UFC Vegas 110 ‘Garcia vs. Onama’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Talita Alencar (115) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (115.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Alencar (-250); Carnelossi (+210)

Round 1

After a rousing series of fight cards around the world, the UFC recedes back to the Apex for half of its remaining shows this year. The first of two weekends in a row, the promotion’s headquarters—reportedly with new, revamped internal facilities even including concession stands (that are not open yet)—will play host to UFC Fight Night 263, also known as UFC Vegas 110. For the sixth time in the last eight events, women will kick off the violent festivities. Strawweights take center stage, where a loss will almost certainly save their place on the roster while a defeat does not guarantee another match in the Octagon. Alencar (6-1-1, 2-1 UFC) has reached the final bout of her initial four-fight deal, so this one will matter more than the others. She battles the returning Carnelossi (15-3, 3-2 UFC), who has only competed once in the last three years. The two will be joined in the cage by referee Mark Smith, who clocks them in as they bump fists.

Carnelossi comes out of her corner loaded for bear, and she bashes Alencar in the face right off the bat. Alencar bounces back, rebounds off the fencing and pushes out with kicks. She rushes forward behind a right hand to set up a clinch with a body lock takedown attempt, and Carnelossi muscles her around to break it up. Carnelossi scores a short strike on the break, and then walks her retreating countrywoman down. “Sorriso” has her guard up in time to block the single kicks soaring her direction, although a one-two down the pipe gets her attention. Carnelossi goes for her own level change, ultimately hitting a 115-pound wall plus the cage behind her in Alencar. Carnelossi grinds on Alencar when a single-leg effort fails, and she smacks Alencar with short but frustrating overhand rights.

Carnelossi staves off a counter trip attempt, and the two jockey for position twirled around in the tie-up. Alencar puts Carnelossi’s back to the fencing, and she knees her in the stomach when bending over for something. Carnelossi turns her about once more and gives her a few knees to think about on the other side of the equation. This continues, and Alencar is warned for grabbing the fence to keep Carnelossi stuck and has her hand slapped away a few times. Alencar ducks down in pursuit of a single-leg takedown, and she gets it for a second or two before Carnelossi pops back to her feet without issue. Carnelossi punches her way out of the clinch and meanders forwards Alencar, swinging her way until they end up clinching once more. Alencar trips Carnelossi to the floor, and Carnelossi uses her upkicks when hitting the mat to keep Alencar from climbing on top of her. Alencar drops to her knees, and Smith warns Carnelossi for what would be illegal upkicks. The horn sounds with Alencar striking from above.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alencar
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Alencar
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Alencar

Round 2

Like the previous round, Carnelossi plods directly forward to engage, no glove touch in the works. Carnelossi walks through a body kick to put her hands on her opponent, and a right hand opens a tiny cut on the bridge of Alencar’s nose. Alencar swings, and Carnelossi counters her more effectively. Alencar’s front kick is an effective weapon at keeping her foe at bay, but only for a brief time as Carnelossi tends to charge when struck with that blow. She does just that when drilled with a kick down the middle, racing after Alencar and slugging her in the face. Carnelossi ducks down and nearly takes a knee on the chin, and they proceed to bang it out up close and personally. Alencar spins with a back kick when in close proximity, and Carnelossi’s pressure is getting to her as she cannot get space to recover. Carnelossi connects with a hefty low kick that makes Alencar recoil it awkwardly, and she keeps kicking that spot.

Alencar winds up with a huge right hand while taking shots, and she grabs the back of Carnelossi’s head and drives a knee square into it. Alencar hurls Carnelossi to the floor, and she prevents Carnelossi from standing by snapping down on the back of her neck. Carnelossi still manages to force her way upright, and she remains comfortable in the clinch getting her head right after getting stunned. Carnelossi tries to drag the fight to the floor, and Alencar turns the tables and puts her down on the mat. When Carnelossi looks to get up, Alencar hangs on to a kimura that she uses to attempt to sweep. When not looking for that, she elbows Carnelossi in the side of the dome again and again. Carnelossi drops all the way down to pursue a desperate takedown, and Alencar accepts it as she has her legs laced around Carnelossi’s and looks to take her back. Alencar gets the hooks in and wraps up a rear-naked choke, fastening the short choke under the chin and pulling back. Carnelossi rolls to her side and then stomach, surviving the deep submission and likely being saved by the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alencar
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Alencar
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Alencar

Round 3

Carnelossi appears good to go to start the round despite nearly going out in the end of the previous frame, and she asserts pressure. Carnelossi kicks low to open up a right hand, and she ignores a body kick to hunt “Problem Child” down. Alencar sticks out a right hand, and Carnelossi swarms her with a combination counter. Alencar snaps out a left, but her blows are largely one-and-done while Carnelossi’s volume is giving her fits. Alencar puts three punches together to decent effect, and she fakes a level change after it to get Carnelossi to bite. They trade low kicks, and Carnelossi checks the latter and gives her another one back. As Carnelossi fearlessly walks Alencar down kicking her in the midsection, Alencar snatches the limb out of the air and trips Carnelossi to the floor. Carnelossi prevents Alencar from getting into her guard by pitching upkicks aplenty, and she even threatens briefly with an omoplata shoulder lock setup that ultimately puts her in a worse position than when she started.

Alencar lowers herself down into the side control position, where she slips right to north-south position with Carnelossi scrambling all the while. Carnelossi counters with her own single-leg shot, and Alencar steps over her and sets up an inverted triangle choke. Alencar hammers the side with elbows until Carnelossi explodes to get to her knees and push through the takedown try. Alencar shuts her down and elbows her in the side of the head until pulling guard and getting Carnelossi’s back. With a minute left in the round, Alencar gets the body triangle secure, and she starts fishing for chokes. Alencar slides her right forearm beneath the chin, and she goes palm-to-palm but it is not crushingly tight. Alencar adjusts her grip, torqueing the choke as hard as she can, and Carnelossi lifts her arm up and dramatically taps out. This marks the first time that “Sorriso” has been submitted since her pro debut in 2014 against Amanda Ribas. The victorious Alencar puts behind her a five-fight decision or draw stretch, and all of her stoppages remain by RNC.

