Jan Blachowicz, Magomed Ankalaev Saddled with Split Draw in UFC 282 Headliner

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight throne remains unclaimed.

Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev battled to a split draw in the UFC 282 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, leaving the 205-pound penthouse vacant in wake of former champion Jiri Prochazka’s reign-ending shoulder injury. Judge Michael Bell cast a 48-47 scorecard for Blachowicz, while Derek Cleary saw it 48-46 for Ankalaev and Sal D’Amato scored it 47-47.

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Ankalaev (17-1-1, 9-1-1 UFC) set the tone early with crisp punching combinations and punishing front kicks to the body. Blachowicz (29-9-1, 12-6-1 UFC) answered by shifting gears and blowing out the Xtreme Couture rep’s base with vicious kicks to the lower leg. They eventually hobbled Ankalaev to such a degree that he was forced to switch stances. He made the necessary tactical adjustments in the fourth and fifth rounds, where he crowded Blachowicz with pressure, executed multiple takedowns and chipped away with substantial ground-and-pound, all while piling up copious amounts of control time. Ankalaev rose to his feet after Round 5, convinced he had done enough, then left the cage in disgust moments later.

Fortunate Pimblett Escapes Gordon

Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Paddy Pimblett passed his stiffest test to date inside the Octagon, albeit not in convincing fashion, as he laid claim to a contentious unanimous decision over Jared Gordon in the three-round lightweight co-main event. All three judges—Douglas Crosby, Chris Lee and Ron McCarthy—struck 29-28 scorecards for Pimblett (20-3, 4-0 UFC).

Gordon (19-6, 7-5 UFC) did not shy away from the considerable hype surrounding his charismatic counterpart. The Sanford MMA rep blasted Pimblett with left hooks throughout the fight, attacked his lead leg with sharp kicks and crowded him in the clinch. It was not enough to spring the upset. Pimblett performed well in open space, where he let fly with sweeping hooks and leg kicks of his own. Gordon chewed up clock with his commitment to the clinch in the third round but allowed the Next Generation MMA star to break free late in the period and eventually attach himself to the back.

Pimblett, 27, will ride a six-fight winning streak into his next assignment.

Ponzinibbio Freezes Replacement Morono

“The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 2 semifinalist Santiago Ponzinibbio put away Alex Morono with punches in the third round of their catchweight feature at 180 pounds. A short-notice replacement for Robbie Lawler, Morono (22-8, 11-5 UFC) met his end 2:29 into Round 3.

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Ponzinibbio (29-6, 11-5 UFC) focused his efforts on the body and lead leg but struggled to string together meaningful offense through the first 10 minutes. Morono scored with clean one-twos, body kicks and well-hidden overhand rights. Ponzinibbio picked up his pace in Round 3, then turned the tide in a blink with a devastating right cross. The impact froze Morono where he stood and reduced him to little more than a sitting duck, as his American Top Team-trained counterpart hurdled toward him. Ponzinibbio uncorked another right hand behind the ear, dropped the former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder at the base of the cage and finished him there.

The setback snapped Morono’s run of consecutive wins at four.

Du Plessis Face Crank Subdues Till

Former KSW champion Dricus Du Plessis dismissed Darren Till with a face crank in the third round of their middleweight showcase. In a downward spiral and winless since Nov. 2, 2019, Till (18-5-1, 7-4-1 UFC) conceded defeat 2:43 into Round 3.

Du Plessis (18-2, 4-0 UFC) administered a hellacious beating for much of the first round, as he executed multiple takedowns, cut loose with ground-and-pound and assaulted the Team Kaobon rep in the clinch. Till survived but emerged for the middle stanza with significant damage to his left eye. Nevertheless, he managed to rally on the fatiguing Du Plessis, piecing together clean one-twos with knee strikes and the occasional close-range elbow. Till lost his way again in the third. Du Plessis struck for a takedown, moved immediately to full mount and let his hands go. Till then turned away from contact, leaving himself vulnerable to the fight-ending crank.

Till has lost five of his past six bouts.

Unbeaten Topuria Throttles Mitchell

Ilia Topuria took out “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 27 semifinalist Bryce Mitchell with an arm-triangle in the second round of their featured featherweight attraction. An emerging force at 145 pounds, the undefeated Topuria (13-0, 5-0 UFC) closed the show 3:10 into Round 2.

Mitchell (15-1, 6-1 UFC) was outclassed in all phases. Topuria stung the Barata MMA export with high-velocity punching combinations and cut off all but one of his attempted takedowns with an effective sprawl. He ripped right hands with ill intent, opening a vertical cut on Mitchell’s left brow. Topuria poured on the punishment in the second round, powered into top position after denying another takedown and cinched the arm-triangle with surprisingly little resistance.

The 25-year-old Topuria now sports 12 finishes among his 13 career victories.

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