now the 205ers go back to circling in the middle of the cage with 90 seconds on the clock. Cirkunov backs up to avoid a few wild punches and then sticks Cutelaba with a push kick to the stomach. The fighters tie up on the fence, Cirkunov on the outside. Cutelaba tries to separate by kicking off the wall, but he’s overpowered by Cirkunov and held in place until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cirkunov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cirkunov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cirkunov

Round 3

Cirkunov slams Cutelaba with a lunging Superman punch, then dives on the Moldovan’s legs and takes him down at the base of the fence. Cutelaba spins and tries to kick off the wall, but Cirkunov is heavy in side control. Cirkunov wraps up an arm-triangle from Cutelaba’s right side, then hops to full mount and swiftly over to the left, where he bears down on the head-and-arm choke. Cutelaba resists for a moment and then taps out to end the fight.

The Official Result

Misha Cirkunov def. Ion Cutelaba via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R3 1:22

Jason Saggo vs. Leandro Silva

Round 1

It’s a cautious start from both lightweights, but the pace begins to pick up after a minute, when Saggo connects with a few solid leg kicks and deflects a left high kick from the Brazilian. Saggo catches a kick and trips “Buscape” to the ground, then works to flatten him out from half guard. Silva is curling up underneath, giving Saggo no room to operate, though the Canadian does get through with a couple good right hands. Saggo may be fishing for an arm-triangle choke, but he’s still having trouble extracting his left leg from Silva’s half guard. Silva hooks a leg and tries to sweep; Saggo stays heavy on top and postures up to drop more punches. Silva attacks the legs and uses the submission threat to scramble back to his feet inside the final minute of the opening round. Silva rushes Saggo against the fence with a pair of left hands but can’t replicate the success with his follow-up offense down the stretch.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Saggo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Saggo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Saggo

Round 2

Silva looks to push the pace a little more at the start of round two, or at least control the cage by cutting off Saggo’s angles around the outside. Saggo steps out to the center and is greeted by a jab and a left hand. Silva dives for a double-leg at the fence but can’t bring Saggo to the mat, and now they’re back to striking with three minutes on the clock. Saggo has a leg kick checked, tries to turn a right high kick over the top but doesn’t land it clean. Buscape tries another takedown, this time a single-leg on the wall, but Saggo defends again. A hard leg kick from Silva knocks Saggo to the ground momentarily, but the Canadian is back up before Silva can pounce. Now it’s Saggo trying for a takedown but settling for an underhook tie-up on the fence. Silva breaks loose and walks forward, deflecting another Saggo left high kick. Inside the last minute of the frame, Saggo is leg-kicking from his back foot while Silva threatens to throw hands. Silva catches a high kick on his shoulder and hustles Saggo to the ground just before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Silva
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Silva
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 3

Silva catches a kick and tries to chop down Saggo’s back leg while holding a foot, but once he releases the limb, Saggo decks him with a short right hook. Saggo presses forward and walks into a long left hand from the southpaw, but now Saggo connects with a mean one-two of his own. Silva eats it but continues to back up to the fence, where Saggo catches up with him and drops down to try a takedown. Saggo winds up clinching with Silva on the wall, and now the lightweights break with just over 2:30 left in the bout. Silva tries to jab his way forward, gets caught turning around on a spinning kick and eats a left hand. Now it’s Saggo’s turn to take a left to the mush, and another. Silva is landing some of his cleanest punches of the fight in this round but he’s being outworked by Saggo as they enter the final 90 seconds. Saggo attacks with pawing punches and leg kicks; Silva gives a body kick in return. Silva catches a low kick and trips Saggo to the floor with 30 seconds left, then slams the Canadian with a hard right hand to the face. Saggo tries to punch back from the bottom, but Silva overwhelms him in the final moments with double-handed hammerfists.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Saggo (29-28 Saggo)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Saggo (29-28 Saggo)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Saggo (29-28 Saggo)

The Official Result

Jason Saggo def. Leandro Silva via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood

Round 1

Letourneau sends a one-two over the top to cut off Calderwood’s short push kick, then lands another right hand before being shoved against the fence by the Scottish striker. Letourneau reverses to take the outside position and goes for a high bodylock, but she’s spun around again. Calderwood sweeps the leg of Letourneau, who begins angling for an armbar after her back touches the canvas. In defending the arm, Calderwood gives Letourneau enough space to stand. The flyweights engage in the center of the Octagon, Letourneau taking a leg kick to give Calderwood a right hand over the top. Out of nowhere, a spinning elbow from Calderwood knocks Letourneau silly and drops her to the floor. Letourneau wakes up from the flash knockout and tries to contain Calderwood in guard after withstanding a brief barrage of ground strikes. Calderwood works on top with one minute left in the round, but Letourneau is tying her up from underneath, so Calderwood opts to let her stand and fight out the final seconds on the feet.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Calderwood
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Calderwood
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Calderwood

