UFC on ESPN 34 ‘Luque vs. Muhammad 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Heili Alateng (135.5) vs. Kevin Croom (136)

Round 1

It’s a full slate at the UFC Apex, with a long series of 14 fights ahead at the unusual start time of 5:30 PM on the east coast, with the main card on ESPN at 8:30 likely due to other sports that precede this fight card. We begin in the bantamweight division, where action fighters collide as Alateng (14-8-2, 2-1-1 UFC) crashes into “Crash” Croom (21-14, 1 NC; 0-2, 1 NC UFC). Referee Chris Tognoni will draw the first charge of the evening, and when the fighters exchange a touch of gloves, the night’s scheduled combat officially begins. The two start off reaching at one another with jabs, and Croom punctuates a jab exchange with a front kick. He does this a few more times, and Alateng swats them away and reaches out with an overhand right. The push kicks up the middle from Croom find their target, and Alateng does not absorb them flush as he comes forward to attack. As Alateng jabs the body, Croom's hands drop to defend the strike, allowing Alateng to sling a crisp right hook that cracks Croom right on the jaw. “Crash” is on roller skates, and he stumbles back to the fence. The fighter out of China does not let Croom off the hook, chasing him down and pounding on him with a vicious salvo of punches. Croom bounces off the wall and topples face-down to the mat as Alateng's punches continue to find their target again and again. As soon as he faceplants, Tognoni steps in, even though Croom sparks back to life when hitting the canvas. It is too late for Croom to recover, as the fight is over, and Alateng made a statement to start off the day with that quick knockout.

The Official Result

Heili Alateng def. Kevin Croom R1 0:47 via TKO (Punches)

Sam Hughes (115.5) vs. Istela Nunes (114)

Round 1

When the dust settles, one of these two ladies is likely to pick up their first UFC victory. Whether it is Brazil’s Nunes (6-2, 1 NC; 0-1 UFC) or the recent transfer to Fortis MMA in Hughes (5-4, 0-3 UFC), that remains to be seen. Referee Mark Smith will be the first to know, and he sits back to wait for the 115-pounders to touch gloves, but it does not come. Before the ladies start trading, it must be noted that Hughes shows a little battle damage around her eye. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Nunes starts off with a few front kicks, and she snipes Hughes with a one-two and a left hook that busts Hughes nose open. Hughes blocks a few high kicks, but Nunes is the far busier woman, at least partially landing with strikes while Hughes looks for range. When Hughes comes in, Nunes pushes off her face, leading to a thumb jab in the eye. Hughes blinks it out, and after about 20 seconds of break courtesy of Smith, they get right back to it. Nunes strings together a combination, and punctuates it with a superwoman elbow. Hughes reels from the strikes but does not bend, throwing back and retreating at the same time. Nunes lands a few fast punches, with at least two at a time in short bursts. Nunes aims the ball of her foot at the nose of her opponent, and Hughes does not like this and crashes the pocket for some sort of takedown effort. Nunes shucks her off and makes her pay with a series of speedy punches. Hughes is marked up after about three minutes into the bout, and Nunes is not slowing down as she prods out with push kicks and pops an advancing Hughes with a left hook. Nunes intercepts Hughes coming in, and Hughes protests that a finger went into her eye. Smith does not pause, instead telling Nunes to watch her fingers. Nunes nails her foe with several powerful blows, and the blood on the bridge of Hughes’ nose continues to gather. Nunes lets loose a high kick, and it pounds into Hughes’ shoulder with a thud. Speed is in the favor of the Brazilian, who cleanly connects repeatedly with punches and kicks. Hughes looks to give a few back to her, but they are either too short or Nunes rolls with them. As the round ends, Hughes looks to clinch up, and Nunes pushes her off after the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The strawweights meet in the middle, and Nunes, light on her heels, bounces back and forth as she busts Hughes in the chops. Hughes barrels towards her, in pursuit of some takedown, but Nunes easily stops her from succeeding and blasts her with a knee to the upper chest. Hughes lets out a grunt, and Nunes backs off to work her over with her effective push kick and longer punches. Hughes times one such kick up high to ding her Brazilian adversary with a straight right hand, but it is one-and-done as Nunes slips away and lands on the outside. Hughes comes forward again to tie her up, and Nunes catches her on the way in with a powerful right hand. Hughes tries to brawl with her opponent, but Nunes is sharper and connects with a fast left hook. Hughes surges ahead, only to get caught once again with heavy hooks. “Sampage” goes on a short rampage, charging recklessly while swinging her fists, and a few strikes do catch Nunes off-guard. Nunes throws back, and when she eats a right hand on the nose, Nunes smiles and laughs. Hughes continues to throw, and Nunes ducks away but eats a body shot on the way out. Hughes pushes in and bullies Nunes against the wire, only for the Brazilian to push off and ring her bell with a one-two. Hughes plants a clean jab on the nose, and Nunes replies in kind. The women trade strikes cleanly, and Nunes have more arc on them while Hughes is largely punching straight towards her. All the while, Hughes is pressing forward, forcing Nunes to fight off her back foot. Hughes comes forward and absorbs a flush knee to the body, and Nunes times an elbow over the top but Hughes is an inch away from taking it cleanly. Hughes goes after a takedown, and Nunes grabs the fence to defend against it. Smith slaps her hand away, and Hughes relentlessly pursues and lands it. When they hit the ground, Hughes unloads with a long string of punches, with her knee on Nunes’ right arm to defend against the blows. These unanswered punches continue to bust Nunes in the face until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

It is a brief slugfest to start off Round 3, and Nunes appears slightly more fatigued and her punches do not have the same pop on them as they did before. Hughes can walk through them, and she does exactly that, landing several right hands that snap Nunes’ head back. Nunes looks to counter with a left, and she brings up a knee when Hughes comes at her. Nunes aims another knee to intercept, and Hughes is throwing caution to the wind at this point. Nunes pushes away with her fingers outstretched, and they jam into Hughes’ eye. Smith has had enough with the fouls here, and he deducts a point from Nunes for three eye pokes. Hughes recovers after 45 seconds, and Nunes is upset but it is her fault for extending her fingers when holding her hands out. Hughes punches her way into a clinch when they restart, in hot pursuit of a body lock or trip takedown. Try as she might, Nunes cannot defend against the takedown, as Hughes wrenches her down to the mat and falls straight into mount. The “Sampage” rampage begins, as she smashes Nunes in the face with left hand after left hand. Nunes scrambles well enough to recover back to half guard, but she cannot get Hughes off her and is sucking wind at this point. Nunes turns her head in an effort to twist and stand, and Hughes lands a few punches to the back of the head as a result. Smith warns Hughes from the illegal strikes, and Hughes continues to work from on top as she grinds the Brazilian out. A few short elbows from Hughes lead to a series of punches, and Nunes is holding on at this point. Nunes kicks off the waist, and Hughes drops down a slew of hammerfists. Nunes wildly throws several upkicks on the chest, trying to emulate the successes of Tecia Torres and Gilbert Burns last week, successfully keeping Hughes upright until the final horn blares and the fight comes to a conclusion. Depending on how the judges scored Round 2, a draw could be in play here.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Hughes (29-27 Hughes)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Hughes (29-27 Hughes)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Hughes (29-27 Hughes)

The Official Result

Sam Hughes def. Istela Nunes via Majority Decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)

Jordan Leavitt (155.5) vs. Trey Ogden (156)

