Bellator 120 Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Brian Hall vs. Cortez Phelia

Round 1

Hall and Phelia exchange early in the center of the cage with neither really establishing an advantage. Hall leaps in for a combination that has Phelia in full retreat. He lands a number of punches that send Phelia to the mat and he follows with a flurry of strikes looking to finish the bout early. Phelia defends well and gets his guard back. Hall is relentless though and lands hammer fists at will. Hall scores with a big standing punch to the body and drops back into his opponent’s guard. He cracks Phelia with another big shot with about 60 seconds left in the opening frame. Phelia throws punches to Hall’s ears from the bottom as Hall rests in his guard.

Sherdog Scores

Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Hall

Round 2

Phelia, in a southpaw stance, pistons his jab as Hall searches for an opening to throw. Phelia shoots in and scores with a double-leg, establishing position in Hall’s guard. He passes to side and locks up an armbar before switching to a triange as Hall rolled to defend it. Hall extricates himself rom the submission and dives into Phelia’s guard before settling into half. Phelia sweeps into top positon and pins Hall against the cage and throws strikes to the head and body. Hall sweeps back into top position but can’t stay there. Phelia escapes back to his feet as the second period comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Phelia

Round 3

Hall opens the third with a crushing body shot as Phelia attempted to land a body kick. Phelia crashes backwards to the mat and Hall douses him with hammer fists to the head until referee “Big” John Dixson calls off the bout at 24 seconds of the third round.

The Official Result

Brian Hall def. Cortez Phelia via TKO (Punches) R3 0:24

Anthony Lemon vs. Codie Shuffield

Round 1

Lemon and Shuffield both rush to the center of the cage and trade wild strikes. The fighters clinch and Lemon lands a solid short right to the jaw. Shuffield swings back wildly as they break their clinch. Lemon draws in close again and locks up before hammering Shuffield with a pair of nice elbows against the cage. Shuffield turns him and stomps his feet as he presses him against the chain link. Lemon pops a knee straight up but can’t find the mark. Shuffield muscles Lemon to the mat from the clinch but can’t keep him there. Lemon is back up and the fighters trade more wild shots. Shuffield powers Lemon back to the ground and blasts him with elbows from half-guard. He then looks for a front choke but Lemon easily backs out and gets to his feet before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Shuffield

Round 2

Shuffield dumps Lemon at the outset of the second round and gets to work from his guard. He strikes his way to a pass and takes side-control with Lemon prone along the cage. Shuffield takes Lemon’s back and searches for a rear naked-choke but Lemon turns back into him. Shuffield will not be denied. He strikes from mount and forces Lemon to give up his back again. This time the choke comes quickly and Lemon is forced to tapout at 2:15 of the second stanza.

The Official Result

Codie Shuffield def. Anthony Lemon via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2 2:15

Ben Brewer vs. Andy Uhrich

Round 1

Uhrich lands a clipping right hook early, then a left-handed counter before grabbing hold of Brewer and clinching against the fence. He tosses Brewer to the ground and climbs on his back to sink in both hooks, then tries to soften up Brewer with heels to the gut. Brewer goes to his knees, then rolls to his back and gives up full mount. Uhrich lands a couple short punches on top, still with three minutes left in the round. Brewer puts his left side to the cage and forces Uhrich back to half guard. Uhrich frames up an arm-triangle choke and hops off to the side, then takes the back again when Brewer turns over. After gutting out a deep rear-naked choke attempt, Brewer twists around and powers back to his feet while threatening with a guillotine. Brewer finishes the round strong, tagging Uhrich with punches and knees on the fence.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Uhrich
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Uhrich
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Uhrich

Round 2

Uhrich shoots for a takedown against the fence and encounters some resistance, as Brewer drills his opponent with some hard elbows to the head and arm. Uhrich is able to complete the takedown, and then another when Brewer stands up. They’re back in the same position as last round, with Uhrich searching for an arm-triangle setup, but this time Brewer is quicker to stand. Brewer tries another guillotine, gets shoved off and comes back to pop Uhrich with a straight right. Uhrich changes levels and shoots another double against the fence.

