UFC Fight Night ‘McDonald vs. Lineker’ Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Devin Clark vs. Alex Nicholson

Round 1

Clark eats a jab to land a body kick, then puts another on Nicholson’s ribs and sends a right hand down the center. Nicholson responds with some stiff leg kicks of his own as he tries to back Clark toward the fence. As he nears the wall, Clark changes levels and plows Nicholson to the canvas about one minute into the fight. Clark passes to half guard and drops short right hands to the head of Nicholson, who tries to peel the Sioux Falls local away and nearly gets himself caught in an arm-triangle choke. Clark loses the choke, allowing Nicholson to scramble back to his feet. Nicholson tries to chase down Clark with strikes, but he throws a low kick that lands square on the cup of “Brown Bear.” When action resumes, Nicholson comes rushing at Clark with a combination, but his hands are low and Clark decks him with a lovely counter left hook. Referee Bobby Wombacher looks like he may stop the fight, but Nicholson recovers quickly and powers back up to his feet inside the two-minute mark. Clark pins him to the fence, then bails out as Nicholson throws a spinning back-elbow in close quarters. Nicholson is still chasing after Clark with power punches, moving him around the outside. Clark changes levels as Nicholson runs at him, but his right foot gets trapped between the mat and the fence, and Clark slips to the ground. Nicholson hits him with a left hand that

The Official Result

Alex Nicholson def. Devin Clark via KO (Punch) R1 4:57

Matthew Lopez vs. Rani Yahya

Round 1

Both bantamweights are letting their hands fly early on, and both men come up with good, hard hooks as they trade in the pocket. Yahya appears to be stunned by one of Lopez’s right hands, as the Brazilian backs up to the wall. Lopez walks him down, clinches up and drags him to the ground, but Yahya’s tight guard soon makes the UFC newcomer stand up again. Lopez draws a deep breath as Yahya steps forward slinging straight punches. Dodging Yahya’s shots, Lopez pulls down the veteran’s head and pops him with an uppercut before releasing. Yahya catches Lopez coming forward and chops him to his knees with a low kick, but the UFC newcomer jumps right back to his feet. At the two-minute warning, a right hand to the chin knocks the already off-balance Yahya to the canvas near the fence. Lopez follows him to the floor and tries to take his back, then transitions to an armbar. BJJ black belt Yahya extracts his arm and winds up on top, in side control on Lopez’s left side. Yahya begins unloading with elbows to the side of Lopez’s head as they hit the final minute. Lopez tries to sweep but gets caught in a leglock battle with Yahya instead. Yahya nearly uses an ankle pick to keep Lopez on the floor; the American jumps up and then jumps guard with Yahya in a headlock to ride out the last 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lopez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lopez
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Lopez

Round 2

Yahya steps in to close the distance and has a leg caught, so he wraps up Lopez’s head and arm before dropping to guard. The Brazilian throws up an armbar, but Lopez defends by stepping over the top. Lopez tries a reverse triangle choke, but Yahya gives referee Bobby Wombacher the thumbs-up to show that he’s in no danger of going to sleep. Lopez releases the hold with 3:20 left in the round, leaving Yahya on top in cross-side position. Yahya scores with some short, grinding ground-and-pound while Lopez reclaims half guard. The bantamweights roll toward the center of the cage, where Yahya begins to turn up the volume on his right hands. Lopez is on his knees, taking some clean shots to the face as he struggles to stand. Yahya drives forward on another single-leg, but now Lopez is able to sprawl, and the 135ers come back to their feet with one minute left. Yahya sticks a jab, knocks Lopez backward with a stiffer left hand and then runs in for a takedown. Lopez catches him in a front headlock as they hit the floor, but Yahya escapes and applies a dangerous-looking armbar with 15 seconds on the clock. Lopez clasps his hands and hangs on to see the final round.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Yahya
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Yahya
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Yahya

Round 3

Lopez scores an early takedown but has to fend off an armlock from Yahya; Lopez opts to stand and invites the Brazilian to do the same. Yahya moves his opponent to the fence, then changes levels and puts Lopez on his back once again. Lopez’s right side is flush to the fence with Yahya working from half guard on the left, scoring with more short elbows and punches. Lopez kicks off the wall, looking to pivot and escape, but he only manages to put Yahya back in guard after nearly surrendering north-south position. Lopez locks down Yahya’s arms, so the Brazilian lifts and slams him as they enter the final two minutes of the fight. Lopez rolls to his knees and tries to stand, but Yahya takes his back and rides him back to the ground. Lopez slips out the back door but can’t maintain top position, and now Yahya is back on top with one minute on the clock. Yahya frames up an arm-triangle choke from side control on Lopez’s left side, bears down hard and forces Lopez to tap out.