Round 1

It’s submission grappler vs. submission grappler in this lightweight contest up next, as Leavitt (9-1, 2-1 UFC) and newcomer Ogden (15-4, 0-0 UFC) combine for exactly one finish by TKO or KO while totaling 17 victories by tapout. The Octagon overseer for this one that will get interesting when it hits the ground is referee Chris Tognoni, and a sporting glove touch occurs before his eyes. Leavitt switches his stance several times, coming out awkward but not throwing anything of note. They reach at one another with long kicks, with Leavitt stretching out far for a push kick to the breadbasket. Ogden responds with a spinning back kick, and Leavitt connects with a few low kicks when he plants back down. Leavitt continues to jab with his foot, and Ogden catches him with a left hook as he lets one loose for too long. The single strikes continue to get lobbed at one another without bad intentions on them, and Leavitt goes inside with one to the knee. Ogden walks his foe down and lands a pair of punches to the body, and he nails Leavitt with a kick to the body as Leavitt’s back is against the wall. Ogden makes a dire mistake throwing a high kick, slipping to the ground, and Leavitt pounces immediately to put Ogden flat on his back. Ogden looks to keep an active guard off his back, trying to push his heels off Leavitt’s hips, but Leavitt is able to sneakily remain on top and shuck that off every time. “The Monkey King” pushes forward in the guard, stacking Ogden up and disallowing him from setting anything up. From on top, Leavitt does not do much of note offensively, with an occasional strike coming but far more of a focus on top control. Ogden snags hold of an arm-in guillotine choke, and Leavitt suddenly has to defend in a dangerous position. Ogden locks it up and rolls to mount, and Leavitt is firmly in the danger zone. Leavitt scrambles, fighting off the legs to try to loosen the grip, and he rolls Ogden back over. “Samurai Ghost” keeps the choke as tight as it can be, and Leavitt does not seem remotely concerned, riding out the round and letting the horn sound to force a release in the choke.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The second round begins with both men throwing kicks, and they push towards one another. As Ogden shoots in low, he ends up getting lifted up and the crown of his head cracks straight into Leavitt’s jaw. Tognoni calls the accidental headbutt foul and lets Leavitt recover, and Leavitt appears compromised and in pain, rubbing his chin from the clash of heads. Leavitt signifies he is good to go, and he begins up with his distance-keeping front kick assault. They may be slow and sporadic, but they are effective at keeping Ogden at bay. When Ogden kicks back at him, Leavitt checks the strikes, forcing Ogden to readjust his approach. Ogden rushes forward with a few punches to the body, and Leavitt holds his guard in more of a Philly shell than a standard hand guard position. “The Monkey King” ambles forward in pursuit of a takedown, only for his attempt to get stuffed with ease. Ogden backs his foe up towards the wall with his pressure, punching his way into a possible double-leg takedown try. Leavitt remains upright without much concern, but Ogden does manage to press him into the fencing. They separate, and Leavitt kicks at Ogden’s knee a few times with a stomping side kick. Ogden plods forward, keeping Leavitt backpedaling, but Leavitt does not stop spamming low kicks. Every time Ogden backs him up to the wall, Leavitt somehow manages to clear him out with a few kicks and crafty circling. The chipping leg kicks of Leavitt do enough to keep Ogden from unloading on him, but he cannot get much else offense going. Leavitt attempts another telegraphed takedown, and Ogden pushes him down and stands back up. Leavitt throws to punches, a low kick, and he spins awkwardly with a back fist. The spinning back fist does not connect, and Leavitt shakes his head as the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

As soon as the third round opens, Leavitt charges for a takedown. Ogden bowls him over, pushing “The Monkey King” to his back and claiming top position in a hurry. With a quick sweep, Leavitt manages to gain enough distance to push away and stand back up, and the two resume their striking battle. Ogden punches a few times, before pushing shoulder-first into a clinch. With sheer muscle, Ogden rips Leavitt down to the ground. Leavitt does not give this up lightly, but a concerted effort from Ogden allows him to wrench Leavitt down and then turn him to his knees. Leavitt still fights his way back up from his knees, and he fights out of a clinch and stings Ogden with a right hand. Another clean right hand from Leavitt leads to a weak takedown try from Ogden, and Ogden falls over to his back when Leavitt tackles him to the mat. Leavitt lowers himself into Ogden’s guard, and Ogden closes it around him to tie his foe up. Leavitt tries to soften Ogden up a little with short punches, but he abandons punches to grab hold of a can opener by gripping both hands behind the back of Ogden’s head. This does enough to open the guard for Leavitt, but little else comes from “The Monkey King” besides some scrambling to pass guard. Ogden effectively nullifies the attack of Leavitt while punching off his back and pushing off the hips, and the ground exchange is constantly busy from a control perspective. Leavitt stays on top until the final horn calls a stop to this odd fight.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Jordan Leavitt def. Trey Ogden via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Chris Barnett (263.5) vs. Martin Buday (264.5)

Round 1

These two heavyweights are about to give the Octagon a real stress test, as they officially combined yesterday for 528 ready pounds. Who knows how much they weigh now, as they both are infamous for needing to cut weight to reach the 266-pound limit. Barnett (22-7, 1-1 UFC) may give up around eight inches of height and a few inches on the arms to Buday (9-1, 0-0 UFC), but that has never stopped him before as the former chugged through the super heavyweight division over the years. Referee Dan Miragliotta puts on his game face for this battle of big men that could end in an instant, although it will not be malicious, as they touch gloves before trying to lop the other’s head off. The first kick is a stomping low kick for Barnett, and Buday responds with a harder one on the inside of Barnett’s knee. Buday crashes forward to clinch up, only to get shoved back. Barnett lands a low kick, and he intercepts Buday with a hard left hand. The grin on Buday’s face vanishes, as he marches forward to throw bombs. Barnett answers him with several, and they blast one another on the jaw until Buday pushes in to press Barnett against the wire. Buday works on Barnett with short knees and punches, grinding “Beastboy” out and wearing his weight. Barnett pushes off, circling on the outside, and winging a left hand that just misses. Buday aims an uppercut at him, and Barnett shucks it off but gets shoved into the fencing again. The two jockey for position, and Barnett pushes off of Buday’s head to gain some space. A superman punch leads to a low kick for “Huggy Bear,” and he dings Buday on the way forward with a right hook. Buday’s nose is busted up from the blows, and Barnett is there to throw bombs at him to damage it more. Buday bullies him back to the chain-link fence again, grinding his head into the side of Barnett’s face to jam him up and keep him tightly pressed there. Barnett lifts up a knee and turns to escape, but Buday manages to remain tied up with him. Barnett practically uproots Buday with a knee to the sternum, and Buday grunts and stays pushing on Barnett. The round ends in this grueling posture.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The heavyweights touch hands to start off the second stanza, and Barnett jumps forward with a superman punch and a leg kick. Buday stays light on his feet, only to get blasted with a jumping switch kick from “Beastboy.” Barnett peppers his man coming in, but Buday simply manages to lean forward and push Barnett back to the wall again. The grind is firmly embraced by the Slovakian, but he cannot keep Barnett there for too long. Barnett, with some space, goes wild with long, windmilling punches. A left hand smashes into Buday’s jaw, and Buday blinks it out and gets pushed back with Barnett initiating the clinch this time. Buday does not need long to turn him around, where he gets back to the position in which they were at for several minutes thus far. Buday leans back a little to plant several knees on the torso, and Barnett appears irritated but cannot get free. Barnett does manage to push off, and he successfully separates. Buday prods out with a front kick, and Barnett rushes in with two haymakers. Buday answers with a clean uppercut, and he pushes Barnett back with one hand as he smacks him with the other. The clinch position for Buday continues as he presses his full body weight into “Beastboy,” further tiring him out and dragging the fight out. Buday gets off a single knee until Barnett shoves him away, and Barnett wings punches. Buday tries to tie him up again, but Barnett is tired of it, and Barnett unleashes a fury of punches that partially connect or are blocked. Buday walks through them to knee Barnett in the belly, and he scores another right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Between rounds, Barnett laments that he has a broken rib. Despite this, the third round begins with Barnett ready to throw bombs. Buday wastes little time to push up against Barnett, firmly comfortable to embrace the grind again. Tied up close, Buday drills a knee to the ribcage, and Barnett drops to his knees in clear pain. Buday tries to finish the job with Barnett down, and Barnett steels himself and powers back to his feet. “Badys” lays into him with a few punches, and he winds up with an elbow and slams it down into the back of Barnett’s head. Barnett crumples to the mat, and Miragliotta recognizes the illegal strike and halts the action. Barnett writhes on the ground in pain, clutching the back of his head, and Miragliotta calls in the doctor. Barnett slowly gets to his knees and stands up, but he can no longer continue. Miragliotta halts the fight with the advice of the doctor, and he informs Barnett and others that the fight will go to a technical decision with the unintentional foul assessed but no points deducted or disqualification in the conversation. Barnett states that he wants to continue and that he doesn’t want it to end like this, but the fight has already been waved off.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Martin Buday def. Chris Barnett R3 1:35 via Unanimous Technical Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Rafa Garcia (155) vs. Jesse Ronson (155.5)

