UFC Fight Night 190 ‘Gane vs. Volkov’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Damir Hadzovic (155.5) vs. Yancy Medeiros (155.5)

Round 1

The Fight Night offering today begins with a match scheduled weeks ago between Medeiros (15-7, 1 NC; 6-7, 1 NC UFC) and Hadzovic (13-6, 3-4 UFC), where it was scuttled in May when Hadzovic suffered an illness on fight day. Glad to be competing now, the lightweights opt not to touch gloves in front of referee Chris Tognoni to start off the early show, and away we go! Hadzovic starts off early with a couple thudding calf kicks, and Medeiros continues to absorb them as he tries to march forward. Hadzovic catches him a few more times low, and the Hawaiian decides to give him one back and then check one in time. Medeiros paws out a few left hands as Hadzovic backs off, with the Bosnian preferring to measure his man. “The Bosnian Bomber” sets the fuse and detonates a solid one-two on the chin, and Medeiros wobbles but does not fall down. The Hawaiian shakes it off, and he wings a spinning wheel kick that comes up short. When he lands, Hadzovic snaps out a jab and then presses him into the wire. They separate, and Medeiros sits down on a left hand but Hadzovic eats it without much concern. Medeiros fires off a one-two and now it is he who is coming up with calf kicks. The two trade heavy leather, and Hadzovic’s nose is reddening quickly. Hadzovic sinks his shin into Medeiros’ calf, and Medeiros slings a left hand and then another to shake his foe up. Hadzovic marches forward with a knee up the middle, and he lands a few heavy punches as Medeiros escapes. Hadzovic presses forward, and their legs tie up so he can hit a trip and put the Hawaiian on his back. Medeiros pops back up, and he gets pressed into the cage but scores a short elbow. Hadzovic rings home a left hand and a right, and he hurts Medeiros with a short series of punches. Medeiros smiles and swings a huge elbow that glances off the chin, and he follows it up with a spinning back kick to the body. When Medeiros looks to chain a kick into that combination, Hadzovic catches it, but he cannot capitalize on the position so he sets it down. Medeiros appears energized with this flurry, and he attacks in close range with elbows. Hadzovic hops out of the way and peppers his man with one final leg kick before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadzovic
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Hadzovic
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hadzovic

Round 2

Medeiros walks out of his corner to start the round in the center of the cage, and he uses long jabs to keep his foe at range. Hadzovic gets off a couple calf kicks until Medeiros crowds him with punches and elbows, and he uses Medeiros’ momentum against him to hit a takedown. The Hawaiian powers his way back to his feet and breaks the grip, but when he drops his hands to reset, Hadzovic nails him with two big punches. One after the other, the two trade heavy shots, until Medeiros wades forward to the clinch. Hadzovic scores as his opponent closes distance, but he gets grabbed and kneed up the middle. A few punches from Hadzovic land square on the jaw, and he dodges an elbow to unload a ferocious salvo of strikes that rock Medeiros. The Hawaiian bites down on his gumshield and starts to brawl, but Hadzovic is wise to this as he stays composed and opens up a big cut on Medeiros’ left eye. Hadzovic mixes it up with elbows and punches, and even works the body as Medeiros scrambles out of the way to get some range. The strikes continue to mount for the Bosnian, who sees Medeiros wobble but not lose his footing. Hadzovic slows his pace as he may have spent part of his gas tank searching for a finish, but he chains single strikes together that frustrate but do not hurt Medeiros. The Hawaiian swings back at him wildly, ripping a few punches to the body before getting off a spinning back kick. Hadzovic is infuriated, and he charges in recklessly to unleash a fury of punches, hurting Medeiros once more. Medeiros protects himself enough to stay in the fight, and he starts to fire back as soon as Hadzovic takes his foot off the accelerator. The two welcome a clinch as they both appear fatigued, and both fighters get away with fence and shorts grabs as they try to lock the other down. Medeiros breaks free to unload a few punches right before the bell, but Hadzovic keeps a tight enough guard to defend from most of the damage.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadzovic
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Hadzovic
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hadzovic

Round 3

The lightweights offer a tired touch of gloves after 10 minutes of battle, and Hadzovic steps in with a calf kick. Medeiros backs off, and Hadzovic gets off a couple punches in rapid succession. The Bosnian staggers Medeiros as he begins a flurry, and he starts to swarm Medeiros and tee off on him. Tognoni asks for Medeiros to fight back, as Hadzovic continues to pound on him with reckless abandon. Hadzovic pours it on but he cannot get the stoppage he seeks, even though the lion’s share of his punch combinations land. Medeiros toughs it out and works the body, before the two clinch up and aim strikes to the midsection. Medeiros circles around and is able to drag the Bosnian to the ground, as Hadzovic looks to be exhausted. “The Kid” takes Hadzovic’s back and starts hunting for a choke, but Hadzovic explodes out to try to get back up. The Hawaiian wrenches him back down, and he turns a rear-naked choke into a guillotine choke when Hadzovic spins around. Hadzovic powers back up using the wall, but only for a moment as Medeiros hits a trip to put Hadzovic right back down to the canvas. Medeiros sits up to blast Hadzovic in the face with elbows, and he lays on several thudding elbows until Hadzovic nearly gives up his back. Medeiros climbs into mount and does some damage, but Hadzovic is able to scramble and get to his knees. Medeiros swirls around him to take his back once more, and he pulls Hadzovic back to the mat as he holds back control. The Hawaiian hunts for chokes, but he cannot get his hooks in so he cannot cinch any choke. With 10 seconds to go, Medeiros tightens the body triangle, and he sinks in the rear-naked choke. Hadzovic is trapped and his eyes start to go wide as he is on the verge of going out while fighting the hands. Time expires, and Hadzovic may have been saved by the bell. What a fight to start off the day!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Medeiros (29-28 Hadzovic)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Medeiros (29-28 Hadzovic)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Medeiros (28-28)

The Official Result

Damir Hadzovic def. Yancy Medeiros via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Justin Jaynes (145.5) vs. Charles Rosa (146)

Round 1

Up next comes a make-or-break featherweight contest between the skidding Jaynes (16-7, 1-3 UFC) down a weight class against submission specialist Rosa (13-5, 4-5 UFC). A confident Jaynes bet his full fight purse on himself – that’s a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for him. The third man inside the Octagon is referee Mike Beltran, and there is no glove touch to get things started. Jaynes takes the center of the cage, but neither man are willing to engage with anything of note for the first 30 seconds. Both men flip out jabs at the other, and Jaynes jumps forward to land a huge left hand and a right that follows. Rosa shells up against the fence, and he gets out of the way as Jaynes practically dives towards him with a left hook. Rosa retreats and works the calf a few times, but Jaynes does not notice them and instead is loading up on huge shots. Jaynes scores a big right hand that gets Rosa’s attention, and he steps in with his own calf kick as Rosa has to get away. Rosa strings together a one-two, but Jaynes slips and blasts him with a heavy right hand. Rosa rips the body with a kick, and he assaults Jaynes’ lead leg with a few quick kicks. When Rosa reaches out with a one-two again, Jaynes comes over the top with a bomb of a right hand. Jaynes sits down on a calf kick, and Rosa suddenly explodes at his opponent with a swarm of punches. Jaynes swings for the fences with practically every one of his strikes, and when they land, they get Rosa’s attention every time. Rosa is more content to chip away with kicks and long punches, and he closes the distance to aim knees or elbows up close. The Boston native steps forward to engage, and he tries to load up with a back elbow but Jaynes is there to wing a big right hand. Rosa scores another few calf kicks, and Jaynes’ movement is slightly compromised from the kicks. “Boston Strong” crashes the pocket and hits a takedown, where he is able to put Jaynes down and quickly take his back. When “Guitar Hero” scrambles and gets to his knees, Rosa lands an illegal upkick that rocks Jaynes, and Beltran shouts out a warning but does not intervene. The round ends during this confusion.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rosa

