UFC on ESPN 13 ‘Kattar vs. Ige’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Jack Shore (136) vs. Aaron Phillips (135)

Round 1

We begin the evening not in the light heavyweight division for Jorge Gonzalez vs. Kenneth Bergh – Bergh was a medical scratch and the fight was taken off the card – and instead at bantamweight. The first of two Welsh representatives competes in the card opener as Shore (12-0, 1-0 UFC) tries to keep his perfect record intact as Phillips (12-3, 0-2 UFC) makes his return to the promotion after nearly six years away. Referee Herb Dean is in charge of the cage for this first bout of the evening, and a touch of gloves starts things out. The round starts out tentatively, with Phillips circling on the outside while Shore is marching him down. A kick from Shore makes Phillips stumble as he blocks it, and Shore comes at him with a big right hand to close the distance. Clinching up for a moment, Shore tries to take Phillips back in the exchange, but Phillips sneaks out and gets back to the center of the cage. Shore lands a low kick, but Phillips returns with a heavier body kick. Shore has had enough standing, and he rushes in, lifts Phillips completely off the ground and slams him down. The Welshman is careful enough not to knock himself out on the way down by landing head-first after the high amplitude slam, and Phillips fights his way back up to his feet a moment later to not stay grounded. “Tank” lifts his hands up and knees him in the head when Phillips is stuck on the side of the fence, and then wrenches him back down. Phillips looks to walk his way up, and puts his hands down to not take another knee like that, so Shore elects to drilling him in the side a few times with that same knee. Shore leans heavy enough to press Phillips down, so the Welshman hops on to his back and starts raining down punches. Shore keeps them up while fishing for a choke, but Phillips defends his neck and gets Shore off of his back. For his effort, Shore nails him in the head with a trio of emphatic knees. Phillips turns to try to get out, so Shore pulls him back down. The round ends with Shore on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shore
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Shore
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Shore

Round 2

Phillips starts off the round with a few long leg kicks, and a quick one-two draws Shore’s attention. Shore kicks him in the gut, and then rushes forward to clinch, but the American pushes him away. On the break, Shore kicks him on the midsection with his other leg. Phillips decides now is the moment to fire off a superman punch, and Shore licks his chops as he times a perfect double leg takedown and gets Phillips down with ease. Climbing into full guard, Shore is pulled close to his opponent’s body, so Shore uses a few inches to get off a few strikes. "Tank" postures up a little and lands a few sharp elbows, leading Phillips to turn away. This allows Shore to take his back in an instant, where he looks to set up a rear-naked choke. Phillips pulls the arm away from his throat and eats a few punches to get softened up. Shore resets his position, hunts for the rear-naked choke again, and this time Shore has his arm firmly beneath the neck. A few seconds of squeeze is all Shore needs to elicit the tap, and Shore has now finished his last three opponents with this type of submission. This was one-way traffic for the unbeaten Welshman, who advances his record to 13-0 with 12 stoppages as a pro.

The Official Result

Jack Shore def. Aaron Phillips R2 2:29 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Liana Jojua (126) vs. Diana Belbita (125)

Round 1

Shifting gears to the women’s flyweight division, between two women in search of their first UFC win as “The Warrior Princess” Belbita (13-5, 0-1 UFC) takes on Georgia-born Russia native Jojua (7-3, 0-1 UFC). Our referee is Rich Mitchell, and the two women touch gloves to open the hostilities. Belbita immediately opens with a hard one-two, and another that follows catches Jojua flush. Jojua does not like these strikes, and clinches up with her advancing opponent. The two women jockey for position, and Belbita sneaks around to try to take her opponent’s back. When they keep going back and forth, Belbita rips her down to the ground. Jojua immediately throws her legs up for an armbar, and it is tight in an instant. Belbita falls over, ending up on her back while trying to flail out of the position. Jojua gives it one more big pull, and changes her position to sit up and get in the spiderweb position. “She Wolf” re-commits to the armbar, and Belbita rolls through it…until she doesn’t. Jojua yanks with all her might, and Belbita screams, signifying a verbal submission -- it is not clear if she tapped or had her arm damaged -- and forcing an intervention from Mitchell. Earning her first win inside the Octagon, five of Jojua’s six career submissions have come by that armbar.

The Official Result

Liana Jojua def. Diana Belbita R1 2:23 via Submission (Armbar)

Jared Gordon (145) vs. Chris Fishgold (149: Missed Weight)

Round 1

One of two catchweight bouts is on tap now, as a coach-free Gordon (15-4, 3-3 UFC) takes on overweight Brit Fishgold (18-3-1, 1-2 UFC). As Fishgold came in three pounds heavy, the referee for this 149-pound catchweight affair is Marc Goddard. The glove touch starts things out, and Fishgold rushes in to fake a low kick. Gordon lets fly a head kick, and Fishgold blocks it in time. Fishgold spins and misses with a back fist, and leaps forward with a flying knee that gets blocked. Gordon kicks to the body, and Fishgold tries to counter with an overhand right. Failing to catch the leg and take his man down, the Brit comes forward and tries to hit a takedown. Gordon reverses him, for a moment, but winds up on his back with a guillotine choke set up. Fishgold practically ignores the submission and tries to pass guard, but Gordon nearly uses the neck control to stand back up. Fishgold pushes through it to drag Gordon down, but “Flash” quickly gets back to his feet. Fishgold greets him with a knee, and Gordon tries to time a left hand, but Fishgold closes the distance to clinch up and avoid the shot. Both men land right hands on one another, and a big leg kick from Gordon buckles the knee of his opponent. Fishgold winds up with his own leg kick and it lands with a sickening thud, but Gordon wears it well. Gordon shoots in for a takedown, and this time Fishgold pulls for a guillotine choke. Gordon twists his neck out with all his might, but Fishgold is stuck tight like glue. Gordon passes guard in the meantime, and jumps to the other side to break the grip of the choke. The American postures up and lands a few strikes, and when he does, Fishgold gets him back to full guard. Gordon pays it on no mind and tries to feed Gordon his fists. Fishgold eats a few punches as he considers a submission attempt from his back, but there is nothing to it, so Gordon connects with a few more hammerfists to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gordon

