UFC 298 ‘Volkanovski vs. Topuria’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Andrea Lee (125.5) vs. Miranda Maverick (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Maverick (-192), Lee (+160)

Round 1

The fans are out in Anaheim, California, where they will soon pack the Honda Center to watch a fight card that was built to last. After an odd weigh-in day switch of opponent, 12 bouts remain on the lineup of UFC 298. The show begins at the women’s flyweight division between two vets that swam in the same pool but somehow never met until now. North of 35 years of age now, Lee (13-8, 5-6 UFC) wants to get back in the win column after three straight setbacks and thereby get her UFC record back to .500. Standing in her way will be Elevation Fight Team’s Maverick (12-5, 5-3 UFC), who comes into this pairing with substantially more momentum on her side. Drawing the first assignment of the evening will be referee Frank Trigg, and he clocks the ladies in when they decide to touch gloves. Maverick slowly moves forward and starts off with a low kick, and she backs away when Lee attempts to counter with punches up top. Maverick jabs the body and evades a low kick coming back her direction so that she can spring forward and kick Lee’s lead wheel. Maverick rushes in, ducking a punch and grabbing hold of Lee in pursuit of a body lock, but the ensuing scramble results on Lee posting off the ground until she is dragged to her seat. Lee reverses the position and puts Maverick on her back, but Maverick is quick to fight her way back up. Lee takes a page out of the playbook of Brock Lesnar by taking Maverick to Suplex City, and Maverick’s head clatters off the ground but she is no worse for wear. The two women work their way back to their feet, and Maverick flicks out a left hand that reddens Lee’s nose. They trade low kicks, and Lee plants a shin on Maverick’s ribcage. Maverick catches a second such kick and rips the body with a left hand before setting the limb down. Maverick surges forward confidently to wing a left hook over the top, forcing “KGB” to blink it out and reset. Maverick pushes off with a kick to the chest, and she measures another body kick and gets out of range from the counter kick from Lee. Maverick jumps straight ahead winging two hooks, and Lee is barely able to escape in time. Maverick sinks in another left hand and has a foot skim over Lee’s hair before firing off a kick from the other leg that is blocked. Lee tries to throw two high kicks back, and Maverick leans back and retaliates by crashing the pocket for an awkward takedown attempt. Maverick succeeds in tackling Lee to the ground with her arm around Lee’s head, and she lands a few shots on top before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maverick
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Maverick
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Maverick

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle to touch hands, and they get right back to kick one another from a distance. Maverick dips down with a jab to the body and comes up with a left up top to follow. Lee brings a quick foot up to the face, and Maverick blocks it by a whisker and goes back to the body with her shin. Maverick kiais to draw a reaction, and she times a punch and a few kicks after it. Maverick looks to punch her way into a possible level change, but “KGB” sees it coming and backs her away with three jabs and a front kick. Lee doubles up jabs, and Maverick pushes through them in pursuit of a takedown. Before she can get hold of a leg, the two bang into the cage, and Maverick gets a trip and plants the Louisiana native on her back. Maverick lands right in half guard and starts opening up with ground-and-pound slowly and methodically. Lee drags her back to the guard, and she muscles her way back up to her feet by sliding out the back and flipping over the top strangely. They resume striking in kickboxing range, going one after the other, taking turns with their offenses. Maverick lands, Lee fires back, and Maverick comes back her direction. Lee spins with a wheel kick that is well shy of the intended target, and Maverick times an explosion forward to pop Lee with a hard left hand. Maverick sneaks in an uppercut and a left, and she continues to redden Lee’s nose with her blows. Lee jabs and rifles off a body kick, and she hops back as Maverick follows her with a low kick. The two go jab for jab, and Maverick shoots for a single-leg takedown with 10 seconds to spare. Lee tries to flip her over, but this time, Maverick fights through it and turns Lee back over to conclude the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maverick
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Maverick
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Maverick

Round 3

There is a final clap of hands as the they meet in the middle. Lee pushes out a kick, and Maverick ignores it to crack Lee with a step-in elbow. Maverick chains three punches together, steps to the side and kicks Lee in the waist. Lee tries and fails to retaliate with a high kick, and Maverick dips down and connects with two lefts on Lee’s nose. As Lee attempts a hook, Maverick ducks down and wraps her up to try to take the fight into a horizontal position. Lee turns the right way and pushes off to get away, and she sits down with a kick to the body. Maverick pays her right back with a body shot, and the commentary booth drifts into a brief conversation about how she also runs a pickle business (Prowler Pickles) with several different flavors. As the two women continue to trade, Maverick gets the better of the exchanges by just enough, keeping Lee guessing and not absorbing the heavies of the blows. Maverick shoots for a takedown after an exchange, and as soon as she is stuffed, she lets go with a high kick that smashes into Lee’s guard and head. Lee steels herself and fakes so that she can spin with a back fist that connects square on Maverick’s temple. Maverick succeeds in dragging Lee to the mat, and Lee immediately sets up a high guard to potentially set up a triangle choke. Maverick tries to break up the submission, but in turn, falls into a more dangerous spot as Lee fastens up her leg grip around Maverick’s shoulder and neck. Maverick’s corner commands that she does not tap given that there are only a few seconds left in the fight, and Maverick grits it out to reach the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maverick (30-27 Maverick)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lee (29-28 Maverick)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Maverick (30-27 Maverick)

The Official Result

Miranda Maverick def. Andrea Lee via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Oban Elliott (170.5) vs. Valentine Woodburn (169.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Elliott (-290), Woodburn (+235)

Round 1

Keeping things pushing, two natural welterweights meet both searching for their first win in the Octagon. Welshman Elliott (9-2, 0-0 UFC) fooled a few not paying attention into believing he would not make weight, while the stocky Woodburn (7-1, 0-1 UFC) made his way down to 170 pounds with relative ease. Before the feet and fists fly, referee Jonathan Romero checks the fighters in while they share a glove touch. Woodburn practically sprints at his man to start fighting, and Elliott is quick to stifle that by grabbing hold of him, turning him around and kneeing him in the gut. Elliott backs off, measures a head kick and nails Woodburn upside the head, and this only ticks “The Animal” off. Woodburn blitzes with wild hooks, cracking Elliott and hurting him badly, dropping the Welshman to the mat. Woodburn continues throwing until Elliott fights out of a bad position, and he manages to get up and pursue a takedown, where he drags Woodburn to his seat against the fence. Elliott slides around to the back and gets a hook in, and he starts flattening Woodburn out and drilling him on the side of the head with left hands. Woodburn sits up and has to immediately fight off a rear-naked choke attempt from “The Welsh Gangster,” and this only leads to more shots to the side of his head from Elliott. Elliott uses softening punches to mix in submission efforts, and those chokes turn to cranks of any time as Elliott just wants to grip something and torque it. Woodburn defends against the various maneuvers, fighting the hands and staying in the fight even if Elliott is controlling him completely with both hooks in from behind. Elliott jams down an elbow to push Woodburn over, and he climbs into half guard and drops down a few more elbows for good measure. The Welshman shifts into full mount with ease, and he postures up and batters Woodburn with powerful elbows and punches before forcing Woodburn to turn over. Woodburn goes flat as he takes shots, and he grits out a choke attempt and survives to hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Elliott

