UFC on ESPN 11 ‘Blaydes vs. Volkov’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Austin Hubbard (156) vs. Max Rohskopf (155)

Round 1

We’re back in business with a fun fight card that will all take place on ESPN (and ESPN+ for those without cable), and we kick things off in the lightweight division. Elevation Fight Team will start and end the night tonight, as team representative Hubbard (11-4, 1-2 UFC) takes on unbeaten submission-minded newcomer Rohskopf (5-0, 0-0 UFC). Referee Mark Smith is in charge of the action in this card opener, and a touch of gloves from these two begins the night. Hubbard starts with a few jabs and a couple slapping low kicks, and Rohskopf replies with a sneaky hook kick. The newcomer backs off and slams home a leg kick of his own, and follows it with a pawing hook that glances off the target. When Rohskopf tosses out a lazy left hand, Hubbard nails him with a looping right hand and Rohskopf wears it well. They clash with kicks, and Hubbard follows the impact with another thudding right hand in honor of his namesake of “Thud.” Hubbard backs off and Rohskopf chases after him to hunt for a single leg takedown, landing it on the second attempt by slamming Hubbard down. Rohskopf immediately snatches up side control, and Hubbard scrambles to get up and cracks Rohskopf with a knee on the way up. After Hubbard lands a few single strikes, Rohskopf goes after another takedown, selling out and even looping his leg around Hubbard’s head to drag him down in a very unorthodox fashion. As he falls to his back, Hubbard tries to get some ground-and-pound going, but Rohskopf attacks an ankle quickly. Hubbard defends himself to power his way out of a potential heel hook, and muscles his way up before Rohskopf can torque the leg. Rohskopf regathers himself and wings a few wild hooks, and Hubbard avoids them and keeps his left hand outstretched to keep his distance from his advancing foe. They trade leg kicks, with Hubbard’s much more resounding, and when Rohskopf gets careless, Hubbard pops him with a combination including a right hand and a solid knee up the middle. Rohskopf concludes the round with a spinning wheel kick at the horn, and it is well short of his intended target.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Rohskopf opens the round with an Imanari roll, and although it does not work, he transitions into a single and hits the takedown. Hubbard returns to his knees, and Rohskopf jumps on top of him to set up a guillotine while in three-quarter mount. Hubbard stays patient and practically shoves Rohskopf off of him to stand back up. They clack legs together, and we can see that Rohskopf’s mouth is bleeding a little. Hubbard lands a hard punch to the body and left hand over the top, while successfully countering Rohskopf who comes back at him. A kick bounces off the cup in a quick exchange, but the action does not cease. Hubbard walks through it and scores a big right hand that shakes up Rohskopf. The newcomer eats another, and he is starting to get marked up as Hubbard connects with a one-two that gives Rohskopf a little wobble. Hubbard stalks him down with accurate punches, changing together a short combination that knocks Rohskopf’s head back and ricochets him off the cage wall. Rohskopf may be fatigued, and Hubbard capitalizes on it by splitting the guard with a few punches while Rohskopf tries to respond but cannot. Hubbard lets loose a massive left hand that practically knocks out Smith in the process, although Rohskopf avoids it. “Thud” starts teeing off on Rohskopf, alternating to the head and body and busting up his debuting opponent. The cut around Rohskopf’s left eye, Hubbard does not take his foot off the gas as he loads up on power right hands at that already damaged area. To end the round with style points, Hubbard rips the body several times before finishing with an uppercut. A wobbly legged Rohskopf stumbles back to his corner, in a bad way but still barely in the fight. Between rounds, Rohskopf has lost all confidence, imploring his corner Robert Drysdale to stop the fight. Drysdale refuses, but Rohskopf insists and says he doesn’t have it. When Smith asks Rohskopf if he wants to continue, Rohskopf declines so Smith waves off the fight.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Austin Hubbard def. Max Rohskopf R2 5:00 via TKO (Retirement)

Roxanne Modafferi (125.5) vs. Lauren Murphy (125.5)