Brewer lands short punches to the body, then goes under the armpit to hit Uhrich in the head. When Uhrich abandons the shot and stands upright, Brewer is waiting with a huge knee and two elbows from the Thai clinch. Uhrich is already out on his feet, and Brewer puts him down for the count with a right cross-left hook combo.

The Official Result

Ben Brewer def. Andy Uhrich via KO (Punches) R2 2:40

Justin Frazier vs. Mike Wessel

Round 1

Frazier lands the first punch but it’s Wessel who charges forward with a flurry of strikes and takes “The Grizzly Bear” to the ground. Frazier sweeps out from underneath and stands to press Wessel against the cage, where the big men trade knees in the clinch. Wessel reverses the position and thumps Frazier’s gut with right hands. Frazier breaks out midway through the round and catches a grazing head kick on the cheek. Wessel gets another takedown and moves to side control, where he traps Frazier in a crucifix and finishes the fight with a couple dozen unanswered punches.

The Official Result

Mike Wessel def. Justin Frazier via TKO (Punches) R1 4:28

Austin Lyons vs. Zach Underwood

Round 1

Lyons lands some clipping shots in the first minute of the fight, leaving Underwood with some redness around the eyes. When he gets into range, Lyons clinches up and pushes Underwood against the fence, then exits the clinch with an uppercut. Lyons tries for a single-leg lift and slam but Underwood keeps his balance. Both guys are throwing hands on the feet but neither is really landing anything clean as Underwood continues to circle the outside and Lyons gives chase. Lyons hits another late takedown to side control but can’t keep Underwood on the ground.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lyons
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lyons
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lyons

Round 2

Underwood continues to circle the perimeter while Lyons follows, throwing punches but mostly pulling up short. Forty seconds in, Lyons lands his best shot of the fight, a lead right uppercut that rocks Underwood’s head. After 90 seconds, Lyons gets another takedown after stifling an Underwood single-leg and forcing him down to the canvas. Underwood stands up and breaks out of the clinch to resume his circling. Underwood connects with a left straight midway through the round and almost gets Lyons to the ground, but Lyons powers back up and dings Underwood with a right straight.

Underwood shoots a long shot and winds up being reversed against the fence, where Lyons lands a pair of knees and a left in the clinch. Underwood lands a hard right hand over the top with 40 seconds left in the round. Lyons keeps walking forward, though, and finishes the round advancing on Underwood.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lyons
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lyons
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lyons

Round 3

Lyons hits a takedown and moves straight to side control, but Underwood gets control of one of his wrists and uses it to work back to his feet. The bantamweights reset in the center of the cage with 3:30 left in the fight, but soon Underwood goes back to circling the outside while Lyons follows. Lyons stuffs a shot from Underwood and forces him to the ground, then begins landing short left hands while Underwood is trapped against the cage. Underwood gets back to his feet but Lyons is waiting with a pair of hard knees to the head. After the strikes, Underwood takes a knee, and Lyons delivers another knee to the head. This one is illegal, and referee John Dixson pauses the action to allow Underwood to recover. Underwood is checked by the cageside doctor, after which referee Dixson announces that the fight will go to a technical decision.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lyons (30-27 Lyons)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lyons (30-27 Lyons)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lyons (30-27 Lyons)

The Official Result

Austin Lyons def. Zach Underwood via Technical Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 3:25

Mike Richman vs. Goiti Yamauchi

Round 1

One of Yamauchi’s first strikes is an inside leg kick which catches Richman square on the cup. Referee Dave Ferguson pauses the action, and Richman takes a minute to recover before the action resumes. When it does, the American southpaw pushes forward on Yamauchi with a few outside leg kicks. Yamauchi answers with a pair of loud kicks to the body, then a knee to the gut as he closes in to clinch. Pushed against the fence, Richman takes a standing elbow to the head before he’s able to turn things around. The featherweights trade positions once more before splitting, and Richman catches Yamauchi ducking over with a kick that just grazes the Brazilian’s head. Back to the fence they go, this time with Richman on the outside, and he dumps Yamauchi to the ground with a single-leg. Richman allows Yamauchi to stand and rushes when he does so, delivering a hard punch to the gut. Standing in the pocket, Yamauchi connects with a pair of hard left hooks that forces Richman to back up.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Yamauchi
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Yamauchi
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Richman

Round 2

Yamauchi blitzes Richman with another speedy combination like the one that stunned “The Marine” in round one. Richman avoids any big damage this time, weathering the storm to grab hold of Yamauchi and shove him against the cage. With his back to the fence, Yamauchi hits a nifty inside trip that puts Richman on the mat. Richman is bleeding from his nose as he sits with his back to the cage, Yamauchi standing over him and dropping right hands. Richman stands up and presses forward, but he’s backed up by another nice pair of hooks from Yamauchi.

