UFC 286 ‘Edwards vs. Usman 3’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Veronica Macedo (125.5) vs. Juliana Miller (125.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Miller (-435), Macedo (+350)

Round 1

The UFC will tie its record for the most bouts at a single event at night’s end, unless something unfortunate happens on fight day. An overwhelming 15 matches will play out in front of ravenous British fans, culminating with a home country fighter trying to land his first defense while doing so on home soil. Before then, there is plenty to get through, starting in the women’s divisions. The first of three 125-pound fights between women opens up this card, as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 30 victor Miller (3-1, 1-0 UFC) welcomes the recently married Hardy (6-4-1, 1-4 UFC) – formerly known as Veronica Macedo – back to the Octagon after over three years off. The ladies will be joined in the cage by referee Lukasz Bosacki to get things going, and they commence the festivities with a clap of hands. Hardy keeps her distance early and pecks out with low kicks, while Miller looks to walk her down and loop a left hand over the top. Hardy catches her doing just that, while she circles on the outside. Miller sticks out a jab and gets countered with a two-piece, and she is tagged with a subsequent fist of Hardy that sets Miller down on her seat. Miller jumps back upright, seemingly no worse for wear, and she continues stalking Hardy down with lunging jabs. Hardy pops her coming in again, as Miller drops her guard while throwing these long strikes. Hardy stays light on her feet and continuously moving, and she hooks her arm around Miller’s to crack her in the face with two left hands. Miller recoils and blinks it out, and her aggression dulls after the active counters from her opponent. Miller practically jumps forward into single strikes, and Hardy sees these coming from a mile away. Hardy skirts along the outside and lands a punch while Miller is almost running at her, and this leads to a fierce exchange of unguarded punches with Miller taking every shot square on the noggin. Miller decides after eating these particular blows to try to change levels, and she jams Hardy up against the wall but fails to secure the takedown. The American lowers herself in pursuit of a potential double-leg takedown, and Hardy lifts her up with a knee on the chin. When Miller attempts a trip, Hardy counters her and lands on top. Miller hits her back and immediately throws her legs up, where she hooks up Hardy’s arm and also starts fishing for a triangle choke. Hardy turns the proper way to get out, and Miller is warned for grabbing the glove to cinch up the choke or armbar. Hardy pulls out of the danger after taking some surprisingly effective strikes from Miller off her back, and the circles away until the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Hardy

Round 2

Miller is aggressive right out of the gate to start the second round, and she walks straight into several vicious countershots coming forward. Hardy stings her with these strikes, leading to a Miller takedown try. When Miller comes up short, she practically pulls guard as Hardy topples on top of her to ground her. Hardy gets off a few hammerfists before Miller attacks an armbar, latching on to Hardy’s right arm and wrenching it between her legs. Hardy rolls through and breaks out of the grip, and she makes Miller pay with several left hands. Miller settles to claim a high guard, where she soon attacks for another armbar as Hardy is a bit lackadaisical in her top control. Hardy calmly bucks out of the submission setup to push through to half guard, where she prevents further high guard tries from this position. Hardy lumps her foe up with punches and elbows, and a large hematoma forms on the center of Miller’s forehead like a horn is about to sprout from it. Miller kicks off to recover full guard, and Hardy abandons this to stand up and let Miller back up. Miller strikes with a low kick after they get up, and she eats a body kick while charging to push Hardy up against the wire. The 50-50 arm hook leads to both ladies hitting the mat, and Miller transitions into an armbar before bailing on it when there is nothing to it. Hardy allows her to roll back over so that her foe rolls to her back, but Miller attacks a kimura from her back to threaten at the tail end of the round. While she does roll Hardy to her back, time expires in the round before she can finish it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Hardy

Round 3

There are no bones about it from Miller’s corner, who urges her to fight for the finish at all costs. Miller, whose forehead bump has diminished thanks to the cold compress, rushes out to attack in the final frame. Hardy uses this to her advantage, allowing Miller’s momentum to let her fall to the ground. Miller is content to do this as she snatches up Hardy’s left arm for a kimura, and when this fails, the 10th Planet San Diego product reaches her legs up for a triangle choke. This is released, as “Killer” Miller turns to grab hold of a kneebar. Miller turns belly-down to torque the knee, and Hardy’s impressive flexibility allows her to stay in without flinching. Hardy pounds Miller in the side several times with powerful punches, and the mounting damage from them forces Miller to release the grip and fight to stand back up. Miller is quickly turned around on the fencing, and Hardy trips her down with a body lock to land her flat on her back. Miller hits the mat to quickly pursue an available limb, considering a feeble armbar is that is easily escaped. Hardy nails her with a standing-to-ground leg kick when she gets out, and Miller leaps to her feet and is met with a clean right hand. Hardy quickly drags her back down to the ground, only to abandon ship when Miller fishes for something. Miller tries to sneak up an upkick, and Miller comes back upright and walks straight into a head kick and a ferocious left hand. Miller grimaces as she clinches up, somehow still on her feet, and Hardy dumps her to the floor and lands in north-south position. Hardy concludes their match with elbows, likely springing a big upset in the first fight of the card.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy (30-27 Hardy)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hardy (30-27 Hardy)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Hardy (30-27 Hardy)

The Official Result

Veronica Hardy def. Juliana Miller via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

Jai Herbert (156) vs. Ludovit Klein (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Klein (-190), Herbert (+160)

Round 1

The two men set to hit the cage next combine for just five decision wins across their 31 victories. Referee Rich Mitchell is going to need to be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice once “The Black Country Banger” Herbert (12-4, 2-3 UFC) and “Mr. Highlight” Klein (19-4, 3-2 UFC) start throwing down. The all-action lightweights elect to touch gloves before swinging for the bleachers, and Herbert immediately slings a head kick. Klein blocks it and fires right back, causing him to tumble to the mat. The Slovakian fighter gets back up without issue, and he faces long jabs coming from Herbert when he resets. Herbert quickly reaches him with a head kick, only for the kick to bounce off the guard. Herbert lets loose a kick to the body, and he leaves it out too long to allow Klein to grab it. Klein trips “The Black Country Banger” down to the canvas, and he lands in the guard and looks to get some ground offense going. The Brit stays active, using a butterfly sweep to keep Klein honest until he rolls for a quick armbar. Klein slides out of it and jumps back into the guard, but he finds himself struggling to get low as Herbert’s butterfly looks keep him elevated. Herbert chew up his man with punches from below, and he stings Klein with an upkick and rips open a huge cut on Klein’s left eyebrow. Klein backs off after getting rocked, and he stands back up to stop the unexpected assault. Herbert aims a head kick to that busted eye, and Klein advances to clinch up and trade knees. Herbert wings an elbow on the inside, and a knee from the Brit skims off the cup but is not called. Herbert hurts Klein again with a knee up the middle, and he lets go of the tie-up to admire his work. Herbert waits, and slips a head kick to hope to disrupt the timing, but the guard is there is time. Klein tries to reply in kind, but he misses the target by a wide margin. Klein threads the needle with his fists, breaking through Herbert’s guard, but they are few and far between. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Herbert

Round 2

A quick touch of gloves is followed by Klein trying to throw a strike, but Herbert is well out of harm’s way. Klein misses with a swinging head kick, and Herbert does the same as they still look for their range. A body kick from Herbert is up too close, so Klein can counter him over the top with a short left. Herbert moves forward to clinch up, where he pats Klein’s thighs with light knees until Klein turns him about. Klein escapes, and he keeps a close range with Herbert to not allow the Brit to get off his rangy kicks. A body kick from Herbert is countered with a left, and Klein pushes up tightly again to trade knees. Klein aims an elbow during the break, and he slides it off the top of the forehead. The two trade leg kicks, and Herbert mixes up with a head kick before skirting away when Klein bears down on him. Klein blocks two successive head kicks and tries to pay him back with one, but Herbert is far busier with low kicks and distance strikes. A right hand from the Brit opens up an additional cut around Klein’s right eye, and Klein pays it no mind as he continues to advance cautiously. Klein crashes the pocket and manages to get off an elbow, leading Herbert to push off and circle away. Klein continues to push forward, and he wobbles Herbert momentarily with a standing elbow. Herbert separates and kicks the side a few times before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Herbert

