UFC on ESPN 19 ‘Hermansson vs. Vettori’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Gian Villante (243) vs. Jake Collier (264.5)

Round 1

We’re back with another week of UFC fights, with another event taking place on ESPN2. We kick off this now eight-fight card in the heavyweight division with a wild one, as Villante (17-12, 7-9 UFC) collides with Collier (11-5, 3-4 UFC) in a battle between two men relatively new to the weight class. This 507.5-pound affair will be officiated by referee Chris Tognoni, and a sporting touch of gloves begins the night. Collier sticks out a jab early, and he slams his shin into Villante’s lower leg. He fires off another, and Villante visibly reacts to it by recoiling his leg a little too late. When “The Prototype” goes for one more, Villante walks him down and tries to brawl with him, landing a few punches. Collier backs off, sticks out a jab and slings a head kick that gets blocked. Villante sees a leg kick coming and checks it, and Collier shakes his leg out from the impact. Both men swing heavy leather, and both land concussive strikes but neither ring the other’s bell. A right hand from Villante marks up Collier’s face, and the former middleweight checks his face to see if there is blood – there is a slight trickle. Collier lets fly a body kick, and follows it with another along with a stiff jab. Villante walks through it to throw a bomb, but Collier ducks it and blasts his man with a knee. As Villante loads up on his punches, Collier nails him with a low kick only to get countered with an overhand right that busts his nose open. Collier flicks out a few more stern jabs, and Villante bites down on his mouthpiece to take Collier’s head off, but the strikes only glance off the target. Collier lands a body kick, and winds up with a low kick and a right hand that hurts Villante. “The Prototype” charges after his damaged foe, throwing a little too heavily and tumbling into the fence. He gathers himself and continues to chase Villante down, but the New Yorker has gathered his thoughts and appears to have his feet beneath him again. Villante tags Collier on the nose with a right hand, and Collier’s nose is leaking badly. Collier returns with a leg kick, and Villante can do nothing but absorb the full brunt of the impact. Collier breathes heavily but fires off a head kick that gets blocked, and the two swing it out to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collier
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Collier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collier

Round 2

The two heavyweights touch gloves, and immediately start trading. Both land flush, and two hooks from Collier send Villante staggering back for a moment. Collier backs off to admire his work, only to walk in and smack Villante with a right hand. Villante is content to try to counter, but Collier is beating him to the punch as he recommits to his jab. The New Yorker sets up a one-two, and a second that follows sneaks around the guard of his foe. Collier reaches out with a jab and gets his leg kicked hard for his effort, but he winds up with a big right hand that glances off the guard. Both men trade body kicks one after the other, and Collier reaches out with a jab and follows it with a right hand. Collier scores an uppercut, and the follow-up punches get blocked. The few strikes that Villante can land have opened up Collier, who is bleeding on several parts of his face. The two engage in a brief but furious brawl, each landing heavy punches but neither man relenting. Villante is the first to disengage, but Collier wades forward with a jab and dings him with a pair of stern punches. Villante absorbs a leg kick and misses with a counter, so Collier targets the leg again with the same strike. Villante loads up on punches as Collier kicks the body, and Villante stings him with an overhand right. “The Prototype” eats it like a sandwich and keeps walking forward, but Villante does not take many back steps and meets him in the center of the cage with a thudding leg kick. The two jab at the same time, and Collier wings a left hand that Villante absorbs as if it were nothing. When Collier lands, he backs away and nails Villante with a spinning back fist, but the New Yorker does not register it. Collier crashes in, takes a few punches in the face, and uppercuts Villante on the chin. The round ends with a popping body kick from Collier.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collier
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Collier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collier

