UFC 198 Results: ‘Werdum vs. Miocic’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Renato Carneiro vs. Zubaira Tukhugov

Round 1

Carneiro whips an early body kick at the ribs of Tukhugov, who sidesteps and dances away, drifting in and out of striking range. Tukhugov waits a few seconds and then catches a kick from the Brazilian, momentarily tripping him to the ground. Carneiro pops back to his feet, and the featherweights continue to test the distance, now 90 seconds into the bout. One minute later, not much has changed, but now Carneiro is beginning to connect with a few sharp right hands. Tukhugov answers back with a hook of his own which knocks the off-balance “Moicano” backward to the canvas. Tukhugov pounces but gets tangled up in the lanky Brazilian’s guard. Carneiro slowly works his way toward a triangle inside the final minute, but he has to settle for rubber guard. Tukhugov breaks loose, stands and tries to attack as he dives back to the ground, but Carneiro trips him and scrambles back up to finish the round standing.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Carneiro
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Carneiro
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Carneiro

Round 2

Carneiro emerges for the second frame flicking out jabs and low kicks at Tukhugov, who holds his hands low and looks to counter as he backpedals. One high inside thigh kick draws a complaint from Tukhugov, who says the shot grazed his cup, but Carneiro disagrees and so does referee Eduardo Herdy. Carneiro continues to walk down Tukhugov but doesn’t try to swarm his injured opponent. Midway through the round, the fighters have reached a bit of a stalemate as both men look to counter and neither is willing to throw first. When they do engage, both 145ers flurry with punches with neither landing clean shots. Carneiro creeps forward in the last minute, threatening to load up for a punch but instead firing off a series of hard leg kicks.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Carneiro
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Carneiro
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Carneiro

Round 3

The featherweights tangle up and hit the deck briefly, but Tukhugov lands on top and doesn’t want to play in Carneiro’s guard, instead opting to allow the Brazilian to stand. It’s all forward movement from Carneiro, who is doing well to avoid Tukhugov’s big single strikes and now sprawls on a takedown attempt from the Chechen. Tukhugov is getting a bit desperate here, loading up with huge overhand rights but coming up with mostly air. Referee Herdy pauses the action so the cageside physician can have a look at a cut above Carneiro’s left eye, but “Moicano” is quickly cleared to continue. Midway through the final frame, it’s still Carneiro pressing forward, moving Tukhugov around the edge of the fence. Neither man is doing much offensively, but now Carneiro hits a knee to the body after denying another Tukhugov takedown attempt. Inside the final minute, Tukhugov shoots a single-leg and briefly puts Carneiro on his seat, but the fighters scramble back to their feet a few seconds later. Carneiro gets the final say with an inside leg kick, and this one will be decided by the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Carneiro (30-27 Carneiro)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Carneiro (30-27 Carneiro)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Tukhugov (29-28 Carneiro)

The Official Result

Renato Carneiro def. Zubaira Tukhugov via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Sergio Moraes vs. Luan Chagas

Round 1

Chagas charges on Moraes with a five-punch combination, but the jiu-jitsu ace puts up his dukes as he backpedals, deflecting any potential damage. Chagas jabs and hooks but still can’t get a good shot past Moraes’ mitts. Moraes begins to find his range with a lead uppercut and a front kick to Chagas’ chest, then backs up again and gestures for the UFC newcomer to move forward. Neither welterweight is in a hurry to engage, so they stay at range, exchanging leg kicks. Suddenly, Chagas floors Moraes with a left high kick, but Moraes covers up well on his back and survives the follow-up assault. Chagas stands quickly and wants Moraes to do the same, but by the time he’s back up, Moraes looks to have recovered. A left hand knocks Moraes to the mat again with 40 seconds on the clock; again, Chagas allows him to stand. Moraes is looking more tentative after a pair of knockdowns, but he survives to see round two with his back against the fence.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Chagas
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Chagas
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Chagas

Round 2

Moraes comes out aggressive at the start of round two, bouncing an overhand right off Chagas’ temple and walking him down near the fence. Chagas turns the tables and pushes forward to throw a kick but has to hop back after Moraes catches his right leg and threatens a takedown. Chagas tries a Thai clinch but can’t get his knee through, and now he releases as Moraes throws blind punches over the top. Moraes pushes Chagas against the fence and releases, just missing with a slashing elbow strike. Moraes catches Chagas leaning over and tries to snare him in a guillotine. After jumping guard, Moraes loses his grip, leaving Chagas to work from top position with nearly two minutes remaining. Moraes stalls out the action by entangling Chagas from the bottom, and referee Osiris Maia orders the fighters to stand, now with one minute to go. Moraes shoots a single but gets reversed, and now Chagas tries for back-mount as they tumble to the canvas. Moraes escapes with ease and sweeps to finish the frame in Chagas’ guard.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Moraes
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Moraes
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Moraes

