UFC on Fuel TV 7 Results: ‘Barao vs. McDonald’ Play-by-Play & Updates
UFC on Fuel TV 7 Fight Card
- Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald
- Dustin Poirier vs. Cub Swanson
- Cyrille Diabate vs. Jimi Manuwa
- Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago
- Ryan Jimmo vs. James Te Huna
- Che Mills vs. Matthew Riddle
- Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte
- Danny Castillo vs. Paul Sass
- Josh Grispi vs. Andy Ogle
- Stanislav Nedkov vs. Tom Watson
- Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka
- Ulysses Gomez vs. Phil Harris
Sherdog.com will report from Wembley Arena in London at approximately 12:20 p.m. ET/9:20 a.m. PT with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fuel TV 7, which is headlined by a bantamweight interim title bout pitting Renan Pegado against Michael McDonald.
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.
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Ulysses Gomez vs. Phil Harris
Round 1
Neil Hall is the referee for this flyweight bout. Gomez works some leg kicks, staying outside the punching range of Harris, who looks to throw over the top. The kicks are working and Harris’ leg buckles early, but about a minute into the round, Gomez catches the Brit in the cup. Harris recovers, Gomez gets a warning and they resume with 3:30 left in the round. Harris times a kick and takes Gomez to the ground, but quickly lets him back up. After absorbing a few more, Harris tries a low kick of his own. He catches another Gomez kick, can’t turn it into anything. Harris grazes Gomez with a counter, lands a short low kick inside. Now Harris goes down the middle with a right hand and another low kick comes behind it. Gomez gets inside on a shot but can’t bring Harris down and finishes clinching on the fence.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gomez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gomez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gomez
Round 2
More leg kicks from Gomez to open up round two, but now Harris is starting to find his counter. Harris sticks “Useless” with a jab and an inside leg kick, though Gomez’s kicks to the outside are coming back harder. Harris has the counter-minded Gomez moving backward, mixing up punches to the body and head. When Gomez comes in for a takedown attempt, Harris shuts him down, backs him off and feeds him another couple hooks. Through this all, Gomez is chipping away at the lead leg of Harris with outside leg kicks. Gomez leaps in with a knee that draws a nod from Harris. Gomez finishes the round slapping Harris with another couple leg kicks.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Harris
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Gomez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Harris
Round 3
Gomez is kept at the end of Harris’ punches for the opening minute, then tries to come in for a clinch. Harris shoves him away, lands a hook and a leg kick, and now Gomez is sporting a small cut under his right eye. Harris catches a leg kick and tries to chase Gomez down, can’t make anything of it. A straight shot from Harris draws a small cheer from the crowd; Gomez answers back with more kicks. Harris digs a right hand to the body and backs out of the way of a leg kick. Gomez trying to get in behind a jab, tries a kick and gets knocked to the ground off-balance. Harris catches a kick and stings Gomez with a counter. Down to the final 20 seconds and Harris throws a hook to the body. Gomez tries one last leaping knee just before the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Harris (29-28 Harris)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Harris (29-28 Gomez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Harris (29-28 Harris)
Official result: The judges score the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Phil Harris.
Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka
Round 1
Leon Roberts is the referee for this bantamweight bout. The southpaws are off to a tentative start, just exchanging leg kicks in the early going. Tezuka gets inside to clinch and takes a sharp knee to the body from Lee, who defends a takedown on the fence with a whizzer. They break and Tezuka slaps to the outside with a leg kick. Lee comes forward and pops Tezuka with a right hand before the Japanese fighter grabs a single-leg. He loses the shot and instead pushes Lee against the cage. Not much coming from Tezuka, while Lee is at least offering some offense to the body while he defends the takedown. They’re split up and Tezuka instantly goes for another takedown, finishing the round holding Lee on the cage.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lee
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lee
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lee
Round 2
Tezuka shoots again, can’t get it and instead tries to pull guard. It seems like a bad idea, as he nearly pulls Lee straight into full mount, but Tezuka gets out of the precarious position by rolling for a leglock. Lee extracts his leg and tries to hold Tezuka at the base of the fence. Tezuka drives forward on a leg and finishes the takedown, can’t do much with the position. Lee gets back to his feet, then gets off the fence. Tezuka is soon back inside, working on another single-leg against the cage. Lee peppers with short punches to the body and Tezuka pulls guard just before the horn, trying for another leglock.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lee
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Tezuka
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lee
Round 3
It’s not long before Tezuka is shooting again, holding Lee against the fence and trying to drag the Englishman down. It doesn’t work, as Lee threatens with knees until he’s able to escape. This doesn’t deter Tezuka, who immediately comes back and reattaches himself to Lee on the cage. Referee Roberts splits them up with about two minutes remaining in the round... and this lasts a few seconds before Tezuka gets an underhook and pushes Lee against the fence. Lee shoves Tezuka off and comes forward with a right hook, but Tezuka changes levels, grabs hold of Lee’s left leg and rushes him to the cage again. Lee keeps busy to the horn, peppering Tezuka with punches to the body and one last knee before time expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lee (30-27 Lee)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lee (29-28 Lee)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lee (30-27 Lee)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Vaughan Lee.
