UFC 244 ‘Masvidal vs. Diaz’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Julio Arce vs. Hakeem Dawodu

Round 1

It's time for the 500th event in UFC history! Featherweights start this huge night off strong, as Team Tiger Schulmann -- the first of many -- representative Arce (16-3, 3-1 UFC) faces Canada's own Dawodu (10-1-1, 3-1 UFC). With both men coming off of third-round head kick knockouts, we are in for a fight that would likely be placed higher on the card were it not for the embarrassment of riches in store for the fans tonight. Our referee is Todd Anderson. There is no touch of gloves, and instead Dawodu opens up with a leg kick. Missing with it, he tries another that falls equally short, and then hops forward with a front kick that Arce smoothly dodges. Dawodu finally lands a hard leg kick, and Arce is immediately and somewhat surprisingly compromised from that one kick. His lead leg is having issues planting, as he stomps it on the ground to get his footing. The Canadian has primarily thrown kicks so far, and just as that is typed, Dawodu charges in with a punch combination into the clinch. As they jockey for position, Dawodu does not like having his back against the fence and he pushes off. Arce throws a decent left straight to the body, but Dawodu counters with a low kick to the rear leg, making Arce flinch. As they come together, Arce cracks Dawodu with a left hand, but "Mean Hakeem" walks through it without much issue. After getting stung with that big left, Dawodu bears down on Arce and starts throwing leather, but Arce gets out of harm's way. Arce fires a head kick, and as he evades it, Dawodu counters with a straight left. Whenever Arce changes stances for a combination, Dawodu is ready with a fierce right leg kick to Arce's otherwise back leg. The two men clinch up and trade uppercut, and break as the round ends. If that first round of the evening is any indication, we are in for quite the night.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu

Round 2

The second round begins with a hard leg kick from Dawodu, so Arce tries to respond with a head kick. As he misses, like multiple times in the opening stanza, Dawodu is quick to counter with a left. Arce gets clipped, so he bites down on his mouthpiece and fires right back, and the two men trade leather until Dawodu presses him against the fence. Swapping position briefly, the two break off as commentator Joe Rogan envisions spelling out the "BMF" title to the audience, and when exactly the right moment would be to do so. Both men crash together and try to throw knees and uppercuts up the middle, and clang against one another a few times until they separate. After eating a body kick, Arce tries to get his jab going, but Dawodu responds with another powerful body kick that Arce blocks. As they clinch once again, Arce trips Dawodu's legs out from underneath him and get the fight to the canvas, where Arce immediately takes half guard. Dawodu scrambles, and in doing so, gives up his back, where Arce instantly fishes for a rear-naked choke. As Dawodu fights off the choke, he reverses position and ends up on top. Arce throws up a high guard, so Dawodu bails on the position and stands back up, all while kicking Arce's legs while Arce is on his back. The New Yorker looks for upkicks and tries to stand with one leg and throw the other, but Dawodu is nowhere to be found. Arce pops back up and leads forward, but takes multiple leg kicks as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu

Round 3

Between rounds, the commentary booth breaks some huge news, announcing that Legacy Fighting Alliance has signed with UFC Fight Pass, but we have no time to celebrate this as the third round is upon us. Dawodu comes out firing to start the round, working the legs and body, while Arce keeps his distance and tries to jab. Dawodu accidentally lands a low kick that glances off the cup of Arce, but the New York native shakes it off and we do not pause the action. The two featherweights clinch up, and Dawodu starts slamming knees to the midsection while Arce tries to reply with a bevy of uppercuts. Leaning hard against his opponent on the fence, Dawodu brings up a heavy knee, so Arce spins around and then out. Arce tries another high kick, but Dawodu is prepared to counter with a right straight. The Canadian scores another front kick right up the middle, and then we get back to the clinch position. Dawodu continues to land strikes on the inside, opening up a cut on the forehead of Arce, but the American pays it no mind. Fighting in a proverbial phone booth, the two fighters hold their ground in the center of the cage while winging heavy shots, and although neither score with anything flush, they both land effectively on one another. Perhaps taking the worse of the exchanges, Arce drops down for a takedown, but Dawodu's corner sees it coming and has their fighter defend it. With 20 seconds remaining, both men start trading punches, and as they tag each other on the chin, they grin at one another and keep swinging. This fun brawl continues until the round ends, and both are satisfied with their work. This one could go either way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (30-27 Dawodu)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (30-27 Dawodu)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Arce (29-28 Dawodu)

The Official Result

Hakeem Dawodu def. Julio Arce via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Lyman Good vs. Chance Rencountre

