UFC 257 ‘Poirier vs. McGregor 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Amir Albazi (126) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (126)

Round 1

Welcome to the big show. We end this brief stint on Fight Island with a massive pay-per-view event capped off by a rematch years in the making. Before we get there, we have ten fights to plow through, starting with a matchup in the flyweight division. In a classic battle of Sweden vs. Kazakhstan, Albazi (13-1, 1-0 UFC) looks to keep to his finishing ways against a man in Zhumagulov (13-4, 0-1 UFC) that has only lost once inside the distance. Referee Jason Herzog will oversee the opening bout, and with no touch of gloves, it’s on! Albazi opens up with a leg kick as Zhumagulov bears down on him quickly, so Albazi reaches out with a few long punches to the chest and stomach. Albazi backs off his foe with these long punches, but they are only glancing off the target. Zhumagulov puts together a quick combination to sting Albazi, and he chains it together to force Albazi to backpedal. The two come together for a quick flurry, and Zhumagulov lands an overhand right that gives Albazi pause. As Albazi throws a big right hand, Zhumagulov ducks down and considers a level change, but he gets pushed off. Albazi resets and lands a leg kick, and a right hand is well away from the mark as Zhumagulov ducks away. The Kazakh leaps forward with a right hand, and the two score jabs at the same time. Albazi loads up on a few bombs, and he lands at the end of one to make Zhumagulov bounce off the cage. He keeps throwing recklessly, so a quick Zhumagulov counters him with a short left hook. Albazi darts out of the way to chop down with a kick to the calf, and another interrupts a combination from Zhumagulov. Albazi ducks a right hand to shoot in for a takedown, and he scoops up his foe with a double leg takedown to put him down. Zhumagulov powers back to his feet without taking any damage, and he gains a separation but is jabbed in the face for his effort. Zhumagulov plods forward for his own full-body takedown, and Albazi steps out of the away and nails him with a counter. Zhumagulov absorbs a leg kick and throws one back, but Albazi does not give him the momentum and tags him with a right hand. As Albazi leaps in the air with a knee, Zhumagulov somehow counters him in the air with a spinning back fist. Albazi does not seem too worse for wear from that strike or a left hand that follows, but Zhumagulov is able to charge forward and take the fight down. Albazi starts hacking with elbows from his back, and Zhumagulov works strikes from on top to ride out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zhumagulov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zhumagulov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Zhumagulov

Round 2

Herzog wipes Zhumagulov down before the round begins when his corner soaked him with the water bottle, and the two start out with multiple jabs. Albazi scores a heavy leg kick that makes Zhumagulov pick his leg up, and Zhumagulov gives him a strike back with an overhand left. Albazi capitalizes on this success with a few more kicks, and he steps forward with a knee that misses and a straight right hand that does not. Zhumagulov rebounds off the cage wall and lances his man with a left hand, but Albazi is back in his face and attacks the leg again. The two feint and fake at one another from a distance, and Albazi reaches Zhumagulov with a few jabs. Albazi walks his opponent down into the fence and avoids a looping right hand, but he is not pressing the action with strikes as he walks forward. A kick from Albazi makes Zhumagulov reach for his leg, and then throw a huge right hand bomb. Zhumagulov bites down on his mouthpiece and scores a heavy left hand as well, but Albazi eats them like a steak. Albazi starts attacking the body with single strikes, and Zhumagulov comes back at him with power punches. Zhumagulov ducks a winging punch but gets his lead leg chopped down a few times, and the kicks appear to be drawing a reaction from him as more land. Albazi steps forward into a knee and follows with a right hand, and Zhumagulov hops out of the way to reset. Both men land thudding strikes at the same time, and Zhumagulov leaps forward with a superman punch that falls shy of the mark. Albazi catches him when he lands with a leg kick, and he has started to mean mug his opponent. Zhumagulov loads up on his punches but they are too telegraphed to land flush, all while Albazi sticks a jab in his face. Zhumagulov shoots in from a distance for a takedown, and Albazi shoves him out of the way to stop it. Albazi sticks and moves with his jab, and he times a solid uppercut as Zhumagulov changes levels for a takedown. When Zhumagulov hits the canvas, Albazi circles around to take his back. Zhumagulov pops up, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Albazi
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Albazi
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Albazi

Round 3

Once more, Zhumagulov is sprayed with water in his corner, possibly as a dilatory tactic to give him a few more seconds of recovery as Herzog has to wipe him down again. Albazi starts the final round aggressively with long strikes, chaining jabs into crosses and stepping in with knees when Zhumagulov tries to counter him. Albazi ducks a looping punch to hit a takedown, but Zhumagulov is wise to it. Albazi crashes forward with a flying knee, and when he hits the ground, he attacks a takedown to put the Kazakhstani fighter on his back. Albazi postures up to slam down punches and elbows, and Zhumagulov can do nothing but take them flush as he is pressed flat to his back. Albazi steps over to half guard, and quickly slices over to side control. When Zhumagulov sits up in this position, Albazi takes his back and pushes Zhumagulov over. Albazi scoots his way to the fence to lock up a rear-naked choke and a body triangle at the same time, and he drags Zhumagulov down to stretch him out. “The Prince” pursues a rear-naked choke from this position, and Zhumagulov fights hands to break the grip, but precious seconds are ticking off the clock. Zhumagulov tries to twist out of this position, and Albazi goes with him to maintain this position. A frustrated Zhumagulov looks at the camera to see a way out, and Albazi latches on to a choke. Albazi cannot keep it, and Zhumagulov springs to his feet and starts to brawl. The Kazakhstani fighter attacks with booming shots to make Albazi retreat, and he gets countered on the way in but still throws heavy leather. Albazi gets in a flying knee, and Zhumagulov marches through it to let his strikes fly. As Albazi retreats away to wrap up the fight, Zhumagulov sprints after him with a running leg kick, and a looping left hand is blocked when the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Albazi (29-28 Albazi)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Albazi (29-28 Albazi)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Albazi (29-28 Albazi)

The Official Result

Amir Albazi def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Nik Lentz (150) vs. Movsar Evloev (150)