Round 1

Lightweights take the stage as we move along the prelims, as Canada’s Ronson (21-10, 1 NC; 0-3, 1 NC UFC) will try to earn his first victory inside the Octagon in his fifth try. He will face “Gifted” Garcia (12-2, 1-2 UFC) out of Mexico in a battle of North American nations. Drawing the charge is referee Mark Smith, who hopes that what happened in the last fight takes place in this one. There is no glove touch, and instead the two fighters start trading in a hurry. Garcia lands with a solid right hand, and Ronson gets off an inside leg kick. As Ronson comes forward, Garcia acts as a matador and actually tosses Ronson down to the canvas. He does not pounce, allowing the Canadian to get back up, and they throw hands again. Garcia lines up his right hand, and Ronson is just able to get out of harm’s way each time. As Ronson advances, Garcia clubs him with this right, and Ronson shakes it off and tries to pay him back. The lightweight go tit-for-tat, with one landing, the other replying, and the first swinging back. Ronson jabs down the middle, and Garcia swings back at him with a more varied approach. A faked ankle pick from Garcia allows him to wing an overhand right, and Ronson rolls through it and comes right back. “The Body Snatcher” connects with a swiping kick to the body, and he tries to throw another only for the leg to get caught. Garcia swings him down to the ground, and Ronson scrambles right back up. When they are tied up, “Gifted” gives him man several gifts in the form of surprisingly powerful foot stomps, which lead to Ronson exploding out of the position. As Ronson recovers, Garcia shoots through his hips and plants him on the ground with a clean double. Ronson once more hops back up to his feet without being grounded for long, and when he stands, Garcia drills him in the face. Ronson does not stop moving forward, and Garcia lays into him and lands flush. Ronson powers straight ahead, landing with a few clean punches, and concluding the round with a low kick on the rear leg of his foe.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The fighters march out of their corners, and they are quick to engage. Ronson marks Garcia up with a few punches, and Garcia comes forward to hit a takedown. The Canadian scrambles, and he works his way up to a knee. Before getting up, Garcia nails Ronson with an illegal knee, and Smith recognizes this instantly and lets out a heavy sigh as there is now nonsense in this fight too. Smith calls in the doctor to assess Ronson from the foul, and Ronson is a little wobbly but he informs the doctor that he is ready to continue. Smith properly deducts one point from Garcia for the foul, and he resumes the action. “Gifted” surges forward in pursuit of a takedown, and he drags Ronson right back down to the ground. Ronson scoots his way to the fence, and back up to a knee, but this time Garcia is not interested in landing knees as he wants to take his back instead. Garcia cannot lock up a choke, and as he pursues one, Ronson falls to his back to free up his neck. The Mexican fighter set up an arm-triangle choke from the guard, and he bails on it when he attempts to pass guard. Garcia hops over to half guard, where he starts hammering down with punches. Garcia grinds on top as his punches slow, keeping Ronson tightly pressed down to the ground. Ronson too holds on tight from below, in hopes of a standup or to at least stop Garcia from landing strikes. Garcia slowly works Ronson with several right hands, forcing Ronson to turn over. As Ronson tries to slide out the back door, Garcia grabs hold of his back and gets a hook in. Ronson turns to his knees and tries to buck Garcia off of him, but Garcia postures up and smacks Ronson upside the head. The punches make Ronson adjust briefly, allowing “Gifted” Garcia the slightest of opportunities to slip his arm beneath the chin and lock up a rear-naked choke. It is all he needs, as he cinches the choke tight, and Ronson taps almost instantly as it is academic and he would be out seconds later. That is one way to take the judges out of the equation, after Garcia lost a point a few minutes ago.

The Official Result

Rafa Garcia def. Jesse Ronson R2 4:50 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Brandon Jenkins (155.5) vs. Drakkar Klose (156)

Round 1

After two years away, with more than one due to a freak neck injury sustained from a Jeremy Stephens shove at weigh-ins, Klose (11-2-1, 5-2 UFC) is back in the UFC cage again. Coming back to fight in his standard lightweight category, he faces the high-flying, oft-spinning Jenkins (15-8, 0-1 UFC). Someone will bounce back from a defeat, and referee Herb Dean is here for it, wherever the fight may take place. The fighters touch gloves, and Klose lands first with a thumping inside leg kick. Jenkins swats back, and when Klose closes in on him, Jenkins connects with a solid counter left hook. Jenkins stays bouncing around on his knees, landing a leg kick and getting his midsection kicked in return. Klose rushes forward, bullying Jenkins up to the wall and pursuing a takedown. Jenkins grabs the fence but still gets thrown down to the mat, where Klose pounds on him with punches. Jenkins scrambles, fights back up to his feet, and gets dragged right back down. Klose cannot keep him there, as “The Human Highlight Reel” is active off his back and powers back upright. When standing again, Klose scores a pair of standing elbows to the temple, and Jenkins rubs the point of impact. Jenkins crashes forward through a kick to connect with an elbow, and Klose grabs hold of a Thai clinch and starts drilling Jenkins with powerful uppercuts and punches. Jenkins absorbs practically all of them without batting an eye, and although Klose is tagging him, he does not appear hurt and just remains backed up to the wire. Klose tries to finish the job, but Jenkins lifts up a knee and makes Klose adjust his way in. Jenkins thumps him with a pair of knees to the same spot, and he gains some space and kicks high only to fall over. Klose lets him back up, as Klose appears to be sucking wind as he might have emptied his gas tank trying to get the job done. Jenkins potshots him with kicks from afar, as Klose’s offense dwindles to practically nothing. Jenkins chips away with low kicks, landing three of them until Klose springs into action. Klose reaches out with a straight right hand, and follows with a right hook that knocks Jenkins clean off his feet. Klose dives down to end the fight, but Jenkins is tough, working his way back up again and signaling to Dean that he can still continue. He turns Klose around on the fence, and he works the body a few times until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

After a rough first round, Jenkins looks no worse for wear, instead bouncing on his toes and amped up to continue fighting. Klose meets him in the middle with a few punches and a knee. Jenkins kicks low, and he might have hurt his shin as the kick was checked. Klose unloads with a series of punches, starting with an uppercut that hurts Jenkins. Ripping knees and uppercuts to knock Jenkins’ head back, Klose unloads with a vicious salvo of punches that blast Jenkins and send him hurtling down to his knees in big trouble. When Jenkins hits the mat, Dean steps in. Jenkins springs back up in protest, but he wobbles around like a Mortal Kombat character before a fatality and is clearly not with it. In victory, Klose’ wife and UFC fighter Cortney Casey brings in their son, who is in tears. Klose assures his son that he is alright, and when the child leaves the ring, Klose explicitly and angrily calls out undefeated lightweight Mark O. Madsen.

The Official Result

Drakkar Klose def. Brandon Jenkins R2 0:33 via TKO (Knees and Punches)

Pannie Kianzad (136) vs. Lina Lansberg (135.5)