Round 1

Like last week only at women’s flyweight instead of men’s flyweight, we find a top-ranked battle in the division buried on the early prelims as Modafferi (24-16, 3-4 UFC) squares off against Murphy (12-4, 4-4 UFC). The Octagon ranger between this ranked pairing of women’s 125ers is referee Chris Tognoni, who is just as confused that this fight between the #5 and #6 in the division takes place before five bouts tonight featuring two unranked fighters. There is a tough of gloves, and Murphy starts with a low kick but gets countered with a straight left. Modafferi chases after her with a couple jabs, and Murphy backs her off with a right hand. When Modafferi walks her down with jabs, Murphy lands a couple low kicks and a right hand that makes Modafferi blink it out repeatedly. “The Happy Warrior” scores a front kick up the middle, and nearly has her legs kick out beneath her when she follows it with a few punches. After a brief exchange, Modafferi pressures her opponent into the fence and clinches up to lean all of her weight on her. Modafferi considers a body lock takedown attempt, and Murphy stands her up with a short elbow. Modafferi nearly hits a trip while landing some knees, and is bullying Murphy against the cage. Murphy decides she has had enough and separates, all while avoiding an elbow on the break. Like a few times before, Murphy targets the lead leg with a slapping kick, and Modafferi chains together a string of punches that get Murphy’s attention. One particular right hand from Modafferi rings off the starboard bow, and Murphy does a quick count of her teeth. Modafferi keeps sticking the jab out there, while Murphy looks to disrupt the attack with low kicks. Murphy comes in and ducks down to throw a left hook, but Modafferi greets her with a straight left. Modafferi crashes forward and eats a right hand, throwing her off her game for a moment but not enough to keep her at bay. A few punches from Murphy have marked up Modafferi’s nose, and not to be outdone, Modafferi does the same on her adversary. The two women jab it out until we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Modafferi opens up the round offensively, sticking out her left hand a few times to solid effect. When Murphy tries to respond, Modafferi slaps her in the face with a high kick. Murphy winds up with a big right hand, and it catches the Las Vegas native on the side of the head. For a second, Modafferi develops baby deer legs, and somehow regains her composure while Murphy chases after her. Murphy tries to unload some more power rights, and Modafferi backs off and flicks out a left jab. Modafferi starts getting aggressive again, rushing forward with combinations while Murphy is ready with powerful counters. Modafferi blocks the oncoming strikes and presses into a clinch. Modafferi changes levels and goes after a single, while Murphy keeps on her feet seemingly with pure strength. Murphy reverses the position and trips Modafferi’s legs from beneath her, only to lift up “The Happy Warrior” and slam her on her face. Murphy starts raining down punches as she proceeds to take Modafferi’s back, and Modafferi is hurt but surviving. While Murphy tries to set up a submission, Modafferi spins out and nearly get on top. Murphy throws up her legs for an armbar attempt, and Modafferi pushes through it but gets kicked away, allowing Murphy to stand up. Modafferi mashes her against the fence as soon as Murphy gets up, bullying her down to the ground but they are tied up. Modafferi tries for one last trip to end the round, but Murphy defends partially by hooking her fingers in the fence. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Modafferi comes out firing, jumping forward with a one-two and a low kick. Murphy tries to respond with a low kick, and Modafferi pops her in the chops with a quick right hand. Murphy aims a big right hook like the last round, and Modafferi avoids it and starts spamming standing elbows. A few catch Murphy by surprise, and Modafferi is throwing elbows like Urijah Faber in his rematch with Mike Brown. Modafferi keeps her jab out there, and Murphy nails her with a left hand that makes Modafferi shoot in for a takedown. Aiming for a single, she transitions into a double leg takedown but Murphy defends them both well. Modafferi sets up a sneaky Thai clinch and starts kneeing Murphy in the face, and Murphy is stuck in this position but only takes a few flush. Modafferi stays heavy in the clinch, but Murphy notices time is ticking off the clock so she shoves her away. They take the center of the cage and start slugging, with Murphy more interested in power punches while Modafferi is content to touch her from a distance. Modafferi ducks in for a one-two that comes up short, and some narrowly avoids the counter right hand that comes whizzing by her head. As Modafferi presses the pace, she tries to clinch up and zing an elbow by. Murphy keeps her opponent at bay with left hands, while prepared to counter with right hooks. Modafferi walks through them and eats one on the chin to land two of her own. Modafferi starts slinging elbows again, and Murphy blocks, counters, and hits a double leg takedown. In full guard in the waning seconds of the fight, Modafferi throws up her legs for a triangle choke. "Luckily" easily sits out of it and the fight is now over.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Lauren Murphy def. Roxanne Modafferi via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Frank Camacho (158: Missed Weight) vs. Justin Jaynes (156)

Round 1

One of those aforementioned bouts between unranked fighters is up next, as we see a catchweight since Camacho (22-8, 2-4 UFC) missed weight before facing late-notice replacement and excellently nicknamed “Guitar Hero” Jaynes (15-4, 0-0 UFC). The third man inside the Octagon for this 158-pound bout is referee Herb Dean and the two greet one another with a glove touch. Jaynes opens up with a huge overhand right that glances off the target, and he is coming out firing. Jaynes loads up on huge punches, and cracks Camacho with a massive uppercut. “The Crank” is in trouble, falling against the fence while Jaynes attacks him like a rampaging elephant. In a swarm, a left hand drops Camacho, and he bounces back to his feet while eating thunderous punches. A monster left from downtown blasts Camacho on the jaw, and his knees are weak, his arms are heavy…but Jaynes does not admire his work and follows it with a huge right hand to seal the deal. Dean races in to stop the fight, as Camacho is out on his feet and very possibly only upright because of the fence behind him. What a huge statement performance for Jaynes, who announces his arrival to the promotion in dramatic fashion.

The Official Result

Justin Jaynes def. Frank Camacho R1 0:41 via TKO (Punches)

Gillian Robertson (125.5) vs. Cortney Casey (123.5)

Round 1

Back to the women’s flyweight division, two women ranked lower – or unranked – than two that fought earlier tonight are up next, with brilliantly plumed Robertson (7-4, 4-2 UFC) taking on the durable Casey (9-7, 5-6 UFC). Drawing the assignment is referee Jason Herzog, and the two women show respect as they touch gloves before throwing down. Robertson begins with a few low kicks, while Casey wants to get her boxing going. She tags the Canadian with a right hand, but Robertson ignores it and walks forward. Casey scores another, and then one more that has already marked up the eye of Robertson. Not a fan of getting punched in the face like that, Robertson rushes in to hit a quick takedown, where she nearly takes mount but gets rebuffed by Casey. Robertson steps into half guard, and stays heavy on top of her opponent. As Casey tries to hold on to her neck to keep her grounded, Robertson pulls her head free and postures up to wing a big right hand. Tying the red-haired Robertson up, Casey lands a few elbows to the body in the process. Robertson steps over into side control with ease, and hops into three-quarter mount before popping her in the chops with a jackhammering right. Robertson keeps Casey planted flat on her back while covering her mouth and peppering her with sporadic punches to keep her honest. Casey defends by grasping on to her opponent’s wrist, and Robertson is slowly but methodically slicing over to side control. Casey attempts to roll out, and “The Savage” blasts back down to keep Casey down. Casey is trying to push off the neck to maintain position, while Robertson is emphatically attempting to pass guard by lifting her leg up high and letting out kiais. Robertson continues to embrace the grind to end the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Robertson commences the second round with a few low kicks, but one from Casey does more damage than three or four that land on her before. Casey goes up the middle with a front kick, and lands a few heavy punches until Robertson hits another easy takedown. Casey is trapped with her head against the fence, but she does maintain full guard and closes it to keep Robertson locked down. With this position, Robertson drops down a few punches, and Casey responds with very short distance hammerfists that Robertson does not even register. Casey tries to turn out, and aims for an armbar on her back. Robertson tries to buck out of it, but sits down to work through the position. Casey lands a few hammerfists from her back, forcing Robertson to change positions, and she stands up to stack up her opponent and turns out of the submission attempt. Robertson nearly steps over into side control, but Casey pulls her back into half guard. Robertson wears her full weight on her opponent that is flattened out on her back, shucking off another minor submission attempt and slowly trying to advance position. Robertson steps over to the other side to fish for an arm-triangle choke, and Casey halts her advancement but cannot get up. Robertson slams down a few more punches, and Casey has no way out of her predicament but she is not taking much damage. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Casey starts the round by sticking out punches to try to keep Robertson at bay, clearly concerned about another takedown. She slaps a leg kick, and Robertson is calmly walking towards her while changing levels. When Casey drops her hands to defend a potential takedown, “The Savage” wings a head kick that barely misses. Casey strings together a few one-twos, and Robertson shrugs them off but is absorbing them. Casey stings her with a right hand and an uppercut, and like before, the stand-up makes Robertson change her mind and go after a takedown. She lands one nearly as simply as the other two in the first two rounds, and she sits in full guard while Casey has her locked down. Casey kicks free and rolls into an armbar, and Robertson is forced into defensive mode but is not that concerned as she smiles and talks to her corner. Casey wrenches on it, and Robertson complains that Casey has her fingers grasped in Robertson’s gloves. This moment of confusion allows for Robertson to pull herself free, and she winds back up on top in full guard as the clock ticks down. Casey frantically tries to get her off of her, but Robertson capitalizes on Casey’s flailing to pass guard. Robertson attempts to keep her knee on one of Casey’s arms, and suddenly circles around to the back. The Canadian latches on a rear-naked choke, and without any hooks in, Casey is in big trouble. Robertson puts everything she has into the squeeze with less than 30 are left in the round, and Casey grimaces and taps out when she cannot get free. This was one-way traffic for Robertson, who could have ridden out the rest of the round but went after a finish and did so impressively.