Round 3

Klein walks out of his corner a man on a mission, launching an immediate head kick and chasing his man around the cage. Herbert circles to aim a high kick back at him, and Klein keeps his guard up safely. Klein punches his way into a clinch, and he rips the body with a knee. “The Black Country Banger” spins him around and drills a knee square in the cup, and Klein lets out a yelp and crouches down as Mitchell steps in to pause the fight. After 40 seconds of recovery time, the fight is reset in the middle of the cage, and Klein is fired up. Klein charges out, blasting the body with a knee that lifts Herbert off the ground. They tie up, and Herbert gets one back on the dome as they are putting big power into their strikes. Klein blitzes in, leading to a clinch, and knees are spammed. Herbert belts Klein in the groin again, and Klein doubles over in pain as Mitchell stops the action. Due to the second foul in rapid succession, Mitchell deducts a point from Herbert, and they restart after a minute. Herbert swings a head kick at his man when they resume, and when that misses, he advances to hit a picturesque sweep to dump Klein to the mat. Klein sits up close on the ground to protect his mug from strikes, and Herbert asks Mitchell if he can throw elbows from his particular position without it being another foul. Herbert lands a few before Klein rolls to his back, and Herbert welcomes this so that he can continue mounting offense and controlling his opponent. Klein bursts back to his feet, and he turns the tables and tackles Klein to the canvas. Herbert hits his back and utilizes his butterfly hooks to keep Klein from settling on top, but he eats a few elbows. Herbert stands back up and attempts a hip toss, but they both land on their knees and climb back up. Herbert looks to try to take the back standing, and he lowers Klein back to his knees and works him over with left hands. Herbert fights off one last takedown, and the horn sounds to end this close fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Herbert)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Herbert)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Herbert)

The Official Result

Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein is Ruled a Majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

Luana Carolina (126) vs. Joanne Wood (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Wood (-190), Carolina (+160)

Round 1

Both of the flyweights entering the Octagon now have been out of action for almost exactly one year, but some expected that the 37-year-old Scotswoman Wood (15-8, 7-8 UFC) called it a career. Not so fast, my friend, she says, as she faces off against Carolina (8-3, 3-2 UFC) in hopes of ending a three-fight slump. The cage steward for this contest is referee Herb Dean, and the ladies have no plans on touching gloves. The two only remain separated for a few seconds before crashing together to tie the other up, and they spam knees and elbows from up close. A quick separation leads to Carolina reaching with long punches over the top, and she scores a knee up the middle. The Brazilian is countered with a right hand, and a smile spreads across her face. From a wide berth, the two paw at one another, and they land jabs and single strikes or kicks. Carolina tosses up a head kick that glances of the guard, and a clearly engaged commentator Michael Bisping goes on a rant about Disneyland. The tentative action continues as the two clinch up again, and Wood gets off a solid elbow on the inside. “Dread” breaks off and backs away, with winging punches that are easily blocked and countered by the straight blows of the Scotswoman. Wood walks Carolina down and evades a high kick, and she splits the guard with a front kick. Carolina lifts up a clean knee, and the two trade fists. Wood checks a kick and chops at Carolina’s lead leg, and she catches a body kick and spears with an elbow. “Jojo” spins with a back elbow that glances off her intended target, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Wood

Round 2

Wood claims the center of the cage immediately to start off the round, and she drives Carolina back to the wall with her aggression and not strikes. Carolina lets go with kicks and reckless punches, until Wood grabs hold of her and pushes her to the wire. They trade short strikes before Carolina splits up, and she tosses out a low kick and gets popped by a few punches in response. Carolina scores a solid one-two, although Wood’s volume is superior and more accurate. Wood pecks and pokes with low kicks and jabs, and Carolina lowers her hands and uses unorthodox footwork to dodge the worst of Wood’s blows. Wood ties her up and elbows her a few times, and Carolina respond with knees to the breadbasket. Wood tries to dump her foe to the mat after taking these flush, but Carolina keeps her balance and leans her back against the wall. Carolina lets go with a few looping punches, and Wood gets her back and draws some swelling around Carolina’s right eye. Carolina splits the uprights with a right hand, and she escapes back to then lunge forward again. Wood meets her in the middle with a knee, and Carolina backpedals and looses a body kick. Carolina reaches her for with a long right hand, and Wood slaps her in the face with the ball of her foot. Carolina reacts poorly when hit, turning and running to the side to reset, and Wood calmly walks her down like a finely accented Terminator. Wood slows down with her combinations as she continues to push forward, aiming single strikes that match Carolina’s. Wood hits a foot sweep to toss Carolina to the ground, and she follows it with a knee that narrowly misses illegally nailing the Brazilian in the dome. The razor-close round ends with Carolina on her back.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carolina
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Wood

Round 3

Wood pierces the midsection with a front kick to lead off the last round, and they both blast one another with body kicks. Carolina looks to check one with her knee raised up, and she whips a right hand around the guard to catch Wood standing still. Wood takes advantage with Carolina’s aggression, kneeing her several times on the way, and she escapes without taking further harm. Carolina slips a punch, rips “Jojo” with a few shots, and the arc on her blows allows her to have more power than Wood’s direct strikes. Wood decides to swing heavier, and Carolina greets her with a straight left down the pipe. Carolina sticks and moves, staying on the outer edge of her own strikes. Wood bowls her way forward with a few jabs and a front kick, and she tries to catch Carolina with a lunging right but misses the mark. Wood works into a clinch, and they both knee one another in the solar plexus a few times. Wood sneaks an elbow over the top, and Carolina times a perfect knee that snaps Wood’s head back. The last few elbows from Wood grow the swelling on the Brazilian’s face, and this could still be anyone’s fight with one minute left. Carolina spins with an ill-advised elbow, and it slaps off the guard weakly. Wood doubles up the jab, and Carolina’s punches are more labored but still strong as she plants her left hand on Wood’s jaw. Carolina wings a right hand over the top, and Wood pushes forward with straight strikes. Carolina weaves away from strikes, and Wood comes up close and foot sweeps her down again. Wood stands back to let her up, and they proceed to throw caution to the wind for the last seconds. During the final frenetic exchange, Wood hammers her opponent with a thudding right hand that drops Carolina to her knees right before the bell sounds, possibly swaying the judges in her favor.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood (29-28 Wood)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood (30-27 Wood)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Wood (30-27 Wood)

The Official Result

Joanne Wood def. Luana Carolina via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

Malcolm Gordon (129.5: Missed Weight) vs. Jake Hadley (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Hadley (-380), Gordon (+310)

Round 1

The lone catchweight contest of the evening is a former flyweight affair that has rounded up to 130 pounds after Gordon (14-6, 2-3 UFC) came in 3.5 pounds heavy. The Canadian will surrender 30% of his fight purse to Hadley (9-1, 1-1 UFC), in a surreal bit of nickname matchmaking between a fighter called “Malcolm X” and a 125-pound pale Brit named “White Kong.” Referee Marc Goddard is in the cage for this one, and it opens with apologetic glove touch offering from Gordon that is accepted. Hadley strings together a combination to lead off the fight, with low kicks and punches to back Gordon off. Gordon gathers a full head of steam and lines up his own combination, but this does not keep the British fighter at bay for long. Hadley rips the body with a left, and he sees this has an immediate impact as Gordon reels and doubles over. Gordon lashes out to strike back, allowing “White Kong” to hammer him with one more left flush to the liver, with a blow that would make Bas Rutten shout with joy. Gordon, who was explained as having liver problems prior to this fight including possibly urinating tiny pieces of it out during training – a daunting prospect, to be sure – goes down in a heap. Hadley smells blood and batters a doomed Gordon with Donkey Kong-style hammerfists until Goddard steps in. The first finish of the night comes with style points, and the crowd goes wild.