Round 2

At the beginning of the second round, Woodburn is still sucking wind, and he throws telegraphed strikes when the round begins. Elliott is more composed but willing to engage in a brawl, which is the one place where Woodburn can still hurt him. The Florida native welcomes such an exchange, stinging the Welshman and forcing him to back off and adjust his position. Woodburn slowly meanders forward, lunging into action with three hooks as Elliott grapples him and changes levels in pursuit of a single-leg takedown. Woodburn stands him up with his back to the wall, and Elliott backs off and lands an elbow on the break. Woodburn flails back to little effect, and he takes a flush body kick as he hurls an overhand right that comes up short. Elliott goes after another body kick, and Woodburn looks to catch his kick and throw him to the mat. On the next attempt, Woodburn actually catches it and tosses Elliott down, and he jumps on his back. The fresher Elliott turns the tables and gets Woodburn down, and he sneaks a hook in as he isolates Woodburn’s neck. Woodburn again defends the choke setup, but Elliott is firmly in the driver’s seat when the other hook gets around the waist. Elliott works his foe upside the head with his fists, and he opts to try another choke but there is nothing to it. As Elliott hangs on, the crowd gets bored, and starts booing his controlling effort. As Woodburn slides off the side and gets on top, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Elliott

Round 3

The welterweights have reached the third round, and Woodburn appears less exhausted than in the previous round. The Floridian surges into action with a wild and inaccurate flurry, and Elliott closes the distance to prevent any of the power shots from reaching him cleanly. Woodburn pushes him away, only to eat a few jabs on the way out. They crash together when Woodburn swings for the fences, and he lands a single uppercut only for Elliott to connect with three or four. Elliott leaves a kick out too long, allowing Woodburn to thump him with a big right hand. Elliott shoots in for a single, and he succeeds in scooping Woodburn up and putting him on his back as the crowd voices its disapproval. Elliott controls from a high half guard in hopes of moving into mount, and his offense dwindles while he tries for positional control. The Welshman takes full mount at the midpoint of the round, and he stays tightly pressed to his spent foe rather than posturing up. Elliott drops down a single elbow that gets through, and he sits up to drop down three punches and an elbow to follow. Elliott throws too recklessly while on top, which lets Woodburn slither out and sneak around to take Elliott’s back while Elliott is surprised and on his knees. Elliott stands back up, and Woodburn presses him to the wire and searches for a double-leg takedown. Woodburn drags the Welshman to his knee as he transitions to a single, and Elliott wall-walks back upright. A feeble foot stomp from “The Animal” is all he has the energy to muster, and he clings to Elliott until there are a few seconds left. Woodburn breaks, and he swings inaccurately until the fight comes to a conclusion.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (30-27 Elliott)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (30-27 Elliott)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (30-27 Elliott)

The Official Result

Oban Elliott def. Valentine Woodburn via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Josh Quinlan (169) vs. Danny Barlow (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Barlow (-198), Quinlan (+164)

Round 1

A pair of welterweights picked up from seasons of Dana White’s Contender Series will go hunting in this next outing. Quinlan (6-1, 1 NC; 1-1 UFC) suffered his first career defeat in his last time out, while Barlow (7-0, 0-0 UFC) punched his ticket to the promotion by smoking Raheam Forest in 79 seconds less than five months ago. Both men prefer the knockout, so referee Jason Herzog needs to keep his head on a swivel for as long as this lasts. There is no plan on a glove touch, as Barlow sprints out of his corner and pulls back right at the last second of engagement. Quinlan allows him to pull back so that he can toss out a low kick and a high kick. Barlow responds with a quick jab, and he doubles up on it and brings up a knee when Quinlan comes towards him. As Quinlan advances that again, Barlow is once more ready to attack with a jump knee. Quinlan reaches out and misses with an overhand right, but his body kick does connect. Barlow slides into position with a low kick, a shovel uppercut of a jab and another leg kick on the way out. Barlow threatens with a jump knee, and Quinlan allows it to bounce off his raised guard. Quinlan whips out a left hook that bounces off the temple, and he targets a second that breezes past Barlow’s hairline. Barlow’s guard is up well in time to defend a high kick, but it does not block the body kick that comes shortly thereafter. Barlow takes a punch on the chin to fire back two jabs and a left hand, and Quinlan resets. Barlow swings a left hook at an advancing Quinlan, but it is Quinlan who lands the flush left. Barlow backs him off with a jump knee, and Quinlan times this leap by firing off a right hand as if he wanted to reenact Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski. Barlow does not go down, and instead starts pitching jabs until he steps in with a knee. Barlow reaches out and his thumb jams into Quinlan’s eye, and Quinlan shakes his head and is allowed 20 seconds to recover before he tells Herzog he is good to go. Quinlan loads up on shots when resuming, bloodying up Barlow’s mouth in an exchange. Barlow concludes the round by surging forward with several punches, a leaping knee, and a few more straight strikes upon landing.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barlow
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Barlow
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Barlow

Round 2

To start off the second round, the welterweights meet in the middle, and Quinlan tosses out a high kick to reintroduce himself. Barlow stays on his back foot, evading the strikes that follow, and he sets up and chambers two body kicks one after the other. Quinlan jabs his way forward and wings a right hook that buzzes past his man, and the two slow down in a pace that is more jab-centric than power shots. One after the other they trade single strikes, pawing at one another with less than full power. Barlow swats out with a left hand that looks like he was holding an imaginary axe, and Quinlan ignores it to throw back at him. Quinlan sits down on a solid left hand, and Barlow tanks it without batting an eye and continues to march forward. Quinlan gets off two hooks, and Barlow scores a right hand that makes Quinlan clutch his eye. Barlow celebrates this with a jump knee that ricochets off Quinlan’s midsection, and he lands and triples up on a lab and a left hand. Quinlan responds with a kick that smashes about as cleanly into Barlow’s groin as a kick could, and Barlow bends over and groans as Herzog calls time and tells Barlow to take time to recover. Barlow uses a little under a minute before getting back to it, and when they re-engage, they throw huge shots at one another. Quinlan jumps forward and fires off a body kick, and both men follow this with solid punch combinations. Barlow gets the better of a pair of exchanges, ringing Quinlan’s bell and forcing a shot out of him. Barlow sprawls effectively to shut the takedown down completely, and he stands Quinlan up with a knee to the sternum. Barlow follows his man around, landing shots on the temple that have opened a trickle of blood on the side of his head. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barlow
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Barlow
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Barlow

