UFC on Fox 20 ‘Holm vs. Shevchenko’ Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira vs. Dmitry Smoliakov

Round 1

Oliveira is headhunting early, pressing toward Smoliakov with big right hands while the Russian stays on his back foot, flicking out leg kicks. Oliveira hustles his opponent against the fence with underhooks, and Smoliakov takes the opportunity to land some short punches to the side of the Brazilian’s head. The heavyweights separate, and now it’s Smoliakov stepping forward to tag Oliveira with a right hand. Oliveira drops to his knees and shoots for a takedown but has to settle for another clinch on the fence. They split with two minutes left in the round; Smoliakov looks tired already, his mouthguard falling to the ground as he draws a deep breath. Henrique shoots again and finally completes a double-leg takedown with 60 seconds left. He’s trying to take out Smoliakov before the round ends, bashing through the Russian’s guard with elbow strikes, but Smoliakov withstands the assault.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Smoliakov emerges for the second frame with his right eye completely swollen shut, but he manages to fend off Oliveira’s first takedown attempt with ease. Oliveira brings the fight back to the fence and winds up just holding Smoliakov against the cage, unable to secure another takedown. Oliveira drops for a single-leg, giving Smoliakov a chance to escape, but Smoliakov trips and falls to his knees as he tries to yank his leg free. Oliveira follows him to the mat and throws right hands from riding position. Smoliakov looks spent, just turtling up and giving Oliveira nothing in return, but Oliveira’s scattered punches aren’t doing enough to force a stoppage. Finally, Henrique’s punches force Smoliakov to raise his head, allowing the Brazilian to slip his left arm around the neck. Oliveira rolls Smoliakov onto his side and bears down on the rear-naked choke, forcing a quick tap.

The Official Result

Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira def. Dmitry Smoliakov via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2

Jim Alers vs. Jason Knight

Round 1

Knight closes the distance quickly, backing up Alers to the fence with long, probing jabs. Alers circles to his right around the edge of the cage and throws out a few leg kicks. A two-piece combo scores for Alers, but he has to get his head out of the way quickly as Knight whips a hard counter right. A low kick from Knight chops the legs out from under Alers, who hurries back to his feet. Alers isn’t engaging enough for Knight, who raises his hands and calls “The Beast” forward. Alers gets his wish, as Alers connects with a punch that opens a long, bloody gouge on Knight’s right cheek. Inside the final two minutes of round one, Alers shoots a powerful double-leg and runs Knight to the ground in the center of the cage. Knight quickly posts and stands, then starts jabbing his way forward again. Knight gets Alers backing up with punches and then scores a takedown of his own in the last 30 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The frame begins with more of the same from round one, with Knight pressing the action and moving Alers around the perimeter of the cage. Knight is constantly moving forward, snapping off jabs and the occasional hook while mixing in leg kicks and front kicks. Alers’ refusal to engage continues to frustrate Knight, who is flapping his arms and screaming at his opponent by the midway point of the round. Alers eats a hard right hand as he’s backed up to the wall again; he grabs for a clinch or takedown, but Knight gives him nothing. Alers’ face is getting messed up now, too, with blood trickling from the outside corner of his damaged right eye. Inside the 60-second mark, Alers shoots and takes down Knight near the fence. Knight immediately begins working for a triangle from his back, but Alers shucks the legs, stands and dives back to the mat with a right hand. Knight sweeps just before the end of the round and has to dodge a triangle or armbar attempt from Alers.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Alers connects with a powerful right hand in the first 10 seconds of the fight, and Knight goes stumbling backward to the fence. Knight moves to pull guard as Alers closes in, looking for a takedown. Knight willingly goes to the ground and begins tangling “The Beast” in his lanky limbs. One minute in, Knight kicks Alers away and jumps back to his feet, but Alers comes shooting for another takedown. Knight stuffs the shot and tries to spin for a back-take, but Alers gets to his feet and separates. The 145ers reset in the center with three minutes left to fight. Knight stomps forward and walks into a hard jab from Alers, who takes a couple hard leg kicks in return. Alers scores another takedown with two minutes remaining, this time passing immediately to side control on Knight’s right. Knight takes a minute to work his way back up, and now the featherweights are back on their feet with under a minute left to fight. Knight swings tired punches and nearly falls to the ground as he shoots for a takedown. He pulls Alers to the ground for a split-second, keeps a waistlock as they stand, and that’s where it ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Jason Knight def. Jim Alers via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Alex Oliveira vs. James Moontasri

