UFC Fight Night 238 ‘Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (156) vs. Loik Radzhabov (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Al-Selwady (-166), Radzhabov (+140)

Round 1

A couple months ago, this show was planned as the UFC’s big debut in Saudi Arabia. The host nation turned its nose up at the perceived lack of quality it was getting for all of the money it was throwing at the UFC, and UFC Fight Night 238 now resides in the confines of the UFC Apex instead. It will be up to those scheduled on this card to prove the Saudis wrong, that they would have brought a great night of violence. The action begins with a lightweight affair between two men that have plenty of pro MMA experience but little inside of the Octagon. Fortis MMA product Al-Selwady (15-3, 0-0 UFC) will be making his promotional debut, while Radzhabov (17-5-1, 1-1 UFC) of Kill Cliff FC is hunting for his second UFC victory. The two will be joined by referee Chris Tognoni, and they sportingly touch gloves to get going. Al-Selwady darts around from side-to-side early, and he swats out a low kick and evades coming back. Al-Selwady continues to strafe laterally, and he chips down low at the calf and gets checked, but he dodges the punch and subsequent front kick aimed at him. Al-Selwady ducks an overhand right and connects with a spinning back kick to the liver. Radzhabov remains in the center of the cage, still trying to figure out his foe’s movement, but he does not absorb much on his own end besides a few low kicks. Al-Selwady fires off a high kick and gets popped with a jab, and it appears to surprise him. Radzhabov looks to clinch up after landing the strike, and he gets turned around and pressed against the fencing. Al-Selwady looks to isolate a single-leg takedown with his own legs, and he manages to circle around until Radzhabov grabs the fence and manages to escape. Tognoni warns him, but the damage is done as Radzhabov is away. Radzhabov springs into action with several right hands, and he knocks his foe to his seat with clubbing left hands. Tognoni gets up close and personal to stop Radzhabov from grabbing the cage to maintain leverage for his blows, and he lays into Al-Selwady with punches. Al-Selwady manages to fight his way back to his feet, and both fighters egregiously grab the fencing as Tognoni warns them. Radzhabov stays tight to his opponent, landing heavy strikes, and Al-Selwady toughs it out and breaks away. Tognoni calls time and loudly warns both fighter for grabbing the cage, and they nod and get back to business. Radzhabov powers forward, driving a knee to the jaw and shaking up “The Pride of Palestine.” Al-Selwady opens up with a huge, desperate right hand that stuns Radzhabov, and the momentum almost shifts before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Radzhabov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Radzhabov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Radzhabov

Round 2

The two fighters rush out of their corners to meet in the middle, and Al-Selwady slides to the side as he lands dodges an overhand right. Radzhabov chases his man down, landing another right, and Al-Selwady responds with a single-leg takedown. Radzhabov stands him up with a threatened guillotine choke, and he breaks out of the clinch before getting stalled. Both fighters trade low kicks, and then they proceed to drop body kicks one after the other. Radzhabov overswings on a punch, and Al-Selwady dodges and counters with a clean right hand. Al-Selwady lands a low kick, and he times a leaping Radzhabov by blasting him with an overhand right. “The Pride of Palestine” beams with pride as he connects with several heavy low kicks, drawing stumbles out of his opponent on multiple occasions. Al-Selwady misses a haymaker of a right when Radzhabov closes in on him, but Radzhabov is taking heavy breaths and does not make him pay for the inaccurate strike. Radzhabov flails back, with a standing hammerfist in the midst of an awkward combination, and the pop has come off of his shots in a telling manner. Radzhabov tries to intercept Al-Selwady with an uppercut as Al-Selwady shoots in for a takedown, and this does allow him to stop the takedown as they both lean back up. Al-Selwady beans his foe with a big right hook, and Radzhabov is tough but that strike continues to find its home without much issue. Al-Selwady changes things up for a low single, and when he bails on it, he smacks Radzhabov with another hefty right. Radzhabov backpedals, and Al-Selwady chases him down and completes a double-leg takedown to plant “The Tajik Tank” flat on his back. Al-Selwady deftly shifts from half guard to side control with 40 seconds left in the round, and he exerts heavy chest pressure on the tired Radzhabov but does not land much in the way of offense. Radzhabov fights his way back to his feet with seconds to spare, ripping a solid uppercut and spinning Al-Selwady around. As Al-Selwady tries to reply, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Al-Selwady
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Al-Selwady
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Al-Selwady

Round 3

There is a clap of hands to begin the final frame, and Radzhabov is the initial aggressor as he shoots for a double. Al-Selwady hops to the side, fights off a chained single that follows, and counters with his own level change and tackled takedown that sets Radzhabov down. Radzhabov springs back up, and he dodges a spin kick by the blink of an eye. “The Tajik Tank” rumbles forward, walking through a low kick and a few punches to measure with a tracer left and fire off an armor-piercing right hand that shells Al-Selwady on the side of the head and puts him down and out. The back of Al-Selwady’s head smacks off the floor, and this partially wakes him back up. Not finished yet, Radzhabov empties his gas tank and unloads with a pair of right hands and a series of hammerfists until Tognoni realizes that Al-Selwady’s appears to have gone out again. This is a statement win for the Tajikistan-born fighter, and a heck of a way to start of this Fight Night.

The Official Result

Loik Radzhabov def. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady R3 0:49 via KO (Punches)

Ludovit Klein (156) vs. A.J. Cunningham (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Klein (-835), Cunningham (+575)