Round 1

Switching gears to a catchweight contest as Lentz (30-11-2, 1 NC; 14-8-1, 1 NC UFC) took the fight on short notice, “The Carny” tries to become the first man to defeat Russia’s Evloev (13-0, 3-0 UFC). The third man inside the Octagon will be referee Lukasz Bosacki, who observes no glove touch to start things off. Evloev drills his man with a leg kick, and Lentz steps back, winds up a right hand and cracks Evloev with it. Evloev wears it without worry, and Lentz presses the pace to take the fight down. Pushing Evloev into the fence, Lentz tries for a takedown, but Evloev reverses the position and puts Lentz on his back. Lentz defends with a brief submission attempt from his back, and he turns it into a guillotine choke. Evloev looks to pass guard but the guillotine is tight, and Lentz rolls over to take full mount. The mounted guillotine is cinched up, but Evloev calmly gets his guard back, pops his head out tries to stand up. Lentz redoubles his effort as Evloev stands up, keeping heavy pressure on Evloev’s head against the fence. Evloev rolls for a sweep and grounds Lentz, where he not only frees himself from submission danger but also lands some heavy ground-and-pound in the process. Busy off his back, Lentz looks to isolate the right arm of his opponent for a kimura, but the Russian snatches his arm free and steps over to half guard. Lentz grabs hold of the guillotine again while pulling his opponent back to his guard, and Evloev does not appear flustered and keeps stepping through to try to pass position. Lentz grimaces as he tightens his grip, and Evloev pulls his head out once more while advancing to half guard at the same time. Evloev slams his fists into Lentz’ head and body, and his face is marked up as he takes strikes from above. Evloev clubs him with a right hand that lands on the crown of Lentz’ head, but Lentz’ toughness prevails as he springs back up. The tense first round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Evloev

Round 2

There is a glove touch this round, and Lentz begins with a few kicks to the leg. One leg kick in particular makes Evloev nearly turn around, but the Russian plods forward to take the fight down. On the way in, Lentz tags him with a right hand that breaks up the attempt, and he loads up on that right hand again to give Evloev pause. Lentz paws out with a body kick, and Evloev slips in to tag him and backs off to avoid a counter. Lentz charges in with a left, and then a right hand lands while Lentz reaches out his arm. Lentz absorbs a right hand but still gives back a leg kick, and another makes Evloev back up to the cage. Lentz rushes forward to consider a takedown, and when Evloev defends, Lentz tries to pull guard for a guillotine choke. Evloev pops out and stands up, and once more Lentz catches him in this snaring choke. The Russian again breaks free, and Lentz pops him with a couple of shots. With Evloev pressing Lentz into the fence, Lentz delivers a heavy knee up the middle to force a separation. Lentz swings and misses with big punches, and Evloev gathers himself to get off a solid jab. Evloev keeps his range with a few more lunging jabs, and he punches his way in and scores a stiff uppercut. Lentz drops down for a takedown, and Evloev rebuffs it. A strike, or possibly an inadvertent clash of heads, opens up a cut over Lentz’ right eye and makes the American paw at it and wince. As Evloev steps on the gas to do some damage, Lentz latches on to him, pulling guard to hunt for another guillotine choke. Evloev slides out, lands a few solid punches, and backs off before Lentz can get him back. Lentz scores a knee and a few punches that come back at him stand him up, but “The Carny” is not afraid to get into a firefight. He marches his opponent down and throws a few heavy punches, dropping down for a takedown to steal the round. He cannot land it before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Evloev

Round 3

The two 150-pound fighters touch gloves to open up the final round, and Evloev is quick to stick Lentz with a few jabs. Lentz lands a leg kick, and he eats a jab while trying to follow it up with something. Lentz bites down on his mouthpiece to throw bombs, and Evloev’s head movement allows him to evade the strikes and counter. Lentz is all heart as he wades forward, hands by his waist, throwing big punches. Evloev stuffs a takedown and keeps his distance, getting off left jabs and right hands after it while Lentz tries to throw back at him. Evloev blocks a body kick, lands two punches and darts out of the way. “The Carny” eats a few more strikes as he looks to load up on anything he can get off, but Evloev is able to dance out of harm’s way and land quick shots all while staying on the outside. Evloev lands a solid one-two, and Lentz shakes it off. An eye poke from Evloev pauses the action momentarily, but Lentz waves off referee intervention and shoots in for a takedown. Evloev sprawls to defend it as he pounds Lentz on the side of his head. When Lentz stands up, Evloev drills his adversary with a few fast punches. Lentz lets out a kick, but when it is caught, Evloev pops him with a right hook that stuns Lentz for a moment. This exact same chain of events happens again, and Lentz decides he will stop throwing naked body kicks after that. Evloev backs off, digs a spinning back kick into Lentz’ midsection and circling through to score a powerful jab. Lentz’ defense is waning as he simply eats these shots and bleeds, and when he tries to respond, the Russian is well out of the way. Evloev doubles up his jab to disrupt Lentz’ forward movement, and he leans back to avoid a big overhand right. Evloev slips a few punches to land back on Lentz in a very impressive sequence, and he is standing in front of Lentz firing off strikes while avoiding the responses. The round ends with a few jabs from the Russian.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Evloev (30-27 Evloev)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Evloev (30-27 Evloev)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Evloev (30-27 Evloev)

The Official Result

Movsar Evloev def. Nik Lentz via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Marcin Prachnio (206) vs. Khalil Rountree (206)

Round 1

To open up the ESPN preliminary card, a fight that almost certainly will stay out of the hands of the judges is next. Rountree (8-4, 1 NC; 4-4, 1 NC UFC), a resurgent Tiger Muay Thai student, will look to hand Prachnio (13-5, 0-3 UFC) his fourth consecutive knockout loss. Keeping his head on a swivel for this potential light heavyweight slugfest will be referee Herb Dean, who clocks the fight in as the two touch gloves. The two hop back and forth to find their angle, and Prachnio jumps forward with a stomp kick to the knee. Rountree eats a body kick, and he swings with a huge leg kick that turns him around. Rountree is moving his hands and feet quickly but not doing anything offensively, so Prachnio throws a head kick at him. This seems to activate the American, who charges forward to land a few punches and a kick. Prachnio steps back, picks at his man with a leg kick, and then lands a side kick to the midsection. The Polish fighter slings another head kick that gets blocked, and Rountree whiffs with a big left hand. Prachnio lands an outside leg kick, and Rountree gives him one back on the inside that is much harder. Prachnio tries to go tit-for-tat with these leg kicks, forcing Rountree to blitz forward with a stream of punches. Rountree sits down on an uppercut as Prachnio dances back, but Rountree follows him and drills his shin into Prachnio’s body. The Polish fighter responds with another leg kick, so Rountree greets him with a left hand. He lands another, and ducks two looping shots to fire back. Rountree walks through a kick to land another stern body kick, and as Prachnio advances, Rountree clips him with a short right hook. Rountree pushes away a front kick and plants his fist on Prachnio’s face, but the Polish fighter is not concerned as he fires right back. Prachnio lands another solid body kick that pushes Rountree away, so Rountree gathers himself, and jumps forward to land a few punches. Rountree follows the punches with a leg kick, and he eats one back. Rountree comes up short on a big head kick, and a left hook is similarly inaccurate – good thing for Prachnio, as either one would have taken his head off. Prachnio puts on the pace and lands a punch, a kick, and a right hand to the body. Both men land kicks to the knee, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Prachnio
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Prachnio
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rountree

