UFC Fight Night Results: ‘Henderson vs. Khabilov’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Patrick Cummins vs. Roger Narvaez

Round 1

Narvaez throws a jab which Cummins slips and counters with a left hook. When he pumps the jab again, Cummins gets in on a single and drives him back into the cage. Cummins gets double underhooks and knees to the body, but Narvaez escapes and resets from distance. Narvaez again jabs into a Cummins single-leg attempt, but defends it. However, Cummins next attempt, he gets a high-crotch and elevates the Texan to the mat. Cummins stands up in the full guard, raining down punches on his foe while trying to shuck his legs to the side. Narvaez plays wrist control on the bottom, but eats heavy leather. Narvaez tries to scoot up the cage, but eats heavy fire for eventually returning to his feet. Cummins grazes with a front kick and can't get the single on the follow-up. He tries again seconds later and gets his second clean takedown of the round, this time away from the fence. Cummins contnues to base up and land with both hands on Narvaez's face in short bursts, while “The Silverback” tries to tie his wrists up. Narvaez tries to scramble to his feet, but Cummins ragdolls him away from the fence, can openers him to force his guard up, then starts punching with both hands again. Cummins stands away from Narvaez, and referee Raul Porrata lets him retake his feet. No significant action unfolds in the final 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cummins
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Cummins
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cummins

Round 2

Cummins backs Narvaez back to the fence, but once the Texan tries to fire back, Cummins ducks and counters with hooks. Cummins casually plops Narvaez on the mat again, stacks him against the fence and opens up fire with both hands. Narvaez tries to wall-walk again and gets front headlocked. Narvaez turtles, Cummins controls him and punches away on the side of his head and knees to the ribs. “The Silverback” tries to slide up the cage and gets mauled back to the mat. The former Penn State Nittany Lion is all over him with punches, quickly forcing Narvaez to go fetal. Cummins continues smashing away until Raul Porrata rescues the overwhelmed Narvaez.

The Official Result

Patrick Cummins def. Roger Narvaez via TKO (Punches) R2 2:28

Jake Lindsey vs. Jon Tuck

Round 1

Tuck grabs a body lock and tries to trip Lindsey to the ground, but “The Librarian” defends and the lightweights wind up clinching on the fence. They separate and Lindsey snaps off a couple good jabs, then walks into a clubbing right hand. Tuck hustles Lindsey to the canvas, where Lindsey quickly reverses and stands. The 155ers stay entangled for a few seconds before Lindsey breaks off with a hard knee to the gut. Tuck scores with another hard right over the top, prompting Lindsey to clinch and throw a standing elbow. Tuck trips his man to the ground, tries to step into mount but winds up in Lindsey’s half guard. Referee Raul Porrata issues a very fast stand-up order, and now it’s Lindsey in control of the clinch on the cage, roughing up Tuck with more knees to the body. Tuck reverses the position to put a couple punches on Lindsey before round’s end.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Tuck
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Tuck
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Tuck

Round 2

Lindsey quickly closes the distance and resumes his body work, thumping Tuck’s ribs with short punches as the lightweight fight on the fence. Tuck circles out, throws a combo and gets countered with an uppercut. Lindsey scores with a couple kicks to the body and absorbs a right-handed body blow from Tuck, who moves in behind the punch for a trip takedown. Tuck gets sloppy with his punching from top position, allowing Lindsey to dig an underhook and power back to his feet. With his back to the fence, Lindsey finishes the round throwing more knees at Tuck’s breadbasket.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Tuck
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Tuck
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lindsey

Round 3

Lindsey runs straight into a right hand from Tuck, who grabs “The Librarian” and trips him to the canvas near the center of the cage. Tuck works on a kimura, then spins to take the back when Lindsey rolls over to defend. Lindsey quickly puts his back on the mat again, and now Tuck steps into full mount. Lindsey gives up his back, and Tuck secures the position with a body triangle. Tuck digs into the right side of Lindsey’s body with some hard heel strikes, forcing Lindsey to verbally submit.