Round 1

At welterweight, Good (20-5, 1 NC; 2-2 UFC) tries to get on the board tonight for Team Tiger Schulmann against Alliance MMA standout Rencountre (14-3, 2-1 UFC). Drawing the assignment is referee Keith Peterson. The two men do not touch gloves, and instead Rencountre goes for a low kick but is countered with a quick one-two from Good. He tries again with a leg kick, and Good just takes it and looks at him. Good then winds up and fires a far heavier leg kick, and the one more that lands with an audible thud. We are in for the low kick version of Frank Dux vs. Paco in "Bloodsport" at this rate. The two men clash together and land heavy punches, but Good is the one who lands cleaner and forces the Oklahoma native to back away. Rencountre leaps in with a left hand, and Good is out of the way, and avoids another counter. As Rencountre walks forward, Good nearly kicks his leg out from beneath him, and the lead leg of Rencountre is showing some serious damage just two minutes into the opening round. They clash together again and "Black Eagle" tries to drop in some knees, but Good instead lands one as they separate. A stiff jab scores from Good, and who then fires a slapping leg kick that makes the audience gasp. As Good tries to load up on a right hand, Rencountre changes levels and tries to go in for a takedown, but Good fights him off and pulls him against the fence. They break, and Good fires a powerful right hand over the top. Good launches a head kick that whiffs right past the chin of Rencountre, and they clinch up and throw some hard uppercuts at one another. Two stern right hands land square on the jaw of Rencountre, and Good sees he has his man hurt so he charges after him and starts throwing bombs. "Cyborg" pours on the pressure, and makes a mouse form under Rencountre's left eye, but Rencountre clinches up and protects himself from damage. As they break, Good slams home last one body kick to punctuate the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Good
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Good
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Good

Round 2

The second period opens with Rencountre finding his distance in the form of a few long right hands. As he lands a right to the shoulder of Good, Good actually taps where he scored as if to beckon his adversary on. Rencountre obliges, as they come together and clash heads. Backing away, Good leaps in the air with a knee, and after a wild exchange, Good cracks Rencountre and backs off. "Cyborg" fires another lethal leg kick that is continuing to mark up that lead leg of Rencountre, but he appears unfazed. They trade punches, and Good stings Rencountre with a crisp one-two, and then loads up with a major right hand that almost makes him fall over as he misses. Clipping Rencountre with a short left hook, Rencountre walks through it and takes a straight right down the pipe for good measure. Rencountre leaps in with a long left, and Good nearly times him with a flying knee, but is just shy of the mark. A three-punch combination finds the target for Good, so Rencountre tries to return the favor with a knee to the body of his opponent that already has his mouth open. Good sits down on a right hand that makes Rencountre shake off the cobwebs, and although Rencountre tries to reply with a few long punches, he does score with a slick left hand to the body. He lands another in shades of Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 2, and can seem to land that body shot at will. Even with these successful strikes, Good appears to be outlanding Rencountre around at least a 2:1 clip. Rencountre rings a right hand off the chin of Good, and although he wobbles briefly, he smiles and swings back hard. Good ducks down to blast Rencountre with a massive right, so "Black Eagle" tries to catch him with a knee coming in. As Good smiles from ear-to-ear, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Good
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Good
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Good

Round 3

Between rounds, we are alerted to some damage on Good's right foot, but he is no worse for wear as the last round begins. After Rencountre leads off the round with some quick straight shots, Good takes a back step with that presumably injured right foot, and he steps awkwardly on it. The two men clash together, and then after breaking apart, come together again while trying to strike, before stepping back again. Good fires a stern right hand that busts up the nose and right eye of Rencountre, and his face is quickly turning into a crimson mask. Seeing that Rencountre has taken some damage, Good smells -- and sees -- the blood, and throws a right high kick that is blocked, before uncorking a monster right hand that sends Rencountre crashing to the canvas. A few more follow-up punches are merely academic, as Peterson rushes in to save Rencountre from any further harm. This is a statement performance for Good, who becomes the first fighter to ever finish the durable Oklahoman, and in the process takes home a win for local Team Tiger Schulmann.

The Official Result

Lyman Good def. Chance Rencountre R3 2:03 via TKO (Punches)

Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia

Round 1

Our lone women's bout on the card takes place at a 128-pound catchweight, as Chookagian (12-2, 5-2 UFC) has her sights set on a title shot but first has to get through Maia (17-5-1, 2-1 UFC). This is now the second straight fight that Maia has come in over the flyweight limit, and assigned to this catchweight affair is referee Kevin MacDonald. Like the last two fights, no touch of gloves, and instead Chookagian leads with a left jab. Maia tries to reply with a left hook, so Chookagian responds with more jabs to break up her opponent's office. The Brazilian starts looking for kicks instead, throwing a few at Chookagian's lead leg. Chookagian strings together a jab into a three-punch combination, punctuated with a kiai and getting Maia's attention. As Chookagian keeps her strikes mostly straight and quick, Maia bites down to throw hooks and looping shots. Suddenly the two women change their styles, as Chookagian bears down with winging shots while Maia flicks a jab out there. Getting comfortable with her range, Chookagian evades counters while targeting the body with a side kick. Maia rushes forward, and although she gets tagged with a jab on the way in, she clips Chookagian on the jaw with a left. Maia tries to fire back, and when rushing in, gets Chookagian against the fence to try to get the fight down. Chookagian stands tall and stuffs any attempts, but on the break, Maia sends a left hook careening off of her chin. Chookagian aims to the body, and then throws a side kick to the face, and Maia is barely able to get her guard up in time. Chookagian dips down and throws a head kick, and the impact has an effect on Maia even though she blocked it. Maia starts winding up with big wide shots, and although most miss, occasionally one finds its home. The round ends with the two women trading punches.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian

Round 2

The two come out firing to begin the second stanza, and Maia starts off loading up with a big right hand multiple times. Although she does not land it flush, she comes close repeatedly. Chookagian catches Maia with a side kick to the midsection, and then a standing back fist that Maia shrugs off. Maia responds with her own body kick, and then several low kicks that are reddening up the lead leg of Chookagian. Maia tries to lead in with punches, but Chookagian beats her to the punch with a crisp right hands and a couple side kicks. The jabs are starting to add up for Chookagian, as Maia is showing some damage on her nose. Maia's best weapon is her leg kick, but most of her strikes up top are not quick enough to catch Chookagian standing still. The American is elusive and continually stays out of harm's way, all while sticking the jab -- and accompanying kiai -- in the face of her opponent. Maia again sets up a big right hand, but is just shy of the mark and is at best only partially landing it on her adversary. Chookagian circles out of danger any time Maia crashes in with looping punches, and strings together punch and kick combinations quickly. Sensing she might be losing the round, Maia commits to her looping right hand, but Chookagian is picking her apart with a jab and surprisingly effective side kick. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian

Round 3

Maia opens up the last round with a head kick attempt, and then several punches that Chookagian ducks out of the way of, all while starting up with a few low kicks and jabs. Maia rushes in, and Chookagian tags her square on the nose with a jab, but Maia runs through it in an effort to take the fight down. Maia ducks down and tries to get in underhooks, but Chookagian is not having it. After little offense from either woman against the cage, Chookagian pushes away and then slaps a leg kick to Maia's left leg. Maia tries to throw a lengthy combination but the head movement for Chookagian is on point, as she evades strike after strike. A potentially frustrated Maia continues to charge forward, and Chookagian stings her with jab after jab while breaking up the flow of her attack. A few winging shots from Maia to land, but Chookagian wears them well and does not change her demeanor. Maia scores a body kick, so Chookagian returns with a head kick and then a low kick, and as she backs off Maia chases after her. Chookagian continues to circle away and keep Maia from landing anything of significance, cracking her with combination after combination while the Brazilian hits nothing but air. With 75 seconds to go in the round, Maia goes all-in for a takedown attempt, lifting up "Blonde Fighter" and planting her on the cage floor. In half guard, Maia tries to step over but is thwarted by Chookagian, and as she sits on top while time ticks away, the American throws small body punches from her back. Maia postures up as the 10-second clapper sounds, so Chookagian reverses the position and actually pursues a leg lock, tossing Maia off of her and landing a few punches until the final bell concludes the bout. Unless there is a serious issue with the scorecards, Chookagian should be on her way to a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (30-27 Chookagian)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (30-27 Chookagian)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (30-27 Chookagian)

The Official Result

Katlyn Chookagian def. Jennifer Maia via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Andrei Arlovski vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Round 1

The first of two heavyweight battles is set to go down, as Arlovski (28-18, 2 NC; 17-12, 1 NC UFC) looks to prove he's got some fight left him in at 40 years young against former kickboxer and knockout artist Rozenstruik (8-0, 2-0 UFC). Keeping control of the Octagon is referee Dan Miragliotta. Once again, no touch of gloves, and Rozenstruik lands a powerful leg kick to start things off. Rozenstruik sits down on a jab, and then a unloads series of strikes that back off the Belarusian. With his back against the fence, "The Pit Bull" tries to fire back, but Rozenstruik is out of the way in time. Rozenstruik slams home a heavy leg kick, and as Arlovski rushes in with a reaching combination, Rozenstruik leans back with a ferocious left hand that faceplants Arlovski. "Bigi Boy" walks away as Miragliotta stops the action, and this is a huge win for the Suriname native. Rozenstruik improves his unbeaten record to 9-0 with eight knockouts, but none have been more significant than the former UFC champ he just flattened.

The Official Result

Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Andrei Arlovski R1 0:29 via KO (Punch)

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brad Tavares

Round 1

Glendale Fighting Club prodigy Shahbazyan (10-0, 3-0 UFC) will try to stay unbeaten against the durable Hawaiian Tavares (17-5, 12-5 UFC) at middleweight next. The referee overseeing this contest is Todd Anderson. For the first time tonight, the two fighters touch gloves to start the fight. They back away to find their range, and Tavares fakes strikes until committing to a one-two that Shahbazyan dodges. A couple jabs come from Shahbazyan but are blocked, and he lands a solid straight left to the body. Tavares throws a low kick, and then the two men swing wildly without much effect. Tavares dings Shahbazyan to the body with a kick, and Shahbazyan catches it but cannot counter off of it. A stiff left hook catches Tavares, but the Hawaiian takes it on the chin and fires back in kind. Shahbazyan puts together a couple jabs, and then a right hand puts Tavares down. Tavares springs back to his feet, but Shahbazyan is pouring it on with punches and a head kick. Knowing he has Tavares hurt, Shahbazyan sticks out a jab and then whips up a left head kick, and Tavares is out before he hits the canvas. Anderson dives in to save the unconscious fighter, and Shahbazyan is now 11-0 with 10 finishes including nine knockouts. With this terrific performance, Shahbazyan earns the biggest win of his young career by laying waste to Tavares.

