UFC on ESPN 16 ‘Holm vs. Aldana’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Jessin Ayari vs. Luigi Vendramini

Round 1

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends, we’re so glad you could attend UFC on ESPN 16, come inside, come inside. There behind a glass stands a lightweight affair between Ayari (16-5, 1-2 UFC) and Vendramini (8-1, 0-1 UFC), be careful as you pass, move along, move along. Come inside, the show’s about to start, and this classic Germany vs. Italy (Vendramini was born in Brazil, though) bout overseen by referee Jason Herzog is guaranteed to blow your head apart. There is a sporting glove touch and Ayari comes out marching forward. They clash legs when kicking at the same time, and Ayari flings up a head kick. Vendramini blocks it and pushes forward into a takedown, but it gets stuffed. Ayari slams a low kick to the inner thigh, and slings a big right hand. Vendramini fires right back at him and hurts him badly with a vicious left hook. Ayari is in the danger zone as he takes punch after punch on the chin while backing up to the fence, and in the middle of a wild combination, Vendramini cracks his man in the head with a kick. Ayari falls down hard to the ground, and Vendramini continues his onslaught with a short barrage of punches until Herzog has seen enough. The fight over, Vendramini unleashes a series of guttural screams that ring out through the Flash Forum, letting out wave after wave of pent-up emotion. With this statement performance, Vendramini retains his 100 percent finish rate while getting his hand raised in his first fight in over two years.

The Official Result

Luigi Vendramini def. Jessin Ayari R1 1:12 via TKO (Head Kick and Punches)

Casey Kenney vs. Heili Alateng

Round 1

Moving to the bantamweight division, Kenney (14-2-1, 3-1 UFC) squares off against Alateng (14-7-1, 2-0 UFC) in a bout between two men that have each gone the distance in about half of their respective career fights. Drawing the assignment is referee Kevin Sataki, and the two men touch gloves. Kenney comes out swinging, with a left hand and a whiffing body kick. Kenney slips a left hand and fires one back, and follows it with a body kick that lands this time. Kenney quickly stings him with a low kick and a high kick in rapid succession, before throwing another body kick. Alateng throws a low kick of his own, but the kick careens off the cup and Kenney elects not to take a break. Kenney scores three punches in a combination, and when Alateng fires back at him, Kenney boots him in the head. Alateng grins as he eats it, and comes forward with a right hand. When Kenney throws a naked body kick, Alateng counters with a heavy right hook, but Kenney shakes it off and keeps throwing kicks. Alateng paws out a few left hands but is getting kicked in the body repeatedly, and his torso is marking up quickly. Kenney avoids a left hand over the top to rip a kick to the body again, and Alateng is trying to time the counter right on the way in. Kenney ignores it and kicks the midsection and then scores a left hand that rattles him for a moment. Kenney smacks him with a left hand, and Alateng’s right ear starts bleeding. Kenney continues to land as he hurts him with a series of vicious punches, and the Chinese fighter’s nose is busted up now. Kenney keeps at him with body kicks and power punches, and while he is attacking, Alateng’s mouthpiece goes flying. Kenney lands a few more shots, and on a pause, the mouthpiece is replaced. Kenney comes right at him with more punches, and he wails away on his opponent with kicks low and high. “The Mongolian Knight” gets his attention with a sharp left hand, but Kenney works the body some more and makes Alateng flinch. Kenney scores three hard punches and punctuates the combination with a body kick, drawing another wince out of his opponent. The horn sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two bantamweights touch gloves, and Kenney starts off with feints and fakes to draw reactions out of his damaged opponent. Kenney quickly picks up where he left off after checking a low kick, wrecking the body with a few more kicks. Alateng lands one single shot but he cannot keep his opponent off for long, as Kenney chops the leg out on the inside. Kenney lets fly a body kick that clips the breadbasket, and Alateng’s counter falls short. Kenney winds up with a left hand, and when it misses, he kicks the body again. Walking through a left hand, Kenney gives one right back. Alateng sits down on a left hand and hurts Kenney for a second, but the American shakes it off and wades back into the firefight. Kenney loads up on left hands as he backs Alateng up to the wall, and the body kick that follows nearly makes Alateng double over. Kenney absorbs a left to throw one of his own, and several more body kicks come immediately after. Kenney changes it up with a head kick, and Alateng almost loses his balance. Kenney targets the liver area with surgical precision with his kick, battering it several more times as nasty, purple welts are starting to appear. He continues his assault with several more kicks, and Sataki warns Alateng to fight back as Kenney is just teeing off on him. Alateng answers the call by swinging and missing a few times, and Kenney stays composed and digs his foot into Alateng’s torso. Kenney chains a body kick into a head kick, and even though Alateng blocks it, the strike is damaging. Kenney kicks to the body and the head again, and Alateng keeps walking forward as he absorbs these kicks without making Kenney pay for any of them. A few more unanswered strikes from Kenney end the second round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The two greet with one more glove touch, and Kenney opens up with a body kick. Two punches from Alateng are ducked, and Kenney instantly goes back to the body. Kenney wades in and gets tagged with a left hand, but he shrugs it off and zings a body kick and head kick in rapid succession. Kenney continues to work the body with the kick, mixing them up ever so often with a head kick that is partially blocked. The damage on Alateng’s midsection is graphic, with individual purple marks on each one of Alateng’s lower ribs. Kenney keeps working on them with kick after kick, in a performance that would make a muay Thai legend blush. Alateng lifts a leg to try to check the kick, so Kenney goes over the top with a left hand instead. Alateng swings and misses with a few looping shots, and Kenney jumps forward with a knee but stops halfway through. Kenney ducks out of the way of a spinning strike to deliver a spinning back elbow on Alateng’s head. Kenney kicks and kicks with his left leg to the high and low targets indiscriminately, and Alateng reacts visibly each time he takes one. Kenney lands one that collides with Alateng’s midsection with a thud instead of a slap, and Alateng’s right elbow drops low to stop them from connecting at will. Kenney sees this as an opportunity to sling a few head kicks, letting a few loose to moderate effect. Alateng is able to block them but not respond or keep Kenney honest. With less than 30 seconds left, Kenney goes in for takedown but it gets stuffed. A few more kicks from Kenney score, and the American grabs a Thai clinch and knees Alateng repeatedly in the face. After this absolute drubbing, the horn mercifully sounds to rescue the battered, bloodied and bruised Alateng. Kenney leaps out of the cage to scream to anyone listening that he is willing to fight next week.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Kenney (30-24 Kenney)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Kenney (30-24 Kenney)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Kenney (30-24 Kenney)