Round 2

Calderwood keeps Letourneau on the end of her jab through the first few minutes, mixing in leg kicks and hunting for a step-in knee. The Scotswoman drives Letourneau against the fence with a high double and dumps her to the ground, but it’s Letourneau threatening with a kimura once the flyweights hit the mat. Calderwood stalls out on top, and eventually Letourneau is able to work her way back up. Letourneau cracks with a right hand down the middle, but just as soon as she does, Calderwood catches a kick and pushes forward to land another takedown. Letourneau decks her opponent with a few elbows from the bottom, forcing Calderwood to stand over her. Letourneau gets back to her feet but can’t do much before the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Calderwood
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Calderwood
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Calderwood

Round 3

Calderwood throws push kicks at the midsection of Letourneau, who responds by flicking a left kick up high and smacking Calderwood’s face. Calderwood steps toward the Canadian with another push kick, and this one lands hard and clean to Letourneau’s breadbasket. Letourneau drops her hands and covers her stomach, leaving her face wide open for Calderwood’s follow-up right cross. Letourneau backs up to the fence, barely surviving as Calderwood tries to finish the job. A push kick to the face snaps back Letourneau’s head, and a few moments later, another kick to the gut leaves Letourneau turning tail and walking away. The fight hasn’t been waved off, so Calderwood chases her down and slugs her with a right hand. Now, it’s over; Letourneau slumps to the ground and referee Jerin Valel finally calls a halt to the bout.

The Official Result

Joanne Calderwood def. Valerie Letourneau via TKO (Body Kick and Punches) R3 2:51

Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Thibault Gouti

Round 1

Aubin-Mercier shoots for an early takedown but gets decked by a Gouti right straight for his trouble. Two more right hands follow from Gouti, who has to get his arms up to block a head kick. Aubin-Mercier runs into another punch but then scores with a body kick. Shooting at the fence again, Aubin-Mercier hits a double-leg against the wall with just over three minutes left in round one. Short, grinding ground-and-pound scores for Aubin-Mercier as they fight on the floor. Inside the two-minute mark, Aubin-Mercier turns the corner and tries to attach himself to Gouti’s back. Gouti rolls to his knees and covers up as Aubin-Mercier drops right hands, but when “OAM” tries to take the back again, Gouti spins around to reverse. Now it’s Gouti on top, cracking Aubin-Mercier with a hard right hand and a few follow-up punches before the Canadian is able to climb back to his feet. Gouti lands an uppercut, blocks a high kick and eats an uppercut-right straight in return. It’s Gouti finishing the round strong, however, by knocking Aubin-Mercier backward with a hard combination of his own.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gouti
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gouti

Round 2

Aubin-Mercier slugs with a two-piece down the middle and grabs for a takedown, but he’s stood up and brought back to the center by the Frenchman. Gouti pushes forward and gets popped with a jab, then a left straight-right hook combination. Aubin-Mercier scores with a knee, backpedals to draw Gouti forward, then changes levels and hits a takedown. Gouti grabs for a high-elbow guillotine on his way down, but the choke is broken when Aubin-Mercier lands in side control. Gouti reclaims half guard but can’t get out from underneath Aubin-Mercier, who is bringing heavy pressure on top. Short, grinding strikes and can openers are the weapons of choice from Aubin-Mercier, who appears content to ride out the remaining 90 seconds in Gouti’s guard.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 3

Aubin-Mercier wastes no time shooting for a single-leg takedown, pushing Gouti to the outside. The “Quebec Kid” switches to a high bodylock and trips Gouti to the ground, then rapidly passes to take the back. Aubin-Mercier secures back-mount with a body triangle and begins fishing for a rear-naked choke with more than four minutes remaining in the round. Gouti rolls to his stomach, but Aubin-Mercier turns him on his side to continue working for the RNC. Gouti gets to his knees again but leaves his neck exposed, and Aubin-Mercier immediately wraps up a rear-naked choke to force the tap.