The Official Result

Talita Alencar def. Ariane Carnelossi R3 4:36 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Seok Hyeon Ko (170) vs. Philip Rowe (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ko (-200); Rowe (+170)

Round 1

This next welterweight affair is one that could be a tale of two outcomes. On the one hand, the first slip-up between Rowe (11-5, 4-3 UFC) with his 100% finish rate against “The Korean Tyson” Ko (12-2, 1-0 UFC) could result in disaster for either man. On the other, the knowledge of danger each man presents might turn this into a slog of a match. Referee Eric McMahon hopes like many watching that the former will be the case. The sluggers touch gloves ahead of their scheduled contest.

Rowe, the longer man, stands in the center of the cage with his hand outstretched. Ko reaches him with low kicks on either side, prompting Rowe to toss one back. Ko loops a left hand at Rowe and shoots for a single, dumping the American on his back. Ko establishes himself on top as Rowe closes his guard, and this results in a stalemate. Rose controls by clutching the back of Ko’s head, setting up a possible armbar that turns to a shoulder lock as Ko keeps twisting to work his way out of it and into half guard. Rowe sits up to not get flattened out, and he lays on his side and takes elbows when Ko pushes him down. Ko lowers himself down quickly and his head appears to bang into Rowe’s, but there is no stoppage. Instead, Rowe recovers to full guard and clings to Ko to hope for a referee standup. That does not come when Ko starts pounding on him, freeing both hands to slug “The Fresh Price” upside the head until Rowe rushes to the corner to get to a knee.

Rowe uses the wall to stand up, and Ko coils his legs around Rowe’s right leg to wrench him back down. Rowe stands tall while absorbing knees to the thigh, but the South Korean is able to hurl him to his back once more and climb into half guard. Ko beats down on his opponent whenever finding an opening, and he exerts smothering pressure to prevent Rowe from twisting or turning. The horn sounds with Ko grinding his elbow on Rowe’s face.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Ko

Round 2

Ko starts out confidently, punching his way through the long arms of his foe to land cleanly. Surging forward, Ko cracks Rowe with a right hand, and then follows with a heavy left and a takedown shot. Ko drops down ground-and-pound to stay busy from on top, advancing his way to half guard and sliding to three-quarter mount when Rowe’s defensive guard protects him from passing. Rowe drags him back to half guard, so Ko elbows him repeatedly. Ko embraces the grind, pinning Rowe to the mat while clubbing him with elbows and punches.

McMahon asks for more work, so Ko spurs into action with elbow after thumping elbow. Even from short range, the damage is starting to mount and Rowe starts getting desperate with his twists and escape tries. Ko smothers his adversary all while laying into him with slow, methodical ground strikes, and he laces his legs around Rowe’s to briefly control him from behind. Rowe turns to put his back on the floor again, and a trifle bit of blood has appeared on Rowe’s face. Ko puts himself flat on top of Rowe’s chest, and he suddenly springs to the side to try to secure the side. Rowe turns at the right moment to prevent him falling in a dominant position, but he remains stuck on his back until the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Ko

Round 3

Rowe stands tall in the center of the Octagon to begin, and Ko dances on the outer edge potshotting him with low kicks and reaching punches. Rowe sits down on counters, successfully snapping the head back with a left hand, but it is one-and-done as Ko bears down on him. Ko swings a right and that allows him to set up a tackling takedown, where he reasserts himself in control on top in the round. Rowe gets Ko to his closed guard, and precious seconds tick off the clock while Ko hangs on from above. Ko rains down ground strikes that have cut Rowe a bit more around the left eye, and those shots open up Rowe’s guard a bit.

Rowe clings to Ko’s left wrist in a two-on-one lock, and this only opens him up for getting punched with Ko’s free hand. Rowe, under fire, turns to his knees and scoots to the wall to try to stand up. At the same time, he is setting up a single, and they are stuck against the cage unable to disengage. Rowe works to his feet, and Ko follows him. Ko turns him around in the clinch with a clock that now reads 30 seconds, and he remains wrapped around “The Fresh Prince” to ride out the rest of the fight. As the 10-second clapper sounds, the South Korean shoots for a double that occupies Rowe’s time until the grueling contest concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ko (30-27 Ko)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Ko (30-27 Ko)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Ko (30-27 Ko)

The Official Result

Seok Hyeon Ko def. Philip Rowe via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Alice Ardelean (115.5) vs. Montserrat Ruiz (115)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ardelean (-400); Ruiz (+300)

Round 1

As the prelims roll on, the promotion tees up what will almost certainly be a pink slip derby at 115 pounds. The two women involved in this classic match up Romania vs. Mexico combined for a UFC record of 2-5, so the next triumph for either will be crucial. Ardelean (10-7, 1-2 UFC) would like to sign a new deal after getting her hand raised, while the diminutive Ruiz (10-4, 1-3 UFC) wishes the organization had an atomweight division having lost three at strawweight. Referee Chris Tognoni will take charge of the cage for the next 15 minutes or fewer. The ladies touch ‘em up.

Ardelean gets right to action, walking forward to throw down with Ruiz. She connects with a flurry of punches, and Ruiz counters her and reddens her nose up. Ardelean tries to catch a kick coming her way, and she stays out of range from others and counters one with a thudding calf kick. Ruiz stands her ground and brawls with Ardelean, snapping her head back with an especially effective left hand and pinning Ardelean down with a couple others. Ardelean bites down on her mouthpiece and trades back viciously, resulting in a fan-pleasing slugfest for a stint. Ardelean works her way in after finding her range with a pair of rights, and she sways back to evade the counter. Ruiz keeps her head on the center line the entire time, allowing Ardelean to catch and clip her practically at will.