Round 2

The replay between rounds shows that the featherweights clashed heads, opening up a cut on Rosa’s eye. Jaynes springs out of his corner to attack, and Rosa escapes in time but is being chased down by the heavy-handed slugger. Jaynes catches a calf kick, and he pursues a takedown to put the Bostonian on his back. Jaynes falls directly into a guillotine choke, but he stays calm and wiggles his head out of position. Rosa scrambles to get to his knees, and when Jaynes locks his hands around Rosa’s waist, Rosa elbows him on the side of the head several times to break the grip. “Boston Strong” stays strong as he stands up, but Jaynes is practically glued to him until he changes levels for a takedown. Rosa defends with a guillotine choke as he sprawls, and he turns this setup into a brabo choke as Jaynes is trapped on his knees. Rosa slowly tightens the grip, but as Jaynes continues to move, Rosa bails on it and briefly flirts with a 10-finger guillotine. He bails on that too when Jaynes pushes through to put Rosa on his backside. Rosa is seated and punches Jaynes on the dome a few times while Jaynes is doggedly trying to complete his single. A few of these strikes may have busted up Jaynes’ nose, as blood starts to flow. Rosa does not let up on them; although they are not individually impactful, they add up fast. This strange position continues as Jaynes remains in pursuit of a full takedown, but Rosa twists him around to hook up Jaynes in a crucifix position as if he were Gary Goodridge. He does not get off any elbows, as Jaynes bursts out of the position and spins around to get on top. When Jaynes rains down hammerfists, Rosa snatches hold of a triangle choke and does not let go of it until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rosa

Round 3

Before the round begins, Beltran loudly warns Rosa to not land any more strikes to the back of the head. The featherweights come out swinging, with Jaynes back to his first-round strategy of throwing everything he has into lunging punches. Rosa ducks down after landing a few of his own to hit a takedown, and Jaynes defends with a guillotine choke but ends up falling flat on his back. Rosa is already in side control, where he sets up an arm-triangle choke on the other side. Jaynes breaks that grip, and he puts his hands up to the referee to signal his opponent is doing nothing, but his motions fall on blind eyes. Rosa shifts his position to north-south, and he locks his arm around Jaynes’ neck but does not secure the north-south choke. Jaynes twists and pushes off, where he stands back up and starts throwing hands. Jaynes stings Rosa a few times with his power punches, and Rosa retreats with long jabs. Jaynes clubs Rosa with big punches, and he hurts the Boston native with a left hand and a right that follows. Rosa gathers himself and backs away, where he reaches with a few long punches but gets clipped with a right hand. Jaynes gives chase as Rosa is on the ropes, loading up on huge shots before suddenly pursuing a takedown. The commentary crew cries in unison as they plead for Jaynes to keep throwing punches, but Jaynes has a method to his madness as he hooks up an arm-triangle choke in side control. He climbs around to the other side to secure the arm-triangle choke, and Rosa’s face starts turning a shade of red until he sits up and breaks the posture. “Boston Strong” remains true to his nickname by returning Jaynes to guard and landing a few punches off his back. Rosa scrambles to his knees, and Jaynes goes after another takedown but falls into a modified guillotine choke. Rosa uses the choke to push Jaynes down, and he ends the round by landing hammerfists until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jaynes (29-28 Rosa)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Jaynes (29-28 Rosa)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jaynes (29-28 Rosa)

The Official Result

Charles Rosa def. Justin Jaynes via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Julia Avila (135.5) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (135.5)

Round 1

The lone women’s match of the evening comes at bantamweight between ladies with similar given names in Julia Avila (8-2, 2-1 UFC) and Julija Stoliarenko (9-4-2, 0-2 UFC), but everything else is far different. While Avila will try to bounce back from her first decision loss, Stoliarenko will be hoping the third time is the charm to win one in the UFC. Referee Jason Herzog will be watching on to find out who comes out on top, and they touch gloves before coming out fighting. Avila opens up with a front kick, and Stoliarenko is flustered but not hurt. Stoliarenko gets off a few low calf kicks, and Avila ignores them but has to block a head kick. When Stoliarenko fires off a front kick, Avila catches it and unleashes a fury of punches. Stoliarenko comes right back at her, and Avila backs off with a push kick. The Lithuanian gets clocked with a pair of punches, and Avila bears down on her to blast her repeatedly. Stoliarenko tries to counter, and she scores her own shots, but Avila kicks her square in the face as if she were Anderson Silva or Lyoto Machida. The strikes bust up Stoliarenko’s nose and do some serious damage, but she is not out of it yet. She shoots in for a takedown and is easily stuffed, and Avila makes her pay for it with a few straight punches. Avila sticks and moves, as Stoliarenko loops haymakers while Avila is more composed. As the two women start to study one another, the commentary team drifts off into a discussion about breakfast foods. Stoliarenko gets countered and wobbles, but she gets off a few punches to keep Avila honest. Another flurry for Avila opens her opponent’s nose up to become a crimson faucet, and Stoliarenko’s eyes are wide open as she tries to catch Avila with something big. Avila swats away a front kick and aims her own, before taking a solid body kick on the way out. The kick may have glanced off Avila’s elbow or forearm, and Stoliarenko sets it down gingerly before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Avila
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Avila
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Avila

Round 2

Avila plants her flag on the center of the Monster logo in the middle of the cage, and she delivers a solid front kick up the middle. Stoliarenko comes back at her with looping punches, and Avila welcomes the brief brawl. They trade single strikes, and Avila turns it on after absorbing a right hand, landing shots to start the bleeding immediately from Stoliarenko’s busted nose. Avila paws out a few jabs as Stoliarenko tries to counter with overhand rights, and they both trade body kicks. Avila reaches out a left hand, and Stoliarenko suddenly changes levels to hit a takedown. Avila hits a sweep, but she falls into a leg lock and is suddenly in the danger zone. Avila twists and turns to pop her leg out, and she explodes back to her feet where she is followed by the Lithuanian. Stoliarenko pins Avila against the fencing as she pursues a single leg takedown. Avila protects her leg and sits up to bowl Stoliarenko over, but she stands up before playing in Stoliarenko’s guard. Avila smacks Stoliarenko several times with leg kicks, and she considers a kick to the face but pulls it back as it would be a foul. Stoliarenko takes a few shots on the way up and is hurt, so she presses forward to take Avila’s striking away and push Avila into the fence. Stoliarenko pushes her body weight on Avila but cannot get the fight down or hook up a body lock, and she sneaks up a few knees along the way. Avila staves off a trip, but she remains stuck against the chain links until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Avila
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko

Round 3

The bantamweights touch gloves to begin the round, and they trade single punches from afar. Avila rocks Stoliarenko with a right hand, and she rushes in to a clinch. Stoliarenko holds on for dear life, where she turns Avila into the fence and they pick up right where they left off in the last round. Stoliarenko pursues a trip but is easily thwarted when Avila keeps her balance, and she uses Stoliarenko’s momentum against her to put the Lithuanian on her back. Stoliarenko scrambles and looks for an armbar off her back, but Avila is wise to it and she elbows Stoliarenko a few times. The American climbs into half guard, where she flattens Stoliarenko out and works her over with short hammerfists. Time ticks away as Avila slowly and methodically grinds Stoliarenko out, but out of nowhere, Stoliarenko reverses the position to put Avila on her back. Avila keeps her hooks tight in this spot, and she manages to take Stoliarenko’s back and hunt for a choke. Stoliarenko tries to slide out the back door, and her toes are hooked into the fence. Herzog pauses the fight to put them back in place, not allowing Stoliarenko to get away with this, and Avila holds on with both hooks in. Avila latches on to a quick rear-naked choke, sliding her forearm under the chin and tightening her grip. Stoliarenko panics, and she taps out as she is trapped and does not want to go out. Avila lets go when Herzog pulls her off, and she collapses to her knees with a huge release of emotions. This was an important win for Avila, who becomes the first woman to submit the submission-minded Stoliarenko.

The Official Result

Julia Avila def. Julija Stoliarenko R3 4:19 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Marcin Prachnio (206) vs. Isaac Villanueva (205)

Round 1

Coming into their battle, Prachnio (14-5, 1-3 UFC) and Villanueva (18-11, 1-2 UFC) combine for 25 knockouts in their 32 wins, and the two have suffered nine knockout losses between them as well. Holding on to his hat is referee Herb Dean, as these two sluggers touch gloves before swinging for the bleachers. Villanueva takes a leg kick and a left hand as he marches forward with bad intentions, walking Prachnio down but not unloading. Prachnio gets off another leg kick as he circles against the fence, until Villanueva wings a right hand at him. Villanueva catches him with a right hand and hurts the Polish fighter, and Prachnio is hurt as Villanueva tees off on him. Villanueva tries to finish the job, but Prachnio retreats and gathers himself. Villanueva rips the body and stings him with a left hand, and Prachnio is ready to brawl. A huge cut has opened up Prachnio’s left eye, and Villanueva stalks him down to wing heavy punches. Prachnio turtles up and backs off, and Villanueva hurts him again with a few bombs. Villanueva sits down on a couple of uppercuts, timing when Prachnio ducks down to fire back at him. Prachnio slaps the lead leg with a kick, and he gets off a right hand but Villanueva slings back four at him. Villanueva reaches out with his fingers, and Prachnio greets him with a right hand and a quick head kick. The kick is blocked but it still has some impact, but Villanueva is headhunting as he continues to pound on Prachnio with his punch salvos. Prachnio slams his shin on to Villanueva’s lead leg, and Villanueva’s movement is severely compromised as he tries to check one. Villanueva walks through one to land a right hand, but he nearly loses his balance as he charges ahead. Prachnio blasts his leg with a few more kicks, and Villanueva lifts his leg up preemptively because he cannot put weight on it. Prachnio kicks him again, and he has one caught. When he falls to the ground, Villanueva pounces and unleashes a fury of ground-and-pound. The punches do not have enough pop on them to end the fight, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Villanueva
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Villanueva
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Villanueva

Round 2

Between rounds, Villanueva tries to shake his leg out, which has taken some massive damage in the first five minutes. Prachnio understandably begins the second frame with a kick to the same spot, and Villanueva tries to counter him with an overhand left. Prachnio digs a few shots to the body as Villanueva is exclusively throwing to the head. Prachnio blasts him with a leg kick, and he pulls his leg back to change stances and set another big strike up. Like a whip, the Polish fighter looses his left leg, and he channels his inner Bas Rutten by drilling his shin square into Villanueva’s liver. After a split-second, the Texan registers the strike as his face contorts into sheer pain, and he crumples to the ground in agony. Dean recognizes that Villanueva is shut down from the liver kick, and that this fight is over. Prachnio does not feel the need to follow it with any other strikes, and instead runs over to his corner to celebrate with them.

The Official Result

Marcin Prachnio def. Isaac Villanueva R2 0:56 via KO (Body Kick)

Warlley Alves (171) vs. Jeremiah Wells (171)

Round 1

Many forget that Alves (14-4, 8-4 UFC) won the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” back in 2014 at middleweight, at the same time that Antonio Carlos Jr. won it at heavyweight. In this welterweight battle, the TUF victor will welcome Wells (8-2-1, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC on short notice, as Ramazan Emeev was forced out for undisclosed reasons. Drawing the assignment is referee Chris Tognoni, who observes an attempted glove touch from Alves as these two prepare to get after it. Wells ignores him as he runs behind the back of Tognoni, and he charges ahead and bowls Alves over with a surge of strikes and forward movement. The Brazilian is able to scoot his way back to the corner of the fence, and looks to kick off the fence while getting away with a cheeky fence grab with his toes. Wells drags him back down and starts blasting Alves in the face with huge right hands, and Alves is stuck in this position on his side. Wells unloads several more blistering right hands as he climbs to half guard, and he turns the punches to elbows when Alves grabs his wrist. Wells stands up to find a better position, and Alves pops right to his feet. Wells rushes him to ring Alves’ bell with an elbow, and he presses hard into the clinch before lifting Alves in the air. The Brazilian keeps his balance as he lands on one foot, so Wells knees him square in the midsection. The newcomer keeps his full body weight pushes on the UFC vet, but Alves simply shoves him away to gain some distance. Wells counters a leg kick with an overhand right, and he swings a huge right hand at Alves. Another home run shot comes from Wells, and Alves sees these telegraphed strikes coming and can parry them. Wells eats a counter left hand flush, and Wells whiffs on looping strikes. Wells rushes in with a flying knee before considering a takedown, and his fingers ensnare themselves into the fencing to draw a warning from Tognoni. Wells fails on a trip, and he chains this into a double leg takedown. Alves defends with a guillotine choke, and he jumps guard to set it up. Alves uses the choke to push Wells to his back, and Wells keeps a single butterfly hook in to defend himself from punishment. Wells uses upkicks to push Alves back, and the round ends with an axe kick from Alves that may have glanced off Wells’ chin – and therefore would be quite illegal. Nothing comes of it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wells
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Wells
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Wells

Round 2

Alves is the man to leap out of his corner this round, jumping forward with a flying knee. Wells tries to swing bombs at him, and a counter right hand knocks Alves off-balance. The Brazilian stumbles and tries to survive, and Wells follows him to the ground to continue unloading on him. Alves gets to his knees, but Wells bowls him over and smashes him in the face with right hand after unanswered right hand. It only takes a few for Alves to go completely out, and Tognoni cannot stop the fight fast enough. What a way to announce yourself to the UFC, knocking out a tough vet after a furious first round. Welcome to the UFC, Jeremiah Wells.