The Official Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Thibault Gouti via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R3 2:28

Steve Bosse vs. Sean O'Connell

Round 1

Bosse strikes first with a pair of blistering right hands, reddening the face of O’Connell less than a minute into the fight. O’Connell steps forward, whiffs on a hook and takes a straight right on the jaw. Bosse is still attacking when O’Connell lights him up with a pair of hooks, and “The Real OC” follows up with more punches that send Bosse dropping like a tree onto the canvas. O’Connell tries to pound him out while referee Herb Dean looks on from nearby, but Bosse somehow recovers and powers back to his feet. The light heavyweights get into another firefight in the center of the cage, and again it’s O’Connell rocking Bosse’s head back and forth with heavy hooks. The pace slows as O’Connell shoves Bosse against the wall, but as soon as they separate, it’s right back to swinging hands. Bosse clips with a few punches but isn’t landing cleanly as he did in the opening moments. The Canadian shoots for a late takedown but can’t complete the single-leg before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 O’Connell
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 O’Connell
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 O’Connell

Round 2

It’s a different start to the second round, as O’Connell looks for a single-leg takedown near the fence but is denied by the former hockey player. Bosse walks forward and gets zapped by an O’Connell right hand, but the next big right from Bosse puts the American in a world of hurt. O’Connell tries an ill-timed kick and drops to the ground, Bosse landing on top to continue dropping punches. Bosse stands over his prone opponent and gets clipped with an upkick; when he comes back to the ground, things are worse for O’Connell, who keeps getting socked with punches and can’t find the space to stand. O’Connell rolls to his knees and gets hit with left hands as Bosse holds him in riding position. Finally, with 20 seconds on the clock, O’Connell powers back to his feet, but all he gets is more abuse courtesy of Bosse’s hands and knees.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Bosse
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Bosse
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bosse

Round 3

Bosse decks O’Connell with three hard right hands in rapid succession, but his roll is slowed by a clobbering right straight from the American. The fighters take a breather and circle for 20 seconds before stepping back into the pocket and swinging for the fences again. Bosse lands a left hook at the end of the exchange, further bloodying O’Connell’s already busted nose. O’Connell continues to push out from the center, and now he dodges a spinning backfist to slug Bosse with a clean, straight left on the turn-around. Bosse grazes with his next spinning backfist and follows with a pair of straight punches before O’Connell pushes him agains the fence. O’Connell drops for a single, but Bosse sprawls on it and escapes to the center. Fifty seconds remain in what has been a brutal, back-and-forth bout. Bosse tags the incoming O’Connell with a left, misses with another spinner and eats an uppercut. Both men call for cheers from the crowd at the 10-second mark, after which O’Connell closes out the bout with a pair of hooks.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bosse (28-27 Bosse)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-10 (29-29 Draw)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10 (29-29 Draw)

The Official Result

Steve Bosse def. Sean O’Connell via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Donald Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote

Round 1

Cerrone ducks under a wild overhand right and drives Cote to the canvas inside the first 30 seconds. Cote wraps up tight from underneath, closing his guard around Cerrone to limit offensive options for the “Cowboy.” Cote is adjusting on the bottom, shifting his hips, maybe thinking about an armbar or triangle. Cerrone gets caught in an omoplata and has to surrender the position to escape, and now the welterweights scramble back to their feet. Halfway through the round, Cerrone scores another takedown near the center of the cage. He moves to mount Cote, who tries to buck and roll in the transition, but Cerrone stays heavy and acheives back-mount as Cote rolls onto his stomach. Cerrone secures the dominant position with a body triangle and begins hunting for a rear-naked choke with more than a minute left to work. Cote does well to defend in the last 60 seconds, tucking his chin and fighting Cerrone’s hands away at every turn. Cerrone stands over him as the round ends, kicking at Cote’s legs.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cerrone

Round 2

Cerrone attacks with punches to counter a Cote leg kick, and the Canadian covers up, backpedaling to the fence until the storm subsides. More forward marching from Cerrone here, using his long limbs to strike Cote from range and avoid the return fire of “The Predator.” Cote appears to score with a couple short hooks in the pocket, but he’s staggered by a return left hand from Cerrone. The welterweights exchange chopping low kicks as Cerrone continues to push forward here in the latter half of the round. With 90 seconds left, Cerrone blows up Cote with a thunderous left hand that the Canadian never sees coming. Cote somehow regains his senses while Cerrone is trying to pound him out, and he does more than survive to see round three; in fact, Cote is still throwing strikes down the stretch, trying to reclaim some ground. Cote covers up on the fence as Cerrone throws a body-head combo. Once the storm passes, Cote unshells and shrugs at Cerrone to show he wasn’t affected by the strikes.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Cerrone
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Cerrone

Round 3

Cerrone’s left hand sends Cote crashing to the mat once again in the opening minute of the final frame. This time, Cerrone stands over his fallen opponent and looks for an opportunity to strike. Cote shifts and follows Cerrone’s movements from his back, and eventually Cerrone opts to allow him to stand. Cerrone mixes up his strikes a bit now, doing damage to the body and chin of Cote with nasty round and front kicks. Cerrone decks Cote with the left again, steps in to grab the collar tie and drops him with two quick right hands. Cote is in trouble, in a heap near the fence, and after Cerrone drops a few more punches on his face, referee Yves Lavigne has seen enough.