Ruiz hurls a left hand that shakes her opponent up, and she uses the impact to bully the Romanian to the wire. Ruiz tries to set up a head lock throw, and Ardelean stands all the way up to stifle it and breaks away from the clinch. Ruiz presses forward behind her own punches, but largely misses the mark unless she sells out and does not mind getting countered. Ardelean drills her mid-advance with a pair of crisp punches, and she rips a left to the body and goes over the top with a right. Ruiz hammers Ardelean with two more big left hooks, and Ardelean sticks her tongue out and gets right back in the pocket to trade. Ardelean looks away for a second, hearing her corner say there are 30 seconds left on the clock, and she tries for a takedown. Ardelean smashes Ruiz in the nose with her right hand to draw blood, and bails on the takedown to circle around and climb on the back to ride out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean

Round 2

The ladies bump fists, but it may be because they are throwing at one another and not necessarily offering the typically sporting gesture. Ardelean punches her way into a head kick, and Ruiz slugs her with a right hand over the top. Ardelean has already busted up Ruiz’ nose again, which is streaming red liquid down her face. Ardelean targets it with one-twos, pecking away at Ruiz who is telegraphing her big swings to hit air. Ardelean sways and moves, leaning and otherwise moving with the worst coming at her. All the while, she remains right in Ruiz’ face hammering her to the body several times. Ruiz appears to not like the body work, so Ardelean uses those blasts to open up more up top. Ardelean ducks a spinning back elbow while she marches down the Mexican woman, chaining a punch into a knee to the same spot on the side.

Ruiz backs off to get her wind back and her bearings, and she winds up with three big right hands that all miss the mark. It is her short one-two that finds its home, prompting Ardelean to clip her with the same two-piece with a diet soda. Ardelean jabs her way into range, beating Ruiz to the punch and knocking her back with the clubbing impact of her strikes. Ruiz gets a full head of steam and swings wildly, and Ardelean dances out of the way without concern. Ardelean slips a hook and comes back up top with a right, and she shrugs off a body kick to put two more hands on Ruiz’ face. Ardelean allows her opponent to kick her in the shin so that she can retaliate with a body shot when up close, and she follows the retreating Ruiz with a two-punch salvo. Ruiz swings back, and Ardelean crashes into her with a body lock takedown attempted. Ruiz puts her back to the fence and absorbs a few knees to the body, and she pops Ardelean in the chops a few times to force a break right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean

Round 3

Ardelean is brimming with confidence and acts accordingly, walking her shorter opponent down and punching her square in the face. Ruiz hits her back, only for Ardelean to bounce back and peg her with two check right hooks. Ruiz misses on a salvo and gets popped with a jab, and she finds that Ardelean is laying into her with a number of punches before she throws back. Ardelean has her kick caught between Ruiz’ legs, so Ardelean decides to just slug it out while her foot is midair. Ruiz thinks better of this and releases the limb, and the blood starts flowing out of both nostrils in a hurry again. Ardelean snipes the Mexican with a long right hand, and she pushes out a few more when Ardelean commits to something. Both women sit down in heavy single strikes, and it is Ardelean who wants more.

Ruiz whiffs when throwing back, but she does manage to bloody up Ardelean when she does manage to connect. Ardelean fades back and allows Ruiz to crash towards her so she can dodge them all, and she crushes Ruiz’ midsection with a well-timed knee. Ruiz toughs it out but remains a step behind, with Ardelean seeing many of her punches coming while also maintaining the power and volume advantage the whole way through. Ruiz lets a naked leg kick fly and she gets tagged with three over the top, and she walks straight into a step-in elbow. Ardelean celebrates the success of the blow by hurling two more, and Ruiz jabs her back and causes Ardelean’s nose to stream. This does not bother either woman, who practically race towards one another when the 10-second clapper sounds. Ardelean scores and scoops Ruiz off her feet to dump her to the ground, and the scramble is where the bloody match wraps.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean (30-27 Ardelean)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean (30-27 Ardelean)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean (30-27 Ardelean)

The Official Result

Alice Ardelean def. Montserrat Ruiz via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Norma Dumont (136) vs. Ketlen Vieira (136)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dumont (-150); Vieira (+120)

Round 1

In the previous match, two athletes vied to save their place on the ever-churning roster. In this fourth fight of the evening, the promotion decided to plug in the most relevant matchup of the whole card, as the winner of this bantamweight pairing will most likely be closest to the next title shot come Monday. While Brazil’s Vieira (15-4, 9-4 UFC) already came up short against champ Kayla Harrison, perhaps it would change should they lock horns for five rounds. Standing in her way of all that is “The Immortal” Dumont (12-2, 8-2 UFC), who has heard the final bell in nine straight outings. Whether they make it 10 straight for the streaking Dumont or get out of their early, referee Mark Smith will handle the necessities from here. There is a sporting clap of hands that precedes the action.

Dumont moves to the center of the cage standing as tall as she can, and she hand-fights a pawing Vieira who is just looking for her range. At 40 seconds in, Vieira finally commits to a strike, albeit a leg kick. Dumont responds immediately with one of her own. Vieira sits down on another calf kick to disrupt her opponent, and Dumont says “two can play that game” and gives it back any time Vieira lands on her. They trade hands from up close, drawing a smile out of Dumont as if she felt Vieira’s power and was not concerned. Vieira darts in behind her jab, and the two are just picking and poking at one another with single strikes. Vieira scores first, and Dumont comes back at her.

“Fenomeno” looks for her right hand several times, but Dumont is able to see them coming in time and avoid them. Leg kicks are traded, and Dumont doubles up on a heavy one. Vieira rushes forward, banging into Dumont and forcing her to awkwardly rebound during a takedown effort. Vieira uses the momentum to drag Dumont down, where she takes her back and looks for a rear-naked choke. Dumont flips over to her back to break up the sub, so Vieira transitions to an arm-triangle choke. Dumont once more twists to get out of the worst of it, so Vieira readjusts and presses her shoulder down to complete the sub. Vieira laces her leg between Dumont’s to give her more leverage to crush her shoulder down, and Dumont stays calm and punches Vieira in the side until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 2

The round begins with kicks, with Vieira throwing first and last. Dumont hurls a one-two her way, and Vieira is not standing there any longer to get hit. When Dumont does reach her with a right hand, Vieira strafes to the side to reset. Dumont is one-and-done with a kick, and Vieira leans in to score and then leans back. Dumont starts to put more than one strike together in her attacks, sometimes doubling or tripling up on offense or stringing a few back-to-back. Vieira nails the inside leg a few times, prompting Dumont to pitch one back on the outside. Vieira checks the second, and they go tit-for-tat with these strikes for a time.

