UFC on ESPN 12 ‘Poirier vs. Hooker’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Jordan Griffin (145) vs. Youssef Zalal (145.5)

Round 1

For this final card on a five-event stop at the UFC Apex, we will be on ESPN and ESPN+ all the way through. We kick things off in the featherweight division, when Roufusport’s Griffin (18-7, 1-2 UFC) takes on Factory X representative Zalal (8-2, 1-0 UFC) in a clash of high-level teams. Referee Herb Dean will oversee the action in this card-opening contest, and with a touch of gloves, away we go! Zalal takes the center of the cage, but it is Griffin that comes out swinging with a looping right hand. Zalal dances away, and Griffin chases him down with a string of reaching punches. Zalal lands a low kick to the calf, and then another as Griffin charges in. Griffin ducks down with his hands low, and is content to swarm Zalal. “The Moroccan Devil” evades most of the strikes, and calmly works the other leg with a slapping kick. Griffin rushes forward to swing wildly, and Zalal blocks the strikes, so Griffin changes levels to shoot in for a double. Zalal is able to keep his balance, but Griffin grabs hold of his back to try to muscle him down. Zalal fights off one wrist with both his hands to try to break the grip, and slowly and methodically turns his way out and gains separation. Griffin puts together a combination with a head kick to punctuate it, and when he closes in, Zalal grabs him to turn him against the fence. With Griffin’s back to the cage, Zalal leaps up with a flying knee that partially connects, and he is attempting to set up a body lock to possibly take the fight down. Zalal nearly hits a trip to wrench Griffin down, but “The Native Psycho” stays upright and turns him about. Griffin lifts him in the air, slams him down, and takes Zalal’s back with seconds to go in the round. Griffin looks to fish for a choke attempt, but with only one arm in, there is nothing there. The horn sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Griffin

Round 2

They touch gloves again to begin the second frame, and Zalal presses forward and fires off a head kick. Using the kick as a way to close distance, Zalal pursues a flying knee that Griffin blocks. Griffin wings a high kick that is a little too high, and he falls to his back, but Zalal is too far away to capitalize on it. In an attempt to catch Griffin standing, he leaps forward with another flying knee, but nothing doing. Zalal nails Griffin to the body with a reaching right hand, and we can hear an audible exhale as Griffin is hurt. Zalal chases him down, and the two scramble around on the ground while Zalal tries to land ground-and-pound. Griffin continues to keep moving, and circles around to take Zalal’s back. He hops on like a backpack, but he does not the energy to stay on or get a choke, so Zalal pushes him off. Zalal breaks, and targets the body with a long right hand. Griffin appears to be heavily fatigued, so while he catches his breath, Zalal tags him up top with a stiff jab and a significant one-two. Zalal tries to hit another flying knee, but Griffin collides with him in midair and forces Zalal to his back. Having avoided upkicks, Griffin hops on top to try to rain down punches, but Zalal is crafty and spins out to stand back up. Griffin holds on tight to try to get him back down, and Zalal is out of submission danger while trying to get back up. When he stands, Zalal is immediately pursuing his own single leg takedown, and with it he has Griffin pressed against the wall. Griffin defends against it, so Zalal knees him in the gut for good measure. The two continue to jockey for position to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zalal
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Zalal
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zalal

Round 3

Griffin kicks off the final round aggressively, with long punches as he tries to bull rush his opponent. Zalal takes everything he has, and gives it right back to him. Griffin drops his hands as if to say his opponent’s strikes don’t hurt, so Zalal obliges him by teeing off on him until Griffin realizes he should probably stop allowing these free shots. Zalal pushes a little too aggressively, and Griffin manages to stave off a takedown to try to take Zalal’s back. As they both scramble at the same time, Zalal turns to allow Griffin on top, but only for a moment. “The Moroccan Devil” spins with a fury, and forces his way up before marking up Griffin with crisp punches. Griffin allows them to happen, trying to throw back with labored punches and a head kick that gets blocked. Griffin changes levels while Zalal is trying to hit him with a flying knee, and pursues a double leg takedown but Zalal stuffs it and separates. A string of jabs from Zalal is followed by a knee that lands right on the solar plexus, and Griffin visibly reacts, shooting low for a desperation takedown. Zalal stands him up, and after they go back and forth against the fence, Zalal drops down for a single. He transitions to a double while Griffin is fighting him off, but again “The Native Psycho” stays upright. When they break, Zalal knees him on the jaw, and rushes after him to land another and then a stern elbow. Griffin practically laughs them off, but Zalal presses him heavily against the cage. This featherweight match ends in the clinch, and Griffin raises his hands in the air to signal to the judges that he thinks he has done enough.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zalal (29-28 Zalal)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Zalal (29-28 Zalal)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zalal (29-28 Zalal)

The Official Result

Youssef Zalal def. Jordan Griffin via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jinh Yu Frey (115.5) vs. Kay Hansen (115.5)