Stanislav Nedkov vs. Tom Watson
Round 1
Kevin Mulhall is the referee for this middleweight bout. Watson is quick to push Nedkov against a cage post with an underhook, working some knees up the middle which the Bulgarian is forced to defend. Watson cracks him with a good elbow over the top and then goes back to knees from the clinch. Nedkov swings wildly, trying to get off the cage, but Watson just steps out and walks right back in to deliver more knees. They break momentarily until Watson steps back in with another knee, grabs the Thai plum and knees Nedkov’s body again. Nedkov backs him off with an uppercut and a left hand. Nedkov walks him down and rips a shot to the body. Watson is dazed and Nedkov drops him to the ground, where he starts pounding away with hammerfists. Watson is barely hanging on as ref Mulhall hovers nearby for the final seconds of the round. What a turnaround from Nedkov in the closing 30 seconds.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Nedkov
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Nedkov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Nedkov
Round 2
Nedkov cracks Watson with a big right hand, then comes forward to keep the pressure on “Kong.” The Bulgarian hits a takedown at the base of the fence and works to hold Watson down in between punches. Watson uses the fence at his back to work up to his feet and turn Nedkov around against the fence. Watson works some hard knees to the body before Nedkov turns him around and takes him down again. Watson pops back up quickly and lands a few hooks to the body before grabbing the clinch and going back to his knees. Nedkov tries to change levels and gets denied this time. Watson keeps him on the cage and drills him with knees up the middle as the partisan crowd starts to rev up. Nedkov is just eating shot after shot, knees, elbows and punches from Watson against the fence. A four-punch combo and a knee to the body finally combine to put Nedkov on the floor, and referee Mulhall steps in to rescue the Bulgarian. Tom “Kong” Watson gets the TKO win at 4:42 of round two.
Josh Grispi vs. Andy Ogle
Round 1
Marc Goddard is the referee for this featherweight fight. Grispi comes right forward on Ogle and cracks the Englishman with a right hand. He drags Ogle to the ground and works to secure the back, then switches to an omoplata and a triangle attempt. Ogle stacks Grispi, preventing him from fully cinching the triangle while also thumping the American with some hard punches. Midway through the round, Grispi is still trying to close up the triangle, but he loses it as Ogle socks him with more left hands to the face. One minute left in the opening round and Ogle works from Grispi’s closed guard while Grispi leans to the side and tries to control an arm.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Grispi
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Ogle
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Grispi
Round 2
Grispi tries to take Ogle down but again winds up underneath the Englishman, who quickly works to secure his man’s back. With one hook in, Ogle waits for Grispi and thuds with hard punches to the head and body. Ogle momentarily gets his second hook in, then loses it and turns Grispi over, setting up in half-guard on Grispi’s right side. Grispi tries to stand and Ogle climbs on his back with one hook in. Grispi puts his head on the ground, trying to shake off Ogle, who’s riding pretty high on the back. He’s unable to ditch the “Little Axe” and finishes the round with Ogle still hanging off his back.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Ogle
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Ogle
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Ogle
Round 3
Ogle lands a liver kick and Grispi is hurt, moving backward toward the fence. Ogle closes in on him and Grispi tries a guillotine as they go to the ground, one which Ogle is quick to pop out of. Now working from Grispi’s closed guard, Ogle works some short punches and shoulder strikes on the ground. Grispi bucks and squirms underneath, trying to get out or throw up his legs, to no avail. Ogle is heavy on top, denying sub attempts and grinding the American down with brutish ground-and-pound. Grispi escapes to his feet inside the last minute but is immediately taken back down, where Ogle holds him to the final horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Ogle (29-28 Ogle)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Ogle (30-27 Ogle)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Ogle (29-28 Ogle)
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Andy Ogle.