Round 1

Sticking in the lightweight division for the next match, Klein (20-4-1, 4-2-1 UFC) will not be facing Joel Alvarez, with the Spaniard out due to visa issues. In his stead will be the debuting Cunningham (11-3, 0-0 UFC), who proved that even a stoppage loss on the Contender Series will not set you back more than one win on the regional circuit against a sub-.500 fighter. Presiding over the nonsense-free cage will be referee Keith Peterson, and he observes a quick clap of hands by the competitors as he clocks them in. Klein introduces himself with a huge head kick, and Cunningham walks straight through it and looks to engage. Klein instead beats him to the punch with a right hand, and he knocks Cunningham off-balance and jumps into top position. Cunningham fights to his feet after absorbing some ground-and-pound, and Klein backs him off with a body kick and several punches. Klein absorbs a jab and delivers a massive left hand, and Cunningham tanks it but gets bowled over when Klein uses his body weight to drop Cunningham to his knees. Cunningham climbs back up, and Klein greets him with a knee to the jaw before breaking. Klein connects with short combinations, and he evades the counters. Cunningham sits down on a body kick that lands with an audible thud, and he follows it up with two stern low kicks. Klein pushes him back with a front kick to the sternum and uses the same leg to whip a kick up high. Cunningham partially checks a body kick, but he takes three punches flush and barely blocks a head kick in time. Cunningham stands firm and knocks the Slovakian back with a trio of heavy punches, only for Klein to drill him in the cheek with punches that mark him up. Cunningham fights back valiantly, and his face begins to swell, but Klein’s accuracy and diversity of strikes is giving Cunningham fits. Klein rips the body, goes up high and then kicks the leg, and switches it up to fire off three to the head and one to the body. Klein gets a right hand to loop over the guard, and he continues to land on the debuting fighter as the commentary booth shares Cunningham’s tragic stories from his childhood. Klein stings Cunningham, and Cunningham grits his teeth and throws caution to the wind with vicious counter shots. Klein digs a right to the body as Cunningham backs up to the wall, and he goes up top with several shots to the head. Seeing that he has Cunningham on the ropes, Klein lashes out with a three-punch salvo and a head kick, and he chains three more punches to the jaw after it. “Mr. Highlight” earns himself one more highlight as he pounds the newcomer on the liver with a front kick, and Cunningham collapses, his will to fight completely gone. Klein drops down a trio of short left hands to prompt Peterson to step in, and Klein is now 4-0-1 in his last five and reminds the division he is one more talented fighter to watch.

The Official Result

Ludovit Klein def. A.J. Cunningham R1 4:36 via TKO (Front Kick to the Body and Punches)

Christian Leroy Duncan (186) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (185.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Duncan (-298), Ribeiro (+240)

Round 1

A knockout may be on the menu for this middleweight affair, as Duncan (9-1, 2-1 UFC) has earned seven of nine victories via strikes (and an injury), while Ribeiro (11-4, 1-2 UFC) celebrates a 100% knockout rate. Before the fists fly, the two men touch ‘em up. Referee Mark Smith steels himself. Duncan advances rapidly, hopping from one stance to the next as if to throw Ribeiro off-guard, and both men launch heavy leg kicks. Duncan lands a kick to the ribs that makes a popping sound, and he steps in with a spinning elbow that smashes into Ribeiro’s raised guard. Duncan flicks out repeatedly jabs when mixing up his strikes, and he jabs to the body with his toes outstretched. Duncan jumps in the air and lands with a high leg kick on the way down. Duncan continues to pepper his man until loading up with a spinning back kick to the midsection, and Ribeiro is tough but is a heavy bag with purple hair at this point. Duncan paws away with jabs as Ribeiro keeps his guard high, and he tosses out an unorthodox whipping kick with his heel on the thigh. When he gets a question mark kick up to slap off the guard and shake the Brazilian up, Ribeiro is riled up and blitzes forward with a few punches that largely miss the mark. Duncan grabs hold of his foe’s arms and drives two elbows on Ribeiro’s dome, and Ribeiro is angered after eating these shots as he swings back with reckless abandon. Duncan keeps himself out of danger and gets off a front kick to the body and evades an elbow that swings back. Duncan keeps one arm outstretched, and he leaves a leg out after kicking so that Ribeiro can catch it. This allows Duncan to spin all the way around with a flashy kick, and it buzzes past Ribeiro’s head. Ribeiro tries to crowd him, and he misses with a spinning elbow when clinched up. With Duncan pressing his man to the fence, he lands several knees to the thigh and a short elbow that rips open a cut under Ribeiro’s right eye. Ribeiro spins his man around and tries to throw a high knee, but he cannot lift it high enough to reach Duncan’s face. The horn sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Duncan
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Duncan
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Duncan

Round 2

The middleweights have reached the second round, but not for a lack of trying. Duncan prods outs his jab early, and he ducks a counter hook. Ribeiro blazes after his foe, winging power shots until they jam into the fence. Duncan pushes off, and he fakes with a jumping kick that drives him back into the clinch. Duncan nearly hits a body lock takedown with one underhook, and Ribeiro bounces off his knee and climbs back up. Duncan commits to a double-leg takedown, and Ribeiro sprawls with his hips wide. Duncan explodes with sheer power, lifting the Brazilian off his feet and slamming him down, where he climbs into mount in a matter of seconds. Duncan starts laying into Ribeiro with a ferocious barrage of punches, and he batters Ribeiro with elbows until Ribeiro turns to his stomach. Duncan does not take his foot off the gas, and he hammers his foe on the side of the head while Smith tells Ribeiro to fight back. There is no fighting back from Ribeiro, and just pain delivered by “CLD,” and Smith waves the fight off. This makes it six finishes in the last six wins for the Brit, as he puts away a tough foe with style points.

The Official Result

Christian Leroy Duncan def. Claudio Ribeiro R2 1:57 via TKO (Elbows and Punches)

Aiemann Zahabi (135.5) vs. Javid Basharat (136)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Basharat (-700), Zahabi (+500)

Round 1

When the dust settles, one of these bantamweights’ momentum will come to a conclusive halt. Once known best as on the receiving end of an all-time highlight reel knockout, Zahabi (10-2, 4-2 UFC) has reeled off three straight victories including two concussive knockouts. On the other side of the equation, Basharat (14-0, 1 NC; 3-0, 1 NC UFC) did encounter his first career blemish when an accidental groin kick ended his last fight, but he maintains a 15-fight unbeaten streak. Before the red falls on someone’s ledger, referee Chris Tognoni is there to keep things clean. The fighters touch gloves, and Basharat prances forward with his kick leg outstretched. Basharat tosses out a few body kicks and one low, and he checks one coming back. Zahabi attempts to retaliate, but Basharat is able to reach him with slightly longer legs. Zahabi overswings with a huge right hand, and Basharat dances out of the way and continues to prod with kicks to the low midsection and thigh. Zahabi attempts to close the distance, only for Basharat to be able to dodge everything thrown at him as he zips back and to the side. Zahabi reaches out with a left hand, and Basharat pops his lead leg with a loud kick. Basharat jabs with the ball of his foot, and he spins with a kick that misses the mark. Zahabi catches Basharat darting in with a left hand, but it is one-and-done before Basharat gets back to his preferred kicking range. Basharat ducks down, landing a few punches and going to the ribs with a resounding kick. On his way in, Basharat may have clashes head with his opponent, but it goes uncalled. Zahabi swats away a one-two and gives a calf kick back, but he takes a shovel uppercut on the cheek. Basharat jumps in the air with a kick, and as soon as Zahabi is about to counter him, Basharat puts him on his seat with a side kick to the sternum. Zahabi climbs back up without issue, and he aims his kick at Basharat’s lead wheel. Basharat misses with two wide hooks, but his high kick does bounce off the guard. Zahabi replies with two blocked body kicks, and he guards against a front kick aimed at his nose. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Basharat
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Basharat
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Basharat