Round 2

Prachnio comes out of his corner energized, throwing kicks to the leg and body. Rountree winds up and nails him with a right hand, forcing Prachnio to ricochet off the fence wall as Rountree showboats a little. They return to the center of the cage, and Rountree checks a leg kick and slams his foot into Prachnio’s breadbasket. When Prachnio tries to pay him back with a left hand, Rountree beats him to the punch with a short shot. The American blocks a head kick and presses forward, but he comes up short. Rountree sticks his foe with a left hand, snapping Prachnio’s head back, so Rountree lands another. His shots are forcing Prachnio to stumble, so Prachnio decides it is his turn to try to throw bombs. Rountree obliges him, and the two light heavyweights slug it out and both land flush. Rountree gets off a left hand that makes Prachnio put his right hand up to cover his eye, but he does not take advantage of this and lets Prachnio recover. Rountree scores an overhand right, and he takes a leg kick as Prachnio presses forward. The aggression of Prachnio leads to a brief clinch, but neither man can make anything of it. When Prachnio leans back to set up a side kick, Rountree clips him with a long left hand. The two come together and land heavy shots, but neither appear fazed. Prachnio keeps his distance with three kicks, and a jab makes Rountree back off. Rountree tries to come back at him with a big punch, but Prachnio is the one that scores a right hand. Prachnio checks a body kick, and Rountree has to back off to reset. Rountree catches a kick, and when he cannot counter, Prachnio scores a left hook. Rountree whiffs on a huge left hand, and as Prachnio advances, a big check right hook for Rountree knocks the Polish fighter to his knees. Prachnio gets kicked in the head, and he eats it and somehow survives. Rountree does not chase him down to strike and finish the job, and instead lets Prachnio off the hook as the two trade single strikes to the head and body. One final body kick from Rountree punctuates the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rountree
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rountree
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rountree

Round 3

Rountree comes out of his corner ready for battle, loading up on big shots as Prachnio retreats. A big left hand from Rountree scores, and the Tiger Muay Thai fighter tries to counter with that right hook that put Prachnio down in the first round, but he just misses. Prachnio lands a body kick, presses into the clinch, and gets shoved away. As Prachnio wings a left hand, Rountree is there to tattoo him with a few right hands. Prachnio ducks down and fires off a right hand, but it seems to have no effect on his opponent. He does this again, and Rountree looks to time this strike with his right hook on the way in. Prachnio reaches out with a front kick, and he ducks just in time as a booming shot flies over his head. Prachnio tags Rountree with a few punches, forcing Rountree to back away and then fight off a takedown. Rountree appears fatigued at this point, and he swings and misses with a right hook. Prachnio nails him with a right hand, and Rountree shakes it off but cannot counter effectively. Prachnio eats a jab and scores a right hand, and he gets rocked on the way in with an uppercut. Rountree does not seem to realize that Prachnio is hurt, and he allows Prachnio to get his wits about him while blocking kicks and evading punches. Prachnio digs to the body with a kick, and a clinch attempt nearly makes him fall over. Prachnio, even after taking damage, is still doing work as he scores a few big right hands to the head and body. Rountree takes a few body shots as his counter right hands come up shy of the mark, and Prachnio sneaks up a head kick that gets around his guard. Rountree carries on unconcerned, but Prachnio is landing several one-twos while Rountree loads up on single home run shots. Rountree gets off a glancing left hook, and Prachnio fires off a couple looping hooks to wrap up this heavy-hitting fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Prachnio (29-28 Prachnio)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Prachnio (29-28 Prachnio)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Prachnio (29-28 Rountree)

The Official Result

Marcin Prachnio def. Khalil Rountree via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Sara McMann (135) vs. Julianna Pena (136)

Round 1

Continuing on in the prelims, we are treated to a matchup at women’s bantamweight pitting “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena (9-4, 5-2 UFC) against 2004 Olympic silver medalist wrestler McMann (12-5, 6-5 UFC). This important 135-pound affair will be officiated by referee Keith Peterson, and there is no nonsense nor is there a touch of gloves. McMann swings and misses with a few punches to the body, and the two are separated by a healthy distance as they are far away from the other to land anything of merit. McMann gets off a leg kick, and Pena ducks out of the way from a four-punch salvo that comes her way. McMann sits down on a right hand when Pena advances, and she lands another before Pena can get out of the way. McMann lands a leg kick, and snaps Pena’s head back with a right hook. The two swing big punches at the same time, and their arms bounce off one another. Pena leans out with a jab, and when McMann shoots on a low single, the Olympic wrestler pops up with two punches. The former title challenger strings together a few punches, and a right hand gets Pena’s attention. When Pena tries to pay her back, McMann hits a quick takedown and takes side control fast. Pena rolls to her knees to try to walk up the wall, so McMann hops over to take her back. McMann gets a hook in as Pena tries to land punches behind her head, and McMann puts her full body weight down before she starts looking for a choke. McMann rolls Pena over but cannot secure the other hook, as Pena flails her leg out and bursts to her feet courtesy of a fence grab. McMann digs the body with a few knees, and she pursues a single leg takedown but her neck is caught in a one-arm guillotine choke. Pena holds on to the neck to try to defend herself, but McMann is not concerned as he is already in side control when she pops her head out. McMann gets back to half guard, and Pena starts getting off some punches from her back to fluster McMann and get her back to guard. McMann thanks her by elbowing her in the face, and the wrestler keeps heavy top position while pressing Pena’s head into the corner of the cage. Pena puts up a leg to fish for a submission, but she bails on it right before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McMann
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 McMann
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 McMann

Round 2

Pena presses the pace early on in the round, and McMann keeps a health distance before unloading a big punch. Pena counters her with a right hand, leading McMann to attack for a takedown. “The Venezuelan Vixen” instantly snatches up a guillotine choke as she falls to her back, and McMann is suddenly in a precarious position. In a savvy move, McMann kicks off the fence to break the grip and get out of the position. McMann winds up on top, and Pena starts attacking with a submission when she reaches her left leg up to start setting up a triangle choke. Pena sneaks up another, and as she does, McMann blasts her in the face with an elbow to stop that in its tracks. Pena strikes from her back, but McMann’s elbows and punches are substantially more effective even if there are fewer of them. Pena kicks McMann off of her, but McMann scrambles as Pena tries to stand up. In the ensuing scramble, McMann takes Pena’s back, and she gets one hook in while Pena rolls through. McMann latches on to the neck, and Pena twists and turns to break free. The position turns, when Pena attempts her own guillotine choke. A composed McMann snaps out of the position to sit up, and the two get back to their feet. McMann plants her knee on Pena’s torso, and Pena scores several short clinch strikes while McMann changes levels to take the fight back down. Both women get knees off as McMann attempts a trip, but she cannot get it as they are grinding up against the cage wall. A few more knees land from the two, until they split up. Pena lands a few solid punches, and McMann fires back with an entertaining but brief brawl to conclude the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McMann
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pena
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pena