Round 1

Oliveira catches Moontasri throwing a spinning kick and rushes the American against the fence as he spins around. Moontasri does well to fend off the takedown attempt, even regaining his balance after being lifted off the ground by “Cowboy.” Oliveira keeps him trapped on the wall until about two minutes in, when Moontasri spins him around and takes the outside position in the clinch. Oliveira shoots a hard knee up the center; the point of his knee appears to land in Moontasri’s stomach, but his shin connects with the cup, sending Moontasri to his knees. Referee Herb Dean pauses the action and calls for the doctor to check on Moontasri, who’s still on the ground in agony. Moontasri recovers after a few minutes, and action resumes with 3:00 on the clock. Oliveira misses with a head kick, takes a kick on the arms from Moontasri, then shoves the “Moonwalker” against the fence again. Oliveira drops to try a single-leg, can’t get it, and now Moontasri spins him against the cage. They trade positions again, both men grinding away with short strikes in the clinch, but neither appearing to do much damage. In the waning seconds of the round, Oliveira pops Moontasri with a pair of uppercuts and drives a knee into his midsection.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Oliveira digs an underhook and muscles Moontasri against the fence again, but Moontasri denies his attempt to drop levels for a takedown-attempt. There’s lots of head- and hand-fighting as the welterweights work in the clinch, with Oliveira maintaining the outside position. “Cowboy” hits Moontasri with another hard knee to the body, drops levels to try the takedown again and this time completes the shot. With 2:30 on the clock, Oliveira works from half guard on Moontasri’s right side, with the American’s left side flush against the fence. Moontasri tries to roll right and escape, but Oliveira holds him down and nearly steps over to full mount. Moontasri blocks the mount by trapping Oliveira’s left foot between his legs, but the Brazilian’s weight continues to pin him down. Oliveira flattens out Moontasri and puts both hands over his face to smother. With one minute left, Oliveira stands and drops punches on Moontasri, then drops back to the ground to throw hammerfists with both hands. Moontasri gets back to his feet just before the round ends, though not before absorbing several uppercuts and knees to the body.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The welterweights engage in an early firefight, with Moontasri appearing to take the worse of the exchange thanks to a couple hard right hands from Oliveira. “Cowboy” shoots for a takedown and once again floors Moontasri near the fence. Oliveira tries to make things uncomfortable for Moontasri with a can opener, but he releases in favor of dropping punches and grinding a forearm across Moontasri’s face. Short elbows and punches score for Oliveira as they fight through the middle of the final frame; Moontasri seems to have no route to escape from underneath, jammed as he is at the base of the fence. Oliveira’s strikes are measured at this point, but he puts a little extra sauce on a series of hard right hands to Moontasri’s ribs. More body punches and elbows to the face score for Oliveira down the stretch.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-8 Oliveira (30-25 Oliveira)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Oliveira (30-26 Oliveira)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)

The Official Result

Alex Oliveira def. James Moontasri via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26) R3 5:00