The Official Result

Jon Tuck def. Jake Lindsey via TKO (Submission to Heel Strikes) R3 2:47

Scott Jorgensen vs. Danny Martinez

Round 1

Both flyweights come out throwing hands, and it’s Martinez who gets the better of the early exchange with a knee to the body and a right hook behind it. Martinez connects with a left hand but overcommits to the punch, allowing Jorgensen to change levels and hit a takedown. Seconds after Martinez scrambles up, Jorgensen latches on to a single-leg and brings him back to the mat. Up comes Martinez again, and back down he goes, this time courtesy of a Jorgensen suplex. Jorgensen takes back mount but can’t do anything with the position. Martinez stands and gets dumped back down with another suplex, this one followed by a hard right hand. They repeat the sequence again, this time with Jorgensen tossing Martinez down on his head. The kneeling Martinez grabs wrist control and rolls through to escape the dangerous position. The fighters scramble up, and Martinez lands a pair of hooks before stuffing Jorgensen’s last shot of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Jorgensen
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jorgensen
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jorgensen

Round 2

Martinez comes into round two with guns blazing, tagging Jorgensen with a pair of huge left hooks to the jaw. The second one sends Jorgensen to the ground, where Martinez tries to pound him out with hammer fists. “Young Guns” powers back to his feet, but Martinez corners him against the cage and unloads with more thunderous lefts. Ninety seconds in, Martinez backs away and lets his bloodied opponent move off the cage. Jorgensen seems to have regained his wits as he walks after Martinez, chasing “The Gremlin” around the perimeter and trying to measure the punching range. Jorgensen puts a nice right hook on Martinez’s cheek and comes in behind it to clinch. Martinez isn’t having it, reversing the position to throw punches against the fence. Jorgensen lands a big right hook, chases Martinez to the other side of the cage and floors him with a double-leg. Martinez walks off the cage to escape from back mount, but Jorgensen picks the ankle to keep him on the ground for the final 20 seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Martinez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Martinez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Martinez

Round 3

Jorgensen brings the pressure straight away, shoving Martinez against the fence and dragging him to the ground in the first 30 seconds of the round. Martinez wall-walks off the fence and escapes from Jorgensen’s side control to get back to his feet, but Jorgensen chases him for another takedown. Halfway through the round, Martinez is back up again, and Jorgensen gives him a couple right hands before releasing his rear waist lock. Jorgensen ducks under a punch from Martinez to hit another powerful double-leg. Martinez pops up and sprawls on a single-leg, but Jorgensen spins him to the ground with a second effort. Martinez comes up immediately this time and hurts Jorgensen with a cracking left hook. Closing the distance, Martinez slams Jorgensen with a standing elbow strike, but Jorgensen just changes levels to land his final takedown of the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Jorgensen (29-28 Jorgensen)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jorgensen (29-28 Jorgensen)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jorgensen (29-28 Jorgensen)

The Official Result

Scott Jorgensen def. Danny Martinez via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Lance Benoist vs. Bobby Voelker

Round 1

Voelker connects with a kick to the body before Benoist grabs hold and pushes the Strikeforce veteran to the fence. Benoist changes levels a few times, can’t get the takedown and backs off. A switch kick to the body lands for Benoists, countered by an outside thigh kick from Voelker. Benoists comes down the center with a straight left, chases after Voelker and slips on a kick. When he stands, Voelker is chasing after him, tagging Benoist with punches near the fence. Benoist changes levels again and this time succeeds in taking Voelker to the ground. Voelker pushes off the fence with his feet, trying to escape Benoist’s cross side control, but Benoist stays with him and grinds on Voelker’s face with elbows. Inside the last 30 seconds, Voelker regains guard and then sweeps to the top, but he can’t do anything with the position before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Benoist
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Benoist
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benoist

Round 2

Voelker charges into range but it’s Benoist scoring with punches in the clinch, then circling out to his left to avoid Voelker’s return fire. A left high kick grazes Voelker, and Benoist rushes in behind it to try another takedown on the fence. Voelker stays vertical for a moment but succumbs to the takedown after a few seconds. When it looks like Voelker will overpower him and take top position, Benoist stands up to continue his fence bullying. Referee Mario Yamasaki separates the fighters and issues a warning to Benoist for grabbing the fence. Voelker walks forward and pops Benoist with a couple wide hooks, then an uppercut a few seconds later. The welterweights look tired as they inch around the cage, with Voelker doing the slow chasing. Just as Voelker starts turning it on, Benoist zaps him with a nice left hook and shoots a double-leg. Voelker gets an underhook and shoves Benoist to the ground, then comes down on top in Benoist’s active guard to spend the final 30 seconds landing scattered ground-and-pound.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Voelker
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Voelker
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Voelker