The Official Result

Jeremiah Wells def. Warlley Alves R2 0:30 via KO (Punches)

Michel Prazeres (170) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (170.5)

Round 1

Did you know that at one time, Prazeres (26-3, 10-3 UFC) was riding an eight-fight win streak in the UFC? That all came crashing down after a loss to Ismail Naurdiev and a failed drug test that put him on the shelf for two years. Coming back, he will greet unbeaten Kazakh powerhouse Rakhmonov (13-0, 1-0 UFC) in the center of the cage, and the two will draw oversight from referee Mike Beltran. The welterweights touch gloves, and there is a stark size difference as the two square up. Neither want to commit with much in the early going, as Prazeres lands a few leg kicks from the outside. The Brazilian has to rush ahead to close the distance, and like a matador, Rakhmonov is able to let Prazeres soar by him. Rakhmonov flicks out a power jab, and he paws away a right hand from the shorter man. Prazeres whiffs on an overhand right to close in for a takedown, and he cannot hit it as he grinds Rakhmonov into the fence. Rakhmonov uses a trip to put the Brazilian on his back, and even thwarts a fence grab from Prazeres on the way down. Rakhmonov sits in his foe’s closed guard and gets off some short punches to little effect, softening Prazeres up to possibly open his guard. It does just that, as Prazeres puts a foot on Rakhmonov’s hop to push off, but he cannot back the Kazakh fighter off of him. Rakhmonov keeps his chest pressed heavily on Prazeres as he embraces the grind, and Prazeres pushes off and manages to kick Rakhmonov away. Rakhmonov leaps back down and stings Prazeres with a huge right hand, and he threatens with a guillotine choke before trying to take Prazeres’ back. The Brazilian powers back to his feet and they drift towards the fence, jockeying for position as neither can take the other down. The round ends right after they separate.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rakhmonov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Rakhmonov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rakhmonov

Round 2

The welterweights touch hands before beginning the second round, and Rakhmonov is first to engage with a snappy jab. The Kazakh spins with a kick that Prazeres is just able to avoid in time, but he does get caught with a right hand that follows. Rakhmonov pierces the guard with a few more jabs, and Prazeres is able to time an overhand right when Rakhmonov closes in. Prazeres sneaks in a leg kick, but right after that, Rakhmonov strings four punches together. A spinning wheel kick from the Kazakh blasts Prazeres in the face, and Prazeres is hurt badly and tries for a desperation takedown. Rakhmonov meets his chin with a knee, and he puts Prazeres on his back, and he starts to unload serious ground-and-pound from on high while fighting off any submission setup from the Brazilian. The punches from Rakhmonov are powerful and audible, and he scrambles around to take the damaged Prazeres’ back in an instant. “Nomad” slices his arm beneath Prazeres’ chin and forms a rear-naked choke. The choke is vice-tight and Prazeres knows there is no way to get out, so he surrenders. Rakhmonov is now a perfect 14-0 as a pro with 14 finishes, and he becomes the first man to stop the Brazilian in the process.

The Official Result

Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Michel Prazeres R2 2:10 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Danilo Marques (205.5) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (205.5)

Round 1

Strap in, because the prelims are about to be headlined by a light heavyweight banger between Brazilian finisher Marques (11-2, 2-0 UFC) and rising Fortis MMA product Nzechukwu (8-1, 2-1 UFC). Keeping both eyes open for one of the tallest fights in UFC light heavyweight history will be referee Jason Herzog, as there is no glove touch before the violence commences. Marques attacks immediately with a single leg takedown, and he puts his opponent down for a moment. When Nzechukwu stands up, Marques hops on to his back and sinks in a body triangle while standing. Marques hunts for the rear-naked choke in a hurry, and Nzechukwu is leaning against the fence to take the weight off of him while protecting his neck. Marques keeps the leg grip tight as can be, and he looks to aim punches but Nzechukwu is able to defend himself from strikes as he leans his elbow on top of the cage. Both men are over the top of the cage, which is technically against the rules, but Marques pulls him back and starts blasting him with surprisingly effective punches and short elbows. Nzechukwu stays standing in this position while leaned on the fence, and he cannot get the Brazilian off of him as Marques is dug in like an Alabama tick. Marques continues to threaten the neck with choke considerations, and he wraps his right arm under Nzechukwu’s neck but cannot tighten the grip. He switches hands to try to lock it up, but the American fights hands well enough to keep himself out of submission danger. Marques still has his legs gripped around his foe’s waist, and he leans over the cage so that he does not fall off – Herzog slaps his arm to get him to take it back. Nzechukwu bucks and the arm goes under his chin, and he manages to slide Marques down a little to try to break up the body triangle. Marques is content to keep this position and wear out his heavily muscled opponent, and he stays as a Brazilian backpack right to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Marques
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-8 Marques
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Marques

Round 2

The fighters both paw out hands to find their range in the beginning of the second round, and a fake takedown draws a big reaction out of Nzechukwu. Marques slams his shin into Nzechukwu’s body, and Nzechukwu counters with a solid left hand that gets Marques’ attention. Marques immediately hunts for a takedown, and the Fortis MMA fighter does everything in his power to get away and not let the first round happen again. Marques knows this, and he alternates between takedown pump-fakes and solid power punches. Nzechukwu sticks out a single jab, leading into a single leg takedown for Marques. Marques lifts the leg up, puts Nzechukwu down, and circles around to replicate the success of the previous frame. Marques circles around to take the American’s back, and he has a body triangle locked and loaded, but this time they are on the mat and not upright. Nzechukwu twists to try to break up the body triangle, and when he does, Marques switches it to his other leg. Nzechukwu reaches his arms out in frustration, and Marques capitalizes on this to hit a rear-naked choke. Nzechukwu quickly fights the hands to break the grip, and he gets up to a knee with Marques still on his back. Nzechukwu is able to turn him around and break the grip, and he starts ripping the body and both men begin to trade. Nzechukwu turns it up with a swarm of punches, and Marques is reeling as he shoots for a desperation takedown. Marques may be running low on gas, as he cannot simply lift Nzechukwu in the air like he did before. Nzechukwu gets pushed into the fence face-first, as Marques holds on with one hook in. Marques lets go to knee Nzechukwu in the thigh, and Herzog implores for the two to work. They separate, and they start throwing caution to the wind with a wild brawl. Marques’ cup falls out in the melee, and the round ends with both landing on the button.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marques
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Nzechukwu
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nzechukwu

Round 3

Nzechukwu marches out of his corner like a man on a mission, and he begins to unload with a ferocious salvo of punches. Marques falls back to the fence in serious danger, and Nzechukwu continues his assault by bludgeoning his man repeatedly. Nzechukwu’s accuracy allows him to pierce the guard again and again, as Nzechukwu’s hands find Marques’ face and bust him up. Marques find himself in defensive mode as he gets battered against the cage wall, and Herzog leaps in as he has seen enough for a stoppage that some may call premature. Either way you slice it, Nzechukwu stages a mighty comeback after a rough two rounds to put the surging Brazilian away in dramatic fashion.

