UFC 274 ‘Oliveira vs. Gaethje’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Fernando Garcia (135.5) vs. Journey Newson (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Garcia (-150), Newson (+130)

Round 1

A UFC-record 15 fights will go down tonight at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, with an overstuffed billing for this tentpole pay-per-view card. There’s no time like the present to get to the proceedings, and we begin the early prelims in the bantamweight division when Newson (9-3, 1 NC; 0-2, 1 NC UFC) hunts for his first UFC win after four tries against newcomer Garcia (10-1, 0-0 UFC). The first referee assignment of the night goes to Ryan Brueggeman, and the fighters touch gloves to start off the evening. Newson begins with a body kick, and he steps to the side to slings a spinning back fist that misses, and his momentum carries him into a head kick attempt. Sweet chin music from Newson connects right to the chin, with a side kick that cracks into Garcia’s jaw cleanly. Newson throws a leg kick so hard he spins all the way around, and he recovers and swings a pair of punches that miss the mark. Newson goes after a spinning wheel kick, and Garcia backs off and reaches out with a jab and a right hand that follows. Newson keeps his foe guessing with kicks from odd angles, effectively shutting down much of what Garcia wants to give back to him. Newson tosses out a lazy spinning strike, and Garcia times his reload so that he can pop Newson with a couple punches. Newson crashes forward in pursuit of a takedown, and he hits a double-leg and puts Garcia on his back. “Fernie” springs back up to his feet, and Newson congratulates him with his success by offering a glove touch. Garcia slams his shin in the lead leg of his opponent, and he just slips a huge, looping right hand that flies at him. Garcia counters with a right, and he opens up with a few calf kicks. Newson swings for the fences, only to hit air, and Garcia is comfortable at a safe range with Newson not landing successfully with much of his more powerful blows. Garcia sits down on three punches, ending his string with a right hand that knocks Newson back, and Newson resets and tries to go after a big kick. Garcia swats it away and sticks out a few jabs, and he walks into a stern leg kick that makes him take a funny step. Garcia walks Newson down and swings a big punch, and Newson grabs hold of him and turns him around to possibly take him down. The round ends before anything comes of it.

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

Garcia offers a glove touch to start off the second round, and Newson obliges him before starting to engage in a brawl. He clips Garcia with a few punches, and “Fernie” counters him with thudding shots to make his man back off. They reach out with their hands pointed at one another, slapping one another’s away to find range, and Newson looks for a huge strike but the one that connects is instead a short left hook that follows. Newson slaps at the calf, and Garcia reacts from it and tries to reply in kind, but Newson’s is much heavier. Garcia pokes out jabs that bounce off the guard, while Newson counterattacks with a long kick that is blocked. Newson backs his foe away with a front kick to the chest, and kicks allow him to make Garcia think twice about advancing. Out of nowhere, a lightning quick left hand from Newson smacks into Garcia’s dome, and Garcia has to shake out the cobwebs and is wobbled momentarily. Newson tries to chase him down, but Garcia is slick and able to escape and gather himself. Garcia paws out punches, and Newson plants his heel from a side kick to knock Garcia back a foot. Another side kick to the head finds its mark for Newson, who is feeling himself as his leg strikes are largely going unanswered and scoring effectively. Newson throws everything he has into a left hand, and Garcia sees it coming and dips to blast him in the face with a counter uppercut. Newson eats it like a slice of Marionberry pie and keeps right on coming forward. Garcia unloads with a right hand, and when that misses the mark, he follows it with another that succeeds. Garcia staggers Newson with a punch, and Newson responds with a jumping switch kick and a kick to the body when he lands. Newson escapes the punch salvos that soar towards him, gets off one final side kick to the waist, and the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The last round begins with Newson letting his legs go, with a head kick with his rear leg and one to the legs with his other. Garcia is stuck guessing to defend the strikes, and as he adjusts his guard, Newson blitzes forward to dive into a takedown try. Garcia scrambles to get to his knees, but as he does, he gives up his back and Newson gladly takes it. Several punches land upside Garcia’s head until “Fernie” explodes to get back up, and when they separate, Newson kicks him in the chest with a side kick. Garcia whiffs on a looping right hand, and Newson easily sees it coming and slips out of the way. Garcia again loads up on the power, and Newson dances out of harm’s way without a care in the world. Newson partially lands a hook kick, and Garcia answers with a single slapping leg kick. Garcia swings with other punches after, but Newson is well out of the way in time. Newson delivers a solid kick to the ribs, and Garcia chases after him but cannot seem to connect with his fists. Spinning with a back fist, and following it with a wheel kick, Newson misses but does not get countered or caught with anything. Garcia’s offense is largely one-and-done, while Newson is loose and evasive, picking and poking with kicks to all targets. Garcia gets caught with a left hand, and he slams a leg kick home. The massive right hand that follows is inches away, as Newson hops back and tags him with an overhand right of his own. Newson counters prodding, inaccurate jabs with a left hand, and he pops Garcia with a spinning back fist. Newson, in his groove, jumps in the air with a knee that collides with the guard, and he prompts Garcia to start throwing spinning strikes of his own that are well off the mark. Newson sits down on a right hand and nails Garcia, and “Fernie” wears it well but is rocked from it. Newson does not capitalize on the situation, instead ripping leg kicks and scoring with a punch or two. The spinning back fist into a wheel kick combo smacks into Garcia, and Garcia is shaken up but still on his feet. Newson unloads with one final right hand before the final horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Journey Newson def. Fernando Garcia via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Ariane Carnelossi (115.5) vs. Lupita Godinez (115)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Godinez (-170), Carnelossi (+150)

Round 1

In her entire UFC run that began in 2019, Carnelossi (14-2, 2-1 UFC) has competed three times, thanks in part to injury and major surgery on her back. In comparison, “Loopy” Godinez (7-2, 2-2 UFC) debuted for the UFC in 2021, and this is her fifth walk to the Octagon. The strawweights will square off with oversight from outstanding referee Jason Herzog, and there is no interest in a glove touch before they get after it. Carnelossi comes out throwing, and Godinez answers her with an attempt to clinch, but the Brazilian has no interest in doing so. Carnelossi wades into power punches, and Godinez slips them and grabs hold of Carnelossi’s arm to throw her down to the mat. Godinez goes after an odd-angle choke in a wild scramble, and Carnelossi gets back up for one seconds before “Loopy” pulls her back down. Godinez snags on to a guillotine choke, and she lets go to take Carnelossi’s back when Carnelossi is on her knees. Godinez cranks on an unorthodox neck crank without a hook in, and Carnelossi powers through so that she can pursue a single. Godinez controls Carnelossi’s ankle from behind, disallowing “Sorriso” to sneak out the back door and try anything. Carnelossi crawls her way to the fence, and Godinez follows her and elbows her upside the head as she looks to get a hook in. Carnelossi powers back up with sheer muscle, and Godinez controls her all the way back down to the mat impressively. Godinez hangs on to Carnelossi, tripping her out and taking her for a ride with her hands clasped around Carnelossi’s chest. Godinez slings her down, and Godinez sets up a shoulder choke when Carnelossi defends with a guillotine choke. The Brazilian abandons her own guillotine so she does not fall into a Von Preux, and Godinez keeps her foe down on the mat with that arm-triangle. Godinez works Carnelossi over with knees to the body and punches, mixing in the occasional elbow as she gives Carnelossi fits. Carnelossi is stuck with her head pinned between the floor and the wall, and Godinez pounds her fist into Carnelossi’s face again and again. Godinez works the thigh with elbows, and controls Carnelossi to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The Brazilian comes out with a left hook, but she is well off the mark when she swings it as Godinez is already backing off to kick the body. Godinez sneaks in a right hand, and Carnelossi is shocked and gets cracked with another that wobbles her as Carnelossi tries to counter. Godinez drives through with a double, slamming “Sorriso” down to the mat with emphasis, and she immediately begins to hammer Carnelossi with brutal elbows. Carnelossi struggles to keep her wits about her, and she slowly covers up and tries to turn the tables, only for Godinez to pressure her to the wall with Carnelossi on her knees. Godinez blasts Carnelossi in the ribs with a few knees, and Carnelossi gives up her back to turn away from the blows. Godinez happily takes it, and she gets both hooks in and starts fishing for a choke. Carnelossi tugs on the fence with fingers and toes in an effort to get some leverage, and Godinez meets a sweep attempt from the Brazilian to pull Carnelossi away from the cage wall. Godinez grips the toes for a possible toe hold, and Carnelossi yanks her foot free and subsequently begins to eat elbows. Godinez, from half guard, goes after a two-on-one wrist lock to wrench Carnelossi either up for a keylock or down for a kimura – whatever works for her, as she is firmly in the driver’s seat. Carnelossi turns to her knees as she breaks the les around her own waist, and she then falls to her back as Godinez goes after an arm-triangle choke. Godinez crushes down with the arm-triangle choke while in half guard, and she tries to step over to side control while squeezing the neck with all her might. Carnelossi is struggling and uses the “answer the telephone” defense to give herself just a little bit of breathing room. Carnelossi sits up and pushes Godinez’ arms back to sit up to her knees, and Godinez answers by aiming for a guillotine choke. Godinez cannot keep Carnelossi down as the last few seconds are on the clock, and when they stand, Godinez cracks her with a right hand for good measure to end the dominant round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The final round opens with an aggressive Carnelossi, and she throws a right hand and walks straight into a double. Godinez tackles Carnelossi straight to the mat, and she lands straight into side control. Carnelossi turns to her knees, and Godinez punches her in the side of the head when moving. Godinez keeps working the Brazilian with left hands as Carnelossi tries desperately to crawl her way to the fence and stand. Godinez hooks Carnelossi’s legs, and Carnelossi rolls through suddenly for a leglock. Godinez defends well and circles around to return to her position that allows her to land ground-and-pound, and she sucks out Carnelossi’s hips to return her to the floor. They trade short punches, as Carnelossi is leaning her back up against the fence while on her seat. Carnelossi bursts her way upright again, and Godinez ties her up in the clinch to knee and uppercut her repeatedly. “Loopy” decides to put on a show, and she lifts her foe completely up in the air and slams Carnelossi down to the mat. Godinez clings on top and hooks Carnelossi’s legs with her own, and she postures up to elbow Carnelossi a few times as Herzog takes a close look at the action. Godinez continues to grind with elbows, and in half guard she is doing some damage with her strikes. Carnelossi turns to sit up and try to reverse the position, but Godinez meets her every step of the way. Carnelossi eventually stands up, and Godinez knees her, punches her and snags a double to plant Carnelossi right back on the ground to make a statement. Godinez ends the fight with some powerful strikes, and she has likely picked up the biggest win of her career while putting on arguably her best performance to date.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Lupita Godinez def. Ariane Carnelossi via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Kleydson Rodrigues (125.5) vs. C.J. Vergara (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rodrigues (-300), Vergara (+225)