Round 3

Voelker knocks Benoist off balance with a left hook that lands on the arm, then chases him down to put another left on Benoist’s chin. Benoist shoots a double-leg near the fence and succeeds in bringing Voelker down to one knee. Voelker pops back up before Benoist can secure the position but falls back to the canvas as he slips throwing a high knee. Voelker is on his feet again with 3:30 left in the bout, and now both men swing with tired strikes. Voelker lands a leg kick and a wide right hand, comes in to clinch but winds up on his back from a Benoist throw. Benoist steps over to full mount, but Voelker keeps him wrapped up to avoid any major ground-and-pound. In the final minute, Benoist finds space for some big elbow strikes and threatens with a kimura before being swept. Voelker is on top with 20 seconds to go, but he has to defend an armbar and only manages a punch or two before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Benoist (29-28 Benoist)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Benoist (29-28 Benoist)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Benoist (29-28 Benoist)

The Official Result

Lance Benoist def. Bobby Voelker via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Sergio Pettis vs. Yaotzin Meza

Round 1

Meza takes the center of the cage, keeping his hands high while Pettis circles from side-to-side around him, looking for counters. Meza touches Pettis with a low kick, then another and a jab on the way out. Pettis rams Meza with a jab the next time the MMA Lab fighter goes to low kick him. Pettis turns southpaw, then whips left kicks to the body of Meza. Pettis switches back to orthodox and misses a wild overhand right. Pettis goes southpaw again, misses a spinning wheel kick. Pettis and Meza exchange stiff jabs. Neither man can land a hard power shot, though. Meza glances with a right hook-left hook, then Pettis lands a right cross. Meza lands another jab, so Pettis tries a cartwheel kick that misses its target, but throws a high spinning back kick that hits Meza in the hands.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-10
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10

Round 2

Pettis comes out jabbing again, before exchanging leg kicks with Meza once more. Pettis is pressuring more now, but still isn't throwing combinations. Two hard Pettis jabs snap Meza's head back, then another two force Meza into a takedown which the Wisconsinite shrugs off. Meza's nose has a slight, bloody leak. Meza throws a right leg kick and Pettis catches his ankle. Meza gets free, but eats another leg kick. Pettis jabs, then lands a crushing right leg kick, right behind Meza's knee, probably the fiercest strike of the conservative fight so far. Meza jabs and gets tripped up on a very low cut kick from “The Phenom.” Meza throws a right body kick and eats a right hook counter. Meza sticks his jab out to no avail, as Pettis weaves around it and counters him. Meza sneaks a good right hand in, but gets clipped with a head kick. Meza shoots for a single, and Pettis bounces around on his free leg, ripping Meza with counters. Pettis' nose is starting to leak slightly now as the second round closes.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis

Round 3

Meza stalks to start the final round, but Pettis nimbly circles, jabs and kicks to keep him at bay. A Pettis side kick to the body just touches its target, then Pettis turns lefty once more for a brief moment. Pettis switch steps and lands an inside low kick. Meza changes levels but Pettis just pushes him back. Meza continues to walk Pettis down but can't cut him off, so Pettis just keeps circling and jabbing. A Meza left hook is blocked and Pettis catches his following kick, but can't counter off of it. Meza runs Pettis into the fence and sucks his legs out, grounding and pounding while upkicks in an attempt to get him off. Pettis locks on an omoplata and forces Meza to pick him up off the mat before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Meza (29-29 Draw)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Meza (29-28 Pettis)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Meza (29-29 Draw)

The Official Result

Sergio Pettis def. Yaotzin Meza via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Bryan Caraway vs. Erik Perez

Round 1

Perez thuds a high kick off Caraway’s glove, then goes low with one to the lead leg. Both bantamweights twitch and feint until Perez steps in with a right hand. Caraway makes him defend a takedown, then Perez comes back shooting for a double-leg of his own. He shoves Caraway against the cage, where Caraway grabs a guillotine and drops to guard. Caraway can’t finish the choke with Perez in his half guard, and both men scramble back to their feet as he releases. Perez dips in and out of range before launching himself toward Caraway with a big flying knee. Caraway eats the shot to grab hold of Perez and drag him to the ground, then immediately spins to take the back of “Goyito.” Caraway threatens with a rear-naked choke until the 1:45 mark, when Perez creates some space and turns over to take top position. Caraway uses another guillotine to get back to his feet, but Perez greets him with another cracking knee to the face, then another. Perez sprawls on a shot, gets taken down on the second effort but gets up before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Caraway
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Caraway
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Caraway

Round 2

Perez charges at Caraway with an overzealous double-leg and gets tossed to the ground. Caraway moves straight from half guard to back mount as Perez turns to try and escape. The 135ers have their feet to the fence, Perez trying to push off but held in place by a Caraway body triangle. Caraway sneaks his left arm under Perez’s chin, goes palm-to-palm on a deep rear-naked choke and pulls Perez backward. Perez hesitates for a moment before deciding to tap out.