Michel Richard Cunha dos Prazeres vs. J.C. Cottrell

Round 1

Prazeres takes the center of the cage in the opening moments of the bout, while Cottrell cuts angles around the outside. Prazeres takes the better part of a minute to close the distance, but once he does, he’s able to wrestle Cottrell to the floor. Cottrell springs back to his feet and separates straight away, but when he comes back at “Trator” with a leg kick, Prazeres snatches it up and converts it for another takedown. Cottrell hits a sweep, but Prazeres catches him in an omoplata along the way. The Brazilian tries to catch Cottrell’s other arm but can’t quite reach across his rangy opponent’s back. Cottrell tries to flip his way loose and winds up on the bottom, freeing his right arm in the process. Now it’s Cottrell looking for a kimura from the bottom, but Prazeres isn’t having it. Prazeres pulls the arm back and passes to side control, where he seems content to ride out the final minute of the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Cottrell charges at Prazeres with a big left hook, but “Trator” ducks underneath and hits another takedown, this time in the center of the cage. Cottrell gets back on his feet, but only for a few seconds, as Prazeres catches a leg kick for another takedown. The sequence repeats a few more times, Cottrell standing and then being taken back to the floor by the powerful Prazeres. Two minutes into the round, Cottrell regains his footing and defends another takedown with his back to the fence. Prazeres backs away and allows Cottrell to come forward, but the American now seems hesitant to engage. Cottrell finally runs at Prazeres with another left hand; sure enough, Prazeres changes levels and plows him to the floor. Cottrell stands with 1:40 on the clock and separates a few seconds later. Prazeres is just waiting for an opportunity to clinch and take down his opponent again; when Cottrell denies the next trip attempt, Prazeres simply shoves him away. One more takedown goes for Prazeres with 45 seconds remaining, and the lightweights finish the round on the mat.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Prazeres eats a jab but then presses forward to slug Cottrell with a left hook and a solid right hand. Another right comes down the center, then a left hook rocks Cottrell’s head in the other direction. Despite landing some of his best punches of the fight, Prazeres opts for another takedown, planting Cottrell at the foot of the fence. Cottrell stands up with Prazeres still wrapped around his waist, peels away the hands and separates with just over three minutes left in the fight. Cottrell blocks a single-leg attempt but gets clipped with a right hand behind the ear, allowing Prazeres to keep his tired opponent on the wall for a few more seconds. Cottrell circles away and Prazeres walks after him; the Brazilian connects with another solid left hand and then takes down Cottrell again. Cottrell escapes to his feet and gets some space, and now the tired lightweights stand in front of one another with about one minute remaining in the bout. Cottrell looks for a last-second finish, lunging at Prazeres with punches and kicks, including an accidental groin strike. Prazeres recovers quickly from the inadvertant foul, and the fight ends a few seconds later.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Michael Prazeres def. J.C. Cottrell via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Kamaru Usman vs. Alexander Yakovlev

Round 1

Usman wastes no time in pushing Yakovlev against the fence with an underhook. The welterweights stay there for about the first 90 seconds of the fight, Usman landing a few thumping right hands to the body before taking Yakovlev to the ground. Usman connects with four or five hard rights to the face as he tries to mount Yakovlev, who gets to one knee to prevent the dangerous position. Yakovlev grabs the fence as he tries to stand; referee John McCarthy slaps his hand away. Seconds later, Yakovlev grasps the chain-link again; McCarthy immediately pauses the fight and takes a point away from Yakovlev for the infraction. They restart on the ground, where Yakovlev tries to turn the tables by driving for a single-leg of his own. The wrestler Usman blocks the attempt and keeps Yakovlev pinned against the cage, eventually spinning him back to the floor with just under two minutes remaining. Usman flattens him out at the 90-second mark, but the action stalls from there. Yakovlev absorbs a couple solid elbows from the top man just before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Yakovlev uses body kicks to keep Usman out of grappling range in the opening minute, but Usman is moving him around the edge, controlling the cage with pressure. Usman shoots a high double and winds up holding Yakovlev against the fence, where the Blackzilians fighter switches to a bodylock and completes the takedown. Yakovlev wraps up from underneath and clasps his hands, trying to limit Usman’s movement in his half guard. Usman uses his right arm to press down on Yakovlev’s body, then grinds on the Russian’s face with short elbows and forearm strikes. Yakovlev grabs for a heel hook, so Usman stands and spins, pulling his leg clear and landing in north-south position. Usman controls the final half minute from there, landing body punches while Yakovlev tries in vain to kick off the cage.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Usman shoots in behind an overhand right and drags Yakovlev to the floor near the fence within 30 seconds of the bell. “The Nigerian Nightmare” threatens to wrap up an arm-triangle choke as he works from half guard, but Yakovlev catches Usman in a far-side headlock to slow his progress. Yakovlev gets to his knees, then slowly to his feet, but Usman rips him right back to the ground and steps over to full mount. Yakovlev eats a couple hard elbows but his arms are up and deflecting many of Usman’s strikes. At the two-minute mark, Yakovlev bucks Usman out of mount and then defends as the wrestler tries to take his back. Yakovlev kneels at the fence for a moment, eats a few more punches and then scrambles up. Usman keeps him trapped on the fence as they hit the final minute, then pulls Yakovlev to the ground and mounts him again. Yakovlev wraps up from the bottom and doesn’t absorb too much damage, though one elbow opens a cut on the outside of his right eye.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-8 Usman (30-24 Usman)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Usman (30-24 Usman)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-8 Usman (30-25 Usman)