The Official Result

Casey Kenney def. Heili Alateng via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)

Jinh Yu Frey vs. Konklak Suphisara

Round 1

In the first of many women’s bouts tonight, Frey (9-5, 0-1 UFC) hunts for her first win inside the Octagon against Thai “Loma Lookboonmee” Suphisara (4-2, 1-1 UFC) at strawweight. Presiding over what could be a fun one is referee Marc Goddard, who watches on as the two women touch gloves. Suphisara opens things up with a head kick and a leg kick to follow, and Alateng may be sitting backstage thinking “not again…” Frey walks forward and blocks a head kick, all while swarming her way into the clinch. “Loma Lookboonmee” almost fights her way out, but Frey bullies her back to the fence. Suphisara knees her in the belly, so Frey ducks down to try to grab hold of a single leg takedown. Suphisara stops it, scores another knee up the middle, and Frey forces a break by delivering an elbow on Suphisara’s face. Suphisara lets fly a body kick, and Frey responds with a stiff left hand. Suphisara is unconcerned, and she continues to land kicks from the outside. The two trade leg kicks, and Frey reaches forward with a punch to the body. Suphisara boots her in the midsection, and Frey clinches up. Suphisara greets her with a vicious elbow that stops Frey in her tracks, and she continues to pour them on as Frey looks shellshocked. Suphisara knees the body, and she blocks an overhand left when Frey pushes off. Suphisara start a combination with a high kick and follows it with a few punches, and Frey grabs hold of her. Suphisara welcomes this clinch with a series of powerful knees and elbows as Frey turns away for a moment, and Suphisara continues to swarm her with them and opens a cut under Frey’s eye. Frey throws a few punches to break free, and Suphisara meets her with a left hand. Suphisara chops the lead leg with a kick, and rushes forward to clinch up. The Thai lands a few shots on the inside, and the horn sounds ending the first round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two women tentatively walk towards one another out of their corners, and it is Suphisara who strikes first with a teep kick. Suphisara dodges a flurry and lands a leg kick as she backs away. Frey punches her way into the clinch, and Suphisara’s eyes light up as she starts spamming knees to the body. Frey responds with one of her own, but it is Suphisara who sets up the Thai clinch and blasts the body with more knees. Suphisara transitions into hacking elbows, before switching back to thudding knees. A flustered Frey pushes her way free from the clinch, and as she stalks her opponent down, she avoids a calf kick and blocks a head kick. Suphisara’s third kick of the salvo lands in the form of one to the chest. Frey clinches up again, and Suphisara thanks her for it by instantly throwing knees to the torso. Frey breaks free, and she takes a low kick. Frey catches Suphisara with a counter left hand when Suphisara is trying to kick, but Suphisara circles away before she takes any more shots. “Loma Lookboonmee” slings kicks up high and low, and Frey blocks the brunt of the attack while walking her opponent down. Frey throws a naked kick to the body only to eat a one-two on the chin, and she resets and throws a high kick. Suphisara ducks as if she were Anderson Silva while Frey falls to the ground, but the Thai does not follow her down. Frey scrambles to her feet and starts to throw low kicks. Suphisara narrowly misses with a blistering elbow, and the two go strike-for-strike until we hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Frey comes out aggressive, jabbing her way into a single leg takedown attempt. The former Invicta champ lifts Suphisara up in the air and plants her on her back. Suphisara locks up her guard to try to control Frey, but Frey breaks the posture. The Thai attempts to kick her off, and Frey rolls through it to hop back down in side control. Frey maintains heavy shoulder pressure on Suphisara’s head, but the Thai scrambles and gets to her feet. Frey follows her up and takes her back, but Suphisara breaks the grip and gains a separation. Suphisara kicks low and rushes in with a blitz of punches. Suphisara kicks the body a few times with front kicks, and a one-two snaps Frey’s head back. Suphisara continues to chip away at her opponent from a distance, and they both land powerful punches at the same time. Suphisara kicks the body as if she were channeling her inner Casey Kenney, and she changes it up with a head kick. “Loma Lookboonmee” attempts a jumping side kick, and when Frey blocks it, she follows it with a hard leg kick. Frey is walking forward, but she is not throwing much of note and is not attempting any other takedown. Instead, Suphisara is picking away at her with head kicks and punches. Frey clinches up and scores a few punches to the body, and as soon as Suphisara lifts her knee up to land her own strikes, Frey hunts for a takedown. The Thai defends it as she gets bullied to the fence, only to stuff the takedown and break free. Suphisara fires off a low kick and gets countered with a stiff left hand over the top. Suphisara steps in with a few front kicks, and she lands one more when Frey charges at her. The two both connect with a punch or two in a final surge of strikes, and the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Konklak Suphisara def. Jinh Yu Frey via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Jordan Williams vs. Nassourdine Imavov