Round 2

Gordon starts off the round, and tries to follow it with a right hand, but Fishgold counters him with a solid one-two. Fishgold winds up with a big overhand right, and Gordon times a takedown and gets him down. Fishgold snags a guillotine choke as he is falling to his back, and in an instant, “Flash” jumps out like the last round to hop over to the other side and simultaneously thwart the submission. When Fishgold turns to get out of bad position, Gordon sets up a kimura, and after considering putting his weight into it, he does not have the leverage he wants so he gives up on it. Instead, Gordon gets back to full guard, and stays busy with sporadic punches to the side of the Brit’s head. With enough offense to not even merit a warning, Gordon grinds out Fishgold and works the body and head with punches here and there. Gordon postures up for a moment when Fishgold tries to sweep his adversary, and the American pops him in the chops with an elbow. Fishgold throws his legs up for some sort of a submission, but Gordon ignores it and continues to embrace the grind. Minutes fall off the clock as Gordon stays on top without much concern about getting swept or losing position. As Gordon steps over to half guard and continues to lay punches down, we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gordon

Round 3

Fishgold comes out swinging, knowing he is probably down on the scorecards. He lands a few shots, and shoots in for a single leg takedown. Gordon defends by snagging up a guillotine, and he circles to take Fishgold’s back. Gordon gets a hook in, but Fishgold tosses him off and starts putting one-twos on his man. They land right hands at the same time, and an elbow hurts Fishgold on the way in. Gordon chains the elbow into a few-punch combination, and Fishgold stands still as he takes these shots. They jab at one another, and when Gordon sticks out a jab too long, Fishgold shoots in for a single again. Gordon stuffs it, and ends in an advantageous position as he lands punches to the side of his opponent’s head. Gordon circles to nearly take the back, but is content dropping down punches and knees to the torso. Fishgold is turtled up on the canvas, and Goddard calls on him to work and get out of the bad position. Gordon keeps raining down left hands on alternating sides of Fishgold’s head, and the Brit rolls to his back to try and do something. Instead, Gordon takes side control and keeps punching him. As Fishgold gets back to his knees, Goddard warns Fishgold again to improve his position lest the fight be stopped. Gordon keeps punching him, to one side and then a hammerfist to the other. The punches may not be individually damaging, but they have added up to a significant degree. Fishgold still tries to get up, even flirting with a single here and there, but Gordon maintains a consistent stream of punches like he found the timing of Don Flamenco from “Punch Out.” More punches for Gordon land until the round is over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Gordon (30-26 Gordon)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Gordon (30-26 Gordon)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Gordon (30-26 Gordon)

The Official Result

Jared Gordon def. Chris Fishgold via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Modestas Bukauskas (205) vs. Andreas Michailidis (206)

Round 1

In the heaviest bout of the night, two European newcomers square off as Lithuanian native Bukauskas (10-2, 0-0 UFC) takes on Greece’s Michailidis (12-3, 0-0 UFC) at light heavyweight. Holding on tight for this bout between two men that combine for 20 finishes in 22 wins is referee Dan Movahedi, and the two fighters decide not to touch ‘em up before throwing down. Michailidis opens up with a body kick, and he takes a low kick but fires one right back. Michailidis attempts a front kick to the knee, and avoids a one-two that comes across the forward bow by sticking out a front kick. The Greek fighter fires out another low kick, and blocks a low kick to throw hard over the top. Bukauskas nearly lands a right hand, and takes another slapping leg kick as he bounces around. Michailidis paws out a few lefts before committing with a right hand to the body, and then kicks the same target hard. Bukauskas kicks up high to make Michailidis spin around, and then goes low when his opponent is not paying attention. Michailidis blasts him back with a low kick on the calf, and his opponent shows some damage from that. Bukauskas delivers a hard body kick, and Michailidis tries to come back with his own and a one-two to follow. Michailidis slaps hard another low kick home, and catches Bukauskas coming in with a right hook. Michailidis lands a body kick, and his opponent comes back at him firing. Michailidis drops to a knee, not likely because of damage but because of a slip. Bukauskas tries to triple up with lefts, and as Michailidis blocks them, he lands a hard left that stuns “The Baltic Gladiator.” Bukauskas comes in with a few lefts, and his opponent blocks them but runs into the fence and can backpedal no longer, so he eats a left. Michailidis lands two hooks, and on the way out, Bukauskas scores a calf kick. Bukauskas goes up high with a kick that gets blocked, and Michailidis tries to shoot in for a takedown. The Lithuanian fighter slams a few elbows to the side and possibly back of the head as the horn sounds, in an attack reminiscent of Travis Browne vs. Josh Barnett, and Michailidis drops to his knees and holds the back of his head. This fight might be in jeopardy, as Michailidis is in a bad way. Michailidis slumps over and nearly falls out of the cage when the door opens, leading Movahedi to call the fight, and we may have a difficult ruling ahead. After brief deliberation, it appears that the strikes were legal and to the side of the head. Since Michailidis cannot get back to his stool, Bukauskas is the unexpected winner.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas

The Official Result

Modestas Bukauskas def. Andreas Michailidis R1 5:00 via TKO (Elbows)

Ricardo Ramos (145) vs. Lerone Murphy (146)

Round 1

Up now at featherweight, Brazil’s Ramos (14-2, 5-1 UFC) will try to become the first man to beat hard-hitting British striker Murphy (8-0-1, 0-0-1 UFC). The Octagon ranger is referee Rich Mitchell, and they touch gloves as Murphy takes the center of the cage. Ramos starts out with kicks, to the body and with a spinning wheel kick that whizzes by his opponent’s head. Murphy responds with one low kick, and Ramos throws three back at him including one that he lets fly behind his other leg. Murphy slaps another hard leg kick that makes Ramos square up with him. Ramos rushes in to close the distance, and snags the unbeaten fighter’s back in an instant. The Brazilian lifts him off the ground and sets him down gently, but Murphy springs back to his feet and pushes Ramos against the fence. On the way to the cage wall, Ramos sneaks a right foot up to the side of Murphy’s head. Ramos tries to sweep the leg out with a low kick, and then throws another kick behind the leg to little impact. Murphy fires back at him with a hard leg kick, and evades a jab and a right hand on the way out. Ramos misses with that unorthodox kick again, and he fires off a tornado kick but gets caught and lifted up by “The Miracle.” Murphy puts him down to the ground, but Ramos reverses him on the way down and winds up on top. Murphy scrambles to avoid any strikes, and he walks up the cage and gains a separation with a close left high kick. Murphy loads up on a right hand, and Ramos attempts to counter with a spinning back elbow. Murphy sees it and ducks down to take Ramos down with ease, and lights him up with a massive elbow that hurts Ramos. The Brazilian shakes it out and tries to get a few upkicks off, but Murphy avoids them and drops down with a hard right hand. The Brit blasts him with a few heavy right hands from on top, and Ramos is hurt badly as his head bounces off the canvas multiple times. Ramos rolls to his side and is in trouble, so Murphy keeps the right hands coming and pounds him out to force referee intervention. This was an impressive win for Murphy, who stays undefeated while racking up another knockout victory.

The Official Result

Lerone Murphy def. Ricardo Ramos R1 4:18 via TKO (Punches)

John Phillips (186) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (186)

Round 1

Welsh fighters will try to go two for two tonight as “The Welsh Wrecking Machine” Phillips (22-9, 1 NC; 1-3 UFC) squares off with the unbeaten Chimaev (6-0, 0-0 UFC), for whom the latter was recently described as “Khabib Nurmagomedov 2.0” by manager Ali Abdelaziz. Can Chimaev maintain his 100 percent finish rate, or will the Welshman spoil his party? Like referee Herb Dean, we are about to find out in this preliminary headliner. Chimaev lets fly a head kick, and immediately chains that into shooting for a takedown. The newcomer hits it with ease, and opens up with sledgehammer left hands as Phillips tries to walk up the fence. Phillips sits up but as he does, he gets slashed open with some thudding left hands. Chimaev pulls Phillips’ legs out, and the Welshman rolls over. Chimaev instantly takes his back, and starts pounding him with right hands as he fishes for a choke on the bloodied fighter. Phillips complains that his opponent is grabbing his gloves, and after a brief bit of confusion, Chimaev picks up where he left off with punches to the side of the head as Phillips tries to get up desperately. Phillips continues to absorb these short punches in the face as blood continues to flow, and he rolls over to get out. Chimaev follows him and starts hacking at him with elbows. “The Welsh Wrecking Machine” is getting wrecked as Chimaev keeps raining down punches, and a big mouse has started to form above his right eyebrow. Chimaev keeps punching from a short distance, and Phillips attempts to stand up but sits down as his neck is nearly caught in a guillotine choke. Chimaev knees him in the side a few times, and a few punches soften Phillips up until Chimaev fishes for a rear-naked choke. The Welshman rolls again, but Chimaev is on him like a cheap suit and maintains a steady pace of ground-and-pound. Phillips goes back to his knees, and Chimaev ends the round by continuing to attack. The only question from that brutal round is whether it merited an incredibly rare 10-7 score from the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Chimaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Chimaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-7 Chimaev

Round 2

In just over 10 seconds into the second, Chimaev hits a smooth takedown as Phillips is exasperated. Phillips crawls to his knee and gets up against the fence, but the Swedish resident gets right back to pounding on him like the last devastating round. Phillips rolls to his back to try to get to some sort of survival position, and he keeps rolling through to get to his knees. At that second, Chimaev snatches up the neck in the form of brabo choke, and he latches on the choke and secures it tightly. “Borz” squeezes with all his might, and Phillips falls to his back and taps out to surrender. What an overwhelming beating, and what a statement to put the still undefeated Chimaev on the map.