Danny Castillo vs. Paul Sass
Round 1
Neil Hall is the referee for this lightweight bout. Sass gets Castillo ducking with a right hand. When Castillo goes to take him down, Sass leaps guard with a flying triangle attempt and tries to wrap up the still-standing Team Alpha Male fighter. Castillo slams him violently to the ground, and it does enough to break up the triangle attempt. Sass rolls underneath for a leg, can’t get it and winds up underneath Castillo, who cracks Sass with some hard, short punches from half-guard. Sass regains full guard and starts looking for another triangle. Castillo gets free of that and Sass goes for a heel hook instead. Sass tries to drive forward on it and hit a takedown of his own, but Castillo sprawls well and puts Sass back down at the base of the fence. Castillo stands up, lands a few punches and quickly has to defend another heel hook attempt. The sequence repeats, but this time Castillo stands on top for a moment and continues throwing punches. The heel hook looks deep as Sass goes for a second attempt; Castillo isn’t concerned and continues rolling until he escapes. Back in Sass’ guard, Castillo drops heavy elbows, then has to defend against another heel hook before the round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Castillo
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Sass
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Round 2
Castillo ducks looping punch from Sass and takes him down at the base of the fence. Heavy elbows and punches come from the top as Castillo fends off an armbar attempt and keeps the slowing Sass pinned down. Halfway through the round, ref Hall issues a stand-up order. They’re only vertical for a few seconds before Castillo times a sloppy Sass punch and plows him back to the ground. Sass isn’t trying for heel hooks underneath anymore and is looking increasingly helpless to escape the heavy pressure from Castillo on top. Castillo postures up and finishes with a strong barrage of hammerfists before the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Castillo
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Round 3
Sass backs Castillo away with a spinning kick to the body. Castillo misses a big right hand and Sass replies with a couple inside leg kicks. When Sass comes forward swinging, Castillo is waiting and hits another takedown with 3:30 left in the fight. Sass tries to control the wrists, maybe looking for a last-ditch triangle attempt, but Castillo breaks him up with elbows from guard. Sass uses butterfly guard to create some space, still holding on to Castillo’s wrists, and tries to creep up with a triangle. Castillo snuffs it out and moves to north-south position with 90 seconds left in the round. Side control for Castillo now, leaning from Sass’ right to left in the middle of the cage. There’s good control from Castillo on the ground and he’s able to keep Sass there to the end of the fight.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Castillo (30-27 Castillo)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Castillo (29-28 Castillo)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo (30-27 Castillo)
Official result: The judges score the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Danny Castillo.
Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte
Round 1
Marc Goddard is the referee for this lightweight fight. Forte rushes right at Etim with a wild right hand, but the English fighter is able to reset and work some leg kicks on the outside. Forte gets in on Etim and pushes him against the fence. Etim stifles the Brazilian’s takedown attempt by controlling the wrists until he can break away. Ninety seconds left and this round is still up for grabs as Forte catches a kick and tries to chase Etim down. Etim puts Forte on the fence and Forte turns it around, exiting with a standing elbow. Forte gets underneath an Etim spinning kick and hits a takedown with 30 seconds left, but Etim is right back up.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Forte
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Forte
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Forte
Round 2
Etim keeps Forte at bay with a jab in the opening moments of round two, but soon the Brazilian is pushing Etim against the fence with an underhook, trying to take out the Brit’s legs. Not much offense to speak of as they grapple for position on the fence. Forte lands a knee to the body as they exit the clinch and then stuns Etim with punches. Forte keeps after Etim, who tilts to the ground after another Forte combo connects. Forte follows him down and tries to pound Etim out, but Etim regains enough of his senses to wrap him up. Forte spends the rest of the round landing sporadic ground-and-pound but hops into full mount with seconds left on the clock and drops some heavy shots on Etim’s face.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Forte
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Forte
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Forte
Round 3
Forte puts Etim right back on the fence with an underhook, holding the Englishman on the outside as both men look increasingly tired. Forte hits a takedown and stands over Etim, dropping punches through guard. Etim just tries to control the wrists and wrap up from underneath. Despite this, Forte manages some ground-and-pound through the waning moments of the round and finishes the fight on top.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Forte (30-27 Forte)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Forte (30-27 Forte)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Forte (30-27 Forte)
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Renee Forte.
