UFC 271 ‘Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Maxim Grishin (206) vs. William Knight (218: Missed Weight)

Round 1

For the second time this year, the UFC is asking American fans to shell out $75 in order to purchase the pay-per-view, and fans will get five fights plus nine prelims to hopefully whet their voracious appetites. We begin the UFC 271 festivities in Houston with an unexpected heavyweight contest, as late replacement Knight (11-2, 3-1 UFC) tried and failed to cut 36 pounds in two weeks before facing ex-heavyweight Grishin (31-9-2, 1-2 UFC). Missing the mark by 12 pounds and receiving a startling 40% fine for his efforts, Knight will try to revert to his knockout-centric ways and will have some extra weight in his favor. Drawing the first assignment of the night is referee Herb Dean, who will look to keep things on the up-and-up. Even though both men were punished as this fight was shifted to the card opener slot, and despite the massive weight difference, Grishin offers to touch gloves to start things off. The two men keep distance by prodding out leg kicks, and the Russian lands the first strike of the day with a front kick to the body. Knight returns fire with a body kick turning his hip over, with the alternating stances in his favor to target the liver. The men are tentative to engage, with little more than leg kicks, and the crowd starts booing one single minute into the fight. Grishin does not hear them and pokes out leg kicks on the inside and outside of Knight’s leg, and he flips his leg up high for one to the face. Knight ignores it and targets the body with a jab and a kick, and Grishin suddenly goes up high with a huge head kick that nearly knocks Knight’s block off. Knight wobbles, shakes his head and high fives Grishin for his effort, and Grishin does not capitalize on it. Instead, they return to a very slow, methodical pace of single, unthreatening strikes. Knight spins and misses with a kick, and Grishin is slowly pushing forward with stabbing front kicks to the body with his toes outstretched. The Russian boots Knight in the head again, but it is not as clean of a land as before, and Knight shrugs it off. “Knightmare” comes forward with a punch and a kick, and Grishin swats it away and goes back for another push kick to the gut. Knight tries and fails to score a head kick, and Grishin fakes a level change to keep Knight guessing. “Maximus” goes after a few more low kicks, and Knight begins to preemptively lift his leg, suggesting they may be having some sort of effect. Without setting himself in the danger zone, the leg kicks keep scoring for Grishin, and Knight turns things up with seconds to spare, but nothing of note connects. The active crowd does not love the action of the first round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Grishin
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Grishin
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Grishin

Round 2

The fighters touch gloves, and Grishin fakes that he will break protocol and strike, but he pulls back and offers a legitimate hand touch. Knight does not seem thrilled, and he lets loose with a spinning wheel kick and another kick using the momentum, but neither are anywhere close to landing. Grishin stays composed on the outside, picking and poking at Knight’s legs and body with single strikes. Knight hits nothing but air when he tries looping counters, as the Russian maintains a very wide berth and still works on the lead leg. One kick makes Knight spin around, so Knight gives him one back and puts some torque into it. The commentary devolves into a conversation about turkey legs, with play-by-play guy Jon Anik joined by Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier for a discussion about past dinners. As they are off in some distant conversation, Grishin steps in with a crisp right hand that gets Knight’s attention. The Connecticut native crashes forward in pursuit of a takedown, and Grishin maintains solid takedown defense as he stays upright. Using the strength from his gargantuan frame, Knight simply lifts Grishin up in the air and flips him over his back. As soon as Grishin hits the ground, he scrambles, and manages to toss Knight over and slam him to the mat. Grishin begins to belt Knight with elbows, forcing Knight to suddenly defend himself as these strikes doing damage. Knight holds on to mitigate any harm, and locks Grishin down until he can push off to get some space. When he tries to stand, Grishin greets him with a knee to the body and a clean right hand. Knight wings a big kick, and Grishin ducks back and snaps out a jab and a low kick. Knight replies with a counter left hook, but it is one-and-done as Grishin stabs out another front kick. The round ends as Knight pops Grishin with a long left hand, and Dean has to jump in between them lets something go awry.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Grishin
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Grishin
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Grishin

Round 3

The gloves get touched to start off the final round, and Knight comes out firing knowing he is down on the scorecards. Knight pressures his foe, walking him down, but not uncorking anything as Grishin slams his shin into Knight’s calf. As Knight turns around from the kick, he turns his movement into a spinning back fist, and he whacks Grishin in the side of the head. From there, Knight shoots for a low takedown, and he puts Grishin on his backside for a moment. The Russian springs back up, but he cannot gain space as Knight grapples him tightly to the fence. Grishin pushes off, eating a left hand but nevertheless jabbing out to make Knight back off. Grishin jabs and pokes at Knight from a safe distance, until Knight has had enough, and the American plows forward into the clinch after a straight right hand. Grishin frames off, rips the body with a kick, and has his leg caught midair. With Knight holding his foe’s leg under his armpit, he trips the other one out beneath Grishin, and he sets “Maximus” down on the canvas. Grishin tries to keep a closed guard, and as soon as Knight passes to half guard, Grishin deftly slips out the back door and scrambles back to his feet. Jammed up against the fence after the ground exchange, they trade knees before Grishin stomps on the toes. The two stall out, grinding up against the fence, until Knight unexpectedly leaps in the air with a close proximity flying knee. Knight wildly pursues a takedown, and he clubs Grishin with a powerful right hand. Grishin smoothly gets back up, and he blasts Knight with a low kick and a few powerful jabs. Grishin cracks Knight with a right hand, sending “Knightmare” spinning and falling to the ground, and “Maximus” jumps straight into mount. A few hammerfists punctuate the performance, but time expires before he can pull a stoppage out of the mayhem. When the fight comes to close, Grishin goes over and pokes his defeated foe in the belly to add insult to injury.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Grishin (30-27 Grishin)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Grishin (30-27 Grishin)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Grishin (30-27 Grishin)

The Official Result

Maxim Grishin def. William Knight via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mike Mathetha (170) vs. Jeremiah Wells (170.5)

Round 1

No matter what the broadcast displays, the debuting fighter out of City Kickboxing’s name is Mike Mathetha (3-0, 0-0 UFC), and not “Blood Diamond.” That is just his nickname. In his first Octagon appearance with just three pro MMA fights on his belt and an unknown number of kickboxing contests in the past, he will take on the surging powerhouse Wells (9-2-1, 1-0 UFC) at welterweight. Keeping his head on a swivel will be referee Jacob Montalvo, and Wells decides against touching gloves and instead sprints around the edge of the cage to possibly gain momentum and fly out with a strike, but he trips and nearly blows out his ankle. Mathetha crashes in while loading up on a right hand, and he misses it and they clinch up, with Wells trying to take the fight down. The action stalls out with Wells in pursuit of a body lock, but he cannot get the right leverage and cannot trip Mathetha down. Wells opts to lift Mathetha in the air, and he slams him to the mat and immediately lands in mount. “Blood Diamond” turns over, and he gives up his back while Wells hunts for a quick rear-naked choke. Wells flattens Mathetha out as Mathetha turns to his side, and Wells slugs away at him before latching on to another rear-naked choke. The City Kickboxing fighter turns into the choke with his chin tucked, stifling the submission, and Wells postures up to blast Mathetha with high elbows and punches. Mathetha gets to his knees, only to get wrenched back down, all while Wells works him over with punches. Wells pounds on Mathetha with right hands, and a strike or two hits the back of the head without any protest. Wells goes for another rear-naked choke, and bails on it to find a better angle as Mathetha sits up. “Blood Diamond” makes a grave mistake by trying to stand without fighting off the choke, and he falls down to the mat when Wells sinks in the choke once and for all. Without any hooks in, the Philadelphia native squeezes with all his might, and “Blood Diamond” goes out on his shield and falls unconscious instead of tapping out. Wells lets Montalvo know Wells is sleeping, Montalvo checks Mathetha’s arm, and it is limp. Montalvo intervenes quickly, and Mathetha comes to soon enough with no harm done.