The Official Result

Edmen Shahbazyan def. Brad Tavares R1 2:27 via KO (Head Kick)

Shane Burgos vs. Makwan Amirkhani

Round 1

Up next, "Hurricane" Burgos (12-1, 5-1 UFC) will be bringing nasty weather to a man that has never experienced this kind of storm in "Mr. Finland" Amirkhani (15-3, 5-1 UFC). Looking not to get swept away by these weather-related puns is referee Keith Peterson. No touch of gloves again, and Amirkhani shoots in for a quick takedown. Burgos stuffs it but eats a right hand over the top that cuts him, and Amirkhani drops down for another attempt. The Finnish fighter finally trips Burgos down, and lands in full guard. Burgos defends himself well, but in the process gets a cut on his left eye and stands back up. "Mr. Finland" is on him like glue, and throws him down emphatically. "Hurricane Shane" walks back up the cage to his feet, but Amirkhani has firm grasp of his back. Amirkhani again rips Burgos down, and although the New Yorker springs back up, Amirkhani gets him down again. In a scramble, Burgos briefly escapes position but Amirkhani sinks in an arm-in guillotine choke. Burgos rolls out of it and in doing so, briefly ends up in worse position before rolling through it and pushing off. Burgos stands up proudly, and the crowd erupts in support for their fighter. Amirkhani shoots in immediately for a takedown, but Burgos has his hands low to defend it, so Amirkhani falls to his back. On the feet again, Amirkhani stings Burgos with a straight left, and then ducks down for another takedown, but Burgos is out of the way in time. A right from Amirkhani tags Burgos on the chin, but Burgos walks through it. A stiff one-two comes in from Burgos, but Amirkhani laughs it off as Burgos charges in with a right hand. One last close exchange wraps up the first round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani

Round 2

A more tentative second period begins, until Amirkhani fires a stiff jab that snaps the head back of Burgos. Amirkhani shoots down for a takedown from far out, and he is stuffed quickly. Burgos begins to chase him around the cage, trying to use long strikes and catch Amirkhani when he tries to take the fight down. Amirkhani ducks down in kind, and eats an uppercut followed by a leg kick in the process. Burgos catches Amirkhani with a shot to the body and then one to the head, but Amirkhani is on his bike trying to stick Burgos with his jab. A couple body shots find the home for Burgos, and Amirkhani goes deep for another takedown, and Burgos barely defends as the two both go down to the ground. Amirkhani looks to take Burgos' back, but the New Yorker protects himself and thwarts another takedown attempt. Getting frustrated by the takedown spam, Burgos starts slapping Amirkhani in the side of the head. Burgos spins out and breaks free, but is not far away for long as he digs a body kick and then a straight right to the body. As Amirkhani loops with a right hand up top, Burgos rips the body with a few more quick punches, forcing Amirkhani to shoot in once more. As Burgos defends the attempt, he continues to work the body, and lands several punches until shoving Amirkhani away. As Amirkhani rolls to his back, Burgos dives in and scores a big hammerfist and an elbow to follow. A few more elbows from Burgos end the round in style.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burgos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Burgos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Burgos

Round 3

Amirkhani starts off the round by leaping in the air with a knee, and Burgos deflects it and presses forward. As Amirkhani comes at him with a right hook, Burgos slugs him to the body and makes Amirkhani flinch. Seeing this, Burgos follows it with more strikes that makes Amirkhani fall over, and Burgos is on him like a man possessed. The New Yorker throws vicious hammerfists while still in full guard, and then backs away to allow Amirkhani to stand up. Amirkhani can barely get back to his feet, and after a short delay, Burgos cracks him with a head kick. A few more body shots force a desperation takedown attempt from Amirkhani, and Burgos is easily out of danger as he walks away much to the delight of the partisan crowd. Amirkhani swings wildly when back to his feet, and then as he catches Burgos, he drops in for another takedown. In the attempt, Burgos starts slamming elbows to the side of Amirkhani's head, and each elbow makes Amirkhani's knees a little weaker until he finally crumples. Burgos climbs on top, advances to side control and blasts Amirkhani with a multitude of body shots. Burgos is energized while Amirkhani can barely stand, and light on his feet, he slaps Amirkhani with a low kick. "Mr. Finland" tries a half-hearted takedown attempt that Amirkhani walks away from, and Burgos commits to more punches to the torso. Amirkhani continues to throw heavy, but Burgos is laser-focused on the midsection of his opponent. Burgos digs to the breadbasket with a thudding right hand, and Amirkhani is hurt badly. He winces and doubles over, so Burgos follows that with a few more punches and nearly lands a soccer kick while Amirkhani is on the way down. Peterson has seen enough, and Burgos records the finish with less than 30 seconds left in the fight. What a performance for Burgos, who makes fighters from Team Tiger Schulmann 2-1 tonight by putting on the perfect storm on "Mr. Finland."

The Official Result

Shane Burgos def. Makwan Amirkhani R3 4:32 via TKO (Punches)

Corey Anderson vs. Johnny Walker

Round 1

To headline the ESPN2 prelims is a major light heavyweight tilt between hard-nosed and hard-fingered wrestler Anderson (12-4, 9-4 UFC) and the high-flying Walker (17-3, 3-0 UFC). Taking charge of the cage is referee Kevin MacDonald. There is no touch of gloves, as Walker instead starts out with unusual movement and arm swinging, but Anderson is the first to attack in the form of a left jab. Walker fakes and feints repeatedly, while Anderson shoots in for a takedown. Walker shucks it, and spins Anderson against the fence. Anderson brings up a knee, and Walker pushes him away. A big right hand from Anderson clips Walker right on the temple, and the Brazilian falls over. Anderson swarms him with reckless abandon, throwing a slew of punches at Walker. Walker survives and stands up, but he is hurt badly, and falls all over the cage. Anderson pours it on with punches, and continues to hammer Walker until unloading a jackhammer of a right hand that nearly shuts the lights out. MacDonald dives in to rescue Walker, who is in a bad way. With the fight called by standing TKO, Anderson is losing his mind as he screams at Walker and anyone within earshot. Anderson runs over to Walker's corner to shout at them, and then goes over to the matchmakers or possibly UFC President Dana White to demand a title shot. It may be hard to deny him after that performance, by steamrolling perhaps the hottest prospect in the light heavyweight division this side of Dominick Reyes.