The Official Result

Kamaru Usman def. Alexander Yakovlev via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25) R3 5:00

Darren Elkins vs. Godofredo Castro

Round 1

Seconds into the fight, Castro connects with a spinning kick and follow-up right hand which have Elkins staggered near the fence. Elkins shakes the cobwebs and catches the next high kick from “Pepey,” then runs the Brazilian to the ground in the center of the cage. Castro cranks Elkins’ right arm with a kimura from the bottom and uses it to sweep to full mount, but Elkins quickly recover butterfly hooks. Castro stands over the American, bashing him with two hard punches on the way. Elkins’ face is a bloody mess less than two minutes into the fight; nonetheless, he sits up and drives forward, running Castro against the wall for a takedown attempt. Elkins completes his second takedown of the fight and this time manages to keep Castro on the bottom for more than a few seconds. Solid hammerfists connect for Elkins as he tries to navigate Castro’s lengthy guard. Two minutes left in the round and “Pepey” continues to hold Elkins in guard. Elkins mashes him against the fence, but Castro works back to his feet and jumps guard with another kimura attempt. Elkins goes to the ground and posts up until Castro releases the arm.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Elkins ducks under Castro’s first attack of the round, can’t get a takedown but socks the Brazilian with a left hand on the way out. Another spinning heel kick partially lands for “Pepey,” but this time Elkins is able to grab the leg and trip him to the ground on the way out. From his back, Castro attacks with a heel hook, forcing Elkins to go on the defensive and eventually surrender top position. Castro stands over Elkins and threatens with strikes as the American stands; Unfortunately, one of those strikes is an illegal knee to the head while Elkins is still on his knees. Referee Herb Dean pauses the fight and gives Elkins a moment to recover from the foul; “Pepey” apologizes profusely, but Dean still has to dock him one point for the foul. When the fight resumes, Elkins hits another takedown just under three minutes left in the round. Castro’s shifting guard is creating problems, but Elkins still manages to connect with a couple solid punches. Castro tries to kick him away, can’t get enough separation to scramble up and remains under Elkins as they enter the last 90 seconds. Elkins catches Castro sitting up and looks to have an arm-triangle setup, but the wrestler releases the hold in favor of dropping punches.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Elkins latches on to a low kick from “Pepey” and floors the Brazilian once again inside of 30 seconds. Two or three harsh elbows smack the jaw of Castro, who’s continually working to kick Elkins away and create space to stand. The space isn’t coming, though, as Elkins maintains top control and slams Castro with a hard left hand. Two minutes into the round, Castro kicks Elkins far enough away to scramble back to his feet. Castro’s next move is a jumping kick, which Elkins gets hold of and uses to score another takedown. It’s rough, grinding stuff from Elkins here, just pinning Castro to the mat from guard and occasionally slamming a right hand or elbow against his face. Down to the final minute, Castro is still trying to escape, still kicking at Elkins from the bottom. One kick backs up Elkins a few steps, but the wrestler crawls right back to hold “Pepey” on the mat. Castro tries a kimura, can’t get it going. At the 10-second clapper, both featherweights begin swinging wild, flailing punches, but neither man scores with anything clean before the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Elkins (30-26 Elkins)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Elkins (29-27 Elkins)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Elkins (29-27 Elkins)