The Official Result

Jeremiah Wells def. Mike Mathetha R1 4:38 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Douglas Silva de Andrade (136) vs. Sergey Morozov (135)

Round 1

Up next, bantamweights will take center stage when inconsistently consistent Silva de Andrade (27-4, 1 NC; 5-4 UFC) faces off against Morozov (17-4, 1-1 UFC) in a classic battle of Brazil vs. Kazakhstan. The 135ers will see officiating from referee Kerry Hatley as they enter the Octagon, and they decide to touch gloves to seal the cage around them. Morozov takes the center of the cage, and Silva de Andrade is tense and coiled up like a snake ready to strike with a right hand chambered. Morozov does not fall into any traps, instead sticking out a few jabs and forcing the Brazilian to do the same. Silva de Andrade attacks with a low kick that draws a reaction out of his opponent, and he goes to the outside of the leg with another as he puts his hips into those strikes. “D’Silva” goes up high with a kick, and it slaps off the guard and the sheer impact budges Morozov. Silva de Andrade just misses with his right hook, but Morozov does not miss when he counters. Morozov clips Silva de Andrade with a right hand, sending Silva de Andrade staggering back. Morozov does not let his damaged opponent off the hook, catching him with a few more shots until a crisp uppercut drops Silva de Andrade down to his knees. Morozov bowls him over and climbs into the Brazilian’s open guard, where he begins to work on “D’Silva” with punches to the head and body. The Kazakh sits up and slashes down with an elbow, and it slices Silva de Andrade’s face wide open as blood sprays down the downed fighter’s face. Silva de Andrade powers his way back to his feet as blood leaks into his eyes, and he gets tossed right back down. Although he springs back up a second time, Morozov greets him with a knee right on the button. Silva de Andrade’s chin is granite, as he backs off and shakes his head, while blood continues to flow out of the cut on the side of Silva de Andrade’s eye. Morozov targets it with jabs, stepping in to follow one with a knee to the body, and he ducks back when a counter aims at him. Silva de Andrade fires back with a right hand and a thudding leg kick, and he rips the body with a left hand as he does not appear wobbly or compromised from the cut. Morozov turns with a full rotation, spins through and belts Silva de Andrade in the body with a liver kick, and Silva de Andrade appears stunned just long enough for Morozov to wrench him off his feet and set him down. A few ground-and-pound strikes score before the round comes to a close. The doctors check on the cut as he goes to his corner, and it is wide but not in a fight-ending place.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Morozov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Morozov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Morozov

Round 2

The fighters high five to start off the second round, and Silva de Andrade’s corner could not stop the bleeding of the inch-long cut between rounds. Morozov jabs out to that spot, and Silva de Andrade suddenly unleashes a fury of a right hand, a spinning kick and a big punch to the body that sends Morozov falling back to the wall. Silva de Andrade gives chase and knocks him down, and Morozov powers back up and gets nailed with a few punches on the way back up. Silva de Andrade backs off, avoids a spinning back fist, and steps in with a standing back fist before blasting the body with punches. Morozov backs his foe away with an inside leg kick, and he pushes off and a thumb jams straight into the Brazilian’s eye. Hatley gives him time to recover, and Silva de Andrade shrugs it off after 30 seconds before getting back to business. An immediate bull-rush from the Brazilian with a punch and a powerful knee to the chest knocks Morozov over, and the Kazakh eats a right hand on the way down but still manages to scramble back to his feet. Like a berserker, Silva de Andrade attacks with powerful strikes. The Brazilian lets loose with a vicious knee to the face, and a nasty short elbow puts Morozov on rubber legs. With sheer power, “D’Silva” drags Morozov down to the mat to take his back. Silva de Andrade instantly locks up a body triangle and goes after a rear-naked choke, but Morozov turns his head and saves himself from the choke. Morozov turns to his side to try to get out, but in the process, he turns into the choke. Knowing he has Morozov in all sorts of danger, Silva de Andrade latches on to his choke grip and strangles Morozov with all his remaining energy. Morozov fights the hands, trying to break up the choke, but he goes out before he can even tap out. The lights are on, but no one’s home, as Morozov is off to dreamland after that ruthless assault ending in a choke. That’s two technical submissions in a row, bringing Houston fans to their feet after a wild nine-ish minutes of action.

The Official Result

Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Sergey Morozov R2 3:34 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

A.J. Dobson (185) vs. Jacob Malkoun (186)

Round 1

Training partners of fan-favorite ex-UFC champs will come to blows in this middleweight encounter, as Strong Style Fight Team’s Dobson (6-0, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) – home of Stipe Miocic – meets PMA Super Martial Arts prospect Malkoun (5-1, 1-1 UFC), a teammate of headliner Robert Whittaker. The third man in the cage for what could be a quick one is referee Herb Dean, who is ready for whatever comes his way as he bears witness to a touch of gloves. Dobson quickly fires off a right hand, and he slips back to sling a right hand as Malkoun just dodges in time. Dobson cracks his foe with a right hand, forcing the Aussie to shoot for a desperation takedown. Dobson gets lifted up in the air, but he slithers his legs down to the mat so that he can keep his balance and not get taken down, in an impressive display of balance. “Mamba” grinds Dobson against the fence until Dobson breaks off, and he loose a quick one-two that connects cleanly on the beard of Malkoun. Dobson tries to time a right hand low when Malkoun attacks for a takedown, and Dobson once more keeps his balance when Malkoun elevates him. The newcomer manages to break the grip, pushes off and returns to his preferred boxing range. Malkoun lets go with a few punches, but Dobson grabs him to knee him in the body a few times. Malkoun flicks out a jab, but Dobson ignores them and answers with some of his own. A quick chain of punches come out as Malkoun retreats, and he connects with a solid leg kick at the end of a combination. Dobson snaps the head back with a punch and goes up high with a kick, and every strike that lands seems to draw a reaction out of his opponent. Malkoun sits down on a right hand, but Dobson does not even budge when it smacks into his cheek. Dobson stands firm, delivering a couple more one-twos and a body kick. When Malkoun lifts his man’s leg up in pursuit of a takedown, Dobson hops back and bounces off the cage wall to get free. Dobson gives chase when he lands a few punches, and Malkoun is rocked from an accumulation of damage. Dobson takes the center of the cage and swats at his shaky man, clipping him with a left hook and a one-two that bounces off the side of the head. Malkoun drops down low for a single, lifting Dobson’s leg up in the air and finally securing a takedown. He can only maintain top position for a few seconds before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dobson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dobson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dobson

Round 2

They clap hands to start of the second round, and Dobson, brimming with confidence, strides out with a few jabs. He gets off a right hand, and closes the distance to slam a knee into the Aussie’s midsection. As he lands a few more strikes, he draws out another takedown entry from “Mamba,” but that too fails as Dobson turns him around and knees him in the body. They jockey for position against the fence, and Malkoun stays doggedly in pursuit of a takedown but nothing presents itself. Dobson is able to get Malkoun to back off when he sets up a Thai clinch, and he misses a knee by an inch. Malkoun resets, crashes forward and secures a takedown. The American gets to his knees without much issue, stands back up, and gets wrenched back down with a mat return. Malkoun begins to smash Dobson in the side of the head with his fists, and Dobson is hurt and in trouble as cornerman Mark Coleman bellows for Dobson to get up. Malkoun does not let him up, raining down left hands as he keeps Dobson stuck on a knee. The strikes turn from damaging ones to more frustrating shots, but Malkoun is able to step over and sit down on Dobson’s thigh to ground him. Dobson thinks to explode, but Malkoun continues to grind and slug Dobson in the face with powerful left hands. Malkoun pursues a guillotine choke when working Dobson over, and he fails on that but does not let Dobson off the hook. Dobson bursts back to his feet with 10 seconds to go, and he pops Malkoun with a pair of punches before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Malkoun
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun

Round 3

The middleweights greet in the center of the cage, and Dobson appears energized when back upright again. He flicks out a jab that makes Malkoun blink it out a few times, and he catches Malkoun coming in with a right hand. The Aussie changes levels for a takedown, and the defense does not hold up for Dobson this time, as he gets pulled down to the mat. Dobson remains on his knees before jumping back up, and he succumbs to a mat return when Malkoun powers him back down. “Mamba” holds on from behind, landing sporadic right hands until the unbeaten fighter stands up. Malkoun continues his assault of takedown tries, and he sucks Dobson’s legs out beneath him and lands in half guard. Dobson wriggles himself to the corner between the floor and the wall, and Coleman’s encouragement is still somehow louder than all the boos raining down in the building combined. Malkoun does not register the crowd’s disappointment with his “embrace the grind” tactics, as he thumps down on Dobson with right hands. The fighters start talking to each other, with Dobson admitting his foe is stronger than he thought, and they continue to converse as Malkoun is pounding on him. Dobson tries to get into a slugfest from his back, with punches from his back, but Malkoun’s are considerably harder. Malkoun switches from punches to elbows as he staves off a standup from Dean, and precious seconds tick off the clock while Malkoun grinds him out. With just a few seconds left in the fight, Dobson somersaults backwards to get out of the position, stands up and wings a high kick, but it comes up short of the mark right before the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun (29-28 Malkoun)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun (29-27 Malkoun)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun (29-28 Malkoun)