Vieira leaps forward and gets caught with a right hand from Dumont, and she shoots in from a double from too far out. Dumont shuts it down, so Vieira backs off and tries again from another angle. This time, she puts Dumont on her back with about 1:45 left in the round. Like a snake slowly coiling around to consume its prey, Vieira calmly slithers through to advance to half guard and pursue an arm-triangle choke. This takes a great deal of time to get there, so before she can cinch anything up, the second round is over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 3

The top contenders reach the final frame, and they approach one another in it like the previous two. Dumont moves forward but is generally cautious, and Vieira stays defensively composed from most of what comes her direction. Dumont pushes the action with a storming right hand, colliding with Vieira and putting them on the fence. Vieira quickly turns her foe around, where she imposes her body weight on the streaking Dumont. She leans on Dumont for a time, until Smith calls for them to do more.

Dumont separates first, and she lets loose with her hands. Reaching out with a left and a right, and she looses this two-punch flurry again and again. Vieira stays on the outside edge with her guard high, and Dumont goes to the body when the hands of her foe are up. Dumont swarms forward behind a low kick to open up punches, and she lands cleanly in the midst of her combinations. Vieira is fine to stay on her back heel offering counters and the occasional kick as time ticks off, as Vieira likely expects she is up on the scorecards. Dumont is fighting like she needs the finish, in terms of her own style. She does not bite down on her mouthpiece to bang it out, and she does not point to the ground to force a brawl, but instead remains at kickboxing range leaning in and out to attack. The slow, arduous bantamweight match comes to an end, and both women raise their arms in the air. Could it go either way?

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dumont (29-28 Vieira)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Dumont (29-28 Vieira)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Dumont (29-28 Vieira)

The Official Result

Norma Dumont def. Ketlen Vieira via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Sedriques Dumas (185.5) vs. Donte Johnson (184)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Johnson (-350); Dumas (+275)

Round 1

When it comes to bout order, we’ve stopped asking at this point. It’s anyone’s guess why the promotion’s own No. 3 and 4 athletes collide and they are buried so low on the card that Dumas (10-3, 1 NC; 3-3, 1 NC UFC) fights after them. This is a fighter who had to pull out of a recent match because he could not get his ankle monitor removed in time so he could compete while awaiting hearings for charges of felony robbery, felony possession of a weapon and other not-so-great crimes. He will greet ex-heavyweight Johnson (6-0, 0-0 UFC), a man with six first-round knockouts to his credit, and it’s not hard to imagine fans that hope it will be seven before the night is out. Referee Herb Dean handles this middleweight striking match, standing back as the fighters choose not to touch gloves.

Johnson goes right after Dumas, chasing him around the cage. Dumas turns and intercepts the advancing Johnson with a well-timed double, lifting the newcomer up and putting him down on the mat. Dumas lifts up his knee and aims it correctly so he does not blast Johnson in the jaw with it illegally, instead striking the shoulder. Dumas drops down to go after a single when Johnson sits against the fence, and Johnson tells his corner to take it easy because he is fine. Dumas leans on him and knees him in the side of the leg, hanging on until Johnson explodes back upright. Dumas drops down for a single, and Johnson bashes him in the side of the dome with elbows until Dumas thinks twice about his level change. This allows Johnson to spin around and go for a double while Dumas is leaned against the cage, and he lifts Dumas up and slams him down on the mat with pure firepower.

Dumas’ hands go over the top of the cage to take some of the amplitude out of the slam, but he still hits the ground as one of his hair ties snaps and goes flying. Dumas methodically works to his feet with the fence at his back, and the neophyte leans on his opponent with his body weight until Dumas separates at the 90-second mark. Dumas fakes several level changes and goes over the top with a kick, and Johnson swats it away and responds with a left hand. Dumas spins with a back fist, and Johnson perfectly times a takedown to scoop Dumas off his feet. Dumas once more stands up, and he is under fire from the newcomer and is shaken up. Dumas spins with an elbow, and he goes to the well with another. Johnson drills Dumas on the temple with a right hand, putting “The Reaper” on notice. The round wraps with Johnson landing ground-and-pound, and he helps Dumas back to his feet. Meanwhile, Johnson has reached the second round in what is a rarity early into his young career.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Johnson

Round 2

Seeing that Dumas wants to spam spinning, flying or other high-risk, medium-reward strikes, Johnson goes to the path of least resistance. The neophyte takes Dumas to the floor, keeping him on his knees for a minute. Dumas drills Johnson with a somersault kick, and somehow has the wherewithal to not only throw another, but actually land it. Dumas uses the second effort to springboard himself into a double-leg entry. Johnson counters that by pressing his chest down on the back of Dumas’ neck and setting up an anaconda choke. He laces his left arm beneath the chin and fastens it with his right arm to turn it into a ninja choke, and Dumas is raising his right arm anticipatorily to tap out. Johnson imposes his weight and finishes the choke, and Dumas is already surrendering. The 100% knockout rate for “Lockjaw” now becomes a 100% finish rate, as Johnson has just notched the first submission victory of his career.

The Official Result

Donte Johnson def. Sedriques Dumas R2 1:25 via Submission (Ninja Choke)

Timothy Cuamba (136) vs. Chang Ho Lee (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Cuamba (-140); Lee (+110)

Round 1

Two bantamweights who tend to punch first and ask questions later will handle their business in this three-round engagement. Cuamba (9-3, 1-2 UFC) cemented himself forever as a winner in the UFC by acing Roberto Romero with a flying knee in April. His South Korean opponent Lee (11-1, 2-0 UFC) plowed through the second season of the Road to UFC, and together they combine for exactly one submission win. Referee Eric McMahon dons his proverbial hard hat, expecting these 135-pounders to swing on one another as soon as he says go. He says go, and they speed towards one another, fists extended to greet.

It takes one punch landed on Lee’s cheek for him to shoot for a takedown. The South Korean whips around to take Cuamba’s back standing, and he wrenches him to the mat from behind while getting both hooks in. Lee wraps up a body lock, and Cuamba stands up and puts his back against the cage all while Lee is threatening him. Cuamba hand-fights to defend any choke from getting set up, so Lee chills on his back smacking him on the sides of the head and body.

Cuamba uses the wall behind him to keep the weight of Lee, who remains busy softening away at Cuamba and making his life miserable. This results in a stalemate, as Lee cannot find a choke, and his strikes are not terribly damaging. The round ends with Lee trying to force the fight horizontally, with tons of time spent with Lee on Cuamba’s back controlling him but doing little else.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Lee

Round 2

Cuamba does not want to get taken down or otherwise controlled for this round, so he opens up with a flying knee. Cuamba meets an advancing Lee with his right hand cocked back, as Lee wants to take the fight down. Lee punches his way into his takedowns, backing off to find another way in. Cuamba hits his seat and pulls for an unorthodox submission, and Lee explodes out of it to pursue his grappling in another way.