The Official Result

Bryan Caraway def. Erik Perez via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2 1:52

Yves Edwards vs. Piotr Hallmann

Round 1

Edwards forces Hallmann to block a pair of hard left high kicks before getting through with one to the body. Hallmann’s punches are coming high and wide, allowing Edwards to duck underneath and deliver a right hand. Both lightweights land body kicks before Hallmann’s outstretched thumb catches Edwards in the right eye. Edwards only takes a minute to recover before signaling to referee Mario Yamasaki that he’s good to continue. When action resumes, Edwards stuffs a shot from Hallmann and stands up the Polish fighter to pop him with a clean left hook. The next takedown attempt for Hallmann lands, and he drags Edwards to the mat midway through the round. Edwards scrambles right up and shoves Hallmann against the cage with a headlock, then releases and blasts him with a left. Hallmann gets his hands working now with a pair of body shots, then a couple hard leg kicks. He trips up Edwards as the veteran stumbles throwing a step-in knee, and now it’s Hallmann on top in Edwards’ half guard. Edwards controls the wrist as he works to shrimp out from underneath. Just as he regains his footing, Hallmann spins him back down with a single-leg. Edwards stands again and finishes the round clinching with Hallmann on the cage.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hallmann
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hallmann
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hallmann

Round 2

Edwards gets another jab in the eye only seconds into the round, but this one seems less severe and the action resumes quickly. He shuts down a single-leg from Hallmann, resets and hits the MMA Lab fighter with a hard standing elbow. Hallmann receives another warning from Yamasaki to keep his hands closed while striking. Seconds later, Edwards pokes Hallmann in the left eye with an outstretched hand. Hallmann gets checked out and is cleared to continue. They get back to business and Hallmann tries for a takedown with rear waist lock, can’t get it. Edwards deflects a right high kick with his hand and sprawls on a shot to push Hallmann to the fence. With Hallmann on the cage, Edwards releases and steps back to land a combo, then comes back to take a waist lock of his own. Hallmann shucks him to the side and pounces, landing on top in Edwards’ half guard. Edwards gets to his knees but is bloodied by a series of hard right hands; he stands up and is immediately driven back down by Hallmann. The left side of Edwards is flush to the cage, with Hallmann in side control on the right. After taking a couple more punches, Edwards gets to his knees, then his feet, with Hallmann driving a knee into his body on the way.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hallmann
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hallmann
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hallmann

Round 3

Edwards stuffs the first single-leg shot from Hallmann in round three, so Hallmann grabs a Thai plum and lands a few knees before shooting again. This one, too, is shut down by Edwards, who lands a right hook and then gets taken down again. Hallmann is heavy on top, flattening out Edwards from half guard and softening him with punches for an opportunity to seize back mount. As soon as Edwards turns his back, Hallmann slaps on a rear-naked choke that has him tapping out immediately.

The Official Result

Piotr Hallmann def. Yves Edwards via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R3 2:31

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Jason High

Round 1

Dos Anjos comes out swiping with hard punches and right high kicks which High is able to block. When High gets in on a double-leg, dos Anjos backs up to the fence, but the “Kansas City Bandit” yanks out the Brazilian’s legs and dumps him to the floor. Dos Anjos gets up, is taken back down and grabs for a choke on the way. High gets free and then slips a triangle attempt, standing up to come back down in half guard on the right. Dos Anjos tries a kimura from underneath, can’t secure the arm but is able to keep High in place. The next kimura attempt forces High to bail out, but he cracks dos Anjos with a knee to the chin on the way up. Dos Anjos scores with a trio of kicks to the body and then tacks on a right hook. Three or four good left hooks connect upstairs for dos Anjos, then a takedown near the fence. Dos Anjos complains that High is grabbing his own trunks to defend a kimura; referee Kevin Mulhall reminds the Brazilian that this is within the rules.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos

Round 2

High slaps dos Anjos on the cheek with a left high kick, and dos Anjos retaliates with a left hand down the center. As High moves back into the pocket, dos Anjos’ left thumb jabs him in the eye. High is ready to go after about a minute, and dos Anjos gives him no chance to recover further as he rushes the American with heavy hands. High changes levels for a takedown but only keeps dos Anjos there for a few seconds. Back on the feet, dos Anjos continues to punish the High’s body with kicks to the legs and midsection. Now it’s dos Anjos shooting and completing a double-leg takedown. When High scrambles up to his feet, dos Anjos pulls guard with a guillotine. High escapes by flipping over the top and into side control, so dos Anjos releases and stands. Dos Anjos takes the outside position on the fence, delivers a knee to High’s gut and takes a short right hand as he backs out. A left cross on the jaw takes the legs out from under High, who clings to dos Anjos’ leg, trying to survive. Dos Anjos bashes away with hammer fists on his downed opponent until referee Mulhall steps in to stop the fight, much to the displeasure of High.

The Official Result

Rafael dos Anjos def. Jason High via TKO (Punches) R2 3:36

John Dodson vs. John Moraga

Round 1

Dodson puts a kick across the thighs of Moraga, circles for a moment and pulls up short on a straight left hand. The next left splits the gloves of Moraga, who whiffs as he tries to retaliate with a right high kick. Dodson goes to the body with a left hook and then backpedals as Moraga tries to take him down. Moraga lands a knee to the groin and Dodson does a lap around the cage before sprinting back to give his opponent a hug. Dodson’s left hand continues to find its mark as he catches Moraga ducking into the pocket. Dodson launches himself at Moraga with a flying knee, and Moraga comes away shaking his head, having blocked it with his arms. With 90 seconds left, Moraga puts a long right straight on Dodson’s gut. Moraga tries a single-leg on the fence, gets shoved away. Dodson blitzes with two lightning-fast left hands and closes the round with a step-in knee.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dodson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dodson

Round 2

Dodson continues to utilize his speed advantage to move in and out of range on Moraga, landing a few kicks and left hands in a sparse opening minute. Ninety seconds in, Moraga catches a kick and clubs Dodson with an overhand right, but it’s Dodson scoring the takedown as they skitter toward the fence. “The Magician” produces some light ground-and-pound before Moraga is able to power back to his feet. Moraga is pressing forward, keeping busy with strikes even though he only appears to landing a third of them. Dodson isn’t offering much in return, though his shots are more precise when they come. The crowd boos the flyweights’ inactivity with 90 seconds left in round two; Dodson responds with a step-through knee which misses and a left hand that grazes Moraga’s chin. Moraga covers up as Dodson rushes forward with a big combination, and Dodson makes him pay with a high knee that appears to break Moraga’s nose. Moraga takes a seat near the fence, holding his nose as it gushes blood, and Dodson pours on the punches until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dodson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dodson

Between rounds, the cageside doctor advises referee Mario Yamasaki to stop the fight.

The Official Result

John Dodson def. John Moraga via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) R2 5:00

Diego Sanchez vs. Ross Pearson

Round 1

Both men test the range with punches in the opening minute, and Pearson gets through with the first solid shot, a right hand to the body. Sanchez leans in and gets popped with a right hook that draws a smile. The next right lands on Sanchez’s temple and sends the hometown fighter staggering. Sanchez regains his footing before Pearson can follow up, and the lightweights get back to circling in the middle of the Octagon. Sanchez grazes with a kick to the body, misses with a right hand and takes a body kick in return from the Englishman. Pearson digs into the body of Sanchez with another hard right hand and then circles out. Sanchez pushes “The Real Deal” out of range with a spinning back kick and lands a right hand as he rushes Pearson toward the fence. Pearson bounces off and gives Sanchez a right hand in return. The crowd gets going as Sanchez closes the round with a fix or six speedy punches, but he looks to have only landed a grazing shot or two in the flurry.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pearson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pearson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pearson

Round 2

Pearson slips out of a single-leg attempt from Sanchez and presses forward on the American, but Sanchez back him up momentarily with a lunging kick to the body. Sanchez stumbles and Pearson slaps him on the back of the head with a high kick, prompting Sanchez to wave his opponent forward. Pearson snipes with a few jabs, eats a right hand and then comes forward to hit Sanchez with two hard right hooks around the outside. Sanchez looks to have a small cut on the bridge of his nose as he lands a left-handed counter to a Pearson body kick. Pearson drops Sanchez with a sizzling right hand to the chin, but Sanchez pops right back up to taunt. The cut is on the inside of Sanchez’s right eye and it seems to have gotten worse after that attack. Again, Sanchez explodes with a combination in the last 10 seconds, but again Pearson is able to deflect most of the shots.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pearson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pearson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pearson