The Official Result

Jacob Malkoun def. A.J. Dobson via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ronnie Lawrence (136) vs. Leomana Martinez (136)

Round 1

The first Texan of the night enters the cage in this bantamweight fight that closes out the early preliminary card, when Metro Fight Club’s Martinez (9-2, 1-0 UFC) tries to make good on his second UFC outing. He will take on fellow sophomore UFC competitor Lawrence (7-1, 1-0 UFC) with the crowd loudly at his back. Amidst the raucous audience cheering for Houston’s own Martinez, referee Jacob Montalvo clocks the fighters in and observes a glove touch. Martinez takes the center of the cage, swatting away a leg kick and missing with one of his own. Lawrence attacks with a head kick that misses, and a low kick that does not, as Lawrence stays light on his feet from afar. Lawrence goes after another slapping leg kick, and he keeps Martinez at bay with these kicks. Martinez moves his hands about a lot, but is not throwing them to any appreciable degree. “The Heat” blazes forward, lifts Martinez up in the air with a single-leg entry and slams him down to the mat. Martinez kicks off, and an upkick smacks into Lawrence’s face and rocks him momentarily. Martinez uses this opportunity to scoot his way to the fence, and he gets dragged right back down when standing. “Manaboi” goes back to a knee as Lawrence grinds him out, and he stands up and turns his way to the fence and breaks away. The fighters kick at the same time, clashing legs, and Martinez comes out the better of the exchanges as he marches forward. The Houston native sinks in a heavy leg kick, and the commentary drifts off into a disgusting conversation about buying NFTs. While they prattle on about buying this or that, Din Thomas chimes in to discuss wrestling and the fight itself. As soon as he does, “The Heat” smashes Martinez in the face with a right hand, sending Martinez crashing down to the mat. Lawrence dives on top as the commentators are suddenly snapped back into the fight, and he looks to advance position but falls back when Martinez hunts for a leglock from his back. Martinez forces Lawrence to defend it, but he cannot make Lawrence back off, and instead closes up his guard and takes a few punches on the jaw until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence

Round 2

A glove touch precedes the action in Round 2, and Martinez catches an oncoming front kick and zings a left hand that just skims off the beard of his opponent. Martinez leads the dance this round, throwing punches and kicks as he comes in instead of feinting and staring. Lawrence stutter-steps to break up a spinning kick attempt, and with a burst of speed, “The Heat” connects with a right to the body and a left to the head that drops Martinez. Lawrence hops on top in the blink of an eye, where he holds on from above in a half guard-like position as he hunts for a submission of some sort. “Manaboi” draws him back into his closed guard, and he opens it when he gets popped with a few punches and turns to his knees. Martinez tries to scramble and crawl his way to the wall, and he fights his way back up to his feet and out. With another speedy combination ending in a crisp right hand, Lawrence lashes out and knocks Martinez off of his feet again, and Martinez hits the ground hard. Lawrence tries to finish the job with ground-and-pound, but he lets Martinez give up his back so he can secure back control. “The Heat” cooks his man with a body triangle, squeezing it tight. In a display of grit and toughness, Martinez turns Lawrence over and springs back to his feet. Not five seconds elapse before Lawrence charges at him like a bull, where he proceeds to lift “Manaboi” up and slam him down to the floor with emphasis. Martinez returns to a knee, and Lawrence scoops him up and successfully hits a high-amplitude slam. The round ends with Lawrence on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Lawrence
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Lawrence
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Lawrence

Round 3

Martinez is fired up coming into the final round, and he swings wildly and connects with a body shot. They both land at the same time, and Martinez knocks Lawrence off his feet when Lawrence tries to kick him. Martinez eats a head kick so that he can sling a right hand, and he takes another kick to the same target as soon as he backs off. Lawrence comfortably kicks Martinez in the face with his foot, and Martinez is no worse for wear and is throwing with bad intentions. “Manaboi” scores a heavy body kick that reverberates around the arena, and Lawrence shakes it off and circles away on the outside. Martinez gives chase, trying to cut Lawrence off and throw bombs, but Lawrence is quicker and more able to get away in time of damaging blows. Lawrence leaps in the air with a knee, and he changes levels for a double but gets stuffed in the center of the cage. When Lawrence gets back upright, he pushes a right hand straight through the guard that snaps Martinez’ head back. Martinez Digs a right to the body and a left to the head, and Lawrence is hurt badly! Lawrence attacks for a takedown, and “Manaboi” stuffs it and nails Lawrence with powerful shots. Lawrence is in the danger zone, barely surviving when getting dropped again, although he gets up and places his hands on the mat, taking shots. “The Heat” heats up, instinctively securing a takedown that plants Martinez on his back. As soon as he does, Martinez throws his legs up for a triangle that turns into a leg scissor choke, and Lawrence pushes out of both tries. Martinez turns the triangle setup into an armbar, and Lawrence miraculously twists out of it and climbs on top. A wild scramble ensues, and Martinez works his way back up to his feet. With 10 seconds to go, Martinez tries to give it everything he has left, but Lawrence smartly snags a double that grounds Martinez for the remainder of the match. The crowd pelts Lawrence with boos for this strategy, and the wild third round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (29-27 Lawrence)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (29-27 Lawrence)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (29-27 Lawrence)

The Official Result

Ronnie Lawrence def. Leomana Martinez via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)

Fabio Cherant (206) vs. Carlos Ulberg (204)

Round 1

A pair of light heavyweights aiming to secure their first UFC win in dominant fashion are up now, when Ulberg (3-1, 0-1 UFC) will try to get on the board for City Kickboxing tonight at the expense of New England’s Cherant (7-3, 0-2 UFC). Knowing this fight may end in the blink of an eye, referee Dan Miragliotta is ready for anything, even as there is no touch of gloves before a potential flurry of fist and feet follow. Ulberg bullies his opponent up against the wall early, landing several leg kicks while Cherant throws at nothing but air. Cherant comes over the top with a left hand that misses by an inch, and he eats a low kick in response. Ulberg calmly walks his foe down, kicking his way in with low kicks and little else. The crowd begins chanting something about commentator Joe Rogan, who is not in the building, as the action lulls. Ulberg pokes away with jabs until he connects with a heavy inside leg kick that makes Cherant walk away. “Black Jag” counters Cherant on the way in with a right hand, and he lets loose a body kick that collides with the cup. Ulberg does not think it landed, so he chases Cherant down and boots him in the midsection, but it did hit the cup. After about 30 seconds, Cherant is ready to continue, and he is enraged. “The Water Buffalo” charges, slinging several punches before powering his way into a clinch in pursuit of a takedown. Ulberg turns the tables, tripping Cherant’s legs out beneath him and putting him down to the ground. Cherant scrambles, fighting his way back up to his feet without eating more than a single strike, and Ulberg turns to block a punch with his shoulder. Ulberg sweeps the leg as Cherant attempts to blitz forward again, only to let Cherant up without bothering to climb into his guard. Ulberg sticks out a few jabs, and he strides forward with his hands at his waist. Out of nowhere, the Kiwi whips a spinning wheel kick that slams into Cherant’s guard, and Cherant shakes his head but the impact clearly knocked him into the fence and may have hurt him a little. Ulberg follows with a head kick, and Cherant shakes it off and drills his foe with a left hand that knocks Ulberg off his feet. Ulberg scampers back upright as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg

Round 2

The light heavyweights meet in the middle, and Cherant strikes first with a few punches to the body. Cherant begins to push forward, but Ulberg stands firm and scores a leg kick and just dodges a right hook. Cherant comes in, only to get countered with a quick left hook that opens up a cut above his eye. “The Water Buffalo” plods forward, but he does not engage and just walks forward while Ulberg is light on his feet circling away. Ulberg snaps out a jab and a front kick, and he sits down on a speedy leg kick that buckles Cherant’s knee momentarily. Cherant gathers himself and races forward, but Ulberg is faster and more accurate as he counters and knocks Cherant back. Ulberg gets off an inside leg kick as the pace wanes significantly, and both men miss when Cherant comes crashing in. Ulberg sticks and moves, shrugging off a right hand and pushing out both his fists at the same time. The Kiwi lands with a kick and nods at his work, bullying Cherant to the wall but not swinging much of his own. Cherant targets the body, and Ulberg just whiffs with another check hook. Ulberg dances around, hands down, as Cherant barely threatens him with anything. Cherant attacks, misses, and Ulberg laughs off his inaccurate salvo.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg

Round 3

The fighters stand in front of one another, and both swing and miss with high-intensity strikes. They back off and return to their slow pace of single strikes with little emphasis behind them. This non-competitive bout drags on as the crowd gives it to them, with neither man willing to engage on many successful strikes of note. The accuracy rate from Cherant is very low, but he tries to pick up on that as he crowds Ulberg against the fence. Ulberg taunts him, hands low, and escapes before Cherant can land a single blow. Ulberg kicks at Cherant’s legs a few times, and the audience is over this light heavyweight slog. Ulberg pokes Cherant’s thigh and calf a few more times, and he lets go with a single right hand up the middle. With “The Water Buffalo” against the cage, Ulberg kicks high, and the strike is blocked in time. Ulberg prods out with jabs, thumping the body with a right hand and aiming another at the same spot. Cherant’s volume has dwindled to nothing, while Ulberg’s strikes are largely ineffective. Cherant swings and comes up short with a left hook, and he gets Ulberg’s attention when he overswings with another. This causes Cherant to turn around, and Ulberg takes him from behind and trips him down to the mat. Cherant manages to get upright again as Ulberg slides out the back door following a scramble, but the New England native backs off and does not throw a single strike before the last horn blares, putting an end to a snoozer of a light heavyweight matchup.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg (30-27 Ulberg)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg (30-27 Ulberg)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ulberg (30-27 Ulberg)

The Official Result

Carlos Ulberg def. Fabio Cherant via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Kyler Phillips (136) vs. Marcelo Rojo (136)

Round 1

We keep things moving right along to the bantamweights, in what should be a fast-paced, high-intensity battle between Phillips (9-2, 3-1 UFC) and Rojo (16-7, 0-1 UFC) that was initially set for the main card but for late lineup shuffling. Taking charge of the cage is referee Dan Miragliotta, and the fighters touch gloves to begin what could be a fun one. At any rate, it will be better than the last fight, if one could call it that. Phillips leads off with a leg kick, and Rojo fires right back. Phillips aims a right hand over the top, and he jabs up high, throws a right hand and a left to the body. “Matrix” spins with a body kick, and he backs away when Rojo tries to counter him. Rojo just misses with a looping right hook, and Phillips delivers a one-two across the bow. The American cannot connect with a spinning wheel kick, but he does get off a flying knee. Phillips goes low with a kick that trips Rojo to the mat, and he charges ahead with a three-punch salvo. Rojo looks to counter, and Phillips changes things up with a takedown entry. Although it does not succeed, Phillips backs away just enough to whip a spinning wheel kick around, and it clatters off the high guard of his foe. They both fire off right hands at the same time, and Phillips rushes in to clip the Argentinian with an elbow and a left hand before tripping “Pitbull” to the mat. Phillips claims Rojo’s back quickly when Rojo stands, and he drags Rojo’s legs out and steps over to full mount. Rojo quickly recovers half guard, but a few short elbow strikes from Phillips have opened a cut on the side of Rojo’s eye. Rojo sits up, gets to his knees and stands up, but not before eating a crisp knee to the body on the way up. Phillips resets and paws out with a jab, and he darts out of the way when a combination whizzes past him. A high spinning back kick lands flush on Rojo’s arms, and he follows it with a jab that split the guard. Rojo fires back, only to get countered with a right hand on that damaged eye. Phillips is just a little too high from yet another spinning wheel kick, and Rojo ducked just in time. After a brief clinch, they break away where Phillips tags Rojo with a swatting left hook. Phillips steps in with a right hand, and he sweeps Rojo down to the mat with 15 seconds to go. Rojo throws his legs up for a sneaky armbar, and Phillips stands up to pull his arm out, lowering himself back down right as the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2

Rojo strides out of his corner to attack at the beginning of Round 2, but Phillips beats him to the punch and works the body with a left hand. Chaining punches into a spinning back kick, Phillips has Rojo guessing. Rojo swings back, mostly hitting air, and he sticks out a leg kick but gets met with three punches. The Argentinian attacks the lead leg again, leading Phillips to do the same with his own strikes. “Matrix” fires off a head kick that collides with the raised guard, and he sets his leg down and is already on to stringing jabs into a combination. Rojo throws caution to the wind, swinging wildly but inaccurately, as Phillips jabs away and starts drilling Rojo’s calf with repeated kicks. Rojo meets him in the middle with a jab back, but the kicks from Phillips are quickly doing damage and changing the color of Rojo’s lead calf. Phillips is loose, light on his feet, hopping in and out of range to toss a flying knee or piercing jab out. Rojo catches Phillips at the end of a right hand after blocking a head kick, but Phillips’ strikes are straighter and sharper, and therefore finding their target at a much higher clip. The American springs out of the way when Rojo bears down on him, and he continues battering Rojo’s calf as swelling grows. Rojo fights to through the pain to swing for the fences, and as soon as he commits to a big punch, Phillips dives low for a takedown. Rojo pops right back up before staying down for more than one second, and Phillips feeds him a steady diet of jabs on an increasingly reddening nose. Rojo scores to the body, forcing Phillips to crash forward and attempt a body lock trip. Rojo sneaks in a knee and an uppercut before they separate, and the round ends with Phillips blocking a high kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 3

Coming out to the third round, Rojo’s lead leg is hamburger, swollen and bruised badly. Phillips picks up where he left off there, attacking the damaged leg before assailing his man with a chained takedown that set Rojo on his back. Phillips lands in side control, and he grips on to a double wrist lock that he uses to claim mount brilliantly. In a very high mount, Phillips locks up a high mounted triangle, and he sits up to smash Rojo in the head with punches and elbows. Rojo turns over, in an effort to slide his neck out. When Phillips lands on his back, he is already setting up an armbar while he still holds on to the triangle choke. The combo submission is tight as can be, and there is no way out for the Argentinian. “Matrix” elicits the tap right when Rojo stands, with Rojo surrendering before losing consciousness or hyperextending his elbow. That’s a rare triangle armbar on the books for the highly touted prospect from Arizona.

The Official Result

Kyler Phillips def. Marcelo Rojo R3 1:48 via Submission (Triangle Armbar)

Roxanne Modafferi (126) vs. Casey O'Neill (125.5)

Round 1

It is the end of an era in the lone women’s match of the evening. In the flyweight division, beloved longtime vet Modafferi (25-19, 4-7 UFC), in the sport since 2003, will say goodbye to MMA in a potential “passing of the torch” moment to unbeaten Aussie O’Neill (8-0, 3-0 UFC). The experience gap of 36 fights is among the most one could see in any women’s bout to date, and referee Jacob Montalvo is well-prepared for what could be quite an emotional moment tonight. Modafferi offers a glove touch, and O’Neill refuses, drawing a loud reaction from the crowd against O’Neill. “The Happy Warrior” does not seem concerned, and she walks O’Neill down and wants to slug it out with her. The two flyweights start throwing hands on the feet, with Modafferi sticking out jabs and follow-up right hands while O’Neill fires back with leg kicks and one up high. O’Neill times an advancing Modafferi with powerful punches, but none fluster Modafferi although her nose begins to redden shortly after the first minute. O’Neill catches her for over the top with a right hand, and she strings three punches together before the vet can react. Modafferi is undaunted, with high volume and straight punches that split the guard here and there. O’Neill comes up shy of the target when she kicks high, and Modafferi walks forward with a right hand that lands with a thud on the side of her foe’s head. The strikes are marking O’Neill up as well, with the Aussie’s nose changing colors as Modafferi’s continue to find the target. O’Neill sits down on a loud body kick, and Modafferi does not register the strike landed as she plods forward fearlessly. The power is in the favor of the younger O’Neill, but Modafferi appears to be throwing more often. O’Neill walks face-first into a right hand, and she loads up on one of her own as these two are interested in a technical slugfest. O’Neill wings a right hand over the top, and Modafferi wears it well and keeps pressing forward without batting an eye. A trio of big punches connects for “King Casey,” and she targets the body and head in a subsequent combination right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill

Round 2

Modafferi comes out of her corner fired up, and she sticks her fists into her opponent’s face early and often. O’Neill backs her off with a left hook, and she catches a body kick that comes at her but sets it down without bothering to go to the ground. The two ladies trade punches, and some swelling has grown around O’Neill’s left eye. Modafferi’s herky-jerky approach gives O’Neill pause, and she works her way in and connects with straight punches. O’Neill swings back harder, and Modafferi’s nose is starting to bleed from taking punches that come back at her. They land left hooks at the same time, and reset to trade with one another. O’Neill eats a solid right hand, and the Aussie returns fire with a few of her own. Modafferi pushes out a jab, only to get clubbed with an overhand right that wobbles her knees momentarily. O’Neill stays busy with jabs, following them with big right hands and a head kick or two to mix things up. Modafferi walks through a right hook to pin a few punches on the nose, but when O’Neill lands, they draw visible reactions. The longtime vet has busted the nose up of her opponent as well, and both women are trickling blood from this boxing match with a few kicks sprinkled in. Modafferi sticks and moves, only to chow down on a series of jabs as if they were sushi. O’Neill starts to turn the pace up, and she shrieks when she throws bombs. The two ladies start slugging it out, with O’Neill screeching again as she is loving the hard-fought battle. With 10 seconds to go, Modafferi ducks down to pursue a takedown, and she lands it to conclude the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill

Round 3

“The Happy Warrior” is happy about the fight but energized to go into the final round, and she stings O’Neill with a solid right hand as they trade shots. Modafferi lets go with a body kick, and although it is caught, O’Neill does not want to play ground fighting again after succumbing to the takedown at the end of the last round. Modafferi gives chase, and O’Neill is constantly active, putting her fist into Modafferi’s face as often as possible. O’Neill dings Modafferi up on the way in, landing a quartet of strikes, and they both throw leather. Modafferi wades in, getting off a knee to the body, and separates before anything comes of it. The vet again tries this approach of punching her way into a clinch, and she lands a knee again. O’Neill swarms her with punches, but Modafferi is not going away, not getting out of O’Neill’s face. O’Neill may yet set the record for the most significant strikes landed in a fight in her weight division at this rate, and Modafferi’s toughness is on full display. They trade knees in a brief clinch, and Modafferi spins with a back fist that surprises O’Neill. The Aussie plants her foot on Modafferi’s face that might have hurt the WMMA pioneer, but she wears it well and rushes into a clinch, where she knees her foe in the midsection several times. They swing hard at one another and connect cleanly, and O’Neill backs her foe off as swelling has begun to develop all over Modafferi’s face. Modafferi crashes in for a takedown, and this one is stuffed by “King Casey.” Modafferi catches a kick, and she trips the favorite out and down to her seat. O’Neill climbs her way back up, and Modafferi holds on to her from behind as she knees the thigh repeatedly. Modafferi clasps her hands as she wants one final takedown to end the fight, but she cannot hit the trip. Instead, they land punches and elbows up close right to the final bell. Even in her final battle, Modafferi fought valiantly, ending a career that started over 18 years ago. “I’m proud of myself,” Modafferi remarked in her post-fight interview, thanking the fans and her team for a wild journey from start to finish.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill (30-27 O’Neill)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill (30-27 O’Neill)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill (30-27 O’Neill)

The Official Result

Casey O’Neill def. Roxanne Modafferi via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Andrei Arlovski (246) vs. Jared Vanderaa (265)

Round 1

Heavyweights are on the docket in this preliminary headliner, with another sizeable gap in experience as Arlovski (32-20, 2 NC; 21-14, 1 NC UFC) has competed inside the Octagon twice as many times as Vanderaa (12-6, 1-2 UFC) has fought as a pro (36 to 18 fights). The heavyweight contest draws a properly sized official in the form of referee Mike Beltran, and the fighters do not touch gloves to get things started. Feinting and faking their way in, they stand within boxing range but do not let go with much. Arlovski lands a leg kick and a jab, and Vanderaa tries to respond with a punch only to have to pay attention to a low kick. The former champ cracks his foe with a right hand, and then follows it with an overhand right that gets the attention of “The Mountain.” Arlovski stays mobile, letting go with a head kick that is blocked, and he backs Vanderaa off with a few punches. Vanderaa backs his opponent up against the wall, but Arlovski circles away and tags him with a right hook. The crowd again chants something about Joe Rogan, and the heavyweights pay it no mind as they throw hands. Arlovski is the faster man, with several punches for every one or two that Vanderaa lands. Arlovski lands a kick to the side of “The Mountain,” and he nails Vanderaa with a right hand. Vanderaa preemptively protects himself from a low kick, and he tries to chase Arlovski down but cannot corral him into a corner. They tie up and Arlovski is at a size disadvantage as the California native gloms on to him. Arlovski circles out and gets countered with an uppercut, but he shrugs it off and wings a right hand. “The Pit Bull” jabs to the body, and he hops back when Vanderaa kicks at his lead leg. They crash together like waves in the night, but neither appear to land anything of merit. Arlovski spins with a back fist, and he steps through it to nail his foe with a right hook. Vanderaa jabs, only to have to flail when Arlovski bears down on him, and Arlovski gets off a spinning back fist right as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski

Round 2

Vanderaa claims the center of the cage to begin the second frame, and he follows Arlovski and bats away a front kick but cannot get out of the way of a looping overhand right that cracks him on the chin. “The Mountain” replies with a slapping kick to the midsection, and he strides forward and lifts his knee up to bounce it off of the former champ’s chest. Vanderaa mashes Arlovski into the wire, where he delivers several knees to the inner thigh of Arlovski while pressing heavily with his shoulder. Arlovski is able to break away and evade the lunging left hand that comes at him, so that he can escape and sling a high kick. Vanderaa is the slower man of the two, and he appears to be taking the cleaner shots, especially in the form of a pair of heavy right hands from Arlovski that have bloodied Vanderaa’s nose. Vanderaa just misses with a swinging head kick, and he darts forward with a single jab that splits the guard. A light high kick does not connect, but a right hand from Arlovski across the bow does cleanly. As Vanderaa returns fire, his shin collides with Arlovski’s cup. After about 30 seconds of respite, Arlovski is ready to go again, and they are no worse for wear. Arlovski chains a straight right hand into a head kick, and Vanderaa ignores them but hops back when absorbing a double jab. Arlovski lets go with an overhand right, and Vanderaa rolls with it and tries to corner Arlovski up against the wall. “The Mountain” pushes in for a body lock, and he attempts to rip him down to the mat, but he does not have the leverage to do so. Arlovski knees the belly a few times before they split apart, and he spins with a back fist so wild that he nearly topples over. Arlovski starts feeling himself, getting off a front kick and dancing out of the way before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski

Round 3

The heavyweights decide to touch gloves after 10 minutes of combat, and Arlovski lands first with a doubled jab. Vanderaa chops at the lead leg, and he kicks on the other side to the body, connecting with Arlovski’s elbow. Vanderaa scores a body kick, and he moves his way forward to tie Arlovski up and push him into the chain-link fencing. Vanderaa squeezes tightly, and he knees his foe a few times on the upper thigh while the crowd grows restless. Vanderaa cannot keep him stuck, and he lets the former champ get space and return to his preferred long boxing range. Arlovski’s head movement protects him from jabs, but he rushes forward and opens himself up to an uppercut that surprises him. Arlovski sneaks in another big right hand, and Vanderaa does not register the blow and prepares himself for the Arlovski charge that comes shortly after. “The Mountain” steels himself for counters, with an uppercut or two aiming at the beard of the Belarusian. Arlovski stays on his bike, firing off a right hand that skims off the side of Vanderaa’s dome. Arlovski tosses out a few kicks, and a punch gets countered by a sharp uppercut and a slap in the face that draws a complaint from Arlovski. The fighters do not pause, and Vanderaa counters his opponent with a few punches and high kicks. Arlovski’s volume has diminished to single power strikes, while Vanderaa continues to plod forward and look for openings and uppercuts. Vanderaa crashes in with 15 seconds to go, and he starts letting his hands go when they separate. Arlovski spins with a back fist that smacks Vanderaa in the face, and the slow, methodical heavyweight preliminary headliner ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vanderaa (29-28 Arlovski)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski (30-27 Arlovski)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arlovski (30-27 Arlovski)