Round 1

Two finish-minded flyweights battle it out next, with both searching for their first UFC victory. Each was signed off the 2021 season of Dana White’s Contender Series, and while Brazil’s Rodrigues (7-1, 0-0 UFC) will be making his UFC debut, proud Texan Vergara (9-3-1, 0-1 UFC) has already had one bite at the apple. The 125ers will be joined in the cage by referee Keith Peterson, and the fighters touch gloves to seal the Octagon around them while making sure not to allow any nonsense come from either of them. Rodrigues tosses out a low kick, and he hops back to throw another. Vergara gives chase with a right hand, and Rodrigues continues to spam kicks to keep Vergara at bay. The Texan tosses back a low kick, and he continues chipping away with those kicks on the way in. “K.R.” barely misses with a jump knee, and Vergara does not budge and instead moves forward to strike. Rodrigues gets off three straight unanswered leg kicks, and he wings a right hand over the top that grazes Vergara’s temple. Vergara rips the body with a left, and he winds up with a low kick. Rodrigues intercepts his man with an uppercut, and he snags hold of Vergara to trip him out with a body lock and puts Vergara on his back. Rodrigues lands in the guard, and Vergara is quick to try to scoot his way to the wall. The American manages to fight his way back up the wall, and he smacks Rodrigues with several short uppercuts as Rodrigues tries to secure a mat return. Rodrigues breaks and scores a solid right hand, and he chambers and unloads a body kick that lands with a resounding thud. Vergara keeps his guard up when Rodrigues spins with a back kick, and he wades forward as Rodrigues is busy throwing kicks from both legs. Vergara swipes out with a left, and Rodrigues is out of the way and prodding with front kicks. They land lefts at the same time, and Vergara scores a second on the way out. Rodrigues dives forward with a trip, and when they both tumble, he gets back up and scores a right hand. Vergara replies in kind, but it is Rodrigues that is more active with continuous kicks. Vergara strides forward with a clean left hand on the jaw, and Rodrigues wears it well and gets tagged when moving forward. Rodrigues hacks at the lead leg of his opponent, and Rodrigues meets him with a check left hook. A huge right hand lands right on the nose of Vergara, and he shakes it off and comes right back out throwing. Vergara gives chase, and Rodrigues is on his bike and just misses with a jump knee as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The flyweights meet with a glove touch, and Vergara rushes in with punches and a low kick. Rodrigues counters with a right hand over the top, and a body kick response may have shaken the Brazilian up. Rodrigues pursues a takedown, possibly stung from the kick, and Vergara bowls him over and moves straight into mount. Vergara unloads with several punches, and Rodrigues snags the fence to pull himself away and out as he scrambles wildly. Vergara drags him back down, and he climbs into Rodrigues’ guard and lands short punches and elbows from above. Vergara thwarts all scramble attempts from “K.R.” and remains unconcerned as he gets off short punches, and he postures up to wing a trio of elbows that rattle Rodrigues. The Brazilian bucks his hips and tries all his might to scramble, only for Vergara to unload elbows every time he gets some space. Vergara stays busy on top, ripping elbows on top before threatening with an arm-triangle choke setup. Rodrigues turns to his side, and he gets shoved to his back again in a hurry, pinned to the mat and taking surprisingly effective elbows from above. Vergara fires off right hands as he pins Rodrigues’ neck up against the wall, and he slashes over to mount as he batters Rodrigues with punches and elbows. Rodrigues grabs the fence again in an effort to escape but Peterson is on top of him. Rodrigues bucks wildly, and times a move from Vergara to reverse him and end up on top. Vergara gets back to his feet, and Rodrigues lays into him with a few punches and a knee. The Brazilian scores a spinning back fist, and he jumps back and then forward with a spinning elbow in the air. Vergara stays composed and calm as Rodrigues blows out his gas tank with wild moves, and the round ends with both flyweights sucking wind.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Gloves are touched to start off the final frame, and they trade single strikes. Vergara walks through a body kick and swipes out with a right hand, and he kicks Rodrigues’ leg. Rodrigues spins with all his might, and Vergara leans back and lets Rodrigues do a little turn on the catwalk. Vergara jumps forward with a knee, and he lands and unloads a body kick. The both nail one another with right hands, and Rodrigues tries to let loose with a spinning back fist that misses the target. Vergara sits down on a leg kick and walks Rodrigues down to snap his head back with an uppercut. A jump knee from Vergara connects square on the midsection, and Rodrigues answers with a desperation takedown as it might have knocked the wind out of him. They both end up grabbing the fence in an exchange, and Rodrigues pursues a leglock and winds up hooking up a calf slicer from a strange angle. Rodrigues keeps Vergara’s back, but no hooks are in as the Brazilian holds his foot on the wall. Rodrigues holds on to the calf slicer to lock Vergara down, and Vergara sits up and snags the fence as Peterson slaps it away. Peterson is trying to stop the nonsense from these two, as they keep grabbing the fence. The fighters both try to take top position, and the reversal ultimately winds up with Rodrigues on top as Vergara keeps butterfly guard in hopes of pushing off Rodrigues’ hips. He succeeds, and Rodrigues takes him from behind and wraps his arms around his waist to shove Vergara face-first into the wall. Rodrigues trips the leg out, and he slams Vergara on his face, but the Texan powers out and gets to his feet. With a minute to spare, they both start slugging it out, and Vergara gets the better of a few exchanges as Rodrigues is force to shoot for takedown. Vergara springs right back up, and Rodrigues looks for a head kick when Vergara stands. Vergara spins with a kick that misses, and he swipes out with a left hand and a kick to the body. Rodrigues empties his gas tank with winging hooks, and he shoots for a final takedown that drags Vergara to his knees. The round ends with Rodrigues hanging on from behind, and the scores could be all over the map from this frenetic battle.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