Round 1

A rare all-Sweden battle will play out next inside the Octagon, as “Elbow Queen” Lansberg (10-5, 4-4 UFC) rematches “Banzai” Kianzad (15-6, 4-3 UFC) in the women’s bantamweight division. The two fought back in 2012, and Kianzad scored a knockout late into the third round. With 18 decision wins across their 25 combined victories, referee Chris Tognoni may be in it for the long haul, but nevertheless he is prepared to do so if need be. The countrywomen are more than happy to touch gloves, sealing the cage around them. It does not take long for the fighters to close in on one another, as Lansberg clearly wants to clinch up and do work from the inside. Kianzad fights her way out of a clinch after Lansberg ties her up, but Kianzad is quick to re-engage with her on the inside. Kianzad pressures Lansberg to the wall, and Lansberg turns her around and changes levels for single-leg takedown. Kianzad stops it from succeeding and sets up a choke attempt with her back to the wall, but there is nothing to it. The two stall out in this position until Kianzad pushes off, and when she does, Lansberg gives chase, lands a right hand and returns right back to the clinch. Kianzad manages to circle around and take her back, where she has a hook in standing as she lands several right hands over the top. When Lansberg tries to turn out of it, Kianzad snags her back from the other side with a hook on there as well. Kianzad, from behind, wraps her left arm around the chest and lightly threatens with a choke while forcing Lansberg down to the mat. Kianzad sneaks around to get hold of her back again while on top, and Lansberg holds tight to the wrist to not let Kianzad get off any strikes of merit. This top position for Kianzad allows her to grind out the rest of the round on top, with Lansberg forced to play defense until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The bantamweights meet right in the middle, and Lansberg leads the dance with several inaccurate punches that she uses to pressure Kianzad. In less than 15 seconds, the two clinch up again. “Elbow Queen” hunts for a takedown, and Kianzad is easily able to turn her around and grate her against the wall. Kianzad lets loose with an elbow, slashing open a cut on the corner of Lansberg’s eye. They re-engage up tight after Kianzad pushes away, and Lansberg then shoves her back to get brief separation. Lansberg plods forward, winging inaccurate punches, and Kianzad spins and misses with a back fist. Lansberg surges ahead in pursuit of her favored clinch position, jamming Kianzad up on the wall and holds on. Kianzad scores a few short knees to force a split, and when they break, Tognoni brings in the doctor to check on the cut. The doctor has no issue clearing it, and they resume at the midpoint of the round. Kianzad stings Lansberg with a few punches, forcing Lansberg to crash forward for another clinch. Kianzad spins her about and pops her with several uppercuts. In a standing arm-triangle position, Kianzad tries to take back control again, but Lansberg turns about and twists her neck free. They get back to the center of the cage, only to tie up yet again. Kianzad lands a clean right hand to break them apart, and Lansberg replies with a slicing elbow. Kianzad jabs the body and knees it as well when Lansberg goes in to clinch. A little too patient up close, Kianzad lets her guard down, and a huge elbow from “Elbow Queen” sends Kianzad toppling down to the mat. Kianzad gets her wits about her, and she finds herself mashed up against the fence when standing up until the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The ladies come to blows early in the final round, until Kianzad decides to start up the clinch and bullies her up to the wire. Kianzad lets go with a right hand to split them up. Lansberg winds up with another elbow, in hopes of doing what she achieved last round, but Kianzad is wise to it. At range, Kianzad is the sharper of the two, with Lansberg hitting nothing but air when she wings an uppercut. The two come together and clack heads, and Kianzad tries to bust her up with a knee up the middle when a clinch nearly materializes. Kianzad marks up the body as the two are growingly bloodied from their battle, and Lansberg gets caught on the way in with long punches from “Banzai.” Lansberg charges, only for Kianzad to be too evasive to get caught up and clinched once more. Kianzad is on her bike, light on her feet and picking away at Lansberg. “Elbow Queen” scores an overhand right, and she plans a quick elbow on Kianzad’s face when Kianzad strings together a short punch combination. Kianzad triples up on the jab, and she snaps Lansberg’s head back with a right. Lansberg counters with an uppercut, and Kianzad is able to stick and move out of the way of most of Lansberg’s heavier shots. Kianzad scores, landing two punches, and hopping out of the way when Lansberg winds up on an elbow. Lansberg is ambling towards her in straight lines, and Kianzad uses lateral movement and fights off any attempt from Lansberg to tie her up. Lansberg looks for a right hand, but Kianzad is faster with several clean punches. The round ends, and the two bloody Swedes hug it out after 15 minutes of combat.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Pannie Kianzad def. Lina Lansberg via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Devin Clark (223) vs. William Knight (251)

Round 1

Two light heavyweights that decided that would not bother with a weight cut step in the cage for this preliminary headliner, and the results are drastically different. “Brown Bear” Clark (12-6, 6-6 UFC) comes in at 223 pounds as if he were just a standard 205er not making the cut, while Knight (11-3, 3-2 UFC) made the most of this spot by tipping the scales as an incredibly jacked and swole 251 pounds. Just as it takes a lot of energy to be a rock star, it will take a lot of energy to power those enormous muscles. Referee Dan Miragliotta might have his hands full here, and although the fighters appear intense, they are glad to clap hands before slugging it out. Clark begins with a front kick that glances off the chin, and Knight ignores it as if nothing ever happened. Clark stays away from his gargantuan opponent with a low kick, and Knight is patient and not engaging with much. Clark shoots in from a wide distance, and it is telegraphed and his neck falls right into guillotine choke danger. Knight grabs hold of it in an instant, and he squeezes hard and turns Clark around while holding him up with the choke. Clark is able to soften Knight’s body up with punches as he leans over, and Clark does not appear concerned with the choke as he lets Knight try to squeeze his arms tired. Knight continues to hold on to this position, and the choke is not there any longer but he does have Clark leaned over thinking about it. “Knightmare” readjusts for the guillotine again, practically lifting Clark off the ground in a move reminiscent of Scott Jorgensen. Knight lets go, and he blasts Clark in the chest with a ferocious flying knee. A head kick and the swinging punches that follow from Knight knock Clark around the cage, and Clark takes them flush and retreats on the outer edge of the Octagon. Clark shakes it off and drops down low for a single, and he manages to trip Knight up and push him to the wall. Clark is content to grind and not do anything more in this position, making Knight carry his weight. Knight pushes off, and Clark swings and misses with a high kick. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Knight takes the center of the cage to start off the second round, and Clark attacks his knee with an oblique kick. Knight returns with a low kick of his own, and Clark’s response is much more effective as Knight lifts his leg up gingerly. Clark pushes out a high front kick that brushes past Knight’s face, and the pace slows as Clark just chips away from afar. Whether a trap from Knight to lull Clark into inactivity, or not, Clark powers through with a clean right hand and transitions straight to a double. Knight is tackled straight to the mat, where Clark lands in half guard and exerts the heaviest shoulder pressure he can muster. From his back, Knight lets loose with a heavy elbow that rips open a cut on the side of Clark’s eye. Blood immediately pours from the gash, but Clark is not giving up any ground and keeps tightly pressed to ground Knight. Knight looks to scoot his way to the fence, only for Clark to step over in the process and mount him. Clark rains down short punches instead of posturing up to finish the job, retaining controlling position as Knight holds on tight. Clark looks to set up an arm-triangle choke, only to abandon it to flatten Knight out. Knight squeezes Clark’s head from below to lock Clark down, and it forces Clark to just work the side with punches. With 20 seconds left, Clark asks for the remaining time in the round. Instead of him taking advantage of the situation, it is Knight who makes the most of a final burst, spinning around and letting Clark slide off his back. Gripping Clark from behind, Knight exerts himself and hits a suplex for dramatic effect. The round ends with Clark gathering himself from on bottom.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The heavyweights slap hands to start off the last round, and Clark is more than willing to sit back and take potshots down low. Chopping down the legs of his burly opponent, Clark stays light on his feet and away from the looping power punches that occasionally soar at him. Clark appears far fresher, or at least looks lighter on his feet, and he springs forward with a jab and a low kick that makes Knight grimace. Knight subsequently absorbs an inside leg kick, and Clark lets loose with an overhand right that grazes his intended target. “Knightmare” throws a single low kick, and then backs up to chamber and release a slapping body kick. Clark picks at him with a low kick, and he goes up high with a hook kick that Knight shrugs off. Clark jumps ahead with a left hook, which connects cleanly and allows him to drop down for a double. Clark tosses Knight down to the ground, only for Knight to explode back to his feet shortly thereafter. With his shoulder pressed against Knight’s chest, Clark squeezes as if he was trying to squeeze Knight through the fencing like he was a block of mozzarella. Up close, Clark lets loose with a vicious elbow, and he swings a left hand that wobbles Knight badly. Knight gets his balance and stands up, only for Clark to be right there to smash him in the face with his fists. “Brown Bear” only needs a couple more mauling punches to send Knight crumbling to the mat once and for all, as Miragliotta leaps in to intervene knowing that Knight is done and possibly out after that nasty barrage. In victory, Clark just notched his first stoppage win throughout his UFC run, which now includes seven triumphs.