Round 3

Before they start off, Herzog goes to each man to warn them for low blows, as Barlow appeared to have gotten one back that went uncalled during a flurry. When they get back to business, the action picks up as both men trade leather. Barlow mixes his jump knees into punch salvos, while Quinlan prepares looping shots that manage to get around the guard. Barlow has another flying knee go past his man, and when he recovers, he loads up on power shots that knock Quinlan clean off his feet. Quinlan, barely in the fight, is surviving as he lays on his back kicking upwards to keep Barlow from jackhammering him further. Quinlan manages to kick off and get back up, and the second he returns to his feet, he is practically tackled over and hurt once more by a big left hand from “Left Hand 2 God.” Barlow does not let him off the hook, and even though Quinlan grits his teeth and powers back to his feet once more, it is only a matter of time. Barlow clubs him mercilessly as Quinlan pinballs off the fencing, and Herzog realizes that the bloodied and swollen Quinlan has nothing more to offer and is just taking unnecessary damage at this point. The victorious Barlow celebrates his handiwork by hitting a picture-perfect back flip, and he remains undefeated as he claims a knockout in his promotional debut.

The Official Result

Danny Barlow def. Josh Quinlan R3 1:18 via TKO (Punches)

Mingyang Zhang (204.5) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (205.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Zhang (-142), Ribeiro (+120)

Round 1

Opening up the ESPN prelims is likely to be an explosive one, as these two fighters come in with 31 finishes across their 31 pro wins. Zhang (16-6, 1-0 UFC) worked his way to the UFC courtesy of a spot on the Road to UFC qualifier, and Ribeiro (15-5, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) is yet another DWCS pickup. With the majority of their combined victories via first-round stoppage, referee Mike Beltran cannot take his eyes off the prize for even a second. The light heavyweights hesitantly touch ‘em up, and Zhang moves forward to kick low to start off. Ribeiro swings for the bleachers, and when he comes up short, Zhang boots him in the ribs. Ribeiro flicks out a jab that stings Zhang, and Ribeiro is quick to follow with a one-two that stuns him and draws a smile from the Chinese contender. Ribeiro unloads a pair of punches, and Zhang stands right in front of him and is ready to hurl back with bad intentions. Ribeiro bloodies up Zhang’s mouth, and they both hurl huge shots at one another. Zhang takes a right hand on the eye socket, and he raises his arm to call time. Beltran tells him to keep fighting, and fight he does. Zhang sticks out a jab, wings a right hook and chains it into a ferocious left hook that all land cleanly, and Ribeiro might be out before the back of his head bounces of the canvas. Just to seal the deal, Zhang drives down three jackhammering hammerfists, and Beltran recognizes that Ribeiro’s goose is cooked and waves the fight off. In the hierarchy of the jungle, “Mountain Tiger” destroyed “Gorilla” tonight.

The Official Result

Mingyang Zhang def. Brendson Ribeiro R1 1:41 via KO (Punches)

Rinya Nakamura (135.5) vs. Carlos Vera (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nakamura (-1100), Vera (+700)

Round 1

On late notice, Fury FC veteran Vera (11-3, 0-0 UFC) will draw the unfortunate honor of making his promotional debut against Japanese buzzsaw Nakamura (8-0, 4-0 UFC). The latter sees betting odds as high as -1500 depending on the book, but in the sport of MMA, anything can and often does happen. Whether the tremendous upset takes place or the matchup is a foregone conclusion, referee Jonathan Romero will take it as seriously as any other contest. Serious as can be, Nakamura comes out of his corner stone faced, and does not offer a glove touch. Vera spins with a back kick to lead the dance, and Nakamura grabs him and tosses him to the ground. When he hits the mat, the 50/50 BJJ grappler snatches up a leglock on his opponent. Nakamura keeps himself upright and hops around, before turning to the side and lowering himself down to break out of the submission. Nakamura lands a single standing-to-ground punch before Vera hunts for another leglock, and Nakamura breaks out of it with hefty ground-and-pound. Vera tries to isolate Nakamura’s knee, but the youngster is having none of it as he slugs his way out of submission danger. Vera pops him with a clean upkick before Nakamura drops down, and he finds himself in awkward positions and strange exchanges as he makes his way to side control. Vera flips over to one direction, and then to his back as he keeps his feet pressed on Nakamura’s chest. Nakamura springs around from one side to the other effortlessly, and he tosses aside any maneuver Vera attempts so he can shift into half guard. Vera intentionally turns to the side to offer up his back, and he tries to time a submission to trap his opponent in the process. Nakamura does not bite on it, and instead proceeds to drum out the round with some heavy shots.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura

Round 2

The second round kicks off with Vera attempting a big kick. Nakamura dips out of the way and lets Vera kick him again so he can grab the leg and take Vera down. Vera’s leglock setup does not fluster Nakamura this time, and the Japanese wrestler shifts from position to position and thwarts Vera from standing up. Vera looks for upkicks as he has nothing else to work with while Nakamura lords over him, and Nakamura settles down for the half guard and follows Vera around to take his back. Vera turns to his knees as he defends the rear-naked choke, and the scrambles continue, with Nakamura one step ahead every time. Nakamura attempts an arm-triangle, but Vera rolls out of it. As Vera attempts to escape, Nakamura mat returns him back down and smacks him up with a few ground shots. Nakamura rides out the rest of the round, and the crowd showers the two fighters with boos.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura

Round 3

While it is Nakamura who is aggressive first, Vera strikes first with kicks. Nakamura shrugs it off and answers with a left hook, and he aims a high kick at the potentially damaged right shoulder of his opponent. Vera spins with a wheel kick, and he falls to his back. Nakamura chases him down and hammers him with a few punches, and he follows the scrambling Vera around while keeping control of his back. Vera works his way upright, and Nakamura knees him in the face before dragging him down once more. Nakamura loads up on a powerful right hand from a high altitude, but it is one-and-done as he closes in tight. Vera finds an angle to attack the leg, and as soon as he gets hold of it, Nakamura is able to break out of it. Vera chains an inverted triangle afterwards, only for Nakamura to shrug it off without much concern. Vera rolls for a leglock once more, and Nakamura pulls himself out and grabs the fence to free himself of the danger. Nakamura spins around and wrenches his limb free, and he lands a few punches as the pace slows once more. The fighters find themselves in awkward positions as they continue to grapple, and Nakamura is always moving and never stuck in a disadvantageous position. The lackluster fight comes to a close, and boos rain down in the building while Vera lays on his back and clutches his shoulder.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura (30-27 Nakamura)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura (30-27 Nakamura)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nakamura (30-27 Nakamura)