Round 1

Dropping down to the women’s strawweight division, we are treated to a pairing plucked straight from the Invicta FC ranks, as former atomweight champ Frey (9-4, 0-0 UFC) takes on 20-year-old Hansen (6-3, 0-0 UFC). Drawing the assignment is referee Keith Peterson, and nonsense has just been eradicated from the UFC Apex. There is no touch of gloves, and Frey looks to set up jabs from a distance while Hansen kicks the leg first. Frey throws one back at her, and Hansen rushes in to tie her up. Frey spins her about, and cracks Hansen with a hard left hand. They separate, and Hansen tries to step in and gets countered with an overhand right and a low kick. Hansen throws a leg kick back at her, and the two trade jabs to the face. Hansen again tries to wade in, and Frey is quick to counter with a left. She does this again perfectly, and Hansen’s nose is visibly marked up already. Frey pops her in the lead leg with a kick that makes Hansen take it back for a second, but gathers herself to throw one back. When Frey winds up with a big left, Hansen ducks it and tries to implement a takedown. Frey gets underhooks quickly, turns her around, and staves off an attempted throw from her younger rival. Hansen overextends to push the takedown, and Frey pulls her away and boots her in the face. Hansen wears it well, backs away, and paws out with a leg kick. Frey fakes to draw out Hansen, and it works, so the former Invicta champ ducks the strike and nails her on the chin. Both women land heavy left hands, and Hansen backs off to rip a kick to the body. Frey wings a couple of hooks, and resets to land a hard leg kick that makes Hansen react. To end the round, Frey works the leg a little more, and Hansen scores with a right hand just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Frey
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Frey
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Frey

Round 2

The round begins with Frey dodging a left hook, and scoring two leg kicks on the inside and out. One more from Frey catches Hansen putting a little too much weight on the lead leg, so she has to pick it up and almost shake it out. Frey connects with a left hook, forcing Hansen to shoot in for a takedown. She manages to land the single, and hops on top immediately to half guard. Keeping her weight on Frey instead of raining down strikes, the younger fighter hooks an arm under the back of Frey’s head. She steps over, nearly passing to side control while fishing for a brabo choke. Frey defends with two-on-one wrist control, and she gets half guard back. Hansen tries to advance again, but Frey keeps her stuck in position and staves off another guard pass. Hansen looks to get a little ground-and-pound off, with a couple grinding elbows and punches. She works the body to try to get Frey to make a mistake, and Frey rolls out to kick Hansen off of her. Hansen tries to land another takedown as soon as Frey tries to get up, so Frey falls to her back as we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hansen
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hansen
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hansen

Round 3

Frey begins the round like the last, by kicking Hansen in the leg. She fires off another, and Hansen does not react. Hansen lands with a left, and Frey blasts her on the jaw with a counter left of her own. The punch sends Hansen staggering back, but she shakes it off and presses forward to walk Frey down. Frey tags the lead leg with a quick kick, and Hansen shoots in from a distance to land a takedown. Frey defends it to spin out, and Hansen steps over and jumps around Frey’s back to set up an armbar. Frey defends the first attempt, so Hansen switches to a kimura as we can see a massive cut above Hansen’s left eye. Hansen throws her legs up to threaten with a triangle, only to reposition to secure the armbar, and this time, it is tight. Frey grimaces, and looks mad at herself that she gave up this position. After a few more seconds in this position, Frey seems more irritated than pained, but she taps out. In the process, the 20-year-old becomes the first fighter to ever submit Frey.

The Official Result

Kay Hansen def. Jinh Yu Frey R3 2:26 via Submission (Armbar)

Philipe Lins (234) vs. Tanner Boser (235)

Round 1

Jumping up from the smallest weight class to the heaviest, former PFL champ Lins (14-4, 0-1 UFC) will try to earn his first UFC win at the expense of Canada’s Boser (17-6-1, 1-1 UFC). Officiating this contest between two men nowhere near the 265-pound limit is referee Herb Dean, and they touch gloves to begin the fight. Boser starts off with a pair of leg kicks, while Lins responds with a long left hand. The Brazilian tries to connect with another, and he ducks when Boser wings a right hand that falls short but allows his glorious mullet to shimmer. Boser throws another couple low kicks, and Lins counters with a left hand. Lins throws a long right hand to the body, and Boser kicks to the inside leg, forcing Lins to pick it up. Again, Boser whiffs with a monster right hand that is nowhere near the target. Lins goes back to the body, and lands a right hand as Boser tries to circle away. Boser cracks him with a right hand behind the ear, and follows it with a chain of ferocious punches that all land flush while Lins is falling to the ground. Boser finishes the job with a diving forearm smash that gives commentator Michael Bisping flashbacks, and Lins is out cold. What a massive win for “The Bulldozer,” getting Lins out about as fast as he’s ever finished a fight in his career.

The Official Result

Tanner Boser def. Philipe Lins R1 2:41 via KO (Punches)

Luis Pena (155) vs. Khama Worthy (154.5)