Lee lumps Cuamba up with his clean right hand, which seems to connect almost every time he is about to go for a takedown. Cuamba stuffs the takedown and knees him in the chest to stand him back up, and Lee is not about to back off. Lee walks through a spinning back elbow and a number of knees to the body, with “Twilight Timmy” cranking up his offense while Lee appears to be more plodding forward straight ahead. Cuamba counters a front kick with a takedown shot, where he forces Lee to drop to his knees so he can turn the tables complete and take the Korean’s back. Cuamba isolates the neck and settles to wrap it around the jaw. Lee hand-fights to stave it all off, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cuamba
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Cuamba
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Cuamba

Round 3

Cuamba wants to touch gloves, but Lee wants to fight instead. It is Cuamba who engages his wrestling first, however, and Lee easily shuts him down but gets his back pushed against the wire. The two split up, and Cuamba fires off a body kick that Lee snatches so he can take the back. Cuamba tries to slide out the back door, and his arm is in a precarious position as Lee wants to set up an armbar or something from the limb. He is positioned upside-down, and Cuamba flips him about to stop him from the submission. Lee tries to pursue a single, but he does not have the gas to do so.

Cuamba laces his leg around Lee’s to keep him grounded, and he lets Lee stand up so he can take his back standing. Lee drops back to his knees to try to get Cuamba off of him, and Cuamba’s hooks are preventing his escape. Cuamba stretches out Lee’s torso by pulling back on his shoulders while Lee’s legs are pushed down from the body triangle. Lee toughs it out and keeps preventing chokes from materializing, but Cuamba is firmly in the driver’s seat with 30 seconds to go. With Lee twisting and turning, Cuamba hangs on until the rough match ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cuamba (29-28 Cuamba)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Cuamba (29-28 Cuamba)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Cuamba (29-28 Cuamba)

The Official Result

Timothy Cuamba def. Chang Ho Lee via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Kevin Christian (205) vs. Billy Elekana (205.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Elekana (-250); Christian (+210)

Round 1

Light heavyweights wrap up the preliminary portion of the card, as a pair of gunslinging 30-year-olds ply their trade against one another. Elekana (8-2, 1-1 UFC) put the stink of his first stoppage loss behind him by winning on the scorecards against Ibo Aslan in July. Meanwhile, Brazilian finisher Christian (9-2, 0-0 UFC) has never competed into the third round as a professional. Something might have to give here, and referee Chris Tognoni will be the sole arbiter of this bout. It is a bout that commences with a respectful touching of gloves.

It is a game of leg kicks right off the bat for the two strikers, with the longer Christian getting Elekana’s attention with his distant shots. Elekana chambers and fires a heavier one, and Tognoni tells them to close their fists as they are leading with outstretched fingers. Legs continue to get kicked on both sides, but punches are at a premium thus far. Christian chops down the lead leg with audible blows, and Elekana tosses his own back and tries to check others. Christian splits the guard with a front kick, and Tognoni calls time to force the fighters to close their hands. Christian apologizes, but he gets right back to leading with his fingers. The commentary team is chattering about how the fighters basically ignored his instructions, and that it is a timely complaint given the result of the recent heavyweight title tilt.

All the while, Christian is chipping away with his kicks that land cleanly, and he has struck so hard the top of Elekana’s right shin has swelled up massively. Elekana no-sells this and opens up with a massive right hand, sending Christian flying across the cage. The Brazilian hits his back and instinctively turns to his side and then to his knees to shell up. Elekana beans him on the sides and back of the head while Christian is moving, but what are rules anymore and how are they never enforced? With Christian on his knees in a daze, Elekana slides into back control, gets his hooks in and attacks the rear-naked choke. The Brazilian frantically taps almost immediately, surrendering many times on the floor while Tognoni is on the wrong side and does not see them. Elekana does not feel the taps, and Tognoni still does not register them, so Christian goes out. Tognoni checks on the now-limp limb of the defeated Brazilian, and he waves the fight off. Elekana dismounts his wrecked adversary who has blood streaming down his face, and he walks off as Christian’s face swells up like a balloon. The victorious Californian thanks Tognoni personally, saying that he feels he performs better under his care—this is a strange statement, because this is the first time Tognoni has handled any of Elekana’s pro fights from a referee standpoint.

The Official Result

Billy Elekana def. Kevin Christian R1 3:33 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Cody Durden (130) vs. Allan Nascimento (129.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nascimento (-260); Durden (+210)

Round 1

Due to Durden (17-8-1, 6-6-1 UFC) stepping in to replace Rafael Estevam on short notice, he has agreed to face “Puro Osso” Nascimento (21-6, 3-1 UFC) at a catchweight of 130 pounds. This wrestler vs. grappler affair will be officiated by referee Mark Smith, who claps the athletes in as they touch gloves to signal their relief in being able to fight and get paid this weekend.

Durden bounces up and down on his heels, possibly presenting looks for takedowns, but then springs forward and drills the Brazilian with an overhand right. Durden pops Nascimento with a jab, and he smacks the front leg with his shin. Durden evades a kick and hurls an overhand right, and he pushes out a front kick that is caught and forces him to the mat. Durden lets him back up and puts a jab right in the Brazilian’s face. Nascimento hammers the lead calf with a kick, and a second puts Durden on notice. Durden races ahead throwing punches, and Nascimento slips to the side and beats him with another thudding kick. He scores one more when Durden comes his direction, and Durden still crashes the pocket and checks Nascimento’s chin with a left hand on the cheek. The jabs from Durden are marking up Nascimento’s cheek, and he is not far from splitting it open with sheer volume.