The Official Result

Rani Yahya def. Matthew Lopez via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R3 4:19

Scott Holtzman vs. Cody Pfister

Round 1

After a minute of circling and parrying punches, Holtzman scores with a short left hook and then leaps at Pfister with a flying knee near the fence. Pfister drops levels and tries a takedown; Holtzman defends and keeps his footing, but Pfister lands a left hook on the break that takes out the legs of “Hot Sauce.” Holtzman recovers as they hit the midway point of round one; now he’s taking control of the action again, connecting hooks and low kicks as he pushes Pfister backward to the fence. Holtzman hits a trip and catches Pfister in a front headlock, but he can’t do anything with it as Pfister powers back to his feet. Holtzman pops Pfister with an uppercut, lands an inside leg kick and then one to the outside. Pfister dives for a long single-leg takedown, easily sprawled on by Holtzman, who finishes the round feeding Pfister knees in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Holtzman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holtzman
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Holtzman

Round 2

Holtzman gets Pfister backing up and catches him with a right high kick behind the ear, sending “The Pfist” to the canvas. Holtzman follows and mounts Pfister, then finds an opening for an arm-triangle choke as he catches Pfister sitting up. Pfister peels away Holtzman’s arms and hip-bumps to sweep, and now it’s Pfister on top with three minutes left in the round. Holtzman posts and stands quickly, then clubs Pfister with a short elbow in the clinch. Pfister stays glued to a single-leg until Holtzman limp-legs out of it, and now it’s Holtzman turning around to score a takedown of his own. With two minutes left in the round, Holtzman works from half guard, keeping Pfister grounded at the base of the fence. Holtzman gets full mount again with 90 seconds left, but Pfister is wrapping him up tight from the bottom, preventing any powerful ground-and-pound. Pfister reclaims guard, then sweeps back on top with 30 seconds left, but he only manages to land a few punches before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Holtzman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holtzman
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Holtzman

Round 3

Holtzman gets to work right away as the final round begins, stomping toward Pfister with jabs and leg kicks. Pfister tries to use a long jab to keep the John Crouch pupil at bay, then shoots for a double-leg that is easily denied by Holtzman. One minute into the round, Holtzman hits a takedown in the middle of the cage and sets up in half guard on Pfister’s left side. Holtzman puts a forearm across Pfister’s throat, drops a couple short elbows on his face. Pfister kicks Holtzman away, then lands an upkick to the face while Holtzman’s knees are still on the canvas. Referee Kevin MacDonald pauses the fight, but Holtzman doesn’t need long to recover. Holtzman stands over Pfister, who sits up and drives forward to try another double-leg. Holtzman tries to cinch a guillotine choke as he’s taken down, but he loses the submission attempt when Pfister passes to side control. Holtzman reclaims guard and tries to wrap up Pfister from the bottom, then rolls to his knees and tries to stand. Pfister jumps on Holtzman’s back and rides him to the ground, but Holtzman simply turns over and finds himself in top position with one minute remaining. Holtzman tries to ramp up his ground-and-pound in the closing seconds and manages to land a few grazing shots while Pfister squirms underneath.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Holtzman (30-27 Holtzman)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Holtzman (30-27 Holtzman)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Holtzman (30-27 Holtzman)

The Official Result

Scott Holtzman def. Cody Pfister via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Cortney Casey vs. Cristina Stanciu

Round 1

The strawweights spend a minute wading in and out of range before a striking exchange leaves them tangled. Stanciu tries a throw, but Casey blocks it and rides the Romanian to the ground, landing in full mount. Stanciu pushes her back to half guard, but the larger Casey is bearing down hard on top, now landing some ground strikes. Stanciu escapes to her feet about two minutes into the round, but when she tries to clinch with Casey again, the result is the same. “Cast Iron” rips Stanciu to the ground, takes full mount and unloads with half a dozen heavy elbows to the side of the head. Stanciu turns to her side and covers up, and referee Bobby Wombacher quickly steps in to halt the bout.