C.J. Vergara def. Kleydson Rodrigues via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Tracy Cortez (125.5) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Cortez (-155), Gatto (+125)

Round 1

The lone women’s flyweight match of the night comes between red-hot prospect Cortez (9-1, 3-0 UFC), who gets a huge pop from her hometown crowd, and the undefeated Gatto (8-0-2, 2-0 UFC). While Cortez has not suffered a loss since her pro debut in 2017, Gatto has yet to sample the bitter taste of defeat, although she does hold a pair of draws in 2017 and 2018 on her own ledger. Referee Jason Herzog takes charge of this matchup, and the ladies touch ‘em up to get things started knowing that someone’s unbeaten streak is about to come to a screeching halt. Bouncing back and forth towards one another, the first strike comes from Cortez in the form of a leg kick. Cortez springs back when Gatto loops a right hand at her, and she comes back with a leg kick. As Gatto rushes towards her to stop the kicks from landing, Cortez grabs hold of a double and slams Gatto on the mat. Keeping an offensive guard off her back, Gatto rolls and threatens when not keeping her guard tight around Cortez’ waist. Gatto throws her legs up in search of a triangle, and she switches over to isolate an arm. The Arizona native lifts Gatto in the air and slams her in the mat to slip her arm out, and she lowers herself back into Gatto’s guard. Gatto remains with a high guard, looking for another armbar as Cortez stacks her up. Cortez stands up and backs off, so Gatto follows her back to the feet. Gatto strings together a solid one-two, and she follows Cortez back with a leg kick. Cortez responds in kind, and Cortez steps in with a left hand on the jaw. Gatto bullies her to the wall, and lifts Cortez up but cannot toss her down. Instead, from behind, Gatto drags Cortez down and gets both hooks in to claim Cortez’ back. Cortez turns mightily through to wind up on top, and she slashes Gatto with a sharp elbow. Gatto sits up with her high guard, and she hunts for another armbar. Cortez slips her arm free and powers down a straight right hand, leading Gatto to close up the guard again. Cortez pushes Gatto up towards the fence in that corner position between the mat and the wall, and this keeps Gatto from getting any leverage. Cortez sits up with an elbow, and she stands back to lord over Gatto with low kicks. Cortez lets her up, and she sprints towards Gatto on the way as Herzog chides her for not letting her up and then allowing her to stand while punching her. The close round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The ladies come out to emphatically touch gloves, and Cortez slings a front kick and one to the head as Gatto walks through it to launch a right hand. Cortez keeps her range and lands a single leg kick, and she hops back when Gatto leads off with a series of punches. The Brazilian pursues her own body lock to try to drag Cortez down, and Cortez lifts her up in the air with a thudding knee before pushing off. Gatto bobs forward, and a few punches bounce Cortez back to the wall. Cortez circles away and gets tagged with an overhand right, and Cortez responds with one body kick. Cortez tries to go for another kick to the same spot, and Gatto pushes through it to lift Cortez up and plant her on the ground. Gatto allows her to stand so that she can take Cortez’ back, and she yanks Cortez down with her to take her back. The Brazilian keeps one hook in, and she follows Cortez as Cortez rolls to her knees. Gatto secures the other hook and flattens Cortez out for a moment, where she beats on Cortez with snapping punches. Cortez turns through, and she winds up on her back in hopes of flipping her foe over. This time, Gatto meets this sweep attempt with an armbar, and Cortez calmly turns and follows through to slide her arm out of danger and put Gatto on her back. Gatto looks for her own sweep, and Cortez keeps the cage at her side so Gatto cannot flip her over. The unbeaten fighter hangs on to stifle any offense from Cortez, and Cortez breaks the grip to land one single shot before laying heavily chest-to-chest. The American drives down an elbow, and Gatto throws her legs up to hunt for a triangle with seconds to spare. Cortez lands one right hand and then springs back to stand up. Gatto follows her up, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a clap of hands to start off the last round, and Cortez goes after a takedown early. Gatto stuffs her and rings her bell with an overhand right. They clash legs when kicking at the same time, and they get drawn into a striking exchange where Gatto lands the better punches. Cortez intercepts one punch with a double, and she tackles the Brazilian over and puts her down on the floor in the center of the cage. Gatto looks to escape out the side, so Cortez answers this by slipping into half guard and using her shoulder to press Gatto down. Gatto turns as Cortez goes after mount, and Cortez accepts this so that she can swipe north-south position. Gatto turns all the way over and tries to snatch up a single, but Cortez follows her through and remains on top. The Brazilian kicks off, and Cortez gets back to her feet and dives on top before Gatto can fight her way back upright again. Gatto again pushes off the hips, and Cortez turns the corner to shove Gatto back down. Gatto absorbs an elbow to the side of her head as she looks to roll through, and Cortez falls into leglock danger. Gatto pursues a heel hook, and she attacks to the other leg as Cortez smoothly move through, lands several heel strikes to the thigh, and gets up. Gatto sneaks around to partially take Cortez’ back, and Cortez turns all the way around while Gatto is hanging on to her so that she can wind up on top. They are on their sides, both attempting to assume position, but it is Cortez that succeeds in getting top position and swiping full mount. Cortez opens up with an elbow, and when Gatto turns, Cortez hunts for an arm-triangle choke. Cortez gets over to side control as she locks down the choke, but she abandons it when Gatto leans her neck up to the wall. Gatto rolls again, and Cortez hangs on to her until the final horn blares to wrap up this three-round fight.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Tracy Cortez def. Melissa Gatto via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Andre Fialho (170.5) vs. Cameron VanCamp (170)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Fialho (-350), VanCamp (+270)

Round 1

In his post-fight interview on April 16, Fialho (15-4, 1 NC; 1-1 UFC) stated very clearly that he wanted to remain active and fight as soon as he could. He wasn’t fooling around, as just three weeks after his knockout of Miguel Baeza, he is back again, this time taking on UFC newcomer VanCamp (15-5-1, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC). This “striker vs. grappler” overused but still accurate description of the clash will feature referee Marc Goddard as its official, and the striker in Fialho is psyched to be competing again but does not touch gloves with grappling-minded VanCamp. Fialho marches forward, and VanCamp uses a front kick and low kick to back him off. They both land alternating punches over the top, and Fialho continues to come forward and prod with his own kicks up the middle. VanCamp sneaks up a left hand, and he has two leg kicks connect on the Portuguese fighter’s leg. Fialho loose a pair of punches, and VanCamp ducks them and counters with a left. VanCamp has his hands kept low, and he uses footwork to keep him safe as he chips at Fialho’s lead leg. Fialho misses with a left, and he gets clipped with a counter that staggers him. VanCamp gives chase, only to get cracked with a looping left hand that stops VanCamp from advancing. They both take a moment to shake it off, and they trade leg kicks. VanCamp advances forward and scores a few punches, and he gets caught coming forward with a left. Fialho winds up with a left hook, and it smashes square into the newcomer’s chin and sends “Jumpman” crashing down to the mat with the back of his head ricocheting off the mat. Goddard dives in from afar to stop the fight, and before he can reach them, Fialho drops down with a jackhammering right hand just to make sure that VanCamp is out. The damage is done, VanCamp is borderline conscious, and he is not remotely upset about the stoppage even as he stands back up shortly thereafter. Fialho has now registered two knockouts in the span of a month, and he calls for a fight in Singapore on June 11 as he will already be in the area to help his teammate Brendan Allen. The UFC loves guys like him, and with three fights under his belt so far in 2022, they may oblige him.