The Brazilian sends a hard teep kick up the center to Richman’s body, backs up and lands a kick to the left side. Richman slips on a kick but hops up before Yamauchi can capitalize on the error. Outside leg kick lands for Richman, countered by a Yamauchi jab. Still working the body, Yamauchi places another pair of front kicks on Richman’s gut before the round runs out.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Yamauchi
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Yamauchi
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Yamauchi

Round 3

Richman catches Yamauchi shooting for a single-leg and tries to cinch up a guillotine choke, but Yamauchi pops his head loose as he falls backward to guard. Richman follows him to the ground, where Yamauchi keeps a loose closed guard. After absorbing a couple body shots, Yamauchi looks to utilize rubber guard, then switches to a body triangle and back to closed guard. Richman continues to work with bursts of ground-and-pound to Yamauchi’s body and head as the fight enters its final two minutes. Referee Ferguson calls for action and then stands up the fighters with 50 seconds remaining. Richman chases the backpedaling Yamauchi to land a low kick, then a clean left hook. Yamauchi answers with a body kick, then another, and that’s where it ends.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Richman (29-28 Yamauchi)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Richman (29-28 Yamauchi)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Richman (29-28 Richman)

The Official Result

Goiti Yamauchi def. Mike Richman via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev

Round 1

The featherweights spend the opening minute circling one another in the center of the cage, though Shamhalaev threatens to rush forward on a few occasions. The Dagestan native slaps Guerreiro’s head with a left high kick, and the Brazilian misses when he tries to answer in kind. Shamhalaev goes low with a hard kick to the outside of Guerreiro’s left leg. Guerreiro hits a trip and follows Shamhalaev to the ground, catching the “Assassin” on his knees and socking away with punches and elbows to the side of the head.

Shamhalaev pushes the action to the fence, all the while driving on a single-leg, and with 1:50 left in the round, Shamhalaev completes the takedown. Guerreiro threatens with a kimura and uses it to sweep as Shamhalaev tries to extract his arm. Once on top, Guerreiro keeps cranking the arm from cross-side control and forces Shamhalaev to submit as the limb bends at an unnatural angle.

The Official Result

Fabricio Guerreiro def. Shahbulat Shamhalaev via Submission (Kimura) R1 3:29

Nate Jolly vs. Marcin Held

Round 1

The fighters go straight to the clinch and begin throwing strikes, and it’s Held who sends Jolly reeling with a knee up the center. Jolly backs up and resets; Held slows his roll and doesn’t try to finish the fight, instead backing out and taking his time to move back in for a clinch. Held presses Jolly against the cage, pulls him to the ground and turns the corner to take the American’s back. With both hooks established, Held starts thumping Jolly’s head with left hands, trying to soften him up for a rear-naked choke. Held tries to snake his left arm beneath Jolly’s chin, but Jolly defends well, keeping hold of the Pole’s right hand and rolling to his knees.

Held pins an arm and steps over into full mount, then takes back mount again when Jolly rolls over. When Held loosens his hooks, Jolly twists around and postures up to sock the grappler with ground-and-pound. Jolly leaves his arm in Held’s guard, though, and Held immediately seizes the opportunity to go belly-down and force a tap via armbar.