The Official Result

Devin Clark def. William Knight R3 3:21 via TKO (Elbow and Punches)

Mounir Lazzez (171) vs. Ange Loosa (171)

Round 1

The main card will kick off with a welterweight match featuring a classic battle of Tunisia vs. Switzerland, as powerful Sfax resident Lazzez (10-2, 1-1 UFC) takes on Swiss promotional newcomer Loosa (8-2, 0-0 UFC). Knockouts account for a majority of each man’s wins, while they have both won exactly two decisions apiece. A brutal finish could materialize at any moment, and referee Mark Smith has laced up his shoes in anticipation of such a result. The gloves are touched, and Loosa snaps out a quick jab to introduce himself. Lazzez replies with a low kick, and he catches Loosa standing still with a check left hook. Loosa stays loose with several jabs, and Lazzez aims an elbow at him but comes up short. The welterweights are tense and largely throwing single strikes at one another, and Lazzez jumps in the air to fake with something, only to land and step forward with an up-elbow. Loosa blocks the blow and Lazzez goes to the body with a left and kicks down low. Loosa responds with a body shot of his own, and Lazzez is aiming his left to the liver now. Lazzez jabs with a kick to the knee, and seeing its success, he aims another to the same spot. Loosa dodges a jab only to walk into an elbow, and Lazzez is target-seeking with that left to the midsection. Loosa has a leg kick checked, and Lazzez reaffirms his commitment to the body. “Sniper” snipes the lead leg of his opponent with a kick that makes Loosa recoil his leg, and he goes after that same scooping punch to the liver that would make Bas Rutten smile. The two trade it out, and Lazzez appears the more successful as he plans his shin on the inside of Loosa’s thigh. Lazzez is mixing things up with standing vertical elbows and kicks to all targets, inside and out. Loosa is not budging, and he sees a double coming his way and defends as he gets backed up to the wire. Loosa fights off the attempt and stands the Tunisian back up, and Lazzez holds in there at least in part thanks to a cheeky fence grab that Smith admonishes him about. Loosa gets loose and backs off, only to get chased by Lazzez to the end of the round, dodging a flying knee and a few punches that soar towards him.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two meet in the middle and let loose in a hurry, with Lazzez scoring with several punches and kicks. Loosa, getting the worse of an exchange, darts in for a single and lifts Lazzez’ leg all the way in the air. Despite this, the Swiss fighter cannot get Lazzez down, and Lazzez turns around and slides his leg out of the grip. They return to the center of the cage and trade single blows one after the other, and Lazzez pierces the guard with several jabs. Loosa gets caught coming forward several times with the piston-like jab of the Tunisian fighter, and Lazzez continues to reach and connect from a safe range. Loosa swats out with a punch, and Lazzez replies with a combination that catches him clean. Loosa lets his hands loose, and he draws a “what” reaction from Lazzez with his hands outstretched. Following that, Lazzez plants his fist on Loosa’s cheek, and Loosa wears it well. Loosa gets off a few short leg kicks, and Lazzez lands a heavier one and puts together a short combination of punches on the chin. The fighters clack legs as they kick at the same time, and Lazzez works the inside of Loosa’s leg with a kick. Lazzez loads up on a body shot that makes Loosa reel, and he does not go to it immediately and instead targets a high elbow that gets over Loosa’s guard. Lazzez slashes Loosa coming in with another elbow, and Loosa takes it on the chin and flashes a few jabs. “Sniper” fires off a heavy low kick, and Loosa begins to crowd Lazzez and wind up heavier on punches. He scores a powerful right hand, and Lazzez is right there standing in front of him while throwing back hard. Lazzez steps in with a knee, and he chains together several punches before pushing forward into a takedown entry. Loosa stays upright as he hops back to the wall, and Lazzez backs off with seconds to spare. A few body kicks from Lazzez land right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Loosa strikes first to open the final round, sensing he might be down on the scorecards. Lazzez thumps him with a powerful left hook right on the nose, and Loosa has to take a quick count of his teeth before coming out firing again. Lazzez is right in Loosa’s face with a series of jabs, and he breaks it up a few times with slapping leg kicks. Loosa pulls back after landing a heavy punch, instead dropping down in pursuit of a takedown. “Sniper” springs out of the way, but when Loosa recovers, he winds up and busts Lazzez in the chops with a right hand. Lazzez barely flinches as he absorbs one of the bigger punches from Loosa of the night, and instead kicks him a few times. Loosa lines up a left hand, slides away from a jab and circles to find his range. Lazzez sweeps the leg with a kick, and Loosa fights to stay balanced and hikes his shorts up. A few jabs from Lazzez have busted Loosa’s nose up, and Lazzez checks a kick. Loosa lifts his leg up in anticipation of a low kick, and Lazzez chains together a few quick punches. Loosa lets his hands go, only for Lazzez to get off a trio of punches that knock Loosa back. Lazzez goes low with several kicks, and Loosa begins to visibly react to them landing. Lazzez splits the guard with a straight right hand, and he jabs out a few times when Loosa bears down on him. Lazzez whiffs on a left hook to the body, and Loosa kicks his leg four times before backing away. Lazzez rings his bell with a right hand, and he clips him with a left hook that makes Loosa stagger back. Loosa bites down on his mouthpiece and cracks Lazzez back, and these two are trading heavy leather. They continue to jackhammer one another with powerful punches, and Loosa comes up short with a failed takedown try. Sensing Loosa may be fading, Lazzez strings together a seven-punch salvo that knocks Loosa across the cage. Loosa is hurt but still ready to engage, and they throw bombs right to the bitter end. When the final horn blares, they raise their hands in the air to celebrate a hard-fought striking battle.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Mounir Lazzez def. Ange Loosa via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

T.J. Laramie (145.5) vs. Pat Sabatini (146)

Round 1

Many UFC fighters come up through Dana White’s Contender Series these days, with the farm system churning year after year to pump prospects into the ranks. Sabatini (16-3, 3-0 UFC), who has won three fights since his 2021 debut on the roster, is not one of those fighters, as he came up the old-fashioned way by claiming belts on the regional scene – Cage Fury FC, to be precise. He will meet Laramie (12-4, 0-1 UFC), who was picked up from the 2020 season of DWCS, and is looking for his first UFC victory. The featherweights touch gloves in front of referee Herb Dean, and they both circle one another in the early going trying to find a striking range. They kick one another low, one after the next, and they do the same again. Sabatini shoots in low for a takedown, only to get stuffed with ease on the way in. Laramie is well-prepared for the second attempt, which follows soon after. Laramie turns him around in the fence, and when he does, Sabatini sets up a guillotine choke standing up. Sabatini goes for a trip takedown, and Laramie manages to scramble mid-air to put Sabatini on his back. Sabatini keeps an active guard, and he uses his right leg to wrap around the shoulder in a possible triangle or even omoplata setup. Laramie shucks it off, but he cannot keep Sabatini on his back, as the Pennsylvanian fights his way back up. Laramie kicks the body, and Sabatini kicks the inside leg. As soon as Sabatini sets his own leg down, he snatches up the Canadian’s leg and hits a single to take him down. “The Truth” springs back up, and he scores a trio of punches when Sabatini rumbles towards him. They both land strikes simultaneously, as they have been doing for much of the fight, and they clinch up with Sabatini pushed up the wall. Sabatini unloads with a brutal kick to the liver, and the toes stab into it in such a way that Laramie leans over in trouble. Sabatini chases after him and wings a high kick that slams into the side of the Canadian’s head. Instead of trying to finish the job on the feet, Sabatini jumps guard for a guillotine, and Laramie somehow manages to yank his head free. Briefly taking mount, Laramie settles for half guard to ride out the rest of the round and recover.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Sabatini practically runs out of his corner to start off the second round, and he wings a pair of looping punches before shooting in low for a single. Laramie defends the takedown with a guillotine choke of his own, with it threatening just enough to make Sabatini think about it. The two stand back up, and Laramie presses him up against the wall. Sabatini gets turned around, and he changes levels for another takedown, only for Laramie to rebuff him as they both drop to their knees. Sabatini goes after a double, and Sabatini pummels, turns the corner in search of a single, and lifts Laramie’s leg up in the air high enough to scoop Laramie off the ground. Laramie hits the ground on his backside, and Sabatini is already circled around to the back in pursuit of a choke. Looping his legs beneath Laramie’s, Sabatini holds Laramie down and works him on the side of the head with punches. The punches keep coming from the Pennsylvanian until Laramie wrenches his leg out, but Sabatini does not let him free completely and still bullies him with punches. Laramie rolls to his back, but Sabatini keeps him in his preferred position with a partial hook in. A few more punches fluster Laramie enough to turn, which lets Sabatini pursue a choke. Sabatini winds up on power punches from on top, pounding into the side of the Canadian’s head. Laramie is surviving but slowly fading as the punishment begins to add up. Sabatini has his foe on one knee, having taken his back with one hook in, and he makes Laramie’s life miserable with effective ground-and-pound. Laramie attempts to turn out, but Sabatini is riding him like a horse, while busting him up on both sides. No choke presents itself, so Sabatini elects to sit on his back and land irritating punches right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The featherweights touch gloves to start off the last round, and Laramie is fired up and hellbent for leather. Sabatini wings a right hand at him, and it bounces off the dome as he distracts his man and shoots for a takedown. Laramie defends it and pushes him back to the wall, but Sabatini is able to break free and swing a high kick. When the kick misses, Sabatini spins with a back fist, and that too misses the mark. The momentum from the Pennsylvania native allows him to press forward to a takedown that simply bowls Laramie over. Laramie defends off his back with a leglock, and he keeps Sabatini at bay when that does not succeed with a pushing upkick. Sabatini jumps down on top, and he pushes the Canadian over to take half guard. Staying busy on top with punches and an arm-triangle choke setup, Sabatini is not in danger of Dean standing them up. Instead, Laramie takes it upon himself to get up, as he explodes up to his feet so that he is not losing control time. Getting up by wall-walking, Sabatini trips him back out shortly after he stands, and he gets back to that partial back-take position where he rode out much of the second round. Sabatini winds up with several knees to the thigh when he pulls his hook free, as Laramie tries to stand. A trip from Sabatini drops “The Truth” back down on his hands and knees, and Sabatini snakes a hook in so that he can get back to his smothering top control with surprisingly effective punches. Laramie looks to push through to get up, only for Sabatini to take his back and cinch up Laramie’s arm with his legs. Laramie twists with all his might to put Sabatini on his back, and Sabatini defends with a shoulder lock before going after a leg. The submission attempts from his back keep coming right until the bitter end, when the final bell rings and the fight comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini (30-26 Sabatini)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini (30-26 Sabatini)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini (30-26 Sabatini)