Round 1

Headlining the abbreviated preliminary portion of the event is a lightweight matchup between two men with powerful nicknames as “Violent Bob Ross” Pena (8-2, 4-2 UFC) tries to detonate “The Deathstar” Worthy (15-6, 1-0 UFC). Our potentially force-sensitive referee is Mark Smith, who can control both fighters with the wave of his hand – and he does so, when he brings his arm down to start the match. They clap hands, and also clap legs when they kick at the same time. Worthy pops him to the body with a thudding kick, and then targets the lead leg of the taller fighter. Pena sticks out a jab several times to get his range and keep Worthy back, but Worthy ignores then to chain together a hard three-punch combination. When Pena jabs him a few times, Worthy nails his inside leg with a kick that makes Pena pick it up. Worthy takes another couple jabs, and walks through them to land a right to the head and left to the body. Pena keeps his right jab flowing even though Worthy blocks most of them, and throws up his left leg – but Worthy blocks it. Pena charges in to get a takedown, but Worthy rebukes him with a guillotine choke attempt. Pena falls to his back to entice Worthy to come down, but “The Deathstar” lets him back up. Pena again goes back to the jab, and Worthy times it to throw an overhand right. They both connect, and Worthy laughs and offers to touch gloves. Worthy commits to a few more low kicks, and swings wildly with a few big right hooks. A body kick from Worthy goes a little low, but the action does not pause as Smith urges Worthy to stay on target. The two trade heavy body kicks, and Worthy flicks out his own jab and chases after Pena with punches, but Pena’s head movement evades them. Worthy again scores a body kick, and lands at the end of a right hand. Pena is shy of the mark with a spinning wheel kick, and Worthy charges in recklessly to land a hard right hand. The two clap hands once more to celebrate their duel of the fates as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Worthy
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Worthy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Worthy

Round 2

The round begins furiously, as Pena throws out a stream of jabs while Worthy attempts to return fire. When Worthy gets a little too aggressive, Pena has the high ground and hits a quick takedown. “Violent Bob Ross” steps right over to side control, and directly into mount. Pena hunts for an arm-triangle choke, and Worthy muscles his way out of the bad position. Pena uses the moment to wing heavy punches at his opponent, forcing Worthy to turn over to avoid the damage. In doing so, Pena rolls with him and takes his back while getting his hooks in. Pena hunts for a choke, and Worthy fights him off but in the process surrenders the body triangle. Pena throws a rear-naked choke attempt at him, forcing Worthy to protect his neck. Pena abandons it to fire off a few elbows to the side of the head. A few may land on the back of the head, and Worthy protests that they are illegal. Pena considers that he will make them legal, and looks to set up another choke. Miraculously, Worthy powers his way out and turns over to come out on top. In full guard, Worthy starts flailing punches, so Pena throws up his legs to fish for a triangle choke or an omoplata setup. They continue to scramble, and get back to their feet only to fall back down with Pena on top. While Worthy holds on with a guillotine choke from his back, Pena aims for a Von Preux choke, but Worthy powers out of it. The two scramble and jockey for top position like a pack of Jawas finding an abandoned droid, and the round ends with Worthy barely getting on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pena
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Pena
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pena

Round 3

The final frame begins wildly, with Pena firing off a jumping switch kick while Worthy wants to brawl. Pena tries to take the fight down, and Worthy stuffs it and implores his opponent to keep throwing leather. The two clap hands as they get back to their feet, and they continue to slug it out as Worthy cracks him on the side of the head. Pena keeps his jab going, and Worthy crashes forward like he was wearing a jetpack, allowing Pena to shoot low for a takedown. Worthy staves it off again, and pushes forward with a few punches ending with a low kick. Worthy scores a right hand in a combination, and he shows a little pain – did he hurt his hand? He keeps throwing it regardless of what happened, and Pena crashes forward as hard as he can for a takedown. When Worthy stuffs it, he lands a few elbows that may inside the mohawk line, and Smith warns him. As Pena gets back up and dives forward for a single leg takedown, he gives up his neck, allowing Worthy to seize the moment to snatch up a power guillotine choke. Practically lifting Pena off the ground, they fall to the canvas while “The Deathstar” still has the choke in tight. Worthy squeezes with everything he has left, and Pena grimaces, attempts to reposition himself and pass to half guard to attempt to break free. He cannot, and "Violent Bob Ross" taps out on the canvas reluctantly. Most impressive.

The Official Result

Khama Worthy def. Luis Pena R3 2:53 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Sean Woodson (149) vs. Julian Erosa (149.5)

Round 1

At a scheduled 150-pound catchweight contest, the unbeaten Woodson (7-0, 1-0 UFC) will welcome Erosa (22-8, 1-4 UFC) back to the Octagon after his second UFC release last year. In charge of the cage will be referee Keith Peterson, and unlike the previous fight, there will be no nonsense here. They touch gloves and start swinging, with Woodson firing a quick one-two right out of the gate. Woodson stings Erosa with a jab, and Erosa’s face is already showing a little reddening. Woodson slaps in an inside leg kick, and despite being the taller fighter, ducks a spinning back fist with ease. Woodson keeps Erosa at bay with long punches and low kicks, but Erosa closes the distance to land his own left hand. “Juicy J” attempts to chop down the lead leg, so Woodson follows suit with a similar kick. Woodson tags Erosa with a piston-like jab, and Erosa’s knees buckle for a brief moment. Woodson sticks him with another left coming in, and follows up with a heavy right. Erosa swings a low kick, and this makes Woodson pick his leg up. A jab from Woodson sees a one-two come right after, and Erosa eats them without concern. Erosa backs him up against the fence, and drops low for a takedown, but Woodson stuffs it with ease. Woodson blocks a head kick, and Erosa charges forward with punches that are all blocked. Erosa again spins with a back fist, and Woodson blocks it only to fire back at him with quick punches. Erosa pushes forward to throw knee up the middle, and clinches up with the long, rangy fighter. Erosa rips an elbow over the top, but Woodson blocks it as they separate. Woodson throws a long right hand, and Erosa walks him down and kicks low only to spin with a back fist that is again defended. Erosa closes the distance to sneak an uppercut through the guard, and he falls to the ground to entice Woodson to follow him. Woodson stands and looks at him, and the round is over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Woodson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Woodson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Woodson