Round 2

The second round begins where the two men left off, with Basharat keeping his distance with long kicks while Zahabi largely comes up short with punches. Basharat puts a few punches on the reddening face of his opponent, and Zahabi reaches him back with two right hooks. Basharat ignores them and sticks out a jab, and he breaks up Zahabi’s offense with the jab. Zahabi has a low kick checked, and he swarms his man with several punches until Basharat turns to the side to get away. Basharat resets and marks up Zahabi’s nose with jab after unanswered jab, and he follows a few with a right hand or a front kick. Basharat reaches out with a high kick, and when that does not connect, he plants a knee on the chest and cracks Zahabi with an uppercut. The Canadian takes it flush and swings back with bad intentions. Basharat sees the big strikes coming and stays light on his feet to avoid them. Basharat pushes off with a pair of teep kicks, and he nearly gets decked with a huge right hand from Zahabi. Zahabi continues to swing for the fences, and Basharat backs him off with jabs and his diverse kicking game. “The Snow Leopard” charges for a takedown, and Zahabi stands him up but absorbs an elbow on the break. Zahabi plants his feet and winds up with a stern right hand that collides with the temple, and Basharat shakes it off and continues to move forward. Zahabi goes after a body kick and a left hand, and the latter misses. Basharat races in with a takedown, and Zahabi intercepts him with a jump knee and lands to set up a guillotine choke. Basharat continues to spam takedowns, and every time they fail, he is ready to stand up and land at least one big strike. Zahabi opens up with a huge haymaker of a right, and Basharat’s balance nearly gives way as he wobbles to the side and then gets his sea legs beneath him. As Basharat advances to end the round, Zahabi pops him again, and the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zahabi
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zahabi
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Zahabi

Round 3

The last round kicks off with Basharat appearing no worse for wear after the rough ending to the round, with long jabs and a spinning back kick to the side. The distance Basharat keeps disallows Zahabi from reaching him, and he peppers and chips away at a wide berth. Zahabi finally lands his own punch after a minute, and it is a right hand that gets Basharat’s attention. During the ensuing exchange, Basharat leaves his fingers out, and he jabs Zahabi in the eye. Tognoni calls time briefly, but Zahabi is good to go. Basharat apologizes and then gets back into his groove of rangy strikes. Zahabi continues to find his range with right hands, and he swipes out with a left as Basharat nods at him. Zahabi plods forward looping punches, and Basharat hops in and out with body shots and an escape. The two start trading leather, with Basharat less concerned about his defense than before, and this allows Zahabi to touch him back. Zahabi lands three hooks, and Basharat slides to the side to snipe his foe with one that makes the Canadian backpedal. Basharat eats a left hand coming forward, and Zahabi belts him upside the head with a kick. Basharat no-sells it, but Zahabi chains several punches after it. Basharat tags him with a right hand in response, and the two continue to lay into one another with heavy punches. Basharat leans down and gets caught with an uppercut, and they clinch together. Basharat attempts a hip toss, and Zahabi keeps his balance and he keeps chasing after his opponent. Zahabi lands the flusher strikes, and the two swing wildly right to the bitter end. Basharat gets off a final knee to punctuate the fight, and they hug it out when the final horn sounds. It could go either way, and it is entirely possible the unbeaten fighter is undefeated no more.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zahabi (29-28 Zahabi)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zahabi (29-28 Zahabi)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Zahabi (29-28 Zahabi)

The Official Result

Aiemann Zahabi def. Javid Basharat via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Vinicius Oliveira (135.5) vs. Bernardo Sopai (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: N/A

Round 1

It’s back-to-back 135-pound contests of Zahabi-Basharat and now Oliveira (19-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sopai (11-2, 0-0 UFC), with this pairing between UFC debutants. Both fighters do not like to involve the judges often, with “Lok Dog” posting a finish rate of 89%, and Albania’s Sopai countering with 91%. While the final bell might not play a factor, referee Keith Peterson almost certainly will before it is all said and done. Ahead of the action, there is a no-nonsense fist bump to commence this short-notice contest. Oliveira introduces himself with a rangy body kick, and he stalks forward with a sweeping leg kick. Sopai replies with a high kick that whizzes past his foe’s head, and Oliveira kicks him on the calf two more times. Oliveira aims a side kick to the knee, and keeps is guard up to defend from another head kick. The two crash together, and their excitement causes them to flail madly and miss wide on both sides. Oliveira goes to chase after his opponent, and Sopai chops him down with an inside low kick. Oliveira winds up with a power punch, and Sopai gets him back with another kick. Oliveira spins his man around with a leg kick, and Sopai tries and fails to wing a right hand when he spins about. Oliveira chips away with his calf kicks, keeping a safe range from the lunging Sopai. Oliveira spins for a wheel kick, and Sopai intercepts him and tackles him to the canvas. Sopai jumps to side control, and Oliveira counters with a heel hook attempt. Sopai lowers himself down to thwart the submission setup, and he settles down inside of the Brazilian’s guard. Oliveira throws up an armbar to threaten from his back, and Sopai backs off and lets them stand back up. Sopai chases after the Brazilian and lays into him with a huge right hand, and Oliveira responds with a head kick and a hard right hand to follow. Sopai winds up on power punches, blocks a head kick and scoots back to dodge a leg kick. Oliveira aims a kick that slaps into the guard, and Sopai chops his lead leg with a kick before charging to land a takedown. Sopai lands in full mount, but Oliveira bucks him back to the guard. Oliveira hacks with elbows from his back and kicks Sopai off of him, but Sopai lowers himself and smacks Oliveira in the face several times until the horn stops the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 2