The Official Result

Gillian Robertson def. Cortney Casey R3 4:32 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Marc-Andre Barriault (185.5) vs. Oskar Piechota (185.5)

Round 1

Moving to the middleweight division, two fighters in desperate need of a win inside the Octagon are up next as Canada’s Barriault (11-4, 0-3 UFC) faces Poland’s Piechota (11-3-1, 2-3 UFC). Figuratively sealing the cage is referee Chris Tognoni, and there is no glove touch as Barriault wants to slug it out immediately. The Canadian chases down Piechota, and Piechota responds with a quick uppercut to back him off. Barriault is pressing the action heavily, but Piechota catches him with a right hand coming in. A slapping leg kick from Piechota backs his man away for a second, but Barriault is right back at him with long right hands. Piechota hits another leg kick, and circles around the outside of the cage avoiding the bombs coming his way. Barriault keeps the pace and backs Piechota against the fence, where he starts unloading punches recklessly. Piechota stays composed and avoids the brunt of the strikes, all while countering quickly but backing away. Barriault cracks him with a stiff uppercut, and the Polish fighter backpedals while he gathers himself. “Power Bar” keeps his foot on the gas as he chases after him with punches, and even though he is eating shots and gets clipped on the way in, another massive uppercut hurts Piechota again. When Barriault comes at him with a left hook, it gets blocked but gives him the opportunity to grab him and elbow him on the jaw. Barriault is on him like a dog with a bone, rarely if ever taking a back step, and forcing Piechota to fight off his back foot. Barriault wings a huge right hand, and Piechota ducks to shoot in for a takedown with seconds left. Barriault stuffs it and lands something short that might have buckled the knees of Piechota, but the round ends before he can make anything of it.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Barriault comes out ferociously, with a side kick and a bomb of a right hand where Piechota just barely rolls out of the way. Barriault scores a leg kick with an audible thud, and Piechota is back to circling off the fence while blocking the constant offense coming his direction. Barriault has a spinning back fist blocked, but closes in to nail him with an uppercut that busts up the nose of the Polish fighter. Piechota is backing away rapidly, and gets cracked again on the way out. Barriault shoots in deep for a takedown, and Piechota tags him with a short uppercut but Barriault powers through it and manages to get his Polish opponent down. Piechota sits up against the fence, and Barriault puts his full weight on his man while Piechota fishes for a guillotine choke, and he commits to it but Barriault is unconcerned. Piechota uses the choke attempt to stand back up, but Barriault greets him with a long right hand that sends him bouncing off the fence. Another right hand scores, and Piechota is playing defense while getting mashed against the fence eating elbows and uppercuts. Fighting in a phone booth, Barriault empties his power bar a little with a short flying knee, and takes a left hand counter on the jaw. Piechota tries to counter as his advancing opponent lumbers towards him, and after he lands, they slug it out. A huge right hand from Barriault hurts him, and a couple stinging body shots and a smoking uppercut make Piechota topple over. Barriault rains down punches, knowing he has his opponent hurt while Tognoni pleads for Piechota to defend himself. He lands a few more heavy shots and bullies his foe on the canvas as Piechota desperately rolls around on the ground, and Tognoni has seen enough. This is a crucial win for Barriault, who earns his first victory inside the Octagon at the expense of the Polish striker.

The Official Result

Marc-Andre Barriault def. Oskar Piechota R2 4:50 via TKO (Punches)

Brianna Van Buren (115.5) vs. Tecia Torres (116)