The Official Result

Khamzat Chimaev def. John Phillips R2 1:12 via Submission (Brabo Choke)

Abdul Razak Alhassan (174: Missed Weight) vs. Mounir Lazzez (171)

Round 1

Remaining on ESPN for the main card opener is the second catchweight fight of the night, as Alhassan (10-1, 4-1 UFC) makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon against Tunisian kickboxer Lazzez (9-1, 0-0 UFC). The odds that this fight doesn’t go the distance stand at a massive -550, and referee Dan Movahedi may have his hands full with this 174-pound battle. They touch gloves, and Lazzez opens up with a leg kick. Three punches from Alhassan land, and Lazzez backs up and throws back at him. Lazzez tries to defend with a knee, but Alhassan goes on a rampage. He pours it on with two dozen strikes, as Lazzez covers up to protect himself. Lazzes survives and get some distance, where he kicks Alhassan in the head. Alhassan is right back on him with punches, going to the body and a few wild right hands while Lazzez smiles at him. Alhassan comes at him with massive looping punches, and Lazzez blocks and steps in to split the guard with an elbow. Lazzez throws a low kick, and Alhassan returns with one that gets checked. Lazzez cracks him with a pair of quick knees to the body. Lazzez sneaks through with a few standing up-elbows, and Alhassan swings and misses with a looping right. Lazzez targets the legs with several kicks, and checks one that comes back at him. “Sniper” checks another leg kick and throws out a long left jab, while missing with a jumping knee. Lazzez works with a few leg kicks with his back to the cage, and kicks have made Alhassan to change stances. Lazzez is now pushing the pace, backing up “12 Gauge” with strikes as Alhassan could have punched himself out a bit. Alhassan throws a few hard calf kicks, and although Lazzez checks one, he takes another as he tries to pick his leg up. Lazzez whips a kick up high, and Alhassan blocks it and tries to return fire with an overhand right and comes up short. Lazzez works the leg a few times, and Alhassan charges forward with a blistering combination ending with a left hook. Lazzez flicks up a head kick, and with seconds to go, shoots in and hits a takedown to end the round in style.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez

Round 2

Alhassan swings and misses with a big leg kick, and Lazzez is composed and throws two back at him. Lazzez steps in with an elbow and works a few more leg kicks, keeping his distance as Alhassan tries to set up his jab. Lazzez hits a right hand, and slips a counter to fire at him. Lazzez hurts him, and chains together a long combination as Alhassan backs against the wall. Alhassan bites down on his mouthpiece and starts swinging with reckless abandon, and in the process nails Lazzez on the jaw. They keep trading, and both fighters compose themselves. Lazzez steps back and lets fly a few high kicks, and shoots in to take the fight down. Alhassan tries to defend with a guillotine choke as he falls to his back, and Lazzez steps over and is in position to secure a Von Preux choke. The newcomer is either not aware of the position or unable to pull it off, but he gets out of the guillotine position and tries to get to mount. After a stalemate, Movahedi stands the fighters up unexpectedly. Alhassan thanks the referee by unleashing a combination of damaging strikes, but Lazzez returns with a sharper combination that scores on the chin repeatedly. Lazzez changes levels to take him down, and Alhassan again pulls for a guillotine choke but is surrendering full mount in the process. Lazzez works the body with a few strikes and short elbows, and as Movahedi warns Lazzez to work, Lazzez steps over to side control with his neck still stuck in that position. Movahedi stands them up again, and Alhassan opens up with a lead leg and a looping right hand that nearly takes out the referee. Lazzez picks his shots and lifts up a quick knee to halt his advancing foe. Alhassan fires off one final leg kick to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez

Round 3

The two clap hands to check in the final round, and they share leg kicks with one another. Alhassan closes the distance to shoot in for an unlikely takedown, and Lazzez staves him off and jabs a few times at him. Alhassan lands a hard leg kick, and Lazzez hops around to showboat that the strike did not hurt him. Alhassan comes at him with a few looping punches, and Lazzez darts out of the way and flips up a head kick. Alhassan changes levels for a takedown, and in the process, goes face-first into a knee. Alhassan eats it like a gut bomb sandwich and continues the takedown attempt, where he lifts Lazzez off the ground and gets him down. Lazzez walks up the fence, so Alhassan does this again. Like before, Lazzez works his way back up seconds later. Alhassan puts his full body weight on his opponent and Movahedi warns him to act, and as soon as he tries, Lazzez reverses him against the fence and tries for a double leg takedown. Lazzez clasps his hands and scoops him up, putting Alhassan’s back on the canvas. Alhassan defends with a guillotine choke as he has several times before in an effort to keep Lazzez in a stalemate position. Lazzez covers his opponent’s mouth, and as Alhassan tries to shake his head out, he lets go of his arm around Lazzez’ neck. Lazzez is now in side control, and winds up a knee to the side and a few slashing elbows on top. Alhassan attempts to wall walk and get up as seconds tick off the clock, but Lazzez controls him and drags him back down. Alhassan pulls him back down with a guillotine, using the position to scramble and get to his feet. Alhassan breaks free and swings for the seconds, unloading a torrent of powerful strikes that land flush but not hard enough to put Lazzez down. Alhassan keeps swinging right to the bell, and when we hear it, the two men embrace.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez (30-27 Lazzez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lazzez (30-27 Lazzez)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alhassan (29-28 Lazzez)

The Official Result

Mounir Lazzez def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Molly McCann (125) vs. Taila Santos (125)