The Official Result

Donald Cerrone def. Patrick Cote via TKO (Punches) R3 2:35

Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson

Round 1

Veteran official John McCarthy is the referee for tonight’s five-round welterweight main event, with judges Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee and David Therien scoring at cageside. Thompson starts the fight in the center of the cage, working from his wide southpaw stance and playing a bit of patty-cake with MacDonald in the opening minute. MacDonald unexpectedly divebombs Thompson’s legs, looking for a surprise heel hook, but “Wonderboy” extracts the limb without trouble. Thompson strikes with a stiff left hand down the middle and then avoids another heel hook attempt from the “Red King.” Thompson creeps toward MacDonald, delivers a side kick and backs out again. The welterweights tangle near the fence and wind up clinched against the cage with Thompson on the outside. Thompson breaks away with a pair of punches which don’t seem to faze MacDonald, and the round ends shortly thereafter.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Thompson

Round 2

The fighters continue to maintain a healthy distance through the first minute, Thompson still scoring with short leg kicks from the outside. Thompson misses with a straight left and gets wrapped up by MacDonald, who delivers a single knee to the body before releasing. MacDonald continues to look for his cartwheel heel hook setup, but Thompson is wise to it now and darts away every time. MacDonald charges at the American with a high double-leg, running Thompson against the fence but failing to complete the takedown. Thompson circles back to the middle and hits MacDonald with a kick to the chest, then lowers his hands and flashes a sneaky jab.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Thompson

Round 3

MacDonald gives chase to Thompson early in the round and clips the striker with a short right hook, but Thompson seems unfazed as he dashes away from the exchange. “Wonderboy” goes back to circling the edge of the fence; when MacDonald gets too close, Thompson wraps him up and trips him to the ground. MacDonald went down rather willingly, as he’s angling for a leglock once again, but there’s still nothing doing in that department. The welterweights scramble up and resume their familiar positions, with MacDonald in the center and Thompson circling around him. Quick head movement from Thompson keeps him clear of MacDonald’s jab, and now he snaps back the Canadian’s head with a thrusting left straight, followed by a leg kick. MacDonald tries to charge but gets bopped with a right hand to the nose on his way inside. More and more, Thompson is waiting to counter, and the tactic looks to be working despite MacDonald scoring with a few jabs down the stretch.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Thompson

Round 4

Thompson decks MacDonald with a one-two, followed by a hard left kick to the ribs, and now it’s “Wonderboy” coming forward to push the action. MacDonald is holding back with his punches, a problem compounded by Thompson’s flickering jabs and push kicks to the body. Even as MacDonald closes in on Thompson near the fence, it’s Thompson scoring with short, hooking combos in the pocket. The action drops off toward the middle of the round, with neither man really forcing any action. MacDonald snaps off a hard left hook, but Thompson eats it well and slugs back with long left hands. MacDonald walks into a body kick, a right hand, and Thompson circles off the fence before the Canadian can retaliate.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Thompson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Thompson

Round 5

Thompson bounces on his toes, still looking as fresh as he did in the first round, while MacDonald walks straight toward him, loading up to punch. Thompson drills MacDonald with a straight shot and angles away to leave him standing near the cage. Both men start swinging hard, but it looks like Thompson landed two or three right hands in the exchange versus MacDonald’s lone hook. Thompson whiffs on a spinning kick upstairs, but he finds the mark with a turning shot to MacDonald’s body. Halfway through the round, MacDonald dives for a double-leg takedown in the center of the cage. Thompson blocks it and forces MacDonald to the ground instead, and now it’s “Wonderboy” in side control with two minutes on the clock. After 30 seconds of relatively ineffective grinding, Thompson stands and allows his opponent to do the same. MacDonald is just shelling up show, throwing up his mitts to deflect punches when Thompson attacks with increasingly aggressive combinations. MacDonald tries a clinch knee, can’t find Thompson’s chin, and he deflects Thompson’s final spinning kick as the bout draws to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Thompson (50-45 Thompson)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Thompson (50-45 Thompson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Thompson (50-45 Thompson)

The Official Result

Stephen Thompson def. Rory MacDonald via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 48-47) R5 5:00