The Official Result

Jake Hadley def. Malcolm Gordon R1 1:01 via TKO (Punches)

Christian Leroy Duncan (185.5) vs. Dusko Todorovic (186)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Duncan (-215), Todorovic (+185)

Round 1

A whole 17 finishes in the 19 total wins for the debuting Duncan (7-0, 0-0 UFC) and heavy-handed Serbian Todorovic (12-3, 3-3 UFC) lead many to believe this one will not last long. There is little time to waste, as referee Lukasz Bosacki has already started the middleweight match. A quick fist bump leads to a series of stance switches for the newcomer, who looks to fluster Todorovic early. Todorovic sits down on a leg kick that almost buckles Duncan’s leg, so Duncan responds with one of his own. Duncan gives chase and hammers the lead of his opponent once more, and Todorovic is already wearing it. Duncan spears out with a side kick to the chest, and he easily blocks a counter high kick under his armpit. Duncan attempts to check a low kick, and he shrugs off a front kick to tie up “Thunder” against the wall. Duncan thumps some knees to the midsection, and Todorovic muscles out of the clinch. As the Serbian fighter turns the corner, his knee visibly pops and he falls down on his back in agony. Duncan does not follow him to the ground to strike, and instead recognizes the injury and backs off as Bosacki waves the fight off. While Todorovic does manage to get back to his feet, it might be due to adrenaline and he should probably not be standing on it. It is an unfortunate situation for both fighters, but Duncan is now a perfect 8-0 as a pro with the technical knockout on his ledger, and hopefully Todorovic is not on the mend for too long from that knee injury.

The Official Result

Christian Leroy Duncan def. Dusko Todorovic R1 1:52 via TKO (Knee Injury)

Lerone Murphy (145.5) vs. Gabriel Santos (145.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Murphy (-170), Santos (+145)

Round 1

Someone’s 0 has got to go in this early preliminary headliner. It might be a bit of a miracle that “The Miracle” Murphy (11-0-1, 3-0-1 UFC) was able to get a replacement on such late notice, but LFA champ Santos (10-0, 0-0 UFC) is up to the task, with three wins since Murphy last fought. The third man in the Octagon will be referee Rich Mitchell, who clocks them in as the featherweights lightly bump fists. After a few tit-for-tat exchanges, Santos rushes forward and dives into a successful double-leg takedown. Murphy turns himself around in the position to work his way up, and Santos throws his legs up in pursuit of an armbar. The British fighter does not seem concerned of that or the potential triangle choke that slithers up as he works his way out, and he stands up and allows Santos to get up as well. Santos rushes into a punch exchange, and he ends one combination with an emphatic body kick. Murphy replies with a straight right hand and a head kick, and Santos walks it off and absorbs a left hand that shakes him up. Murphy steps in with a knee, and Santos is right in his face ready to trade. Santos lifts the single leg and throws him angrily to the mat, and he kicks Murphy in the back while Murphy scrambles. Santos allows his foe to stand so that he can dig punches to the body, and Murphy resets and commits to a one-two. Murphy jumps forward with a knee that glances off the target, and Santos does not budge as he walks his man down. Murphy lines up a right hand down the pipe, and Santos attacks with a flying knee and lands to attack a double in a hurry. “The Miracle” falls to the ground, and a few strikes from the Brazilian open a cut on the corner of Murphy’s right eye. Santos lets him off the hook and the two stand and trade, and Santos works the body and head in rapid succession. Santos sticks his man with a solid left, and Murphy replies with a powerful kick to the ribs. Santos crowds his man and belts him with a left hand, and Murphy fires right back with a right. This thriller of a round ends when the horn sounds, and the two stand in one another’s face leaning their foreheads together after the round concludes until they are separated.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

Santos offers out a glove touch to start the round, and Murphy accepts it and keeps his guard high when Santos bears down on him with swinging fists. Murphy stuns his foe with a right hand, and Santos ties him up and looks for a potential takedown. While in the clinch, Murphy cracks him with another right on the inside as they trade viciously. Murphy slows things down as he grinds against the wire, and Mitchell asks them to keep working. The British fighter obliges him with a low trip takedown, and he lands in side control. Santos attempts to roll and escape, and he draws Murphy back into his guard. Murphy pounds on the midsection with punches until Santos kicks him off, and they resume throwing hammers on the feet. Santos connects with a flush right hand, and Murphy answers with a few punches and slides a front kick up that grazes the cup. Santos takes 30 seconds to get his wind, and they resume. Santos fires off a jump knee, and follows it with head kick that slides over the top, and Murphy takes it and loses his balance briefly. The Brit attempts his own head kick, and Santos no-sells it as he marches forward. Santos looks for a counter left, and he strings to punches together and ducks a booming head kick. Santos gets caught in an exchange, as Murphy beats him to the punch twice. Santos connects a powerful leg kick that knocks Murphy to his seat, but Murphy is quick to recover without the Brazilian following him. As Murphy gets his balance, Santos crashes the pocket and drives through a single to plant the Brit on his back. Murphy scrambles to give up his back, and Santos takes it and hooks in the body triangle. Santos works the body and head with a few strikes while maintaining the dominant position, and he grips his arm over Murphy’s face to further frustrate him. Murphy tries to escape, and he breaks the body triangle but does not entirely twist out. Santos re-secures the body triangle, and he adjusts himself in a hurry to hunt for an armbar. Murphy breaks out of it right in time, and the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

There is a hug to open the final frame, and the fighters back off to measure their range. Santos gets caught with a leg kick and an overhand, and he plods forward and gets popped with a one-two. The Brazilian dives forward in pursuit of a double, and he changes it to a single and dumps Murphy down to the ground. Murphy backwards somersaults to get out of the bad position, and he wall-walks to stand up and is forced to immediately fight off another single. Santos knees the body when they are clinched up, and he sneaks one over the top but is answered by a pair of sharp elbows by the Brit. They split up, and Santos’ right eye grows from the damage that “The Miracle” has inflicted. Santos snaps out a right hand that surprises his opponent, and Murphy replies with a low kick and circles away from everything but a front kick that he takes in the chest. Santos wings a left hook, and Murphy just misses with a counter. The two trade heavy leather, and Murphy measures his left hand a few times and gets a head kick over the guard. Murphy walks Santos down and pounds him in the face with a left, and Santos is slowing but still very much in the fight with plenty of power. Murphy counters a low kick with a straight left, and he whips a question mark kick right over the top of the guard to smack Santos in the temple. Santos wears it well as he continues to march forward, and he scores a calf kick and is met with one in response. Murphy knocks his man back with a right hand as Santos kicks at him, and the Brazilian shoots for a double and lifts Murphy off the ground. Like a sack of potatoes, Santos throws Murphy down dramatically to the floor, in the middle of the cage and ready to secure top position. Murphy climbs to the wall and looks to stand up without absorbing any ground strikes, and as he gets to a knee, Santos takes his back standing. Santos sneaks up a head kick to break apart, and Murphy strings together a few more punches until the horn blares. This close one will be left in the hands of the judges, and someone will suffer their first defeat.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Murphy (29-28 Santos)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Murphy (29-28 Santos)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)

The Official Result

Lerone Murphy def. Gabriel Santos via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Jafel Filho (125.5) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mokaev (-800), Filho (+575)

Round 1

The biggest betting favorite on the card is Manchester’s adopted son Mokaev (9-0, 1 NC; 3-0 UFC) who welcomes new signee Filho (14-2, 0-0 UFC) to the promotion. At -800 or higher, “The Punisher” is widely expected to punish the Brazilian with 13 stoppages in his 14 pro wins, and end the five-fight stoppage streak of the fighter called “Pastor.” Whether he does or not, referee Herb Dean is on call for the proceedings. Right before the fight is clocked in, the lights go out in the building, and fans hold up their illuminated phones and start chanting “Ole ole ole.” After a minute or so of darkness, the lights flash back on, and they are good to go. Mokaev wades forward and walks into a leg kick, so he mimics that much harder in response. Filho pressures his foe, backing him away but not committing to much of note, while also avoiding the flinging strikes coming his way. They clash legs at the same time, and Filho sits down on a right hand that brushes past the jaw. A Mokaev knocks Filho off his feet, and he springs back up and runs towards Mokaev. Mokaev eats a body kick and tries to catch the kick, but when there is nothing to it, he fires off a kick of his own. Mokaev follows his kick into a takedown try, and Filho jumps guard with a guillotine choke. The grip is tight but not serious, and Mokaev calmly works his way out and allows Filho to scramble so that he can take his back. Mokaev slides into a full back take, and he smacks Filho upside the head a few times until switching over to the top to go after an arm-triangle choke. Mokaev bails on this and comfortable moves to the full guard of the Brazilian, where he considers some ground-and-pound and slides Filho to the wall while holding onto his right arm to bust him in the face with unguarded punches. Filho wriggles his arm out and is pinned between the corner of the floor and wall, and he pushes himself off of it as Mokaev stands up and kicks him in the ankles. Mokaev lowers himself into the guard, and he grinds out the rest of the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 2