Round 1

For the final women’s bout of the night, well-nicknamed “Meatball” McCann (10-2, 3-1 UFC) takes on the nickname-free Brazilian Santos (15-1, 0-1 UFC). This flyweight tilt will be overseen by referee Rich Mitchell, and McCann sprints forward from her corner to engage. Santos comes out firing, with heavy punches coming out of solid one-twos. McCann catches a body kick and tries to take her opponent down, but Santos keeps her balance and lands a counter right. Santos connects with a low kick, and replies with a few quick punches over the top. McCann dings her with a one-two, and she tries an unusual side kick to the body that glances off the target. Santos wings punches, and lifts up a knee that stuns her. During the exchange, Santos grabs McCann’s hair, and Mitchell pauses the action and warns Santos heavily. McCann rings home a left, then a right that gets Santos’ attention. Santos fires off a body kick that skims the liver, and McCann comes right back attacking. The two trade leg kicks, but Santos’ is far more damaging. Santos gets a Thai clinch and knees McCann in the head, and the Brit breaks the clinch and lands a right hand over the top. The strike or one recent one before it opens a cut under Santos’ left eye. When McCann takes a front kick to the body, McCann shoots in for a takedown. Santos defends by framing her up and kneeing her in the head and body, and McCann recommits for a takedown. McCann lands a hard right hand in a close distance, forcing Santos to reverse the position and scoop “Meatball” up and plant her on the canvas. Santos swarms her and nearly takes her back, but McCann slides out the back door. When she stands, Santos greets her with a few hard knees to the midsection that turn into a single leg approach. McCann keeps her balance up against the wall and lands some punches, open-handed strikes and a sharp elbow as she tries to get the Brazilian off of her. Santos presses on her heavy, and hits a takedown as she spins McCann about to get her down. The horn sounds with Santos trying to land a few punches on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

McCann comes out of her corner with a few winging right hooks, and Santos is ready for her with counters. A few kicks from Santos catch the Brit in the body, but McCann is not concerned as she catches a leg and tries to wrench Santos down to the ground. Santos bullies her against the fence as she defends the attempt, bringing up a few knees for good measure. McCann stays committed to a single leg takedown despite eating a few strikes, and McCann turns the tables by slamming her opponent in the face with a couple leaping knees in a clinch. Santos replies in kind, turning McCann against the cage wall and kneeing her up the bracket. McCann pushes off, and takes a body kick that makes Santos fall over in the process. McCann attacks a little too aggressively, allowing for Santos to take her down. The Brazilian steps over to mount, and McCann tries to buck her off but takes elbow in the face. Santos looks for a submission attempt, and she steps over to the side while McCann tries to roll out. As McCann rolls against the cage, Santos sets up a brabo choke and cinches it tight. McCann grits it out and pulls her neck free, but while doing so, Santos drags her leg out and plants her down. McCann stands up, and Santos quickly rips her down to the ground with emphasis. The Brazilian easily advances to mount, and when she tries to set up an arm-triangle choke, McCann recovers to half guard. After taking a few punches, “Meatball” gets back to full guard, and throws her legs up for an armbar. Santos hits her in the face once, and pushes her over as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

McCann races out of her corner and starts to get her boxing off. Santos is prepared to counter, blasting the Brit in the face as “Meatball” comes in. Santos backs off and kicks McCann in the stomach, and then backs off to avoid the right hand counter. McCann wades through a few kicks lands a solid combination. McCann connects with a spinning back kick, and Santos stands there as if it never even happened. Santos fires off a few quick front kicks to the body, backing McCann off from her advancing style. McCann lands a right, but before she can get away, Santos can counter her. When McCann backs off to reset, Santos pursues her and ties McCann up against the fence. The Brazilian hits a body lock takedown, and ends on top while shucking off a potential kneebar attempt from McCann. Santos takes side control for a moment, and McCann tries to sit up and gets pulled back down. McCann kicks her away as she continues to scramble, and when she sits up, Santos dives in and hunts for a brabo choke. McCann rolls to her back to defend it, and Santos follows her down with it, only to give it up and take McCann’s back. The Brit walks her way to the fence as Santos takes her back and gets a hook in. Santos gets in another hook as she is in firm control of McCann’s back, but she elects to climb on top and get three-quarter mount. Santos pushes through to take mount, and starts raining down left hands to try to secure a late finish. McCann takes the punches and walks up the cage, but time is up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-26 Santos)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)

The Official Result

Taila Santos def. Molly McCann via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Jimmie Rivera (145) vs. Cody Stamann (145)

Round 1

In a scrap between two ranked bantamweights up a division on short notice, Rivera (22-4, 6-3 UFC) takes on Stamann (19-2-1, 5-1-1 UFC) in an interesting stylistic matchup. The third man inside the Octagon is referee Dan Movahedi, and there is no touch of gloves as Rivera opens with a hard leg kick and gets countered with a fierce left hand. Rivera wings another leg kick, and this time there is no counter that greets him. Rivera goes for another leg kick, and Stamann dances out of the way and delivers one to the inside leg of “El Terror.” Rivera stalks Stamann against the cage, and works the body with a few punches as Stamann turns around. Stamann bounces off the cage wall and sticks out a jab, where he takes a leg kick when doing so. Rivera kicks low, and Stamann catches the kick and tosses him down. Rivera springs back up and Stamann chases him down with a few quick punches. Rivera catches a low kick this time, and counters with a stiff right hand that puts Stamann on his back. When Stamann walks his way up the cage, Rivera knees him a few times on the way up. Rivera changes levels low, and right as he is about to get “The Spartan” down, Stamann reverses the position and locks up a double. Rivera punches his way up the cage, and Stamann is locked tight on him as he stomps Rivera’s toes repeatedly with his heel. Rivera pushes off the cage, but when he does, Stamann takes his back as Rivera signals to the referee that nothing is happening. Rivera gets his wish, as Movahedi stays consisting tonight by breaking the fighters up way sooner than normal. Stamann goes up high with a kick, and Rivera fires a low kick back that lands hard. Stamann comes in with a combination, and when he reaches out a little too far, Rivera counters him with his own combo that knocks Stamann backwards. Rivera lands a left and a right as Stamann retreats, and we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rivera
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Stamann
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Rivera