The Official Result

Andre Fialho def. Cameron VanCamp R1 2:35 via KO (Punch)

Blagoy Ivanov (253.5) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (258.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ivanov (-145), Rogerio de Lima (+125)

Round 1

Two big men that have been around for well over a decade meet in the center of the cage, as former Sengoku vet and WSOF champ Ivanov (18-4, 1 NC; 2-3 UFC) comes to blows with one-time Strikeforce competitor and ex-middleweight Rogerio de Lima (19-7-1, 8-5 UFC). It may come as a surprise to some that Rogerio de Lima, who competed at 185 pounds right before his UFC debut, weighs five pounds more than perennial heavyweight Ivanov. Keeping tabs on this ESPN preliminary opener is referee Marc Goddard, who steps back as the men that clock in at 512 sturdy pounds touch gloves. The Brazilian keeps his range early, with front and low kicks that miss the mark. Ivanov takes a stabbing front kick to the chest, and he absorbs another as he cannot find his way in. Rogerio de Lima loose a low kick that clacks into the cup, and Ivanov walks away to get his breath as Goddard pauses the action. Rogerio de Lima offers a glove touch when they resume, and Ivanov accepts. When Rogerio de Lima lazily tosses out another leg kick, Ivanov crashes forward to throw hands. The Brazilian springs back to avoid the blows, and he resets to kick Ivanov high on the thigh. Rogerio de Lima charges to throw bombs, and Ivanov counters him on the way in and shucks off most of the oncoming offense. Ivanov catches a leg kick, and he absorbs a flush right hand from the Brazilian. Rogerio de Lima is throwing caution to the wind with looping shots, and Ivanov takes them flush without batting an eye. Ivanov swats out right hands, and he blocks a body kick that targets him. Rogerio de Lima looses punches to the body and head, and Ivanov absorbs the blows and pursues a single. Rogerio de Lima stands tall and does not get grounded, and he works the body as Ivanov lets it go. They brawl it out, and neither man connect with anything clean but they are trying. On a second exchange, they both land left hands, and Ivanov backs his man up and has to deal with a front kick up the middle. “Baga” catches it and drives his foe to the wall to try to trip him down, but he runs into a wall of a man that does not budge. Ivanov utilizes some solid dirty boxing until Rogerio de Lima pushes off to separate, and Ivanov gives chase but does not throw much of note. The Bulgarian walks into a right hook, and they both connect with solid punches before the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima

Round 2

The big fellas touch ‘em up to start Round 2, and Ivanov leans back as Rogerio de Lima unleashes a few looping punches. Ivanov then leans forward to grind the Brazilian against the wire, and he considers a level change but gets stood up. Rogerio de Lima turns him around and pushes off to separate after a stalemate, and he winds up with punches only to come up short. Ivanov reaches out with a jab, and Rogerio de Lima again lobs bombs that partially connect. Ivanov shoots for a single, and Rogerio de Lima clocks him with a left hand after stuffing it. The Bulgarian continues to power forward and clinch up, possibly needing a second to clear his thoughts, and he goes deep for a single. Ivanov lifts Rogerio de Lima’s leg off the ground, but he cannot toss him down. Ivanov backs off, and he dodges the oncoming fire to string together a solid one-two. Rogerio de Lima continues to throw everything he has into his punches, but he is slowing down as Ivanov corners him and lays into him with sharp blows. Ivanov loads up with his own left hand before clinching up, and Rogerio de Lima turns him around and shoves him to the wire. When their clinch wades out to the middle of the cage, Ivanov works the body until the Brazilian shoves him away. Ivanov calmly works his way forward, with Rogerio de Lima’s heaviest strikes like an afterthought this far into the fight, and he punches until he ties “Pezao” up. A left hand on the break makes Ivanov lean over, but he recovers as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

To the surprise of some, but not all, these heavyweights reached Round 3. Ivanov leads the dance early, with punches to the head and body as Rogerio de Lima reaches out with stiff jabs. Ivanov ignores them so that he can lumber forward, and he even takes a clean right hand as Rogerio de Lima is backing up. “Pezao” absorbs a right hand and shoots for a takedown suddenly, possibly hurt by a strike, and Goddard implores them to work when Rogerio de Lima simply holds his foe against the fencing. Ivanov snatches up a guillotine choke when he is pushed back to the wall, and Rogerio de Lima does not appear concerned as he remains in this lowered position in consideration of a single. Goddard intervenes to split them up, and Ivanov thanks him by landing a solid one-two. Rogerio de Lima backs up and starts slugging, but Ivanov marches through and gets snagged by the Brazilian for another clinch. Ivanov turns him around this time, and he leans “Pezao” into the fencing while doing little else offensively. Goddard tells them to do something, and Ivanov tries to pull off and loads up with a huge left hand that glances on the jaw. Rogerio de Lima ducks down and rattles off three punches to the midsection, and Ivanov takes a breath and slings a left hand. Rogerio de Lima pops him with a right hand over the top, and Ivanov completely ignores it and plods forward with two punches. Ivanov reaches out with a right, and he has a one-two that powers him into a tie-up. They jockey for position, until Ivanov takes a walk and releases so that he can tee off at range. Rogerio de Lima delivers a kick to the body, and he ambles forward and drills Rogerio de Lima on the chin with a pair of right hands. With all his might, “Pezao” lifts Ivanov off the ground and walks him across the cage, and Ivanov’s arm goes over the top of the fence due to the high amplitude of the heavyweights. Rogerio de Lima still slams him down to the mat as seconds remain, and the fight ends with Rogerio de Lima on top. This should be a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov (29-28 Ivanov)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima (29-28 Rogerio de Lima)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov (29-28 Ivanov)

The Official Result

Blagoy Ivanov def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Brandon Royval (125.5) vs. Matt Schnell (125.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Royval (-240), Schnell (+195)

Round 1

The opener of the prelim card – which differs slightly from the early preliminaries even if they remain on the same network – is sure to be a wild one for as long as it lasts. All-action Royval (13-6, 3-2 UFC) ended the first two-fight skid of his career in January by claiming a decision over Rogerio Bontorin, while Schnell (15-5, 1 NC; 5-3, 1 NC UFC) will be returning to action for the first time in nearly a year since he also took on Bontorin. Of note, while Schnell did drop a decision to Bontorin that night, Bontorin tested positive for banned supplements and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation overturned it to a no contest. Both looking to get the taste of Bontorin out of their mouths, so to speak, they touch gloves in front of referee Ryan Brueggeman to move along in their careers. Schnell starts off with a barrage of punches, and Royval greets him with punches and a head kick of his own. Royval steps in with a knee to back Schnell off, and Royval slings a few head kicks for good measure. Royval goes low and then high with kicks, and Schnell walks through them to launch a right hand. These two flyweights are swinging for the fences early, and both are connecting frequently. Schnell snaps the head back with a left hand, and Royval responds with a left of his own. Schnell bears down on him and drills Royval with a right hand, and Royval hits the ground and immediately goes fishing for a leglock. Royval rolls for a heel hook, and Schnell turns all his way around and through it to lower himself to the mat on top. Royval sets up an omoplata shoulder lock to force a sweep, and Schnell wrenches his arm free and snags hold of a guillotine choke. Royval rolls through it and looks for a brabo choke. This does not land, so “Raw Dawg” turns it to a guillotine choke. As soon as he cinches it up, he pulls guard and locks a leg around Schnell’s waist. The grip from Royval is so crushingly tight that Schnell thinks about fighting out of it, and suddenly realizes he is in grave danger and taps out with both hands. Brueggeman takes a moment to register the taps, and he jumps in to separate the fighters after their short but memorable thriller.

The Official Result

Brandon Royval def. Matt Schnell R1 2:14 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Macy Chiasson (145.5) vs. Norma Dumont (146.5: Missed Weight)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dumont (-220), Chiasson (+180)