Fists are promptly bumped to start off the round, and Filho leads the dance with forward movement and little else. Filho tosses out a half-hearted low kick, and Mokaev winds up with one right back. Filho comes up short with a head kick and a sweeping leg kick, and Mokaev darts in with a looping left that breezes past the face. The action wanes, with feints and charges that end without a strike thrown. Filho times a body kick attempt so he can reach Mokaev with a left hand, and his right zips past the mug without issue. Mokaev sticks his man with a left, and Filho rushes at him with a swiping leg kick. The crowd voices its disapproval at the lack of action, cheers suddenly rain down for Bruce Buffer trying to reclaim the audience, and the fighters largely continue their inactive exchanges. Filho dodges a spinning back elbow as he advances, with Mokaev flailing with inaccurate blows as he tries to keep Filho backed off. The Brazilian whiffs on another kick, and he has a high body kick bounce off the guard and slap Mokaev in the face with his toes. Mokaev shoots for a double when Filho bears down on him, and he bullies Filho to the wall but gets stood up. Mokaev looks to go after an ankle pick or knee tap, and Filho escapes. “The Punisher” changes things up to attack a single-leg takedown, and he manages to put Filho on his back. Filho considers a guillotine off his back, but quickly lets it go when Mokaev starts softening his body up with short punches. Filho closes his guard and begins to punch Mokaev on the dome, with elbows mixed in for good measure. Mokaev ends the round on top, and it will be a tough one to score.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 3

The flyweights hug it out to open the final frame, and Mokaev backs off and races in for a single. Filho drops to a knee as he fights it off, and Mokaev slides around to get a hook in and drag Filho down from behind. Mokaev secures the back with both hooks in, and he locks down a body triangle and starts hunting for a rear-naked choke immediately. The Brazilian turns towards the choke while fighting off the grip, and Mokaev does not maintain the proper leverage to complete the submission. Filho breaks off the first try, and he scrambles to turn around to push Mokaev to his knees. As Mokaev stands, Filho leaps in with a left hand, and this misses the mark. Mokaev shoots clear through Filho’s hips to take him back down, and Filho scrambles wildly but cannot quite get “The Punisher” off of him. Filho maintains a two-on-one wrist lock, and he lets it go to suddenly snatch up a kneebar. Mokaev belts him in the face, and the Brazilian leans back and hyperextends the knee. Mokaev does not flinch even as his knee is bending the wrong angle, and Mokaev tries to push off with his foot and somehow escapes the submission that most fighters would have tapped to. The damage is done, as Mokaev is in serious pain even though he escaped, wincing and grimacing as he turns Filho over to take him down. Filho stands up, and Mokaev’s face is still contorted in a sign of obvious discomfort. Mokaev smothers Filho down to his knee, and he slides around to go after a rear-naked choke. Filho does not bother fighting the hands as he is safe, so Mokaev swarms around to the other side and grips a neck crank with all his might. Filho quickly taps out from the pain of the submission, and Mokaev remains undefeated with the finish – but at what cost, as he stands up and limps away, having clearly suffered some damage to his knee. Mokaev still manages to climb up the cage to celebrate, but has a very difficult time getting back down.

The Official Result

Muhammad Mokaev def. Jafel Filho R3 4:32 via Submission (Neck Crank)

Yanal Ashmoz (155) vs. Sam Patterson (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Patterson (-265), Ashmoz (+225)

Round 1

The theme continues of dedicated finishers squaring off in the cage, and in this case, it comes between two men making their promotional debut. With plenty of momentum on his 10-fight unbeaten streak, “The Future” Patterson (10-1-1, 0-0 UFC) would like to be in the present as he towers over Israeli neophyte Ashmoz (6-0, 0-0 UFC). This lightweight clash sees quite a size difference between the two, but size matters not – sometimes. Referee Marc Goddard draws the charge for this prelim, and although Ashmoz extends his hand to touch gloves, Patterson wants nothing to do with it. Patterson keeps his distance and jabs with low kicks and the occasional front kick, and a jab as Ashmoz kicks at him knocks “Red Fox” off his feet. It appears to be balance and not a clean knockdown, and he jumps back up no worse for wear. Ashmoz blitzes forward, catching a kick and unloading a blazing right hand and a brutal left hook on the temple that sends Patterson crashing to the mat. Ashmoz dives down in a flurry to beat down Patterson, and he pummels the downed fighter with a final bombardment of unblocked blows until Patterson goes out, comes back and gets knocked out again. Goddard gave Patterson every bit of time to recover in this fight, and Patterson is bloodied up and barely conscious when he returns to his feet. Patterson protests the stoppage, still on wobbly baby deer legs, and he appears that he still thinks he is in the fight. Goddard, EMMAA commission officials and Patterson’s corner have to get in there to stop him from continuing, and Patterson finally realizes that the fight is over and accepts defeat. What a shot, and what a finish from the unbeaten Israeli Ashmoz.

The Official Result

Yanal Ashmoz def. Sam Patterson R1 1:15 via KO (Punches)

Chris Duncan (156) vs. Omar Morales (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Morales (-125), Duncan (+105)

Round 1

Do not adjust your set, as Christian Duncan is not entering the cage again for seconds. Instead, another UFC debutant named Duncan (9-1, 0-0 UFC) is hitting the Octagon, this one from Scotland as opposed to England. He faces off against relative veteran Morales (11-3, 3-3 UFC), whose six UFC appearances under his belt are the most on the card thus far, tied with Todorovic earlier. The lightweight will throw down under the auspices of referee Lukasz Bosacki, who will keep things safe and on the up-and-up. The gloves are touched, and Duncan takes several large steps forward to make Morales retreat immediately. Duncan fires off a low kick that Morales tries to check, and he misses with a second effort. Duncan sticks out a jab and sweeps out a body kick, and his leg kick that follows is the one that connects. Morales looks to back him off with kicks of his own, and Duncan chambers a right hand but fires it at the body and not the head. Morales checks a hard kick and fires back with a one-two, and he catches a body kick and dumps Duncan down to the ground. Morales walks his foe down when he lets him up, and they trade low kicks. Duncan connects with a heavy right hand over the top, and Morales eats it like arepa. Morales gives a few punches back, and Duncan is surprised by the power of his opponent as he gets driven back. As Morales spins for a back fist, Duncan intercepts him with a body kick, and Morales still continues with the fist that glances off the melon. Duncan shoots in for a double, and he bails on it when running into a wall. Morales checks a kick and dodges an overhand right, as Duncan is launching his favored missile while generally telegraphing it. Morales keeps his guard high, and Duncan kicks low to the calf. Morales winds up with a few punches, knocking the Scottish fighter off-balance and drilling him with an uppercut. Duncan gathers his senses and blasts Morales in the face with a right hand, and Morales staggers and points to the air as if he celebrated that he got caught. Duncan rushes forward into a clinch, and he lands a thudding elbow right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morales
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morales
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Morales