The Official Result

Pat Sabatini def. T.J. Laramie via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Mayra Bueno Silva (136) vs. Yanan Wu (136)

Round 1

Two ladies that have struggled as of late will serve as the final women’s bout of the evening, as Silva (7-2-1, 2-2-1 UFC) attempts to get her UFC record above .500 while “Mulan” Wu (12-4, 1-3 UFC) might be fighting for her place on the roster. The bantamweights draw officiating from referee Chris Tognoni, who sits back as the two ladies do not bother touching gloves. Silva lands a clean leg kick, and Wu bounces around and kicks the body. Silva plods forward, not registering anything coming back at her, so that she can land a low calf kick. Wu swings wildly with a couple punches, and she hits nothing but air. Silva stays composed as she walks Wu down, ever so often chopping down her lead leg or sticking out a left hand. Wu is putting together combinations, with punches ending with a kick at the end or kicks ending with a few punches at the end. The frenetic movement is giving Silva some issues, but Silva stands form and hammers her shin on the same spot on Wu’s leg. Wu slips around, until Silva walks her down and clobbers her with a left hand on the chin. Wu’s legs betray her, but she is able to fight her way to her feet. As she stands, “Sheetara” clubs her with another left, and Wu shakes off the cobwebs and hops away to recover. Wu reaches out with jabs as she keeps a safe distance from the Brazilian, who loads up on home run punches and kicks. A high kick from Silva just misses, but a left hand that follows does land flush. Silva has reddened Wu’s face up, and she continues to batter the calf of the right leg of her opponent. Wu continues swinging with strikes as she kiais when throwing them, and she still bounces back and forth. Silva gets knocked back from a right hook, but she quickly gathers her composure and strides forward. Wu checks a calf kick, and she walks right into two punches from the Brazilian. Silva finishes a pair of punches with a head kick, and Wu is wearing it but still active in her own right. Wu absorbs a powerful left hook, and a right hand rocks her as Silva aims to finish the job with a knee. Wu backpedals and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Ever the confident fighter, Silva walks out calmly and dips back when Wu aims a spinning back fist her right out of the gate. Silva hammers the calf with yet another kick, and Wu sneaks in a shovel left hook as Silva comes at her. The Brazilian jumps forward with a left hook, missing and sliding away from the counter that comes. Wu strings together several punches that all clatter off the guard, and Silva replies with a club of a right hook. Wu lands a few, opening Silva’s nose up a little, and Silva marches after her like a Terminator to lay into her with power punches. Wu circles away from the worst of the blows, and she times an overhand right on a Silva kick to surprise her. Silva lets go with a reckless kick, and Wu grabs it and takes her down. When she hits the mat, the Brazilian immediately sets up a triangle choke from her back. Transitioning it into a triangle armbar, she settles just on the armbar when Wu slides her neck out. Wu pulls out of the submission danger, and she lands a few punches before standing up to lord over Silva. Silva tries to defend with upkicks, but Wu hops around to the side and claims half guard. Silva latches on to a kimura when Wu climbs into her guard, and Wu reaches from behind her back to grip her hand all the way around. Tognoni is paying close attention to the submission, but Wu is somehow able to wrench her arm free and bully Silva down to the mat again when Silva sits up. Silva pursues a single as Wu smacks her on the side of the head with elbows, and a few elbows may have landed on the back of the head even if they are not as damaging as the one that ended the Buday-Barnett fight earlier. When they stand, Silva goes after a single, and she elevates Wu before tossing her down. The Chinese fighter jumps right back up, and the round ends as they separate.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The bantamweights meet in the middle and reluctantly touch hands, and Wu is spastic with her movement as her hands and legs are bouncing and moving around energetically. Wu lets go with a front kick that smashes Silva in the face, and the Brazilian falls to the ground and crawls back up with Wu not bothering to go after her. Silva offers a congratulatory glove touch for dropping her, but “Mulan” stays composed on the outside and spams several jabs and follow-up punches. Silva walks forward constantly, and Wu is able to keep her at bay enough with failed spinning back fists or loud punches. Silva just misses with a leaping left hook, and Wu retreats and has her lead leg kicked hard. They both land quick left hands at the same time, and they go to jab-for-jab and leg kick for leg kick. Wu has a far greater volume than her opponent, even if they are not landing often, but she does crack Silva with a looping left hand. A pair of right hands from Silva opens up a cut on the eye of “Mulan,” and Silva starts to stalk Wu down and unload on her. Wu kicks the body with emphasis, and she aims one to the same spot as Silva lowers her guard to defend it. Silva digs a left hook to the liver, and she misses a swinging left hand as Wu is able to catch her shortly after. Silva steps in with a spinning back fist, and it smacks into Wu’s face and makes Wu bring her guard up. Wu connects with a combination, and Silva waves her on to start trading with her. Wu does not get reckless, using several jabs without falling into a brawl. Silva lands a single leg kick, and she uses her own jabs to decent effect. Wu loads up on a pair of punches, and has a reverse crescent kick even bounce off Silva’s face. Silva, in turn, turns for a spinning back kick. Wu rushes at Silva, looking to throw hands, and Silva escapes and stays on her bicycle until time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Mayra Bueno Silva def. Yanan Wu via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Miguel Baeza (171) vs. Andre Fialho (171)