Round 3

Chagas ducks underneath a big overhand right and comes back up to give Moraes a wide grin. Moraes changes levels and drives “Tarzan” to the canvas, still inside the opening minute of this final round. After 30 seconds on top, Moraes stands over Chagas to lob punches at his midsection, then comes back down to Chagas’ open guard. Moraes passes to half guard on Chagas’ left side and looks to frame up an arm-triangle choke; the submission doesn’t stick, but it does allow Moraes to advance to side control. Chagas rolls to his knees, giving up his back, but he’s able to roll through before Moraes can establish hooks. Chagas dives for a kneebar and winds up on his knees again, and this time Moraes is able to secure back-mount. Briefly in position for a twister, Moraes gets shaken off as Chagas tripods up and slips out the back dooor. Now on top with seconds remaining, Chagas tries to land some punches before time expires, but it’s too late.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Moraes (29-28 Moraes)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Moraes (29-28 Moraes)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Moraes (29-28 Moraes)

The Official Result

Sergio Moraes vs. Luan Chagas ruled a Split Draw (28-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Patrick Cummins

Round 1

Cummins keeps his lead left hand outstretched as he circles cautiously around Nogueira in the opening minute, giving the Brazilian southpaw a few inside kicks to the knee. When “Little Nog” finally throws a punch after about a minute, Cummins tries to duck underneath and shoot for a takedown, but he’s pushed away. Cummins tries to bob and weave as Nogueira pushes forward with a combination, but a nice left hook catches the American on the face. Cummins clinches up and pops Nogueira with an uppercut on the break, and now the 205ers move back to the center of the cage with two minutes left in the round. Nogueira jabs his way forward but has to retreat momentarily when Cummins clips him with a right hook. Cummins takes a hard right hook on the jaw and staggers backward to the fence, where Nogueira assaults him with more heavy punches. Another left hook lands before a right cross drops “Durkin” to his knees at the base of the fence. Cummins survives Nogueira’s ground-and-pound and somehow powers back to his feet, where he’s met with three more crushing left hands from the former Pride champ. The shots put Cummins out on his feet, and referee Leon Roberts steps in to save him from any further damage.

The Official Result

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Patrick Cummins via TKO (Punches) R1 4:52

John Lineker vs. Rob Font

Round 1

After a tense first 30 seconds, Font puts a side kick on Lineker’s body and gets a hard right hook to the gut in return. Both men score with glancing blows during an exchange in the pocket but neither comes away worse for wear. The rangy Font is sticking to the perimeter, out of arm’s reach for the heavy-handed but shorter Brazilian. Lineker ups his aggression midway through the round, marching Font around the outside and occasional bursting forward with big overhand rights and left hooks to the body. Lineker sweeps the back leg of Font with a low kick, but Font jumps back to his feet without taking any damage. A couple nice body shots allow Lineker to close in on Font and drive him to the ground with a takedown at the fence. Font ties up from the bottom until he’s able to stand again. Lineker finishes the round with more aggression, slipping punches and kicks from Font while he stalks the American with power punches.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Lineker

Round 2

Lineker is on his back foot as the second frame begins, landing a few leg kicks and jabs as Font tries to press the action. Font stops coming forward after a minute and then catches Lineker coming in, stuffing a stiff jab in the Brazilian’s grill. “Hands of Stone” is back to where he left off in round one, constantly moving toward Font with his right hand loaded. Font does well to dodge the big shots, and the bantamweights wind up circling one another in the center of the cage at the mid-round. Lineker slugs with a right hand but Font slips clear of the two hooks behind it. The pace slows down until the one-minute mark, when Lineker dives at Font and shoves him against the fence. Font breaks free, changes levels and tries a takedown, but Lineker springs right back up. Font deflects a high kick and gets a chop on his leg instead. Font flashes a hook kick which doesn’t land flush but nonetheless draws a smile from Lineker at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Lineker