Round 2

They touch gloves to start out the second stanza, and Woodson sticks out a long left jab, but stays in place a little too long and eats a body kick on the way out. They go tit-for-tat, with Woodson keeping his jab flowing while Erosa throws a leg kick or a right hand, until “Juicy J” tries to take the fight down. Woodson stands him up, but absorbs a hard elbow while Erosa tries to put it to him. Erosa continues to walk him down while Woodson circles away and jabs his way out, but Erosa practically ignores those jabs to come in and throw heavy uppercuts, elbows and body punches. Erosa tries to blast him with a left hook from downtown, and Woodson sees it coming a mile away. Woodson keeps touching Erosa with jabs, disrupting his opponent from getting combinations going. Woodson steps up with a tall knee, and misses but lands a hard right hand. Erosa smiles at him and throws back with a fury. The two trade heavy leather in the pocket, and Erosa ends his flurry with a thudding punch to the liver. Erosa sneaks up a few punches and Woodson blocks most of them but takes some on the chin. Erosa has his foot on the gas, and Woodson is trying to defend himself but Erosa rips him to the body with another left. Woodson tries to get into a brawl with him with his back against the fence, and Erosa is landing the more serious strikes, marking up the nose of the undefeated fighter. A few power jabs from Woodson back him off for a moment, but Erosa keeps the relentless pace while shrugging off these punches coming. Erosa pops him in the chops with a left hand, and Woodson responds in kind with one that is harder. The two slug it out to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erosa
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Erosa
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Erosa

Round 3

Woodson begins the third round putting it to Erosa, but “Juicy J” bites down on his mouthpiece and throws heavy punches and leg kicks. Erosa drops down and tries to sweep the legs out like the annoying kick that could irritate a friend playing “Mortal Kombat,” and Woodson laughs it off and lands his own leg kick. Erosa pushes the pace on him, and Woodson nails him on the chin that puts Erosa down hard. When Woodson follows him down, Erosa tries to set up a leglock, so Woodson pulls out of it and stands back up. Erosa walks him down, winging punches as they land practically at will. Woodson stands him up with a left-right, and Erosa changes levels to try to take the fight down. Woodson stuffs it, pushes him away, and takes a deep breath. As Erosa resets to come back at him, Woodson throws a few more jabs out. Erosa charges in, lifts Woodson up and throws him down. Woodson stands back up, and Erosa pulls him right back down. This time, when Woodson walks back to his feet, Erosa slaps on a brabo choke in an instant. Woodson tries to turn around and yank himself free, and Erosa follows him down with the choke as tight as can be. Erosa rolls on top with the brabo locked up and Woodson’s neck torqued, and Woodson is forced to surrender lest he fall asleep. Wow! What a fight, and what a win for short-notice replacement Erosa, who becomes the first fighter to beat the highly touted prospect.

The Official Result

Julian Erosa def. Sean Woodson R3 2:44 via Submission (Brabo Choke)

Jason Witt (171) vs. Takashi Sato (170.5)

Round 1

For the second time in two cards, a bout was rejiggered days before the event after a fighter’s corner tested positive for COVID-19. The hard-hitting Sato (15-3, 1-1 UFC) will look to stave off “The Vanilla Gorilla” Witt (17-5, 0-0 UFC), to try to make sure that only one fighter (Chase Sherman) holds that nickname in the company. Our third man in the cage is referee Chris Tognoni, and they jump forward to touch gloves. Witt must be excited, as he was medically cleared mere hours before the bout. Witt fires a low kick, and follows with a right to the body. Following a jab, Sato cracks Witt with a thunderous left hand, and Witt crumbles to the canvas. He tries to spring back up, and goes after a single leg takedown. Sato pulls his leg free, and pushes Witt down while hammering him with a barrage of left hands. As he pours them on, Tognoni has seen enough, with Witt practically out on his knees.

The Official Result

Takashi Sato def. Jason Witt R1 0:48 via TKO (Punches)

Kyle Daukaus (185.5) vs. Brendan Allen (185.5)

Round 1

Up next at middleweight, two Dana White’s Contender Series victors face off as “All In” Allen (14-3, 2-0 UFC) tries to become the first fighter to beat Daukaus (9-0, 0-0 UFC). Our Octagon ranger is referee Chris Tognoni, and there is no glove touch between the two before slinging leather. Daukaus connects with a heavy kick quickly, and Allen reacts with a high kick that gets blocked. They trade leg kicks, and Allen jumps forward with a left hook. Daukaus catches him in the air and tries to turn it into a takedown, but “All In” stays all on his feet. Daukaus tries to change levels, and Allen times a flush knee right on the button and sends Daukaus face-down to the ground. Allen jumps on top, right into mount, and rains down a few elbows before Daukaus turns around. The undefeated fighter turns to the cage to defend against a choke, so Allen steps over and smashes down some left hands. Daukaus turns to stop taking these punches, and Allen readjusts to hunt for a rear-naked choke as he adjusts himself. With his hooks in and back on the fence, Allen proceeds to soften up his opponent with punches. Daukaus explodes to break the hooks, and stands up much to the chagrin of Allen. In a flash, Daukaus circles out to take Allen’s back, and he tries to wrench Allen down to the ground to implement his own submission game. Allen fights off a brief choke attempt to roll around, but Daukaus is latched on tight to try to get a choke. Allen reverses the position and winds up on top, where he enters full guard and hacks at him with an elbow. That one elbow slices Daukaus’ eyebrow wide open, and it starts pouring blood immediately. Daukaus flails to get out of the bad position, and Allen steps over into half guard to drop down a few more elbows until we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Allen