Round 3

Perhaps surprisingly, we have reached the third round, and the two sluggers touch gloves one last time. The glove touch is followed by a brief Collier barrage of punches, and a front kick that partially deflects off Villante’s cup to pause the action for a moment. We start again with an apologetic glove touch from Collier, and he swarms after Villante with a foursome of punches. Villante counters with an uppercut to back “The Prototype” away from him, and he clips Collier with a jab and a few follow-up strikes. Collier scores a front kick to the body, and Villante drills his shin on the inside of Collier’s thigh. Collier rushes at him a few times with combinations, and Villante shoves him away while protecting himself. A telegraphed spinning back fist from Collier collides with Villante’s gloves, and Villante scores a right hand that makes the blood pour out of Collier’s face. Collier wants to make him pay for the damaging strike by connecting with a pair of standing elbows, and Villante pushes him away with a front kick but his time his foot bangs into the cup. Once more we have a pause for these two big men to take a much-needed air break, and less than a minutes later, the bout resumes halfway into the last round. Both trade hard, and both land with malicious intent. Collier puts more into these strikes than most others in the fight, and Villante is staggered but he keeps his head on his shoulders. Collier digs the body with the ball of his foot, and he backs away from a counter. Two looping hooks from Collier may have hurt Villante more than he is letting on, as his legs wobble and he falls backwards, but stays on his feet. Collier does not take advantage of this moment of possible weakness, instead taking a breath before stepping in with an overhand left. Collier plants a spinning back kick square on Villante’s torso, but the New Yorker is unfazed and dodges a wide spinning back fist that comes shortly after. Collier paws out a jab and a front kick to keep Villante at bay, but he charges in with an uppercut. Villante backs away and shoves him off, and absorbs a right hand. When Villante scores his own, Collier nods at him and there is a brief, but tense, brawl to conclude the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collier (30-27 Collier)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Collier (30-27 Collier)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collier (30-27 Collier)

The Official Result

Jake Collier def. Gian Villante via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Damon Jackson (145) vs. Ilia Topuria (145)

Round 1

Shifting gears to the featherweight division, two exciting grapplers lock horns as “The Leech” Jackson (18-3-1, 1 NC; 1-1-1, 1 NC UFC) attempts to become the first man to defeat Spain’s Topuria (9-0, 1-0 UFC). Drawing the assignment is referee Mark Smith, and the two 145ers touch gloves. Topuria reaches out with a left hand, and Jackson is there to greet him with an overhand right. When Jackson kicks the body, Topuria responds with his own counter left. Jackson ducks down to punch, and the Spaniard chains together a serious combination to the body and head that backs Jackson up to the fence. Topuria continues to target the body as Jackson circles out and takes the center of the cage, and his strikes are heavy enough to make Jackson bounce off the fence. Topuria jabs to the body, and Jackson wings a right hand as he crashes in for a takedown. When the Spaniard staves it off, Jackson slings a front kick to the face, and Topuria counters with a right hand that bloodies up the nose. Topuria sits down on a left hand as Jackson rushes towards him, and he hurts “The Leech” with it. Topuria presses forward to push Jackson against the cage, and his striking is on point as he rips the body with left hands and rights to the head. Topuria nails him with an uppercut, and a left hand to the body makes Jackson double over. The unbeaten fighter lands a short left hand, and a lethal right that follows it smashes into Jackson’s temple and sends him crashing to the ground. Smith shouts for Topuria to stop as he dives in to halt the contest, as Jackson is out cold before he hits the canvas. Topuria now celebrates a spotless 10-0 record, with a finish rate of 90 percent following this crushing victory.

The Official Result

Ilia Topuria def. Damon Jackson R1 2:38 via KO (Punches)

Jimmy Flick (125.5) vs. Cody Durden (125.5)

Round 1

The bout was canceled Saturday night for undisclosed reasons unrelated to COVID-19. The news was first reported by MagicM MMA.