The Official Result

Andrei Arlovski def. Jared Vanderaa via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Bobby Green (155.5) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (156)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached the main card of UFC 271. We begin in the lightweight division, as “King” Green (28-12-1, 9-7-1 UFC) looks to put a win streak together as he takes on Germany’s Haqparast (13-4, 5-3 UFC). This evenly matched contest will draw oversight from referee Mike Beltran, and the fighters do not exchange pleasantries nor do they bother touching gloves as the intensity is sky-high. Instead, they race towards one another, and Green has his hands by his waist and is already taunting and jawing at Haqparast. Green walks forward with a jab, and he gets countered with a quick right hand. Green jabs the midsection, and he kicks the lead leg as he shows no respect for his opponent. “King Green” gets poked in the eye when he walks forward, with the finger jamming deep into his socket, and he struggles as he walks away. After 30 seconds, Green says he is ready to go, and Haqparast profusely apologizes. Green rolls with a punch to slip it and counter, and he is ready with his right hand when and if Haqparast comes at him. Green pushes off when he takes a jab to the body, and a finger of his swipes into Haqparast’s eye in payback. Beltran brings them together and sternly admonishes them, ordering them to keep it clean, and there is at least one “yes, sir” response. When they start fighting again, Green scores a low kick, and he gets off a right hand to the body. Green begins to let his hands go, with punches that split the guard and bloody his opponent’s nose up. Green absorbs a leg kick and starts talking and hooting, all while ducking punches and getting backed up to the wall. Green dodges a strike, and he starts pointing at his shoulders while Haqparast bears down on him. Green gets tagged with a one-two as he starts showboating, and Haqparast tags him with a left hand as well while Green is doing little else but talking trash. The fan-favorite Green gets showered with chants of his name as he starts to let jabs go, and he hops away from a low kick and says, “airball!” Green continues piecing his foe up with jabs, and his right hand is finding the target repeatedly as he dodges and weaves the offense coming towards him. Haqparast catches him with a kick to the midsection, and Green marks him up with several more punches before the bell. The lightweights get a little chippy after the horn blows, but Beltran is there to split them apart and send them to their respective corners.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Green
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Green
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Green

Round 2

They stride out of their corners, and Green’s hands are still low but consistently finding the target as he punches through Haqparast’s guard. Green loops a hook around Haqparast’s high block, and he slides back and forth while hammering away at the German. Green chains several punches together and talks to him the whole time, and he ducks a head kick just in the nick of time and again motions that it missed. Green frequently greets Haqparast with fast punches, intercepting Haqparast on the way in and landing two or three for every one. Green’s volume is high, and he catches a body kick, ducks a few punches and absorbs one flush. The showboating and one-sided conversation does not cease as Green continues to hammer Haqparast from boxing range. Green gets clipped with a wide right hand, but Haqparast cannot capitalize on it as Green ducks out of the way when the rest follow. Haqparast gets off a single heavy leg kick, and Green meets him with jabs and straight punches galore. Haqparast loads up with a left hand, and he scores heavily to make Green turn away for a moment. Haqparast’s face may be bloodied from the continuous striking barrage he absorbs, but his power punches are having an impact and doing some damage when they score. Haqparast wings a few long, looping left hands that bounce off Green’s chin, and Green pieces him up with a six-punch combo. When Haqparast tries to return fire, Green is nowhere to be found, with pinpoint accurate punches from Green turning Haqparast’s face into a bloody mess. Green takes a leg kick and an overhand left flush, and Green’s knees wobble briefly. Swelling behind Green’s ear starts to form, as a result of the left hands that keep landing to that same spot, but he still keeps his pace high and frustrating. Haqparast gets off a few big punches and a head kick, only for Green to snap his head back with a few punches. They trade punches right to the bell, and Green tells him that they need to meet in the center of the cage and throw down in the last round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Green
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Green
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Green

Round 3

Green offers a half-hearted glove touch, and Haqparast accepts and wings a left hand that stings Green. Green catches a leg kick and trips Haqparast down, but when Haqparast falls to his knees, he lets go and backs off. Preferring to keep a relatively safer boxing range where he can bust Haqparast up with his accurate punches, he watches as looping shots soar past him. Haqparast scores, and Green’s responsive punches finally get Haqparast’s attention, as Haqparast may be hurt. Haqparast returns fire with a few huge strikes, and Green slips and moves, avoiding the brunt of the damage and keeping his jab up in full display. Green ducks well enough to avoid an entire salvo of strikes aimed at him, and he stands up to taunt his foe and then stick his fist through the guard again a few times. Green walks through a strike to land a few of his own, and he is able to speedily score, duck back, lean forward to smack Haqparast again and dodge the reply. Even when Haqparast does connect with the full force of his swing, Green demoralizes him by playing it off as if it did not landed, or if it did, it did not hurt. Haqparast kicks the body, and Green mimics him with the same strike. Green intercepts Haqparast again and again with his fists, putting on a boxing clinic as his volume and pace cannot be matched. The power of Haqparast tapers off as Green continues to bust him up, and “King” loads up on a few bombs to snake Haqparast up briefly. Green lands three punches down the middle, ducks a hook and circles away in time, before sneaking around to cleanly score again and again. Haqparast throws hammers, but Green lets them slide off him and snipe him right back. With seconds to spare, Green decides to go all-offense, and he slams Haqparast in the face several times right before the final round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Green (30-27 Green)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Green (30-27 Green)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Green (30-27 Green)

The Official Result

Bobby Green def. Nasrat Haqparast via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Alexander Hernandez (156) vs. Renato Carneiro (156)

Round 1

A few days ago, this lightweight pairing was slated for the preliminaries, until Hernandez (13-4, 5-3 UFC) changed his nickname to “The Great Ape” raised a fuss, and it was bumped up to the main card, further proving that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The Texan will throw down with Carneiro (15-4-1, 7-4 UFC) with possible rankings stakes on the line, and referee Mike Beltran will keep things under control. The 155ers do not choose to touch gloves, instead rushing out and stopping right in front of one another. From there, “Moicano” scores a pair of kicks, and Hernandez backs off to land one of his own. Carneiro connects with a solid one-two, and he absorbs a kick to his lead calf. Carneiro just misses with an overhand right, but he lands flush with a body kick and a counter left hook. Hernandez has a punch swatted away, and “Moicano” chases him to the wall with looping punches and an uppercut. Hernandez circles away and lands a loud body kick, and he gets met with a takedown entry that comes up short. Hernandez swings wildly, and Carneiro presses forward to go after a takedown. Scooping Hernandez’ leg out beneath him, “Moicano” sets Hernandez down gingerly, but the Texan blasts back to his feet seconds later. As they scramble, Carneiro grabs hold of him and slams his foe down to the mat hard. Carneiro climbs into half guard, where he sets up an arm-triangle choke before Hernandez bucks him off and makes them stand up. Carneiro crashes through to ground Hernandez again, but cannot keep him there for too long before Hernandez stands again. “The Great Ape” begins letting loose with strikes, with several jabs and a high kick that turn into a trio of inaccurate hooks. Hernandez gets off a leg kick and shucks off a takedown setup from his opponent, and he targets the body to slow the Brazilian down. Hernandez kicks the midsection several times, and he hunts for his own single-leg takedown to keep “Moicano” honest. Hernandez walks face-first into an uppercut, but he shakes it off and fires off a head kick that just misses. Carneiro lets go with a big right hand that misses the mark by inches, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez

Round 2

Hernandez leads the dance in the second round, with a cheeky elbow that makes him slip as he pulls it back. “Moicano” throws a body kick and advances to clinch up, and he gets off a knee up the middle after absorbing several short punches. The Brazilian counters a jab with an uppercut and a looping right hand, and Hernandez is forced to retreat and run around the cage to get back to the middle. “Moicano” hurts his foe badly with an uppercut, a left hand and a right hook, and Hernandez falls to the wall in big trouble. Carneiro swarms him with a knee, and he uses his forward movement to push Hernandez down to the mat. As “The Great Ape” struggles to regain his composure, he surrenders back control to the Brazilian, and it is academic at that point. “Moicano” snatches on to his patented rear-naked choke, and within seconds, Hernandez goes from being in the fight to tapping out. Every one of Carneiro's career finishes has come by submission, and they have all ended by rear-naked choke.