Round 2

Allen kicks off the round by chasing his man down with long punches to the head and body, and Daukaus’s cut is already bleeding again. Allen sticks him with a left, and Daukaus replies with a counter left. Daukaus tags him with a right hand, so Allen replies with a body kick. Daukaus does not like that, and shoots in for a takedown. He briefly manages to get on top, and Allen defends with a guillotine choke that turns into a reversal, allowing the Roufusport product to end up on top. From full guard, Allen wings up and cracks Daukaus with an elbow to the same damaged spot, and blood is flowing into Daukaus’ eyes. The ground-and-pound from Allen is halting any of the submission attempts from Daukaus, but Daukaus manages to explode out of the position again and get back up. When Daukaus tries to take the fight back down, Allen flirts with a Peruvian Necktie, but falls to his back with Daukaus on top in half guard dropping down punches. Daukaus fires off his own elbows, making his opponent pay for those attacks in the previous round. Allen throws his legs up and sets up an omoplata, using it to sweep his foe and get on top again. The blood is fully in Daukaus’ eyes, and he is struggling to see as Allen sends punches and elbows careening off Daukaus’ head. Daukaus fights his way back to his knees, so Allen takes his back. He stands back, allowing Daukaus to stand up so that he can time a knee, and clobbers him with one that might be illegal, as Daukaus appeared to have his left knee down. The foul is not called, and Daukaus is not hurt, standing up but eating a hellacious punch that drops him at the bell. It’s anyone’s guess if Daukaus will be able to continue into Round 3.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Allen

Round 3

The durability of the undefeated fighter holds up, as Daukaus answers the bell and is ready for five more minutes of combat. He starts the round by pushing the pace and taking Allen down. Allen tries to defend it with a guillotine choke, but Daukaus defends it and loudly introduces Allen’s forehead to one of his own elbows. Allen throws his legs up to push his opponent off of him, but in the scramble, Daukaus takes side control and briefly considers a north-south choke attempt. The strike from Daukaus has caused some serious damage to Allen, whose nose is leaking and eye is practically swollen shut already. Allen tries to get out of harm’s way, but in the process, gives up his back. Daukaus secures a body triangle, and he starts hunting for a choke. Allen fights it off, and rolls to his stomach, but Daukaus maintains back control while squeezing the waist with his legs. When Allen starts punching Daukaus behind his head – and he is connecting with these punches – Daukaus nearly gets a rear-naked choke locked up. The donated plasma has almost completely obscured the vision of Daukaus, but he does not care as he tries to soften Allen up with punches while fishing for a choke. Allen sways back and forth, turn a bad situation into top position, and he starts blasting Daukaus with strikes to end the round in style. Allen swings with crazy elbows, and dives down to land an emphatic shot. As Daukaus holds on tight, time expires, and this wild and bloody fight is now over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Daukaus (29-28 Allen)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Daukaus (29-28 Allen)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Daukaus (29-28 Allen)

The Official Result

Brendan Allen def. Kyle Daukaus via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27)

Gian Villante (255) vs. Maurice Greene (255)

Round 1

Going back up to the heavyweight division, former light heavyweight Villante (17-11, 7-8 UFC) USA hit the scales the same weight as opponent Greene (8-4, 3-2 UFC) – 255 pounds each. To keep track of this 510-pound battle, referee Mark Smith may have his hands full, but there is nothing but respect between these two as they touch ‘em up. Greene starts out with long distance strikes, with jabs and reaching low kicks. He connects with a front kick, pushing the former light heavyweight back. Villante is trying to close the distance, and does so but takes an elbow on the inside from Greene. Villante has his right hand cocked back, but Greene staves him off with jabs and leg kicks. When Villante tries to walk forward, Greene swipes at him with a right hook. “The Crochet Boss” defends against the aggression with a knee up the middle, and then flicks another front kick to the midsection. Smith has now warned Greene several times with outstretched fingers, and right after Greene gets warned, he inadvertently kicks Villante in the groin when they kick at the same time. After a pause, Villante charges in and takes a thudding leg kick. Greene pushes him back with a front kick, and then sings a right hand just past him. Villante whips a few leg kicks that make Greene try to move with them, and launches a head kick that Greene nearly blocks. Greene rips a head kick back, and even though Villante completely blocked it, it pushed him back forcefully. Villante gathers himself and kicks the lead leg again to surprising effect, causing Greene to pick his leg up. He blasts one back, and we can see damage around Villante’s left knee. Villante stings him to the body with a kick, and Greene is reeling, so Villante throws on more. Greene tries to catch him on the way in with a big head kick, and Villante blocks it and does not get shoved back as far this time. Greene keeps his jab flowing, and follows one with a right hand that gets around the guard. Villante just misses with a right hand, but takes a heel to the jaw. Greene carries on with a few leg kicks as the round ends. Villante points down to the ground, possibly because he dropped his mouthpiece or maybe even from an injury, but the round ends before we can find out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Greene
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Greene
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Greene