Round 1

Dropping down to the lightest weight class, we will be treated to the smallest fight in promotional history as four-foot-eleven Van Buren (9-2, 1-0 UFC) takes on the relatively gargantuan five-foot-one Torres (10-5, 6-5 UFC). Make no mistake, this could be a banger, and referee Mark Smith will look to keep up with these two speedy fighters. They touch gloves, and Torres opens up to the body and head with four kicks. Van Buren crashes forward into a takedown attempt, setting up a body lock and looking for a trip. Torres remains on her feet, with her back still grinding against the fence, until Van Buren hits the trip and lands on top loudly. Torres walks her way back up the fence in a scramble, and Van Buren leans heavily while seeking another trip. Torres may have gotten away with a fence grab to stay on her feet, but Van Buren gets her underhooks back to the delight of commentator Dominick Cruz as Smith calls for them to work. Torres bursts out of the position, and whips a kick up high until Van Buren practically sprints at her to clinch up again. Torres breaks free again and throws up a kick like before, and catches Van Buren standing still with a foot to the face. When Torres continues to press forward with big punches, Van Buren ties her up and pursues the same body lock/trip takedown as before. Torres circles out and nails Van Buren on the chin with a few punches to force a break. Torres goes up high with a kick, and changes levels with seconds on the clock to fish for a takedown. Right before the horn, Van Buren hits a hip toss, but the round is over before anything comes of it.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The second frame begins with Torres throwing high flying strikes like big kicks and a jumping knee. She keeps it going with a few punches, and then an axe kick that lands flush. Torres fires up a head kick that gets blocked, and stalks her retreating opponent down. Van Buren tries a spinning back kick, but Torres is too quick and lands a few punches, Van Buren grabs hold of her in the process, landing a knee and eventually muscling Torres against the Octagon to push her to the wall. Although Van Buren is not getting off much in the way offense, control time is adding up for her until Torres shoves her away. Both swing and miss, and Torres strings together a quick combination that Van Buren just is able to avoid. Torres swings a few kicks including another axe kick, and this time Van Buren is wise to it and blocks the leg strikes coming at her. A few punches lead to a body kick from “The Tiny Tornado,” who is looking very much like her nickname as she chains strikes together in rapid fashion. Torres advances with a few punches, and Van Buren can do nothing but take them and try to cover up. “Tha Bull” tries to latch on to her charging opponent, but Torres breaks away to land strikes at distance. The two women slug it out with punches and kicks in the final seconds, and Torres rocks her right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Van Buren paws out a few strikes to start the frame, and a lazy body kick gets countered by the quicker Torres. Torres lands a few punches and has a high kick blocked, all while getting out of the way from the offense. Torres rips her to the body with a kick, and tries to grab the leg and drag her down, but Torres backs off. Van Buren whiffs on a spinning wheel kick, and as soon as she resets, Torres goes high and low with side kicks. Torres is now playing the matador, dancing out of the way as Van Buren throws slower strikes. Torres pours it on in the form of a few body kick and some speedy punches, before nailing her with a spinning wheel kick of her own. A few more strikes to all areas of Van Buren’s body from Torres connect, so “Tha Bull” shoots in low for a double. As Torres defends, Van Buren cracks her with two no-look elbows from behind the back. Torres stands back up and delivers a knee to the midsection, and nearly throws Van Buren to the ground. Van Buren gathers herself and drops down very low for a single leg takedown, but Torres stands tall – relatively speaking – and stuffs it. As she gets the separation, Torres advances and chases after Van Buren, throwing kicks with reckless abandon as Van Buren searches for answers. Torres ties up this time, pressing Van Buren against the cage wall as pivotal seconds for Van Buren tick off the clock. As they separate, Torres goes wild with kick after kick high and low indiscriminately, and hunts for one last takedown as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Tecia Torres def. Brianna Van Buren via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Clay Guida (154.5) vs. Bobby Green (155.5)

Round 1

Headlining the prelims is a lightweight pairing between the tireless Guida (35-19, 15-13 UFC) and the garrulous Green (24-10-1, 4-5-1 UFC). Refereeing this match is Jason Herzog, and there is no love lost between these two based on a feud involving Guida’s former conquest Nate Diaz. Green stands in front of him with his hands nearly down, as Guida hops around on the outside. Green drops his hands to taunt him, and Guida lands a solid punch. Green crashes forward, lands a knee that might have connected to the cup, but we do not stop. Guida dives in and hits a high-amplitude takedown, where he quickly takes Green’s back. Green stays calm, and walks up the cage wall while Guida winces to try to hit a slam on his opponent. Guida shoots in again, and Green defends with a quick guillotine choke setup, so Guida drops down to spin around. As Guida gets up, Green greets him with a knee to the body. Green targets the body again in the form of a solid left hand, and Guida is looking for angles to get in. Green whiffs on a right hand, and Guida tries to make him pay with a windmilling right hand. An uppercut from Green nearly takes Guida’s head off, but all it does is brush the hair back. As Green stands in front of him, Green lands a heavy leg kick that gets Greens’ attention. Green lands another, and Green starts trash talking him. Guida charges in with a left hand, and Green counters with a quick right. Green has his hands all the way down, and Guida cracks him on the jaw, drawing a reaction out of him. Green lands a stop kick to the knee, and tries to time an uppercut as Guida is shooting in. Guida keeps going with the position, lifting up a leg from his opponent and slamming him down. Green stands back up for a moment, but Guida tries to run the pipe with a single. Green drops to his knees to defend the takedown, and muscles his way up while slapping Guida on the side of the head. Green lands an elbow that might have landed to the back of the head, and Guida keeps pressing for that takedown to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Guida starts out with jabs, and Green is again standing right in front of him before taking a hard leg kick. Guida lands a left to the body, a front kick and a hard right hand, but Green laughs at him before slugging him with a left. Both men try to play it off like they didn’t hurt, but Green has a good poker face. Green ducks down to change levels, and in doing so narrowly avoids a blistering right hand. Green brings up a few knees, and one might have landed on the cup, but Guida shrugs it off again and they keep trading. Green sticks out a few long jabs, and ties up with a Thai clinch to unload several thudding knees. Guida fakes up high to for a takedown, and Green defends it at first but Guida changes levels to aim for a low double. Guida nearly scoops him up, and Green stands him back up and knees him on the chin. As Guida lands a right, Green drops his hands and takes a deep breath. Guida tries to jab at him, and Green uses good head movement to avoid most of them while coming back at Guida. “The Carpetner” overcommits hard to a low takedown, and Green snags a guillotine choke from midair and nearly lifts Guida off the ground with it. Guida spins out, and gets back up and out of danger. Green lands a few punches to the thighs, possibly to taunt his opponent, and whiffs big with a sweeping left hook. Guida is attempting to work his way in with jabs to land some one-twos, but Green keeps his distance and the wrestler at bay. A hard leg kick from Guida forces Green to take a moment and change his stance, so Guida swings and misses with a huge head kick. With seconds left, Guida hits a quick takedown. As Green tries to roll out of it, Guida follows him and takes his back, but the round ends. Although previously not very friendly, Green is having a great time as he laughs when the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Green strides out of his corner confidently with his hands at his side, and is able to counter Guida on the way in. Guida tries to close the distance with a looping right hand, and when he misses, he follows with a leg kick to each of Green’s legs. Guida shoots in low and lifts Green up before placing him down on the cage floor. Green tries to roll for a choke, and in doing so gets back to his feet and knees Guida up the middle. Guida rings a left hook home, which makes Green bring his hands back up momentarily. Guida catches the stance switches with leg kicks, and tries to chain them into a punch that sets up a takedown. Both men swing heavily and evade each other’s shots, but Guida is pushing the pace now with a low single. Green tries to roll around, and manages to get Guida’s leg plant Guida down for a moment. Guida springs back up and is dead set on taking that single leg down, so Green defends with a choke attempt that is not nearly as tight as previous rounds. With Guida attacking the single, Green is free to tee off on his midsection with some heavy punches. When Green tries to stand back up, Guida nearly rips him down, but Guida doggedly pursues the takedown. Green is stifled as he tries to defend the takedown attempts that continue to come, until he shoves off as he takes a deep breath. Green lands a solid left hand, and Guida ducks down and into one more takedown attempt. Green defends this time with a kimura attempt, but decides instead to blast Guida in the face with several punches and Guida might be hurt. Guida looks up to the camera and smiles, and we hear the horn. Both men have abandoned all hositilities, and hug it out and raise one another’s hands in the end. That was a fun scrap, no matter what some critics might say.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Bobby Green def. Clay Guida via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Jim Miller (159.5) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (160)