The Official Result

Rinya Nakamura def. Carlos Vera via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Marcos Rogerio de Lima (261.5) vs. Junior Tafa (249)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: NA

Round 1

In something never before seen in the Octagon, brother will replace brother in a match. On weigh-in day, Justin Tafa was expected to be facing Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1, 10-7 UFC). Due to an unexpected injury and some speedy negotiations, the Brazilian will now collide with Junior Tafa (5-1, 1-1 UFC) instead. Life finds a way. Referee Frank Trigg is ready for this heavyweight slobberknocker to get underway, and Tafa stretches his arm out to get a glove touch before getting after it. Rogerio de Lima scores first with a low kick as he backs Tafa to the wall, and when Tafa reaches out with a jab, Rogerio de Lima connects with a second and then a third. Tafa switches stances and lands the single jab, and he hops away from a sweeping leg kick. The kicks are already having an effect on his opponent, and Rogerio de Lima recognizes that. Rogerio de Lima backs off, connects with a few punches and assaults the lead wheel with another kick, and Tafa’s leg nearly gives out beneath him. Tafa hops around, and instead of getting away, Rogerio de Lima pushes after him with a clinch. Tafa welcomes this so he can recover, and when they eventually break, Tafa plods forward to throw haymakers with anything he has left. Rogerio de Lima belts him with another pair of leg kicks, and Tafa backs up to the wall and waves him on. The Brazilian swarms him with punches and body shots, and he shoots in for a double that he completes with relative ease. Rogerio de Lima lands on top in half guard, maintaining heavy top pressure and bopping Tafa with his left hand when he finds an opening. Rogerio de Lima smothers his man until Tafa sits up. Rogerio de Lima considers a choke from an unusual position, and Tafa breaks out, relatively speaking, so he can swing a heavy hand at his opponent. Rogerio de Lima does not like this, so he lowers his chest down to squeeze on Tafa. The grind carries out until the horn bleats.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rogerio de Lima

Round 2

Tafa struggles to get back to his feet at the end of the last round, but after a minute to recover, he appears fresh enough to continue. Tafa wades forward, and Rogerio de Lima intercepts him with a calf kick and pushes him down with his fists. Tafa switches to southpaw to protect his wrecked leg, and he lunges forward with an inaccurate punch that allows Rogerio de Lima the close proximity to grab him and shove him to the fencing. Tafa turns around and lands a body shot before pushing away, and he lets his hands go with a mighty right hand. Rogerio de Lima delivers a harsh calf kick that collapses Tafa’s lead leg, and he looks to Trigg to wave the fight off. Trigg watches on without jumping in, so Rogerio de Lima decides to jump on top and pound away with hammerfists until Trigg calls it. Tafa fought valiantly, but his replacement effort proved unsuccessful.

The Official Result

Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Junior Tafa R2 1:14 via TKO (Leg Kick and Punches)

Amanda Lemos (115.5) vs. Mackenzie Dern (116)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lemos (-130), Dern (+110)

Round 1

Power striker meets submission grappler in the preliminary headliner in a match that could easily headline some random Fight Night event at the Apex or in Salt Lake City, for example. The heavy-handed Lemos (13-3-1, 7-3 UFC) would like nothing more than to replicate the recent success that Jessica Andrade had against Dern (13-4, 8-4 UFC), and she will have 15 minutes or less to get that done. There is a quick acknowledgement in the form of a clap of hands between the strawweights as referee Mike Beltran watches on. Lemos reaches out first with a left hook, and Dern races forward with reckless punches. Lemos blasts her in the body with a kick, and Dern eats a one-two that makes her smile. Lemos spins around and darts in and out to not get trapped by Dern, and she beats the grappler to the punch with a short combination and strafes to the side to escape any counter. Dern swarms forward with inaccurate punches, and her leg buckles as a couple low kicks from Lemos have done some serious damage already. Dern stays on her feet, and she parries a front kick but absorbs a clean calf kick that spins her all the way around. Dern absorbs another flush body kick on her way in, and Lemos is seeing everything thrown her way and avoiding practically all of the strikes. Lemos overswings with a right hand, and Dern’s eyes light up as she shoots in for a double and takes Lemos clean off her feet. Dern climbs into side control, with her hips against the cage, until she starts isolating an arm-triangle choke. Dern gives up the choke so she can claim mount, and Lemos fights off the positional change to keep Dern in half guard. Lemos drag herself against the cage so she can sit up, and Dern smacks her in the face with a number of left hands before pulling Lemos back down. Dern looks to trap Lemos’ arm down so she can step over for a potential crucifix or arm-triangle, and Lemos wriggles it free and threatens with a low-percentage choke off her back. Dern completely ignores it, and Lemos gets a butterfly hook in so she can push Dern off of her. Lemos elevates Dern but is unable to sweep her fully, and she hangs on to end the round that could go either way depending on what is valued greater.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lemos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lemos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern

Round 2

The ladies meet in the middle and clap hands to start off the second round, and Lemos leads off with a thudding body kick. Lemos kicks the other side with her lead leg, and she pushes out a front kick that Dern swats away. Lemos hacks at the lead leg, and Dern stumbles forward and swings her fists. Lemos counters with a brilliant right hand to stun Dern completely and drop her to her knees. As Dern gets up, she turns her back to get away. Lemos chases after her and drills her with a few punches until Dern falls to the ground. Dern climbs back up, and Lemos storms forward with a bombardment of punches. As Lemos lays into her, a few particularly nasty punches smash into her face, and Dern crumbles to her back in serious pain from either her nose or orbital. Lemos hammers her with fists, and Beltran is watching closely but he does not wave the fight off as Dern ties her up. Lemos backs off, and she allows Dern to get back up after dodging a few upkicks. Dern’s right eye swells up and is in a bad way as she gets to her feet, and Lemos is complacent for a second as Dern cracks her in the face with an overhand right. Dern takes a breath, and Lemos chops down the tree again with a kick that nearly fells her opponent. Dern gathers her thoughts and dodges a leg kick by a matter of inches. Lemos winds up with a right hook, and she hurts Dern again but does not slow her. Dern plods forward in pursuit of a takedown, and Lemos bounces off the wall and reverses her to put Dern on her back. Dern welcomes this, so she can set up an armbar off her back practically as soon as she hits the ground. Dern uses the posture to sweep “Amandinha,” and she clings to Lemos and lands a single punch before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Lemos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Lemos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Lemos