Round 2

Between rounds, Villante mentions to his corner that he likely broke a toe, but he is ready for action at the start of the second period. Greene starts off his offense with long jabs to keep Villante away, and a front kick moves Villante back. Villante kicks the leg and Greene reacts, but it is one-and-done as Greene picks at him with jabs and kicks. At the tail end of a combination from Greene, Villante winds up with a bomb that blows the hair back but does not connect. Greene scores an effective leg kick, and Villante winces in pain. Greene turns it on, following jabs with straight punches all while avoiding the increasingly slowing counters from his New York-based adversary. Just then, Villante loads up on a right hand that gets Greene’s attention, and “The Crochet Boss” backpedals. He gathers himself to keep jabs flying, only to absorb a thumping leg kick. He lands another to equal effect as Greene tries to stay long. Villante aims a one-two at the head of his opponent, and Greene avoids the brunt of it while coming back at him with a body shot. A hard right hand pounds off the dome of the ex-light heavyweight, but he ignores it and scores a couple leg kicks that make Greene switch stances. Villante whips his foot up high and slaps Greene in the face, and then comes back with a low kick that makes Greene circle away. Greene tries to work a few one-twos, but Villante walks through them to set up a double jab with a right hook. Greene ducks out of the way, and punches to the body while Villante kicks at him. Greene tags him with a left, but does not follow it with anything as Villante works leg kicks on both legs. Greene is flustered after taking these kicks, and sprints away from a punch to conclude the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Villante
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Greene
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Villante

Round 3

Greene apologizes to his corner between rounds for not checking kicks, and after a brief grapple attempt from Villante, he checks one. Villante lands a hard right hand, and Greene is staggered. He circles off the cage, and connects with his own strikes. After both trade punches, Greene pushes off and an outstretched finger jams into Villante’s eye. Smith pauses the action, and both take a minute to recover. Greene apologizes as he receives a harsh warning, and the fight continues. Greene checks a kick, and jumps forward with a superman punch. At that moment, Villante clobbers him with a killer right hand that sends Greene falling to the ground. Villante rushes after him in a frenzy, raining down a torrential downpour of punches and elbows while Greene tries to lock him up and survive. Villante takes mount and keeps striking, but Greene manages to recover to half guard and lock Villante down to gather himself. Greene tries to hold on to an arm-triangle from his back, in something that looks vaguely like a setup for a front-naked choke. He tightens up his grip, trapping Villante in a tough position but not seeming to put the New Yorker in much danger. As he pulls Villante down, whatever choke Greene tries to employ is tight, and Villante has to tap out from something that looks like a cross between an arm-triangle, Ezekiel and total exhaustion. What a shocking turn of events!

The Official Result

Maurice Greene def. Gian Villante R3 3:34 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Mike Perry (171) vs. Mickey Gall (170)

Round 1

Our co-main event sees an intriguing welterweight style matchup, as Perry (13-6, 6-6 UFC) tries to separate Gall’s (6-2, 5-2 UFC) head from his shoulders while Gall will almost certainly be looking for a submission. Will Florida man Perry’s choice to go coachless be a boon or a burden? Sadly for referee Keith Peterson, this bout is chock full of nonsense, so it will be up to him to tamp it down. Perry starts aggressively, walking down the grappler and trying to load up on punches. Gall circles against the cage, takes a glancing right hand off the forehead and kicks low to the calf. Perry responds with one of his own, and stalks Perry down while looking for power punches. Perry wings three hooks that all are well shy of the mark, and fires a body kick that makes Gall stumble. Perry throws to the thigh, and they both throw at one another but neither connect. Perry kicks him to the stomach, and evades a big strike from Perry and tags him with a right hand. Gall backs off and slams a kick to Perry’s midsection that lands with a resounding thud. When Perry closes forward, he gets countered with a right that opens up a cut over Perry’s eyebrows. Gall sits down on a hard right hand to the same spot. Gall fires off a pair of heavy leg kicks, and a nearly falls over when landing the second. He scores another, and Perry walks forward with murderous intent as he rips a right hand that stings Gall. Gall returns fire with some pop on his punches, and shoots in for a takedown that makes Perry fall over while trying to sprawl. Gall cracks him with a one-two, and Perry commits to his overhand rights again and again. Gall kicks him to the body, and Perry grabs his leg and chases after him. Pushing Gall against the fence, Perry hits a suplex and slams Gall to the canvas. Perry quickly gets one hook in to take Perry’s back, and as Gall scrambles and grabs the fence, Perry jumps over and gains half guard. Perry tries to throw a few punches on top, but Gall keeps him at bay with upkicks from his long legs. The round ends with Perry swinging and missing while standing over his foe.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gall
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perry
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Perry