Nascimento keeps his back to the cage and tosses out kicks, and he sharply counters Durden with a right hand and plants one more calf kick for good measure. Durden punches through the guar to reach the taller Brazilian, and he catches him with a right hook and makes Nascimento double over. Nascimento reels and backs away, and Durden knocks him back to the wall with an overhand right. Nascimento goes back after his leg kick, and Durden punches him in the guts to back him away again. Nascimento checks a kick and lets his hands go, and his head kick does reach the top of the head. Durden kicks and shoots for a takedown, and Nascimento stands him up and skirts away from the offense he anticipates. Durden still marches him down, his leg lump and welted from the kicks, so that he can put his hands on Nascimento’s jaw. They trash one another with heavy leg kicks, and Nascimento stings Durden and forces him to shoot on him. Nascimento stands back to let it fly by him, and the horn sounds to end what became a close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Durden
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Durden
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Durden

Round 2

Durden starts out the round as aggressive as ever, and he scores on the Brazilian early. Nascimento slows him down with a steady diet of calf kicks, and his right hands continue to find their home while Durden rushes after him. They clash shins when kicking at the same time, and then bang their heads together when coming towards one another. Nascimento backs off, with Smith telling them to be careful, and he rushes in behind a knee. Durden shakes it off and responds with a plethora of punches, only slowing when Nascimento tries to introduce his shin to the Georgia native’s chin. Nascimento whiffs on a looping left hand, and he has a leg kick checked. Nascimento stands Durden up with a right hand, and he gets his head snapped back in the counter. Nascimento pounds on the front leg, and he eats three punches down the middle like they are nothing. Durden gets clipped with a left hand, constantly pressing forward even when under fire. Nascimento rattles him with a long one-two, wrapping his hand around the back of the neck but not using it for a takedown.

Both met let their hands go, and Nascimento puts Durden down with a counter right hand. Durden ducks to shoot, and he finds himself immediate ensnared in an anaconda choke. Nascimento has the submission virtually completed the moment Durden hits his knees, in what may be the worst choice that “Custom Made” could have made. Durden turns to his back, but there is no way out, so he has to give up. Durden taps until Smith intervenes, and Nascimento has now recorded 15 submissions in his 22 pro wins. He asks for a ranked opponent, specifically calling out Steve Erceg for his next outing.

The Official Result

Allan Nascimento def. Cody Durden R2 3:13 via Submission (Anaconda Choke)

Daniel Frunza (171) vs. Charlie Radtke (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Radtke (-150); Frunza (+120)

Round 1

Referee Herb Dean is buckled up and ready to take charge in this likely high-intensity welterweight affair. “Chuck Buffalo” Radtke (10-5, 3-2 UFC) has his middle fingers cocked and ready to flip at a moment’s notice. On the other side of the Octagon will be Romanian slugger Frunza (9-3, 0-1 UFC), who sports eight of nine wins via strikes. The fighters elect not to touch gloves before swinging for the bleachers.

Frunza takes to the center of the Octagon and lets fly a low kick, and Radtke hops out of the way and responds with his own kick. Frunza fights behind his jab, not committing to much other than a few kicks and punches. When Frunza goes after some offense, Radtke counters him cleanly. Radtke shoots in through Frunza’s hips to easily take him down to the mat. Radtke loops his leg around Frunza’s for a partial half guard position, and he opens up with sledgehammers that are right hands around and beneath Frunza’s gloves.

Radtke slowly, methodically keeps pounding away, until Frunza has no choice but to turn around and give up his back. “Chuck Buffalo” instantly takes it and wraps up the body triangle. He fastens the rear-naked choke under the chin, and Frunza wags his finger to signal he is not in danger. Radtke adjusts his grip and loses it when Frunza hand-fights, and Frunza swaps the body lock as well. Frunza manages to survive everything until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Radtke

Round 2

The fighters want to let their hands and feet do the talking, and Frunza opens up with a wheel kick that harmless bounds off the guard. He stutter-steps his way in, dinging Radtke with a right hand and then drilling him in the ribs with a spin kick. Radtke grabs hold of him to stop any additional risky strikes, and he calmly drags Frunza to his seat and positions himself in the guard. Radtke postures up and puts Frunza’s neck on the corner between the wall and the floor, and Radtke clubs him with punches and slashes at him with a Halloween-inspired elbow.

When Radtke looks to advance his position, Frunza nails him with an upkick, and then hooks his toes in the fencing. Dean tells him to stop, and Frunza ignores him because the rules are mere suggestions in this sport. It is Radtke who makes him knock this off, thanks to a mighty elbow that also opens the guard up. Radtke keeps working his foe over with elbows, ripping open a cut beneath Frunza’s right eye that starts shedding blood immediately. Radtke targets it with forearms, elbows, punches, Dean’s shoe and a steel chair they found lying around the cage, lumping up the Romanian until the round concludes. The only looming question is whether it is worthy of 10-8 consideration.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Radtke
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Radtke

Round 3

Frunza surges out of his corner ready to engage, and he gets right to a jab that sets up other strikes. Radtke keeps moving and he ducks a looping right hand to hit a magnificent double straight through Frunza’s hips. Radtke assumes top control seated in half guard on top of Frunza’s right leg, keeping him stuck unable to escape. All the while, Radtke is bludgeoning Frunza with punches and elbows. Frunza sits himself up for a moment to protect his mug from further damage, so Radtke stays glommed onto him and finds more openings.

“Chuck Buffalo” buffaloes his opponent with his dangerous offense, establishing his authority and status as the better man tonight as he bloodies Frunza up further. Radtke’s body lock is tight as a drum and depriving Frunza from taking a full breath, and punches are coming from either side of his head. Radtke ignores when Frunza tosses no-look punches at him so that he can try to sneak in a choke, and he snatches his forearm beneath the chin in one such exchange to put Frunza in grave danger. While Frunza was able to tough out the choke in the first round, he has nothing left in the tank to escape. The Romanian taps out from the rear-naked choke, and Radtke registers the stoppage victory with about 30 seconds left in the match.

The Official Result

Charlie Radtke def. Daniel Frunza R3 4:29 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Yadier Del Valle (146) vs. Isaac Dulgarian (146)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dulgarian (-260); Del Valle (+220)

Round 1

A pair of aggressive featherweights will clash as the main card pushes on, where an athlete in Dulgarian (7-1, 2-1 UFC) puts his perfect finish rate intact against the undefeated Cuban by way of Houston, Del Valle (9-0, 1-0 UFC). Ahead of the match, there is a non-insignificant amount of betting confusion going on, as Dulgarian went from around -250 to -160 on fight day while the prop bets for several major books have been completely removed. A huge amount of money has come in on the unbeaten fighter born in Cuba, enough to push his line to almost even money (around -125 depending on the book) at closing. Despite the oddity that will undoubtedly be investigated after the fact—Dulgarian did used to train with James Krause before Glory MMA disintegrated—referee Eric McMahon will do his best to keep up with these two as they engage, although he does witness the glove touch beforehand that puts him a bit at ease.