Round 2

The lightweights clap hands to reintroduce themselves, and Duncan starts the round with a blast double. Morales gets thrown down to one knee, and he bounces up only to be dragged down thanks to Duncan’s body weight. Duncan looks to sweep the leg out, and he knees the thigh while Morales looks to fight off the takedown. The Scottish fighter sneaks his leg between Morales’ to tangle him up, and Morales scrambles off to the side to hit a switch and burst back to his feet. Duncan jabs him to the body, leaving himself vulnerable for a right hand, and he gets tagged. Morales dodges and weaves strikes to counter with one-twos, and he slaps a leg kick on Duncan’s leg. Morales looks to check a kick, and he belts Duncan in the face. Morales checks another kick, smiles at his opponent, and Duncan wobbles back. Morales sits down on a strong leg kick, and he absorbs a kick to his ribs before Duncan rushes at him for a double. Morales defends with the cage at his back, and “The Problem” changes his angle to grab hold of a single. Morales shakes him off but cannot keep Duncan off of him, as Duncan tries again to level change. Morales once more breaks the grip, and he cracks Duncan with a right hand before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morales
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Duncan
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Duncan

Round 3

The fighters shake hands to start off the last round, and Duncan strides forward to unleash a right hand over the top. Duncan slings multiple kicks, and Morales prepares an uppercut counter expecting a level change. Duncan does not oblige with wrestling, and instead throws another haymaker. Morales jabs and chops down Duncan’s calf with a kick, and Duncan falls to his knees. Duncan attacks a single after absorbing the powerful blow, and Morales lifts his leg all the way up in the air in a display of impressive flexibility to fight it off. Morales gets thrown to the ground despite his defensive efforts, and Duncan gloms on to him while keeping Morales on one knee. Duncan knees the thigh a few times, and Morales sits down to stop this from happening any more. Duncan embraces the grind on “Venezuelan Fighter,” prohibiting him from standing. Morales shrugs at the camera, and looks irritated by getting held down, but he cannot break the grip or escape from this. Morales climbs back to his feet for a moment, and Duncan strips his legs out once more to drop him to a knee. Duncan grips on the ankle on the other side to keep his foe grounded, but Morales explodes upright with 30 seconds left. Morales unloads with punches, and he connects with an uppercut that shakes Duncan to his foundation. Duncan backs off, takes a few seconds to blink it out, and walks through a leg kick to land one final takedown. The final horn blares, and the two fighters take a seat against the cage to amicably chat about their fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Duncan (29-28 Morales)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Duncan (29-28 Duncan)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Duncan (29-28 Duncan)

The Official Result

Chris Duncan def. Omar Morales via Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

Makwan Amirkhani (146) vs. Jack Shore (146)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Shore (-500), Amirkhani (+400)

Round 1

Wrapping up this eons-long preliminary card is a featherweight contest between bantamweight ex-pat Shore (16-1, 5-1 UFC) and divisional stalwart Amirkhani (17-8, 7-6 UFC). This classic grappling battle of Wales vs. Finland will be overseen by referee Rich Mitchell, who recognizes the historical significance of this pairing. There is half-hearted glove touch, but they would rather get right down to business. Shore sticks out a few jabs, and he is caught with an overhand left when kicking low. Shore bull-rushes forward, punching his way and dropping down for a takedown, and Amirkhani lifts his leg up and opts to turn Shore around. Amirkhani considers a level change of his own, and Shore staves this off and jams him to the wall. Amirkhani pushes him away, and Shore allows this and gets swatted with a right hand as he throws a punch. The fighters trade jabs, and their range still has not firmly been established. Amirkhani shoots for a takedown in the center of the cage, and he succeeds in taking the Welshman down with ease. Shore maintains his guard and kicks off to make Amirkhani stands up, and he threatens with an omoplata until Amirkhani wriggles his arm out and slides over to half guard. Mitchell asks Amirkhani to do more with the position, so he stands al the way up and tries to pass guard from another angle. Shore defends on his back with a triangle setup, and Amirkhani shucks it out of the way and rails his man with an elbow. Amirkhani continues holding on from on top until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani

Round 2

Shore claims the center of the cage to begin the round, and he ignores a faked level change to load up with a right hand. Amirkhani wings a high kick that makes him fall over, and Shore uses this to take his fighter to the ground. Amirkhani scrambles, Shore tries a high-amplitude guard pass, and they end up getting back to their feet without incident. Shore bullies his way in with punches before tying them up, and they clinch up for a moment before splitting. Shore meets a level-changing Amirkhani with a head kick, and “Mr. Finland” wobbles and shoots for a desperation takedown. Shore easily stuffs it and stands up, and Shore aims another high kick at the guard. Shore’s punches have busted up Amirkhani’s nose, and the latter appears to be slowing. A pawing right hand from Amirkhani lands, but it is one-and-done as Shore beats him to the punch with a left hand and an uppercut. Shore’s jab is making the nose of his foe grow redder by the blow, and he stings Amirkhani with a few more strikes. The Welshman ducks a head kick, and he makes him pay for the try with a clubbing. Shore jabs to intercept a charging Amirkhani, and he meets Amirkhani in the middle and tackles him down to the ground. Shore advances to full mount, and he leans down to lock onto an arm-triangle choke. With the leverage not there, Shore circles around to take Amirkhani’s back, and he sets up a rear-naked choke and has it. Amirkhani shakes, turns, pushes off the knee to break the hooks and does so. The grip is not broken, however, and as Amirkhani gurgles, he surrenders to the choke. Shore is now victorious at his new division, and he throttled a savvy submission specialist who had only once been tapped before this loss. At the conclusion of the prelims, fighters from the United Kingdom went 7-1-1 against foreign adversaries thus far.

The Official Result

Jack Shore def. Makwan Amirkhani R2 4:27 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Roman Dolidze (186) vs. Marvin Vettori (185.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vettori (-275), Dolidze (+230)

Round 1

The main card commences with a middleweight contender matchup as former title challenger Vettori (18-6-1, 8-4-1 UFC) looks to remain in contention at the expense of the rising Georgian Dolidze (12-1, 6-1 UFC). Referee Marc Goddard will be available for all 15 minutes should they be needed, and this interesting stylistic matchup starts off with an attempted glove touch from Dolidze. Vettori answers this with a leg kick, and he follows it with one more. Vettori jabs into a high kick, and the crowd starts chanting his name as he lands strikes. Vettori sneaks a right hand over the top, and he shells up when Dolidze bears down on him with a clubbing right hand. Dolidze pours it on with several powerful blows, bullying Vettori to the wall and pounding on him. Vettori takes some of it on the chin and fires back, getting Dolidze’s attention with a left and backing him off. Vettori doubles a jab and follows with an overhand left, and he reaches out with a body kick to conclude the combination. Dolidze connects with a short uppercut as Vettori wades forward, and Vettori replies with a one-two. Vettori keeps busy with kicks on the outside, staying off the gunnery range from Dolidze’s powerful hooks. The Italian chips at the welting lead leg of his opponent with kicks, and he snipes a flailing Dolidze with a clean right hand. Vettori catches him again with a right, and Dolidze tries to bulldoze his way in but is met with effective strikes. Dolidze’s punches all come from wide angles, while Vettori is more comfortable to throw straight down the middle, allowing him to reach first. Dolidze leans forward, and the crown of his head slams into Vettori’s jaw. Goddard recognizes this and pauses the fight while Vettori shakes it off and tries to clear himself. There is no serious warning as it was incidental, and Vettori is good to go. Dolidze leads off with a head kick to the same side of the face, and Vettori blocks it and greets him with heavy hands. Vettori strings a few punches together, and Dolidze loads up on a haymaker. The booming punches from Dolidze have marked up Vettori’s nose, and Dolidze decides to start brawling when sensing success. Vettori smiles at him and largely protects himself from harm, keeping his guard up and countering effectively. Dolidze steps in with a knee, and is driven back from a right hand over the top. Dolidze swings his fists recklessly, and even tries to swat with a back fist. Vettori backs him off with a few jabs, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze

Round 2

Vettori’s first strike of the round is a loud kick to the upper thigh, and he allows Dolidze to strike at him so that he can kick the other leg, only to chain a third kick low. Vettori keeps working on the leg, and he swats away a charging Dolidze without taking anything flush. The Italian gladly accepts lulls in the action so that he can plant a kick or two on Dolidze’s lead wheel, and Dolidze stands right in front of him to initiate a brawl. The Georgian cracks him with a heavy right hand in a short salvo, and he bounces his right hand off the top of the head. Vettori takes one leg kick and rushes forward to release a one-two, and Dolidze meanders forward while preparing a wide right hook. Dolidze splits the guard with a left, and Vettori jabs and circles away. Dolidze plants his fist on the chest, and he swings a few more for good measure up top. Vettori jabs and chains leg kicks together, while Dolidze is waiting to explode into exchanges. Dolidze hand-fights to set up his big right hand, and Vettori ignores one to score a low kick. Dolidze changes levels, and he is stuffed with ease and forced back to boxing range. Dolidze continues to pressure forward, throwing caution to the wind, and his foe’s jabs are intercepting him on the way forward. “The Italian Dream” lets go with a head kick, and he punches and kicks in a chain before Dolidze answers him. Dolidze lumbers forward, and Vettori pops him with a left before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Vettori
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze

Round 3

Dolidze pressures forward to initiate his offense, and Vettori settles down early with jabs and chipping kicks. Dolidze swings hard with generally single blows, and he closes in and connects with a right and a knee up the middle. Vettori forces his opponent to backpedal with a left, and he ducks away from a leaping hook. Vettori kicks low and shoulder-rolls a punch, but Dolidze gives chase and backs him to the wall to unload on him. The Italian is well out of the way before most of the strikes reach him, and he continues to out-technique his adversary. The jabs from Vettori have developed some swelling under Dolidze’s left eye, and Dolidze completely ignores it to swing a big right hand. Vettori beats him to the punch with a check hook, and Dolidze nods after the connection. Dolidze stands firm as Vettori paws away at him, until he races forward swinging his fists. Vettori takes a clean one on the nose before escaping, and he lets go with a naked leg kick on the outside and is countered with a monster haymaker. Vettori shakes it out and gathers his thoughts, as that punch might have knocked out lesser men, but he is still in it and throwing back with volume. Vettori lands with a few leg kicks, and Dolidze powers forward and unleashes hell with several ferocious hooks. Vettori tanks them all and smiles, and he rolls when Dolidze fires off a big right. Vettori snipes his foe with a left at the end of an exchange, and the low kicks from Vettori are having an appreciable effect. Dolidze continues plodding forward, and he throws punches until his momentum makes him lean over – this allows him to try for a takedown. The Italian fighter stuffs it without batting an eye so he can keep punching and kicking, and he fights off another takedown effort. Dolidze throws everything he has into several final blows, and Vettori is quicker and sharper and does not take any of them flush on the chin. This one goes the distance, and it is going to be a tough call that might perplex the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze (29-28 Vettori)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze (29-28 Dolidze)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Dolidze (30-27 Dolidze)

The Official Result

Marvin Vettori def. Roman Dolidze via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Jennifer Maia (125) vs. Casey O'Neill (125)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: O’Neill (-165), Maia (+140)

Round 1

Women take center stage for the final time tonight, as the third of three 125-pound affairs between the ladies goes down with the potential to slide into the top five after a great performance. At 34, Chute Boxe’s Maia (20-9-1, 5-5 UFC) is prepared to show the 25-year-old self-proclaimed “King” O’Neill (9-0, 4-0 UFC) is not ready for divisional royalty yet, and she has three rounds to see if the unbeaten youngster is up to the test. Whether this is a torch-passing moment or a show that the relatively older lions are still hungry, referee Herb Dean is here for it. The fighters do not want to touch gloves, as they are off to the races. O’Neill sticks out a few jabs, and when Maia replies, O’Neill kicks her in the side. Maia stings her foe with a right hand, and she times an uppercut when O’Neill is advancing. O’Neill loads up on a right hand, and Maia beats her to the punch and scores a jab to kick off a combination. The uppercut from Maia continues to land effectively, as she slides out of the way from “King Casey.” O’Neill continues stalking her opponent, but it is Maia who lands the most effectively. Maia starts off a combination to intercept her foe, and she ends it while O’Neill is still throwing at the wind. A solid right hand from the Aussie draws a little respect, but Maia shifts laterally when the high kick and other punches fly her way. Maia lines up a few punches, and she gets out of the way from a pair of winging right hooks. The right hand of Maia continues to find its home, and she has busted up the youngster’s nose and forced it to start leaking. Maia stays on the outside with a kick, disallowing O’Neill from reaching her, but O’Neill continues to move forward. O’Neill throws out a body kick, and Maia catches it and changes levels. O’Neill keeps her balance, and she pulls her leg back, but eats a right hand on the nose. The volume of Maia is more consistent than that of her adversary, as she is content to touch while O’Neill is loading up on power. O’Neill puts a few punches together, and Maia replies and gets a head kick off over the top. Maia targets the body, and the round ends as the crowd is going wild for someone that entered the building -- that somebody is Colby Covington, who earns cheers and other responses.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Maia

Round 2

O’Neill strides out of her corner ready to pick up where she left off, and Maia welcomes this as she is more accurate and active. O’Neill kicks low once, and Maia shrugs it off and pins a few punches on O’Neill’s bloodied nose. Maia slips a few punches and nails O’Neill again, and O’Neill decides to say heck with it and start winging. A few right hands over the top do get through, but Maia is extremely busy on her own side, landing two or three to every one. Maia lands quickly, connecting with uppercuts while O’Neill is still swinging recklessly. A high kick from O’Neill bounces off the guard, and Maia gives her a one-two back. Maia pushes her opponent back with a front kick after landing a few punches, and she catches a kick and bops O’Neill in the face with a right. O’Neill lands flush with a solid heavy right hook, and Maia does not even acknowledge it and continues to strike unfettered. Maia moves on the outside, shifting laterally and not staying in one pattern. O’Neill times a big right hand, and Maia answers with a few shots before O’Neill blitzes her for a takedown effort. Maia connects with an elbow as she breaks off, not susceptible to the takedown, and she keeps her hands going while O’Neill hits air. O’Neill meets her with a short right hook and a clean left, and Maia jabs and sticks her going away. O’Neill has a head kick bounce off the guard, and she plants a jab on the jaw to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Maia

Round 3

O’Neill races out even more aggressively than the previous frame, and she initiates a brief slugfest that gets her tagged more than she lands back. Maia quickly gets into her rhythm, and when O’Neill tries to overload on power, Maia takes advantage of this by shifting around and taking the Aussie’s back standing up. O’Neill turns around, and right into a few punches before Maia backs off. Maia keeps her range with a jab, and she darts back when O’Neill tries to return fire with her own. The Brazilian is still fleet of foot, rolling with punches and actively stringing combinations together. O’Neill ends one of her own with a head kick that glances off the side of the head, and she keeps marching ever forward. O’Neill sticks out a solid jab, and Maia drops her to a knee with a piston-like right. O’Neill springs back up, her nose drizzling blood more than before, and Maia punches it a few more times for good measure. As Maia lines up a knee, O’Neill loops a right hand over the top that partially connects. O’Neill shrugs off the blows that continue to land, and she is connecting with her own salvos, but Maia barely flinches. Maia kicks the body, and O’Neill walks forward to loop a right hand up high. Maia shifts her weight, leans back and pops her with a right counter, and the blood continues to flow out of the beak of the undefeated fighter. O’Neill knocks Maia back with powerful strikes, and Maia meets her in the middle with a fast and fierce combination. From one side of the cage to the other, Maia sprints forward and grabs O’Neill to try to take her down. O’Neill keeps her balance and is forced to defend a single, and Maia lifts the leg up but cannot deposit her to the canvas. Maia lands a few punches on the break, and her body kick is met by a swarm of punches. O’Neill gives everything she has with one final exchange, and Maia gets stung and fights back with a vengeance. The final horn sounds, putting an end to the competitive boxing match.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill (29-28 Maia)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill (29-28 Maia)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill (29-28 Maia)

The Official Result

Jennifer Maia def. Casey O’Neill via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Bryan Barberena (171) vs. Gunnar Nelson (170)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nelson (-365), Barberena (+300)