Round 1

In a middleweight battle between UFC newcomers, Williams (9-3, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) makes a quick turnaround from his contract-winning September performance on Dana White’s Contender Series against France’s Imavov (8-2, 0-0 UFC). The third man inside the Octagon is referee Kevin Sataki, who checks in the bout between two sluggers with 15 finishes across their 17 combined wins when they touch gloves. Imavov lunges forward with a right hand but gets his leg kick out from underneath him. Imavov tries to get off a few punches, but Williams cuts him off and kicks the leg again. The Frenchman gives him one back, and Williams walks forward to swing heavy leather. The two men clack heads and Imavov wobbles, and he manages to get the wherewithal to go after a takedown. Williams staves it off and gets pressed to the fence, and the head clash has cut Williams. When the clinch breaks, a cut forms on the corner of the right eye of Imavov. After they stare down one another for a few seconds, they clinch up again. Williams times Imavov’s break with a few punches, and the Frenchman wears them well. They wind up and slug it out, and each man lands flush and wobbles the other briefly. Williams shakes off the cobwebs and rushes forward, and Imavov greets him with a knee that clatters off the cup. Williams shouts out and Sataki pauses the action. Sataki tells Williams to take his time, and Williams says to “run it.” Sataki warns Imavov that another strike will be a point deduction, and the fight continues again. Williams immediately attacks, swarming Imavov with strikes and hurting him with a left hand. Imavov recovers again and pursues a takedown, but Williams is wise to it as he keeps his balance. When Williams elbows the side of the head, Imavov lifts him in the air and puts him down. The American scrambles quickly and gets back up, where he pursues his own takedown. Imavov locks in a 10-finger guillotine choke, and Williams twists and turns to pull his neck free. Imavov re-adjusts with another guillotine, and Williams survives it to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two middleweights touch gloves, and Williams backs away to set up a head kick. Coming up short, Williams follows it with a few punches, but Imavov gets out of harm’s way. Imavov circles around and lands in his own combination. Imavov targets the body as he escapes on the outside, and Williams walks him down swinging looping hooks. Imavov sticks him with a right hand and ducks the counter, before popping Williams with another right. Williams presses forward into the clinch, and Imavov is warned about grabbing his opponent’s shorts. Williams grinds him out while landing a few punches, and Imavov times a powerful elbow as Williams is moving. Imavov lands heavy shots as Williams turtles to the fence, but Williams does not stay defensive for long as he unleashes his own stream of strikes. Imavov defends them and rushes in to bully Williams to the fence with heavy punches. Williams’ punches are wild and slowing, while Imavov is sharp. The Frenchman pushes Williams down and hunts for another guillotine choke, and Williams sees it coming and turns out of it. Imavov changes grip and this choke is tight. Williams is constantly turning to get out, and he manages to wriggle his way free but winds up on his back. Imavov, in half guard, starts raining down punches and elbows. Imavov drops down a hard right hand that Williams dodges, allowing Imavov to punch the ground. Imavov sits comfortably on top as he drops bombs, finishing the round dramatically.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The two fatigued fighters clap hands to start off the final frame, and Imavov reaches out with a few punches. Williams charges at him and misses, allowing Imavov to play the matador as he dances out of the way. Williams sucks wind as he jabs his way forward, and practically falls into a clinch. Imavov quickly circles around to push Williams to the cage, and lands a few body shots before the break. Williams stalks after him and ties him up, landing a few punches but taking a right hand on the chin on the break. The Frenchman kicks the lead leg and forces a right hand. Imavov blasts Williams with an elbow and they may clash heads in the process, and Williams almost falls over to complain that there was a headbutt as he clutches his eye. Sataki raises his arms in the air to shout at the two fighters to keep fighting, as they are standing around confused. Williams takes a few punches on the chin as he swings wildly, and he desperately seeks to clinch again. Sataki is not having any stalling on the fence, and he separates them as Williams drops down for a single. Imavov lands a few shots and this time he clinches up, where he knees Williams to the face and chest. Imavov strings together a few punches that crack Williams on the chin, but the American is unfazed as he wades forward like Chris Leben against Terry Martin. They clinch up for a moment, and when they break, Williams throws with everything he has left but misses by a wide margin. This grueling battle ends on the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Nassourdine Imavov def. Jordan Williams via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)