The Official Result

Marcin Held def. Nate Jolly via Submission (Armbar) R1 4:20

Cheick Kongo vs. Eric Smith

Round 1

Smith tries to close the gap early, inching toward Kongo as the UFC veteran cuts angles on the outside with his back to the fence. Kongo snaps off a couple stiff jabs, but Smith steps in with an overhand right and wraps up the Frenchman in a body lock. Smith releases to land another hard right, gets tagged with a combo from Kongo and then changes levels again. Smith lifts up Kongo and deposits him on the ground midway through the opening frame. The American leans right to left in Kongo’s half guard, but Kongo backs up to the fence and gets to his knees. Smith unloads with right hands on his kneeling opponent, but Kongo blocks most of them with his glove and then stands up to attack with punches of his own. Smith is on his back foot now, under fire from punches and knees to the body in the last 30 seconds of the round. Smith comes off the fence in the closing moments and eats one more big right hook.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Kongo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Kongo
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Kongo

Round 2

Smith tries to blitz Kongo against the fence with overhand punches, but Kongo circles out and returns to press his man against the fence. Kongo gets a takedown and keeps control of Smith’s ankle to prevent him from standing. Smith gets to his knees and grabs the fence in an attempt to stand, drawing a warning from referee John McCarthy. Halfway through the fight, Kongo drives a knee into Smith’s side, then a right hand. Smith continues to grab the cage as he struggles to stand. With one minute left, Smith finally gets back to his feet.

Kongo keeps him trapped against the cage and delivers hard knees and right hands to the head until referee McCarthy intervenes.

The Official Result

Cheick Kongo def. Eric Smith via TKO (Knees and Punches) R2 4:35

Michael Page vs. Ricky Rainey

Round 1

Rainey looks to walk inside and strike with Page, who wheels around the outside with his hands low, flashing snappy jabs and fast kicks. Page stings Rainey with a leaping knee and tosses him to the ground, then allows “The Sniper” to stand. Page looks away from Rainey, trying to entice the American to strike. Page is clowning around until Rainey grabs hold and presses him against the fence. The clinch doesn’t last long, as Page shoves off and does a flashy shoulder roll, then winds up his hand but does not throw. Page leans over with hands on knees, still looking to lure Rainey inside.

When Rainey gets into range, Page pops him with a right hand, and then Rainey brings the fight to the fence again. Rainey changes levels for a single-leg and nearly pulls Page on top of him, but the welterweights scramble back up. Page takes the outside position off the fence momentarily, then backs out to land a jumping knee and a spinning back fist. Rainey chases after the Englishman, who slows down and lands a couple quick jabs. All of a sudden, Page comes over the top with a right hand on the temple that puts Rainey on the deck. Page just stands and watches Rainey writhe on the ground as referee Kevin MacDonald rushes in to stop the fight.

The Official Result

Michael Page def. Ricky Rainey via TKO (Punch) R1 4:29

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final:
Blagoi Ivanov vs. Alexander Volkov

Round 1

Ivanov only takes a few seconds before trying to duck inside and grab hold of Volkov, who fends him off with long punches. The sambo player tries again, clipping Volkov with a left and then pressing the taller man against the fence. The heavyweights stay there for a minute, trading knees inside but without much more happening, leading referee John Dixson to call for action. Volkov socks Ivanov with a couple good left hands in the tie-up, but he still can’t get off the fence. Ivanov steps back, lands an overhand right and a left to the body, and then wraps up Volkov again. A nice body-head combination from Volkov gives him the space needed to escape and reset in the middle of the cage. Volkov sends a hard, straight left down the pipe and backs up Ivanov with a kick to the body.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Ivanov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Volkov
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Ivanov

Round 2

Ivanov shoots for a single-leg and gets shoved away, then hit with a body kick and a one-two. Volkov connects with a couple more punches as Ivanov pushes him to the fence and trips him to the ground. Ivanov botches the takedown and winds up underneath Volkov, who sinks in both hooks and immediately slaps on a rear-naked choke. The RNC is deep, and after a moment of hesitation, Ivanov taps out.

The Official Result

Alexander Volkov def. Blagoi Ivanov via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2 1:08

Tito Ortiz vs. Alexander Shlemenko

Round 1

Ortiz misses as he tries to punch his way inside and then has a high kick blocked. Shlemenko comes back with a body kick, then misses with a right hand over the top. The next right from Shlemenko connects, and Ortiz answers with a right hook after failing to clinch. Shlemenko blocks a knee in the Thai plum, then has a spinning back fist blocked. Ortiz brings the fight to the fence with an underhook and puts a knee on Shlemenko’s body. The former UFC champ drags Shlemenko to the ground and tries to climb on his back as the Russian kneels.