Round 1

The third man in the Octagon for this welterweight fight, referee Mark Smith, will need to be on his toes for what is about to come next. Knockout rates above 70% accompany both Baeza (10-2, 3-2 UFC) and Fialho (14-4, 1 NC; 0-1 UFC), and both appear extremely motivated to shed the memory of recent defeats and get a win back on their respective ledgers. A glove touch is the formality to begin the melee, and they bow to one another as well. Fialho claims the center of the cage and reaches out with a long jab, knocking “Caramel Thunder” back a few steps. Baeza circles around on the outside, and Fialho stalks him down in a safe range without absorbing more than a single leg kick on his way in. Baeza plants his feet and kicks Fialho on the calf, and Fialho answers one and then checks one coming back at him. Fialho gives chase, and he swipes with a left hook that Baeza ducks. Baeza gets off a few more leg kicks and a pawing right hand, but Fialho walks through them all to stun Baeza with a straight right hand. Baeza backs off and takes a low kick, and he strings together a clean one-two that gets Fialho’s attention. Fialho just misses with a left hook as Baeza advances, with the air blowing past Baeza’s hair enough to make Baeza readjust his approach. Fialho makes a low kick thump off Baeza’s calf instead of slap, and Baeza walks him down to put together a quartet of punches that shake Fialho up briefly. Baeza lands a solid one-two, kicks low, and then chains in another such punch combination. A Fialho leg kick makes Baeza react to it, so he kicks the same spot, Baeza is tired of eating these kicks, and he surges forward to land just under a dozen blazing punches as Fialho can do little but shell up and protect himself, as throwing back does not work. Baeza just blocks a left hook, and these two are trading huge shots. Fialho runs forward with a right hook that stings Baeza and busts his nose open, and Fialho chops down his foe’s lead leg. Fialho cracks Baeza with an uppercut, and he wobbles Baeza’s legs with it. Smelling blood, he rocks Baeza with a few more, and Baeza turns around and falls towards the fence. Fialho charges like a bull, knocking Baeza off his feet with a few punches and following him down to hammer the nail. When a dazed Baeza pursues a single-leg takedown, Smith intervenes, believing that Baeza is out and only acting on instinct. The protests of “Caramel Thunder” fall on deaf ears, and Fialho has just picked up the biggest win of his career by far.

The Official Result

Andre Fialho def. Miguel Baeza R1 4:39 via TKO (Punches)

Caio Borralho (186) vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (186)

Round 1

A rare occurrence for a UFC co-main event, two debuting fighters picked up on the 2021 season of DWCS will both be appearing under a fairly bright spotlight. Well-rounded Brazilian Borralho (10-1, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) will be meeting suffocating yet powerful grappler Omargadzhiev (13-0, 0-0 UFC), and one of these middleweight will put themselves on the map should they put on an excellent performance. Referee Dan Miragliotta is watching on to see which one it will be, and he also watches on when the fighters touch gloves. Borralho claims the center of the cage first, and he reaches out with a side kick to the knee. Omargadzhiev circles away and comes up short with a responsive kick, but he is also out of the way when the Brazilian swings his fist at him. Omargadzhiev looses a trio of punches that just miss, and he is winding up with bad intentions as he throws his shots. When Borralho tosses out a lazy kick, Omargadzhiev grabs his leg and takes him down to the mat. Borralho does not appear remotely concerned about getting taken down, and for good reason, as he quickly rolls through and reverses Omargadzhiev to get on top. Omargadzhiev pushes Borralho off of him with upkicks when Borralho gloms on to him, but he cannot keep the Brazilian away for long as Borralho climbs back on top. When Omargadzhiev scrambles, he gives up his back, and Borralho takes it in a hurry and is ready to fish for chokes. Cinching up the body triangle, Borralho briefly considers a rear-naked choke before deciding to just pummel Omargadzhiev on the side of the head with elbows. While fighting off chokes, Omargadzhiev also punches behind his own head, connecting with a few effective punches, but not breaking the grip. Borralho re-adjusts the body triangle, and he keeps switching sides when Omargadzhiev looks to escape on one side or the other. A brief, awkward slugfest in this position ensues until the round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Knowing he gave up ample control time in the first round, Omargadzhiev comes out firing, winging big punches and throwing head kicks to follow. After Omargadzhiev lands a few big punches, Omargadzhiev counters with a blistering jump knee that hurts Omargadzhiev badly. Borralho lays into him with a few punches, and Omargadzhiev backs off and falls to a knee, clearly compromised from the blow. Borralho considers kneeing him a few times, but he pulls back as it would be a foul, and he settles for a punches until Omargadzhiev gets his breath back and stands. Borralho lets him back up, and Omargadzhiev swings so hard that he topples over. The Brazilian takes advantage of this in an instant, hopping on to his back and tying up the body triangle again. Omargadzhiev nearly escapes, even going so far as to sit up, but Borralho miraculously holds on and stays glued to Omargadzhiev. As Omargadzhiev looks to get to his knees, Borralho snatches up a rear-naked choke, forcing Omargadzhiev to abandon getting back to his feet so that he can protect his neck. Borralho keeps tight back control as he pulls Omargadzhiev back down to the mat, and he has the body triangle crushing the midsection of his opponent. Borralho fishes for chokes every so often, and Omargadzhiev turns to the right side to force Borralho to adjust the body triangle and turn it to hooks. Borralho gets the body triangle again, squeezing with all his might, while irritating Omargadzhiev with punches from behind the back. Omargadzhiev fights the hands well, protecting his neck from the Brazilian, but otherwise nullified as Borralho is running game on him. Borralho gets off a few more punches and even a short slap when up close, and Omargadzhiev defends the choke and rides out the rest of the round in this position.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The middleweights touch gloves to start off the final round, and Omargadzhiev jumps out with a right hand immediately after they touch ‘em up. Omargadzhiev is swinging so hard, he almost falls over again, and bounces off the wall. When Borralho kicks him in the body, Omargadzhiev grabs hold of it to drag him down. As Borralho defends when they are up against the wall, the Russian knees him in the groin and Borralho shows it on his face. Miragliotta intervenes to let Borralho recover, and Borralho falls to his knees in clear pain. Omargadzhiev leans with one arm on the fence, staring Borralho down, as Miragliotta asks Borralho to stand up and try to walk it off. The Brazilian stomps around and clears himself, and after about 100 seconds, he is good to go. Omargadzhiev is a man on a mission as soon as they resume, and Borralho knows this, leaping up fast with a flying knee that just brushes past Omargadzhiev’s beard. Omargadzhiev winds up with an overhand right, and Borralho rolls with it and fakes with another jump knee. A spinning kick from Omargadzhiev leads to a second as Omargadzhiev keeps the momentum going, and the second is planted square on the Brazilian’s chest. When Omargadzhiev gets a bit too aggressive, Borralho snags him and pushes him over with a body lock and a trip. Omargadzhiev tries to stand, and Borralho is ready to take his back as soon as he gives it up. Omargadzhiev rolls through when Borralho has his back to attack with a leglock. Turning the kneebar into a possible heel hook option, Omargadzhiev is torqueing the ankle while Borralho is cool as a cucumber. Slowly sliding his leg free from harm, Borralho stands up and once more circles to grab Omargadzhiev from behind. When Omargadzhiev somersaults again to possibly set up a submission, Borralho sees it coming and steps out of harm’s way. Omargadzhiev, hand on the ground as he looks to stand up, gets smashed in the face with an illegal knee from Borralho. Omargadzhiev collapses to the mat from the blow, and Miragliotta goes over to deduct one point from Borralho. The Brazilian claims he thought that he had lifted Omargadzhiev up, or that he had fingers on the ground and not a full hand, but Miragliotta will not budge. Instead, Miragliotta calls in the doctor and a translator, and Borralho goes over to apologize but gets ushered away. Omargadzhiev expresses his issues from the damage he took from the knee, that he is dizzy and that there might be something wrong with his eye. The doctor states that Omargadzhiev can continue if he wishes to, and after some hemming and hawing, the fight is waved off and it will go to the judges. Once again, a disqualification is not in the conversation, despite what happened. This night has been rough, to say the least.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Borralho)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 9-9 (29-26 Borralho)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Borralho)

The Official Result

Caio Borralho def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev R3 3:56 via Unanimous Technical Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Vicente Luque (171) vs. Belal Muhammad (170.5)