The Official Result

Darren Elkins def. Godofredo Castro via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27) R3 5:00

Frankie Saenz vs. Eddie Wineland

Round 1

Saenz looks to establish the range with early leg kicks, while the taller Wineland sends out long jabs as he steps forward. Wineland ducks under a big left hand from Saenz and tries to trip him to the mat, but Saenz blocks the takedown and circles away. Two minutes into the round, not much has been decided, though it’s still Wineland moving forward, threatening to open up with his punches. Saenz continues to fend him off with scattered leg kicks, but he lunges forward with another telegraphed left hand which Wineland easily slips. Wineland comes back upright with a left hook to the jaw that puts Saenz on rollerskates for a moment. Saenz seems to have recovered quickly as he circles away again at the two-minute mark. Wineland waits a bit too long to strike and gets his leg snatched up by Saenz, who spins the WEC veteran to the mat with just over 60 seconds on the clock. Wineland kicks off and nearly escapes, but Saenz takes his back as they stand and then rides him back to the ground for the final 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Wineland takes a kick on the cup in the opening seconds of the round, but he’s OK to continue after a few seconds of recovery. Saenz is throwing more punches already here the second, barging into the pocket with his head down and arms swinging. Wineland continues his forward press and measured approach, constantly feinting and sizing up punches but rarely letting his hands fly. When Wineland does connect with punches, they’re hard ones, turning Saenz’s head with swift hooks. Wineland gets another kick to the cup; he doesn’t need long to recover from this one, but he doesn’t look pleased with Saenz after the second foul. They’re back to business inside the final two minutes, and Wineland is starting to up his aggression. He zaps Saenz with a right hand and turns away a pair of takedown attempts. Saenz whiffs on another shot and gets an uppercut for his trouble. Wineland makes up some ground down the stretch as he continues to duck underneath Saenz’s wide hooks and pepper him with flurries on the counter.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Saenz lands a hard leg kick but gets blasted over the top by Wineland’s right-hand counter. Wineland keeps stepping forward, feinting and jabbing, now firing a hard right hand into Saenz’s breadbasket. Saenz shoots a single, Wineland threatens with a headlock and then shoves him away. Saenz throws a sloppy combination and Wineland makes him pay with a blistering right cross. Saenz is still semi-conscious as he drives for a takedown from his knees, but Wineland allows him to stand up and stagger away. Wineland chases him around the edge of the cage, lands another right down the middle, now a left hook, another right. Saenz is on his feet, and referee Rob Madrigal steps in to call a halt to the contest.

The Official Result

Eddie Wineland def. Frankie Saenz via TKO (Punches) R3 1:54

Felice Herrig vs. Kailin Curran

Round 1

Herrig keeps the incoming Curran at bay in the opening minute with kicks to the legs and body, plus a few snappy jabs. Curran keeps coming and gets hold of a kick, then tries to rush Herrig, but the veteran reverses momentum and trips up Curran instead. Herrig lands on top in Curran’s half guard, staying tight on top as the Hawaiian looks to create space. Curran tries to bump and roll, but Herrig transitions smoothly to back-mount as she stands. Herrig’s weight pulls Curran backward to the ground as the “Lil Bulldog” applies a rear-naked choke. Herrig’s right arm doesn’t look to be fully under Curran’s chin at first, but after 20 seconds of squeezing and adjusting, the choke is extremely tight and Curran has no choice but to tap.