Round 1

We commence the main card with a 160-pound scheduled catchweight contest between one of the most active fighters in UFC history in Miller (31-14, 1 NC; 20-13, 1 NC UFC) against the young, hungry Roberts (10-1, 4-1 UFC). In the cage, referee Herb Dean has been tapped to oversee this battle, and the two men touch ‘em up before they start trading. Roberts starts out with a front kick, and Miller grabs it and chases him down in an instant. Getting into full guard, Miller starts to work the body as Roberts throws his legs up. Roberts tries to scramble, and “A-10” dives down to set up a guillotine choke. Roberts stays patient and slowly works his neck out, but in the meantime, Miller advances to half guard. Roberts explodes to his knees while Miller tries to stay on top, and when Roberts tries to get on top, Miller rolls for an armbar. The arm is tight and Roberts is doomed. There is no escape, and "The Predator" verbally taps out. That is UFC win number 21 for Miller, who is now two shy of the record held by Donald Cerrone.

The Official Result

Jim Miller def. Roosevelt Roberts R1 2:25 via Submission (Armbar)

Lyman Good (170.5) vs. Belal Muhammad (170.5)

Round 1

Making his return a few months after fighting through the coronavirus, Good (21-5, 1 NC; 3-2 UFC) fights with a heavy heart for his recently departed father against tough out Muhammad (16-3, 7-3 UFC) at welterweight. The cage will be monitored by referee Chris Tognoni, although after that glove touch we can be sure there is no ill will between these two. Muhammad kicks low to the leg as Good throws a right hand that misses. Muhammad works another low kick, and Good comes out firing with a string of heavy punches. Muhammad throws a knee up the middle when they briefly clinch, and a head kick of his gets blocked shortly thereafter. Muhammad targets the lead leg again, and Good bites down on his mouthpiece to wing massive punches. Muhammad scores a one-two, and Good is content to stalk him down and stay in the Roufusport fighter’s face. Muhammad again works the lead leg, and Good tries to respond with one that skims off the thigh. Muhammad ducks down with an uppercut, and Good absorbs it without effect and takes a right hand across the bow for good measure. Wanting to capitalize on that strike, Muhammad aims another but it is way off the mark. He does follow the missing punch with a thudding body kick, and Good’s right hand drops briefly to block another one that does not come. Good lands a counter right hand, and Muhammad tags him with a one-two while circling out of danger. Good is attempting to catch Muhammad coming in, but he is throwing single strikes while Muhammad is more interested in concurrent strikes. The stance switches from Muhammad are flustering Good, who is trying to find an angle and tag him with a right hand but it is Muhammad that scores a few jabs on the outside. Good tries to crash in to land some offense, and Muhammad backs off before jumping forward to land a knee on the torso. Good catches Muhammad on the end of a left hand, but the beard of Muhammad is uncracked after eating that shot. They trade high kicks, and a brief blitz from Muhammad ends the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

As Good advances to begin the round and try to load up on power punches, Muhammad keeps to the outside and picks away at him with kicks while circling away. Muhammad lulls Good into a pattern and shoots in low for a double, where he lands a takedown. Good does not go down so much as his posterior rebounds off the canvas and he is right back to his feet, and they separate. Good starts to stick out the jab and mark up the nose of his opponent, and he ducks a heavy one-two coming back at him. One errant finger pokes the eye of Muhammad, but the Roufusport fighter waves Tognoni off and they continue after a break of mere seconds. Good continues to walk him down, and although he misses with a head kick, he connects with a good right hand that gets Muhammad’s attention. A couple jabs from Good back his opponent off, but Muhammad resets and throws up high kick that Good barely blocks. He throws another, and Good similarly defends against it. When Muhammad sets up a combination, they both land at the same time, and Muhammad looks to almost wobble for a moment. Good nails him with right hand, and Muhammad comes back at him with a body kick. Muhammad sits down on heavy one-two, and then another as Good is barely able to block them. The blocked head kicks continue to come from Muhammad, and even though Good protects against them, the impact of the strikes move Good back. Good winds up with a huge right hand, and unloads a combination that rings Muhammad’s bell. Muhammad recovers, and the two clack heads as they separate after an exchange, opening up a cut on Muhammad’s right eye. Muhammad throws a few more head kicks and one to the body, and Good blocks them all. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Muhammad opens with a few kicks, and a left hand splits the guard in the early going as Good marches through it to try to land his own power shots. Good winds up and cocks back a right hand from hell that blasts Muhammad on the jaw, sending the Chicago based fighter nearly off his feet. Muhammad falls to the cage, and as he gets his bearings, he shoots in low for a takedown. Good stuffs it and chases him down, but Muhammad survives the assault and the two start slugging it out. Good cracks him again, and once more Muhammad wobbles, but he stays tough as he fires right back. The blood starts to flow on the eye of Muhammad, and they clinch up and trade heavy leather and an elbow on the break from Muhammad. Good is aiming a big right hand again, and it keeps finding its home, but Muhammad is trying to time it and close the distance to land clinch strikes. Muhammad stings him to the body with a few knees, and Good is putting everything he has into his punches. Good springs off the fence with a superman punch, and after a string of punches from Good, Muhammad scores a takedown when Good gets a little wild. “Cyborg” springs back up by walking up the wall, although Muhammad has his back and is trying to wrench him back down. Good turns around and simply shoves his bloody foe off of him. Good tags him again at the end of a right hand, and Muhammad’s knees are weak and his stance is loose, but he is willing to trade with Good. As Muhammad takes punches, he shoots in low and hits a takedown. Good tries to scramble away, but Muhammad takes his back and sets up the body triangle, Muhammad tries to sink in a rear-naked choke with seconds left, and he cannot get it under the chin before time expires. What a fun battle that was.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Belal Muhammad def. Lyman Good via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Raquel Pennington (136) vs. Marion Reneau (136)