Louis Smolka (134.5) vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez (135)

Round 1

Closing out the truncated preliminary card is a recently rescheduled bantamweight contest as Smolka (16-7, 7-7 UFC) tries to lift his UFC record above .500 against “El Teco” Quinonez (8-4, 5-3 UFC). Keeping charge of this bout is referee Jason Herzog. The two are relieved to finally get down to business after a three-week delay when Smolka missed weight and withdrew from the match, and there is no glove touch. Instead, Quinonez starts of with reaching jabs to find his range, but it is Smolka that strikes first with a body kick. “Da Last Samurai” charges in, grabs a body lock, and takes Quinonez down. “El Teco” springs back to his feet, and Smolka tags him with a few punches. Smolka plants a heavy body kick on Quinonez’s left side, and Quinonez is stunned and cannot counter. Smolka targets the same spot, so Quinonez scores a front kick that puts Smolka on his backside. The Hawaiian gets back up, and Quinonez lands a leg kick. He lands another, and Smolka is ready with a counter. Quinonez cracks Smolka with a few punches, and Smolka tries to fire back but he absorbs a heavy calf kick. As Quinonez circles around, Smolka catches him with his own leg kick, but Quinonez is fast and hitting hard as he strings punches and leg kicks together. Smolka tries to kick him back, and his kick gets caught but he narrowly avoids the counter overhand right. Smolka grabs him into a clinch and tries to toss him down, but Quinonez gets to a knee and powers back up. Smolka targets a right hand, and he clips Quinonez with a few punches. The Mexican is right back at him, throwing sniper-like punches as he backpedals while Smolka chases after him. Smolka targets the body a few more times, and both men crack one another with right hands. Quinonez buckles Smolka’s lead leg with consistent leg kicks, but he scores a right hand that makes Quinonez bounce off the cage wall. Smolka rushes in and considers a takedown, but instead rips the body three times and takes a knee on the chin. Smolka crashes in and hits a takedown, and we can see that the knee busted Smolka’s right eyebrow open. When Quinonez muscles back up, Smolka lands a mat return and gets off a few elbows on top until Quinonez is back on his feet. Smolka races after him with strikes as time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Smolka
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Smolka
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Smolka

Round 2

Between rounds, we learn that the cut was caused by a headbutt and not the knee, and Herzog informs the judges of this. Quinonez starts out firing, scoring crisp punches and leg kicks while Smolka wades forward to try to latch on to him. Smolka absorbs some strikes and finally grabs Quinonez, but Quinonez manages to throw him down. Smolka uses the takedown in his favor to attack a guillotine, so Quinonez has to bail on it and they stand back up again. Smolka charges forward to land body shots, and in the clinch, Quinonez dings him with a knee and backs away to chop down on Smolka’s lead leg with a kick. Smolka attempts to clinch again, and Smolka tosses him down and hops over to full mount to land strikes. Quinonez scrambles wildly, and although he nearly gets up, Smolka bullies him back over and reclaims the mount position. “Da Last Samurai” pounds on his foe with relentless and powerful punches from on top, and Quinonez twists and turns but he is trapped. When Quinonez rolls to his stomach to protect himself from the damage, Smolka pours it on with a barrage of strikes. As Quinonez is no longer able to intelligently defend himself and is just absorbing punch after devastating punch, Herzog stops the contest. This is an important win for Smolka, who lifts his UFC record above .500 with a solid performance. Additionally, he gets Hawaii back on the winning track, as all three fighters from the island state lost last week.

The Official Result

Louis Smolka def. Jose Alberto Quinonez R2 2:15 via TKO (Punches)

Matt Wiman (155.5) vs. Jordan Leavitt (155.5)

Round 1

To begin the five-fight main card on ESPN2, longtime vet Wiman (16-9, 10-7 UFC) tries to get his first win in many years – Wiman last prevailed in 2014, three years before Leavitt (7-0, 0-0 UFC) made his pro debut. This bout with a tremendous disparity in experience will be overseen by referee Chris Tognoni, and there is nothing but respect as the two lightweights touch gloves to start out. Leavitt walks Wiman down and kicks him to the body, and he drops down for a double leg takedown to lift Wiman up. Leavitt calmly walks him over to his corner, and as Wiman holds him tight, Leavitt slams him with all his might to the ground. Wiman’s head clatters off the canvas, and he is completely unconscious. “The Monkey King” knows that his opponent is out cold, and he does not need to land any strikes and instead stands back up to walk away. Wow! After a few scary moments, Wiman wakes back up and can move his limbs – he is going to be ok as he eventually sits up. The victor runs to his corner and dives into his corner's waiting arms to get lifted in the air in a glorious reference to "Dirty Dancing." After his gets his hand raised for the official decision, Leavitt leaves the cage to go over to Wiman’s wife and pay his respects. What a wild, brutal knockout!