Round 3

It’s more pressure from Lineker as the final frame begins, moving Font clockwise around the edge of the fence. Font is getting through with sporadic jabs and low kicks, but the heavier shots of Lineker are clearly having a greater impact. A trio of left hooks gets Font moving the other way; Lineker stays after him and catches the stumbling American with another left hand. Font pulls guard as Lineker sets down in top position with half the round remaining. Lineker is only able to score with a few punches and a nice knees to the body before Font scrambles up again, but the Brazilian catches a kick and trips Font back to the mat just a few seconds later. With just about one minute to fight, Lineker is staying heavy on top, possibly angling for an arm-triangle choke but favoring position over the submission attempt. Font shrimps underneath and escapes to his feet inside the final minute, but Lineker marches him down and Font pulls guard under another hailstorm of punches. Lineker follows and briefly considers a last-second guillotine, instead holding Font on the floor to finish the fight in top position.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-8 Lineker (30-26 Lineker)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Lineker (30-26 Lineker)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Lineker (30-27 Lineker)

The Official Result

John Lineker def. Rob Font via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Francisco Trinaldo vs. Yancy Medeiros

Round 1

Trinaldo gets right inside on Medeiros and then uses a rear waistlock to try an early takedown. Medeiros stays heavy and keeps his footing, but he’s pushed against the fence by the powerful Brazilian and held there for the better part of the minute. Medeiros eventually spins to the outside and drops for a takedown attempt of his own, but now “Massaranduba” defends. Midway through the round, the lightweights split and get to striking in the middle of the cage. Trinaldo lands a leg kick, an overhand left, but he can’t follow up as Medeiros clinches immediately after the punch. The American separates and throws a spinning kick at Trinaldo but can’t find the mark. Trinaldo wraps up Medeiros to try a takedown, can’t get it but then zaps Medeiros with another big left hand. Medeiros is getting slugged here inside the final minute, moving backward as the former Jungle Fight champion chases him with ill intent. One left hand on the jaw nearly takes the legs out from beneath Medeiros; the Hawaiian somehow regains his footing, only to be decked by more massive shots before being saved by the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-8 Trinaldo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Trinaldo
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-8 Trinaldo

Round 2

Trinaldo resumes landing his left hand at the start of round two, but Medeiros is doing better to keep his back off the cage and maintain distance. After a pair of punches clip him, Medeiros is backed up to the wall and hit with more lefts, now an overhand right. Medeiros survives the assault, steps back to the center and pops Trinaldo with a jab, a leg kick. Trinaldo looks to be fading a bit, but he’s still got the energy to turn Medeiros’ head with a flailing overhand left. Medeiros stays behind his jab and manages to fend off a Trinaldo takedown attempt, but a knee to the body brings Medeiros to his knees. Medeiros stands up out of a headlock and gets clipped with a head kick on the way. Trinaldo is coming on strong with two minutes left in the round, crashing more lefts into Medeiros’ face. After whiffing on a huge overhand shot, however, Trinaldo begins drawing huge breaths. Medeiros whirls into the pocket with a kick, which misses, but his follow-through left hand does not. Trinaldo freezes in place and Medeiros floors him with a right hand to the jaw just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Medeiros
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Trinaldo
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Trinaldo

Round 3

Medeiros is pushing forward on Trinaldo early in the final round, although not rushing to get inside and trade blows. He’s mixing up his attacks, lobbing body punches and spinning kicks at Trinaldo, who’s being kept on the outside with his back to the wall. Trinaldo stings Medeiros with a hook to the gut, an overhand left and circles back to the middle, where he delivers a body kick. “Massaranduba” steps backward, drawing Medeiros straight into another left hand over the top. Medeiros stumbles backward and Trinaldo gives chase, rocking him with more power punches up against the fence. Medeiros loses his footing but somehow gets back up as Trinaldo continues to pour on the punishment. Referee Dan Miragliotta is taking a close look at the beating just before Medeiros drops to guard. Trinaldo smashes away with hammerfists from north-south position but Medeiros rolls away. Medeiros staggers back to his feet, looking unsteady as Trinaldo charges him with even more punches. Trinaldo scores a pair of takedowns in the final 90 seconds, and the second one nearly allows him to take Medeiros’ back. Medeiros corkscrews and sweeps to top position with 30 seconds left, but he manages only a few punches before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-8 Trinaldo (29-26 Trinaldo)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-7 Trinaldo (30-24 Trinaldo)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-8 Trinaldo (30-25 Trinaldo)

The Official Result

Francisco Trinaldo def. Yancy Medeiros via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-26) R3 5:00