Round 1

In this unexpected 147-pound catchweight affair, this time, it is not Chiasson (7-2, 5-2 UFC) who tipped the scales above the featherweight limit. Instead, it is Dumont (7-1, 3-1 UFC), who continues her issue with weigh-ins as she could not find the bantamweight cap well either. Depending on the result, and due to the thinness of the division, the victor here could be up next for a crack at Amanda Nunes’ 145-pound throne. Referee Keith Peterson is on call for this nonsense-free title eliminator, and the fighters are intense and but still touch gloves to start things off. Chiasson keeps a wide berth and prods out with a front kick to the knee, and she switches things up with a high kick that gets blocked. Chiasson targets another high head kick, and wades forward with a pair of punches. They trade leg kicks, and Chiasson stays a little more active from distance as Dumont watches on. When Chiasson leaves a kick out too long, she gets knocked back from an overhand right. Chiasson fakes a level change, and Dumont is ready to meet her and delivers a right hand over the top. A front kick from Chiasson slaps into Dumont’s face, and Dumont tries and fails to toss out a leg kick. The pace is slow but deliberate, as Chiasson comes out with a body kick and a straight left hand. “The Immortal” charges and whiffs on a handful of punches, and she loads up with a right hand that makes Chiasson turn. Chiasson goes after another low kick, and Dumont smacks her again with a right hook. Dumont grabs hold of a clinch, and Chiasson breaks free and plants her left fist on Dumont’s jaw. Dumont shakes her head, but she absorbed the blow cleanly without reprisal. Dumont blocks a head kick, and she hunts for her overhand when Chiasson is kicking at her. Dumont reaches out with two punches, but Chiasson is out of range and dodges. Chiasson stings her with a right hand, and Dumont wobbles her knees and slings a right back her foe’s way. Chiasson steps in with a left hand, and she dodges and slips a right hand to hit a takedown as Dumont attempts to spin. The round ends right after the ladies hit the ground.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The featherweights clap hands to start off Round 2, and Chiasson is ready to throw a head kick. It partially gets through, and Dumont responds with a front kick only to get kicked back. Chiasson navigates at her own range, keeping Dumont guessing and staying active enough to shut down Dumont’s typical hard-charging offense. Dumont lands a solid right hand when getting kicked, and Chiasson slides back and chops at the knee with her shin. Chiasson keeps moving and has a leg kick checked, leading her to shoot in to get hold of a body lock and try to take the fight down. Tying Dumont up against the fence, Chiasson pursues a single down low, but the Brazilian stands tall and keeps herself on her feet. Chiasson muscles her down to the ground, and as Dumont leans forward to try to get up, Chiasson looks to take her back. Chiasson does not get her hooks in, and instead falls over when Dumont turns. Chiasson manages to fight her way back up again, not willing to stay grounded when Dumont plants her on her backside. Chiasson lands a few middling knees to the thigh as she holds Dumont in this position, and she grinds her foe until she trips her down. Chiasson falls to her back when trying to take her opponent down, and she gets back up when Dumont cannot hold her there. Chiasson knees Dumont in the chest as she clinches her up and pushes her to the wall, and the color commentators of Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier relentlessly bash the ladies competing while essentially stating that they are nowhere near championship-level fighters. As they do, Chiasson tries for a trip, and she settles to lean heavily to keep Dumont pinned there until the disappointing round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a touch of gloves to start off the last round, and Dumont opens up with a left hand that rings Chiasson’s bell. The Brazilian continues her assault with a few punches that rattle Chiasson, and force Chiasson to take her down. Dumont gets back up, shoved to the wall, and dragged back down with a single from Chiasson. Dumont once more returns to her feet, and Chiasson holds on tight while trying to get her bearings back after getting tagged in the opening seconds. The crowd begins to loudly voice its disapproval as Chiasson grinds her foe into the wire, and Peterson asks them to keep working. Chiasson fails to get a takedown, but she settles for a knee up the middle and gets popped with a right hand. When eating that punch, Chiasson charges again to take her down. Dumont is only on her back for a few seconds before walking up the wall, and Chiasson hangs on to her in that position again. The crowd lets them have it as Chiasson embraces the grind, and Peterson lets them keep at it as Chiasson delivers a plethora of short knees to the thigh. Seeing that Peterson will not step in, Dumont tries for herself to score a knee up the middle. Chiasson goes for a trip, and it fails, allowing Dumont to fall on top of her. They both stand up, and Chiasson throws a head kick recklessly. While Chiasson has her leg in the air, Dumont gets off two stinging punches that rock Chiasson again. Chiasson dives desperately for a double, hurt again from the blows and totally fatigued, and all she can do is push Dumont to the wall. Chiasson allows control time to rack up as she hangs on, and Dumont gets hold of the neck and sets up a guillotine choke with seconds left in the round. Chiasson punches the thigh repeatedly to no effect, and the grueling, exhausting fight finally ends as they are clinched up.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Macy Chiasson def. Norma Dumont via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Danny Roberts (170.5) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Trinaldo (-115), Roberts (-105)

Round 1

In a bit over a month, it will be the 10 year anniversary of Trinaldo (27-8, 17-7 UFC) debuting inside the Octagon, where he knocked out Delson Heleno in the first round to make him one to watch. In 2022 and at the age of 43, “Massaranduba” is still trucking right along, and he will be taking on a man nine years his junior in Britain’s Roberts (18-5, 7-4 UFC) at 170 pounds. Referee Ryan Brueggeman presides over this fight that has been upgraded tonight to the preliminary headliner, and the veterans touch ‘em up before getting down to business. Trinaldo advances fast, backing Roberts off and using herky-jerky movement to fluster Roberts. The Brit lands a single leg kick, and he falls over when swinging with a right hand. Trinaldo charges, gets clipped as Roberts stands up, and mashes Roberts into the wall. Trinaldo scores several sharp uppercuts on the inside when clinched, and they split up as Trinaldo is swinging. The Brazilian continues to plot forward, and he walks into a front kick and acts as if it was never there. Trinaldo reaches over the top with a left hand, and Roberts’ knees wobble but he is good to go and slings a left hook. Roberts steps through with a body kick, and Trinaldo replies with a left hook that just grazes the target. Roberts chops at the lead leg, and he pushes out a jab as Trinaldo bears down on him. Roberts comes up short with a flying knee, but a long left hand does score clean. Roberts backs away and kicks the ribs, and Trinaldo rips a left hand that draws a smile on Roberts’ face. Roberts settles down with jabs and leg kicks, alternating kicks with both of his own shins. Roberts pins three punches on Trinaldo’s guard, and he keeps Trinaldo guessing and blocking to slow Trinaldo from his own offense. Roberts has a single kick land on the body, and Trinaldo stings him with a right and a left. Roberts winds up with a right hand that slams into Trinaldo’s shoulder, and he pops the Brazilian with a clean one-two. The punches from “Hot Chocolate” make Trinaldo wobble momentarily, but he shakes it off and comes back to pop Roberts with a right hand. Roberts shakes it off as if it did not bother him, and he sneaks in a left right before the bell. The two want to keep trading after it sounds, but Brueggeman intervenes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Roberts begins Round 2 with a clean one-two, and Trinaldo slugs it out with him and hurts Roberts impossibly badly. Roberts’ eyes roll around in his head as he does the stanky leg, and to paraphrase the great Jake Rossen, he twitches on his feet like someone dropped a toaster in his bathtub. Trinaldo lays into him with punches, and Roberts does a quick count of his teeth and gets himself back in the game to fight back. They clinch up, and Trinaldo nails him with a left hand. It is not the left hook to the top, but the left to the liver the follows that makes Roberts bend over in pain. As Roberts leans over, Trinaldo snatches up a guillotine choke that lifts the Brit up off the ground. He sets his man down when Roberts appears to spit out his mouthpiece, and he lands on top to smash his elbow into Roberts’ unprotected mouth. Trinaldo isolates an arm-triangle choke from half guard, but he is on the other side and cannot lock it down from this angle. Trinaldo holds on tight as Roberts turns to his side, and he unloads several left hands on the chin. Punches from the Brazilian have opened up a cut somewhere on the bridge of the nose of his opponent, and he slugs until he passes guard to side control. Roberts explodes back to his feet, and the two welterweights engage in a torrid brawl, blasting each other with ferocious punches. Trinaldo gets stung and ties Roberts up, where he holds on to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The final round opens up slowly, with both men wary of the other’s power, having both been hurt in that last round. The welterweights trade single strikes at one another, and suddenly the fight erupts into a brawl once more. Roberts throws everything and the kitchen sink, including a jump knee and several elbows, but Trinaldo is tighter and able to work the body and land uppercuts when Roberts comes at him. They tie up momentarily, but Trinaldo is the one to separate and absorb a low kick. They wing home run punches at one another, and both duck them as Roberts plows forward to clinch up. Trinaldo tries to score a left on the break, but Roberts slips it and returns to his preferred range. They land punches at the same time, and Trinaldo follows up with an uppercut. Trinaldo clips his man with a left, and the Brit backs far away to gather himself. Roberts swings a high kick, only to get lashed with a left hand that nearly separates him from his senses. Roberts is barely on his feet, and they clinch up but Trinaldo cannot keep him tightly pressed to him. Trinaldo flashes out several powerful jabs that all snap the head back, and a cut has opened on the top of Roberts’ forehead. Roberts stalks the Brazilian down and unloads a left hand that connects right on the button, but the head of “Massaranduba” is made of some kind of hard wood, and he counters with a crisp uppercut. Roberts tries to let rip knees and punches up close, but Trinaldo ties him up and pushes him to the wall. Nearly able to put Roberts on his seat, he settles for a clinch position until this unexpectedly wild rumble concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Francisco Trinaldo def. Danny Roberts via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)