The Official Result

Corey Anderson def. Johnny Walker R1 2:07 via TKO (Punches)

Kevin Lee vs. Gregor Gillespie

Round 1

Kicking off the main card is a pivotal clash between the Sherdog.com #6 and #7 ranked lightweights in Lee (17-5, 10-5 UFC) and Gillespie (13-0, 6-0 UFC), respectively. To quote John Gooden, the Octagon ranger for this lightweight scrap is referee Dan Miragliotta. As a note, U.S. President Donald Trump is officially in the house, making him the first sitting U.S. president in major MMA promotional history to ever attend an event -- don't worry, fight fans, that's the only politics you'll see in here. There is no touch of gloves, and instead they trade jabs right out of the gate. Lee, with an obvious boil that some speculate to be another staph infection, looks to throw looping hooks, but it is Gillespie that shoots in for the first takedown. Lee keeps his stance very low to thwart takedowns, and he does so easily. The two men continue to pepper one another with jabs, and a small amount of damage already appears on Gillespie's nose. These two are going punch-for-punch with each other, until Gillespie sends up an uppercut that clips Lee on the chin. Lee fires right back at him, and scores a long right hand. After more exchanges, Lee now shows some damage on his nose and eye, while they pick at one another with sharp boxing. Lee whiffs on a head kick, and they both tag each other with big hooks. Lee backs away, lands a right hand to the temple and follows it with a monster left head kick that shuts Gillespie's lights out, as the New Yorker falls lifelessly against the cage wall. "The Motown Phenom" is the first fighter to ever defeat Gillespie, and he does so in spectacular fashion. As Lee strides around the Octagon, Gillespie is still out cold, although he regains consciousness as the crowd roars its approval for Lee.

The Official Result

Kevin Lee def. Gregor Gillespie R1 2:47 via KO (Head Kick)

Derrick Lewis vs. Blagoy Ivanov

Round 1

Heavyweights are set to throw down as Lewis (21-7, 1 NC; 12-5 UFC) attempts to become the first fighter to ever knock out the incredibly durable and fearless Ivanov (18-2, 1 NC; 2-1 UFC). Attempting to keep a lid on this 522.4-pound potential slugfest is referee Todd Anderson. They touch gloves, and Lewis immediately walks down Ivanov. The Bulgarian keeps his distance, pawing out a right jab to figure out his range, and chants of "USA" rain down from the crowd. Lewis whiffs on a low kick, but Ivanov is unable to capitalize on it as he tries to feint his way in. Lewis stalks down Ivanov and tries to cork a right hand, but instead throws a body kick. Ivanov catches it and pulls Lewis down, where he steps right into side control and looks to set up a crucifix position before yanking on Lewis' arm. Lewis explodes to his feet and throws everything he has into a few punches that catch Ivanov square. Ivanov is hurt, but he shakes it off, so Lewis throws a head kick that makes him fall over. In the clinch, shockingly Lewis shoots in for a takedown, and he hits it. Ivanov stands back up without much effort, while Lewis leans heavy on his opponent. Ivanov pulls into a Thai plum and fires a knee up the middle, and "The Black Beast" eats it without issue. Hanging tight on one another, they occasionally separate to throw a punch or two, and Ivanov tries to throw Lewis over his hip but Lewis stays upright. Lewis swings heavy with right hands, and as Ivanov breaks free, he trades right back. We return to the center of the cage, and seem content on trying to set up that huge overhand shot -- Lewis with his right, and Ivanov with his left. Neither score it, although Ivanov aims at the body once, and the horn sounds. Close round put in by these two to start things off.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lewis
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lewis
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lewis

Round 2

The second round begins with chants of "Let's go Lewis," but neither man react to it, until Ivanov slams a big left hook directly on Lewis' chin. The Texan wears it well and tries to clinch up, and on the break barely misses with a big uppercut. Lewis lands a decent leg kick, and then leaps in to crack Ivanov with punches. With his back against the fence, Ivanov unloads some bombs and appears to briefly hurt Lewis. "The Black Beast" throws wildly, and takes a moment to rest, so Ivanov takes him down. Right into side control, Ivanov aims to secure a keylock, but Lewis holds a thumbs-up to indicate that he is alright. Like the first round, Lewis bursts out of the position and stands up, and follows that with serious hooks that bloody up Ivanov under both of his eyes. The Bulgarian survives the brunt of the assault and circles away, before they take a break in the center of the cage. Ivanov crashes forward into the clinch and brings up a solid knee before throwing a couple uppercuts. Lewis cracks Ivanov with a huge knee, and Ivanov practically shrugs it off and walks Lewis down. A lead right hand is followed by two lefts from Ivanov, and Lewis stays calm and takes it on the jaw while trying to catch his breath. With seconds left, Ivanov throws Lewis to the ground and pulls for a guillotine. It is not tight, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lewis
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lewis
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov

Round 3

The final round begins tentatively, with the two touching gloves and taking their time to engage. Finally, Ivanov leads in with a right and then a looping left, but Lewis is out of the way in time. Lewis chambers a right hand and finally sends it Ivanov's direction, but it does not find the target. Ivanov digs to the body with a few punches, so Lewis fires back with a big right that misses as well. The Bulgarian initiates the clinch, and although he lands a knee and a few uppercuts, the pace has waned significantly between these two large men. Ivanov almost trips Lewis to the ground, but Lewis regains his footing and reacts to a faked shot from Ivanov. Lewis swings with all his might in an uppercut that would make a Mortal Kombat player blush, but it merely blows the hair back from those in the front row. Lewis whiffs with a big right, but he lands a knee, and rushes in to take Ivanov down. Ivanov cannot set up a choke, so Lewis pops out and throws a vicious right hand that Ivanov ducks. The Bulgarian briefly considers changing levels to get Lewis down but there is nothing doing, so he instead goes after a few short uppercuts. Lewis tries to fire back with an elbow, but it glances off the side of Ivanov's head. With 15 seconds left, the crowd roars to life as the two men trade wildly. Lewis tags Ivanov with a right hand and then a knee, and this fight comes to a glorious end. The scorecards could be all over the map in this fight, as these rounds have been very close. The scores delivered by our official scorers may not quite reflect how just close this fight played out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lewis (30-27 Lewis)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lewis (30-27 Lewis)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lewis (29-28 Lewis)

The Official Result

Derrick Lewis def. Blagoy Ivanov via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Stephen Thompson vs. Vicente Luque

Round 1

At welterweight, evasive and talented karate striker Thompson (14-4-1, 9-4-1 UFC) aims to remain in title contention against the fast-rising finisher Luque (17-6-1, 10-2 UFC). Serving as our referee is Keith Peterson. A touch of gloves starts things off, as "Wonderboy" takes his karate stance and keeps his distance right out of the gate. Luque immediately targets two heavy leg kicks that bend Thompson's knee over, so Thompson fires one back. Sensing success with those kicks, Luque sits down on a few more that make Thompson briefly change stances. Staying away from the power of Luque, Thompson starts getting a right jab going quickly. Luque digs down with another low kick, so Thompson fires a side kick that lands straight on Luque's chest. Luque chases "Wonderboy" down with a right hook, and after missing, follows with another that makes Thompson stumble briefly. Thompson gets his bears and flicks up a few more jabs, and then a lightning-quick right hand. Luque continues to work the lead leg of "Wonderboy" -- which keeps changing -- so Thompson tries to reply with long jabs and big rights. Luque charges forward, takes a big shot from "Wonderboy" and lands a hard right. A big left hook from Luque catches Thompson on the chin, and it appears to have hurt Thompson, but after escaping and defending a barrage of punches, he slams a right hand on the side of Luque's head that opens a cut under Luque's eye. The Brazilian leaps in with a body kick, so "Wonderboy" replies with a left, and the two stand in front of one another and swing with reckless abandon. Luque ignores the responses and continues to throw heavy leather, until Thompson backs off and throws a slapping body kick. As Luque leans in with a low kick, Thompson counters him over the top and makes Luque grin. This exciting round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Luque
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Luque
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Luque

Round 2

Thompson begins the round like the first, trying to set up long kicks while keeping his distance, but Luque keeps charging forward. "Wonderboy" leaps in with a left straight that stands Luque up, but ever the warrior, Luque eats it and throws right back. Thompson sneaks up a head kick that partially lands, and tags Thompson with a right. The Brazilian lands another powerful leg kick, and Thompson is ready with the counter, but Luque ignores it. Luque tries to come in, and Thompson is comfortable with his range and keeps catching Luque on the way in. As Luque charges forward, Thompson cracks Luque in the face with a side kick that sends Luque tumbling to the canvas. Popping back up, Luque loves it, and they touch gloves. Thinking he might have Luque hurt, Thompson loads up on another few kicks, and Luque catches him on the way in. "Wonderboy" throws a spinning wheel kick that Luque blocks, and as they separate, Luque cracks Thompson with a right hand. These two are trading violently and wildly, and it is quite a show. Thompson slams a spinning back kick that lands flush on the midsection of Luque, and Luque is undeterred. Bloodied up, Luque walks forward but catches some shots and might be hurt. "Wonderboy" sends a left hook home, wobbling Luque, but Luque fires back and catches Thompson. After sending a right hand glancing off Thompson's chin, Luque barely blocks another spinning wheel kick. Luque sinks in another leg kick, and then a body kick, but Thompson throws one right back at him. Another striking exchange concludes this thrilling round, and what a fight we have so far.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Thompson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Thompson
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Thompson