Round 1

This headliner is one of two fights on this event to contain any ranked competitors – Lansberg vs. Kianzad was the first – and it is the one that everyone undoubtedly came here to see or read about. The rematch over five years in the making is upon us now, as Luque (21-7-1, 14-3 UFC) knocked Muhammad (20-3, 1 NC; 11-3, 1 NC UFC) out cold at UFC 205 in 2016. Both welterweights are looking for an elusive title shot given the logjam in their division, and the Brazilian aims to cement his place in the top five while “Remember the Name” tries to make the rankers remember his name and put him in that elite echelon of fighters. The Octagon ranger for the final fight of the night is referee Herb Dean, who is geared up in case this goes five long, full, hard rounds. Phrasing out of the way, the two men show ample respect by touching them up to make this main event official. Here we go. Luque advances first, with a few jabs to back Muhammad off early. The pressure is all for Luque, who kicks the body and makes Muhammad bounce off the fence. Luque chops down the lead let with a kick that makes Muhammad turn, and Muhammad considers a takedown and is stifled without issue. Luque continues to work the legs, and he changes it up after a few low kicks with one to the torso. Muhammad counters with a right over the top, and Luque walks through it and cruises forward to make Muhammad retreat. Luque stabs the midsection with a kick, and he stalks Muhammad down without fear of what comes back at him. Muhammad has a kick slap into the waist, and Luque absorbs two punches that follow. The Brazilian marches on, reaching out with a right hand as Muhammad circles away. Muhammad sits down on another powerful body kick, and he swings a looping right hook. “The Silent Assassin” scores a low kick that is very quiet in the form of a thump and not a big slap, and he kicks on the inside as well as Muhammad is struggling to stop them from scoring repeatedly. Luque heads off Muhammad at the pass, and Muhammad ducks down with a double that lifts Luque off the ground and plants him on his back. Luque closes his guard and hangs on to Muhammad to lock him down and prevent ground-and-pound, but Muhammad climbs over to half guard for a moment. Luque manages to buck and kick Muhammad off, and when Muhammad lowers himself back down, Luque again tightens his guard. Luque frames off with his heels on Muhammad’s hips, and when he pushes off and turns to his knees, Muhammad quickly takes his back. Luque still stands up despite this, and he turns towards Muhammad and pushes him to the wall, where he works the body a few times. The Brazilian sneaks up a few knees, and Luque separates and gives chase with a few more punches before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Luque starts fast, throwing punches and kicks that make Muhammad backpedal fast. Luque hammers the inside leg with a kick, and he keeps working on Muhammad’s lead leg with effective kicks. Muhammad preemptively brings a leg up expecting a kick to come at him, and he chains together a one-two. Luque snaps his foe’s head back with a left hand, and he walks “Remember the Name” down but does not overcommit to his strikes. Muhammad sneaks a pair of strikes over the top, and he absorbs a low kick as he circles. They both punch one another at the same time, and Luque kicks hard enough to make Muhammad lift his foot up. Muhammad works the body with another kick, and he gets surprised with a left hook. The Brazilian slams his shin on the body, and he ducks a Muhammad punch to snipe him with a left. Muhammad puts three punches together, and he sits down on a right hand that collides with Luque’s high guard. Luque eats a right hook on the way in, and he chips at Muhammad’s calf. Scooping the ankle down low, Muhammad snags a takedown to put Luque on his back. “The Silent Assassin” finds himself defending against ground-and-pound from his opponent, forcing him to roll to his knees and to the wall so he can stand up. Muhammad suffocates him with left hands, and he pulls Luque back down when the Brazilian is about to fight his way up. Luque turns the tables in a scramble and gets back up, and he tries to make up ground and jumps ahead with a right hook as Muhammad resets. Luque takes a body kick flush, and he just slaps away a front kick before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The welterweight contenders meet in the middle, and like the last two rounds, Luque leads the dance early. The advancement of Luque is constant and effective at keeping Muhammad defensive, but neither man throw much of note for the first 30 seconds. A loud leg kick from Luque punctuates the silence, and he clips Muhammad with a short left hand. Luque hurts him with a right hand as well, and Muhammad ties up to get his bearings back. Muhammad’s legs were wobbled, but he is able to get them back beneath him as he goes back to circling. Luque loads up on a left hook, pounding onto Muhammad’s chin, and Muhammad walks it off but is smarting. Luque chains a few punches together, and Muhammad darts forward for a takedown. This time, Luque remains upright as he backs from one side of the cage to the other, and Muhammad tries to lift him up and cannot set him down. Luque gains a little space and smacks Muhammad with a left hand. Muhammad circles to his right, which is to Luque’s power, and Luque nails him again with a clean left hook. Luque chops at the leg when he is not punching, and he practically ignores a few punches from Muhammad. As Luque approaches, Muhammad times a perfect takedown and puts the Brazilian down cleanly. On his back, Luque lashes out with elbows, and Muhammad controls him from above with smothering top control. When Muhammad gets off a heavy right hand, Luque scrambles and turns to a side. Muhammad tries to take his back in the process, but Luque is slicker, getting upright and stalking Muhammad down again. Luque walks straight into a spinning back elbow, and when it slams into his face, he shrugs his shoulders. Luque lands, Muhammad counters, and Luque continues to walk on. A straight left from Luque makes Muhammad blink it out, and he gets drilled with an elbow over the top to follow. Luque dives forward to strike, and the third round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 4

The fourth frame begins just like any of the past ones, as Luque plods forward to strike. Muhammad replies with a powerful right hand, and Luque nearly kicks his leg out with a heavy blow. Muhammad jabs out a few times as his nose grows red, and Luque answers him with harder shots. Luque abandons a kick attempt halfway through, allowing Muhammad to slug him on the chin a few times. Luque walks into a punch, and Muhammad charges with a single that drags the Brazilian down to the mat. With a litany of left hands, Muhammad methodically works the body and head, as the two are down in the center of the Octagon. Luque looks to kick off, with his heels on his foe’s hips, and Muhammad sticks to him like a cheap suit. Luque cannot get space, and Muhammad threatens with an arm-triangle choke as he advances to side control. Luque turns to his knees, and Muhammad quickly takes his back. The wild scramble that follows eventually allows Luque to get back up, but not before Muhammad slides off his back. Luque nails Muhammad with a left hook, and Muhammad fires right back at him. The Brazilian rolls with a punch, and he flashes out a jab. A one-two from “Remember the Name” land flush, and Luque’s offense is slowing while Muhammad is right there ready to throw hands and feet his way. A solid body kick from Muhammad lands to the side, and Luque walks after him but cannot hit him cleanly. Luque reaches forward with several punches, before ending a combination with a leg kick. Luque snaps the head back with a right hand, and Muhammad off-balance is able to respond. Luque tries to brawl it out at the end of the round, which ends a second after Dean calls time.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 5

After Dean has to clean up some spilled ice on the cage floor – there is no Joe Rogan in the building to raise a ruckus about it – the fighters resume their melee. The final round starts with Luque landing a few punches, but he gets countered from his opponent right on the jaw. Muhammad shoots low for a takedown, and he gets stood up as Luque shucks him off and makes him pay with a single straight right hand. Luque scores a left, and he ducks back when Muhammad tries to land a one-two on the chin. Luque scores, forcing Muhammad to try to take the fight down again, and the Brazilian once more defends it well. Luque walks Muhammad down but is not putting much behind his punches, as he clips Muhammad with a left hook that makes Muhammad slip. A low kick from Luque draws a takedown from “Remember the Name,” and Luque is ready for it as he threatens with a front choke when Muhammad falls to his knees. Luque bullies Muhammad back to the fence, and when Muhammad’s foot hits the edge of the cage, he sprints forward and chases a takedown that brings him all the way across the enclosure. Luque defends until he hits the mat, and Muhammad sucks his legs out beneath him and holds on to him from behind. Luque manages to stand up, and he keeps a hand on the mat to prevent knees from coming. Luque sits up, and Muhammad threatens with a rear-naked choke that is in the form of a neck crank. The crushing grip does not draw much of a reaction out of Luque, who instead turns around and stands straight up. Muhammad drops down for a takedown, and the Brazilian stuffs it and spins out to break free. When separated, Muhammad cleanly connects with a one-two. “The Silent Assassin” ducks a few punches, and he chases Muhammad around the cage but is not committing. Instead, Muhammad is the one landing big shots, and he scores one final heavy body kick to conclude the match. The scores could be all over the map here, but it is a far different result from their first meeting five-plus years ago. With this final bout going to the scorecards, this long fight card is finally in the books. Next week, we can only wish for better results, and with any luck, fewer fight-changing fouls. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad (48-47 Muhammad)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad (48-47 Muhammad)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad (49-46 Muhammad)

The Official Result

Belal Muhammad def. Vicente Luque via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)