The Official Result

Cortney Casey def. Cristina Stanciu via TKO (Elbows) R1 2:36

Sam Alvey vs. Eric Spicely

Round 1

Spicely wades cautiously into range and then pushes Alvey against the fence, but he’s forced to break away when “Smile’n Sam” threatens with a Thai clinch. Spicely sticks a jab as he lunges toward Alvey but nearly gets knocked down by the southpaw’s counter left hook. Spicely throws a lazy body kick and nearly slips to the ground, allowing Alvey to turn the tables and press him against the wall. Spicely drops to try a double-leg, but Alvey snares him in a modified standing guillotine choke and turns him to the fence. Alvey wrenches the choke so hard that Spicely is lifted off the ground and forced to tap in a hurry.

The Official Result

Sam Alvey def. Eric Spicely via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R1 2:43

Katlyn Chookagian vs. Lauren Murphy

Round 1

Chookagian sticks out a mitt to touch gloves, but Murphy doesn’t respond. The former Invicta titlist bounces on her toes as she presses forward on Chookagian, who sticks a jab as she circles off her back foot. Murphy gets close enough to clinch and shoves Chookagian against the fence, looking for a trip takedown. Chookagian spins her around and separates, and then fighters get back to swinging and missing with punches as they circle the cage. Chookagian sticks her jab again, reddening Murphy’s nose. Murphy keeps coming forward but is having trouble reaching the taller woman with her strikes. Chookagian continues to score with the jab, and Murphy momentarily drops her hands to her side before resuming her forward march.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Chookagian
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Chookagian
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Chookagian

Round 2

Murphy continues to press forward at the start of round two, getting a bit more aggressive with her striking but still not finding much success. She gets close enough to grab a Thai plum and hits Chookagian with a knee to the body before shooting for a double-leg against the fence. Chookagian widens her base at the wall and resists at first, but Murphy’s second effort yields the takedown. Murphy works from Chookagian’s closed guard with 3:30 remaining in the round, though there’s not much room for work as Chookagian wraps her up tightly. Chookagian is trying to creep her legs up to catch a triangle or armbar, but Murphy is burying her head and staying heavy on top. A few short ground strikes land for Murphy as she scoots Chookagian from the center of the cage toward the fence. Once they hit the wall, Murphy is able to stack up Chookagian for some grinding elbows and right hands to the ribs. Murphy keeps Chookagian grounded for the final minute as she continues to grind away with short strikes.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Murphy
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Murphy
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Murphy

Round 3

The bantamweights spend a minute hopping around the cage, mostly missing their punches and landing sporadic leg kicks. Murphy continues to press forward and starts eating more jabs from Chookagian as the round continues. Chookagian is starting to find a left-handed counter for Murphy’s punches, too, but her evasiveness is making it difficult for either woman to establish any kind of rhythm. Murphy double-pumps her jab as she runs Chookagian against the fence; Chookagian turns her around and lands a good knee to the body before they separate. Murphy comes diving for a takedown and gets a knee to the face, but she keeps driving and tries to pull Chookagian to the ground with a single-leg. Chookagian goes to her knees at the base of the fence with 30 seconds left in the fight. She’s back up 15 seconds later to escape from Murphy’s clutches just before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Chookagian (29-28 Chookagian)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Chookagian (29-28 Chookagian)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Chookagian (29-28 Chookagian)

The Official Result

Katlyn Chookagian def. Lauren Murphy via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Ben Nguyen vs. Louis Smolka

Round 1

Smolka flicks out a side kick to the body, then has to sprint away as Nguyen chases him down with punches. “Ben 10” has a left high kick narrowly blocked, after which he clinches with Smolka and tosses him to the canvas. Nguyen passes quickly to full mount, transitions to back-mount as Smolka rolls over, then loses the position as Smolka slips out the back door. They scramble up and then go back to the ground almost instantly, this time courtesy of a Smolka takedown. Nguyen elevates the top man and sits up, then spins and takes Smolka’s back in a slick transition. Smolka turns over, leaving Nguyen in full mount, but again the Hawaiian is able to slip out of the precarious position. Two minutes into the round, the flyweights continue to swap spots on the ground, with Smolka coming out on top before winding up on the bottom when he grabs for a heel hook. Smolka sweeps to the top yet again, threatens with a guillotine and then mounts Nguyen to drop punches. Most of Smolka’s shots don’t appear to get through, but he comes up with another threat as he catches Nguyen in a D’arce choke. Nguyen seems unconcerned by the submission attempt and rides it out until Smolka finally releases with about one minute left in the round. Back to mount goes Smolka, bombing Nguyen with more punches, and these ones are getting through a little cleaner than the previous barrage. Referee Herb Dean is standing nearby, having a close look as Smolka continues his assault, but Nguyen hangs in there to hear the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Smolka
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Smolka
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Smolka