Dulgarian puts his back to the wall circling along the outside rather than start aggressively like usual. They toss kicks at one another just to find how far they can reach, and Dulgarian shoots in on the hips for a takedown. Del Valle backs himself up to the wall and stops the takedown, leaning himself low and putting pressure on the back of the neck and even setting up a possible short choke. Rather than take advantage of a submission, Del Valle scrambles to the side of his foe, and then takes his back as Dulgarian is more interested in striking from this bad position than escaping. Del Valle isolates the right arm and uses it to take the back. Dulgarian turns and keeps throwing no-look punches rather than defending the submissions. Del Valle flattens out his opponent, landing shots to the back of the head but otherwise beating Dulgarian down. McMahon watches on, with Del Valle smashing his fists into both sides of the dome.

The betting underdog stops attacking and wraps up a choke under the chin and has it tight. Dulgarian hand-fights to break up the submission just enough to survive, but the rear-naked choke is still fairly tight as Del Valle turns the other direction. Del Valle arches his back to further contort his opponent, his forearm crushing the windpipe and carotid artery, and he is not going anywhere. He goes palm-to-palm, and Del Valle still punches rather than using a full-throated effort fighting the grip. Del Valle cranks his limb under Dulgarian’s chin, crushing it with all he has until Dulgarian does finally tap out. That makes “The Cuban Problem” 10 for 10 as a professional, with both of his wins coming inside the Octagon by the same RNC. Stay tuned, however, because the story may not be totally over with this upset that appeared to be a squash match.

The Official Result

Yadier Del Valle def. Isaac Dulgarian R1 3:41 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Themba Gorimbo (171) vs. Jeremiah Wells (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gorimbo (-140); Wells (+110)

Round 1

In the “featured fight of the night” slot, a pair of 170-pound brawlers with matching 4-2 records in the promotion try to improve their fortunes at the expense of the other. Wells (12-4-1, 4-2 UFC) likely has his back against the wall more of the two, as he turned 39 on Thursday. Gorimbo (14-5, 4-2 UFC) is no spring chicken, but at 34, he still has at least a half decade left if history is any indication. Drawing the assignment for this pairing is referee Chris Tognoni, who will be on his A-game for as long as this lasts. They do not touch gloves.

Both fighters bounce back and forth towards one another, and after 20 seconds of that, Wells lets loose a kick. Gorimbo responds with a double-leg takedown, grounding the Philadelphia native for a moment. Wells bounces back to his feet, and Gorimbo uses full-on muscle to throw him back to the mat. Wells pulls his finger in the fence to try to improve his position, and when he tries again, Tognoni shouts him down. In the meantime, Gorimbo has advanced to full mount, and he forces Wells to turn over when he is about to engage with ground-and-pound. Wells twists to his knees and grabs hold of Gorimbo’s right hand to control it and prevent him from getting struck. He uses this limb control to stand up and subsequently attempt a trip takedown. “The Answer” answers him with a throw that plants the Renzo Gracie Philly product flat on his back.

Gorimbo controls with right hands as Wells tries to scramble, and Wells still works his way to the cage and grabs the fence immediately. Gorimbo chucks him to the floor like a sack of potatoes and reassumes top position. When Gorimbo sits up to blast with ground strikes, Wells scurries to put himself closer to the fencing. Just as Wells is about to sit and follow him, Gorimbo strips his legs out beneath him. Wells simply explodes back up to his feet, and he turns Gorimbo to the fence and imposes his weight all while tugging his fingers in the chain links illegally. That makes three, maybe four loud warnings from Tognoni with nothing else to it. Wells turns things around and sits himself down on top of Gorimbo as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo

Round 2

Wells reintroduces himself to his opponent with a vicious body kick as the round kicks off, and Gorimbo answers him with one right back just as mean and loud. Wells goes low with a calf kick, and Gorimbo stands him up with two straight right hands down the middle. Gorimbo splits the guard with his power right, and he ducks a Wells blitz to counter him with heavy punches. Gorimbo shoots in on the hips for a double, and Wells counters him with a counter choke and pulls guard to lock up what was a guillotine choke. Gorimbo keeps pushing through to bowl Wells over and break out of the submission, where he gets to the guard and revs up his GNP engine. Wells does not want to deal with that, so he bursts to his feet and snatches up a standing choke that he uses to bend Gorimbo over. The Zimbabwe native is able to free himself from the attack, but it is an effort that is rewarded by a successful Wells tackling takedown.

Wells asserts himself in the guard, ripping body shots and some to the head to advance to half guard. Wells stops striking and climbs into mount so he can isolate an arm-triangle choke. Wells looks to pass to the other side, but Gorimbo turns himself to stay close enough to the fence to prevent Wells from getting the proper leverage to pull off the sub. Wells bails on it to get situated in full mount, and he tries for an arm-triangle on the other side. Gorimbo breaks free and turns Wells over, shucking off an armbar setup to put Wells on his back as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wells
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Wells
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Wells

Round 3

Leg kicks fly from both sides as the fighters have no plan on bumping fists, with plenty of time to share pleasantries after the melee concludes. They proceed to share the other’s thinking by striking one after the other, mirroring one another until Gorimbo wants to take the fight horizontally. Wells jumps guard with a guillotine choke, and he has a hook in but does not appear to have Gorimbo in trouble. Gorimbo calmly removes himself from submission danger and positions himself in half guard, only for Wells to sit up and rush to his seat against the wall. Gorimbo pushes off rather than deal with a possible standing choke, and he allows Wells to come to him so he can offer up a head kick. Wells tanks it and shoots in for a single, transitioning it to a double to take “The Answer” off his feet. Gorimbo butt-scoots to the fence, and Wells drags him away from it and gets to mount with 2:40 left in the match.