Round 3

There’s not much clean offense from either man through 90 seconds, as Pearson has moved to a more defensive strategy, forcing Sanchez to chase after him. Sanchez takes a kick to the body and comes back with a right hand. The Jackson-Wink MMA product tries to catch the off-balance Pearson with a flying knee, but Pearson catches the leg and nearly puts Sanchez on the ground as he circles out. Pearson goes low and comes up from underneath with a nice uppercut to the body. Sanchez tries a spinning kick and gets shoved against the cage by Pearson, who lands another clean hook on the exit. Pearson is doing some lovely boxing in the last two minutes, slipping Sanchez’s telegraphed punches and striking back with precise counters. Sanchez lands a left hook as the fight enters its last minute, then wipes at his right eye, now cut on the outside as well. Sanchez pushes forward at the 10-second marker, leaps at Pearson with a flying knee and gets pushes against the cage, where both men finish the fight throwing hands.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pearson (30-27 Pearson)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Pearson (30-27 Pearson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pearson (30-27 Pearson)

The Official Result

Diego Sanchez def. Ross Pearson via Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 27-30) R3 5:00

Benson Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov

Round 1

Mario Yamasaki is the referee for tonight’s lightweight main event, with judges Sal D’Amato, Levi Martinez and Marcos Rosales scoring at cageside. A touch of gloves and Khabilov throws a grazing leg kick to the lead stem of southpaw Henderson. The fighters tie up, Khabilov tripping Henderson to the mat for a brief moment and landing a body shot on the way up. Khabilov pulls up short on a couple big right hands before landing one down the center. Henderson rushes in with punches and gets taken down near the fence, but the former champion scrambles right back to his feet. Henderson takes a look at the big screen to find Khabilov’s face and pops the Russian with an over-the-shoulder elbow. Henderson keeps his balance and separates after Khabilov unsuccessfully tries a suplex. Khabilov sidesteps and lands a nice standing elbow as Henderson lunges in with a left hand. With 20 seconds left, Khabilov catches Henderson’s kick and dumps him to the ground.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Khabilov
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Khabilov
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Khabilov

Round 2

Khabilov grazes with a spinning backfist, eats a counter hook from Henderson but exits the exchange with a nice right hand. Henderson tags his man with a straight left as he runs him against the fence. Khabilov wraps him up but opts to wade out of the clinch after a few seconds. Now, Khabilov circles the outside, striking out with the occasional wide right hand but not scoring with the punches. He ducks under a left-handed Superman punch from Henderson and takes “Smooth” back to the mat. Henderson kicks him away and stands with about half the round remaining. The next clinch yields a rear waist lock for Henderson, who pulls Khabilov to the ground and secures back mount with a body triangle. Khabilov controls the wrists and receives a warning from referee Yamasaki for grabbing Henderson’s glove. Khabilov waits until Henderson opens the body triangle and explodes back to his feet. Henderson stays with him and switches from a double-leg to an underhook, and Khabilov escapes by throwing him to the ground. Henderson lands a hard outside leg kick at the 10-second mark, but Khabilov gets the last word with a counter right.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson

Round 3

Khabilov catches a low kick and trips Henderson to the ground, then nearly rushes into an upkick from the former champ. Henderson gets to his knees but is caught there in a Khabilov headlock, prompting referee Yamasaki to call for action after a few seconds. The lightweights stand and reset in the center, but Henderson soon pushes the action to the outside. Henderson shoots in, gets stuffed and eats a big left hook from Khabilov as he stands. A right hand connects for Khabilov in a brief clinch, Henderson chases him across the cage, and Khabilov catches a kick for a takedown. Henderson tries a guillotine on the way down; the choke isn’t deep, but it’s threatening enough to force Khabilov to relinquish the position. Khabilov is on the move now, circling away from Henderson and throwing single punches when he gets too close. Henderson turns a Khabilov takedown into top position for the final few seconds of the round as he elevates the Russian and then flattens him from half guard.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson

Round 4

Henderson tries to clinch on the fence, but Khabilov circles out and hits him with a right hook. A left hand lands for Henderson as he closes the distance, and again Khabilov has no interest in working on the cage. Henderson pushes Khabilov toward the fence with a long body shot, then zaps him with a lead uppercut and follow-up left hand. Khabilov hits the deck at the base of the fence, and Henderson slaps on a rear-naked choke that forces Khabilov to tap out fast.

The Official Result

Benson Henderson def. Rustam Khabilov via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R4 1:16