Thiago Santos vs. Nate Marquardt

Round 1

Rangy southpaw Santos stakes out the center of the cage and follows Marquardt around the edge, slamming a few body kicks into the former Strikeforce champ’s ribs. Marquardt takes a few good shots on the inside of his lead leg, too, but “Marreta” is staying measured in his attacks. Halfway through the round, Marquardt makes an awkward move into the pocket and gets cracked with a left hand, sending him crashing to the mat near the fence. Santos follows him to the floor and tries to keep Marquardt down, but the American powers back up inside the final two minutes. Santos keeps coming forward, scores with another body kick and forces Marquardt to cover up with a heavy duty series of hooks. One left hand dings Marquardt on the temple and wraps around the back of his head, and Marquardt slumps to his knees in a heap. Referee Kevin MacDonald recognizes immediately that Marquardt is finished and steps between the fighters for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Thiago Santos def. Nate Marquardt via KO (Punch) R1 3:39

Demian Maia vs. Matt Brown

Round 1

Maia advances on Brown in the southpaw stance, keeping his right hand moving around in the American’s frame of vision. Brown avoids the BJJ ace’s first takedown attempt, but Maia brings him to the floor on the second try. Brown turns his back and tries to stand; Maia loops his right arm around Brown’s body and grapevines his right leg, looking to get on the back of “The Immortal.” Maia jumps on Brown’s back with 3:30 remaining in the round, and Brown leans all of his weight backward on the fence. Brown’s momentum and Maia’s weight eventually land the fighters on the floor, where Maia snakes his left arm around Brown’s face and begins working for a rear-naked choke. Brown peels away the Brazilian’s hands and looks to break up Maia’s body triangle as they hit the two-minute warning. Brown continues to deflect the RNC attempts, constantly prying at Maia’s hands. With 40 seconds to go, Maia peels off the back and looks to be setting up for an armbar. Brown blocks the sub attempt by stuffing Maia against the wall for the final 30 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Maia
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Maia
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Maia

Round 2

Maia gets hold of Brown’s left leg and drags him to the floor near the fence within 30 seconds. He climbs on Brown’s back and secures the position with a body triangle, keeping Maia attached as Brown climbs to his feet. Ninety seconds in, Maia drops off Brown’s back; five seconds later, he trips “The Immortal” to the ground and gets back-mount again. Brown is on his knees with his back to the fence, Maia punching from behind with the body triangle back in place. Brown continues to deny Maia’s choke attempts, but the American doesn’t seem anywhere close to escaping the position. Brown rolls to his knees but Maia stays glued on. Referee Mario Yamasaki warns Maia for grabbing the fence in an attempt to stabilize the position. One minute remains in the round which has seen Maia dominate completely from back-mount. Once again, Maia bails off the back for an armbar with only seconds left in the round, and once again Brown finishes the frame on top.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Maia
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Maia
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Maia

Round 3

Brown sprawls on four separate shots from Maia in the first 30 seconds of the final round. He clips Maia with a punch and follows him to the floor, only to be swept underneath immediately. Maia is back on top with more than three minutes left to fight, once again using positional dominance to control the grounded Ohioan. Brown posts and gets to his feet up against the fence, but Maia jumps to back-mount again and rides Brown to the ground. A frustrated Brown is being held in a body triangle, keeping him in place as Maia fishes for a last-minute neck crank or rear-naked choke. Maia abandons the chokes and drops right hands on Brown, who seems displeased with the strikes and appears to be talking to Maia between punches. While Brown is distracted by the punches, Maia wraps his left arm around the American’s throat and squeezes down to finally force the tap.

The Official Result

Demian Maia def. Matt Brown via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R3 4:31

Warlley Alves vs. Bryan Barberena

Round 1

Alves marches straight at Barberena, backing “Bam Bam” up to the fence. Barberena tries to fend him off with kicks, but Alves catches him stumbling and jumps guard with an arm-in guillotine choke. The choke looks good, but Barberena gives a thumbs-up to referee Leon Roberts, and after a few seconds of cranking, Alves lets it go. Barberena winds up on top until Alves powers back to his feet, and now the welterweights start trading punches. Barberena lands a leg kick, blocks a body kick from Alves but eats a right hand behind it. Alves tries to clinch on the fence but releases after being tagged by a few over-the-top elbows from the taller man. Alves is taking big breaths with two minutes left in the opening round, but he finds his offense again as he steps into the pocket with a body kick and a right hand. The welterweights clinch for a moment before circling back to the middle with 60 seconds remaining. Barberena nearly chops the leg out from underneath Alves with a hard kick, prompting the “TUF: Brazil” winner to clinch again.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Alves
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alves
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Alves