Round 3

The two women embrace to start off the last round, and Dern is fired up despite the serious damage shown on her face. Dern attacks with a huge right hand, and a shocked Lemos bounces off the cage and hits the ground. Lemos jumps back up, and Dern sprints towards her for a takedown attempt. Lemos turns her around like the last round to dump Dern on her back, and Dern pulls guard to make sure they hit the ground. Dern attempts an armbar to surprise her opponent, and she pulls on the fence and is warned for it. Lemos punches her way out of it, and Dern transitions to a leglock. Lemos keeps her weight down to stifle the leglock, but Dern turns to the side and isolates it to attempt a kneebar. Lemos crosses her legs to thwart the sub attempt, and Dern uses the opportunity to shift over to the top. Dern releases the leglock so she can indeed get on top, and she hops into mount before moving to half guard on the other side. Dern smothers in top position, keeping Lemos stuck on her back while opening up with punches. A desperate Lemos sits up, but Dern is quick to drag her down and turn her so that she cannot wall-walk. Dern drives down a right hand, and Lemos calmly works her back to her feet. Dern snags hold of a single, and Lemos circles around and continues to fight on the floor with the acclaimed grappler. Lemos stacks Dern up and slugs her in the face a few times, and she fights off one final leglock effort as the horn sounds. Scorecards could go either way, and a draw might even be in play.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dern (29-27 Lemos)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dern (29-27 Lemos)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern (28-28)

The Official Result

Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Anthony Hernandez (185.5) vs. Roman Kopylov (185)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Hernandez (-205), Kopylov (+170)

Round 1

To kick off the main card, two middleweights that struggled early on in their UFC tenures only to figure things out as they went along will come crashing into one another. One of these four-fight win streaks will come to a grinding halt, whether it is wild submission specialist Hernandez (11-2, 1 NC; 5-2 UFC) or knockout artist Kopylov (12-2, 4-2 UFC). In their last eight outings, the two men have combined for seven finishes, so referee Jason Herzog needs to be on his A-game from here on out. There is a show of respect as the two decide to touch gloves before engaging. The two toss leg kicks at one another to immediately engage, and Hernandez dives forward after a low leg only to get stood up by the Russian. Hernandez threatens with another takedown to keep Kopylov guessing, and when that comes up short, Kopylov kicks him in the lead calf. Kopylov intercepts Hernandez coming in with a straight left hand, and he lands a solid body kick that draws a wince out of “Fluffy.” Kopylov just misses with a massive head kick, and Hernandez continues to put his foot on the gas even if he is throwing far less volume. Kopylov scores another body kick, and Hernandez races at him to get hold of a takedown, but that is also rebuffed. Kopylov bounces off and drives a one-two on the chin, and Hernandez tries to fires back and reaches him with an overhand right. Kopylov gets off a low kick and a right hand over the top, and his body kick that follows lands with emphasis. Kopylov remains busy even when on his bike, and he stops only to defend a single from “Fluffy.” Hernandez drags his man to one knee, but he cannot keep him there. Kopylov jabs until he is backed off from a right hand, and Hernandez gives chase and scores a right hook before diving after a double. Kopylov defends against it, and Hernandez changes to a single as he pushes Kopylov into the wall. Kopylov keeps his balance despite the numerous attempts, and he bounces off the fence to stay on his feet when Hernandez redoubles his effort. Hernandez doggedly looks for takedowns, and when stood up, he rips an elbow before shooting low again. Kopylov thwarts him, so Hernandez changes his strategy to just try to toss him down with a body lock. Kopylov spins all the way around but does not go down, and Hernandez knees him high and elbows him a few times before one final shot at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov

Round 2

The middleweights touch ‘em up to start off the second stanza, and Hernandez reaches out early with a swatting right hand. Kopylov retaliates with a thudding kick to the ribs, and Hernandez darts forward to jab the body. Kopylov digs a left to the body, and Hernandez grins but might have been hurt with it. Hernandez continues to pour on his pressure and offense, walking through shots and allowing himself to get hit so he can strike back. Kopylov stuns him with a body kick, and he lands a few additional shots, fires off a head kick that bounces off the guard and scores one more kick to the ribs. Hernandez sticks his tongue out, and he wades forward for a takedown. Kopylov plants his shin on Hernandez’ belly while Hernandez is shooting, and Hernandez partially gets Kopylov down but cannot quite ground him completely. Hernandez gets stonewalled, and he threatens with a guillotine before dropping down to scoop up the Russian’s legs and plat him on the mat. Hernandez instantly starts fishing for a neck crank, with a rear-naked choke grip not in play. Kopylov defends the hands, but Hernandez wraps both hooks around the waist and squeezes with all his might and pulls back. Kopylov is in grave danger, and he toughs it out and signals a thumbs-up to show he is still in it. Hernandez sees this gesture and adjusts his grip to the other side, where his forearm slices beneath the chin. This time, it is done, and Hernandez knows it as he grins to the camera and nods. Hernandez squeezes and waits, and Kopylov thinks about going out on his shield but taps out instead. An elated Hernandez points to his corner as soon as he releases the grip, and he chucks his mouthpiece in a celebratory gesture after a big victory.

The Official Result

Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov R2 3:23 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Merab Dvalishvili (135) vs. Henry Cejudo (135)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dvalishvili (-198), Cejudo (+164)

Round 1

There is the real potential for a “passing of the torch” moment in this bantamweight contest, as the younger, surging wild man Dvalishvili (16-4, 9-2 UFC) will try with all his might to earn an ever-elusive title shot with a victory. To get to the pinnacle, he will need to charge through former two-division kingpin Cejudo (16-3, 10-3 UFC), who has gone 6-1 in his last seven but has openly discussed retirement should he lose tonight. Whether he has one foot out the door already, referee Jonathan Romero will be there to make sure that this contest is above board and can have no complaints when the dust settles. A bit of bad blood developed between the two, but they still elect to touch ‘em up to start things off. Dvalishvili springs from side to side, away from an early low kick, and they bounce to and fro from one another. Dvalishvili spins with a wheel kick that misses by a mile, and he grins. Dvalishvili misses with a second, but it is much closer this time. Dvalishvili throws a standard low kick, and it slaps off the lead leg. Cejudo ducks down and wings two punches, and they crash together swinging hands. Dvalishvili goofs off, tossing another half-hearted spin kick, and Cejudo bites down on his mouthpiece and slugs Dvalishvili in the jaw. Dvalishvili stumbles back, hurt but not in big trouble, takes a second to recover as Cejudo does not pursue him recklessly. Cejudo catches Dvalishvili in the chin coming at him after Dvalishvili gets his wits, and Dvalishvili shoots for a single and whips the Olympic gold medalist in wrestling to the mat. Cejudo climbs back up, and Dvalishvili dings him with a short left hook as Cejudo is escaping. Dvalishvili lets a right hand go, stinging Cejudo and leading to a level change, and Cejudo hits the takedown and puts “The Machine” on his back. Dvalishvili tries to isolate an arm and uses two-on-one wrist control to keep Cejudo from landing anything of merit from above, and Cejudo considers an arm-triangle choke and elects to smack Dvalishvili in the face a few times. Dvalishvili scrambles, and Cejudo takes his back with Dvalishvili on his knees. Dvalishvili sells out by rolling to the side, and Cejudo follows him as they stand back up. Cejudo clings to the surging fighter from behind, kneeing him in the thigh and grinding him on the fence until Dvalishvili spins around, his back to the fence. Cejudo catches him with a knee on the break, and he backs off before Dvalishvili can reach him. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cejudo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Cejudo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cejudo