Round 1

Styles make fights, and this one is about as opposite as one can get from the overused “striker vs. grappler” trope. Submission specialist Nelson (18-5-1, 9-5 UFC) is back in action again after almost exactly one year away, taking on “Bam Bam” Barberena (18-9, 9-7 UFC), who needs no additional introduction. The 170ers clap hands in front of referee Rich Mitchell, ahead of a match that could take place anywhere across this large cage. Barberena swipes out with his hand open to hand-fight early, and he tosses out a few light leg kicks to find his lower half reach. Barberena lunges out with jabs, but Nelson is away from any and all of the blows well before “Bam Bam” can reach him. Barberena chops with a low kick on the inside, and one on the outside that makes “Gunni” stumble, and the crowd releases Viking-style chants in support of Nelson. Barberena does not engage with anything of merit, and Nelson charges in and appears to clash heads while looking for a tackling takedown. Before Nelson can even change levels, Barberena is ready to defend against the takedown. Nelson gets the underhooks and looks for a body lock, and he almost trips himself out when looking to throw his foe. Nelson keeps Barberena pressed against the wire, nullifying him, until he drops down for a single. Nelson lifts Barberena off his feet and drops him calmly to the floor, where he lands in half guard without his pulse elevating one iota. Nelson belts Barberena with an elbow, and he isolates Barberena’s right arm to set up an armlock of some kind, be it a straight armlock, kimura or keylock depending on how he wants to twist. Nelson abandons it to move to full mount, and he lands a thudding elbow on Barberena’s head to allow him to sit up and grab Barberena’s left arm. The armbar is immediately in play, as “Gunni” has it locked down, but there are only a few seconds left on the clock. Nelson completes it by falling to his back, and he torques the elbow and forces Barberena to his back. It is only a matter of time, and Barberena taps out so that his elbow and corresponding ligaments are not completely wrecked from the textbook armbar. That marks a lucky 13 submissions for the career of Iceland’s Nelson, who finds himself on his first win streak since 2017.

The Official Result

Gunnar Nelson def. Bryan Barberena R1 4:51 via Submission (Armbar)

Rafael Fiziev (156) vs. Justin Gaethje (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Fiziev (-225), Gaethje (+190)

Round 1

Born in Kazakhstan to an Azerbaijani father, raised in Kyrgyzstan and eventually trained in Thailand, Fiziev (12-1, 6-1 UFC) is a true world traveler on the rise. The striking aficionado will be tested by the man with the perfect nickname in “The Highlight” Gaethje (23-4, 6-4 UFC), who celebrates more highlights than most can shake a stick at. The Octagon ranger for this co-headlining brawl for lightweight title aspirations is referee Marc Goddard, and the brick-fisted competitors greet with those fists outstretched before throwing them. Fiziev attacks with a body kick immediately, and Gaethje slides out of the way of that one and one to follow. Gaethje runs forward with a vicious low kick, and Fiziev spins all the way around after absorbing it. Gaethje comes up short on a second, and the two are uncharacteristically tentative. Gaethje lets fly one kick to the body, and Fiziev answers but misses with the same strike. Gaethje’s lone committed strike is a low kick until he swipes out with a left hand as Fiziev rushes towards him, and they both trade heavy punches. Gaethje loads up on punches, Fiziev does the same, and they both hurt one another in a hurry. They reset after a veritable car crash of an exchange, and Gaethje breaks away and eats a flush head kick without flinching. Fiziev punches his way into a combo, and Gaethje ducks away to stop it and busts Fiziev in the chops with a pair of punches. Fiziev rips the body with a hook, and he aims a kick to the ribs and chains a few more punches together before Gaethje can react. Gaethje sits down on a hard leg kick, and he wings booming punches and clubs Fiziev instead of landing cleanly. Fiziev times an uppercut when Gaethje ducks down, and he fires off a body kick. Gaethje races out with a few swinging hooks, grazing off the target but not getting anything flush. Gaethje grabs hold of a single-leg takedown, and he fires off a huge overhand right to follow it as Fiziev defends it. Fiziev walks his foe down and smashes him in the face with a jump knee, and he dodges huge punches on the way out before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev

Round 2

The lightweights bump fists in the center of the cage before releasing them again, and Fiziev is the in-cage aggressor while Gaethje strikes first. Fiziev smashes a kick to the body, and Gaethje perfect no-sells it as he moves forward. Fiziev hurts him with another kick, and Gaethje keeps a solid poker face and launches one hook that is blocked. Fiziev crashes the pocket and lands a knee up the middle, and he escapes in the nick of time as Gaethje is on him with a leaping hook. They tie up, and Fiziev scores knees up the middle until they break apart. A Gaethje right hand connects right on the temple, and he pushes off with his left hand and his finger sinks into the eye. Goddard allows Fiziev to recover, and they get back after it. Gaethje takes a body kick and wings a huge right, and the punch misses but his foe’s kick did not. Fiziev throws one lazy kick, and Gaethje strings together five punches that knock Fiziev back a ways. Gaethje connects with a right hand to get Fiziev’s immediate attention, and Fiziev buries his shin to the body a few more times. Gaethje eats a punch and throws back, and the two fight in a phone booth with blows that would knock out lesser fighters. Gaethje damages Fiziev around both eyes with his exchanges, and Fiziev wails on his foe with hammering kicks. Gaethje’s leg kick makes Fiziev react badly, and he switches stances and sits down on a powerful liver kick. Gaethje replies with a right hook, and Fiziev’s face is getting marked up badly by the oncoming fire. The round ends with a body kick from Fiziev, and it was a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje

Round 3

There is a sporting glove touch and body pat to begin the final frame, and it is unfortunate that it is only three rounds instead of five. Fiziev loads up on a blistering right hand, and Gaethje staggers but does not fall. Fiziev lets his hands fly, and Gaethje connects with a fury as the two throw everything they have into their hands. Gaethje appears to get stung, but instead of slowing down, he turns it up. Gaethje intercepts his foe with an uppercut, and Fiziev replies with a body shot. Gaethje stutter-steps his way forward, and Fiziev meets him with a kick to the ribcage and ties him up so that he can work Gaethje’s body with knees. Gaethje takes a deep breath as they split, and Fiziev kicks right down the middle. Gaethje snatches up a single in the middle of the cage, but he cannot secure the takedown, so he abandons it and lets his hands fly. Fiziev chops down with a low kick, and he paws out a jab to the damaged eye. Fiziev walks straight into a few power jabs, and he eats a massive right hand. Gaethje blocks a body kick and chains a few punches together as Fiziev appears to be slowing down a shade. Fiziev pushes out a front kick that misses, and Gaethje cracks him with a left hook. The chants for “Gaethje” rain down as Gaethje slams his fist into Fiziev’s face, and he connects with a follow-up uppercut. Gaethje’s left hand busts open Fiziev’s eye even worse than already, and Fiziev throws one and gets countered by three. Gaethje’s jab is extremely effective, and Fiziev has no answer to them and increasingly swings at air. Gaethje snaps the head back with an uppercut, and he lands a few more to rock Fiziev. “Ataman” steels himself and ties him up, where he absorbs more head shots that open another cut on his head. Gaethje slips a few punches, connects back, and his uppercut again blasts Fiziev in the face. Fiziev eats it incredibly, and Gaethje blocks a looping shot and cracks Fiziev with an onslaught of punches. With seconds to spare in the fight, Gaethje hits a takedown, the first in his UFC career. The absolute thriller of a battle concludes when the final horn blows, and the judges will decide the fates of these two strikers. No matter who wins, it was an absolute delight, and it would be terrific to see them do it again sometime down the line.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje (29-28 Gaethje)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje (29-28 Gaethje)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje (29-28 Gaethje)

The Official Result

Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)

UFC Welterweight Title Fight:
Leon Edwards (170) vs. Kamaru Usman (170)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Usman (-245), Edwards (+205)