The Official Result

Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Danilo Marques R3 0:20 via TKO (Punches)

Jai Herbert (155.5) vs. Renato Carneiro (156)

Round 1

The main card begins with a lightweight clash of styles when British striker Herbert (10-2, 0-1 UFC) looks for his first UFC win against savvy grappler “Moicano” Carneiro (14-4-1, 6-4 UFC). Referee Tognoni will keep tabs on this classic stylistic matchup, and they touch gloves before getting down to business. Moicano strikes first with a body kick, and Herbert replies in kind. Herbert walks his Brazilian adversary down but is forced to play defense suddenly when “Moicano” attempts a takedown. He succeeds in putting Herbert on his back, but not for very long, as the Brit pops back up. Carneiro hits a mat return shortly thereafter, where he claims half guard without much effort. Herbert holds on to Carneiro’s mouth to keep him in this position, only for Carneiro to burst over to side control. “Moicano” takes side control again, as he is more interested in position than submission, and Herbert kicks him off. Carneiro stands back up and leaps down, taking full mount and getting off some strikes from on top. The Brit bucks like a bronco to get “Moicano” back to his guard, and he kicks off to push himself back to the fence. Carneiro easily slides back into mount before Herbert stands up, and he holds the cage to keep Herbert down. After landing a few punches, “The Black Country Banger” decides he wants to bang, so he explodes out of position and separates. Herbert nails “Moicano” with a head kick and a right hand, and Carneiro is shaken up but still with it. Both men jab at the same time a few times, and Herbert puts a few more together as he advances to back “Moicano” off. Herbert sits down on a huge left hook that collides with Carneiro’s chin, and the Brazilian wears it well and hits a level change to put Herbert flat on his back. Carneiro captures mount in the blink of an eye, and he sits up to deliver ground-and-pound as Herbert twists and flails. “Moicano” pounds on him a few times until he gets kicked out of mount, and the round ends with Carneiro in his foe’s guard.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro

Round 2

The lightweights are eager to get back to business, and Tognoni has to separate them before clocking them back in. “Moicano” comes out to the center of the Octagon, and he dances out of the way from strikes to pursue a body lock. The Brazilian takes Herbert down with this, and the two are in a strange position as Herbert scrambles. Carneiro quickly secures mount, and Herbert holds on tight to stop any strikes from coming. “Moicano” breaks this posture momentarily to slam Herbert in the face with his fists, and he gets locked down again after landing. Herbert snakes a leg out, but Carneiro is right there to follow him in the scramble. Carneiro sits up in a high, strange mount as Herbert scoots against the fence, but Herbert gets back up from this position. Carneiro drags Herbert down and takes his back, and goes palm-to-palm with a rear-naked choke. Herbert grits it out and twists around, where he is mounted once more as he clings to “Moicano” with everything he has. Carneiro sits up and smashes his man in the face with an elbow, and he thwarts a sweep attempt while threatening with an arm-triangle choke. Herbert pushes off the fence to get back to half guard for a second, until “Moicano” hops right back to mount. The Brit bucks and kicks so that he can recover position, allowing Carneiro to pummel him with right hands. “Moicano” sneaks into mount again and starts blasting him with a barrage of punches. Tognoni looks to jump in as Herbert may have gone out for a second, but a few more punches from Carneiro wake Herbert back up. Herbert twists and goes belly-down to try to survive the assault, but Carneiro does not let him off the hook and keeps pounding on him. A lightning-quick back take leads to a rear-naked choke in mere seconds, closing the book on the Brit with a crushing performance. Practically as soon as the choke is secured, Herbert taps for the first time in his career. That is eight submission victories for “Moicano,” and all eight have come by rear-naked choke.

The Official Result

Renato Carneiro def. Jai Herbert R2 4:34 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Nicolas Dalby (170) vs. Tim Means (170.5)

Round 1

Up next at welterweight, the man formerly known as “Lokomotivo” now sports a fancy new nickname of “Danish Dynamite” as Dalby (19-3-1, 2 NC; 3-2-1, 1 NC UFC) squares off with longtime vet and longtime nicknamed “The Dirty Bird” Means (31-12-1, 1 NC; 11-9, 1 NC UFC). Action is the name of the game here, and referee Jason Herzog may have his hands full as these two throw down. There is no chance of a glove touch, as these two 170ers are intense and ready to start brawling. Means fires off a head kick early, and Dalby eats it on the chin and starts to brawl. Both men throw caution to the wind immediately, and they hammer one another with alternating shots. As Dalby closes in, Means hits a takedown and puts the Danish fighter on his back. Means passes to side control as he works elbows from on top, slowly and methodically working his way to either advance to mount or otherwise do some damage. When Dalby holds on to him to tie him up, Means slams him down with his chest. Means crawls Dalby over to the cage wall, where he starts smacking his foe in the face with heavy punches. Dalby gets to his knees as he looks to walk up the fence, and Means keeps him grounded and lands some punches. Dalby is practically gasping for air three minutes in, although it does not necessarily mean that he is spent. Means knees him in the chest when he stands up, and Dalby breaks free and bounces around to get his blood flowing again. Means kicks him in the body and fires off a few punches, and Dalby dances out of the way. “Danish Dynamite” looks to explode with a right hand across the forward bow, but Means sees it coming, parries it and gets shoved into the fence. A few strikes for Means have opened up a cut near the bridge of the nose on Dalby’s right eyebrows, and a sharp one-two nearly knocks Dalby off of his feet. “The Dirty Bird” keeps it dirty in the clinch, and he gets off an elbow or two before they break. Dalby shoots in for a takedown right as the round ends, but it does not succeed.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Means
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Means
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Means

Round 2

Dalby fires off a few punches before rushing in to a takedown attempt, and Means is there to thump him in the body a few times. The welterweights tie up against the fence and score short punches, before breaking free. Dalby gets off a single leg kick, and then he changes it up to land flush to the body. Means aims a few punches up top, and a left hand splits the guard. Means sees its success and nails Dalby again, and one more gets Dalby’s attention. Means cracks Dalby on the chin, and the Danish fighter has quite a beard on him as he walks through everything to land a few of his own. Means targets the body and head indiscriminately, and Dalby walks in with a chain of punches into a knee. Dalby shoots in but gets shucked away just in time, and when they get back up, Dalby leaps forward with a left hand. Dalby works two right hands one after the other, and Means greets him with a left hand to the liver. Dalby slings a head kick, and they crash the pocket and score some body shots. When “Danish Dynamite” looses another body kick, Means rushes in to strike before clinching. Breaking free, Dalby slings kicks high and low, but Means’ responsive head kick is much more effective. Means kicks Dalby’s leg out from beneath him, and “The Dirty Bird” hops on top in side control to deal some damage. Means keeps a heavy top pressure to ride out the round, using a few short shoulder strikes when Dalby tries to wall-walk with his feet. Means keeps this position until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Means
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Means
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Means