The Official Result

Jordan Leavitt def. Matt Wiman R1 0:22 via KO (Slam)

Nate Landwehr (145.5) vs. Movsar Evloev (145.5)

Round 1

The bout was canceled Saturday night after Evloev tested positive for COVID-19. The news was first reported by MagicM MMA.

Roman Dolidze (205) vs. John Allan (205)

Round 1

A striker’s delight is up now, as the unbeaten Georgian power puncher Dolidze (7-0, 1-0 UFC) squares off against “The Hunter” Allan (13-5, 1 NC; 0-0, 1 NC UFC) at light heavyweight. The two combine for one decision win across their 20 victories, so referee Herb Dean will need to keep his head on a swivel for this one. There is a glove touch, but they would much prefer to swing for the bleachers. Dolidze loads up on a body kick early, and he flings up a head kick that gets blocked. The Georgian fakes a kick to draw a reaction, and Allan is bouncing back and forth on his feet and dodges a few reaching punches. Dolidze tags Allan with a hook and pushes his opponent down to the ground, where he advances to side control and nearly falls into an armbar trap. Dolidze powers through hit and jumps back into guard, and Allan throws his legs up with his offensive guard. Allan nearly connects with an upkick on the chin, and Dolidze pushes the legs away to dive down and hit a heel hook. Allan rolls and rolls through the position, but Dolidze torques it until the heel slides out. Allan manages to slip his leg out of the way and he jumps back to his feet, and Dolidze tries and fails to land on him on the way up. Allan kicks him in the gut, and he blocks a big overhand right that zooms towards his face. The Brazilian attacks with a leg kick, and both men land powerful punches to draw a laugh out of Dolidze. Allan gets off another calf kick, and Dolidze loads up on huge punches. Allan walks through the strikes with a high guard, and he chops at the lead leg a few times. Dolidze cracks him with an uppercut, and he backs off with a laugh to score his own hacking leg kick. Dolidze paws out a left hand and ducks a big counter, but he crashes forward and possibly clacks head to knock Allan over. Dolidze could have landed a strike to hurt Allan on the way down, and Dolidze attacks the leg again but cannot secure a submission. The Georgian lords over his fallen foe with a few leg kick until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze

Round 2

Allan begins the round with a body kick, and Dolidze respond with one that skims the cup and elicits a 10-second pause. Dolidze lumps his man to the body with a powerful kick, and Allan cannot successfully counter. Allan slips a punch and scores a big right hand, and steps back to land one more. Dolidze fires off a head kick but it is easily blocked, and he rushes in to hit a takedown and land in side control. Allan tries to tie his right shoulder up with his legs, but the Georgian bursts out and lands strikes. Allan returns his man to half guard, and he latches on to a guillotine choke off his back. Before Dolidze can get into Von Preux position, Allan bails on it, as Dolidze is slamming his fist into Allan’s ribcage. Dolidze keeps landing punches from on top, but he cannot advance his position again. Instead, he rains down some thudding punches and an elbow or two, and Allan cannot buck him off. Allan again pursues a guillotine choke with his back on the floor, and Dolidze pops his head out to land more ground-and-pound. For less than a second, Dolidze gains full mount, and Allan kicks him off to return to half guard. Dolidze consistently works his opponent over from on top with punches to the body and head, being well busy enough to stave off any referee standup. Dolidze slowly and methodically lands strikes until he falls back to pursue a heel hook, and Allan slides out with ease to stand up. Allan charges after him when they both get to their feet, and he tries to punish his adversary with punches but time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze

Round 3

The final round begins with a glove touch, and when there is an errant blow to start things off, they touch gloves again. Dolidze drills his shin into Allan’s side, and then targets the lead leg with a hard kick. Allan rings his foe’s bell with a right hand, and Dolidze smiles and laughs at him for the strike. Dolidze sneaks in a liver kick under Allan’s guard, and the pace has waned significantly in this round. Allan swipes with an overhand right, and Dolidze blocks it and replies with another liver kick. Dolidze backpedals and circles away from an aggressive Allan, possibly hoping to ride out the fight as he expects he is up two rounds. Dolidze reaches out with a few jabs, and Allan kicks him in the leg. When Allan over-extends with a power punch, Dolidze attempts a takedown but gets stood up. Allan knees him in the body and has Dolidze in trouble, and he pours it on with punches until Dolidze tries to take the fight down. Allan reverses the position to ground Dolidze instead, and Dolidze is ready for this with submissions to threaten off his back. The Georgian powers back to his feet and pursues a double leg takedown, and as soon as he elevates Allan, Allan winces. In half guard, Dolidze methodically grinds his man out with sporadic punches as precious seconds tick off the clock. Allan avoids the brunt of the damage but he is flat on his back with no way to get back to his feet. Dolidze rides out the rest of the round on top, and this is the first time the Georgian has ever gone the distance.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze (30-27 Dolidze)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze (30-27 Dolidze)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze (30-27 Dolidze)

The Official Result

Roman Dolidze def. John Allan via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

Taila Santos (125.5) vs. Montana De La Rosa (125.75)

Round 1

The bout was canceled Saturday night after a member of De La Rosa's corner tested positive for COVID-19. The news was first reported by MagicM MMA.

Gabriel Benitez (155.5) vs. Justin Jaynes (156)

Round 1

Two lightweights looking to get back to their winning ways are up now, as “Moggly” Benitez (21-8, 5-4 UFC) tries to snap a two-fight skid against “Guitar Hero” Jaynes (16-5, 1-1 UFC), with the latter suffering a defeat in his previous bout as well. Referee Mark Smith is in charge of the action, and a touch of gloves clocks in this fight. Benitez scores kicks to the body and leg early, and Jaynes walks him down and starts to slug it out. Benitez backs away to avoid the strikes, and he picks away at Jaynes’ legs with more kicks. The two take turns to blitz one another, as Jaynes lands, Benitez recovers, and then Benitez lands several shots. Benitez keeps his kicks going all the while, high and low to keep Jaynes guessing. Jaynes stalks him down with punches, and he backs Benitez against the fence to wing an uppercut at him, but he whiffs. Jaynes rips a left hand to the body as part of a combination, and he has already caused some damage on the left eye of “Moggly.” Benitez keeps working the leg, and Jaynes walks through every one to try to batter his foe with punches. Jaynes targets the body and then goes up to the head, and Benitez keeps him at bay with a head kick. Benitez mixes up his attack with kicks high, to the body and low, and he snaps Jaynes’ head back with a power punch. When Jaynes reaches out to push off as Benitez is charging him, he pokes Benitez in the eye to cause a short break. When they resume, Jaynes runs at him but gets uppercutted in the face. Jaynes walks into multiple punches to land hard shots, and Benitez tees off on him from a distance. When Jaynes steps in to punch, Benitez times a leg kick to the otherwise rear leg, and Jaynes has to shake it off. Benitez goes after the leg again, causing Jaynes to flurry and end a combination with an errant kick to the groin. A second or two is all Benitez needs to gather himself, and when the action resumes again, Jaynes charges him and winds up his big right hand. Before he can connect, Benitez times a picture-perfect knee to the liver to send a rampaging Jaynes flying to the ground as if he were facing off against Bald Bull from “Punch Out.” The fighter from Mexico dives down on top to spam elbows from above, and he only needs a few until Smith intervenes to call the fight. In victory, Benitez is the first fighter to ever finish Jaynes in Jaynes’ 22-fight career. What a stellar fight for as long as it lasted.