Round 2

Unfortunately, we were not treated to the corner advice or lack thereof for Perry between rounds, and instead start off with Perry throwing a body kick. Gall responds with one, and leaps in the air with a knee that glances off his intended target. Gall connects with a left, and then a right as Perry tries to unload power punches. Perry stuffs a quick takedown, muscling Gall back up and pushing him against the cage. When Perry pursues his own takedown, Gall falls to his back to set up a guillotine choke. Perry is not concerned about the choke, and steps over to get out of the choke position, getting on top in full guard. Perry starting raining down punches, and Gall responds by rolling for an armbar. Perry complains that Gall is grabbing his glove, and he forces his way out of the position. After a few punches from Perry, Gall hits a quick kimura sweep to get back to his feet. When they stand back up, Gall holds on to a guillotine choke, and Perry fights out of it with his back to the wall. Gall changes levels quickly to pursue a double leg takedown, and turns it into a single that similarly fails. Perry tries to make him pay with a looping overhand right, but Gall sees it coming. Gall snaps Perry’s head back with a right hand and then a left that followed, and reset to scores a right as he takes a deep breath. Perry commits to a few body kicks, and a jab that backs Gall off. Perry rocks Gall with a right hand and repeats it with another to knock Gall down. Gall rolls over to try to hunt for any exposed limb, but Perry winds up on top out of danger. From way up high, Perry slams down a pair of vicious elbows, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perry
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perry
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Perry

Round 3

Before this round begins, we do hear the Perry’s corner: complete silence. The final frame begins as Perry opens up with a few wild right hands, and a leg kick that allows Gall to counter with one of his own. Perry tags him with a punch, and follows it with a few more as Gall’s nose is now bloodied up. Perry swarms him with punches, seemingly without fear of reprisal. Gall greets him with a left hand, and Perry completely ignores it and one that follows. Gall lands a one-two, and then slaps Perry in the side of the head. Gall circles around the fence and absorbs a few kicks to the body. Perry snaps his opponent’s head back with a couple jabs, and then goes to the body after. Gall tries to close the distance twice to consider takedowns, but Perry stuffs them with ease. They go punch-for-punch, but Perry’s are far more powerful. Gall wings an elbow, misses, and tries to throw a spinning back elbow, but Perry grabs his back. Gall defends with a few more illegal fence grabs, all while rolling for a submission attempt. Perry walks through it and manages to take half guard, where he starts dropping down elbows and punches. Perry steps over into a crucifix position, and Gall is trapped while eating elbow. "Platinum" celebrates, looking to his corner and laughing, so Gall uses the time to roll to get out. Perry is wise to it, and not only stops it, but takes full mount. Perry commences devastation from on high, with a series of blistering elbows until Gall kicks him off. Perry walks back in and falls into a triangle choke with seconds to go. Perry shucks it off and gets top position until the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perry (29-28 Perry)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perry (30-27 Perry)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Perry (30-27 Perry)

The Official Result

Mike Perry def. Mickey Gall via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Dustin Poirier (156) vs. Dan Hooker (155.5)

Round 1

The headliner presents us with a very high-stakes lightweight tilt, as former interim champ Poirier (25-6, 1 NC; 17-5, 1 NC UFC) looks to fend off the surging Kiwi Hooker (20-8, 10-4 UFC). Referee Herb Dean may have his work cut out for him in this one, as these two strikers don’t play. There is a sporting touch of gloves with no bad blood between them, and Hooker kicks low allowing Poirier to catch it. Poirier rips the body with his own kick, and Hooker goes back to the lead leg of his opponent. Hooker steps forward with a knee to threaten Poirier advancing, and he steps in with a left hook. Hooker follows a jab with a hook, and then throws a right hand after it. Hooker kicks the leg a few times, and Poirier checks the last one. Poirier back him off with a left straight, and then he catches a kick that flies his way but Hooker pulls it away before he can capitalize on it. Hooker jabs from a distance, and uses it to close in but Poirier circles away with marking on his eye. A hard leg kick from Hooker gives Poirier pause, and a whipping kick drills Poirier in the cup. Poirier waves it off and they continue, but Hooker lands another in the same spot. Poirier shows frustration on his face, but he keeps fighting, so Hooker works that lead leg again. Right after he kicks Hooker in the body, he lifts his leg up because those leg kicks appear to be increasingly effective. They close the distance, but nothing comes of it as Poirier tries to bully him to the fence. Hooker chops down that lead leg again, while sticking him with a jab right after. Poirier fires two hard leg kicks that land with audible thuds, and he tags Hooker with a left hand. They close in, and while fighting in a phone booth, these two trade heavy shots. Poirier racks him with an elbow over the top, and Hooker goes to the body while they keep trading. Poirier gets the better of the exchange as they separate, and Hooker fires a couple leg kicks that are irritating Poirier. When Poirier comes in, Hooker sticks him with a perfect jab that stops Poirier in his tracks. A last leg kick makes Poirier shake his head, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hooker
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hooker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hooker

Round 2

The two men meet in the middle, and it is Hooker who lands first in the form of a body kick. He follows that kick with a pair of inside leg kicks, and Poirier has had enough. Poirier stalks him down and starts loading up on blistering punches. Hooker is hurt, but he bites down on his mouthpiece and sends hooks flying towards the chin. They land flush, and now Poirier is hurt! “The Diamond” adjusts to getting hurt, and quickly shoots low for a takedown. Hooker stuffs it, and catches Poirier right on the chin with an elbow. Poirier nearly laughs it off, and takes a few punches square before winging up and blasting Hooker with triple hooks. This is crazy! Hooker eats them like little sandwiches, and fires back at him. Hooker kicks the lead leg nearly out, and Poirier charges in to land punches. Poirier catches him up the middle with an uppercut, and swats away a leg kick that still connects. Defense is not a priority, as they are nailing each other with powerful punches. Poirier clinches up again perhaps for a takedown, but prefers to clatter an elbow off the dome of the Kiwi. A cut on the eye has opened up for Hooker, and both trade punches as fatigue is mounting rapidly. The power punches get a little looser, and now Poirier has a cut under his eye. Poirier cleanly lands a one-two, but Hooker ignores it and digs a left to the body. Poirier fires a head kick across the bow, but Hooker is not amused and throws back to the body. Hooker throws a leg kick, and Poirier checks it. Hooker hurts him with a series of nasty punches, and Poirier shoots in for a takedown to stop the aggression. Right after Hooker stuffs it, both men trade wildly, and Hooker blasts him with a stream of punches while Poirier takes them all on the chin. Hooker lands one hard knee up the middle, and when the bell sounds, “The Hangman” wants to keep swinging until Dean pulls them apart. What a round!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hooker
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hooker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hooker