Round 3

Means sprints out of his corner to throw a body kick and a left hand, and Dalby is there to fire right back. In a wild exchange, Dalby nails Means with a right hand, smashing the nose of “The Dirty Bird” and hurting him for the first time. Means stumbles back to the wall, and Dalby wraps him up against the fence while flirting with trips. Means spins him around and considers a single leg takedown, but he cannot ground the Danish fighter. Means backs off and re-engages, pressing Dalby tightly into the cage. This stalemate continues for quite some time, as both men look to clear any cobwebs. Dalby knees Means in the face once to break free, and he clips Means again with a strike. Dalby throws everything he has at Means, but the American grabs hold of him and pins him back to the cage wall. Means changes levels for a single, and he chains it into a double leg takedown, but neither succeed. All the while, precious seconds for Dalby are ticking off the clock, who is trying to break free but cannot escape the grip of “The Dirty Bird.” Means scores a few short punches to the body, grinding Dalby out and landing enough to stave off any referee intervention. When Dalby breaks the grip, Means gives him a shove into the fencing, where he clinches up again. At the 10-second clapper, Dalby tries desperately to get off, hurting Means again. Means gloms on to him, tying him up to the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dalby (29-28 Means)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Dalby (29-28 Means)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dalby (29-28 Means)

The Official Result

Tim Means def. Nicolas Dalby via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Andre Fili (145.5) vs. Daniel Pineda (145)

Round 1

From one action-packed battle to the next we go, as Fili (21-8, 9-7 UFC) will look to thwart Pineda (27-14, 2 NC; 4-5 UFC) and his constant forward momentum. Pineda sports a 100 percent finish rate through his lengthy career, so both Fili and referee Herb Dean will need to tread lightly here. The intense featherweights do decide to touch gloves before starting off. Pineda ducks down to avoid a strike so that he can go over the top, and he throws so hard that he falls across the cage. Fili walks him down, ignores a leg kick, and is forced to quickly defend himself from a takedown attempt. The California native stays upright and pushes off, and Pineda wings w a right hand. Fili tags him with a huge right hand, and Pineda falls to his knees. “Touchy” touches him up with several more punches in a long combination, and he backs off instead of burning his gas tank to seek a finish. Pineda climbs back to his feet and pushes Fili into the wire, where he can gather his senses after taking some serious damage. Pineda grinds Fili into the wall as if it were a cheese grater, until Fili pushes off with one hand. Pineda slips and rips a right hand, and he nails Fili with a heavy low kick that makes the Californian stumble. Fili switches stances after just a few kicks, and he eats a few punches when he backpedals. Fili surprises his foe with a head kick, and a one-two catches Pineda square on the jaw. The Houston native is rocked, and Fili grabs him and hits a suplex to put Pineda down to the ground hard. Pineda is split open over his left eye, and after getting off some ground-and-pound, Fili lets his foe back up. After eating a thudding leg kick, Fili sits down on a liver kick that buckles Pineda’s knees, and “Touchy” leaps down to finish the job with some ferocious ground punches. Pineda closes his guard and ties Fili up to ride out the round, having survived a vicious onslaught.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Fili
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-8 Fili
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Fili

Round 2

The featherweights touch gloves to begin the round, and Pineda is ready to brawl as he charges ahead with a salvo of punches. Pineda takes a stunning liver kick, and he just barely blocks a head kick in time. Pineda gets off a leg kick, puts two punches together, and is countered by standing in front of his man. Fili pushes off to gain some space, and a finger plunges deep into Pineda’s eye. The Texan is in serious pain as Dean pauses the action, and the doctor comes in to check it out immediately. Pineda’s body language is not good, as it is the eye that is already cut up and damaged. Pineda’s eye gets checked out, and he is ready to keep fighting, but both Dean and the doctor tell him to take a little more time to clear it out. Pineda is trying to open his left eye, but it is not responsive and Pineda cannot even tell the doctor how many fingers he is holding up. Dean recognizes this and calls the fight off, as Pineda is trying to tough it out even though he cannot see out of that closed eye. Unfortunately, with the stoppage due to an accidental eye poke at this early into the bout, this thriller of a battle will go down as a no contest. If there is a silver lining, it is that the promotion will most likely run this back sooner than later.

The Official Result

Andre Fili vs. Daniel Pineda is Ruled a No Contest (Accidental Eye Poke) R2 0:46

Raoni Barcelos (135) vs. Timur Valiev (136)

Round 1

One of the more highly anticipated matchups of the fight card will treat fans next, as two men on lengthy unbeaten streaks in Barcelos (16-1, 5-0 UFC) with nine and Valiev (17-2, 1 NC; 1-0, 1 NC UFC) with eight lock horns. The bantamweight horn-locking will draw oversight from referee Mike Beltran, who sees the two rising stars avoid touching horns – gloves, rather – before coming out swinging. Barcelos feints and fakes his way in, and his movements alone draw reactions out of the Dagestan native. Valiev flings a head kick that is well off the mark, and there is a tense staring contest playing out in the middle of the cage. Valiev finally reaches out with a string of jabs, and only one finds its target. Valiev shrugs off a leg kick and loads up on a right hand, but he is met with a high kick. Valiev gives him one back, and Barcelos marches in to throw but comes up short. The Brazilian scores a quick counter right hand when Valiev charges him, and he gets off a solid jab as well. They clash together without much of note, and Valiev zips a body kick out before Barcelos can stop it. Valiev attacks the calf before blitzing in with a pair of strikes, and Barcelos sees him coming and swipes him away. Barcelos whiffs with an uppercut and pushes Valiev into the wire, where he grinds him for a moment before they break apart. Both trade body kicks, and Barcelos is able to follow his with one to the inside leg. A front kick from Valiev lands straight to the body, and he steps back to avoid counter punches. Valiev chops down the lead leg, only to absorb a kick to his liver. Barcelos rings home a right hand, and he gets popped with a sudden superman punch but does not show any immediate concern. Valiev tries to dodge a few punches, and when he does, Barcelos kicks his leg. Valiev shoots in from a distance for a takedown, and the Brazilian stuffs him with his back against the cage. Valiev holds on to this position in the waning seconds, and gets off a knee to break free right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valiev
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Valiev
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Valiev