Round 2

The two race to the center of the cage, and Dvalishvili takes it and bounces on his heels to potentially threaten level changes. Dvalishvili prods out a front kick, and Cejudo whiffs on a right hand counter. Cejudo sneaks in a left, and he backs away as they trade low kicks. Cejudo snatches up a single, and Dvalishvili turns the corner and briefly has Dvalishvili’s back. Dvalishvili spins around and gets away, and the two trade hands until Cejudo shoots again. Dvalishvili stuffs him and walks him down, but Cejudo is right there to swing with everything he has. Cejudo drops down for a single, and he abandons it to smack Dvalishvili with a left hand. Dvalishvili winds up with a power punch, and he rattles the former two-division champ as they trade leather. Cejudo ties him up just long enough to take a breath and split up, and he leaps forward to lance a left to the body. Dvalishvili retaliates immediately with two up top and one to the body, and he drops down for his own single. Cejudo hops around until getting dumped on his back, and Cejudo checks on the clock that says 2:30. Dvalishvili controls him from behind while Cejudo is on his knees, and Cejudo scoots himself to the fencing and wall-walks to get up. Cejudo grabs the fence a few times, spins around, and Dvalishvili is relentless at the takedown that he manages to yank Cejudo back down. Cejudo muscles his way back to his feet, and he fires off a low kick and a right hand. One after another they throw, although Dvalishvili appears to be fresh as when he started while Cejudo may be running low on steam. They clash chests together, and Dvalishvili wrenches him down and knees him in the head a few times before Cejudo lowers himself to his knees to stop the strikes. Dvalishvili grabs hold of a power guillotine choke, and he nods at people outside of the cage and starts talking to them as he continues to squeeze the choke. Before he can get a tap or put Cejudo out, the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili

Round 3

The last round kicks off—it is unfortunate they only have three rounds to work and not five—with a spinning wheel kick from the Georgian. Cejudo winds up a few leg kicks, and he reaches out with a big right over the top that bounces off the shoulder. Dvalishvili big-brothers Cejudo to the wall and starts kneeing him repeatedly, and Cejudo’s left forearm has swelled up significantly. Cejudo escapes and gets back to throwing hands, but Dvalishvili beats him to the punch and hunts for a takedown. Cejudo stands upright and swings back with a vengeance, but the strikes are telegraphed and Dvalishvili’s volume is significantly higher at this point. Dvalishvili pops out jabs, and he drops down low for a single and lets go so he can punch and kick. Cejudo lands a stern leg kick, and the hands fly again. Cejudo takes a step back, and Dvalishvili grins. “The Machine” lifts Cejudo off the ground and puts him over his shoulder like a sack of Country Breakfasts, and he hurls Cejudo down to the ground in front of VIPs in the crowd. Dvalishvili laughs and continues to put on a show as he is running over the former two-division champ, and he pushes Cejudo down to completely stifle him. Cejudo gets away and avoids a trip, and he lumbers forward throwing hands. Dvalishvili welcomes this so he can swing back, and Cejudo sells out for a single. Dvalishvili stops it and backs away raising his arms in the air to celebrate a fight he believes he has won. When time expires, the Georgian climbs up and over the cage to high-five Mark Zuckerberg, who is sitting cageside.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili (29-28 Dvalishvili)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili (29-28 Dvalishvili)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dvalishvili (29-28 Dvalishvili)

The Official Result

Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Geoff Neal (170.5) vs. Ian Garry (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Garry (-225), Neal (+185)

Round 1

A pivotal welterweight showdown will serve as the “featured fight of the night,” as the potential for one more undefeated contender rising up the ranks might be in contention soon. Neal (15-5, 7-3 UFC) would like to do nothing more than stop the brash unbeaten Irishman Garry (13-0, 6-0 UFC) from taking his spot in the difficult-to-break-into rankings, and there has been plenty of trash talk and some really personal topics leading up to this fight. Referee Frank Trigg will not suffer fools lightly, and he will ensure there is no funny business in this major battle. After some consideration, the fighters touch gloves. Neal circles around early to find a read, while Garry stands in the middle of the cage. Neal lands first with an inside low kick, and Garry pushes him away with a responsive front kick. Neal scores a calf kick on the outside and keeps circling, and Garry whips a kick up high that clatters off the guard. Neal continues to work the lead leg of the taller man, and he walks through a front kick as he keeps moving. Neal walks his man down with his hands low, and he secures a body kick and is away from any counters. Garry digs a body shot and counters Neal with an overhand left, but his lead leg is kicked again. Neal comes up short on a big right hand, and Garry smiles at him and offers a high-five. Garry drives forward a knee and lets go with an elbow from up close to force a brief retreat. Neal charges into the melee with a long left and a right, bouncing Garry’s head off the fence as the Irishman recovers. Neal presses him tightly against the wall, and he thwarts a spin and break from Garry as he knees him in the upper thigh. Garry rushes away, and Neal follows him with a big left hand. Garry responds with a body kick and a step-in knee, followed by a right hand. Neal steels himself and lashes out with two hands, and Garry circles away and stomp kicks his knee. Garry tosses out a high kick and a front kick, and he knees Neal in the guard. Neal gives chase, and Garry kicks him in the ribs. Neal reaches him with a left hand, and this close one ends with Neal giving chase.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Neal
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Neal
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Neal