Shlemenko turns over, but Ortiz is right there with an arm-triangle setup. The choke is tight as Ortiz hops from half guard to side control and bears down. Shlemenko goes to sleep, and referee John McCarthy calls a halt to the fight as Ortiz jumps up to do his gravedigger routine.

The Official Result

Tito Ortiz def. Alexander Shlemenko via Technical Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R1 2:27

Bellator Interim Lightweight Championship: Michael Chandler vs. Will Brooks

Round 1

Referee Kevin MacDonald is the third man in the cage for this 155-pound interim title fight. Chandler eats a jab as he walks in on Brooks, but the former champ keeps coming and drives Brooks to the canvas with ease. Chandler tries to pass but can’t advance past Brooks’ tricky butterfly guard. Instead, the former Mizzou wrestler lands a couple quick right hands and lets Brooks back to his feet. Brooks hits Chandler with a nice knee in the Thai plum and quickly releases. Chandler shoots a double-leg near the fence, gets stood up, but manages to press Brooks against the cage. Another big takedown goes for Chandler with two minutes left in the round, and Brooks pushes off the cage with his feet to get some space and close his guard. Chandler sits up to deliver a right hand to the body and grind on Brooks’ face with his forearm, a process he repeats for the final minute of the frame.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Chandler

Round 2

The lightweights trade short leg kicks inside before Chandler dives on Brooks’ legs for another takedown attempt on the fence. Brooks lands a knee to the body and circles out, but it’s not long before Chandler shoots another double-leg. This one puts Brooks on his seat up against a cagepost, and Chandler wraps up Brooks’ legs to keep him in place while delivering body shots. Chandler flattens out his man and now works from half guard on Brooks’ left side. Brooks uses a butterfly guard to elevate Chandler and slip out the back door. Once on his feet, Brooks trips Chandler to the mat and jumps on the ex-champ’s back to sink in both hooks. As Brooks hunts for a rear-naked choke, Chandler simply twists around and finds himself on top, in Brooks’ guard, where he rides out the rest of the round.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Chandler

Round 3

Chandler cracks Brooks with a left hook and then changes levels as “Ill Will” comes forward. Brooks sprawls, waits out the shot and stands to put Chandler on the fence. They separate and meet in the middle, where Brooks dumps Chandler to the ground and then hops on his back when Chandler goes to his knees. Brooks has back mount with both hooks in and just over three minutes on the clock. He switches to a body triangle as Chandler tries to repeat his trick from round two, and this time Brooks is able to thwart the reversal. Chandler puts his back to the mat, and now Brooks is in full mount, dropping heavy left hands that bust open Chandler’s face near his left eye. Chandler peels off Brooks’ legs and escapes to his feet at the 90 second mark. Brooks traps his opponent in a front headlock as Chandler tries to shoot, then looks to turn the corner but can’t secure the back. Instead, Brooks kicks Chandler in the face as they scramble up, then does it again when he catches up with Chandler on the other side of the cage. Brooks jumps on Chandler’s back and locks up a body triangle, then pins down Chandler’s left arm and uses his right hand to punch away for the last 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Brooks
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Brooks
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Brooks

Round 4

Chandler looks to have recovered from last round’s scare as he hops around the outside, but his long punches at Brooks’ body are coming a bit slower as the championship rounds begin. He pops Brooks with a left hand upstairs, and Brooks responds with a powerful double-leg takedown in the center of the cage. Brooks once again jumps on Chandler’s back and looks to cinch up a body triangle, but Chandler thwarts this one by peeling off Brooks’ ankle. After being warned for grabbing Brooks’ gloves, Chandler rolls over and takes top position once again. Brooks continues to complain about something to referee MacDonald, who tells the lightweights to fight on. There’s not enough action on the ground, and MacDonald stands them up with 90 seconds to go. Brooks connects with a right hand and stifles a shot from Chandler, standing him up and trapping him in a headlock. After absorbing a couple knees, Chandler leans over to put his hand on the mat. Brooks delivers another knee to the head while Chandler’s hand is touching the ground, and the ref pauses the action to give Chandler a minute to recover. When they resume, Brooks sprawls on a shot and jumps on Chandler’s back once again. Brooks is digging for the rear-naked choke with 20 seconds left, but Chandler defends to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Brooks
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brooks
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Brooks