Round 1

Shifting gears to the women’s bantamweight division, former title challenger Pennington (10-8, 7-5 UFC) tries to get back on track against “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau (9-5-1, 5-4-1 UFC), with the latter celebrating her 43rd birthday today. Referee Mark Smith does not bring a cake or some candles, but does commence the proverbial hostilities. Reneau opens up with a sweeping low kick, who then swats at her opponent with slapping left hands. Pennington stays patient and composed, blocking the strikes while slowly walking Reneau down. When Reneau lands a combination, Pennington scores a right hand counter. Pennington marches forward to land a clipping left hand, and she backs off to connect with a few jabs to the torso. Reneau fires back with a pair of one-twos, and a left hand from Pennington hurts Reneau. “The Belizean Bruiser” clinches up, which is where Pennington would prefer the fight to go down, as she unloads knees to the midsection of her elder opponent. Reneau tries to break the position with her own knee, but Pennington is latched on to give her two back. Reneau finally gains a separation, and as she does, Pennington scores another left hand. Pennington advances forward, crashing into a clinch to land a few knees while Reneau is mashed against the cage wall. Reneau takes another knee as she tries to circle out, and manages to turn her adversary around all while eating more knees. Pennington starts to grind her out with an elbow, and as she swings a little too hard into it, Reneau grabs her back. Pennington tries to turn around, and in the process, Reneau drills her in the jaw with a pair of knees. Pennington gets away with a fence grab while jockeying for position, but Reneau is dug in like an Alabama tick. Reneau scores a knee up high, and when Pennington tries to throw her off of her, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

A glove touch clocks in the second round, and Reneau fires off a quick combination. Pennington goes low with a kick, and then goes up top with an overhand left. Pennington scores with a combo of her own, and ties her up with a Thai clinch as Reneau bullies her to the fence. Reneau rips a knee that lands to the groin, and Pennington lets loose a pained groan as Smith calls a halt to the action briefly. Groin strikes are illegal and painful, no matter the gender of the fighter. Pennington tries to work it out, and takes time to walk it off while commentator Michael Bisping regales the audience of the worst groin strike he ever took. Pennington recovers, and is ready and rearing to go as she throws fiercely and cracks Reneau with a right hand at the end of a blitz of punches. Reneau ties her up, and works her with a few knees to the torso that are legal this time. Pennington wraps up the Thai clinch again to try to blast her opponent with knees, and turns her out while fishing for a knee to the jaw. She opts to target the midsection with a few more, and one may have gone low for Pennington now. She keeps spamming knees until Reneau drops down to hit a single leg takedown. “Rocky” pushers her off and stands back up, where she quickly hops over on top to try to punch “The Belizean Bruiser” in the face. Reneau fishes for a submission off her back by throwing her legs up, and Pennington practically falls into a triangle choke setup. Pennington ignores it and stands back up, while letting Reneau back up to try to nail her with an uppercut. When she misses, she changes levels to fish for a single of her own, but bails on it and takes a knee up the middle. Pennington hits her with an elbow, so Reneau realizes this is the moment to throw those strikes so she hits Pennington back with two. Pennington drops down low for a single, and Reneau stays standing by elbowing “Rocky” in the side of the head. The round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Both women start out by landing flush, and it is Reneau who ties her up and drags her down. Pennington grabs hold of the cage to try to stop it, but Reneau gets her down anyway. Pennington tries to walk up the cage, and Reneau traps her rear leg for a moment until “Rocky” kicks free and has her back to the fence. Pennington sets up her favored Thai clinch, and after one knee, Reneau backs off. Pennington lands a heavy right, and then a left-right stands up her opponent up. Reneau comes in with a straight left, and Pennington pushes past it to rack her with an elbow. Pennington goes back to the Thai clinch and scores a few knees, but when she looks to her corner, Reneau hits her with an uppercut to force the break. The two stand in a proverbial phone booth and slug it for a moment, before Pennington has had enough and grinds Reneau against the chain links. Pennington digs a few knees to the body and Reneau backs away, trying to land a one-two but getting tagged on the outside. Pennington lands a left that rocks Reneau, but instead of capitalizing on it, she pursues a double that fails. Reneau throws a single strike, and Pennington loads up on booming hooks that hurt Reneau. Reneau turns away for a moment, and her nose is cut up and starts to bleed. Just then, Reneau shoots low for a takedown, but Pennington stuffs it with a guillotine choke setup as she pushes Reneau down. Reneau gets up and takes an elbow that makes her turn away again in pain, and a hematoma forms in an instant. Pennington grinds it out with elbows and punches up close until the final bell ends this grueling match.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Raquel Pennington def. Marion Reneau via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Josh Emmett (146) vs. Shane Burgos (146)