Round 3

The two bantamweight contenders greet in the final round with a glove touch. Pena presses the action with a few jabs, and she ducks an overhand right. The two clash together with strikes on the way in, and McMann fakes for a takedown and gets stood up and pressed into the cage. Pena reaches down to stop the knee, but McMann knees her anyway. When the action lulls, Pena springs into action and hits a quick throw, putting the former title challenger on her back hard. Pena quickly takes side control, and she sits heavily to rack up control time. McMann sits up to try to walk up the fence, and Pena holds McMann’s arm down and starts blasting her in the side of the head with hammerfists. As McMann turns, Pena hops over to take her back, allowing McMann to get to her knees. Pena lands a few more hammerfists and punches to disrupt McMann’s explosive escape, and she gets her hooks in to take control of McMann’s back. Pena cinches up a body triangle, and she quickly attacks a rear-naked choke. McMann wrenches the wrist to break the grip, but Pena redoubles her effort to tighten it up. With everything she has left, Pena squeezes the neck as McMann’s face goes from calm to concerned in a hurry. Unable to keep fighting off the choke, McMann taps out. The tapout awards Pena her first submission win since 2011, as “The Venezuelan Vixen” picks up arguably the biggest victory of her career.

The Official Result

Julianna Pena def. Sara McMann R3 3:39 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Brad Tavares (185.5) vs. Antonio Carlos Jr. (185)

Round 1

Two middleweights looking to make their ascent up the top-15 of the division square off now, when Hawaiian scrapper Tavares (17-6, 12-6 UFC) takes on savvy grappler and comically nicknamed “Cara de Sapato” – reminder, this means “shoe face” – Carlos Jr. (10-4, 1 NC; 7-4, 1 NC UFC). This interesting stylistic matchup will draw oversight from referee Marc Goddard, and the glove touch precedes the action that is to come. Both men land single jabs at the same time, and Tavares backs off to land a leg kick. He scores another jab, and a leg kick follows it shortly after. Seven punches come from Carlos Jr., but only one or two land as Tavares ducks and weaves out of the way. Tavares gives him back a leg kick, and he swats away a left hook that comes at him. The Hawaiian doubles down on the leg kick, chopping down Carlos Jr.’s leg repeatedly. When Tavares catches a kick, Carlos Jr. crashes forward to lift up Tavares’ left leg to hunt for a takedown. The Brazilian bails on it, and he eats a leg kick as he backs off. Tavares sticks out a jab, and ducks one to land a power right hand. Carlos Jr. races forward to pursue a takedown, and Tavares backpedals his way to the fence across the cage to defend it and stay upright. Carlos Jr. looks to turn it into a double, but Tavares shrugs it off while Carlos Jr. lands a few short, inside knees. Carlos Jr. ducks down for a single leg takedown, and Tavares similarly stuffs it with his back pressed firmly into the cage wall, until he explodes out of position and narrowly misses a big right hook. Carlos Jr. lands a single heavy leg kick, forcing Tavares to pick it up momentarily. The Hawaiian comes back with a few punches, and he ends the combination with a leg kick. Both men start throwing furiously, and Carlos Jr. ends the exchange with a thudding body kick. The Brazilian goes after another takedown, and it is deep, but he cannot get the leverage to put Tavares on his back. When Carlos Jr. leans on Tavares on the fence, Goddard asks them to keep working. Carlos Jr. obliges him by dropping a knee right square on the cup, and Tavares crumples to the ground in pain. Goddard tells Tavares to take all the time he needs, but it turns out, in less than a minute, Tavares is ready to roll out again. The two touch gloves, and Tavares rushes in with a sweeping leg kick. Carlos Jr. shouts at him, but all he does to end the round is block a body kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tavares
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.

Round 2

Tavares reaches out with a jab and a leg kick to commence the second frame, and he chains the strikes into two punches. Carlos Jr. tries to throw back, and Tavares ducks and counters with a couple sharp shots. Tavares targets the lead leg again, and it is showing damage. A big right hand hurts Carlos Jr., so the Brazilian charges forward and plows Tavares over into a takedown. The Hawaiian blasts back up, and he bounces back to the fence to stuff the subsequent attempt. Carlos Jr. lands short knees and punches as he stays tight pressed to Tavares, but the Hawaiian bursts out of the position and looks for a right hand. Tavares eats a jab, and Carlos Jr. gets rocked with a combination ending with a fierce right hand. The Brazilian walks it off, and he fires off a leg kick that draws a visible reaction from Tavares. Tavares strings together a few jabs, and a leg kick that follows gets checked. Both men snap out jabs that split the guard, one after the other. The Hawaii native goes after a left-right hook combo, but he is only able to land at the end of both of them. Carlos Jr. keeps his jab flowing, pawing out to disrupt Tavares’ forward momentum. Tavares tags him with a big right hook, and Carlos Jr. bounces off the cage before pursuing a takedown. Tavares hops away with his leg caught in the air, and he elbows Carlos Jr. once while ducking away. Tavares nails Carlos Jr. with a monster right hand after scoring a couple jab, and the Brazilian shoots in for a desperate takedown. Tavares attacks with a front kick, and the foot collides with the cup to give Carlos Jr. a merciful stoppage to recover and shake out the cobwebs. The crowd goes wild when Tavares motions to them to let him hear it, but Carlos Jr. is still struggling as the crowd starts to turn on him. Once the boos start raining down, Carlos Jr. opts to continue. Both men land strikes at the same time to start off after a minute break, and Tavares stings him again with a right hand after a jab. A jab and a body kick from the Hawaiian wrap up Round 2.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tavares
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tavares
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Tavares