Randy Brown (170.5) vs. Kalinn Williams (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Williams (-120), Brown (+100)

Round 1

Two welterweights on the quest to shed the “action fighter” label and move up to contendership will throw down in this important 170-pound matchup that serves as the new main card opener. Both Brown (14-4, 8-4 UFC) and Williams (13-2, 4-1 UFC) are known for their devastating knockouts, even if Williams has the higher knockout rate at just 54% -- whether their reputations precede them, or lasting images like Brown pounding out Bryan Barberena or Williams obliterating Alex Morono or Abdul Razak Alhassan make people remember their power. Hope to not get knocked out will be referee Jason Herzog, who will however be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice should the right strike land. The gloves are touched, and they both throw quick strikes early. Williams goes low with a kick, and he charges in with swiping right hands. Brown hops back and out of the way, and sneaks in a short left hand counter on the way back and out. Williams sits down on a thudding body kick, and he swings wildly as Brown stays elusive while trying not to get tagged with the overwhelming power punches coming his way. Brown reaches out with long jabs, and he relies on his footwork to keep him safe as Williams is not shying away from power. Brown goes high with a kick, and Williams brushes it aside and swings a right hand that makes him slip. “Khaos” gathers himself and presses forward to tie Brown up, and Brown knees him in the chest and scores a straight left hand on the break. Williams unloads with a serious combination that rocks Brown, and Brown dives into a desperation takedown that inadvertently gives up his neck. Williams latches on to a brabo choke while Brown is leaned over on his knees, and he bails on it before gassing his arms as it does not appear tight. Brown just slides back when a looping right hand comes at him, and he slips when tossing out a kick. Brown springs back up and ducks as Williams loads up, and he leaps in the air with a knee. Trying to channel his inner Fedor Emelianenko, Williams attempts to intercept Brown mid-air with a right hand, but it does not quite land flush. Brown lands, and they trade with quick punches until Williams pushes in for a clinch. Brown snags hold of a guillotine choke with his back to the wall, and he introduces his knee to Williams’ jaw. Brown re-pursues the guillotine, and Williams punches the body a few times until Brown jumps for the choke with one second left. The fight does not hit the mat before the horn sounds, and Brown releases the grip instantly.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The strikers touch gloves to start off the second frame, and Brown unleashes a right hand over the top that shakes Williams up. “Khaos” shakes it off and absorbs a heavy body kick, which lets Brown get comfortable and start dancing. Brown doubles up his jab, catching Williams on the way in and surprising him once more with his strikes. The jabs from Brown continue to pop Williams in the chops, disrupting him momentarily until Williams sits down on an uppercut. Brown leaps forward with a right hand, and he slides and ducks the punches and mocks Williams for his inaccuracy. When Williams kicks at his lead leg, “Rude Boy” checks it and keeps marching forward. He checks a few more, and walks Williams down without exposing himself to anything dangerous. Brown lowers his hands and flashes the jab a few times, and Brown gets a little overconfident and gets cracked. Williams snipes him with a right hand as he blitzes forward, and he bullies the Jamaican all the way to the wall. They separate, and Brown tosses a high kick over the top that skims off Williams’ head. Brown continues to pepper his man with jabs, and he checks the kicks and loads up on a standing elbow that just misses. Williams keeps missing as Brown is dodging and weaving his strikes, and he ducks into an uppercut but does not appear remotely concerned. They both duck down towards one another, and they clash chests as Williams presses him to the wire. Brown ties up a guillotine choke when they are clinched, but he bails on it as Williams continues to hold and grind him. Williams separates with a left hand on the jaw, and he wings a left to the body that comes up short. Brown paws out jabs and keeps his man frustrated, and he just misses a spinning kick. They trade leg kicks, and Williams checks it and points to his own shin confidently. Brown slides a punch and clips Williams with a right hand, and Williams falls forward to clinch. The welterweights hang tight in the clinch until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Gloves get touched to lead off the last round, and Brown returns to feeding Williams a steady diet of jabs. Brown sneaks up a head kick quickly, and he hops back when Williams tries and fails to counter him with power strikes. They toss half-hearted leg kicks at one another, and Brown keeps his jab going the whole time. Williams surges forward to throw hands, and Brown leans and shoulder rolls before sliding forward to counter. A right hand from Brown knocks Williams back, and Brown does not take advantage of it to any notable degree. Brown continues to jab, and he splits the guard with a front kick as Williams appears frustrated that he is so inaccurate tonight. Brown again slaps the ball of his foot into Williams’ face, and he ducks back as Williams charges. A short right hand from “Khaos” suddenly blasts Brown on the chin, knocking him down to the mat in a shock. Williams goes after him, lowering himself to the guard, but unable to keep him there. When upright, Brown stings Williams, and they are both rocked. They swing wildly, and “Rude Boy” nails Williams with a rude knee right on the button. Williams wobbles but he won’t fall down, and Brown throws so hard that he actually falls over. Williams follows him over to try to take him down, and Brown defends with his back to the wall and lands a number of illegal elbows to the back of the head despite being warned twice. Williams gets some space and unloads with a clean right hand, and Brown is not fazed as he powers forward. A telegraphed takedown attempt from Brown comes, and Williams stops him but gets pushed up to the wall, where Brown knees him a few times up the middle. Williams leaps forward with a superman punch, and Brown signals that it just missed. The fight ends after a fierce exchange, and they stand before one another after it sounds to talk out what just happened. This will likely be a hotly debated decision, depending on how it turns out, as both men have a case for winning their 15-minute entanglement.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Randy Brown def. Kalinn Williams via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Donald Cerrone (155.5) vs. Joe Lauzon (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Cerrone (-165), Lauzon (+145)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Saturday evening due to an illness sustained by Cerrone. The news was first reported on the UFC broadcast during the preliminary card.

Mauricio Rua (205.5) vs. Ovince St. Preux (205)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: St. Preux (-240), Rua (+195)

Round 1

Whether you agreed or vehemently disagreed with the assessment in the previous matchup that Lauzon and Cerrone were legends, few can deny that “Shogun” Rua (27-12-1, 11-10-1 UFC) falls into that category. In this unexpected rematch, the Brazilian that made his name during the Pride FC days will take on Strikeforce vet St. Preux (25-16, 13-11 UFC) for the second time. “OSP” has flirted with the heavyweight division a few times in his last fights, but this match with Rua will take place at 205 pounds. They first met in 2014 as the headliner of a Fight Night card, and St. Preux knocked Rua out in 34 seconds. Whether this result is the same some seven-plus year later or if “Shogun” can turn back the clock at 40 to get the job done, referee Marc Goddard will know of it before anyone else. There is nothing but respect as the men touch gloves. St. Preux throws a leg kick, and Rua replies with one of his own. They are a lot less reckless than their first meeting, and they toss front kicks at one another. St. Preux rushes in briefly, and “Shogun” counters with a quick right hook. Rua reaches with kicks, and he sneaks in a left hand over the top. St. Preux is calm and methodical with his kicks, and the pace is glacially slow as neither man wants to make a mistake and get smoked. Rua jumps forward with a left hook, and St. Preux continues to work the body with his stabbing front kick. Rua wades forward with swiping punches, and St. Preux slides out of the way and keeps peppering the body with kicks that have turned Rua’s midsection red. “OSP” does not stop firing these, as Rua takes them until charging with a surge of punches. The Brazilian tries to use the push kick again, and “OSP” ducks the punches that follow while piercing the torso with these constant kicks. St. Preux loads up on a left hand, and Rua gives chase with a swarm of inaccurate blows. Rua scores a solid inside low kick, but he is largely one-and-done with his strikes thus far. St. Preux pushes forward, but he does not let his hands go and instead pushes with a sumo motion. Rua chops down the leg again, and St. Preux changes stances gingerly as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 St. Preux
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rua
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 St. Preux