Round 1

In the co-headliner, we will be treated to a potential all-action featherweight tilt as heavy-handed Emmett (15-2, 6-2 UFC) throws down with “Hurricane” Burgos (13-1, 6-1 UFC). Looking to watch out for what could be a tornado of fists and violence a la an Andy Capp comic is referee Jason Herzog, and two strikers touch gloves before introducing those same gloves into one another’s chins. Burgos starts to try to jab his way in, and Emmett slaps him in the leg with a kick. Burgos trips him up and might have hurt Emmett’s lead leg, it could have been tied up or otherwise damaged as Emmett reaches down for it. Emmett also could be playing possum, as he wings a hellacious right hand that gets blocked. Burgos kicks that hurt leg, and Emmett plants a right and a left on Burgos’ jaw. Burgos eats these furious punches like small sandwiches and walks through them, while trying to stick him with jabs. Emmett nails him with another right hand, and he has loaded almost exclusively on power shots that very nearly knock out the referee too. They trade leg kicks, but Burgos goes after that possibly damaged knee. Emmett’s punches are nearly smoking as he keeps landing them flush, and Burgos is wearing them well but getting clipped again and again. In the meantime, Burgos’ best strikes are his low kicks, and a calf kick hurts Emmett. Emmett drills him with a one-two, and Burgos has been marked up but seems to show no ill effect after taking all these power punches. Although he rolls with them, they are still connecting clearly. Burgos keeps working the lead leg and flicking out a jab, and is trying to counter when Emmett lands on him. Burgos digs to the body with a heavy left hand, and Emmett drops his hands because that strike hurt. Burgos follows up with a low kick and nearly takes Emmett’s feet out from beneath him. Emmett is reaching now to land on him, and Burgos targets the lead leg on the inside. Burgos fires right back at him when Emmett pops him with a big strike, and a couple jabs redden up the nose. Emmett shoots in low for a single after a few jabs hurt the nose, but Burgos stuffs it, lands a few knees and throws a head kick that gets blocked. Emmett wings a couple right hands from his knees, and Burgos blocks them and walks towards Emmett until we hear the horn. We can all collectively exhale for a minute.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Emmett tries to take Burgos’ head off with looping right hands, and Burgos is content to chop down the lead leg of the heavy-handed striker. Burgos keeps jabbing at him and opens up a cut on Emmett’s eye, so Emmett unleashes a fury in a long power punch combination that Burgos somehow survives without showing any concern at all. Burgos’ chin has held up to unbelievable power punches, and is willing to pick at his opponent from afar with jabs and low kicks and his occasional power strike. When Burgos closes the distance, he rips a quick uppercut that splits the guard, only to back away and nearly kick out the lead leg from Emmett. Emmett zings a huge right hand and follows it with a left, knocking Burgos’ mouth piece out as Burgos smiles at him. He replaces the mouthpiece and Emmett goes back to vicious power punches. Burgos counters his strikes with right hands, and inside low kicks to put Emmett off-balance. Burgos slips a left straight from Emmett and rips him to the body with two punches, and reset to land a jab and a low kick. While Emmett is landing one or two at a time, Burgos chains punches together to bust up his opponent and back him against the wall. Burgos again avoids a big punch from Emmett to tag him with a left straight and a low kick. A crazy right hand from Emmett bloodies the nose of his opponent, and Burgos walks right through it to score a few leg kicks and front kicks to the body. Burgos raises his hands in the air to goad Emmett on to stand and bang with him, and Emmett obliges until we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The two clap hands to clock in the final round, and Burgos nails the lead leg as Emmett throws bombs at him. Emmett telegraphs an overhand right, but fakes to get in and nails Burgos with a punch and a kick. A quick, short left hand drops Burgos instead of one of those crazy haymakers, and Emmett dives on top while Burgos is laughing. Burgos throws his legs up to hunt for an armbar, and while avoiding damage he walks his way back to his feet. Burgos may be bloodied, but is not too concerned from the absorbed strikes and has his feet underneath him again. Burgos tries to kick that lead leg, and it lands a little high to clack off the cup, and Emmett goes down in obvious pain. Herzog pauses the fight, allowing Emmett to recover for a few minutes. When we start up again, both men trade kicks and Emmett wings two crazy right hands that clatter off the head but do not hurt Burgos in any measurable way. Burgos is on top of him with jabs, and another short left from Emmett blasts Burgos and sets him down. Burgos is laughing as he falls down once more, and Emmett pounces to deliver nasty ground-and-pound. Burgos takes a moment to shake out any remaining cobwebs and kicks Emmett off of him, allowing the New Yorker to get back to his feet. Emmett still has major power in his punches with 90 seconds left in the fight, throwing with reckless abandon while Burgos sticks to jabs and low kicks. Burgos closes in with a quick uppercut, hurting Emmett and backing him off. Emmett lands a right hand that makes us almost run out of adjectives to describe how cleanly and powerfully it lands, but Burgos’ chin is granite as he strides forward to fire back at him. When the 10-second clapper sounds, the two stand and trade without a care in the world. Emmett lands a hard punch to the body that may have Burgos doubled over, but Burgos’ poker face is immeasurable as he throws back until the final bell. Although Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk likely already has “Fight of the Year” locked up, this is certainly deserving of discussion for how wild of a slugfest it turned out to be. Neither fighter’s stock will go down after this titanic struggle. If you are only reading this play-by-play to learn fight results, it would behoove you to find a way to watch this one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Emmett (29-28 Emmett)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Emmett (29-27 Emmett)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Emmett (29-27 Emmett)

The Official Result

Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

Curtis Blaydes (261) vs. Alexander Volkov (247)