Charles Jourdain vs. Joshua Culibao

Round 1

Churning right along to a featherweight contest between two men hungry for a win, massive favorite “Air” Jourdain (10-3, 1-2 UFC) takes on Culibao (8-1, 0-1 UFC) in a scrap that has only seen them go the distance three times across their 18 wins. Referee Jason Herzog is charge of the cage for this one, and a glove touch precedes the action. Jourdain embraces his nickname by flying out of his corner with a flying kick that would make Liu Kang proud. Culibao evades it and backs off, and Jourdain is on him throwing kicks and a flying knee. Culibao grabs hold of him as he blocks part of the knee, pushing the Canadian into the cage and pursuing a trip takedown. Jourdain keeps his balance as he hops around while Culibao locks up a knee, and the two push off. Culibao throws up a head kick that gets blocked, and “Air” Jourdain slaps the lead leg with his own kick. They punch at the same time, and Jourdain targets the leg again. Culibao fires back with kicks to the body and head, and Jourdan walks through them but takes another kick to his waist. Jourdain hammers a leg kick that makes Culibao stumble, and Culibao blasts Jourdain in the face with a right hand to send the Canadian crashing to the ground. When Jourdain stands up, he gives up his neck and Culibao snatches on with a choke. Jourdain stands up as his nose is busted, and Culibao pushes him to the cage. Jourdain defends it by sprawling and fishing for a guillotine choke of his own, and Culibao pulls his head out and falls back into the same place. Jourdan wrenches him down and locks up the mounted guillotine choke before rolling to north-south position. Culibao scrambles wildly, bucking and yanking his neck out of danger. Jourdain gets up and allows his foe to stand, where he fires off one last kick to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Jourdain attacks the body in the early going, landing a few shots and avoiding a flying strike from the Aussie. Culibao connects with a right hand, and then a left-right catches Jourdain on the chin. Jourdain lures him in and leaps forward with a knee, but Culibao evades it in time. Jourdain switches to a pair of body kicks, and Culibao comes back at him with a lunging left hand. Culibao sticks out a few jabs and gets kicked in the leg, where Jourdain follows through with a left to the gut. Jourdain fires off a head kick and ducks a left hand, and he commits to another left head kick. Jourdain pushes off, and Culibao clutches his eye. When the action pauses as Culibao rubs his eye, Culibao admits that he poked himself in the eye. A surprised Herzog restarts the fight immediately, and Williams charges in and throws a few kicks. Culibao is ready waiting for him with a few thumping body kicks, and Jourdain presses forward but gets countered coming in. “Air” Jourdain lands another leg kick, and he barely blocks a one-two that comes screaming at his face. Culibao jumps forward with a few punches, and Jourdain slings a wild left hook. Three punches from Culibao end with a punch to the body, and Culibao stumbles and falls forward. Trying to turn this into a takedown, Jourdain latches on to the neck and turns Culibao over. Jourdain cannot sink the choke in as Culibao gets back to his knees, so Jourdain stays content to work the body until the horn halts the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

When the third round begins, Culibao kicks the body and pushes forward to press Jourdain into the cage wall. The Aussie pursues a body lock takedown, but he cannot secure it and the Canadian frees himself from his grip. Jourdain bites down on his mouthpiece and wings a right hand, where he hurts Culibao. Jourdain pours it on as he swings with reckless abandon in the form of wild punches and flying knees. Culibao backs to the fence and turtles up, where he waits for Jourdain to stop striking so he can unleash a few punches. Culibao manages to get him backed off, but Jourdain kicks at him a few times. Culibao lands a kick to the groin, but Jourdain is amped up and asks to keep going. Culibao shoots in low for a takedown, and Jourdain goes hunting for the guillotine choke again. The Canadian jumps down with the choke on top, but it is not tight, so he breaks the grip and lands some punches from half guard. When Jourdain tries to get off some more strikes from on top, Culibao recovers full guard and defends against most of the strikes that come his way. Jourdain postures up after scoring a few punches to the body by landing some huge shots. Culibao rolls over in pain, and Herzog thinks it might have been an illegal blow so he does not stop the fight. Jourdain hops on top to grab hold of an armbar, and while he is looking to secure it, he hammers Culibao on the top of the head with elbows. Jourdain tightens up his legs to turn the submission into a triangle armbar, and Culibao powers his way out and miraculously gets to his feet. Jourdain stumbles a little as he might have gassed his legs, and Culibao comes out firing. Jourdain leaps and misses with a pair of flying knees as Culibao points to the center of the cage to embody Max Holloway. The two oblige, trading right to the final bell to end this close fight with a flourish.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Charles Jourdain vs. Joshua Culibao is ruled a Split Draw (30-27, 28-29, 28-28)