Che Mills vs. Matt Riddle
Round 1
Kevin Mulhall is the referee for this welterweight bout. Riddle goes after a single-leg takedown and eats a knee from Mills as they move toward the fence. Riddle lets go of the leg and tries to drag Mills down with underhooks instead. He changes levels again, switching to a double-leg, then a single again and finally spinning Mills down with 3:30 left in the round. Mills posts and stands quickly but Riddle puts him right back on the fence. Mills shoves him off, comes forward and attacks Riddle with leg kicks. He socks Riddle with a left before the American puts him on the fence again. The struggle ends with another Riddle takedown, and he’s able to keep Mills on the ground for the last half minute.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Riddle
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Riddle
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Riddle
Round 2
Riddle goes for a single-leg and Mills tries to take his head off with the other leg. They go to the floor, the kick having little effect, and Riddle moves straight into north-south position. Riddle is framing up a north-south choke at first but lets it go and sets up in cross-side control, leaning from Mills’ left to right in the center of the cage. Riddle works some knees to the body, gets stuffed back to guard and then gets back to side control. Mills regains half-guard with 90 seconds left in the round; Riddle uses the opportunity to extract his ankle and take mount. Mills gives up his back and Riddle quickly sinks in both hooks, then switches to a body triangle. Mills puts his back on the canvas and Riddle finishes the round in full mount, dropping short strikes on Mills’ face.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Riddle
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Riddle
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Riddle
Round 3
Mills isn’t trying to give Riddle any chance for takedowns, coming at the American with punches in the opening minute of the final round. Riddle goes low for a takedown attempt on the fence but Mills nearly hits a switch and Riddle is forced stand back up. Mills widens his base as Riddle tries to finish a double-leg. They come off the fence and Mills sprawls all the way out. Riddle keeps after the takedown, though, and eventually puts Mills on his back, away from the fence. With about a minute remaining, Mills sweeps on top and stands over Riddle, who circles his legs and wastes a few seconds, forcing a stand-up from ref Mulhall. Fittingly, Riddle finishes the fight going for a takedown against the cage.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Riddle (30-27 Riddle)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Riddle (30-27 Riddle)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Riddle (30-27 Riddle)
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28 Riddle, 29-28 Mills and 30-27 for the winner by split decision, Matt Riddle.
Ryan Jimmo vs. James Te Huna
Round 1
Leon Roberts is the referee for this 205-pound bout. Te Huna gets underhooks and puts Jimmo on the fence immediately. They clinch on the fence without much happening until referee Roberts breaks them up. Seconds later, Jimmo drops Te Huna with a head kick and chases him to the ground, trying to smash the New Zealander out with heavy punches. Te Huna is cut badly around his right eye but hangs in and survives the onslaught to wrap up Jimmo in his guard. Te Huna stands and drops back down, trying to snare Jimmo with a guillotine that disappears as soon as they hit the ground again. Jimmo shucks the legs and passes to side control, but Te Huna gets to his knees and it’s north-south position with two minutes left in the round. Te Huna opens up his guard and lands some hard elbows from his back. He throws some punches and gets a warning from the ref to mind the back of Jimmo’s head.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Jimmo
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jimmo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Jimmo
Round 2
Te Huna is looking for a takedown early in round two, but two attempts to elevate and slam Jimmo do not work. Jimmo turns Te Huna around, putting his back to the fence and working to trip his legs out from underneath. Te Huna reverses again and this time he is able to slam Jimmo to the ground, landing in side control on Jimmo’s left side. Short, stapling elbows come from Te Huna on top, turning into big, heavy elbows. Te Huna postures up and starts smashing Jimmo with big elbows and hammerfists. Jimmo seems dazed but he manages to keep Te Huna at bay for the last few seconds of the frame, and we’re heading to round three.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Te Huna
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Te Huna
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Te Huna
Round 3
Jimmo clinches Te Huna on the fence to start the third, but Te Huna breaks loose after a minute. Te Huna has Jimmo on his back foot, and eventually closes in to put Jimmo on the fence. Te Huna hits a takedown and works from half-guard, grinding on Jimmo with short ground-and-pound. Jimmo is bloodied up and unable to get out from underneath Te Huna as the final minute of the fight ticks away. Jimmo tries to wrap up and then uses a butterfly guard to create space, but it’s too late and Te Huna finishes the fight on top. This fight is going to the scorecards for what could be an interesting decision.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Te Huna (28-28 Draw)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Te Huna (29-28 Te Huna)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Te Huna (28-28 Draw)
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, James Te Huna.
Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago
Round 1
Marc Goddard is the referee for this welterweight bout. They tie up in the clinch for a moment and Nelson just misses with a knee. Santiago walks him toward the fence and scores with a knee of his own, backs out and takes a couple of slapping Nelson switch-kicks to the body. Santiago misses with a high kick and they wrap up momentarily. Nelson lands a hard kick to the body and gets inside on a double-leg attempt, effortlessly plowing Santiago to the ground. Santiago spends 30 seconds on his back before he can post and stand. The pace slows in the latter half of the round, both men hesitant to pull the trigger. Nelson manages some leg kicks but can’t get Santiago down with a late takedown attempt.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-10
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Nelson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10
Round 2
Nelson scores with a hard left hand early in the round and goes after a slightly dazed Santiago, pressuring the Brazilian on the fence. Nelson changes levels and puts Santiago on his back, trying to extract his left leg and pass Santiago’s deep half-guard. Nelson is getting some hard ground-and-pound going in the middle of the round, popping Santiago with short elbows from on top. Santiago kicks him off and tries to catch Nelson with an upkick, but Nelson stays out of danger and comes back down with a strong left hand to the jaw. Nelson steps into full mount with 40 seconds left. Santiago covers up but Nelson manages to get through with some hard elbows before the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Nelson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Nelson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Nelson
Round 3
Nelson is using kicks to keep a tentative Santiago at bay. The Brazilian is half-flicking out punches, seemingly hesitant to engage. He gets Nelson against the fence and lands a few knees, but his follow-up consists of wild, winging punches. Now it’s Nelson coming forward, slapping at Santiago’s lead leg with hard low kicks. Santiago clubs Nelson with a right hand, but Nelson comes right back and cracks Santiago with a pair of nasty uppercuts. Nelson is racking up the punches and now traps Santiago against the fence in the clinch, working knees to the body. Less than 90 seconds left now and Santiago is completely spent, stumbling on rubbery legs when he tries to punch. Nelson gets in on a double-leg, can’t bring Santiago down and they separate with 45 seconds remaining. More knees to the body by Nelson and he slugs Santiago with a right hand. Santiago goes for broke at the end, throwing bombs which Nelson dodges -- except for the final right hand of the fight, which appears to daze the Icelander. However, it’s probably too little, too late for Santiago.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Nelson (30-28 Nelson)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Nelson (30-27 Nelson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Nelson (30-28 Nelson)
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Gunnar Nelson.
Cyrille Diabate vs. Jimi Manuwa
Round 1
Leon Roberts is the referee for this light heavyweight bout. Manuwa takes the outside, scooting Diabate toward the fence and landing a couple leg kicks before hitting a takedown at the base of the fence. Diabate tries to shrimp underneath with an underhook and half-guard but Manuwa stays heavy on top. Diabate gets back to his feet but he’s still pressed against the cage. Manuwa lets him go and misses with a high kick, lands a straight right behind it. Manuwa catches a knee from Diabate and shoves the Frenchman to the ground, then allows him back up. More clinching on the fence allows Manuwa to work some standing elbows. Diabate gets out with a knee but Manuwa keeps after him, chasing him with straight punches and trying more short elbows in the clinch. Diabate lands a knee in the clinch as well but the trade-off is another Manuwa takedown before the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Manuwa
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Manuwa
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Manuwa
Between rounds, the cageside physician inspects Cyrille Diabate, who sustained a leg injury during the first round. Diabate is not cleared to continue and referee Leon Roberts calls the fight, giving Jimi Manuwa the TKO win after one round.