The Official Result

Renato Carneiro def. Alexander Hernandez R2 1:23 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Derek Brunson (185.5) vs. Jared Cannonier (185)

Round 1

Major middleweight stakes, and a possible shot at the winner of the main event tonight, are on the line in this intriguing battle between Cannonier (14-5, 7-5 UFC) and Brunson (23-7, 14-5 UFC). Finish rates of 79% and 70%, respectively, will be tested, as will referee Kerry Hatley. The 185-pound contenders want to settle their business and have no time for a glove touch, as they both swing for the fences in their first strikes. They miss, and Brunson backs off to let loose a kick that pounds into Cannonier’s chest. Cannonier replies with an overhand right, and he plods forward into a takedown attempt from Brunson. “The Killa Gorilla” shoves him away, and he just misses with booming punches that could knock down a building. Brunson shoots in low from afar, and he crawls towards his opponent in search of a single-leg entry. Cannonier defends by elbowing his man in the side of the head, but Brunson stands him up, lifts his leg all the way up in the air, and slams him down. Cannonier looks irritated that he was grounded, and he muscles his way back to his feet. Brunson wants to keep him down, but he gets stopped in his tracks by the powerful Cannonier. Brunson gets clipped as he retreats, and he walks into a takedown attempt with his hands down, leading to him getting cracked in the face with a right hand. From there, Cannonier gets off a leg kick, and he blocks a punch that comes towards his face. Brunson punches his way forward in pursuit of a takedown, and Cannonier remains upright this time as he pushes his man off of him. Brunson loops a right hand at him, and he tags Cannonier with a left hand that may have hurt the former heavyweight. Brunson again tries to ground him, but Cannonier is too strong to go down. Brunson ducks a wild punch so that he can drop down for a single, and on his third try, he chains into an emphatic takedown that puts Cannonier on the ground with gusto. Brunson happily accepts full mount, but he gets dragged back to half guard as he hunts for an arm-triangle choke. Cannonier once more is able to fight his way out of this position, and with sheer force of will, he bench presses Brunson off of him. Brunson will not relent, and he blasts Cannonier with a right hook that sends Cannonier crashing to the mat. Brunson takes his back and hunts for a rear-naked choke, but he cannot secure it and get the tap before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brunson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Brunson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Brunson

Round 2

It does not take more than a few seconds for Brunson to pursue a takedown, and he lifts Cannonier up and slams him down in the center of the cage. Brunson sits in half guard as Cannonier tries to buck and scramble, and “The Killa Gorilla” succeeds in getting Brunson off of him to stand back up. Brunson absorbs a flush right hand from his foe, and he recklessly charges into a takedown that does not succeed. Cannonier stays composed, thwarting an inevitable takedown setup and stinging Brunson again. Brunson suddenly looks fatigued or sluggish, as if he was fighting underwater, but he plods forward and goes after a takedown that fails. Cannonier scores a heavy leg kick and a few punches, and he holds a significant speed advantage as Brunson lumbers towards him with telegraphed punches and follow-up takedowns. Cannonier catches Brunson standing still with a left hand, and he blocks a head kick so that he can sting the wrestler with a right. Cannonier hops out of the way when another takedown is attempted, and Cannonier resets and lets fly a low kick. Brunson slowly moves forward while Cannonier is light on his feet with plenty of head movement, while Brunson is nearly a stationary target that misses with takedowns again and again. The punches from Cannonier have a far greater impact, as Brunson is struggling as he lightly tosses leg kicks out. Brunson nevertheless swarms forward, walking right into an elbow strike as he attempts a takedown. Cannonier smashes him in the face with another elbow, and Brunson is out on his feet. Cannonier knows Brunson is on the ropes, and he chases him down and slugs away at him, even getting off a standing back fist. As Cannonier bullies his exhausted, defeated foe to the mat, he unloads with a trio of devastating elbows that strip Brunson’s consciousness away. Brunson’s corner attempts to throw in the towel, but by the time it lands in the cage, Brunson is already out and Hatley is intervening to save the destroyed Brunson, who is cut badly as well. With his destructive victory, Cannonier almost certainly punched his ticket for a championship opportunity, main event result notwithstanding.

The Official Result

Jared Cannonier def. Derek Brunson R2 4:29 via KO (Elbows)

Derrick Lewis (266) vs. Tai Tuivasa (265)

Round 1

A knockout is almost certainly on the menu in this heavyweight clash between beloved big men weighing a total of 531 pounds – one shy of the limit for two men in a UFC cage. Proud Houston native Lewis (26-8, 1 NC; 17-6 UFC) will look to thrill his home crowd, and he will do against willing brawler Tuivasa (13-3, 7-3 UFC). The betting line for this fight going to decision is a massive +425, and a prop for either fighter winning by knockout is -390. Referee Dan Miragliotta will need to stay ready for as long as this fight goes on, preparing himself to intervene at a moment’s notice. Tuivasa may be grinning, but Lewis is the face of intensity; they still do touch gloves. Lewis claims the center of the cage first, as Tuivasa walks around the edge trying to feint his way in. “Bam Bam” reaches out with jabs to the head and body that are well short of the mark, but he does get off a heavy leg kick as Lewis reaches for it. Lewis just misses a looping right hand as Tuivasa crashes forward to clinch up, and the Aussie starts kneeing Lewis’ thighs while pressing him into the wall. The fans begin to react negatively as Tuivasa holds on to this clinch position, with little else besides fence-mashing going on until Miragliotta rather quickly steps in to separate them. Lewis lets go with a head kick, but Tuivasa blocks it right in time. A Lewis flying knee makes Tuivasa back off, and Tuivasa chops down his lead leg to make him slip when Lewis lands. Lewis’ forward momentum shoves the two into the wire, and Lewis changes levels for a single-leg takedown entry. Tuivasa stands him up and elbows him in the face a few times, and Lewis surprises him with an inside trip that shakes the very foundation of the cage itself when they smash into the ground. Lewis starts unloading with brutal right hands, and Tuivasa is hurt but full of determination to stand back up. When the Aussie stands, he throws everything he has back at Lewis, in an effort to start a slugfest. Lewis protects himself from most of them, lands his own, and gets pushed up to the wall. “The Black Beast” hits a throw and drops Tuivasa back to the mat in a surprising display of grappling prowess, but Tuivasa is not settling to stay down. Tuivasa powers his way back up and knees Lewis in the body, and he holds on to the top of the fencing as he knees Lewis in the gut. The round ends in this tight clinch.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lewis
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lewis
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Lewis

Round 2

The big men clap hands to start off Round 2, and Tuivasa comes out with a big smile on his face. Lewis absorbs a leg kick and just misses with a huge right hand, and he hobbles off after taking the kick but could be playing possum. Lewis loads up with a few powerful punches, stinging Tuivasa and knocking him back all the way from one side of the cage to the other after salvo of punches. Lewis tries to take him down, and Tuivasa remains upright and just misses a knee to the face. They begin to start brawling, with no defense and all power strikes. Tuivasa walks through a flurry, chomps down on his gumshield, and blasts Lewis in the face with a salvo of powerful punches. Lewis takes the brunt of the shots on the chin, and suddenly he is hurt! Tuivasa gets off a blistering elbow in close range, swinging with all his might with a few more punches to follow. Right in Lewis’ face, Tuivasa smashes “The Black Beast” with an elbow that wrecks Lewis. The Houstonian crumples, his knees giving way as he falls face-first to the ground. Miragliotta takes a second to realize that Lewis is out cold, and he jumps in to stop the fight. What an unbelievable knockout for an instant title contender, one who has won five in a row by knockout, but none bigger than this one. Leaping on the cage to celebrate his work in what has become a victory tradition, Tuivasa pours a beer into a shoe and chugs it. The UFC has a star on its hands here.