Round 2

The second round begins with kicks from St. Preux, who throws them high low and to the middle. Rua goes back to his inside leg kick, and he then kicks the ribs as St. Preux backpedals. When they reach out to find their range, St. Preux paws and swats at Rua’s hand to not let him achieve it. “Shogun” continues to let his kicks go, with chopping strikes to the thigh as St. Preux is looking for his own retaliation. A front kick from St. Preux is left out too long, and Rua darts in and clips him with a right hand. Rua is ready to counter kicks, and he succeeds with another and follows the combination with a low kick that makes St. Preux take a funny step. “OSP” has a kick get in, and Rua kicks low and punches high to decent effect. St. Preux loads up on a couple of body kicks, and the tentative striking exchange continues with a tit-for-tat manner. Rua has a right hand come over the top, and St. Preux kicks his lead leg back. The crowd does not love their cautious fight, but the fighters ignore the boo birds and continue at their own preferred pace. They trade body kicks, and Rua lets one go to the inside thigh that hurts St. Preux. “Shogun” continues working that leg, and he dips a punch and cracks St. Preux with two hooks. St. Preux tosses out a head kick, and Rua replies after blocking it to kick low – this time, “OSP” checks it, and Rua recoils his leg in possible pain. St. Preux prods out with a front kick again, and he has a head kick blocked. Rua goes up high with a right hand, and he slips back as St. Preux attempts a counter. St. Preux steps in with a knee, and one final leg kick from Rua concludes the slow round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rua
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 St. Preux
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rua

Round 3

A touch of gloves from the light heavyweights opens the last round, and scores could be anywhere right now. It could be two rounds for each man, or 1-1 depending on how one saw the offense. Rua starts off with a head kick, and St. Preux clinches but cannot keep “Shogun” pushed up to the wall for more than a few seconds before the Brazilian powers out. Several leg kicks from Rua let fly, and fans in the audience hold up their phones lit up to protest the lackluster engagement. Rua batters the leg with a kick, and St. Preux responds with a kick to the ribs. St. Preux splits the guard with a left hand, and he backs Rua up until he gets countered with a clean right hand. Rua loads up on a right, and it breezes by the face as St. Preux measures it. A cut opens above the right eye of Rua, and the front kicks are adding up from “OSP,” who backs Rua up against the wall. The kicks draw reactions out of Rua when they jam into his body, and Rua tries to steel himself and march forward with a right hook that grazes the target. St. Preux continues working the body with his successful kick, and Rua replies with his powerful leg kick. St. Preux keeps pushing put kicks to the midsection, and he goes up top with a head kick that is blocked. Rua swings and misses with his winging punches, allowing St. Preux to mark his torso up with his toes from the kick. “Shogun” takes a clean body kick and fails to respond, walking forward but not letting go with anything but a half-hearted leg kick. Three punches come out from “OSP,” who draws a little more blood from the eyebrow of his opponent. They engage in an intense staring contest as time ticks off the clock, and Rua pulls back instead of throwing punches. St. Preux walks Rua down as “Shogun” runs away, a sad display for a legendary fighter that put forth a miserable performance tonight against a fellow aging fighter.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Ovince St. Preux def. Mauricio Rua via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Michael Chandler (156) vs. Tony Ferguson (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Chandler (-380), Ferguson (+290)

Round 1

At one time, Ferguson (25-6, 15-4 UFC) had amassed an outstanding 12-fight win streak, where he claimed the interim title at one point, but he has fallen on hard times the last few years. On a three-fight skid, “El Cucuy” is at a crossroads at the age of 38, and he will take on hard-charging, granite-chinned Chandler (22-7, 1-2 UFC) in a match that still holds significance at 155 pounds. Referee Jason Herzog may have his hands full depending on how this battle plays out, and these two hope to bring out a firefight while not bothering to touch gloves. Ferguson reaches out with a low kick to see how far he can reach, and Chandler picks his leg up and scoots back. Ferguson arcs out a standing elbow, expecting Chandler to come at him, but Chandler does not oblige. Ferguson’s front kick brushes pass Chandler’s hand, and Chandler chops down the leg with a pair of heavy kicks. Chandler just misses with a left hook, and Ferguson meets him in the middle with his own left. Ferguson clips the former Bellator champ with a left hand, and he kicks high and stings Chandler. Ferguson hurts him again with a few punches, and he backs Chandler up to the wall. Ferguson does not go wild, instead working the body and getting caught with a left hand. They trade heavily and both connect and get the other’s attention, and it is Ferguson that lands the flusher strikes and backs Chandler off. Chandler throws a leg kick, only to get countered over the top. Blasting through with a double, “Iron Mike” knocks Ferguson clean off his feet with a tackling takedown, and Ferguson kicks off the fence and slashes with elbows off his back to open a cut on Chandler’s head. Ferguson cleverly holds on to Chandler with his feet on his hips, and he pushes Chandler off and nearly flips his man over as he keeps a high guard and attempts to hook up an omoplata. Ferguson snatches hold of a triangle choke until Chandler blasts him in the face, and he loads up on several punches to make Ferguson readjust his attempts at submission. Ferguson protests that Chandler is lowering his head down and clacking him in the face with his forehead, and Herzog warns Ferguson for grabbing the fence. Ferguson turns and nearly sweeps, but Chandler deftly remains on top and gets off some short ground-and-pound. Ferguson hacks with elbows off his back, and the blood from Chandler is leaking down into Ferguson’s eyes. Chandler looses a few punches and cuts Ferguson’s right eye, and the thrilling round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Between rounds, Chandler’s right eye swells up substantially, but he does not appear remotely concerned about it as the round opens up. Before Ferguson can throw a single punch, Chandler summons all of his strength and calls on the legends of Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida to empower his right leg. In the most spectacular move tonight by a landslide, Chandler smashes the ball of his foot into Ferguson’s chin, and the light fades from Ferguson’s eyes in an instant. “El Cucuy” topples over, completely unconscious, and he slumps over on his face and is communing with his ancestors. Chandler celebrates, knowing there is nothing left for him to do today, and he hits several back flips in rapid succession, sticking the landing for each and every one. The video cuts to Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett in the crowd, and appropriately so, as this knockout might have topped her incredible spinning back elbow earlier this year with the cleanest front kick knockout you will ever see. As Chandler is with his team, Ferguson is still out, but he finally manages to come around to the delight of everyone in the building. What an incredible knockout, one that will stand on highlight reels for years to come. Absolutely amazing. To top it off, Chandler calls for a fight with Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview, but good luck getting “Notorious” to take that fight after witnessing that astounding knockout.

The Official Result

Michael Chandler def. Tony Ferguson R2 0:17 via KO (Front Kick)

UFC Women's Straweight Title Fight:
Rose Namajunas (115) vs. Carla Esparza (115)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Namajunas (-195), Esparza (+165)