The bantamweights clap hands to re-engage, and Oliveira starts off with a leg kick. Sopai aggressively hunts for a takedown, and when Oliveira counters with a trip, Sopai is able to bowl his man over and set him down. Oliveira turns to his side and then gives up his back, and Sopai wraps a hook around the waist and starts slamming the Brazilian in the side of the head with right hands. Sopai clobbers his fading opponent with punches and occasional elbows, and Peterson looks closely at the undefended strikes adding up. Oliveira keeps turning, and he gets flattened out briefly as Sopai hammers him with ground-and-pound. Sopai allows Oliveira to turn all the way around and follows him every step of the way, claiming Oliveira’s back once more and slamming down fierce right hands. Sopai sits up and rides Oliveira’s back like a professional bull rider, and he beats on Oliveira with several more right hands. Oliveira stands up with Sopai still on his back, and Sopai threatens with a rear-naked choke when he sees the opening. Oliveira grabs hold of one arm and slings Sopai over, and he chucks Sopai on his back. Oliveira unleashes a fury of power strikes, hurting Sopai and stepping into a partial mount until Sopai muscles his way back to his feet. Oliveira wrenches him away from the wall and climbs into top position with about a minute to go, and he drives down standing-to-ground punches and elbows that do some serious damage. Oliveira flattens himself down to grab hold of an arm-triangle choke, and he drives down punches and elbows until Sopai kicks him off. Sopai stands back up and walks into a head kick, and Oliveira races after him throwing hands. Sopai retaliates with a big punch, and he gets blasted with a head kick as he turns away before the round ends. When the round does conclude, Sopai puts his hands on his waist, and he appears totally exhausted.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3

The fighters touch ‘em up to start the last round, and Oliveira walks Sopai down. When Sopai misses with a punch, Oliveira flails with several punches and a leg kick that does connect. Oliveira’s wild offense largely misses, and Sopai appears to still be catching his wind, as he only offers an occasional single strike. Oliveira charges forward with a right hand, and Sopai’s legs are barely beneath him as he partially absorbs a high kick. Oliveira drills him with two right hooks in rapid succession, and Sopai takes a sharp exhale in response. Oliveira meanders forward, no concern for his physical well-being, and he throws everything he has into every one of his strikes. Sopai allows most of them to soar past him, but the ones that do connect hurt him. Oliveira lands a few leg kicks as well, and he turns away to his corner and then lances Sopai with a few straight punches. Sopai is sucking wind as he tries to give something back, but Oliveira’s offense forces him to backpedal constantly. Oliveira winds up with a fierce right hand, and Sopai staggers back to the wall. Oliveira follows it with a leg kick, and he dings Sopai with another right. Oliveira loads up on power right hands and sweeping leg kicks, and Sopai is displaying his toughness but is getting knocked around the cage. Oliviera lands yet another big right hand, and Sopai bounces off the cage wall and offers back a single jab. Oliveira shoots down for a takedown, and when that fails, he swings inaccurately. Sopai reaches him with a swiping left hook, and Oliveira chops at his leg and belts him with a left hand that sends Sopai staggering back. Sopai turns away, his hands down, and the Brazilian sees his opening. Oliveira sprints at his opponent, leaping in the air with and colliding in Sopai’s chin with about as clean of a flying knee as anyone will ever see. Sopai collapses lifelessly to the mat like a puppet whose strings have been cut, and Oliveira strides off, knowing there is nothing more he needs to do today but sign the check for his post-fight bonus. Chalk this up as an immediate “Knockout of the Year” frontrunner, with the brutal flying knee to conclude the thrilling battle. Thankfully, Sopai eventually regains his senses, but he needs to be carried out of the Octagon from all the damage he sustained after nearly 15 minutes of ridiculous action and violence.

The Official Result

Vinicius Oliveira def. Bernardo Sopai R3 4:41 via KO (Flying Knee)

Eryk Anders (185.5) vs. Jamie Pickett (186)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Anders (-425), Pickett (+330)

Round 1

The prelims wrap with a must-win middleweight matchup between two struggling combatants both with UFC records below .500. Once a ranked fighter at 185 pounds, Anders (15-8, 1 NC; 7-8, 1 NC UFC) has fallen on hard time with losses in three of his last four. Fortunately for “Ya Boi,” he fights someone who has struggled even more, as Pickett (13-10, 2-6 UFC) has dropped four straight and plans on retiring after this one, win or lose. The two men, both willing to stand and bang if need be, will be joined by referee Mark Smith. The matchup opens up with a tap of gloves, and there has already been a reference in the commentary booth about Anders’ college football career some 15 years ago. Anders moves forward cautiously but directly, backing Pickett up against the cage wall but not unloading. Anders eventually lets go with a left hand, but it is a setup for a single. Pickett raises his leg up to thwart the attempt, and he sets it down as Anders presses him tightly against the wire. Pickett gets in a short knee to the chest, and Smith tells Anders to keep working. Pickett answers that with another knee, and he turns Anders about and tries to escape. “Ya Boi” instead powers Pickett back to the wall and considers another takedown, but Pickett escapes and reaches out with a right hand. Anders cruises forward, hands flying, and Pickett counters with a picturesque right hand that stuns Anders. Anders takes a few seconds to gather himself before letting go with a head kick, and he drops down for a double. Pickett defends from the attempt as Anders tries to take his back standing, and Pickett is warned for grabbing the fence but he gets to a preferable position. Anders charges like a bull, and Pickett counters with a right hand that floors the former footballer. Anders hits his back and threatens with an armbar, and he uses the submission attempt to turn Pickett around and pursue his own takedown. Pickett sits calmly until he explodes back to his feet, and he narrowly avoids a high knee on the way up. Anders slings a head kick, and Pickett responds with a quick right hand on the way in. As Anders presses him against the fence, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pickett
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pickett
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pickett

Round 2

The middleweights tap hands together when meeting in the middle of the cage, and Pickett strikes first with three swatting fists. Anders parries and kicks at the lead calf, and he hand-fights his way forward. Anders swings and misses with a big left hand, and he guards against a head kick counter. Anders calmly jabs his way forward, and Pickett sits on a counter but cannot stop Anders from crowding him and pushing him to the chain-link fence. Pickett defends the takedown efforts and the two men dirty box with short shots on the inside. Anders lands a knee to the body, prompting Pickett to retaliate with two back and a push-off to ring Anders’ bell with a right hand. Pickett manages to get space and has the toes of Anders’ foot slap him in the face on the way out. Anders crashes the pocket and throws hands, and Pickett counters with a right hand but the takedown still comes to throw him to the canvas. Anders tries to control his man by lacing his legs around Pickett’s, but Pickett is able to muscle his way back upright and start kneeing Anders in the gut. Anders pursues a single, but Pickett stops it and belts Anders in the face with a right hand. Pickett tags his foe with a short combination, and Anders plods forward with a knee to the chest. Anders shoots for a double, and he completes it without issue as he climbs into full mount. Ander wraps one arm around Pickett’s head to hold him down, and he starts ripping undercuts with his free left hand to shake Pickett up repeatedly. Anders is warned for multiple strikes to the back of the head as he beats on Pickett, but he does not do nearly enough damage to elicit a stoppage until the round wraps up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Anders
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Anders
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Anders