The Official Result

Felice Herrig def. Kailin Curran via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R1 1:59

Francis Ngannou vs. Bojan Mihajlovic

Round 1

Ngannou takes the center of the cage while Mihajlovic dashes around the perimeter. Mihajlovic moves side to side, looking for an opening against Ngennou, who towers over the Serbian with a height advantage of at least five inches. Mihajlovic tries to clinch, gets shoved away, and now Ngannou attacks him at the fence. A glancing right hand to the jaw sends Mihajlovic stumbling, then pulling guard. Ngannou kneels down and drops hammerfists on the Serbian’s face. Three hard shots get Mihajlovic covering up, going fetal as Ngannou continues to pound away. Referee Herb Dean gives Mihajlovic only a moment to recover as Ngannou lands two or three punches, bouncing three or four more off Mihajlovic’s arms. Dean isn’t seeing anything from the downed fighter, so he steps in to stop the bout, to the displeasure of the bloodied Mihajlovic.

The Official Result

Francis Ngannou def. Bojan Mihajlovic via TKO (Punches) R1 1:34

Edson Barboza vs. Gilbert Melendez

Round 1

Melendez takes a pair of hard kicks on the lead leg as he reaches for Barboza’s chin with his right hand. “El Nino” shoots a long single-leg in the center of the cage, but Barboza yanks the leg away and backpedals. Barboza sidesteps another shot as he continues to evade Melendez’s offense in the opening two minutes. Melendez catches a body kick and runs Barboza to the fence, but the Brazilian dashes away again. Halfway through the opening round, the lightweights bounce on their toes near the middle of the Octagon. Barboza slides to the outside, gets tagged with a straight right hand as Melendez lunges into range, then moves back to the middle. Now it’s the striker controlling the center, but still both men look hesitant to engage in any prolonged exchanges. Both score with left hooks in the pocket; Barboza follows up with a straight right.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Melendez bounces a few punches off Barboza’s gloves before touching his face with a right hand down the middle. Barboza snuffs out a takedown attempt, underhooking Melendez’s arms and tossing the American to the floor. The striker stands over Melendez, kicking at his legs for 10 seconds until referee John McCarthy calls for a restart. Barboza chops Melendez to the ground with a hard leg kick, then tacks on a right hand as the former Strikeforce champ gets back to his feet. Melendez misses with a straight right and gets another kick to the left knee, which is beginning to turn purple here at the midway mark of round two. Barboza dodges a series of heavy right hands, but Melendez throws a jab and follows with another right that finds the mark. Melendez tries to hold Barboza on the wall, but the Brazilian recovers quickly and escapes to the center. Sixty seconds on the clock, Barboza trades a body blow for a Melendez right hand upstairs. Barboza catches a body kick and foot-sweeps Melendez to the canvas, then postures up in guard and drops right hands for the remaining few seconds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Barboza puts another hard kick on Melendez’s left knee, and this time “El Nino” draws the leg back with a grimace. Another low kick almost takes the leg out from under Melendez, but he keeps inching toward Barboza. Not much action from either man through the middle of the round, with Barboza’s leg kicks providing the best offense. Barboza stuffs a shot from Melendez, then lands another low kick and a left hook. Barboza is controlling the center at the two-minute warning, while Melendez hops around the outside, breathing with his mouth wide open. Melendez sticks a jab but can’t follow up as Barboza lands another low kick and circles off. Melendez buzzes over the top with a right hand as the final 30 seconds tick away without incident.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Edson Barboza def. Gilbert Melendez via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Holly Holm vs. Valentina Shevchenko