Round 1

In December 2014, the UFC staged its 20th numbered season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” bringing strawweights to the table. The reality show brought forth a tournament that established two finalists, and the two would fight for the inaugural 115-pound title on the finale episode. Atop that fight card – one that Charles Oliveira also appeared and missed weight that night – Esparza (18-6, 9-4 UFC) ultimately submitted Namajunas (11-4, 9-3 UFC) in the third round with a rear-naked choke after dominating her with her wrestling. Esparza lost her title in her very next fight, while current defending champ Namajunas fought up the ranks and won it twice since then. The high-stakes rematch with gold on the line will have referee Keith Peterson in charge of the action while tolerating zero nonsense, and the ladies are very respectful and bump fists to get things started. They keep a long range from one another, well away from any strikes possibly landing. Esparza slowly plods forward, while not recklessly charging into anything. This results in a great deal of inaction and inactivity, with the strawweights too far away to land a single strike. Esparza tries to cut “Thug Rose” off, but she cannot back her up well as Namajunas circles away. Esparza leaps in with a superman punch, and Namajunas is well out of the way. Two minutes pass without a single strike coming close to landing, and Esparza rushes forward with hooks that are feet away from where she wants them to be, as Namajunas is light on her feet. Namajunas paws out a jab just to keep Esparza honest, and Esparza jumps forward and partially connects with a left hook. Namajunas scoots back and scores a jab, but it is the lone strike she has landed after three minutes. Namajunas jabs again, and there is a lump forming on Esparza’s forehead from the seemingly insignificant strike. Esparza scores a leg kick, and she ducks back when Namajunas pushes out a jab. Esparza misses a front kick by a mile, and swings in an effort to go after a takedown but is ways away. Namajunas grazes the forehead with a jab, and the strike totals are embarrassing at this point. Through five full minutes, practically nothing happened.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Esparza leads off in the first 10 seconds with a one-two, but Namajunas is far away from her and not in danger of absorbing a blow. Namajunas grows a little closer, reaching with jab but not connecting with any. Namajunas misses a right hand over the top, and Esparza ducks down with a single and drops Namajunas down to a knee. The champ climbs back up quickly, and she yanks her leg free and rises back up to her feet. Esparza lazily reaches out with the ball of her foot, and Namajunas does not even bother blocking it as it is a foot or two away. In the midpoint of the second round, the landed strike totals in this fight likely combine for a single digit still. They reach out with subpar jabs, the kind that are still so far away that there is no range to find and no face to strike. Esparza stands still as Namajunas looks to walk away, and the crowd rains down boos as this fight continues to drag on. Esparza swats away a few jabs, and Namajunas sits down in a single left hand that might be the most effective strike of the bout. Esparza partially lands a low kick, and the crowd begins to do the wave as they are bored as can be. Esparza crashes the pocket, and Namajunas scoots out of the way as the pedestrian round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The third round begins with a single jab to the body from the champ, and Namajunas circles away and sneaks a right hand over the top as Esparza comes forward. Namajunas glances a right hand over the top, and Esparza responds with a low kick. Esparza suddenly throws caution to the wind, blitzing forward with punches and hitting a takedown. Namajunas bounces back to her feet without staying on her back for long, and when back up again, Esparza lands a left hook. They swipe at one another with inaccurate punches, and Namajunas darts forward and sneaks in an uppercut. Esparza charges for a takedown, gets pushed away, scores a knee and fails to go after another takedown. Namajunas whiffs on an overhand left, and Esparza gives chase while ducking a few jabs aimed at her. Namajunas gets a little more active, poking at the challenger with jabs and a shovel hook. The jabs do enough to keep Esparza at bay, as Esparza drops down to change levels but slips. A superman punch from Esparza is a meter away from her opponent, and Namajunas reaches out with a right hand after a lull in the action. “Cookie Monster” sprints forward to try to get a takedown, and Namajunas ushers her out of the way. Namajunas lines up a right hand over the top, and this dreadful round – a slight improvement over the last two, but barely – is now over.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 4

We have reached the championship rounds, and the striking totals are unclear but we might be at a historic low for a three-round fight that did not consist of lay-and-pray with inactivity on the ground. Both strawweights start off the round with fists swinging, and there are missed blows from both sides. Esparza shoots for a takedown, and Namajunas stuffs her and absorbs a knee to the chest. Esparza dives for another takedown, getting hold of the champ’s leg and finally taking her down. Although Esparza gets her back after a scramble, she falls off the side and cannot keep it or go for the any offense. Namajunas pushes off and gets some separation, and the commentary booth is beside itself at the travesty that is playing out before their very eyes. Esparza loops a right hand over the top, and she scores a leg kick as Namajunas scoots back. Two punches from Namajunas land on the chest, and Esparza swings and misses with a left as she separates. Namajunas reaches with a few jabs that miss the mark, and she scores a right hook that forces Esparza into a takedown. Esparza takes the back and hits a suplex, and she grabs hold of Namajunas’ back. The champ scrambles brilliantly, and she stands up to belt Esparza in the face with a solid right hand. Esparza tosses out a low kick, and Namajunas snipes back with a single left hand. Namajunas swings herself off-balance with an inaccurate overhand right, and Esparza plods forward but cannot get her hands on the champ as the horn blares. This fight is truly bewildering.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 5

The last round begins as the ladies meet in the middle and do nothing. They throw punches at one another, missing their targets, and Namajunas sits down on a right hand that is two feet away. The challenger darts forward with a couple of looping punches, and those too hit air. Namajunas has a jab get through, and a left that collides with the guard. Esparza charges for a takedown, and Namajunas stands her up but gets kicked in the face. Namajunas scores a right hand over the top, but it is one-and-done. Esparza ends a combination with a left of her own, perhaps the most powerful blow she has landed throughout this pitiful fight, if one could call it that. They jab at one another, and Esparza slaps a leg kick on the thigh. Esparza runs forward with punches, only to find herself shadowboxing as Namajunas is far away from getting struck. The champ sinks in a right hand, and she goes for a left to the body as she stands back and puts her hands at her waist. Peterson tells them to start working, after 23 minutes of disappointment thus far. Namajunas slings a right hand, and Esparza replies with a failed takedown effort. Namajunas works the leg once, and she misses a side kick to the jaw. A jab from the champ comes, and Esparza dodges the rest. Namajunas goes high, and she threatens with her own takedown that is way off. Esparza leaps with a right hook that knocks the air out next to the champion, and the crowd shouts its disappointment for the fighters. With 10 seconds to spare, Namajunas charges in for a takedown, and she hits a takedown to punctuate one of the worst fights in UFC history. This total embarrassment concludes after 25 minutes of inactivity, and it could be anyone’s fight here, but no one deserves the win in the end.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Carla Esparza def. Rose Namajunas via Split Decision (47-48, 49-46, 48-47)

UFC Lightweight Title Fight:
Charles Oliveira (155.5: Missed Weight) vs. Justin Gaethje (155)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Oliveira (-165), Gaethje (+145)

Round 1

For the first time in UFC history, a defending champion missed weight, when Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC; 20-8, 1 NC UFC) could not reach the lightweight championship limit and hit the scales at 155.5 pounds. As a result, the title has been stripped from the Brazilian, and only Gaethje (23-3, 6-3 UFC) is eligible to win it. Should Oliveira get his hand raised, he will serve as the number one contender and will fight for the vacant belt at a later date. Many had already circled this matchup on their calendar as must-see TV given the excitement quotient that each provides, and the weigh-in drama added yet another layer of intrigue to the pairing. Getting things started will be referee Marc Goddard, who brings them to the center of the cage, issues the formalities and instructs the fighters to touch gloves. They do. With that, the fight is on, and buckle up. The first strike comes in 10 seconds with a leg kick, and they both crack one another with right hands to hurt one another. Oliveira stings him again in the clinch, and Gaethje backs off and lets fly another leg kick. Gaethje knocks the ex-champ clean off his feet, and he stands back to let Oliveira stand back up. When the Brazilian gets back up, Gaethje chops down his lead leg and nails him with a right hand that drops Oliveira again. Oliveira is swollen and bleeding from multiple places on the head, and Oliveira works his way back up to his feet. Gaethje gathers himself and absorbs a flush knee to the body, while Gaethje slings a right hand for all his worth. Gaethje gets stung and fights back, and Oliveira tries for a standing guillotine but gets pushed off. Oliveira closes the distance, jumps guard with a guillotine, and Gaethje shrugs him off and powers out of the position. They both stand back up, and Oliveira clips the challenger with a right hand. Oliveira leaps in the air with a front kick, and chants for “USA” rain down for the Arizona native. Gaethje blocks a knee, gets blasted with a right hand, and the right sends “The Highlight” crashing to the mat in big trouble. Oliveira gives chase, and he jumps on to snatch up the back and latch on to a choke. Gaethje bucks him off, fights off an armbar setup and rolls to his knees. The mighty move is for naught, as he gets yanked back down by Oliveira. This time, "Do Bronx" has Gaethje’s back on lock, and he hunts for a rear-naked choke. The arm slides beneath Gaethje’s chin, and Gaethje is in serious danger now and struggling to fight the grip. As Gaethje gasps for breath, he decides to tap out instead of going out like when he fought Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Oliveira has done it. He has survived the toughest that Gaethje could offer, suffering two knockdowns, coming back to drop Gaethje and land the submission in remarkable fashion. The UFC lightweight title is officially still vacant, with Oliveira as the current number one contender, and he will face an undetermined challenger in the future. With any luck, it will be a top active fighter like Islam Makhachev, and not a famous but undeserving person on a losing streak to slot in with hopes of selling pay-per-views. Oliveira declares that the lightweight champion does have a name, and his name is Charles Oliveira. Whoever Oliveira fights next, that man will truly have his hands full, as Oliveira is a force to be reckoned with. When he competes again for his old belt, we will be there for it. We hope you are too.

The Official Result

Charles Oliveira def. Justin Gaethje R1 3:22 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)