Round 3

Fists are bumped, and Pickett rifles off a right hand to follow. Pickett lands another straight right before Anders races at him swinging hard. Both men wing punches, with few finding their home until Anders gets in on the hips, secures a double and plants “The Nightwolf” on the mat. Anders lands in half guard as he smothers down, and Pickett turns to his side in an effort to escape. Anders uses a can opener to break open Pickett’s closed guard, and he works on Pickett with punches and short elbows that slice open Pickett’s forehead. Pickett turns to his side, and Anders controls his arm and wraps him up to open up several more strikes. Pickett, close to being finished, summons all of his strength and stands back up, blood streaming from multiple head wounds. Anders stays tightly pinned to him until he slings Pickett to the ground with a body lock, and he lands occasional strikes to keep Smith from standing them up. Pickett desperately attempts to sit up, and Anders keeps him flat down as precious time ticks off the clock. Anders stands back up so that he can find a better angle to land offense, and he leans on Pickett and lands a few punches. From a bad angle, Anders pursues a rear-naked choke, but there is nothing to it as the fight comes to a conclusion.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Anders (29-28 Anders)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Anders (29-28 Anders)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Anders (29-28 Anders)

The Official Result

Eryk Anders def. Jamie Pickett via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Matt Schnell (126) vs. Steve Erceg (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Erceg (-325), Schnell (+260)

Round 1

It is all action on the main card, which begins with a flashy flyweight affair between wild man Schnell (16-7, 1 NC; 6-5, 1 NC UFC) and surging up-and-comer Erceg (11-1, 2-0 UFC). The Fortis MMA fighter has not fared well as of late, but his most recent win was a spectacular technical submission over Su Mudaerji. The third man in the Octagon will be referee Chris Tognoni, who starts the fight as the speedy gentlemen clap hands together. Schnell immediately gets behind his jab, flicking it out repeatedly to back the once-beaten Erceg away. Schnell connects with a series of punches to shake up the Aussie, and he crowds him and eventually clinches with him and uses an elbow on the inside. Erceg separates, and on the break, he lands a strike to open a cut on the top of Schnell’s left eyebrow. Schnell wings punches, and Erceg sees them coming and dodges before jabbing that already damaged eye. Erceg ducks a punch and misses on a counter, and his jab continues to mark up Schnell’s face. Schnell tries for a knee on the inside when they get up close, and Erceg backs him off with two punches to splatter some blood on Schnell’s cheek. Erceg sinks in a leg kick and slides away, and he puts a one-two on the mark and slides to the side to evade the counter. Schnell swings hard but does not land flush, while Erceg is much tighter and more compact. Schnell pushes out his own jab, and he bloodies the nose of his opponent, but his own eye is turning into a crime scene. Erceg gets in a left and pounds Schnell on the cheek with a heavy right, and Schnell wears it well and jabs his way back out. Erceg staggers his foe with a right hand, and cracks him a second time as Schnell backpedals. Erceg wades in a little too carelessly, and he gets rocked by a fiery right hand from “Danger.” Schnell cracks Erceg again with a series of punches, and Erceg defends by shooting. Schnell sprawls perfectly and pops back up without issue, but Erceg bust him in the chops with a right hand. The Aussie connects with a body kick shortly thereafter, and a one-two and a snappy jab find Schnell’s face before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erceg
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Erceg
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Erceg

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle and touch ‘em up, and Schnell is ready and rearing to go. He starts off with a pair of low kicks and a combination, and he reaches a right hand around the jab. Erceg continues to jab, and as Schnell comes loaded for bear, “Astro Boy” rips a right to the body and a left that sends Schnell into orbit. There is no need for anything else from the Aussie, and Tognoni intervenes just in case before tending to the unconscious flyweight. Schnell comes to, and Erceg has now earned the second knockout of his professional career—doing so against one of the best foes he could in a top-ranked Schnell.

The Official Result

Steve Erceg def. Matt Schnell R2 0:26 via KO (Punch)

Umar Nurmagomedov (136) vs. Bekzat Almakhan (136)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nurmagomedov (-1200), Almakhan (+750)

Round 1

There are plenty of questions coming into this bantamweight contest. Nurmagomedov (16-0, 4-0 UFC) is undefeated with four wins in the UFC including three stoppages, but he does not draw a ranked contender. Instead, he fights promotional newcomer Almakhan (11-1, 0-0 UFC), who has had quite a week himself. Previously billed at 17-1 by the UFC and other record keepers, after a Sherdog Fight Finder investigation, we learned that Almakhan actually celebrates 11 pro MMA wins and another 11 wins under bouts under modified rules similar to MMA. Whether the youngster from Kazakhstan can spring one of the bigger betting upsets in UFC history, referee Marc Goddard will be the first one to know. The -1600 favorite Nurmagomedov and +850 dog Almakhan touch gloves, and Almakhan moves to the center of the cage early. He releases a head kick, and is met with a low kick when that is blocked. Almakhan rips a kick to the body, and it comes close to hitting the cup so he offers an apology. Almakhan unloads a huge right hand that knocks Nurmagomedov to his seat, and he jumps after the unbeaten fighter to finish the job. Nurmagomedov desperately dives after a single, and he succeeds to get him down and eventually works his way to side control. Nurmagomedov slams down elbows from the position until Almakhan scrambles to his knees, and Nurmagomedov takes his back gets the hooks in. Almakhan squirms from one side to the other to try to escape, and Nurmagomedov softens him up with short punches. Nurmagomedov secures the body triangle briefly, and Almakhan breaks it up for a time. Almakhan hand-fights and turns to a side, but before he can escape, Nurmagomedov spins around and moves to top position. Nurmagomedov keeps heavy chest pressure when elbowing on top, marking up Almakhan’s nose. Nurmagomedov grinds with elbows until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 2

The fighters clap hands to get things started, and both men are tentative to engage. Almakhan keeps a safe distance, hopping away from a low kick, but not able to dodge a head kick. Almakhan overswings with a right hand, and Nurmagomedov shoots in with a perfectly timed takedown to put the youngster from Kazakhstan on his back. Nurmagomedov moves right into half guard, where he picks up with elbows until he hops to side control on the other side. Almakhan explodes his way upright suddenly, and when Nurmagomedov stands lazily, Almakhan blasts him with a high kick that might have been questionable. Nurmagomedov times a single-leg takedown and completes it with relative ease, and he sits up and starts elbowing as he moves into full mount. Almakhan bucks his hips, and he absorbs elbows on his face. Nurmagomedov lets go with punches and elbows, with a flurry that allows Almakhan to burst back to his feet. Nurmagomedov shoots from afar for a single, and Almakhan stops the first attempt but cannot stop Nurmagomedov from circling around to take his back and drag him down. Nurmagomedov moves right back into full mount, where he hacks down with elbows to bloody up Almakhan and lump him up. Nurmagomedov pummels his foe with punches, and Almakhan keeps his guard up to take the sting out of most of them before exploding once more to stand. Nurmagomedov thwarts this bucking and stays on him in side control, before he slithers around to take Almakhan’s back with 10 seconds to spare. Almakhan sits up as Nurmagomedov slugs him, and the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 3