Round 1

It might only be fitting that the heaviest fight of the night, and the one between the two highest ranked fighters, is at heavyweight pitting powerful wrestler Blaydes (13-2, 1 NC; 8-2, 1 NC UFC) against the long, rangy Russian striker Volkov (31-7, 5-1 UFC). Referee Herb Dean will oversee this exciting stylistic matchup with immediate title implications at the top of the division, and a touch of gloves starts the clock. Blaydes opens up with a couple punches, but is dead set on hitting a takedown. He lifts the Russian up and slams him down in less than 10 seconds, but Volkov manages to get back up, if only for a moment. Blaydes holds on to him and tries to drag him back down, and the long legs keep Volkov on his feet for a moment. Even his stork-like legs cannot defend him from the inevitable slam of Blaydes, although it is not as impactful as it appears. Blaydes lands some high knees to the thigh and a few punches, all while keeping most of his greater body weight on “Drago.” Volkov walks back up the cage, and Blaydes immediately trips him back down and knees him in the posterior a few more times. Volkov gets up, eats a few punches, and Blaydes slams him back down. Volkov looks to return to his feet once more, but Blaydes is grinding him out and pushes Volkov face-down on the ground. Blaydes is on him like a cheap suit, and Volkov takes a few more short punches while waiting for the moment to spring back up. Blaydes nearly has his back, and Volkov defends by attempting a kimura sweep. Blaydes pulls his hand out and punches Volkov in the side of the head a few more times, before Volkov gets up and is pulled back down. Volkov tries to sink his fingers in the cage to keep to his feet, but Blaydes has embraced the grind for practically five full minutes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Blaydes lands a few punches and clips Volkov, but Volkov fires back at him and lands a left hand. Blaydes sinks in a hard leg kick, and Volkov replies with a counterpunch. Blaydes targets the leg again, and hops in to jab only to follow it with a powerful right hand. As the punch rings Volkov’s bell, Blaydes changes levels to hit a double leg takedown like a hot knife through butter. Volkov keeps him in full guard, but he is in the middle of the canvas while Blaydes peeks out every so often to punch him in the face. Volkov briefly considers some sort of submission attempt from his back, but one punch from Blaydes makes him re-evaluate several life decisions. Volkov looks to get a couple elbows going off his back, and as Dean asks Blaydes to work, Blaydes obliges with a series of loud, blistering elbows that make Volkov’s head bounce off the floor. After Blaydes takes his foot off the gas for a moment, Volkov kicks him off and then kicks him to the body. Not wanting to stay standing for long, Blaydes rushes in and hits a body lock takedown right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The third round begins with Volkov trying to keep his opponent at bay, with a few long punches and kicks. Blaydes quickly tries to change levels, and Volkov stuffs the takedown and gains a separation. Blaydes tries again, and Volkov again pushes off. The third time is the charm for Blaydes, and the Russian’s legs fold beneath him as Blaydes bullies him to the mat. Volkov is trapped but not taking much damage with his back to the fence, and Dean asks for Blaydes to do some work. “Razor” switches to the other side, and pushes Volkov’s head to the fence where he starts punching it a few times. Blaydes stands up over his foe and grinds his head into his opponent’s, all while Dean pleads for them to continue working. Blaydes keeps Volkov’s right leg trapped, and Blaydes sits down and starts swinging heavy leather at him. Blaydes stands up as Volkov shifts, and drills him in the chest with a knee, forcing Volkov to immediately scramble to get back up. Blaydes locks up that right leg again and keeps him grounded, and Volkov pulls for a guillotine choke from a bad position. He uses the choke to stand back up, and gets the separation he so desperately needs. Blaydes wings a wild right hand that is short, and Volkov stuffs the takedown that follows. Blaydes shoots in one last time but the horn sounds before he can land it.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 4

Volkov lands a front kick right out of the gate, and as he throws another, Blaydes catches it, circles around to take his back, and trips him down to the ground in seconds. Volkov is on his knees, and Blaydes is behind him while holding Volkov down. The Russian powers his way back to his feet, and Blaydes attempts to trip the leg again and does so. Depending on how the promotion counts takedowns, Blaydes may have matched the all-time UFC heavyweight records for takedowns landed in a fight. Volkov gets his way out, but Blaydes crashes forward to try to hit a single leg takedown, abandoning it when Volkov protects against it. Blaydes nails him with a left hand, and Volkov sticks him with a left hand that allows Blaydes to land a likely record takedown. One of the takedowns has skinned Volkov’s knee raw, and Blaydes just sits in guard without doing anything. Dean implores the fighters to work, but Blaydes just rests and catches his breath on top. Volkov tries to work elbows from his back, and Dean is taking a close eye on standing this heavyweight grind up. After a stalemate, thankfully Dean finally intervenes to get these two standing. Were there a crowd in the building, they would not be pleased by this grapplefest. Volkov takes advantage of the standup, blasting Blaydes with a few punches and a knee, before surprisingly hitting his own double leg takedown. One of the strikes has busted up Blaydes, and he is pouring blood out of his mouth. Volkov is on top raining down punches until the horn sounds. Blaydes appears to be exhausted.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 5

Volkov lands a long left jab to start things off, and Blaydes has a definite change in his body language. Both land hard on each other, and Blaydes turns around while trying to avoid a strike. Blaydes shoots in for a takedown and gets blasted with a well-timed knee, and there is a cut under Blaydes’ right eye. Blaydes shoots in to hit a takedown, and Volkov grimaces as he gets grounded once more. Volkov rolls out to get back to his feet, and Blaydes tries to take his back. The Russian uses everything he has to get up, and yanks his hand free from the grip of the wrestler. After a clinch, Blaydes shoots in for a double, and Volkov stuffs it but time is his biggest enemy now. Blaydes is low for a single now, dropping to his knees, so Volkov starts to connect with several short punches as he tries to sell that Blaydes is hurt to the referee. Blaydes gets up, shoots in and hits a double to ground his opponent once again. Blaydes slowly tries to get off a little ground-and-pound, and Volkov is doing the same likely way down on the scorecards and in dire need of a finish. Short elbows from his back are all he has to offer, and when we hear the horn, Blaydes nearly crumbles from exhaustion. The only remaining question for this bout is how many 10-8 rounds the judges will award.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Volkov (49-46 Blaydes)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Volkov (49-45 Blaydes)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Volkov (49-46 Blaydes)

The Official Result

Curtis Blaydes def. Alexander Volkov via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-46)