Round 3

The two middleweights touch ‘em up to start the last round, and Tavares goes right back to his bread and butter with the leg kick. After landing a few punches, Tavares chips away at the lead leg of the Brazilian again. Carlos Jr. paws out several jabs, and Tavares walks through a calf kick as he looks for power shots. Carlos Jr. lands a few jabs and a low kick, and the two trade these strikes one after the other in succession. “Cara de Sapato” changes up the pace by shooting in low for a double leg takedown, but Tavares sees it coming, splits his hips against the fence and keeps his hand pressing down heavy on Carlos Jr.’s neck. Carlos Jr. abandons the attempt and instead starts kneeing his foe in close range. The Brazilian hunts for a trip and nearly lands it, but Tavares pops up by posting on his right hand to return to the clinch. Carlos Jr. presses on Tavares until Goddard has seen enough, and he separates the two to get back in striking range. Tavares is glad to be back to this position, as he gets off several leg kicks and long left hands to force Carlos Jr. to take a step back. Carlos Jr. shoots in for a takedown, and he is greeted by a stern knee but he wears it well. The Brazilian starts jabbing again, and Tavares slips one and tags him with an overhand right, leading to Carlos Jr. shaking his head to signal that it did not hurt. Tavares scores a leg kick, and Carlos Jr. tries to time the kick to take the fight down, but he cannot drag the fight down no matter how hard he tries. Tavares keeps his balance and posture when Carlos Jr. lifts him in the air, and even though Tavares has his left leg off the ground, he is not in danger of going to the ground. The fight ends in the clinch, and Tavares screams in elation under the expectation that he won the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tavares (30-27 Tavares)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tavares (29-28 Tavares)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Tavares (29-28 Tavares)

The Official Result

Brad Tavares def. Antonio Carlos Jr. via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Matt Frevola (155.5) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (Missed Weight: 157)

Round 1

The key bout atop the ESPN preliminary portion of the event is one thrown together on Friday due to a failed weight cut by one previous opponent and by hijinks almost too preposterous to believe for the other. After the dust settled, we were left with a 157-pound catchweight affair as Tsarukyan (15-2, 2-1 UFC) now tries to steamroll “The Steamrolla” Frevola (8-1-1, 2-1-1 UFC). Keeping tabs on this hastily made match is referee Lukasz Bosacki, who notices the two touch gloves in appreciation of still being able to compete on the card. Frevola leads off with several kicks, coming with front kicks and body kicks. He misses with a head kick, and Tsarukyan catches a leg kick to take the fight down with ease. Frevola scoots back to the cage, and when he stands up, Tsarukyan hits a hard mat return. Frevola spins about, threatens a choke, and gets dragged back down. Tsarukyan starts punching him in the face with several right hands, and when he tries to keep Frevola grounded, Frevola starts working body shots from his back. Frevola manages to walk up the fence to stand up again, but it does not stay there for long when Tsarukyan tries to toss him down. Both men fall to their knees, and they stand back up. When they start to engage, they clash heads, but neither appear hurt or cut from it. Tsarukyan starts to walk Frevola down, landing punches and ducking out of the way of Frevola’s huge shots. Tsarukyan lands a one-two as Frevola circles around the fence, and Frevola defends by rolling through a dramatic takedown attempt. When Frevola stands up, he comes up short with a big elbow. Tsarukyan lets loose a head kick, but it is not able to score. The American spins for a wheel kick, and Tsarukyan sees it coming and counters with a spinning back kick that puts Frevola on his back for a moment. Frevola leaps back up, and he takes a few heavy punches and cannot counter effectively. Tsarukyan counters Frevola on the way in, but Frevola is loading up with everything he has on his punches as he gets off a glancing blow that makes Tsarukyan take a step back. Both men stand and trade, and Frevola waves Tsarukyan on to start brawling with him. Frevola sits down on a huge right hand, and Tsarukyan is not able to roll with it. Frevola stings him with a big right hand, and he hurts Tsarukyan with it and shoots in on a takedown to wrap up the action-packed round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan

Round 2

Tsarukyan begins the round with a few big shots, and Frevola eats them like small sandwiches and keeps on going. Tsarukyan shoots in low for a takedown, and he hits it all while Frevola smacks him upside the head repeatedly. Frevola springs back up, but he is not upright for more than a second or two before Tsarukyan throws him back down to the ground. This time, Frevola is not in an advantageous position to walk up the fence, allowing Tsarukyan to start landing ground-and-pound while in Frevola’s guard. Tsarukyan stacks up Frevola, when the American flirts with a triangle choke off his back, and he lords over his foe to land some heavy shots. Frevola rolls through when Tsarukyan tries to pound on him, allowing him to walk up the fence only to get dragged back down in a hurry. Frevola can only stay upright for seconds at a time, as Tsarukyan is on him like a cheap suit, smothering Frevola and irritating him with sporadic punches. Frevola pushes off the fence and is on one knee, and when he stands up, Tsarukyan lifts Frevola’s leg in the air. As Frevola swats at his opponent on one leg, the Russian trips his leg out and slams him down. In one of the brief exchanges from the close-range contact, a right hand of Frevola opens up a cut above Tsarukyan’s left eye. Tsarukyan ignores it and keeps Frevola trapped on his back, even attempting a brabo choke for a moment. Tsarukyan bails on it to get off some ground-and-pound, eventually transitioning into an arm-triangle choke. Frevola rolls and bucks out of the choke, but Tsarukyan holds him down and works him over with punches until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan

Round 3

There is a glove touch to begin the last stanza, and Tsarukyan steps in and kicks Frevola in the face. Frevola swings with a big right hand, and Tsarukyan ducks it into an easy takedown. “The Steamrolla” rolls through it to get back to his feet, where Tsarukyan greets him with another foot to the face. Frevola wears it well as he gets jabbed shortly after, and he swings wildly with a right hand that is nowhere near his opponent. Tsarukyan ducks out of the way from a spinning kick, and he dances backward to evade a multiple-rotation spinning kick that follows. Tsarukyan lands a one-two, and keeps Frevola at bay with jabs and more one-two combinations. Frevola tries to counter, and Tsarukyan snatches up his leg and successfully completes a single. From his back, Frevola pursues a guillotine choke, but Tsarukyan ignores it as he works the body with his left hand, all while sliding his head out of danger. Frevola kicks off, lands an upkick to a standing Tsarukyan, and stands up. Tsarukyan catches him in a rolling brabo or anaconda choke, but they move so fast that he cannot lock it up and both get back up. Frevola overcommits to a strike, and Tsarukyan lifts him up and slams him down. Tsarukyan takes his back in an exchange, but Frevola is sneaky and twists his way out. Instead of winding up on top, Tsarukyan similarly scrambles and puts Frevola on his back. Tsarukyan lands this position in side control, before crawling over to north-south before getting side control on the other side. From there, Tsarukyan sits up, lands a few strikes, and locks down three-quarter mount to drop down shots. Frevola sits up, and he surrenders his back for a moment, but Tsarukyan bowls him back over as he lands strikes. Tsarukyan lumps up Frevola with ground strikes right to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan (30-27 Tsarukyan)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan (30-27 Tsarukyan)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan (30-27 Tsarukyan)