Round 3

One last touch of gloves leads to kicks from both men. Thompson uses his front leg side kick to good effect, while Luque throws a kick to the body and another to the leg. Thompson wings a left that bounces off Luque's head, and then times a perfect body kick that sends Luque down. Luque jumps up, but eats a right that sets him right back down again. "Wonderboy" looks to land some ground-and-pound, but opts instead to allow Loque back up. Thompson, light on his feet still, stings Luque with a few jabs and straight rights before landing a body kick followed by a head kick with the other leg. Luque stalks down Thompson, but he is taking damage in the process. A left from "Wonderboy" makes Luque take a step backwards, so Thompson presses forward and tries to kick the Brazilian in the head. Luque blocks it and crashes forward, but Thompson darts out of the way. Thompson stays out of harm's way as Luque loads up with right hands, while keeping the jab out there. A left and then a right land on "Wonderboy," but he wears it well although his face is starting to show some visible damage. The left side of Luque's face is a bloody mess, but he does not care and comes at "Wonderboy" with everything he has. Thompson stays loose and a one-two hurts Luque, before a high kick stumbles Luque. "Wonderboy" rips Luque to the body with a spinning back kick, but he is staying in the fight as he takes another side kick to the midsection. Thompson misses with a hook kick, and jabs a few times before punctuating that with a body kick. Clipping Luque once again, Thompson evades the hard charge of Luque until this fantastic fight ends. The next two bouts sure have their work cut out for them if they want to win "Fight of the Night" honors.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Thompson (29-27 Thompson)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Thompson (29-28 Thompson)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Thompson (29-28 Thompson)

The Official Result

Stephen Thompson def. Vicente Luque via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)

Darren Till vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Round 1

Up next, Gastelum (15-4, 1 NC; 10-4, 1 NC UFC) welcomes Till (17-2-1, 5-2-1 UFC) to the middleweight ranks in a bout that may hold significant title implications. Refereeing this co-main event is Kevin MacDonald. There is no touch of gloves, and instead Gastelum walks Till down. They clinch up, and Gastelum throws up a few short knees. Till breaks away, and throws a heavy low kick. One kick already made Gastelum lift up that leg to check future kicks from Till. Gastelum charges in with a looping shot, but Till grabs hold of him and they go back to the fence once more. The American lifts up another knee, looks up at the clock and rolls his eyes before reversing position and pressing in heavy. They spin each other around while Gastelum throws a few knees to Till's lead leg, and then nearly catches Till in the cup with one. Gastelum digs a right to the body, forcing Till to pursue separation. They break free, and Till again targets that lead leg of Gastelum with a low kick. As they come together again, Gastelum tries to throw up a knee to the midsection, and Till shoves him off. Till scores with an inside leg kick this time, so Gastelum finally replies with two leg kicks of his own. Gastelum charges forward with a combination, but Till is easily out of the way in time and scores one more leg kick on the outside. Those leg kicks from Till are starting to bother Gastelum, and that right leg is quickly showing damage. Gastelum fakes for a takedown and then clinches up, but Till lands an elbow on the break. A stiff left hand connects from Till to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Till
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Till
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Till

Round 2

The second round begins with a leg kick from Gastelum, and then another that falls short, so Till fires back with one. A one-two from Till nearly scores on Gastelum's chin, and Gastelum tries to chase him down. Till keeps trying to adjust his cup, as he did at the end of the first round. Neither man is willing to engage for the good part of a minute, until Till fires two hard leg kicks on either side of Gastelum's legs. Till steps in with a knee, and the two men clinch up. Gastelum breaks free and cracks Till with an elbow, and then an nasty eye poke from Gastelum pauses the action briefly. Till shrugs it off and makes the fight start up again, where he throws a few more leg kicks that make Gastelum lift his right leg up to defend. Gastelum presses into the clinch, and briefly attempts a takedown, but "The Gorilla" is strong and stands Gastelum back up. Gastelum seems content to land a few short knees in the clinch, but Till pushes off of him and they get to the center of the cage again. Gastelum sits down on a heavy leg kick, so Till tries to respond with a few jabs and then a straight left that misses the mark. A leg kick from Till causes Gastelum to change stances, and the crowd is not impressed by their performances. Gastelum tries to change levels and take Till down, but the Brit shucks it off and lands a right over the top. The two men trade leg kicks to end this less-than-exciting round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Till
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Till
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Till

Round 3

Both men start out firing in the last round, as Gastelum commits to a few leg kicks before a body kick that Till catches. Till uses the position to sting Gastelum with a right hand, but Gastelum works his way free. The American shoots in for a body lock takedown, but Till tosses him aside. Till lands a fierce right hand on the side of Gastelum's head, and Gastelum wears it well. As Gastelum shoots in for another takedown attempt, when bailing on it, he pops Till with a strong left. The Brit times a spinning back elbow, and Gastelum is barely able to get his guard up in time. Gastelum throws another leg kick, and Till slaps his leg. When Gastelum throws another body kick, Till catches it again and throws Gastelum down, but he cannot take advantage of the position. Gastelum whiffs on a big left, and then also falls shy of the target with a wide right hook as well. Till sticks out a jab, and then a right lands that makes Gastelum come in on him. They break, and Till clips him with a knee and then adjusts his cup again. Gastelum lands a right, so "The Gorilla" fires right back at him, but it is one-and-done before they clinch and separate. Gastelum uses a jab to change levels and shoot in for a takedown in the center of the cage, and hits it. Till explodes out of the position and gets back to his feet without taking any damage along the way. Circling away from the power of Gastelum's left hand, Till absorbs a leg kick and a right. Gastelum uses the momentum of his opponent against him, taking the fight back down, but Till pops up without issue. Gastelum lands a few more punches and this fight is mercifully over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Till (30-27 Till)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Till (30-27 Till)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Till (30-27 Till)

The Official Result

Darren Till def. Kelvin Gastelum via Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 30-27)

UFC “BMF” Title Fight:
Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz

Putting the “Bad Motherfuc*er” belt around the waist of the winner will be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Although the title holds no championship merit, the promotion spent upwards of $50,000 to create this trophy for the winner of this bout.