The Official Result

Gabriel Benitez def. Justin Jaynes R1 4:06 via TKO (Knee and Elbows)

Ovince St. Preux (207.5: MIssed Weight) vs. Jamahal Hill (205.5)

Round 1

Our co-main event is a catchweight, as St. Preux (25-14, 13-9 UFC) missed weight for the first time in his UFC career before facing the undefeated Hill (7-0, 1 NC; 1-0, 1 NC UFC). This 208-pound contest will be officiated by referee Jason Herzog, and St. Preux apologizes by offering a glove touch to his opponent – Hill obliges. St. Preux starts the fight with a leg kick, and he aims another to the same spot but Hill dances out of the way. When St. Preux reaches for a punch, Hill attempts to time and overhand right counter, but it falls short. Hill kicks his foe on the body, and both land kicks at the same time. The kick from Hill clacked off the cup of “OSP,” but he shrugs it off and they keep fighting. Hill fakes high to land a left hand to the body, and “OSP” goes after the lead leg of his unbeaten adversary once more. Hill responds with a leg kick, so St. Preux slings a head kick his way. St. Preux stabs the body with his toes, and Hill fires off a left hand that just misses the mark. Hill cracks St. Preux with a one-two, and he rips the body with a left hand as St. Preux lunges out with a body kick. Hill digs to the body with a few more punches, and St. Preux retreats and trips, but does not topple over. When St. Preux gathers himself, he chops at the lead leg again, so Hill decides to respond in kind. St. Preux kicks the body and Hill is ready with a counter to the torso. “OSP” reaches out with a few punches, and he hops back away from Hill’s response. St. Preux nails the lead leg with a kick and Hill reacts poorly from it, so St. Preux hits it again to make Hill wobble. Hill tags the body with punches, and he swings and misses with a huge left hand. St. Preux gets off a body kick, and Hill crashes the pocket but cannot successfully find his mark in close range. Hill rushes in for a potential takedown, and “OSP” defends the position with a guillotine choke attempt. Hill abandons the attempt and they back away, where they chip at one another with body strikes. Hill rushes forward to blitz St. Preux, and a few punches land before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hill
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hill
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hill

Round 2

They greet again with a glove touch to start the round off, and St. Preux chops at the lead leg to disrupt Hill’s forward momentum. Both men trade low kicks, and Hill swings and misses with a pair of punches thanks to St. Preux’s solid head movement. “OSP” lands at the end of a left hand, and he plants his foot on Hill’s chest. Both men score body shots, and Hill clips his man with a right hand. St. Preux recovers and works from the outside with leg kicks, while Hill occasionally lands to the body. When Hill lands a punch to the body, his own mouthpiece pops out. He replaces it, and “OSP” drills his shin on to Hill’s thigh. Hill swings and misses, and St. Preux does the same but he successfully lands a right hand at the end of his salvo. When St. Preux lets loose a front kick, Hill catches it and clocks “OSP” with a huge right hand. Hill turns up the pace and lands several damaging punches up top, and “OSP” can do nothing but cover up against the fence. St. Preux pursues a desperation takedown and he is stuffed, allowing Hill to land a stream of punches and knees to the chest and face. Hill blasts St. Preux with a few more winging punches, and he steps up with a knee right to St. Preux’s chin. St. Preux is hurt badly and falling back against the cage, allowing Hill to batter him with punch after ferocious punch. Hill misses with a head kick, but St. Preux is firmly in the danger zone. Hill pours it on with several more punches, and St. Preux is stumbling around the fence, possibly only able to stay upright because he leans against it. Herzog mercifully stops the fight for a standing TKO, as St. Preux may have been out on his feet for a moment there. This is by far the biggest win of the unbeaten Hill’s career, putting out a dangerous, ranked foe with style points. Four unbeaten fighters came into this event, and all four emerged unscathed, following Hill's victory.

The Official Result

Jamahal Hill def. Ovince St. Preux R2 3:37 via TKO (Punches)

Jack Hermansson (185.5) vs. Marvin Vettori (186)