The Official Result

Arman Tsarukyan def. Matt Frevola via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Marina Rodriguez (116) vs. Amanda Ribas (116)

Round 1

This all-Brazil battle leads off the pay-per-view, with the stoic Rodriguez (12-1-2, 2-1-2 UFC) and the effervescent Ribas (10-1, 4-0 UFC) trying to make their way to the top echelon of the 115-pound division. Our referee to kick off the main card is Herb Dean, and a smiling Ribas touches gloves before putting her game face on. Ribas ambles towards her opponent, and she eats a right hand on the way in. Rodriguez reaches out a right hook to catch Ribas coming towards her, and Ribas is left chasing down her opponent around the cage but not throwing anything. One more right hand scores for Rodriguez, and Ribas tries to grab hold of her opponent but cannot get her tied up. Instead, Rodriguez backs off, plants a foot on Ribas’ chest, and thumps a hard right hand on Ribas’ face. Ribas charges forward, gets her mitts on Rodriguez, and takes the fight down. Ribas enters into Rodriguez’ guard, and Rodriguez tries to sweep to take Ribas’ back, but Ribas is not letting that happen. Locked down, Ribas latches on to a can opener submission where she wrenches Rodriguez’ neck up to break the grip, and she starts working the body when Rodriguez lets go. Rodriguez grabs hold of Ribas’ wrists to tie Ribas down, and she lands a surprisingly hard elbow from her back to make Ribas adjust her position. Rodriguez is able to trap Ribas down, so Ribas again attacks with a can opener to force Rodriguez to adjust. Rodriguez has no choice but to let go, and she throws her legs up to pursue a triangle choke. Ribas lands some shots in top control, and Rodriguez is trapped flat on her back Ribas scores with punches and elbows on top, and Rodriguez resorts to flailing off her back until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ribas
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ribas
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ribas

Round 2

Ribas plods forward with the same methodical aggression she started the last round with, until Rodriguez lands a right hand and a knee up the middle. The knee is stern enough to not allow Ribas to grab on and take the fight down. Rodriguez lands a huge right hand, and Ribas falls down to the ground face-first. Rodriguez jumps down to slam down punches on the side of the head, and Dean rushes in and bumps into the women but does not stop the fight. Rodriguez walks off, believing the fight has been stopped, so she backs off. When Ribas stands up, Rodriguez looks to Dean quizzically, and he shrugs at them that he did not stop the fight. Rodriguez appears furious, and she starts up again and blasts Ribas with a huge right hand. Ribas tries to tie her opponent up to hold on and recover, but Rodriguez is ready to nail her with an elbow that puts her on rubber legs. As Ribas stumbles back from the force of another punch, Rodriguez slams one last bomb of a right hand on Ribas’ chin to force Dean to finally call off the fight. The standing TKO win, stemming from a crazy exchange that will likely draw ire towards Dean, is an undeniably massive one for Rodriguez.

The Official Result

Marina Rodriguez def. Amanda Ribas R2 0:54 via TKO (Elbow and Punches)

Makhmud Muradov (186) vs. Andrew Sanchez (186)

Round 1

An intriguing middleweight tilt comes next when “El Dirte” Sanchez (12-5, 5-3 UFC) tries to make it dirty against talented striker “Mach” Muradov (24-6, 2-0 UFC). The Octagon ranger is referee Jason Herzog, and there is no glove touch as these two want to get right down to business. Sanchez fakes in for a takedown, but he lets loose a head kick that slaps off Muradov’s face. Muradov tries to respond with his own head kick, and Sanchez sees it coming. Muradov jumps ahead with a knee, and Sanchez watches it sail by him. Sanchez reaches out his right hand, and swats away incoming fire from the Uzbekistani fighter. Sanchez shoots in low for a takedown, and Muradov stuffs him and stands them back up. Muradov hammers Sanchez’ lead leg with a kick, and the kick disrupts an overhand right from Sanchez. A head kick from Sanchez glances off the target, and Muradov loads up on a response but does not score it. “Mach” lets fly another heavy leg kick, and Sanchez’ leg is already showing some damage. Sanchez looks to respond with his own leg kick, but it does not have nearly the same impact. Sanchez gets shoved into the fence, and Muradov drills him in the face with a few shoulder strikes before backing off. Muradov targets the calf on the outside, and when it scores, he goes for one on the inside. Muradov avoids a pair of punches coming towards him, and he loads up on a bomb of a right hook but gets countered on the way in. Another brutal calf kick scores for Muradov, and he aims at the body with a punch to follow. Muradov steps forward with a huge right hand, and the sheer impact, even when blocked, makes Sanchez fall back a few steps. Sanchez sneaks in a right hand when Muradov advances, and Muradov wades forward to take the fight down. Sanchez bucks him off and eats a leg kick, but he lands a right hand. Muradov slams his right hand into Sanchez’ chin, and Sanchez absorbs it flush and takes a heavy leg kick to follow. Muradov swings heavily with an overhand right, and bullies Sanchez into the cage wall but cannot score a takedown with it. When Muradov jumps in the air with a kick, as it bounces off Sanchez’ chest, Sanchez shakes his head at him while the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muradov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Muradov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Muradov

Round 2

The two middleweights touch gloves, and Sanchez hops forward and shows that his lead leg may already be compromised by the way he is moving forward. Sanchez wings a right hand, and Muradov rolls with it to deflect the brunt of the damage. Sanchez avoids a similar massive punch to crash forward into the clinch, and he is met with a leg kick on the way in. When he cannot secure the clinch, Muradov kicks him on the way out. Sanchez has one of his kicks bounce off the cup, and he raises his arms in the air to protest while Muradov is distressed. Less than a minute passes before the fight resumes, and Sanchez comes out throwing kicks and missing. Sanchez nearly lands a head kick, and the two exchange hooks right before Sanchez changes levels for a single. “Mach” defends it and also protects himself from an inside trip, where he forces a separation. The two reach out left hands to try to split the guard, and Sanchez is the one who lands when he follows one with a right. Sanchez sticks him with a quick jab, and Muradov steps in to load up on a right hand that clatters off the shoulder. Both swing huge punches and fall short, so Muradov backs off and runs in to chain together several punches. Sanchez lands a single counter shot, forcing Muradov to back off and circle on the outside. Muradov goes for another blitz, but he pulls back before engaging. Sanchez times him with a solid right hand, and he backs off when a right hook comes by his face. Two heavy punches make Sanchez stumble, and Muradov goes after a home run punch but is jabbed three times on the way in. Muradov just barely misses with a head kick, and Sanchez is ready for him when Muradov comes in, landing a jab and a right hand right after it. Muradov digs the body with a pair of punches, and Sanchez motions to him that they were meaningless. Sanchez blocks a jumping head kick, and a monster right hand busts Sanchez’ nose open. The horn sounds before Muradov can get off any more strikes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muradov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Muradov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Muradov