The Official Result

Tai Tuivasa def. Derrick Lewis R2 1:40 via KO (Elbow)

UFC Middleweight Title Fight:
Israel Adesanya (184) vs. Robert Whittaker (184)

Round 1

Everything is at stake here in this UFC 271 main event: a championship, revenge or dominance, pound-for-pound ramifications and ultimate bragging rights in the Oceanic region. For the second time, Adesanya (21-1, 10-1 UFC) will face Whittaker (23-5, 14-3 UFC), but the tables are turned as “The Last Stylebender” is the champion, not “Bobby Knuckles.” The respect is high for this headliner, and the top middleweights are glad to touch gloves in front of referee Herb Dean. Here we go. Adesanya reaches out with a low kick to begin the fight, but Whittaker lands first with one officially. The champ replies in kind, as Adesanya stays very long with his hands outstretched. They trade leg kicks with one another, but none have a serious impact. Adesanya lands one on the inside that makes the ex-champ lift his leg up, and Whittaker tries to counter overt the top with a left hand that nearly connects. The champion jabs out and comes up short with a high kick, utilizing his range to the fullest. Whittaker checks a leg kick and goes after the long limbs of his foe with another kick. Adesanya sinks another kick to the inside of Whittaker’s knee, and he targets that spot a few more times before going on the outside. Whittaker blitzes in, but Adesanya is well out of the way from anything to reach him. As Adesanya strides forward, Whittaker catches his man with a left hand, and Adesanya gathers himself to slam his shin into Whittaker’s calf. Whittaker dodges a high kick by an inch, and he circles away to have a leg kick get checked. A straight left hand pierces the guard, knocking Whittaker off his feet, and Adesanya backs off to admire his work instead of trying to finish the job. Whittaker gathers himself and shoots in from a wide distance for a takedown, and Adesanya sprawls it with ease and wags his finger at the former divisional kingpin. Whittaker stays on his bike, circling on the outside, but he takes a low kick flush again that makes him grimace. Adesanya dances out of harm’s way when Whittaker attacks, and he shucks off a takedown and leans back when Whittaker wings a right hand at him. Whittaker checks a kick, blocks a body kick and the two study one another until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya

Round 2

Whittaker expresses concern to his corner that his leg might be damaged from the kicks, and his body language is not great. Despite this, he leads the dance with a pair of jabs, and he just misses the mark with a winging head kick. Whittaker rushes in again with jabs, and he throws wildly and catches the champ with a left. “Bobby Knuckles” absorbs another flush low kick, and he swings hard but misses the mark. Whittaker continues to double up his jab, although Adesanya’s head movement keeps him relatively safe from much. Whittaker succeeds in snapping the head back with one jab, and he brushes a right hand just past Adesanya’s chin. Whittaker catches his foe coming in with a left and a right, and Adesanya shakes it off. The Aussie misses with a big high kick, and Adesanya makes him pay with a heavy low kick. Whittaker changes the tempo, surging forward and successfully taking Adesanya down momentarily. The champion climbs back up to his feet, walking up the fence without staying down for long, and he finds himself pressed into the wall. Adesanya tries to frame him off with an elbow, and he pushes the former champ away to gain some space. Whittaker feints to rush in, and he partially checks a low kick and blocks two high kicks in rapid succession to prevent them from landing flush. Adesanya flicks out a jab, and Whittaker replies with a stern leg kick. As Whittaker charges, Adesanya times him but cannot quite land cleanly with a counter. Whittaker blocks another kick, and he swipes at his foe but cannot find the target. Whittaker takes a leg kick hard, and he runs forward only to come up hitting air. Once more, the round comes to a close with the two strategically watching one another.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker

Round 3

The middleweights reach out to strike the other, but the range is too distant for them to land. Whittaker remains at a safe distance as he circles along the outer edge of the cage, springing away when Adesanya aims a kick at him. Whittaker successfully gets off a jab, and he takes a body kick coming back at him. As Adesanya goes after another kick, Whittaker stings him with a sharp jab. Adesanya tries to pay him back, but he whiffs on the comeback. “Bobby Knuckles” keeps his jab outstretched, but Adesanya is holding his hand outstretched with his fingers pointed at his opponent and gets warned for it. Whittaker takes advantage of a jab to land another strike, but the counter of Adesanya is audible as it smacks the former champ in the face. The Aussie charges with jabs, and Adesanya plays the matador but finds himself defending a takedown. Adesanya stops it perfectly, and even knees Whittaker in the face before Whittaker puts a hand on the mat to stop it. Whittaker bails on it and backs away. The champion lets loose with a high kick, and even though it nails Whittaker in the side of the head, Whittaker catches it and wrenches Adesanya down to the canvas. As if the floor were lava, Adesanya scrambles with all his might to get upright. Although he stands, Whittaker remains glued to him until Adesanya twists out and pushes him off. The two men trade jabs, and Adesanya gets off an emphatic leg kick. Whittaker rushes in, and when Adesanya backs off, he charges a second time and trips Adesanya up. The champ is able to keep his balance, and he gathers himself and unleashes a body kick. The close round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker

Round 4

The crowd starts shelling the fighters with boos, apparently interested in more action from the two great middleweights. Adesanya absorbs a stomp kick to the knee and takes a left hand flush on the jaw, but he does not budge and instead gives Whittaker another leg kick to think about. Adesanya is able to graze the target with a body kick, but it is one-and-done as Whittaker stays loose and backs away. Whittaker scores a jab, and when he throws a second, Adesanya hacks at his lead leg like he is chopping down a tree. “Bobby Knuckles” lands when he surges forward, and unlike their first meeting, he is charging intelligently and not recklessly. In the middle of the Octagon, Whittaker hits a takedown and puts “The Last Stylebender” on the mat. Adesanya stands back up, and when he does, Whittaker hops on his back like an Australian backpack. Whittaker starts fishing for a rear-naked choke, but unexpectedly he abandons it and hops off to get back to striking range. Adesanya thanks him for this with a body kick, and he slaps Whittaker in the face with his toes. Adesanya walks his man down, and Whittaker partially connects. Whittaker goes back to a low kick, and he snaps a jab out and ducks back when Adesanya swings hard at him. Adesanya’s best weapon is his leg kick, and he lets go with a rare right hand and appears to clutch it after it lands, as if it were hurt. Whittaker times a crisp uppercut as he gets in close, and he backs off strategically and flicks out a few jabs. Whittaker crashes forward in pursuit of a takedown, bullying the champ into the fencing while not getting him down. Adesanya pushes off, and he eats a right hand as Whittaker tries to find his range. Whittaker blocks a head kick just in time, and the horn blows. This could go down to the wire here, depending on how the rounds have been scored.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker

Round 5

Whittaker leads off with several jabs, and he leaves one out too long to get countered with a half-hearted right hook. Whittaker continues to double up on his jabs, and those strikes are landing while Adesanya is struggling to land cleanly in the first minute of the final frame. Adesanya comes up short on a body kick, but when he backs Whittaker up to the wall, he throws another that does connect. Adesanya tries to load up on a right hand, but when he does, Whittaker stuns him with a left hand. Whittaker backs off instead of following up, and he kicks at the champ’s knee a few times. Adesanya scores with a low kick, leading to a takedown entry from the ex-champ. Adesanya stops it from succeeding, and when Whittaker gets free, he lands a solid right hand. Adesanya pushes off and jabs a finger into Whittaker’s eye, and there is a brief bit of confusion for Dean as to whether he should pause the fight to let Whittaker recover, even as Adesanya apologizes. When they resume, Whittaker shoots in for a takedown, grounding Adesanya for a few seconds. The champ climbs back up to his feet, and he leans into the wall so that he can break the grip and free himself, so Whittaker turns the takedown into a single. When he gives up on that, Whittaker smacks Adesanya in the face with a left hand, and Adesanya congratulates him for landing the clean shot. Whittaker pops out several jabs, and he walks through a leg kick in an attempt to take the champion down. Adesanya stops the first try, stops the second, and manages to keep his balance against the fence. Whittaker stays tightly pressed to his opponent, landing knees to the thigh and changing levels to try to drag Adesanya down to the mat. Adesanya keeps his balance impressively, and he starts talking to Whittaker. Whittaker stomps his toes and knees him in the thigh right to the final bell, and this one reaches the judges. This championship showdown could go either way, as many of the rounds were quite close. They hug it out after the fight ends. With this pay-per-view in the books, we won’t need to wait long for the next fight card – in fact, six more consecutive Saturdays of UFCs will treat fight fans. We will be there for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker (48-47 Whittaker)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker (48-47 Adesanya)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker (49-46 Whittaker)

The Official Result

Israel Adesanya def. Robert Whittaker via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)