Round 2

Stamann starts out with a left hand and chains it into a takedown when Rivera counters him. Stamann lifts him up and slams him down, but Rivera gets back to his knee instantly. Stamann tries to trip out Rivera’s leg from behind, as he has his opponent’s back as he mashes Rivera against the cage wall. Stamann drops down low to put Rivera down again, but Rivera staves it off and turns Stamann against the fence. Rivera quickly hits his own takedown, and when Stamann walks his way up, Rivera takes his back and lands a few punches briefly. Stamann stands back up and gets out of the bad position, but Rivera is now dead-set on getting a single leg takedown. Stamann keeps his balance and lands a few short punches to discombobulate Rivera, but “El Terror” is still latched on. Stamann explodes out of the position and uses the burst to turn Rivera to the fence, where he starts working knees to the thigh. They separate, and Rivera cracks him with a quick left hand. Rivera evades a head kick, and walks down Stamann all while avoiding a few punches coming at him. Rivera throws a hard leg kick that makes him turn himself around, and as soon as he gets back into position, Stamann times a leg kick. The two clash together and strike, with Rivera landing to the body as Stamann tries to put a hole in his chest with a knee. Rivera backs Stamann against the cage again, and he tries to catch Stamann and counter him on the outside. Rivera lands a solid leg kick, and when he throws another, he sees Stamann coming back at him with a hard one-two. Stamann lands a sharp jab, and absorbs a leg kick. Rivera unloads a right hand, and as soon as it is going to reach his intended target, Stamann is in the air with a knee soaring at Rivera’s chin. Rivera eats it like a Jersey Mike’s sub and throws a few more punches until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rivera
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rivera
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Stamann

Round 3

Rivera opens the round with a few kicks and a left hand, and Stamann backs away to gather himself. A jab from Stamann turns into a low single leg takedown attempt, and Rivera stuffs it and finds his back against the wall. Rivera turns him out with an underhook, and he tries to get some knees going to the leg and body. Stamann is lightly punching him in the side of the head, and Rivera might not even recognize it is happening. When Stamann tries to wind up and swing, Rivera breaks free and gets out of the way in time. Stamann slaps up a quick head kick, and Rivera blocks it, but Stamann keeps firing with a couple body shots. Rivera throws right back at him, and lands a leg kick to each side of Stamann’s lead leg. “The Spartan” loads up on a left hand that comes up short, and Rivera tags the lead leg a few times with more kicks. Stamann shoots in low for a single, and Rivera hops back to the cage wall and stays upright. Stamann changes levels for another single, and he tries to pick Rivera off the ground. Rivera counters with a guillotine choke, and it is tight enough to make Stamann bail on the attempt for a moment. Stamann readjusts, gets his neck out of the position, and presses in for another single. Rivera stuffs it and walks Stamann down, landing a hard one-two but getting clipped with a right. Stamann lands another left counter when Rivera bears down on him, but Rivera is pushing the pressure on him and throwing bigger strikes. A few looping shots fall short from Rivera, and Stamann fakes for a flying knee to get Rivera to back off. Rivera nails him with a left hand, and Stamann takes it on the chin as we hear the final bell to end the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rivera (30-27 Rivera)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rivera (29-28 Rivera)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Rivera (29-28 Rivera)

The Official Result

Jimmie Rivera def. Cody Stamann via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Tim Elliott (125) vs. Ryan Benoit (126)

Round 1

For our potentially unexpected co-headlining flyweight fight, two men that combine for four straight losses look to reverse their fortunes as TUF 24 winner Elliott (15-11-1, 4-9 UFC) looks to show “Baby Face” Benoit (10-6, 3-4 UFC) the ropes. Keeping tabs on this potentially high-paced 125-pound clash is referee Marc Goddard, and although Benoit tries to tough gloves, Elliott has no interest in it. He rushes forward to attack, throwing front kicks and low kicks while Benoit swings at him. Elliott keeps him away with kicks, and paws out a left hand constantly to disrupt Benoit’s movement and offense. Elliott kicks him up high and is blocked, and he backs off before he gets countered. Elliott catches him in the cup, and there is no pause of action as Elliott keeps walking him down. Benoit nearly lands a hard one-two, but the two flies by Elliott’s head. Elliott staves him off with low kicks, and a jumping switch kick makes Benoit back off. Benoit sinks in a heavy leg kick, and the two jab at one another. A big right hand from Benoit is followed by a huge head kick, that catches Elliott flush on the chin. Elliott is not remotely concerned, and he keeps going forward with long front kicks and jabs. Benoit tries to bite down on his mouthpiece and land right hands, but Elliott is able to potshot him from a distance. Benoit fires up another head kick, and Elliott partially blocks it. Elliott shoots in for a takedown, and Benoit stuffs it well but takes an elbow on the way out. Benoit sticks him with a jab, and takes a low kick and a side kick when going after the former title challenger. Elliott keeps jabbing, and Benoit digs deep with a thudding left hand to the liver. Elliott shoots in for a takedown, and Benoit scrambles and flies in the air to get out of position. When he lands, he springs back up. Elliott sells out for one last takedown attempt, and slams Benoit with emphasis as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Benoit
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Benoit
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Benoit