Round 3

Muradov reaches out to start the round with a glove touch, and Sanchez obliges him. After the glove touch, Sanchez kicks him in the head. Muradov shakes it off, and he loads up on an uppercut that staggers Sanchez. A left-right finds its home on Sanchez’ face, and Muradov stays loose and distant, picking away with long punches. As Muradov walks forward to clinch up or take the fight down, Sanchez is there standing tall with a few strikes. Muradov again backs off and boots Sanchez in the head, and he gets off a nasty right hand to help show off that Sanchez has a solid chin. Sanchez peppers Muradov with punches to break up a combination, so Muradov takes a step back, jumps forward and lands a trio of shots. Muradov targets the body as he alternates strikes high and low, and wings a windmilling right hand that is feet away from his target. Sanchez takes a left hand and appears to wobble again, only to recover and fire off a head kick that just misses. Muradov sticks him with several left hands while Sanchez looks to wade into the fray, and Sanchez scores a heavy right hand. After bouncing off the fence, Muradov blasts Sanchez with a right hand, and “El Dirte” wobbles back on baby deer legs. Smelling blood, Muradov leaps forward with a flying knee, and Sanchez falls back to the cage as his legs have betrayed him. Muradov unloads a hellacious combination of strikes, one after the other, until Herzog sees that Sanchez is no longer intelligently defending himself and stops the fight with Sanchez barely able to stay on his feet. In celebration, Muradov goes over to UFC President Dana White, where he asks White to follow him on Instagram.

The Official Result

Makhmud Muradov def. Andrew Sanchez R3 2:59 via TKO (Flying Knee and Punches)

Jessica Eye (126) vs. Joanne Calderwood (126)

Round 1

Two 34-year-old flyweights with their sights set on getting back to the top of the division collide in the featured bout of the night, when “Evil” Eye (15-8, 1 NC; 5-7, 1 NC UFC) looks to take out “Jojo” Calderwood (14-5, 6-5 UFC). The cage supervisor selected for this 125-pound scrap is referee Keith Peterson, and even the two women have no interest in touching gloves, there will be no nonsense for the next three rounds. Eye comes out firing, and Calderwood is ready to greet her with strikes. Both women throw down early, and Eye starts unloading boxing combinations while Calderwood ties her up and gets several knees off and a leg kick when they separate. Calderwood flirts with a takedown, and Eye defends it and mashes the Scot into the fence. Eye lands a few punches, and backs off when “Jojo” starts aiming knees. Calderwood scores a solid one-two, and she gets off a knee when Eye tries to clinch and press her back into the cage wall. Eye lands a few strikes on the inside, and she again separates before “Jojo” can get off her preferred clinch strikes. Eye lands several punches over the top, and Calderwood looks to tie up again and land knees and an elbow. Eye once more pushes her into the chain-link fence, and she scores a heavy right hand before the separation. Both women stand in the clinch, landing uppercuts and heavy shots. Eye gets off punches, and Calderwood lands elbows and knees of her own. These two women are not backing down, as Eye jams “Jojo” back into the fencing again. Eye sneaks in several short punches, and she takes a pair of stern knees so she starts ripping uppercuts on the inside. Eye targets a single leg takedown, and Calderwood defends against it, lands a knee in a Thai clinch and lets go. The two back off and come together again, where furious strikes fly. Both women are scoring in high volume, as Eye primarily sticks with punches while Calderwood breaks it up with knees, elbows and kicks from a distance when Eye stays away. As they clinch again, Eye nails her with an uppercut, and she breaks free only to absorb a kick. Eye lands a solid strike to the body, and she stuffs a takedown to land a big uppercut. Calderwood lands a body kick and an elbow, and she knocks one of Eye’s hair ties off. The round ends with one final exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood

Round 2

Between rounds, Calderwood lets loose a belch that would impress Clay Guida. When the second frame begins, the two get right back to where the left off. Calderwood lands a body kick on the way in, and Eye looks to clinch up and land power strikes. Calderwood lets loose with several knees, and Eye is getting marked up as she takes a front kick to the face. Her left eye has started to swell, so the two clinch up and Eye begins to fire off elbows. Calderwood tags Eye with several right hands to that damaged spot, and she keeps her distance with kicks while Eye marches forward to trade. As Eye comes in, Calderwood bowls her over into a takedown, but she backs off when she gets Eye down. Calderwood chains a combination together with a left hand and a right to end it, so Eye closes in and clinches to unload several punches. Calderwood meets her with multiple knees up the middle, and Eye targets uppercut after uppercut until they break. A right hand and a few leg kicks score from Calderwood, so Eye rushes into boxing range to trade heavy leather. Eye takes two huge knees that separate them from a clinch, and when she tries to clinch up again, Calderwood batters her with body shots. Calderwood stings Eye with a right hand, and reaches out front kicks while Eye is looking to punch. Calderwood fires off a head kick that gets blocked, and she gets lured into a short brawl where she eats a few shots. “Jojo” throws right back in these exchanges, and these striking totals are adding up fast. Calderwood sticks out several jabs, and when Eye marches forward, Calderwood pops her with an overhand right. Eye digs to the body and takes several kicks to various areas, as Calderwood keeps back. Eye initiates a clinch, and the two land right hands before breaking off. “Evil Eye” lands multiple body shots, and Calderwood spins for a back fist but misses. As Calderwood whiffs, Eye ducks it and hits a takedown. Calderwood slides back to the fence, and Eye lands a couple strikes on top before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood

Round 3

Eye rushes out of her corner to engage, so Calderwood lands several kicks when Eye is coming in. The American pushes through them to tie Calderwood up on the fence, where she hunts for a single leg takedown and then a trip. Calderwood is wise to the maneuvers, so Eye switches up to a double and that too does not succeed. While “Jojo” defends herself, she also scores several short knees up the middle. Eye doggedly pursues the takedown, and Calderwood keeps her balance against the cage wall as Peterson asks the two to keep working. Eye gets off a knee or two, but she is more intent on the takedown attempt. Eye lands a single right hand as she goes after a trip on the outside, but she is embracing the grind and keeping Calderwood stuck on the fence. Peterson breaks them up much to the delight of the crowd, and Calderwood thanks him by kicking Eye in the body. The two clinch up, and Calderwood rips elbows and knees while Eye is looking for punches. Eye shoots in from a distance, and Calderwood catches her, absorbs a knee and stuffs it. Eye tries and fails again to take the fight down, and once more Calderwood makes her pay for this with a knee and a kick on the break. Eye ducks down for the takedown again, and like before, Calderwood keeps her at bay and stabs at her with long punches and light but effective kicks. The clinch leads to more knees to the body, and Calderwood goes up with one knee that makes Eye turn away for a moment. Eye gathers herself and takes a body kick, so she targets the body with a punch of her own. Eye blocks and ducks two spinning back fists, and she ties the fight up to land a knee. Calderwood cracks Eye with a knee, and Eye complains that Calderwood was grabbing her hair. A right hand splits the side of Eye’s eyebrow open, and blood streams out of her face as she shoots for one final takedown to end this fun fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood (30-27 Calderwood)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood (30-27 Calderwood)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood (30-27 Calderwood)

The Official Result

Joanne Calderwood def. Jessica Eye via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Michael Chandler (156) vs. Dan Hooker (156)

Round 1

In our co-main event, “The Hangman” Hooker (20-9, 10-5 UFC) wins the prize of welcoming three-time former Bellator MMA lightweight champ Chandler (21-5, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC after years of speculating how he would fare inside the promotion. That time is now, and referee Marc Goddard will see to it that this fight takes place on the up-and-up. The fighters do not touch gloves before coming out swinging. Hooker gets crowded early on as he paws out long punches, and he lands a heavy leg kick. Chandler stops, stares at a retreating Hooker, and resets. Hooker gets off a few more chopping calf kicks, and Chandler is cocking back his right hand but not unleashing it. Chandler again looks frustrated at Hooker’s strategy, and he reaches but cannot connect with an overhand right. Hooker stays from a distanced with a few more leg kicks, and Chandler finally bears down on him looking for right hands. Chandler goes to the body and head with right hands, and he gets off a push kick that bounces Hooker off the cage. A Hooker calf kick makes Chandler take a weird step back, and gathers himself to advance and attack. A right hand to the body from Chandler is followed by a leaping left hook that could fell a much larger man. Hooker goes down in a heap, and “Iron Mike” charges forward to finish the job. The newcomer pounds away at Hooker with a fury, unloading strike after strike in a blistering pace until Goddard has seen enough. What a finish for Chandler, who then announces himself to the UFC, the lightweight division, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov as the new king of the division with a killer promo that will put him on the map in a major way.

The Official Result

Michael Chandler def. Dan Hooker R1 2:30 via TKO (Punches)

Conor McGregor (155) vs. Dustin Poirier (156)

Round 1

It’s time for the one you’ve been waiting for, fight fans. A rematch over six years in the making, and up one weight class at lightweight with major championship implications is upon us. Poirier (26-6, 1 NC; 18-5, 1 NC UFC) vs. McGregor (22-4, 10-2 UFC) 2, with the winner likely next in line for a title shot – however that may present itself, after Chandler’s performance in the last bout. Since their 2014 meeting, Poirier has gone 10-2 with a no-contest, while McGregor has won six and dropped two in that same span, not counting the latter’s brief foray into boxing. Referee Herb Dean handles this high-stakes matchup, and there is far more respect than their first fight as they touch gloves. Buckle up. McGregor is amped up, practically sprinting towards Poirier before Dean clocks them in. McGregor lands a stiff left hand, and Poirier rolls with it and scores a leg kick. Poirier slips a left hand to land a hard right. Poirier gets off a leg kick, and he ducks down to hit a takedown that surprises McGregor. The Irishman scoots his way to the fence, and Poirier keeps tight but cannot keep McGregor down. McGregor spins him against the fence, and when Poirier lands a shoulder strike, McGregor replies with one that makes Poirier wince. Poirier eats two more before turning his foe back into the fence, and even gives McGregor back one of those shoulder strikes. McGregor chops at the leg on the inside, leading to Poirier hunt for a single leg takedown. McGregor defends with a few knees, and he stops Poirier from achieving it before turning Poirier back into the cage. Both men trade shoulder strikes, and Poirier starts talking to him. McGregor gets off a thudding foot stomp, and McGregor looks to push off but is stuck thanks to Poirier’s underhooks. McGregor breaks from the clinch with an elbow, and he lands a fierce one-two that gets Poirier’s attention. Poirier shoots in low with a takedown, and he gets stuffed and eats a pair of left hands. Every strike from the Irishman draws a reaction out of the crowd. Poirier misses with a left hand and eats a series of punches. Poirier lands a calf kick, and he scores a counter right and points at McGregor like Nate Diaz did in their first meeting. Poirier gets off several leg kicks, and he ducks out of the way from a spinning hook kick. Poirier lands a jab, and he shrugs. One lands another, and shrugs again. He gets off a leg kick, and McGregor counters him with a left hand. The first round is now in the books.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McGregor
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 McGregor
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 McGregor

Round 2

McGregor lands a right hand, and a calf kick from Poirier wobbles McGregor. The Irishman comes back with a few punches, rocking “The Diamond” and sending him bouncing off the fence. Poirier survives and lands another heavy calf kick, forcing McGregor to adjust and approach him again. Both men land strikes at the same time, and Poirier looks irritated that he took one on the chin. Poirier has a few more leg kicks get off, and McGregor reacts each time he absorbs one. McGregor lands to the head and body, again making Poirier bounce off the fence. McGregor catches Poirier’s leg, but he cannot capitalize on it like Joaquin Buckley or Anderson Silva. McGregor catches another kick, and Poirier pulls it back and gets tagged. McGregor walks in with strikes, and eats another leg kick. As McGregor whiffs on a right hand, Poirier circles out and lands a few strikes, but none more important than a left hand that clips McGregor on the chin. Poirier sees that he has his foe hurt, and he pours it on with a terrifying barrage of punches that knocks McGregor around the fence. McGregor is barely able to stand up, as the calf kicks have done almost as much damage as Poirier’s strikes. McGregor is on the proverbial ropes, as he tries to come back throwing heavy shots. Poirier does not get caught, and tees off on McGregor until “Notorious” crumples from a right hook. Poirier knows he has done it, and nails McGregor with one big right hand while the Irishman is downed before backing off to celebrate his incredible win over a big rival.

Poirier shows his opponent a great deal of respect, and in the post-fight interview, he mentions that they may have to run it a third time as they are tied 1-1 now. As he concludes the interview, expecting that Khabib Nurmagomedov is not coming back, he claims that he is now the champion.

The Official Result

Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor R2 2:32 via TKO (Punches)