Round 2

Alves comes over the top with a straight right but eats a short, hard elbow from Barberena in the ensuing exchange. The Brazilian comes away with a cut on the corner of his left eye but manages to slam a nice kick into Barberena’s midsection. Alves is ducking underneath telegraphed left hooks from Barberena but not doing much to counter. He complains of a low blow after a Barberena leg kick, and referee Leon Roberts tells the fighters to “keep them up.” Two minutes left in the middle frame, Alves is still breathing heavy as he moves in and out of range to stick Barberena with a pair of jabs, now another body kick. Barberena gets in a body shot, then a short elbow in a clinch that lasts only a few seconds. Alves backs up to the fence, suddenly looking exhausted, and Barberena closes the gap to rock his head with a straight left. Moving in to clinch again, Alves tries to hug Barberena against the cage but can’t hold him there.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Alves
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alves
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Barberena

Round 3

Barberena slips on a kick and has to slowly work back to his feet as Alves tries to grab him in a front headlock. The welterweights wind up back on the fence, where Barberena takes the outside position and trips Alves to the ground for a split second. Barberena scores with a pair of hooks to the body, then a right hand upstairs. Alves misses with a leaping knee but it gets him into range to clinch again. With his back to the fence, Barberena decks Alves with another clean elbow inside. The 170-pounders move back to the center, and Barberena sticks a pair of jabs on Alves’ face. Barberena’s combination punching is no doubt earning him points here as Alves continues to slow down, landing only the occasional single strike at this point. Alves looks the slightly fresher fighter as he bounces on his toes, but it’s Barberena marching forward, slugging away with more punches. Inside the last 30 seconds, Barberena traps Alves against the fence and jacks his jaw with an uppercut. Alves is backing up but still throwing hands when the final horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Barberena (29-28 Alves)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Barberena (29-28 Alves)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Barberena (29-28 Barberena)

The Official Result

Bryan Barberena def. Warlley Alves via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Mauricio Rua vs. Corey Anderson

Round 1

Rua flicks out a few leg kicks but gets bopped on the nose by Anderson’s long jab. The next kick from Rua lands a little harder; Anderson gives the veteran a nod of recognition. More kicks to the outside of Anderson’s lead leg follow, but Anderson continues to stick jabs, too. An overhand right swipes the face of Anderson, who dips out of the pocket before Rua can land a follow-up. “Shogun” scores with more leg kicks but gets caught off balance, and Anderson nearly spins around to take the Brazilian’s back. Rua creates some space but Anderson chases him down and pins him against the fence with two minutes on the clock. Anderson separates with a straight right, sticks a jab and weaves underneath a Rua hook. Anderson is doing well to evade Rua’s punches, each time popping back up to land a left hook counter. Rua’s nose is reddened from the jabs Anderson has been sticking on it for much of the first round. Inside the 10-second warning, Rua puts Anderson on the ground with a left hook on the ear. Shogun pounces and desperately tries to pound out Anderson with hammerfists, but time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Rua
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rua
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Rua

Round 2

Rua gets straight back to leg-kicking in the second round, but Anderson is right back to ducking underneath the former Pride champ’s hooks. Anderson whiffs on a spinning kick but puts a left hook on Rua’s cheek on the follow-up. Anderson shoots and completes the first takedown of the fight, though he’s only able to hold Rua on the canvas for a few seconds. Back up comes Shogun, still held against the cage; Anderson gives him a few knees in the clinch before releasing. Anderson dives on a single-leg shot, can’t get the takedown and winds up trapping Rua on the wall again. Rua covers up and escapes as Anderson tries unsuccessfully to tee off with punches. With 70 seconds left in the round, Anderson plows Rua to the base of the fence with a double-leg. Rua hops right back to his feet and creates some space back in the middle of the Octagon. Just before the horn, Rua lands a leg kick and then slugs Anderson to the ground with a straight right/foot sweep.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Anderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Anderson
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Anderson