Round 3

Hooker commences the round walking him down, with his mouth wide open, but it is Poirier that lands to the body. Poirier fires a kick up top and chains a one-two into it, and Hooker misses with a looping right hook counter. Poirier loads up on a right hand, and when the Kiwi walks through it, Poirier lands another. Both men trade jabs, and the pace is getting to these two less than 12 minutes in. Poirier digs to the body with a kick, and that kick leads to a wild, sloppy slugfest where both fighters land seemingly at will. Hooker clacks a leg kick off Poirier’s damaged leg, but Poirier ignores it and hits him with a barrage of punches. Hooker’s mouthpiece falls out, and the action pauses to replace it. Hooker shoots in for a takedown, and Poirier snatches up a guillotine choke as he falls to his back. It is tight, and Hooker can only pray as he tries to pull his head free but ends up in a worse position as Poirier rolls on top. Miraculously for Hooker, he pulls his head free, and fights off a triangle choke attempt that flies up. On his back, Poirier hacks at him with elbows while Hooker is only catching his breath. “The Diamond” throws his legs up to hunt for an armbar, but Hooker pulls out of it and remains on top in full guard. Poirier sits against the cage and walks his way up by threatening with a choke, and Hooker tries to connect with him on the way up. On the break, Poirier unleashes a fury with a jagged elbow and a line of punches that knock Hooker’s head around. Hooker takes them all without much concern, and they jab at one another to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Poirier
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Poirier
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Poirier

Round 4

When Poirier tries to start the round aggressively, Hooker jabs at him to back him off. Even with the jabs, Poirier wades through them to land a right hand and a front kick to the body. Another right hand from Poirier lands, followed by a right jab as Hooker returns fire with one of his own. Twin jabs from Poirier knock Hooker’s head back, who replies with a front kick. Hooker catches a kick that comes at him and takes the fight down, but Poirier bounces back up. Hooker holds on tight, managing to jump on to the back of his opponent as Poirier leans on the fence. Hooker drags him down, but Poirier spins out and stands back up. Poirier defends from another takedown with a guillotine choke, but Hooker pulls his head out. This allows Poirier to stand back up quickly, and “The Diamond” shoots in for his own. Poirier methodically works his way up, keeping Hooker’s legs trapped beneath him. Hooker rolls over to try to get out, and Poirier rains down punches as Hooker turtles up. Hooker manages to get out of that situation, and Poirier pops up and jumps on Hooker’s back. Poirier rolls for an armbar, and Hooker methodically escapes, so Poirier adjusts to an omoplata. Poirier grabs the cage, and Dean shouts at him to release it, allowing Hooker to slide his arm free and dive down to take top position. Poirier gets back to his knee, and stands back up, but the Kiwi changes levels for a takedown. Poirier sees the attempt and jumps guard for a guillotine choke, and this one is fairly tight. Due to the blood flow, Hooker slides his head free, and “The Hangman” concludes the round on top position with a few punches to the body.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Poirier
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Poirier
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Poirier

Round 5

Poirier remarks between rounds that he is “having a blast,” and the two men get after it. Poirier evades a jab and follows after him with a reaching one-two. The pace has understandably waned as these two warriors have bashed and bloodied each other for over 20 minutes. Poirier catches him with a short left, but Hooker flicks out a couple left jabs to back off his advancing adversary. A groin strike from Poirier leads to Hooker waving Dean off, claiming it did not affect him. Poirier lands a couple punches, and Hooker fires back with a left hook that lands cleanly. Poirier hurts him with a few short punches, and Hooker falls down. Whether from damage or a takedown attempt, he falls to his back, but he does not stay there for long. He walks Poirier down, and manages to take Poirier down for a moment. Poirier uses his guillotine setup to stand back up, but allows Hooker to take his back briefly. Poirier turns out and stings him with two punches. Hooker shoots low once more, and Poirier staves it off with the guillotine. After Poirier lands a few more times, Hooker recommits to a single leg attempt. Poirier pulls himself up and sneaks up an uppercut in the clinch. Hooker drops his guard for a second and takes a right hand, allowing Poirier to nail him with another that hurts the Kiwi. Hooker falls forward, and Poirier circles around to take his back with 15 seconds left. Briefly considering a rear-naked choke, Poirier ends the rounds sitting on top while punching Hooker in the head. The final horn blares, alerting us to the end of this titanic struggle between these two top lightweights. What a fantastic fight, one easily worthy of early “Fight of the Year” accolades.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Poirier (48-47 Poirier)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Poirier (48-47 Poirier)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Poirier (48-47 Poirier)

The Official Result

Dustin Poirier def. Dan Hooker via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-46)