Round 1

This one’s for all the 170-pound marbles. The rubber match, possibly a bit early but well-deserved, will serve as the UFC’s first pay-per-view card in Europe since UFC 204 in 2016. England’s own Edwards (20-3, 1 NC; 12-2, 1 NC UFC) will look to secure his first title defense as champion, against the reeling former kingpin Usman (20-2, 15-1 UFC). Back in August 2022, Edwards shut Usman’s lights out with a head kick with less than 60 seconds remaining in the match to even the score to 1-1 while claiming the throne. This trilogy battle will be joined in-cage by referee Herb Dean, who earns the honor of officiating this pivotal contest. After plenty of bad blood during fight week, the two decide against bumping fists before settling things once and for all. Usman crawls out of his corner, and he is forced to stand quickly when Edwards bears down on him. Edwards backs off when the former champ stands, and he sinks a leg kick on the knee. Edwards sticks out a quick jab, and Usman fires off a kick to the ribcage. Edwards whiffs on a pair of looping hooks, and the crowd starts chanting “Head shot, dead” to quote Edwards. Usman considers changing levels, and he is kept honest when a left from the champ stands him up. Usman reaches with a right hand, and he has his lead leg chopped. The welterweights are tentative to engage with much, and Usman lunges with a right hand and peels back when he gets jabbed. Edwards brings up a knee when Usman tries to crash the pocket, and he nails the former champion’s lead wheel with his shin. Usman swipes out with punches, missing the mark repeatedly, as Edwards keeps to safe kickboxing range. Edwards kicks the raised guard of his foe, and Usman has a right hand pound into the gloves. Edwards nearly lifts Usman clear off his feet with a body kick, and he connects with another as Usman reels. Usman meanders forward and pushes out a front kick, and he punches his way into a double-leg entry. Usman cannot secure it, thanks to Edwards grabbing his glove, and Usman quickly protests. Dean stops the fight to issue Edwards a hard warning for the foul, and they resume again. Usman swipes out with a left hand, and he whiffs on two hooks to follow. Edwards steps into a rear-leg low kick, and he fakes a jump knee and is caught in the air with a pair of punches. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Usman

Round 2

Dean is set to start off the second round, and Usman rushes out of his corner before clocking them in. Time has begun, but Dean tells Usman to back off until he officially tells them to fight. Edwards looks to establish his jab, and he pushes off with a front kick that lands on Usman’s cup. Usman rolls his eyes and is irritated, but they stop for a few seconds. Edwards initiates again with a stern body kick, and he lands a pair of low kicks before Usman can do anything about it. Usman lands a single jab, and he comes up short with a right hand. Edwards drives a knee into the jaw, and Usman is rocked. The former champ gathers his thoughts and swings a pair of punches, and an overhand right stings Edwards. Usman uses his momentum to take Edwards down to the ground, and he takes the back partially. Edwards stands back up, and is clubbed in the side of the head repeatedly until standing. Edwards shoots for his own takedown, and Usman stuffs it and turns the corner and pushes Edwards to the wire. Usman lets him back up and tries to split the guard with an elbow, but he is forced to back off as Edwards pops him with a jab. Edwards aims a head kick up high, and Usman defends well against it as the crowd goes wild. The Brit sticks out a front kick to the solar plexus, and Usman backs him off with a left. Edwards continues a steady diet of kicks to the liver, and Usman is slowly walking his foe down while ignoring low kicks. Usman loads up on power punches with seconds to spare, and the round ends as the two are jawing at one another.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 3

Champion and challenger meet in the middle, and Usman leads off with a low kick. Usman pursues a one-two, and he gets his lead leg kicked twice for his effort. Edwards scores another leg kick, and Usman snatches up a single and ratchets Edwards down to the mat. Usman lowers himself into the half guard, and he opens up with short left hands. Edwards pushes off to fight back to his feet, and he grabs the fence to prevent a subsequent takedown from landing. Due to the foul, Dean pauses the fight and watches the replay and deducts one point from Edwards. Dean takes the position away and restarts them on the feet, and Usman slaps a quick leg kick when they start up again. Edwards circles on the outside with a toe-first jab to the body, and he absorbs a straight jab that knocks the Brit’s head back. They trade leg kicks in a tit-for-tat exchange, and Edwards keeps kicking the lead leg and one foot bangs into the cup. Usman cries out in pain, and he expresses his anger at the fouls that keep landing from Edwards. A body kick skims the cup again after they restart, and Usman looks to Dean but Dean calls this one legal. Usman crowds his foe, incensed by the number of illegal blows and maneuvers thus far, and he lets go with booming punches. Edwards chops down Usman’s lead leg, forcing Usman to grab towards it, and he knees Usman square in the face. Edwards breaks away from a clinch and keeps working the lead leg, and Usman takes it flush so he can blast Edwards in the face with a standing elbow. The former champ pushes in to pursue a takedown, and he mashes Edwards to the wire. Edwards escapes, and Usman gives chase but does not land with anything of note until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Usman
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Usman
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-8 Usman

Round 4

The fighters have reached the championship rounds, and they connect with re-introductory pitter patter jabs. Edwards chips at the former champ with kicks on the inside and outside of his lead leg, and Usman keeps a stiff upper lip as he plods forward. Usman tries to reach his foe with a looping punch, but Edwards circles away before getting reached. Usman connects with a left and nails Edwards with a follow-up right, as he backs Edwards up. Usman again tries the same combination, and Edwards slips it and circles away safely. They collide with body kicks at the same time, and Usman scrambles back up and looks to for a takedown that he uses to push Edwards to the wall. Edwards scrapes free without getting taken down, and he pushes aside a body kick to reach a right hand out. Edwards sinks in a solid kick to the ribs, and he goes low to the inner thigh to follow. Usman connects with one single right hand before Edwards scampers away, and Usman is walking him down and landing at range with one strike or so. Edwards jabs him a few times, and Usman crashes the pocket with an overhand right before taking Edwards for a ride with a double. Edwards escapes the grip and gets to his knee, and Usman cannot hold him down. Edwards just misses with a knee up the middle, and he plants a body kick on his opponent very cleanly. Usman dives in for a double, and Edwards springs away and fires a low kick that makes Usman wobble back. Usman throws hands, and Edwards slips and moves to land an uppercut. Usman gives chase and goes after one last double before the round closes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 5

The two men have reached Round 5, and it may still be up for grabs here while a draw is still very much on the table. Usman is the initial aggressor, throwing punches until Edwards retaliates with a head kick. Usman blocks it as the crowd cheers for his opponent, and he ducks down to snatch up a double. Edwards sprawls perfectly and breaks away, and he lands a few punches that stagger Usman. Edwards nails Usman in the face with a head kick, and he completely no-sells it and walks forward throwing haymakers. Edwards takes an uppercut, a knee and an elbow, and he is backed off by the former champ who wants the takedown at all costs. The Brit guards against the try and frees himself again, allowing them to get back to striking range. Edwards connects with a leg kick, and he sticks out a few jabs while Usman walks towards him. Usman wings a right hook that glances off the chin, and he absorbs a hard leg kick while coming towards his foe. Edwards knees Usman in the face and defends against the takedown, where he breaks the grip and even makes Usman pay with a short knee. Edwards kicks the body, and Usman flails back with punches while he pressures forward. Usman grabs a double and puts Edwards on his seat, but he is once more force to expend energy while Edwards fights back up. Edwards pushes him away, and Usman strides forward to make certain he will drag the fight down. Edwards takes a hard look at the clock as he defends with his back to the wall, and Usman holds him tightly and knees him a few times to the thigh. The Brit knees the body on the break, and Usman punches his way from one side of the fencing to the other to take him down. Edwards throws a few body shots, Usman empties his gas tank with strikes right to the final bell, and the judges have their hands full one final time tonight.

When the final decision is read, the audience erupts, with a deafening roar in support of their victorious countryman. Edwards has done it, winning the rubber match against his bitter rival and a man once thought unbeatable. The champion dismisses the immediate next challenge of Colby Covington, saying that Covington has not fought anyone and is sitting out while “avoiding” fights. No matter who the next contender is to get a crack at Edwards’ belt, we will be here for it. We hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (48-46 Edwards)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (48-46 Edwards)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (47-47)

The Official Result

Leon Edwards def. Kamaru Usman via Majority Decision (48-46, 48-46, 47-47)