Round 2

Smolka shoots for an early takedown at the fence, but Nguyen resists at first and tries to turn the corner to hop on Smolka’s back. Smolka turns around and finishes driving Nguyen to the floor, marking him up with some elbows and short punches before attempting another D’arce/brabo choke. Smolka goes back to the ground-and-pound, then tries a heel hook but can’t get a tap. It’s all Smolka so far this round with three minutes still remaining. Nguyen manages to climb back to his feet for a split second, only to be dumped back to the floor. Another Nguyen stand-up, another double-leg from Smolka, who’s landing right hands all the while. Nguyen gets up again; this time, Smolka jumps guard with a guillotine but loses the choke shortly after hitting the ground. A triangle attempt puts Smolka back on top with 90 seconds left in the round. He mounts Nguyen at the base of the wall, then takes his back and loops his left arm around Nguyen’s throat to try a rear-naked choke. Nguyen buries his chin and defends, so Smolka rolls him over and resumes punching from mount. Heavy right hands crash into Nguyen’s bloodied face, but it’s a pair of elbow strikes from Smolka that finally sends referee Herb Dean in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Louis Smolka def. Ben Nguyen via TKO (Punches and Elbows) R2 4:41

Keita Nakamura vs. Kyle Noke

Round 1

Noke staggers Nakamura with his first hook of the fight and tries to blitz the Japanese southpaw with follow-up punches. “K-Taro” makes a quick recovery and reverses the momentum with forward motion, threatening with takedowns after catching a few kicks from Noke. The welterweights continue their cautious striking, Nakamura inching toward Noke as they move around the edge of the cage. Noke eats a stiff jab but gets his hand up to block Nakamura’s trailing left high kick. The jab continues to score for Nakamura, though he’s struggling to follow up on it as Noke ducks and weaves away. Noke hits a trip takedown at the 2:00 mark, but Nakamura is back on his feet within seconds. The lefty lunges at Noke with long jabs, then slips throwing a kick and has to bounce back to his feet. A leg kick lands for Nakamura, who’s still applying pressure, backing Noke toward the fence. Noke tries to fend him off with kicks and finishes the round with a hard shot to Nakamura’s body.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Noke
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Noke

Round 2

Noke shuts down an early takedown attempt from Nakamura, but the Japanese fighter continues to press the action once the welterweights separate. Noke is still doing good work with the jab from his back foot, while Nakamura looks to be waiting for counter opportunities. It’s a slow round through the midway point, but now Nakamura begins to find a home for his punches and a partially blocked left high kick. Just when it seems “K-Taro” is closing in on his opponent, Noke changes levels and drives Nakamura to the canvas with authority. Nakamura stands but still has Noke looped around his waist, throwing knees at his legs. Both men stick jabs as they work around the cage, now inside the final minute of the round. Nakamura scores with a body shot, an inside thigh kick, then clips Noke on the ear with a right hand. The Australian staggers backward, but Nakamura catches up to him and floors Noke with a knee. Nakamura follows him to the floor and takes full mount, teeing off with punches as the final moments tick away. Noke gives up his back and Nakamura goes to work on a last-second rear-naked choke. Noke is flattened out but it looks like he might be able to hang in -- until his hand taps the mat, only a split-second before the horn sounds to end the period. Referee Herb Dean waves off the fight, as Keita Nakamura pulls off a submission win with at the death in round two.