Round 1

Rob Madrigal is the referee for tonight’s 135-pound main event, with judges Sal D’Amato, Brian Puccillo and Rick Winter scoring the bout at cageside. The southpaws circle one another in the center of the cage, both twitching and feinting, both landing leg kicks in the tense opening minute of the bout. Holm moves Shevchenko toward the fence with stomping low kicks and side kicks, but it’s Shevchenko landing a right hand as Holm steps into the pocket. Shevchenko puts another stiff right on Holm’s chin, but seconds later, Holm sends “Bullet” to the mat with an uppercut to the jaw. Shevchenko springs back to her feet and shakes off the knockdown, her nose reddened from Holm’s hands. Holm whiffs on a high kick, takes a chop on the lead leg and then a jab to the face as she tries to close the distance on the shorter woman. Shevchenko ducks under Holm’s next attack, bodylocks and trips her to the floor, but the former UFC titleholder jumps right back up. Now it’s Holm pressing Shevchenko against the fence with one minute on the clock, driving some hard knees into Shevchenko’s legs as time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

There’s not much action through the first two minutes of the round, apart from the bantamweights trading low kicks and constantly feinting strikes. Suddenly, Shevchenko grabs hold of Holm and spins her against the cage, but Holm reverses and escapes. Shevchenko dodges a hard, straight right hand and bounces a spinning backfist off Holm’s raised mitt. Holm knocks her backward with a side kick to the stomach, but now Shevchenko comes back with an overhand left, then a hard low kick. It’s slow going down the stretch, with neither fighter really looking to seize control of what has been a very narrow round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Holm checks some early leg kicks from Shevchenko, who steps off to the side and lands a straight right on the back. Shevchenko lands a clean kick, comes over the top with another right hand, then gets hold of a Holm kick and sweeps her to the floor. Holm stands up immediately and spins Shevchenko’s back against the fence with over-unders. Holm is sporting a cut on the right eyebrow, but the blood doesn’t seem to be leaking into her eye. Shevchenko tries to separate by backing out, and Holm overcommits on her drive forward, allowing Shevchenko to sidestep and use the boxer’s momentum for a trip takedown. Shevchenko lands on top, now working from Holm’s half guard with more than two minutes remaining in the round. Holm’s left side is flush to the fence, preventing Shevchenko from mounting or throwing right hands. Shevchenko isn’t doing much on top, but she’s keeping Holm flat on her back as the final 90 seconds run off the clock. Holm’s eyebrow cut gets a little worse by the end of the round after Shevchenko drops a few elbows on it.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 4

Holm’s corner has stemmed the bleeding from her right eyebrow, the cut on which was caused by an accidental clash of heads in the previous round. The bantamweights get off to another slow start, but Shevchenko begins to warm up after that, chopping at Holm’s lead leg and landing a right hand down the middle. Holm gives Shevchenko a leg kick, gets an angry chop in return. Shevchenko sticks her jab, comes over the top with a left and then backpedals away as Holm stomps forward. Holm is mostly shadowboxing this round, repeatedly pulling up short with her combinations. The ex-champ limp-legs out of a Shevchenko takedown attempt as they hit the last 90 seconds of the round. Shevchenko catches a kick and tries the single-leg again, still can’t get it. The strikers clash arms as both lean inside and throw punches over the top.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 5

The final round begins in the same fashion as most of the others, with the fighters jabbing and circling for a solid minute, neither one quite finding the mark with anything but low kicks. Shevchenko’s kicks have reddened the right leg of Holm, but “The Preacher’s Daughter” stands firm as she denies a double-leg attempt, now two minutes into the period. Shevchenko lunges into range with another leg kick and gets popped with a jab for her trouble. Holm whiffs on an overhand left and takes a right cross on the grill. Body kick scores for Holm as they head into the final 90 seconds of the fight. Shevchenko dodges another Holm left and again makes her pay with a right hand. Inside the last minute, Shevchenko is still looking snappy, still whirling around on backfists and beating the slower Holm to the punch.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko (49-46 Shevchenko)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko (49-46 Shevchenko)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko (49-46 Shevchenko)

The Official Result

Valentina Shevchenko def. Holly Holm via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) R3 5:00