Round 2

Barcelos is the first to lead off with a leg kick in the beginning of the round, and when a soaring head kick comes up short, Valiev hops forward to kick his inside leg. Barcelos tries to pin a one-two on the chin, but the Russian is out of harm’s way in time. Valiev ducks down to threaten a takedown, and Barcelos stops it and lands a right hand. Valiev ducks a huge punch and tries to fire back, and the bantamweights are elusive and energetic as they dodge and weave. Valiev sneaks in a few leg kicks, and he ducks the punches that come his way. “Lucky” scores a huge punch that was not lucky right on the chin, and Barcelos eats it like an acai bowl and stuffs the subsequent takedown attempt. Valiev tries to pin him down with another one of these looping shots, but this time, Barcelos sees it coming and evades it. Barcelos reaches out with a front kick, and Valiev responds with one to his foe’s lead leg. Single strikes are largely the method of attack so far, with one landing and the other trying to give it back. Barcelos gets cracked with a right hand in a combination, and he walks through it to score a stiff uppercut. Barcelos looks to capitalize on that with another, but it hits nothing but air. Valiev looses a leg kick and a high kick before Barcelos can react, and Barcelos is aiming with power punches that have some heat on them. Valiev hops forward and gets countered, but he slips a punch and lands one of his own. Both trade body kicks, and Valiev catches it and tries to take his man down. Barcelos rolls through and gets up, where they deliver kicks to the body. Barcelos cracks Valiev with a huge right hand, and Valiev gets knocked off his feet and chased to the ground. As Valiev sits up, Barcelos blasts him with an uppercut that nearly separates Valiev from his consciousness. Beltran implores Valiev to fight back, and Barcelos continues his barrage of strikes from on top as he climbs into half guard. Valiev survives to the bell, and struggles to get back to his feet but makes it to his corner.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos

Round 3

Valiev begins the round with a leg kick, and he might not have his wits about him but he is throwing hard right out of the gate. Valiev ducks down for a takedown, and Barcelos staves it off and aims a counter uppercut that glances off Valiev’s chin. The Russian falls off-balance throwing a right hand, and a leg kick scores shortly after. Blocking a head kick, Valiev continues to chip at his opponent’s lead leg a few more times. Valiev walks face-first into another uppercut, and Barcelos has timed the strike and watches Valiev’s head bob to land it a few times. As Valiev succeeds with a right hand, Barcelos nearly kicks Valiev’s leg out from beneath him with a kick that he turns his hips into. Valiev plants a one-two on the chin, and Barcelos’ face is showing some damage but his resolve is not shaken. Valiev puts several punches together, and he ends a combination with an elbow as Barcelos marches him down. Barcelos’ head movement keeps him out of harm’s way, but he reaches out with a right hand and gets snared into a double leg takedown attempt. The Brazilian hops his way to the fence and yanks his leg free, and Valiev circles on the outside before trying again. Barcelos stops it with ease, but he absorbs a right hand. Valiev keeps volume going, with punches, kicks, spinning back fists and whatever he can come up with at the time. Both men land power punches at the same time, and Valiev gets the worst of the exchange but it does not hurt him. The Russian backs off with a leg kick, and Barcelos replies in kind. As Barcelos lands a strike, Valiev is able to get off two or three in the same span, even if they may not be as individually damaging. Barcelos stings him with a right hand, and a left gets Valiev’s attention. Valiev is not concerned, throwing back with quick punches to keep his man at bay. Both leap at one another at the same time, and when they land, that is the last bit of offense until the final horn concludes the match.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valiev (29-28 Valiev)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Valiev (29-28 Valiev)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Valiev (29-28 Valiev)

The Official Result

Timur Valiev def. Raoni Barcelos via Majority Decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Tanner Boser (240) vs. Ovince St. Preux (230)

Round 1

The co-headliner is an unexpected heavyweight matchup as Boser (19-8-1, 3-3 UFC) makes a quick turnaround against ex-light heavyweight title challenger St. Preux (25-15, 13-10 UFC). Referee Jason Herzog will be watching over this fight that has drawn unusual card placement, and there is a glove touch as the two are thankful to be fighting tonight. Boser paws out his long jab, looking to find his range with that and his leg kick. He ducks out of the way from a booming head kick, and is light on his feet as he peppers St. Preux from afar. Boser sits down on a few more low leg kicks, and “OSP” looks to check one but cannot get it away in time. Boser changes it up with a body kick, and he is well out of harm’s way from the blows of “OSP.” Boser blasts his foe with a looping right hand, and he follows it up with a right hand, but St. Preux’ chin is just fine. Boser pops the body with a kick, and he wings a right hook that glances off his foe’s jaw. His Canadian passport waving majestically behind him, Boser continues to batter St. Preux’ lead leg and face with strikes. “OSP” only responds with single strikes, like a front kick to get Boser off of him, but Boser shrugs it off to stutter-step forward with a left hand. Boser clobbers both legs with his kicks, as these are not pitter-patter shots, and are capable of shutting a fight down. “OSP” ducks down right into a head kick and eats it like barbeque, and he swats out with a few left hands. Boser clubs him with a right hand, and even when “OSP” rolls with it, it still has some major impact. Boser’s leg kicks are adding up quickly, and St. Preux gets warned for reaching out with his fingers outstretched. Boser loads up on a pair of heavy punches, and the sound of them colliding with St. Preux’ guard alone is noteworthy. St. Preux gives Boser a body kick back, but Boser is right there to greet him with another. Boser chops down the lead leg like a lumberjack, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Boser
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Boser
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Boser

Round 2

The heavyweights touch ‘em up to begin the second stanza, and Boser is light on his feet hopping back and forth while St. Preux plods forward. St. Preux sticks out a front kick, and he fakes a takedown, and the pump-fake draws a major reaction out of Boser. The Canadian gathers himself and throws bombs, and they slide off the shoulder but are landing practically at-will. “OSP” crashes the pocket suddenly to pursue some kind of takedown, and he throws Boser to the ground with emphasis. Boser does not hold on to a defensive guillotine choke like so many in the past, and “OSP” looks to pass guard but ends up in Boser’s butterfly guard. St. Preux keeps heavy top pressure to tire the larger man out, but Boser pushes him off as if he were Derrick Lewis and blasts back to his feet. “OSP” gets Boser back down, but Boser grabs the fence to sit himself up and gets away with it. An empowered Boser stands up, and he scores a knee and a big right hand that hurt St. Preux badly. The Tennessee native falls to his knees and may have gone out, and one follow-up punch is all that is necessary for Herzog to intervene. The fence grab may be a point of contention for the position change, but Boser’s striking got the job done in the end.

The Official Result

Tanner Boser def. Ovince St. Preux R2 2:31 via KO (Knee and Punches)

Ciryl Gane (245) vs. Alexander Volkov (265)

Round 1

It’s an all-international heavyweight affair for our headliner, when the unbeaten French standout Gane (8-0, 5-0 UFC) looks to punch his ticket on a title shot against Russian perennial contender Volkov (33-8, 7-2 UFC). Two skyscrapers will throw down for a maximum of five rounds, and referee Herb Dean may need to duck every so often to avoid errant blows. There is respect between these two contenders, and they touch gloves before handling their business. Volkov begins the fight with several thudding leg kicks, and Gane tries to counter him with a left hand but ends up getting his leg kicked a few more times for it. Gane flicks out a jab and he tries to get a low kick going as well, as the fighters are attempting to mirror one another. Volkov slowly walk his foe down, and he strides ahead with a chopping leg kick that nearly sweeps Gane out. Gane reaches with a left hand to the body, and Volkov is there to kick his lead leg again and again. Gane stings his opponent with a jab, and he scores a body kick right after. Volkov does not break up his rhythm by continue to assault the lead leg with kicks, and one kick makes Gane stumble but not go down. Gane looks to catch one such kick, but Volkov recoils it fast enough. Gane continually switches his stances, and lets his hands go by his waist as he tries to flick quick jabs up. Gane fires off a speedy front kick that splits the guard, and Volkov does not like this so he rushes in with a three-punch combination. Gane races forward to take the fight down, and the Russian stops it, so Gane backs off before they clinch up for too long. The Frenchman delivers a kick to the body and takes one back for his effort. Volkov continues his battering of the lead leg, and Gane swats at him with a left hand to make Volkov rethink his plan for a moment. When they both struggle to find their way in, Gane smiles and laughs. They trade leg kicks, and Volkov doubles up on it. Gane sits down on a trio of punches, but Volkov wears them well and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Volkov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Volkov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Volkov