The Official Result

Keita Nakamura def. Kyle Noke via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2 4:59

Alexey Oleinik vs. Daniel Omielanczuk

Round 1

The heavyweights touch gloves and immediately begin swinging for the fences, with Oleinik charging Omielanczuk toward the fence. Omielanczuk catches the incoming Russian in a guillotine, and Oleinik needs to slow down as he extracts his head from the choke. Once he’s clear, Oleinik double-legs Omielanczuk to the floor, still inside the opening minute. Omielanczuk tries to sit up while Oleinik works to peel him off the fence, advancing to full mount in the process. Oleinik takes his time in the dominant position, with three minutes still left in the round. He tries a shoulder choke and steps off to half guard, but he can’t get Omielanczuk to submit. Omielanczuk struggles back to his feet with 90 seconds on the clock; Oleinik is all over him, keeping the Polish fighter’s back glued to the fence before double-legging him back to the mat. Omielanczuk gives up his back, but Oleinik can’t secure a choke before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Oleinik
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Oleinik
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Oleinik

Round 2

Oleinik begins round two with another blitz, but this time he runs into Omielanczuk’s waiting left hand. Omielanczuk follows with a leg kick, another left hook, then stuffs a takedown and forces Oleinik to the ground, all inside the first 30 seconds. Omielanczuk drops a few hammerfists before the bloodied Oleinik leans back to try a heel hook. Omielanczuk resists the leg lock but gets swept underneath, and now Oleinik tries a head-and-arm choke from side control. Referee Kevin MacDonald peels away Omielanczuk’s hand as he rakes it across the face of Oleinik, but soon after, Olenik loses the choke. Omielanczuk rolls him over and pushes the Russian against the wall, and suddenly it’s Omielanczuk landing punches. Thirty seconds later, Oleinik has reversed him against the fence as they hit the midway point of a busy heavyweight fight. The big men work back to their feet, though only for a few seconds, as Oleinik puts Omielanczuk down with another double-leg. Oleinik takes mount, then transitions to an armbar as Omielanczuk rolls over. Omielanczuk stacks up and relieves the pressure on his arm, but now he has to fend off Oleinik’s triangle attempt. Oleinik continues to threaten with the submisison as time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Omielanczuk
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Omielanczuk
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Oleinik

Round 3

Oleinik goes after another takedown in the opening moments and spends the better part of a minute trying to grapple with Omielanczuk on the fence. Omielanczuk eventually forces the Russian onto his back and makes things uncomfortable by holding Oleinik in a can opener. Oleinik lands short, tired punches from the bottom, and with Omielanczuk doing very little on top, referee MacDonald brings the fighters back to their feet. Omielanczuk slugs Oleinik with a hook as the “Boa Constrictor” steps forward to try another takedown. Oleinik dumps Omielanczuk to the ground with two minutes left to fight and takes his back almost immediately. Omielanczuk defends against the rear-naked choke and slowly rolls over, preventing Oleinik from mounting and taking top position. Now it’s Omielanczuk on top inside the final minute, dropping left hands on Oleinik’s face while Oleinik swings exhausted strikes from underneath. The ref orders the fighters back up, and Oleinik needs a few extra seconds to get back to his feet. Omielanczuk runs him to the ground with a takedown just before the horn, and that’s where it ends.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Omielanczuk (29-28 Omielanczuk)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Omielanczuk (29-28 Omielanczuk)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Omielanczuk (29-28 Oleinik)

The Official Result

Daniel Omielanczuk def. Alexey Oleinik via Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) R3 5:00

Tim Boetsch vs. Josh Samman

Round 1

Samman catches the first kick from Boetsch and tries to convert it into an early takedown, but the “Barbarian” keeps his footing as he’s spun against the fence. Boetsch tries a foot sweep with his back to the wall and gets it on the second try, landing atop Samman one minute into the fight. Samman wraps up tight from the bottom, but Boetsch is still able to pass to half guard and land some thudding right hands. Samman uses butterfly hooks to create space and rushes back to his feet, stepping away from Boetsch to reset with half the round remaining. Samman charges right back at his opponent and tries to jump on the back of Boetsch, who turns away to escape a clinch. Samman can’t take the back and settles for holding Boetsch against the wall with underhooks. Boetsch defends the trip while scoring with short punches and knees to the body in the tie-up. The middleweights split with 60 seconds on the clock. Boetsch blocks a high kick but gets rushed against the fence as Samman charges in behind the strike. Samman backs away and then blitzes Boetsch again, but his wild strikes don’t find the target.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Boetsch
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Boetsch
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Samman