A quick glove touch opens up the last round, and Almakhan hops back from a low kick before sprinting forward to deliver a head kick that skims past the unbeaten fighter’s head. Nurmagomedov sticks out a jab, and he eats a body shot and goes up high with a kick as Almakhan smiles at him. Almakhan goes wide with a booming right hand that nearly makes him fall to the ground, and Nurmagomedov shoots with an effortless single to put Almakhan on his back. Nurmagomedov scoots his way to half guard to strike with the point of his elbow, and his left hand similarly finds its home on Almakhan’s swelling face. Nurmagomedov continues bludgeoning the newcomer with open left hands, and he follows Almakhan as Almakhan butt-scoots his way to the fence. Almakhan turns to his side so he can get to his knees, and Nurmagomedov takes his back and flattens him out. Almakhan turns to his side, and Nurmagomedov lords over him in three-quarter mount, laying into him with unanswered punches. Almakhan sits up, and Nurmagomedov hops over to take his back again. Almakhan’s experience in mixed-rules fights may be working against him at this point, as he is used to 30-second mandatory standups while grappling, even with back control or other dominant positions that Nurmagomedov has imposed on him. Nurmagomedov slices into mount again and he jackhammers the Kazakhstani fighter with elbows. Nurmagomedov postures up and tries to finish the fight with relentless ground-and-pound, but the fight ends before he can secure a stoppage. When he stands up, Almakhan is busted and swollen all over, and he can barely put weight on his left leg in a real “welcome to the UFC” moment.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov (30-27 Nurmagomedov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov (30-27 Nurmagomedov)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov (30-27 Nurmagomedov)

The Official Result

Umar Nurmagomedov def. Bekzat Almakhan via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)

Alex Perez (125.5) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mokaev (-360), Perez (+285)

Round 1

The top of the flyweight division may have a bit of a logjam, the victor of this next matchup might nose in as a contender depending on the result. Perez (24-7, 6-3 UFC) might have come up short to the champ and then lost in his next fight against the current champion, but former title challengers tend to have shorter roads back to contention than the rest of the flock. On the other hand, brash unbeaten Mokaev (11-0, 1 NC; 5-0 UFC) could punch his ticket to a crack at gold with a mighty triumph tonight. Referee Keith Peterson draws the charge of what should be the most divisionally relevant match of the evening, and the two men touch ‘em up before getting after it. There will be zero nonsense going forward. Mokaev is quick to lead off with a leg kick, and when it misses, he aims a second that does reach the target. Perez paws out and motions that he suffered an eye poke, and Mokaev lets him recover when Peterson does not call it. Perez launches a head kick, Mokaev responds, and Perez falls over when throwing a kick back. Mokaev lets him up, so they can continue trading single strikes one after the other. Perez charges with a punch combination that all comes up short, and Mokaev responds with a heavy left hand that just grazes past the target. Perez continues powering forward, and Mokaev drives a knee to the side that hurts Perez. Mokaev lands a few more strikes before changing levels, and Perez shuts him down and escapes to gather his thoughts. Perez sits down on a strong right hand that stuns Mokaev momentarily, and Mokaev grabs hold of him and tries to take him down in a body lock. A wild scramble endues, and Perez fights off the attempt and gets to back his feet to land a right hand on the eye socket. Perez shuts down another distant shot from his opponent and makes him pay with a right hand on the exit. Perez whiffs on two punches on the way in, and he slaps a leg kick on the lead leg of his opponent. Mokaev goes up high with a kick that glances off the raised guard, and he darts in with a guard. Perez surges ahead, and Mokaev hops away from every punch but the last one. Mokaev eats it and shoots low for a single. Perez stands him up, but on the second effort, he gets dragged to his backside. Mokaev wraps his hands around Perez’ legs, and Perez turns to his side to get to his knees. Mokaev leaps on top when Perez scoots his way to the fence, and he takes three-quarter mount and starts raining down left hands. Peterson is watching very closely as Mokaev clubs his opponent with punches and a few elbows until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 2

The flyweights race towards one another to offer their glove touch and engage. Perez jabs his way forward, and he backs off when eating a front kick to the body. Perez lands a punch as Mokaev shoots, and Mokaev instead takes Perez’ back standing and briefly threatens a choke. Perez scrapes him off the side using the fence, and he leans himself on it and turns around when Mokaev changes levels. Perez shoves his man to his seat, and when Mokaev jumps back up, Perez sweeps the leg like Mortal Kombat to knock Mokaev back over again. Mokaev stands and attempts a takedown, and Perez shuts him down and swings wildly with a huge right hand. Perez catches his foe at the end of a left hand, and Mokaev drops to his knees and changes levels for a single. Perez hits the ground and bounces up, allowing Mokaev to swirl around and get hold of him from behind. Mokaev clings to the Californian, imposing his weight but not getting him back down to the ground. Perez snatches up a guillotine choke out of nowhere and pushes Mokaev down to the ground, and he abandons it to press Mokaev down to his knees and try to push him over. Mokaev turns the corner and attacks a single, and Perez’ elbows to the side of his head make him change his mind. Perez frames off and knees the body, and he is shoved away. Mokaev looses a single overhand right that is easily blocked, and Perez closes in and walks into a body kick. Perez tries to catch the younger man, but Mokaev is well out of the way before fists meet face. Mokaev resets and jabs, and he snaps out a body shot and a front kick to the same target. Perez blitzes and swings recklessly, and he succeeds in pushing Mokaev to the wall. Perez gets in several short uppercuts when Mokaev threatens with a takedown, and he hangs on with a potential submission until the close round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 3