Round 2

The second round opens tentatively, as Garry uses his long leg reach to keep the boxer at bay. Garry dips to the side as Neal ducks down, and they reset with Neal aiming a kick low. Garry slams his shin on the side of his opponent, and he is ready to intercept Neal with a big knee. Neal shoots for a possible takedown, where he jams the Irishman up against the wall as he cannot get the fight down. Neal sneaks in a few short shots when up close, and the crowd grows restless at the lack of activity. Garry answers their pleas to do something by moving away, and he launches a kick up high at Neal’s barely raised guard. Neal connects with a single left hand, but Garry stands form and aims another loud kick to the side. Garry sticks out a kick to the knee and a front kick to follow, and Neal swipes out with a left and a right before clinching up again. The two men twirl around, and Neal lands an uppercut on the break. Neal crowds him with three punches, and Garry backs away as his mouth starts bleeding. Neal plods forward, and Garry strafes to the side to avoid any further damage. Garry comes up missing the park on a pair of punches, but his body kick and knee to the jaw land effectively. Neal cracks his man with four punches, and he backs off when he gets caught with one. Garry congratulates him with a brief glove touch, and Neal whips a kick at him. Garry offers another tap of gloves, and Neal charges at him, his hands swinging, and he connects on the chin again. They break apart, and the extremely close round ends. It could go either way so far.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garry
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Garry
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Garry

Round 3

There is a glove touch to begin the last round, and Garry is chattering at his opponent. Neal ignores it and races into action, swinging with a big punch that misses and ultimately bumping into Garry. Neal slides back as Garry reaches him to the body, and when Garry lands a second rib cracker, Neal lays into his foe’s midsection with a short salvo. Neal drops his hands as he wades forward, and his low kick lands a few times. Garry jabs him back, and he jumps with a knee up the middle. Neal meanders forward to score a single left hook, and he appears frustrated and it is unclear his fatigue level. Neal blocks a body kick, and he blitzes to land a left hand that leads to another clinch. Neal imposes his weight until Garry squirms away, and he pushes out a one-two. Neal stands him up with a straight left hand, and he looks to push past Garry’s outstretched arm but walks into a one-two and stern knee. Neal’s chin holds up tough after taking those blows, and Garry aims another clean kick to the body. Neal skips forward and ducks his face down into a knee, and he tries to corner the Irishman but is not able to cut him off. Garry jabs and knees, staying on his bike and not letting Neal catch him clean. The crowd lets Garry know that it does not approve of his retreating, and Neal agrees as he gives chase and throws caution to the wind. Neal catches Garry a couple times, but the clinch is where he resides after a good left. Garry drills Neal with an elbow on the break, and Neal raises his arm in the air before time expires. The welterweight contest comes to a close, and it may not have lived up to the high expectations set before it took place.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garry (29-28 Garry)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Garry (29-28 Garry)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Garry (29-28 Garry)

The Official Result

Ian Garry def. Geoff Neal via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs. Paulo Costa (185.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Whittaker (-225), Costa (+185)

Round 1

For the co-main event, the particulars of this middleweight matchup are extremely close. Separated by four months in age, one inch in both height and reach—but not both for one man—and very similar takedown defense rates, Whittaker (24-7, 15-5 UFC) vs. Costa (14-2, 6-2 UFC) appears to be a quite well-matched fight. Both men do prefer to end fights via knockout, but it has been since 2017 for the former and 2018 for the latter to procure a stoppage via strikes. Knowing this could go the long haul but be quite a fun one, referee Mike Beltran dons his hard hat. Both men are incredibly intense and do not touch gloves, and instead they go right after it. Perhaps having studied the strategy of Israel Adesanya against Costa, Whittaker goes right to low kick after low kick. Costa throws back with a left hand that reddens up Whittaker’s cheek, and he blocks a big high kick in the nick of time. Costa checks a leg kick, but Whittaker continues to target the lead wheel. Costa attacks another head kick, and Whittaker sees it coming and defends it, but the sheer impact knocks him to the side. Costa’s power punches redden up Whittaker’s face, and Whittaker goes after another kick down low. Costa partially checks it, and his leg begins to swell. Whittaker dips back to counter a lunging Costa with a big right, and when Costa strikes back, Whittaker beans him with a left hook. Costa stuns Whittaker with a straight left hand, but Whittaker rushes at him and tags him with a few punches. Costa smiles and laughs, and Whittaker punches him in the face again a few times. Whittaker blitzes with a right hand and a harsh calf kick, and Costa is struggling to plant on the lead leg after about three minutes as his shin swells. Costa prepares to check another kick, and he leans to the proper direction as a blazing fast right hand from the Aussie soars past him. Costa eats a sharp jab and walks into a second, and he flicks out a power jab in response. Whittaker charges with a right down hand down the middle, and Costa smiles. “Bobby Knuckles” scores a low kick on one leg, and when Costa switches stances, Whittaker lands one on the other side. Costa allows Whittaker to crowd him with offense so he can dig some body shots, but he does not escape unscathed as Whittaker targets him up top. Whittaker kicks him in the chest with a side kick, and Costa spins suddenly with a wheel kick that rings the former champ’s bell. Whittaker, hurt and wobbled like a baby deer, bites down on his mouthguard and swings for the fences. The round ends with the two middleweights brawling, and that single power strike might have stolen the Brazilian the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Costa

Round 2

Whittaker comes out of his corner no worse the wear, and his sea legs appear to be beneath him. Whittaker goes after low kicks and connects with a few punches up top. Costa responds with his own calf kick and a right hand, and he zooms up a head kick from his lead leg that slams into Whittaker’s guard. Costa snaps the head back with a jab, and Whittaker gives him two back to think about. Whittaker kicks Costa upside the head, and Costa eats it and sticks his tongue out. Costa connects with a vicious leg kick, and Whittaker’s lead leg is welting up as well. Whittaker responds immediately with his own calf kick, and a responding jab from Costa busts up the former champ’s nose. Costa keeps pushing out the jab, intercepting Whittaker until his thumb slides out and jabs into Whittaker’s eye. Costa smiles sheepishly, and Whittaker gets a pause. Whittaker wants to get right back to it, and he drives kicks into Costa’s lead leg on the restart and swings hard up high. Costa continues to jab up his foe’s bloody mug, but Whittaker is outlanding him and doing so with power. Whittaker rolls his shoulder to move with a punch, and he staggers Costa with a right hand and a thudding calf kick. Whittaker winds up with a power right hand, and a left that follows gives Costa further pause. Whittaker delivers a vicious kick to the same spot, and he unloads with a combination that knock Costa’s head around like a heavy bag. Costa waves him on, but Whittaker does not bite and instead settles back down to chipping and working on the lead leg. Costa goes up high twice with two kicks that are blocked, and he hops back to avoid the brunt of a leg kick and a right hand. Whittaker gets off a side kick to the torso, and Costa prods out a jab to back Whittaker off. Costa whips a kick right by Whittaker’s beard, and he absorbs a flush low kick that makes his leg wobble. Whittaker hits Costa with everything he has, but the Brazilian just absorbs it and smiles. Costa wanders forward, but the round ends before he can reach out with anything.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker

Round 3

The last round opens with Costa running out to the center of the cage, and he lets go with a one-two. Whittaker shrugs it off and powers out a pair of jabs. Costa jabs the body back, and he swipes out with a calf kick that breezes past the front leg. Whittaker darts out with a left hook that lands on the temple, and the two clash with kicks at the same time. Whittaker’s jab is finding its home, and his leg kick does as well. Costa connects with a stern low kick, and Whittaker crowds him and cracks him with a huge right hand. Costa goes back to the leg kick, and Whittaker bounces back away from the looping shots that come at him. Costa drives a knee to the chest to get Whittaker’s attention, and they crash together and disengage. Whittaker checks a kick and stumbles Costa with a left hook, but Costa recovers himself and eats another left hand. Whittaker races forward with a fierce right hand, and Costa’s chin is granite as he takes these shots that would fell heavyweights. Costa takes a hard leg kick and points at the groin to draw a brawl, and Whittaker does not throw his game plan in the trash and swing recklessly. They trade leg kicks, and Costa pushes out a front kick. Whittaker reaches out with two left hands, and he blocks a head kick that flies at him. Whittaker gets off another swiping left, and he pokes a jab out to follow before nearly kicking out Costa’s lead leg. Costa strikes with a jab, and Whittaker does the same and dips a hook. Whittaker snaps the head back with a jab, and Costa is right there in his face to jab him back. Costa attempts another spinning wheel kick, but he misses, and Whittaker makes him pay with a short combination. Whittaker lashes out with another brief combo, and they both unleash fiery kicks that land at the same time. These two are going strike for strike as time ticks off the clock in this absolute blood and guts affair, and the damage from Whittaker’s blows have finally drawn some blood. Whittaker wings a left hand, and his leaping strikes find the mark as he backs off to avoid counters. Costa walks through a few left hands, and he fires off a high kick. Whittaker shoots for a takedown, bails on it, and comes up top with two mighty hooks. Both middleweights raise their arms after a terrific hard-fought battle, and time expires. This was worth the wait.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker (29-28 Whittaker)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker (29-28 Whittaker)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Whittaker (29-28 Whittaker)

The Official Result

Robert Whittaker def. Paulo Costa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

UFC Featherweight Title Fight:
Alexander Volkanovski (144.5) vs. Ilia Topuria (144.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Volkanovski (-118), Topuria (-102)

Round 1

We have reached the marquee matchup of the evening, and it is one that fight fans have been waiting patiently to watch for several months. Unable to secure a second title, Volkanovski (26-3, 13-2 UFC) will have to make do with attempting the sixth defense of his featherweight throne. Much has been said about his age, having recently turned 35, and he steered into it on fight week by donning an “Old Man Volk” persona. Eight years the junior of the champ, full of vinegar and that other thing, fired up unbeaten Topuria (14-0, 6-0 UFC) wants that gold belt, and to claim it he will have to become the first fighter to defeat Volkanovski at 145 pounds. No matter how this fight plays out, referee Jason Herzog will take care of the proceedings. When he brings the fighters together, they opt to touch gloves first. Topuria moves towards the center of the cage, and he blocks a quick head kick. As Topuria advances, Volkanovski snipes him with kicks high and low. Volkanovski paws out with a left and a body kick, and Topuria walks through them and retaliates with a sharp right hand over the top. Volkanovski times a kick to the body and continues throwing them to the lead leg and midsection, even flicking one up high as he keeps Topuria from reaching him. Volkanovski rips the body with another kick, and he pokes out a jab. Topuria winds up with a hard leg kick, spinning the champ all the way around, and Volkanovski recovers with a spinning back fist just in case Topuria was advancing. Topuria kicks the calf low with bad intentions, and he backs the champ off with an overhand right that glances off his guard. Topuria gets off another low kick, and he forces Volkanovski to change stances just a few in. Volkanovski dances out of the way of a short combo of fists, and he whips a kick up high to keep Topuria honest. Volkanovski delivers a calf kick back, and he follows suit with a body kick. Volkanovski paws out a left as Topuria charges, but Topuria manages to break through and sting Volkanovski with a right hand. Volkanovski bounces off the fence and shakes it off, where he peppers kicks to stave off the offense from the challenger. Volkanovski connects with a body kick and slips a huge punch, and he drives two heavy low kicks home to stumble Topuria. Volkanovski tags Topuria on the way in with a short left hand, and Topuria motions to him that his punches do not faze him. Volkanovski signals that he did land cleanly, and he shoots for a takedown only to break and knee the Georgian three times in rapid succession. The close round ends with a trickle of blood leaking from the bridge of Topuria’s nose.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Topuria
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Topuria
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Topuria

Round 2

The featherweights touch ‘em up in the middle of the cage, and Volkanovski is fleet of foot, darting in and out with jabs and kicks to any target he can find. Topuria crashes the pocket with two hooks, and Volkanovski rolls with them and shifts to the side. Topuria chases with an overhand right, and Volkanovski measures with jabs. Topuria lands cleanly with a right and then a left, and Volkanovski nods at him and clinches up only to knee the challenger on the break. Volkanovski connects with a right hand and a low kick as Topuria resets, and Volkanovski reaches him on the way back with a body kick. Topuria lunges to land a single punch, and the jabs from Volkanovski have opened the slight cut on Topuria’s nose again. Topuria knocks Volkanovski back with a right hand, and he digs a kick to the calf as Volkanovski changes stances. They snap out jabs at the same time, with the champion reaching more cleanly and frequently when they trade them. Volkanovski peppers the lead leg with kicks, and he drives a right hand into Topuria’s forehead to give him a moment of pause. Topuria lands a low kick, and Volkanovski gives him back one to the calf and one to the body. Volkanovski springs forward with jabs that have marked the face up of the challenger, and he does not slow in his approach of kicking to any target he can find. Frustrated with taking potshots from afar, “El Matador” charges like a bull. Volkanovski slips the oncoming fire, rebounding off the cage wall, but Topuria does not slow. Topuria unleashes a lightning bolt of a right hand that completely short circuits the champion. All the way out, Volkanovski collapses with his back to the fence, and Topuria dings him on the way down with a speedy left to follow. Herzog sprints between them to save Volkanovski from any further punishment, as the champion is no longer conscious—and no longer the champion. Topuria hammers any final nail with a few right hands until Herzog reaches him to pull him off of the downed Aussie. Incredible! Spain and Georgia now have a UFC champion, and his name is Ilia Topuria. The new champ is now an undefeated 15-0 with 13 finishes, with none bigger than this stunning moment. Topuria springs the only betting upset of the evening, starching one of the greatest to ever do it with one monumental punch. Welcome to the Topuria era.

The Official Result

Ilia Topuria def. Alexander Volkanovski R2 3:32 via KO (Punch)