Round 2

Elliott comes out in a karate stance with his hands by his waist, but he raises his guard as soon as Benoit swings at him. “Baby Face” throws a few hooks, but his most effective strike in the early going is a bone-crunching body kick. Elliott does not even register the strike landed, and he takes a left straight while pawing his hands out to keep Benoit back. Benoit jabs him in the face, and backs off to dodge a looping left hand. Benoit goes to the body and head, and stuffs a takedown by uppercutting Elliott in the chin. Benoit times another uppercut, and Elliott is busted up but he walks forward ready to swing. Benoit shoots in for a takedown, and he leaves his neck out to get it grabbed by Elliott. Benoit tries to scramble, but Elliott has the choke tight and reverses position to get on top. Benoit grits through it, and although he pulls his head free, Elliott has him mounted. Benoit scrambles and kicks back to butterfly guard, and Elliott lands a palm strike from on top. Benoit rolls to hit a kneebar, and it is in deep as Elliott is grimacing in pain as he tries to spin through. Elliott manages to gut it out somehow, and thinks about going after a heel hook but gives it up to punch Benoit in the posterior repeatedly. Benoit powers out, and gets up to his feet where he is ready to trade leather. Elliott kicks him in the torso, and Benoit swings wildly and tags Elliott. Elliott quickly changes levels and lands a takedown, where he finds himself in a strange position reminiscent of a Suloev stretch modified kneebar setup. While Benoit may be behind him, Elliott has the dominant position, and he rains down elbows close to being 12-6 until we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Benoit
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Benoit
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Elliott

Round 3

The third round begins in exciting fashion, as Elliott is amped up and ready to exchange. They trade leather, and Elliott is pushing the pace and presses Benoit against the fence. Although he considers a takedown, he abandons it to throw several knees up the middle. Elliott considers a standing arm-triangle choke, and he lets go when Benoit gets free. Elliott’s right hand is hurt, and he is pulling at it as Benoit throws punches at him. Goddard observes it but does not stop the clock, and it could be an injured finger. Elliott has stopped throwing the right to any observable effect, sticking to left jabs and kicks as Benoit bears down on him with punches. The strikes from Elliott are enough to keep Benoit backed off, but Benoit blitzes in and lands a few body shots, Elliott connects with a solid left hook, but Benoit comes at him with three punches. Elliott dances around and fakes a tornado kick, only to give it up after turning 360 degrees. Elliott backs him away with long jabs, and Benoit kicks him in the lead leg. Elliott tries to kick him and falls over in the process, but he springs back up before Benoit can capitalize. Benoit tags Elliott and hurts him, making Elliott’s knees wobble as he stumbles backward. Elliott grins as Benoit continues to connect on him, and Benoit closes into the clinch, where he starts lumping up Benoit with standing hammerfists. Benoit loads up on some massive punches, and he cracks Elliott with a knee seconds before time expires. Benoit loses his balance, but there is no time left for Elliott to go after him. This is a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (29-28 Benoit)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (29-28 Benoit)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (29-28 Elliott)

The Official Result

Tim Elliott def. Ryan Benoit via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Calvin Kattar (146) vs. Dan Ige (145)

Round 1

We have now reached the main event, which should treat fans to a high-stakes featherweight banger when “The Boston Finisher” Kattar (21-4, 5-2 UFC) tries to earn a $50k post-fight bonus at the expense of the appropriately nicknamed “50K” Ige (14-2, 6-1 UFC). The Octagon steward for the final fight of the evening is Herb Dean, and these two underappreciated featherweights – Kattar’s words, not ours – make things official with a sportsmanlike touch of gloves. After a long feeling-out process, Ige tries to jab his way in. Ige comes at him with a right-left, and Kattar dances out of the way without issue. Ige lands a straight right to the body, and Kattar is content to stick and move for the opening minute. Ige comes back with another two-hook combination, and Kattar is able to block them. Ige leaps forward with a left hook, and Kattar finally sticks out a long left jab. He throws another, and is still trying to find his range. Ige flicks out his own jab a few times, doubling it up and taking two on the chin. Ige again digs to the body, and takes a skimming left hand counter. Kattar comes back at him with a body shot and an uppercut, and catches Ige coming in. The Hawaiian races in to take the fight down, and Kattar stuffs it and bowls Ige over. From above, Kattar dives down with a long punch to the face, and then one to the body. “50K” springs back up and backs away to avoid taking any damage, so Kattar follows after him with a front kick to split the guard. Kattar’s left jab has marked up the eye of his opponent, but Ige counters with a big right hand and a body shot. Ige kicks to the body, and Kattar catches it and tosses him down like a sack of potatoes. Ige falls to his back and takes a few punches to the torso, and then stands up to take a few more. Ige swings a sweeping leg kick, and Kattar replies with a reaching side kick. When Kattar tries to string together a combination, Ige counters with a right hand and gets countered as well. Kattar steps in and gets cracked on the chin with a right hand, but he eats it and keeps walking forward. He jumps up to try to connect with a knee, but it is blocked. Kattar pours it on in the final seconds, with a few punches to the body to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kattar
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ige
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kattar