Round 3

Anderson takes a minute to close the gap, but once he does, the American is able to double-leg Rua to the ground near the wall. He lands in half guard, but Rua reclaims full guard and then wraps his arms around Anderson, looking to force a standup from referee Mario Yamasaki. Anderson isn’t landing ground strikes with any regularity, but he’s doing enough to keep the fight on the floor. Rua turns his back and gets to one knee, the cage on his right side preventing Anderson from taking his back. The 205ers separate and come back to the center with two minutes left in the bout. Ten seconds later, Anderson is back on another double-leg takedown attempt, planting “Shogun” on his seat at the fence again. Rua works back up, but Anderson keeps hold with an underhook and tries for yet another takedown. This time, Rua lands in the whizzer and manages to jump up straight away, but still he is pinned to the cage by the younger man. Anderson releases with 12 seconds left and leaps at Rua with a flying knee, then drops levels to finish the fight on a shot.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Anderson (29-28 Anderson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Anderson (29-28 Anderson)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Anderson (29-28 Anderson)

The Official Result

Mauricio Rua def. Corey Anderson via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith

Round 1

Cyborg lands the first hard right hook that she throws, but Smith eats it and stands right in front of the Brazilian. A combination connects for Cyborg, now a jab as she continues to walk Smith toward the fence. Cyborg scores with a huge right hook; Smith tries to swing counters, but Cyborg cuts right through the flailing strikes with a left hook and another dynamite right hand. Smith hits the deck and tries to wrap up Cyborg, who’s swarming with punches from above. Referee Eduardo Herdy is taking a close look as Smith gets twisted up on the ground, and after Cyborg lands a pair of clean hammerfists to the American’s face, Herdy stops the fight. Smith isn’t pleased with the stoppage but she rises from the ground sporting lumps underneath both eyes.

The Official Result

Cris Cyborg def. Leslie Smith via TKO (Punches) R1 1:21

Ronaldo Souza vs. Vitor Belfort

Round 1

Souza strikes first with a kick across the midsection of Belfort, who slides backward around the edge of the cage as “Jacare” comes forward. Belfort tries to catch Souza coming in with a leaping knee, but the strike misses and Belfort has to pull away as Souza grabs for a takedown. The middleweights wind up clinching near the fence, but Belfort breaks it up by pushing away. Jacare dives on an ankle pick and pulls Belfort to the ground at the foot of the wall, quickly advancing to half guard on Belfort’s left side, near the fence. A few elbows from Souza open a leaking cut on the outside corner of Belfort’s right eye. The blood is dripping into Belfort’s eyes, prompting referee Osiris Maia to pause the action and call for the cageside physician. The doc wipes the blood out of Belfort’s eyes and clears him to continue, and the fight is restarted with Souza in Belfort’s half guard, now with two minutes left in round one. Souza passes to side control and grabs for an armbar, but Belfort is already rolling to his knees and yanks the limb free. Belfort chooses to pull guard after Souza shoves him against the fence again. Jacare stands over his prone opponent and drops punches, then steps over to full mount and mashes on Belfort with elbows, now hammerfists. Vitor is covering up, just surviving as Souza continues to land blows. “The Phenom” is a bloody mess as Souza looks up at referee Maia, asking for a stoppage. A few punches later, Souza gets his wish, as the ref steps in to rescue Belfort from further punishment.

The Official Result

Ronaldo Souza def. Vitor Belfort via TKO (Punches) R1 4:38

UFC Heavyweight Title Fight:
Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic

Round 1

Referee Dan Miragliotta is the third man in the cage for tonight’s heavyweight title fight, with judges Joseph Terrell, Otto Torreiro and Glenn Trowbridge scoring the bout at cageside. The crowd launches into a chant of “uh, vai morrer” before the bout even begins. Werdum gets to work with kicks early, pushing at Miocic’s body and chopping at his legs, in between trying to grab hold of the challenger. Miocic gives the champ a few solid low kicks in return, then steps backward as Werdum turns his head with a straight right hand. Werdum still can’t get any purchase on his clinch or takedown attempts, and now Miocic lands a right hand down the middle. Miocic presses the action at the middle of the round; Werdum tries to reverse the momentum by pressing forward with a flurry of punches, but he walks into a counter right hand. Werdum won’t be slowed and charges forward again on unsteady legs. Miocic backpedals and avoids the punches, then plunks “Vai Cavalo” with a perfectly placed right hook counter. Werdum never sees the punch coming, and when it lands square on his jaw, the Brazilian hits the ground in a heap. Referee Miragliotta dives in for the stoppage, and just like that, Stipe Miocic is the new UFC heavyweight champion.

The Official Result

Stipe Miocic def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (Punch) R1 2:47