Round 2

The heavyweights touch gloves to begin the second frame, and both fire off heavy leg kicks. Gane lunges forward with several jabs, until Volkov’s leg kicks give him pause. Volkov boots the midsection and swats with his left hand, but Gane moves away from the blows. Both land single strikes, with Volkov comfortable to chip away from the outside with kicks to the leg and body. Gane scores a kick to the knee and one to the body, and Volkov is right there to work his leg right back. A leg kick from Volkov makes Gane pick it up in anticipation of it landing, and Gane steps in to score a pair of jabs. It’s tit-for-tat as the two land blows one after the other, and Gane marks Volkov up with a stiff left hand. The Frenchman follows it with another straight punch, and Volkov shoves him back with a push kick on the chest. Gane slings a head kick that is barely blocked, and as soon as he sets his leg down, Volkov is after the other one. Volkov has a left hand come over the top, and Gane is able to retreat and stick out his hands to poke Volkov in the eye. The Russian does not need long to recover, and Gane is right back to pressuring him. Gane stays active with peppering strikes, few with major impact, and Volkov winds up with a right hand. Volkov follows it up with a heavy right and a left, and Gane springs to life and attacks with his own emphatic two-punch combination. Volkov pursues leg kicks at the beginning or end of combinations, and Gane charges in but his most effective strike may have been a clash of heads when they clack together. Gane tries a one-two, and Volkov ducks and sticks out a jab. Both fighters kick one another until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gane
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gane

Round 3

The glove touch precedes the action once again, and the pace is just where the fighters left off. Volkov absorbs a leg kick to smack his man with a left hand, and Gane dances back and scores leg kicks. Volkov takes a left hand on the forehead as he kicks from afar, with no major damage from it. Gane sneaks in a left hand as he pushes forward, and he jabs out to irritate his opponent. Volkov reaches out with a left hook, and he catches a kick and makes Gane fall to his back. The Frenchman springs back to his feet and takes a left hand on the button, but it does not shake him up. Gane recovers well and lands a pair of shots, and he pushes a jab into Volkov’s face. Volkov catches him on the way in with a short left hand, and he just misses with a reaching right. Gane pops him with three punches before pursuing a takedown, and when he does not land it, he connects with a solid flying knee. Volkov shows some damage on his face but he continues his constant pace of low kicks and long punches. Gane pressures him and eats a left hand, but his jab snaps the head back. Gane rips the body with a right hand, and he goes over the top to catch Volkov unaware. “Bon Gamin” kicks the body and leg, and Volkov stands tall and returns fire to his lead leg. Gane slips a punch to whiff on an uppercut, and Volkov tries to put his own uppercut on his foe’s face. Gane jabs his way in before cracking Volkov with an uppercut, and Volkov’s nose starts to leak plasma. Gane pierces the body with a front kick, and Volkov sits back to throw hands but gets caught with another body kick. Gane’s jab continues to frustrate the Russian, and he lands a few strikes right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gane
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gane

Round 4

Round 4 starts with a glove touch, and there may be a sense of urgency in the Russian’s corner as he swarms out with punches to start off. Gane slips the majority of them and connects with one over the top, and he comes in with a front kick. Gane runs forward with a looping right hand as he is throwing harder now, and he dings Volkov with a flying knee. The Frenchman has a spinning back fist get blocked, but he uses the pressure to close in and push Volkov into the wire. Volkov drills Gane in the chin with an uppercut, and Gane looks surprised as it breaks up a combination he was putting together. Volkov jabs out and follows one with a right hand, and Gane is forced to reset. When Volkov flicks out a jab, Gane threatens with a single leg takedown, but it is stuffed without issue. Volkov grabs his adversary’s wrist and tries to tee off on him with his free hand, and Gane’s head movement keeps him safe. A long right hand comes before a leg kick, and when Gane crashes the pocket, several short shots from Volkov land flush. Gane lunges with a left hand, and Volkov counters up the middle. A power jab connects square on the chin of the Russian, who takes an awkward step back to gather his thoughts. Volkov bookends a body kick that he absorbs with a pair of leg kicks, and he pushes off when Gane tries to close in on him. Gane’s jab has opened the nose up again of Volkov, and Volkov smells blood and kicks Gane in the gut. Gane attacks the body and swings with a huge right hand, and Volkov rolls with it but still takes the brunt of it. Volkov puts four strikes together including a few leg kicks, and a short flurry wraps the round up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Volkov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gane

Round 5

Scorecards could be all over the map after the 20-minute mark, and the heavyweights touch their hands one last time to open up the final period. Volkov walks through a stiff jab to load up on a right hand, and Gane backs away but absorbs a leg kick. Volkov scores a few kicks, and both land at the same time with quick right hands. The heavyweights try to jab at one another, with a chess match playing out between them. Gane steps in with a thumping knee to the body, and he circles out when Volkov reaches at him with a right hand. A pair of punches get Volkov’s attention, who is forced to back away and reset. Gane strings a series of punches together to the head and body, and Volkov answers with a single blow that does not get Gane to flinch. Gane chases the Russian down with long jabs, and he follows one with a speedy right hand. Gane targets the body with a kick, and when Volkov blocks it, he has to shake his arm out. Gane pierces the guard again and again with stiff jabs, and two heavy right hands land flush but the Russian is nigh-unbreakable. Volkov kicks the body, and he stretches out a jab. Gane beats him to the punch with a few more, and he walks “Drago” down before changing levels for a single leg takedown. Volkov shrugs it off and gets punched in the face a few times, with Gane’s active jab never relenting for long. Volkov has a left hand come over the top, and Gane comes down with a front kick and a reaching left hand that jabs two fingers deep into Volkov’s eye socket. Volkov lets out a cry of pain as he leans against the fence, and he is clutching his eye as the doctor comes in. Volkov tries to blink it out and rub it, and the doctor wipes it to try to clear it from him. Dean allows the doctor to check his eye out again, and Volkov appears to be able to continue. There is no point deduction for the second infraction, and Gane apologizes as they clock back in with about 35 seconds to spare. Volkov slings a head kick and is giving it everything he has left, but Gane is elusive and quick. Gane sticks out a front kick to make the charging Russian back off, and the fight ends after 25 minutes have elapsed. With this event in the books, we have a week off from major MMA competition until we get back to business. That business is a rubber match between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, and you better believe we will be here for it. We know you will be too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gane (48-47 Gane)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Gane (49-46 Gane)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gane (49-46 Gane)

The Official Result

Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)