Round 1

After a round robin of opponents, “The Joker” Hermansson (21-5, 8-3 UFC) now settles on “The Italian Dream” Vettori (15-4-1, 5-2-1 UFC) in an all-Europe headliner at middleweight. The two thrilling grapplers with 28 stoppages across their 36 combined fights have referee Herb Dean standing between them as they greet for the last time before throwing down. There is a glove touch, but these two are fired up. Both middleweights paw at one another to find their range, and Hermansson lands a leg kick that make Vettori pick his leg up and dance for a second. The Italian loads up on a left hand, and it bounces off Hermansson’s forehead. Vettori lands another left hand, and Hermansson respond with two punches and an inside leg kick. “The Joker” lands on the outside of his opponent’s leg, and Vettori crashes in on him to land a few punches. Vettori charges him and stings Hermansson with an uppercut, and the Swede shakes it off and starts reaching out with a jab. Vettori punches the body, and Hermansson blasts him with a body kick that makes Vettori wince. Both men trade heavy leather on the inside, and Hermansson counters when Vettori lands on him. Hermansson cracks him with a right hand, and then lands a low kick for good measure. Vettori is walking his man down, and Hermansson fakes a takedown to make the Italian reconsider himself. Vettori rushes in with a chain of punches, and he swarms and drops Hermansson with a fierce one-two. As he keeps landing punches from above, Dean is taking a close eye on the action, but Vettori opts to pursue a guillotine choke. Hermansson welcomes it as the choke is not tight, and Vettori lets it go to drop down a few elbows. Hermansson lets him grab on to a guillotine choke again so that he can clear out the cobwebs, and Vettori lets go and works the body with several punches. Hermansson maintains a high guard when Vettori pushes him over, and the Italian drops down some heavy hammerfists as Hermansson is stuck against the fence. Vettori drops down for another guillotine choke, but the arm is not under the chin so Hermansson sits up and gets punched in the ribs repeatedly. Vettori slices over to side control, and when Hermansson sits up, Vettori once more considers the guillotine. Hermansson bursts to his feet and lands an uppercut as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Vettori
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Vettori
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Vettori

Round 2

Hermansson aggressively starts the round with a heavy right hand, and backs Vettori up quickly. The Swede lands a thudding body kick, and Vettori sneaks in a counter to catch Hermansson with a few punches. “The Joker” shoots low for a single leg takedown, and he puts Vettori down on his backside but only for a moment. Vettori defends with a guillotine choke, and Hermansson manages a mat return until Vettori sweeps him to wind up in full guard. Vettori stays heavy to not allow Hermansson to scramble, but the Swede throws his legs up for an omoplata sweep. Vettori breaks it up and remains on top, and pushes over Hermansson to try to advance his position. Hermansson sits up but gets shoved over, and he tries to utilize butterfly hooks to kick off or attempt a submission. Vettori manages to pass to half guard, but Hermansson threats from below to make Vettori stand up. The Italian kicks his foe in the thigh and backside a few times, but Hermansson springs back to his feet and takes a one-two on the chin. “The Italian Dream” targets the body with a right hand, and he slips an overhand right to land two of his own. Hermansson swings and misses with an unusual pawing right hand, and he stops Vettori briefly by kicking the inside leg. Hermansson digs to the body and jabs up top, only to shoot in for a single. Vettori knees him in the chest as he stops the takedown, standing Hermansson up and ducking the spinning back elbow. Vettori lands a few punches as he slips a couple Hermansson punches, and he stings Hermansson with a power right hand. Hermansson slams his shin into the midsection of his foe, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vettori

Round 3

Hermansson comes out guns blazing again, ripping the body with a kick and landing a couple left hands as well. Vettori clips Hermansson with a lunging left hand, so Hermansson kicks the calf twice. When Hermansson kicks on the inside leg, Vettori checks it and misses with a counter. Vettori scores on a right hand, and Hermansson pays him back with one. Although Hermansson boots him in the head with a kick, Vettori ignores it and walks him down to crack him with a left hand. When Vettori swings hard, Hermansson drops down for a single and grabs the leg. Vettori keeps upright and hops away, but he takes a pair of body kicks on the way out. As Vettori starts to get a jab going, Hermansson again changes levels for a single. “The Italian Dream” scrambles well enough so that they both fall over, and get back up before either can capitalize. Hermansson scores a big right hand, and shoots in for a takedown as Vettori takes a deep breath while stuffing it. Hermansson lands a few punches from a distance, getting off a shovel hook. Hermansson lands a few punches, and Vettori tries to give it back to him but his strikes may not have the same pop on them as the first round. Hermansson lands a few and Vettori clinches, but the Italian shoves him away before either can get a knee off. Both trade jabs, and Vettori blocks two punches to land three. Hermansson smacks Vettori with two big right hands, and Vettori takes them on the chin and throws back. Vettori splits the guard with a left hand, and both land at the same time with heavy punches. Hermansson takes a kick to the breadbasket and walks forward to ding Vettori on the jaw repeatedly, and the Swede’s jab is showing some appreciable damage. A few punches bounce off Hermansson’s guard as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hermansson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hermansson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hermansson