Round 5

Brooks slaps Chandler on the cheek with a high kick and then stuffs a takedown attempt. A nice right-handed counter from Brooks lands over the top, followed by a lead uppercut. Chandler shoots another double against the fence, thwarted by Brooks’ wide base. Chandler switches to a single-leg, gets low and pulls Brooks to the ground, but Brooks scrambles right back up. Chandler dives for a long shot and gets left on the ground by Brooks, who delivers a couple knees to the body as he traps Chandler against the fence. Chandler explodes to his feet and rushes Brooks with punches, so Brooks grabs him from behind and
dumps Chandler to the ground with a suplex.

Brooks latches on to Chandler’s back but rides too high, allowing Chandler to slip out the back. Chandler traps the legs of Brooks, who sits against the cage and stands with 1:40 left in the fight. Chandler goes very low, trying to pick the ankle, and Brooks limp-legs out. Chandler catches Brooks with a hard left hook, then tries to pound him out on the floor. Brooks hangs tough and now has to defend against an arm-triangle choke. Chandler can’t find the angle to finish the choke and instead takes full mount to finish the fight.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Chandler (48-47 Chandler)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Chandler (47-47 Draw)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Chandler (47-47 Draw)

The Official Result

Will Brooks def. Michael Chandler via Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) R5 5:00

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Muhammed Lawal

Round 1

John McCarthy is the referee for tonight’s 205-pound main event. Lawal shoots an immediate single-leg and puts Jackson on the ground in the center of the cage. “Rampage” closes his guard and scoots backward toward the fence, then opens up and tries to create some space as Lawal drops right hands to the body. Back to his feet goes Jackson about 80 seconds into the round, held against the fence by Lawal, who’s already looking for another takedown. The single-leg works again for “King Mo,” and then he switches to double leg control to keep Jackson down. Rampage gets to his knees, his left side flush to the cage, and Lawal takes the opportunity to punish the former UFC star’s body with knee strikes. Rampage turtles up and Lawal delivers a couple more knees -- including one to the posterior -- before Jackson can scramble up. The light heavyweights separate, and Jackson crouches in a low stance, looking to take off Lawal’s head with an overhand right. Jackson inches forward on Lawal, loading up for a power shot, but he can’t find the mark before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lawal
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lawal
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lawal

Round 2

Jackson catches Lawal shooting in and pops him with a short hook which opens a cut underneath Lawal’s left eye. Rampage takes his time to walk inside and clips him with another pair of hooks, forcing Lawal to tie up and slow down. Lawal holds Jackson against the cage until the veteran connects with an uppercut and breaks free for a moment. Lawal quickly catches up to him and continues shoving him on the fence as referee McCarthy calls for action. Lawal explodes with punches and catches Rampage with a left hook, but misses with a flying knee follow up. Lawal’s left eye looks nearly swollen shut as he changes levels and puts Jackson on the ground again inside the last minute of the round. Jackson stands and walks down Lawal to finish the round with a hard lead uppercut.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jackson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jackson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jackson

Round 3

Jackson pumps his jab, snuffs out a level change and cracks Lawal with a combination as he stands. Lawal responds by returning to his cage-clinching and then changing levels for a single-leg. Ninety seconds into the final round, Lawal brings Jackson to the mat at the base of the fence and sits up in Rampage’s half guard to drop a couple rough elbows. Referee McCarthy tells the fighters to work; Lawal tries to get busy, but Jackson does well to control his opponent’s wrists. Jackson gets to his knees, then back to his feet with 2:15 on the clock.

He create some space and sends Lawal backpedaling with wide, hard punches. Lawal stays out of punching range until there’s 80 seconds left, when he tries a double-leg. Jackson stays standing but still gets pushed against the cage. McCarthy breaks up the fighters with 40 seconds to go, and now Rampage is headhunting, swinging big uppercuts and overhand rights in Lawal’s direction. An uppercut connects for Rampage, answered by a stiff jab from Lawal, and that’s where it ends.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lawal (29-28 Lawal)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lawal (29-28 Lawal)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lawal (29-28 Lawal)

The Official Result

Quinton Jackson def. Muhammed Lawal via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00