The two men come together to hug it out before the round begins, and they back off and clap hands when Peterson clocks them in. Mokaev shrugs off a jab to plant two one-twos on the face, and Perez ignores them to plod forward. Perez connects with a left hand, and Mokaev falls to his knees potentially for a level change and not from damage. Perez sets up a guillotine choke that he uses more to keep his weight down to stop a takedown than to submit him. Mokaev explodes and turns the corner to take Perez’ back standing up, and Perez pops right back up when Mokaev sweeps him. Perez stands, and Mokaev hits a marvelous suplex. Perez does not stay grounded for more than seconds before popping up, and the two get back to striking range. Perez lands a shot, and Mokaev looks at him funny. Mokaev shoots in and is stuffed, and he backs off. Perez avoids a body shot, but Mokaev reaches him with an overhand right. Mokaev backs off and has a head kick land around the guard, and he attacks for a takedown that is not there. Perez stifles another attempt and keeps his man down on a knee, and Mokaev explodes into a single that also gets stopped in its tracks. Mokaev sticks out a one-two and shoots, and Perez chases after him taking strikes when not stopping takedowns. Perez peppers him with short shots, and he knees Mokaev in the head while Mokaev tries to keep his hand down. Peterson warns Perez from an illegal knee, and Mokaev spins around to stand up and grab Perez around the waist. This could be anyone’s fight, depending on how the grappling is scored.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev (29-28 Mokaev)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev (29-28 Mokaev)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev (29-28 Mokaev)

The Official Result

Muhammad Mokaev def. Alex Perez via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Vitor Petrino (205.5) vs. Tyson Pedro (205.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Petrino (-298), Pedro (+240)

Round 1

Seemingly a theme on this lineup tonight, the two men leading up to this light heavyweight co-main event have huge finish rates and the interest in keeping them high. Petrino (10-0, 3-0 UFC) is unbeaten as a pro with eight stoppages to his credit, and his Australian counterpart Pedro (10-4, 6-4 UFC) posts all 10 of his wins inside the distance. Referee Mark Smith dons his hard hat, although he takes a slight sigh of relief when they touch gloves before swinging for the bleachers. Both in orthodox, the two paw at one another but do not stick their hands out for even a jab in the first 30 seconds or so. Petrino swings a high kick that is feet away from the target, and Pedro closes his fist and aims to jab. Petrino misses with another high-intensity swing, and both men snap out effective jabs. The one from Petrino reddens Pedro’s nose immediately and makes him blink it out, but Petrino does not follow it. Instead, they feint and fake until Pedro decides to throw out a leg kick, Petrino responds with his own, and both are exceptionally powerful. Petrino winds up and just misses with an overhand right as they exchange, and Petrino ignores a calf kick to follow. Petrino marches forward with a power jab and an inside leg kick, and he whiffs on a series of punches that are just not close enough. Petrino aims out another leg kick, and he comes up short on a head kick. Pedro lumps up the lead leg with a calf kick, only to be backed off with a piston-like jab from the Brazilian. Pedro lands a body kick, and he leans back as a head kick zooms past him. Pedro again leans away from a high kick, this one bouncing off his chest. Pedro throws a naked leg kick, and Petrino is inches away from a dangerous left hook counter. Pedro backs his man off with a front kick, and Petrino kicks him beneath the armpit when trying to go high. Pedro draws a brief limp when getting off a leg kick, and Petrino jabs him square on the nose in response. Another Pedro front kick sneaks out, and “Icao” does not answer this one. Petrino tries to knock his foe’s block off with a left hook, but he still has not found his range. The hesitant round ends, perhaps the two overly respectful for the other’s power but likely for good reason.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrino
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Petrino
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Petrino

Round 2

The 205ers clap hands to get going, and Petrino leads the dance with several range-finding jabs and a leg kick on the inside. Pedro chops back on either side of the Brazilian’s lead wheel, and Petrino takes a few funny steps on his front leg but is just as ready to plant and fire off heavy punches. The momentum of both fighters forced a clinch, and Petrino is the one to attack something as he pursues a takedown. Petrino cinches his hands around the waist for a double, and Pedro is sprawled with one knee down. Smith asks them to work a few times, and Pedro answers by standing back up. Petrino presses on his opponent tightly, and Smith still does not see enough work rate, so Pedro wriggles free. Pedro slips a punch and lands a counter, and Petrino shrugs at him. Pedro connects with a heavy low kick, and Petrino hops around and then takes one on the inside of his lead leg. Pedro drives him back momentarily with a front kick, and he shoots for a takedown to keep Petrino guessing. The Brazilian easily shuts it down and nearly takes Pedro down, but he backs off to reset instead. Pedro lands a leg kick and a jab to the body, and Petrino goes up high and buzzes Pedro’s hair as it is too high. Petrino flicks out a head kick that again lands under the armpit, and he jabs to follow. Pedro chambers and fires a calf kick, and Petrino is not thrilled by it. Smith warns them for timidity due to the relative inaction, and this makes them start fighting. Petrino chases after his foe with multiple head kicks, and Pedro’s guard is up in time for every strike. Pedro gives a high kick back, and he takes a jab right before the disappointing round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pedro
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pedro
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pedro

Round 3

When the third round begins, Petrino’s corner appears to have lit a fire under him. The Brazilian surges into action to begin the last frame, swinging with heavy punches and launching high kicks. The thunderous blows draw some blood from Pedro’s nose, and Petrino closes the distance and looks for a takedown. Pedro defends against the first try, so Petrino lifts him off the ground and slams him to the mat with emphasis. Petrino sneaks a hook in but is otherwise holding on, as Pedro maintains wrist control. Pedro powers back to a knee and ignores a couple punches to get up, all while Smith tells them to work. Petrino drives Pedro back down to the mat on his face, and Pedro once more works his way up. The Brazilian gets another high-amplitude takedown, and Pedro sits down and is totally stifled. Petrino looks for a submission, and Pedro hand-fights well enough to break it up before it goes anywhere. Petrino hangs on, imposing his weight while doing little else, grinding out a fair amount of time. Petrino considers an arm-triangle choke from his position, but he does not have the right leverage to complete it before the snoozer comes to a merciful end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrino (29-28 Petrino)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Petrino (29-28 Petrino)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Petrino (29-28 Petrino)

The Official Result

Vitor Petrino def. Tyson Pedro via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Jairzinho Rozenstruik (257) vs. Shamil Gaziev (261)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gaziev (-148), Rozenstruik (+124)