Round 2

Samman attacks from the bell, firing off straight punches and body kicks as he runs Boetsch against the wall. Again, it’s Boetsch taking advantage of the aggressiveness, this time by latching onto one of Samman’s kicks and dumping him to the ground. Boetsch sets up in half guard, leaning right to left across Samman’s body to frame up a kimura. Samman kicks his legs and puts a hand up as if to tap, but he resists the hold and gets his arm level with the mat. Boetsch keeps his grip on Samman’s wrist and tries to crank the arm again, all the while driving his shoulder into Samman’s face, mushing him up against the fence. With two minutes left, Boetsch gives up on the kimura and stands over Samman to unload with punches. Boetsch is blasting Samman with both hands, causing the Floridian to roll onto his side and cover up. Referee John McCarthy is standing inches away, watching as Samman absorbs dozens of unanswered strikes. Samman is covering up just enough to stay in the fight but he’s offering nothing in return, and referee McCarthy eventually steps in to stop the beatdown.

The Official Result

Tim Boetsch def. Josh Samman via TKO (Punches) R2 3:49

Tony Ferguson vs. Landon Vannata

Round 1

Vannata hops around the outside and catches an early kick, sticking a right hand in Ferguson’s face as “El Cucuy” dashes away. A spinning kick to the body scores for Vannata, but the UFC newcomer’s next kick lands to Ferguson’s cup. Ferguson takes a few seconds to recover and the lightweights get back to business. Ferguson has already reddened Vannata’s body with a couple stiff kicks; now, he adds another and follows with a pair of hard, straight punches. Suddenly, Vannata scores with a spinning backfist that gets Ferguson moving backward. Vannata lands a right hand and drives inside, then has to extract his head from a guillotine attempt. Vannata appears to hurt Ferguson again, this time with a straight right hand. Ferguson recovers quickly and slows Vannata’s advance with a spinning elbow. The 155ers are going all out with three minutes still remaining in the first round. Vannata ducks under a spinning backfist and looks to wrap up Ferguson, without success. Ferguson sticks his jab in Vannata’s face and gets a straight right in return. Vannata drops his hands and stands in front of Ferguson, who takes the opportunity to tack on a few more jabs. Vannata uses a snappy front kick to keep the taller man out of range, but Ferguson keeps coming and cracks Vannata with a straight right hand. Vannata catches Ferguson’s right leg on a kick, catches the title contender leaning left and floors him with a head kick. Ferguson somehow stands up, stumbling all around the cage while Vannata tries to polish him off. Up and down two times, Ferguson remarkably stays in the fight by pulling Vannata into his guard. Ferguson tries a heel hook, then an armbar, but he can’t pull off a submission before the wild first round draws to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Vannata
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Vannata
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Vannata

Round 2

Ferguson snaps back Vannata’s head with some crisp jabs in the early moments of the round, but Vannata seems unfazed, continually marching forward on the larger man. Another couple jabs seem to get Vannata’s attention, as the Jackson-Wink fighter takes a few steps back and paws at his bloody nose. Ferguson connects with a Superman punch off the fence, and Vannata’s face is an absolute mess now. Vannata gets tagged with a straight left, tries to bob and weave out of the way of Ferguson’s follow-up punches, but he leans right into a head-and-arm choke. Ferguson pulls him to the ground and cinches the D’arce/brabo choke and forces Vannata to submit.

The Official Result

Tony Ferguson def. Landon Vannata via Submission (Brabo Choke) R2 2:22

John Lineker vs. Michael McDonald

Round 1

Referee Herb Dean is the third man in the cage for tonight’s bantamweight main event, with judges Derek Cleary, Jeff Mullen and Rick Winter scoring the bout. McDonald creeps slowly toward Lineker, who bounces on his toes, moving in and out of range to strike first with a leg kick. McDonald answers with a front kick to the body, ducks under a huge right hand from Lineker and takes another kick to the lead leg. Now it’s Lineker pushing forward while McDonald circles left around the outside. Lineker catches McDonald near the fence, steps into the pocket and floors the American with an overhand right. Another right hand crashed into McDonald’s face as he tries to stand, but “Mayday” somehow scrambles back to his feet under fire. McDonald catches Lineker coming forward with a right hand, a pair of punches, but Lineker tags him back with an uppercut. McDonald is in trouble, swinging desperate punches as Lineker stalks him around the outside. A left hook finally knocks McDonald senseless and sends him slumping face-first to the mat. Lineker tacks on one more punch before referee Dean steps in to stop the contest. John Lineker picks up a decisive knockout victory in his third straight win at 135 pounds.

The Official Result

John Lineker def. Michael McDonald via KO (Punches) R1 2:43