Round 1

This is for all the proverbial marbles, as we have reached our headliner and BMF title fight between Masvidal (34-13, 11-6 UFC) and Diaz (20-11, 15-9 UFC). In lieu of a long introduction, let's get down to business between these two, with the third man in the cage referee Dan Miragliotta. Masvidal fakes for a running knee like the Ben Askren fight, and he laughs as Diaz taunts him. Diaz presses in with big punches, and lands a few while Masvidal fires back over the top. They clinch up, and the crowd is chanting "Diaz" incredibly loudly. Masvidal throws a few knees and some short, sharp elbows that hurt Diaz. As Diaz bends down to duck, he eats a flush head kick that bloodies him up. Diaz falls over, and he is hurt badly. Masvidal rains down punches from on top, and tries to find a way into his opponent's guard without putting himself in submission danger. Masvidal drops down with some long punches, and Diaz throws some upkicks that do not land. Masvidal peppers him with some more short shots, but Diaz appears to have recovered as he goads Masvidal to come in. A bloodied Diaz hits him with an upkick to the body, and Masvidal fakes being hurt to the midsection before dropping down with heavy punches. Masvidal backs off, and Diaz gets back to his feet. Masvidal sinks in a kick to the body, and Diaz grabs it and looks for a brief takedown before clinching up. A hard elbow scores from Masvidal, who then pushes Diaz off of him. Diaz lands a two-hook combination that staggers Masvidal, and Masvidal is grinning as he clinches back up with Diaz. "Gamebred" throws a few short elbows on the inside, while Diaz replies with a few short shorts with his back against the fence. Masvidal scores another heavy body kick, and after Diaz lands some punches, Masvidal dances away while laughing. Diaz looks to slap Masvidal and then lands with right to the body and left to the head, so Masvidal backs against the fence and waves Diaz on. The round ends before Diaz obliges him.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal

Round 2

Between rounds, we can see the cut on Diaz' eyebrow is at least an inch wide, but the cutman cleans it up well. Diaz charges in to start the round, and Masvidal counters him coming in with left hands to try to open up the cut again. Diaz tags Masvidal with some right hands, and then turns to side stance to throw a side kick to the leg. Masvidal digs another body kick, and then alternates with a head kick with his right leg. Diaz aims to the body, and as Masvidal counters, Diaz lands his patented one-two. Masvidal scores with a combination, and Diaz shakes it off. Masvidal catches Diaz on the end of a right hand, and then a huge right hand from Masvidal hurts Diaz again. Masvidal hammers Diaz to the body with a kick and Diaz falls over, but Masvidal backs off and lets Diaz return to his feet. The crowd voices its support for Diaz, but Masvidal lands a left hand that clubs Diaz right on the chin. Diaz clinches up for a moment, but Masvidal pushes him off before landing a three-punch combination. This leads to another clinch, and Diaz throws a few short punches before eating an elbow on the jaw. A number of short shots from Diaz land, but Masvidal unloads with a couple huge lefts to the body that send Diaz reeling. Diaz tries to keep his swagger but is taking a lot of damage, and a few more punches from Masvidal bounce Diaz off the fence. They clinch up, and in the scramble, Masvidal lifts him up and slams him down. Diaz defends himself from punches well enough to stand to his feet, and rolls out to try to take top position, but Masvidal escapes. Diaz pulls for a leg lock with 10 seconds to go, and Masvidal is trying to turn out of it as he laughs. He does, and punches Diaz a few times before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Masvidal
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Masvidal

Round 3

Diaz begins the round with a right hand that misses, so Masvidal throws a low kick. Diaz whiffs with a few more punches, but comes in to land several punches on Masvidal's chin. Masvidal grins at him while trying to move out of the way, and catches a kick from Diaz but cannot use it to his advantage. Masvidal loads up on a right hand that lands cleanly, and then a body kick finds its home as well. Diaz stings Masvidal with a few punches, but absorbs another body kick in the process. Masvidal crashes in and tags Diaz with a left hand, clinching up before breaking with a few short shots. Masvidal rings Diaz with a straight right, so Diaz comes back firing. The two men trade wicked leather, landing at will, and Masvidal appears to be getting the better of the exchanges as Masvidal waves him in. An exchange causes Diaz to wipe both of his eyes out, so Masvidal rips the body while he does. The cut above Diaz' eye has expanded to most of his right eyebrow, and Diaz is trying to get the blood out of it. He clinches up with Masvidal to catch his breath, but the blood continues to flow as he paws at it. Diaz tries to trip Masvidal down, and Masvidal defends it so Diaz tries to roll. As Diaz falls to the ground, Masvidal is right behind him and lands some punches. Off his back, Diaz throws several punches but causes Masvidal to open up with some fierce elbows to end the round with a bang. That cut of Diaz' eye is not getting better, so the doctor and others will be paying close attention to it between rounds. Unfortunately, this is indeed the case, as the doctor calls a stop to the contest. The crowd is incensed, chanting profanity and letting the doctor have it. This might probably the worst way that this fight could end, but Masvidal is more than willing to run the fight back with Diaz anytime -- so this could be the best thing the promotion could ask for because they can do it again. At the very least, they gave everyone three terrific rounds, and we can hope that they make the rematch sometime soon.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Masvidal

The Official Result

Jorge Masvidal def. Nate Diaz R3 5:00 via TKO (Doctor Stoppage)