Gorimbo turns to a side to prevent bombardment that has not yet begun, and Wells instead sets up an arm-triangle choke on the other side. Wells still looks to put himself against the fence, and Gorimbo strategically as it at his side to prevent Wells from locking it down. Wells abandons it and saves himself from falling off the side when Gorimbo moves, and he follows Gorimbo every step of the way and pulls him to his back on the floor. Gorimbo turns over, and Wells hangs on from the side with his arm draped around the chest like a seatbelt that also punches you. Wells grinds down elbows while closely pressed to Gorimbo in side control, and Tognoni slaps Gorimbo’s toes out of the fence as they are pulling on it to try to get him a better spot. He does this with both feet, and Wells is crushing him with elbows. Wells does this until time expires, and we go to the scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wells (29-28 Wells)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Wells (29-28 Wells)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Wells (29-28 Wells)

The Official Result

Jeremiah Wells def. Themba Gorimbo via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (263) vs. Ante Delija (237.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Cortes-Acosta (-105); Delija (-115)

Round 1

Heavyweights will test the structural integrity of this smaller cage in the co-main event of this Apex card. While Dominican Republic native Cortes-Acosta (14-2, 7-2 UFC) approached the divisional limit by weighing about 263 pounds, former PFL champ Delija (26-6, 1-0 UFC) is in the butter zone of the weight class at 238. Together with referee Mark Smith, they will easily surpass 600 pounds in the cage, but it hardly makes a groan from their weight. Before the two hurl their large fists at one another, they opt to tap their gloves together.

Smith has to tell the two to close their fists right after the fist bump, because they are outstretched towards one another and pushed out those directions. Delija walks Cortes-Acosta down looking for a big right hand, and he takes a clubbing right on the chest for his effort. Delija crashes the pocket and drills “Salsa Boy” on the temple, and Cortes-Acosta responds with a takedown effort that only puts the Croatian man against the wall. Cortes-Acosta digs knees to the body, and when they slow down, Smith asks for more activity. Cortes-Acosta winds up with an effective knee to the ribs, and Delija calmly waits until there is a moment to escape and does it.

Delija flicks out a jab and shoots for a double, and he now has “Salsa Boy” with his back against the wire, dealing with his weight pressed. The larger Cortes-Acosta spins his man around before long, and he raps an elbow on the forehead when otherwise staying close. Delija fights out of the tie-up and wants to box up Cortes-Acosta, marching the Dominican fighter down and busting him in the chops with a furious combination of punches. Delija keeps slugging Cortes-Acosta in the face, hurting him badly, and he pushes out with a left hand to jab Cortes-Acosta in the eyeball before letting loose with a massive stream of punches. Smith gets between them and shouts “stop!” several times, but then has to call the replay official of Herb Dean to check on whether Cortes-Acosta’s eye was poked or if they were all punches landing cleanly and legally. Teammates, medical professionals and commissioners all flood the cage to figure out what happened. The video shows that Delija’s finger slid into the eye socket, and no five-minute clock starts for recovery time. Instead, Smith states that if Cortes-Acosta is able to continue, he does have the ability to restart the fight. It is a bizarre scene, one that is growingly and frustratingly common in the promotion, and it gives Cortes-Acosta one of two options. If he cannot continue, it will be a no contest. If he says he can keep going, the fight will actually resume. Throw out the rulebook at this point. Smith warns Cortes-Acosta for the foul, and with 90 seconds left in the first round, they start fighting again.

They are cautious to engage, both jabbing at one another with their fists firmly closed. Delija sits down on a jab, and Cortes-Acosta counters him with a brilliant right hand over the top knocking him down to the canvas. Cortes-Acosta leaps on top to pound out Delija, and Smith only lets Cortes-Acosta drum away for a few seconds before waving things off. This is ridiculous. Cortes-Acosta walks back to his corner and collapses to the mat in pain, clutching his eye and keeping a towel pressed on it for several minutes. He just accomplished an absolutely wild comeback, albeit one that will come with a great deal of scrutiny and review. To say this whole debacle flew in the face of protocols, regulations and procedure is an understatement. We’ll see what happens.

The Official Result

Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Ante Delija R1 3:59 via KO (Punches)

Steve Garcia (145.5) vs. David Onama (146)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Garcia (-130); Onama (+110)

Round 1

It’s time for the main event, a ranked featherweight five-rounder that should be a banger. After what has happened so far tonight, one can hope that Herb Dean can keep things legitimate because there have been some serious questions of integrity tonight. Garcia (18-5, 7-2 UFC) and Onama (14-2, 6-2 UFC) are about to let their hands go, and before they do, Dean brings them to the center of the cage to issue final instructions. Will they follow them? Who the heck knows.

The main event opens with a fist bump from the athletes. The featherweights are jittery and trying to figure things out early, so Garcia breaks that silence about 15 seconds in with a clubbing right hand. He walks Onama down, peppering him with his jab and follow-up left hook. Onama bounces off the fence, so Garcia chases him down with a bouquet of blistering left hands. Garcia mixes up body shots, and he snaps out a jab to intercept a front kick. Garcia reaches out with a left hook, shaking Onama up, and he continues to chain together his lefts. Onama fires back when he back, but Garcia’s volume and looping lefts are getting Onama’s attention time and time again.

Garcia steps in behind a left hand, and Onama is tough but quickly becoming a heavy bag. Garcia beats his man to the punch with a combo featuring his left, and when Onama bounces back up, Garcia comes right after him. “Mean Machine” does not let Onama off the hook, blasting him with a number of left hands that knock him from one side of the cage to another. Garcia lets fly a head kick as well, and he continues to rush at “Silent Assassin” with a barrage of brutal lefts. Onama fires back and shreds open a cut on Garcia’s eyebrow, but Garcia is a man on a mission and wants to finish the job. Garcia’s offense wilts Onama, bending him over with a liver kick. He sees his opening to put the Factory X fighter away and takes it, swarming him with punches that topple Onama to the floor. From there, Garcia keeps pounding away as Onama turtles up, and only a few hammerfists are needed for “Mean Machine” to seal the deal. Onama protests when Dean calls a halt to the match, but he soon realizes that he will not be convincing anyone after his performance. This was one-way traffic for the Jackson-Wink fighter, who prevails in under four minutes and punches his ticket to greater things coming soon. While the triumphant man calls out Max Holloway for the BMF belt, he may have to look elsewhere to climb the ladder before getting there. When he does compete next, however, we will be here for it. We hope you are too.

The Official Result

Steve Garcia def. David Onama R1 3:34 via TKO (Punches)