Round 4

Hermansson once more starts aggressively, swinging hard as he marches down his foe. The Italian stands his ground and swings back, landing a few punches in the face and scoring to the body. Vettori sits down on a left hand that catches Hermansson flush, but the Swede takes it on the brow and throws back. Both men swing wildly with right hands, and Vettori sticks a jab and moves to avoid the returning blow. Hermansson lands a glancing right hand to make Vettori retreat, and he stands in front of his Italian foe to make him trade. Vettori is able to repeatedly score his crisp left hand, but they are largely single strikes as Hermansson chains together combinations. A left and a right score from the Swede, and the two are just slugging it out in the center of the cage one after the other. Vettori steps in with a big left, and Hermansson swings recklessly and misses four times. Vettori’s pace has improved from the previous round, but Hermansson is the one doing the pursuing as he makes Vettori back away. The tide keeps turning as one unloads a salvo of punches, only for the other to do the same. Vettori gets off a few left hands that go through the guard, and Hermansson is walking into them as he chambers looping right hooks again and again. Hermansson attacks the leg once, and Vettori reacts but flicks out a jab to make Hermansson take a step back. Hermansson nails Vettori with a pair of hard uppercuts, and Vettori retreats along the fence to gather himself. Vettori bites down on his mouthpiece and lands several concussive punches, ending a powerful combination with a body kick. Three big punches from Vettori land flush, and Hermansson is unable to pay him back for the strikes. Vettori stands firm and swings it out with his foe, landing a few left hands until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vettori

Round 5

Hermansson sprints out of his corner like his hair is on fire, landing a leg kick and a few punches. Vettori is ready for him, cracking the Swede with power punches. Vettori stings him with a left, a right and another left. Hermansson fiercely attacks with several massive punches, but Vettori sees them coming and weathers the storm to throw right back. “The Joker” is not joking as he furiously assaults his opponent. Vettori ducks, moves, eats shots and throws back. Vettori backs away from an oncoming combination, and he strings together punches in bunches while Hermansson is loading up on home run punches. Vettori sticks him and moves, landing a few left hands to get Hermansson’s attention. Hermansson wisely clinches up after taking the damage, but Vettori shoves him away to not give his foe a moment to breathe. They are standing in front of each other and trading, and the strike totals are likely off the charts in this clash. Hermansson lands one, Vettori lands two, and so on. Three punches from Vettori are blocked, as Hermansson clips him with three of his own while shouting for emphasis. Hermansson rips several uppercuts through the guard, and Vettori shrugs them off to trade back at him. Hermansson backs Vettori against the cage, but he cannot capitalize on it as Vettori circles away and scores. Vettori’s strikes are straighter and less wild, allowing him to intercept an advancing Hermansson before the hooks can land. Vettori clinches up to grind out the waning seconds, and Dean calls for them to work multiple times. Vettori looks for a trip while Hermansson rolls, and he grabs hold of a heel hook in the last seconds. The Italian spins out and takes top position, where he remains until this frenetic fight ends. This was a spectacular performance from both men, but more so for Vettori, who should take home a decision to become the winningest Italian fighter in UFC history (tied with Alessio Sakara) – doing so in the first-ever UFC headliner for an Italian. This event in the books, next week we will be joined by a pay-per-view card capped by a flyweight title fight with the champ on a short turnaround. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vettori (49-45 Vettori)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vettori (49-45 Vettori)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vettori (49-45 Vettori)

The Official Result

Marvin Vettori def. Jack Hermansson via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)