Dustin Poirier vs. Cub Swanson
Round 1
Kevin Mulhall is the referee for tonight’s featherweight co-main event. Swanson opens up with leg kicks and gets Poirier stumbling early. Now Swanson attacks the body with a kick and has a right hand blocked up top. Poirier drives Swanson across the cage with a single leg but Cub is able to stay vertical. Poirier throws a leg kick outside and covers up as Swanson comes forward with a combo. Poirier ducks a punch from Swanson and backs him off with a leg kick, then push kick to the body. Swanson has a high kick blocked and Poirier tries to capitalize with a takedown attempt, but again Swanson is able to hop backward and use the fence to stay up. They split and Swanson scores with a hard right hand to the body and a big uppercut behind it. Swanson has a right high kick blocked but Poirier trips him and it’s “The Diamond” who wins up on top in Cub’s closed guard. Swanson uses a front headlock to get back to his feet and finishes the round strong with another knee and pair of punches.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Swanson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Round 2
It’s Swanson on the offensive at the start of round two, backing Poirier into the fence. Poirier tries to reverse the momentum with punches and appears to tag Swanson, but Cub comes right back with a leaping knee and a crisp left hook counter. Poirier wades through Swanson’s wide punches to try a double-leg on the fence, but Swanson widens his base and thwarts it. They come off the fence and it’s Swanson with a nice right hand and a blocked high kick. Poirier times a kick well and bowls Swanson down with a double-leg in the middle of the cage. Swanson has an omoplata on Poirier’s right arm and stands up to punch him while the arm is still trapped. Poirier tries another double-leg on the cage and again Swanson sprawls.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Poirier
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson
Round 3
Poirier backs Swanson up with big punches and goes low for a takedown on the cage. Swanson denies it and shoves away Poirier, who comes right back and dazes Swanson with a flurry of punches. A big left hand catches Swanson just as he’s getting off the fence. Poirier times a low kick and lands a left hook. A jab backs Swanson off; he comes back and puts Poirier down with a takedown away from the fence. Poirier goes to his knees to try and stand but Swanson is quick to spin around and sink one hook in. Two minutes left in the fight and Swanson has both hooks in now as Poirier stands to try and escape out the back door. Swanson is riding high but he rolls into full mount as he slips off Poirier’s back. Swanson mugs for the crowd, lets Poirier back up and throws him right back down. Swanson is on Poirier’s back, going for an armbar. He loses the arm and Poirier stands, diving at Swanson with one last punch before the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Swanson (29-28 Swanson)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Swanson (30-27 Swanson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Swanson (30-27 Swanson)
Official result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Cub Swanson.
UFC Bantamweight Interim Title Fight
Renan
Barao vs. Michael
McDonald
Round 1
Referee Marc Goddard is in charge of tonight’s main event. Barao wraps up McDonald and brings him to the ground inside the first minute, and the challenger quickly closes guard. McDonald is doing well to control Barao’s wrists, and he kicks the Brazilian off to escape to his feet. Barao comes forward swinging and gets sniped by a counter right from McDonald. A few seconds later, it’s Barao landing a nice counter left hand. McDonald denies a shot from the interim champ and stays standing. A short left hand from McDonald stuns Barao, and the challenger keeps the punches coming, right hands in close quarters that have Barao dazed. Barao holds on and clinches McDonald on the fence. Barao hits another takedown before the horn but again gets wrapped up by McDonald and can’t do much with top position.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 McDonald
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Barao
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McDonald
Round 2
Slow start to the second frame as the bantamweights circle the cage, clashing heads as they come in to exchange. McDonald sneaks a right hook around the corner and sprawls on a Barao single-leg attempt. McDonald tries to punch and gets taken down with Barao’s second effort, but immediately pops back up. McDonald throws a right hand and catches a finger in his right eye from Barao’s counter left. The challenger recovers quickly and the bantamweights clip one another with punches, sending Barao stumbling backward. Barao lands a hard leg kick and just grazes McDonald’s face with a front kick. McDonald comes right back, sparking Barao with a counter right on an outside leg kick. Barao finishes the round missing a flashy spinning kick.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Barao
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Barao
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Barao
Round 3
Barao is pressuring McDonald to start the second round, getting inside behind a combination and locking up McDonald on the cage. He drags the youngster to the floor and tries to step into full mount, but McDonald muscles his way out by throwing Barao over the top. Barao is starting to string together combinations, moving forward to throw and then getting out of the way of McDonald’s counters. McDonald is pulling up just short as he throws his two-piece combinations and circles the perimeter. A spinning kick from Barao snaps back McDonald’s head, and Barao counters with a left hand when McDonald comes back to throw a wide right.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Barao
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Barao
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Barao
Round 4
Barao clips McDonald with an off-balance left hook, but McDonald is able to turn away a takedown attempt from the interim champ. Front kicks from Barao are keeping the taller man at bay, then Barao blitzes in behind a leaping knee to throw hands in the pocket. McDonald is bleeding from his nose now as another Barao spinning kick touches his face. Barao comes up short on a cross but ducks the counter from McDonald and drags his challenger to the floor with underhooks. Barao goes to secure his back but instead wraps up McDonald’s head and right arm for a choke attempt as McDonald tries to put his back on the ground. McDonald gives the thumbs-up as Barao peels off to the side and squeezes to finish. The choke gets deeper, though, and McDonald is finally forced to tap out. Renan Barao retains his UFC interim bantamweight title at 3:57 of round four.
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