Round 2

Ige opens the round with a low kick that falls short of the target, and he darts away before Kattar can work him over with a few counters. The two men reach out with jabs, and Ige come up short with a long right hand. Ige scores to the body and then follows it with a right hand to the head. A short low kick from Ige lands to no appreciable effect, and Kattar stands before him and tries to flick out a piston-like jab. One jab from Kattar is followed by a right hand, and Ige can only partially block it. Ige rushes at him with a small stream of punches, and he marks up the nose with this combo. Kattar dings him with a stiff one-two, and Ige rushes at him and lands to the body, before nailing him in the nose with a crushing left hook. Kattar tries to counter him, but the damage is done as his nose has released a thin trickle of blood. Kattar touches it repeatedly as Ige paws at it from a distance, and the Hawaiian switches stances and jabs away. A big right to the body is followed by a quick left to the head, and Kattar cannot get away in time. Kattar jabs from a distance, and Ige does the same as they lunge towards one another. Ige looks away to his corner, and Kattar sticks him with a jab while Ige appears to be distracted. It could be gamesmanship from Ige, who is getting comfortable as he works the body a few more times. Ige hops forward to close distance, and Kattar counters him with a solid left hand. Ige bites down on his gumshield and wings a big punch that clips Kattar on the side of the head. “The Boston Finisher” leaps at him with a knee, and Ige takes part of it but not the full brunt. A few jabs from Ige end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ige
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ige
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ige

Round 3

Ige opens up with a series of jabs, and Kattar tries to prepare with a powerful counter to do some damage. Ige narrowly evades it, but takes a couple jabs one after the other. Kattar lands when Ige closes in on him with a left hook to the liver, so Ige backs away and lands two hard leg kicks. Ige crashes in to land a right hand, and Kattar winds up and rings a left hook home. Ige circles across the cage, possibly to reset and potentially because he got clipped. Kattar catches up and the two slug it out, with Ige staying away and keeping a high guard. Ige gets off another leg kick, but absorbs a trio of jabs for his effort. When Kattar lunges forward, Ige counters him with a snapping left hand. He tries to follow them with more punches, but he hits nothing but air as Kattar is out of the way. They connect with solid hooks at the same time, and Ige shoots in for a takedown after absorbing that powerful strike. Kattar switches stances, and as soon as he does, Kattar gets in with a one-two. Ige fires off a straight right to the body, and the two give each other leg kicks. Ige throws a right hand, blocks a counter, and replies with a right. Kattar stings him with a right hook, and chases after him with a body kick. Ige backs away, and when Kattar comes in to land a hook, Ige beats him to the punch with a quick left. The two featherweights come together with clapping hooks, and Ige gathers his thoughts and swings with a kick and a left hand that opens a cut on the corner of Kattar’s right eye. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kattar
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kattar
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kattar

Round 4

Kattar tries to get off a jab, and Ige winds up with a right hand to the body. Kattar is content to touch him with the jab, and Ige’s right eye appears to be closing up. The Hawaiian closes the distance and tries to hit a takedown, but it is rebuffed by the Massachusetts native. Kattar lands with a bomb, and Ige shrugs it off. Kattar leaps forward and his mass knocks Ige to his back, where “The Boston Finisher” tries to unload some strikes from on top. Ige rides out the storm, kicking off to get back to his feet, and he gains separation to throw a hook to the body. A double jab from Kattar does not get countered, as Ige is slowing down and throwing less offense. Just then, Ige bursts forward with a superman punch, but Kattar is well out of the way. Ige winds up with a booming right hand, from a leg kick a la Dan Henderson, and Kattar is wise to it and evades it. Ige loads up on power shots, and Kattar is able to roll with them but is still absorbing them. Ige has abandoned his jab for the time being, and just wants to throw windmilling hooks as Kattar maintains a safe distance. Kattar scores a low kick that makes Ige switch stances, but the Hawaiian comes right back with a thunderous right hand that Kattar is able to block. The punch lands with a resounding ‘pow,’ and Kattar shrugs it off and works the lead leg with kicks. Ige comes at him, and in doing so he draws out a massive uppercut that he just avoids. A marked up Ige shoots in for a takedown in the waning seconds of the round, and Kattar stuffs it and nearly makes him pay with a big knee. The fourth frame has ended.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kattar
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kattar
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kattar

Round 5

Kattar opens up with kicks to the leg and chest. Keeping Ige at bay, Kattar uses long jabs until Ige crashes forward and tries to drill him in the head with a swooping right hook. A double jab from Ige is immediately followed by one such right hook, and Kattar has his guard up in time. Ige switches it up with two jabs from the other hand, and a big left hook from it. Ige spins with a wheel kick, and the momentum makes him fall over. Kattar allows him to stand, and then he goes to the body and head. Kattar flicks out a few more jabs, and lands a solid high inside leg kick. Ige pushes forward with a big right hand, but the fighter from Massachusetts is out of the way before it knocks his block off. Kattar targets the body and jabs back to the head, while being able to back off when Ige’s offense targets him. Ige tries to time a big right hand when Kattar throws a leg kick, but it skims by Kattar’s head. The two trade heavy strikes, and Ige closes the distance to take the fight down. Kattar jumps in the air with a knee, and Ige catches it and bullies him to the fence. On the way back to the cage wall, Kattar jumps with one leg in the air to knee him with the opposite leg. In doing so, he is able to force a separation, and he continues his assault on Ige’s rapidly closing right eye with a hard elbow and some jabs. When Kattar jabs, Ige throws with reckless abandon. A minute left in the fight, Ige considers chambering a big right hand but pulls back. The Hawaiian lands to the body, and throws out a few left hands to time a right hook. He lands it to the chest instead of the head, so he opts to take the fight down. Kattar knees him in the head, and he stuffs a takedown as Ige falls to his back. "The Boston Finisher" cannot represent his namesake with a stoppage, although he rains down punches until the final bell concludes this fun fight. See you again in a few days!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kattar (49-46 Kattar)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kattar (48-47 Kattar)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kattar (49-46 Kattar)

The Official Result

Calvin Kattar def. Dan Ige via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)