Round 1

It’s all down to the heavyweights tonight. The big men sport nearly identical finish rates, with their primary method of victory by knockout, so referee Marc Goddard might not need to put in 25 minutes of work here. Former kickboxer Rozenstruik (13-5, 7-5 UFC) would like nothing more than to blunt the momentum of the undefeated Gaziev (12-0, 1-0 UFC), and he will have five rounds or less to spring the minor betting upset. They touch gloves respectfully, and prepare to handle their business. Rozenstruik circles to the outside, lands a leg kick, and gets himself ready to stop a takedown. Gaziev shoots, and he bounces off the fence when he misses. Rozenstruik strafes to the side and lands a right hand that makes Gaziev lick his lips. Rozenstruik scores a leg kick, and he comes up short on an overhand right. Rozenstruik paws out a jab, and his foe backs him to the fence. Gaziev crashes the pocket for a takedown, and Rozenstruik stands him up immediately and smacks him with a right hand. Rozenstruik jabs, and he avoids a huge right hand. Another Gaziev crashing takedown effort gets stopped in its tracks, and Rozenstruik busts his foe’s nose open with his fists. Gaziev shows little setup when he tries to take the fight down, and does not even bend over so much as he runs straight ahead. Rozenstruik briefly knocks him back with a one-two, and Gaziev gets right back to his constant forward pressure. Rozenstruik scores a right hand and then jabs his way out to safety. Gaziev swings as hard as he can with a left and a monstrous right, and Rozenstruik dodges by a matter of inches. Gaziev plods ahead and then lumbers into a clinch, swinging slow punches all the while. Gaziev drops down to scoop up a single, and he lifts the kickboxer up and slams him down. Gaziev connects with a few short punches from above, and keeps his weight pressed down heavily. The round ends with Gaziev sitting up measuring a strike.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaziev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gaziev
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gaziev

Round 2

The big men reach Round 2, and Rozenstruik reintroduces himself with multiple snappy jabs. Gaziev lumbers forward, and Rozenstruik uses head movement to dodge the majority of the big punches coming from the Bahraini. Rozenstruik reaches out with punches and low kicks, and he smiles when eating a jab as they high-five from an exchange. Rozenstruik looks for two punches, and Gaziev sneaks a counter right around the top to back him away. Gaziev pushes out his own jab, and Rozenstruik goes to the body and then reaches out with a one-two. Gaziev smiles when he eats a jab, and he fails to land when swinging at the kickboxer. Gaziev drives a knee right to the belly, and Rozenstruik responds with a single jab. Gaziev swings with more of a hammerfist than a straight punch, and Rozenstruik chops at his lead leg when Gaziev slowly moves forward. Rozenstruik naps out his jab to decent effect, disrupting the oncoming Gaziev until Gaziev simply decides to rumble forward like a tank and go after a single. Rozenstruik uses the wall behind him to keep himself upright, and he pulls his leg down to stop the effort. The two trade knees to the gut, and Gaziev presses tightly to control “Bigi Boy.” Rozenstruik gets in a few more short knees to the body, and Gaziev fails on another takedown effort. Goddard asks them to work as Gaziev stalls out, and Rozenstruik tries to get away again only to be snagged by his opponent and held in the clinch until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik

Round 3

It is the third round, and these two heavyweights are quite fatigued to this point. They meet in the middle with a glove touch, and Rozenstruik stands firm and jabs the head and body. “Bigi Boy” lands a leg kick, and he paws out with several jabs to keep Gaziev at bay. Gaziev clubs his foe with a right hand, and he sneaks another right around the jab to get Rozenstruik’s attention. Rozenstruik throws back with a single right after multiple jabs, and Gaziev’s nose is bloodied and his mouth wide open. Gaziev charges, landing a left hand, but he gets stunned with a right hand that nearly dislodges his mouthpiece. Gaziev holds his mouthguard like it is about to fly out, as he appears to be struggling to breathe. Rozenstruik snaps out jab after jab, and blood sprays from Gaziev’s nose when he absorbs each and every blow. Rozenstruik rips a right hand to the body, and he hops away from the offense from Gaziev that is slow and labored. Gaziev continues to shuffle his mouthpiece, and Rozenstruik opens up with a fierce combination ending with a chopping low kick. Gaziev reaches out with his arms outstretched, and Rozenstruik snaps his head back with a mean jab. Gaziev sits down on a right hand counter, and Rozenstruik has to shake it out and backpedal. Rozenstruik gathers his thoughts and jabs away, and when he lands a leg kick, he gets knocked back with a right hand. The kick did enough damage to draw out a minimal limp, and both men stand in front of one another and engage in a brief, fierce exchange to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik

Round 4

The championship rounds have been reached, much to the surprise of most prognosticators. Rozenstruik does not change his approach, with jabs and leg kicks completely flustering the undefeated fighter. Rozenstruik’s power jab stops Gaziev from hitting him cleanly, until Gaziev decides he is sick of getting hit and runs forward. Gaziev unleashes several big punches, knocking “Bigi Boy” against the fencing, and he shoots for a takedown to follow and try to take back some momentum. Rozenstruik staves it off and slides away to not get hit by an elbow on the break, and he returns to striking range while Gaziev is chewing on his mouthpiece. Rozenstruik jabs the face and chest, and Gaziev glares at him but does not have the energy reserves to do anything more but look angry. Gaziev tries to throw a single punch, and he does not have the gas to reach his opponent. Rozenstruik opens up with a left and a huge right, seeing that Gaziev is spent. He releases several more heavy punches, stinging the unbeaten fighter, and starts feeling himself. Rozenstruik jabs and smacks Gaziev in the face, and he lets Gaziev swing futilely back his direction. Rozenstruik lets go with additional jabs and doubles up on a leg kick as Gaziev looks down at his damaged limb but does not keep attacking. The jab dislodges Gaziev’s gumshield, and Rozenstruik walks off to celebrate the cool moment as Goddard recovers it and has Gaziev replace it. Rozenstruik surges into action as seconds are left in the round, and he shoots for his own takedown so Gaziev sells out defending it, and he bails on it to unload with a flurry of strikes to end the round. As Gaziev sits on his stool, he seems to tell his corner he cannot continue. The translation is not clear, whether he is injured or exhausted or something else. Gaziev stands up, and with his corner still in the cage, Goddard goes over to them all and calls time. Goddard demands that the corner translate what Gaziev was saying, and eventually they inform him that Gaziev says he cannot see. Goddard has the doctor check out Gaziev, but before the physician can determine any lack of vision, Gaziev shakes his head and seems to motion that he is all done tonight after getting beaten up for 20 minutes. Therefore, it is a stoppage via retirement at the end of the fourth round. It is a crucial win for the former kickboxer, as he strips the 0 from Gaziev’s record, and turns a rough patch to 2-1 in his last three. In his post-fight interview, Rozenstruik welcomes any challenge, and many minds immediately go to Derrick Lewis, as the two sluggers have never met. Next week, it is a massive night for the sport as UFC 299 goes down in Miami with a blockbuster lineup. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rozenstruik

The Official Result

Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Shamil Gaziev R4 5:00 via TKO (Retirement)