Carlos Condit vs. Court McGee

Round 1

Rounding out the preliminary portion of the event is a welterweight tilt pitting WEC legend Condit (30-13, 7-9 UFC) against TUF 11 winner McGee (19-9, 8-8 UFC). Both men will be looking to turn back the clock ahead of this one, and referee Marc Goddard will keep a watchful eye over the next potential 15 minutes. There is no touch of glove for the veterans, and instead McGee throws a body kick that comes up well short of the mark. Condit shucks and moves, and kicks low to the calf as he gets countered over the top. McGee kicks the body, and Condit catches it and scores a right hand before setting the leg down. McGee slaps the lead leg with his shin, and Condit returns the favor with a similar strike. Condit blocks a right hand to throw up a head kick, but McGee sees it coming and blocks it. The two men trade calf kicks again, and then trade body kicks at the same time. McGee chops at the lead leg and gets one back. The tit-for-tat kick game continues, as one man lands a kick and the other responds with the same. “The Crusher” keeps working the lead leg and flips up a head kick, before rushing forward with a clinch. When Condit looks to time a knee, McGee bails out. The TUF winner lands heavier kicks as Condit chops at him, nearly kicking Condit’s leg out from beneath him. When they come together, McGee sneaks in a right hand. Condit stays on the outside as he paws a kick out of the way, and darts in with a right hand but eats a kick on the way out. Condit scores a side kick and sits down on a left hand, but McGee sees it coming as it glances off his chin. McGee blocks a few more strikes as Condit swings harder, and he counters effectively to get Condit to back off and interrupt the combination. Condit hops out of the way from a few low kicks, and he leaps forward for some big punches. At the bell, Condit blasts McGee with a nasty right hook that sets McGee down and gives Dan Hardy flashbacks in the booth. The strike is legal but not a knockout blow, so the round ends with the knockdown.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Between rounds, we can see that McGee’s nose is shattered, but “The Crusher” is ready to continue. Condit begins the round by attacking the nose, landing a few more punches to spray crimson rain out of McGee’s nose on to his lengthy beard. When McGee regains his composure, they trade jabs and McGee goes back to the leg kick. Condit strings together a few punches as he works his way in, dodging strikes coming his way and swarming his man. Condit scores a stern left hand, and McGee hammers a leg kick that makes Condit’s knee buckle for a moment. Condit takes a few more leg kicks and walks through a head kick without batting an eye. Condit blocks a punch to turn into a spinning back kick, which he lands on the torso. Condit drills the body with his shin, and dings McGee with a left hand on the way out. Condit rolls as McGee swings back at him wildly, and the two deliver leg kicks to one another. Condit tags McGee with a head kick, and before Condit can set his leg down, McGee kicks the other leg to make Condit grimace. McGee keeps attacking the leg, and Condit starts swinging bolo punches with wide arcs that McGee can see coming. McGee prods the leg and just barely dodges a spinning back fist, resetting to score a right hand. Condit tries to land a strike on the bell in the form of a front kick, and there is no knockdown this time as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Condit comes out confident from his corner, and he evades a low kick and a big right hand. McGee slams home a leg kick to make Condit stumble on the way in. Condit kicks the high guard of his opponent, and McGee continues to pepper the lead leg with quick kicks. Condit jabs his way in, watches McGee duck and tries to time a left hand on a moving target. A torrent of blood erupts from McGee’s nose, but “The Crusher” shrugs it off and attacks. When he throws a head kick, Condit catches it and chops down the other leg to make McGee fall over. “The Natural Born Killer” leaps down after him to attack, and clips McGee on the way up. The TUF winner manages to gather himself and connects with a right hand. Condit lands a pair of punches and stumbles on the way out, but not because of a strike McGee landed. They stand in front of each other and slug it out, and Condit scores a right hand but misses with a slashing elbow. McGee waits for him to sling the elbow and cracks him with a left hand. The chin of Condit holds up, and the two men kick it out. Condit stings him with an uppercut and a left to the body, and McGee targets the body with a few punches. McGee swings and misses with a huge overhand right, and Condit strings a few punches together with a head kick. McGee ducks down and gets tagged with a right hand, and he loads up and slams his fist on the side of Condit’s head. He lands another as Condit rolls with it, and the former interim champ fires a head kick at him. Condit springs in the air and misses with a flying knee, and McGee counters him with a left hand. The two trade heavy leather as they throw bombs at one another, and McGee nails Condit with a right hand. Condit sneaks in a kick and a punch, and the two men swing it out until the horn ends this exciting match.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Carlos Condit def. Court McGee via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Dequan Townsend vs. Dusko Todorovic

Round 1

To kick off the main card, we see a middleweight match between a man likely fighting for a roster spot in Townsend (21-11, 0-3 UFC) against one just joining the ranks in Todorovic (9-0, 0-0 UFC). Holding on tight for this fight that could end in a blink is referee Jason Herzog, and the two men touch gloves before throwing down. Todorovic aims a head kick that gets blocked, and he charges in with a barrage of punches including a left hook that hurts Townsend already. “The Tarantula” grabs hold of him and clinches up, and Todorovic tosses him off and clips him with a left hook. Close in on the clinch, Todorovic works the body and head with uppercuts. Todorovic slams a knee to the body, and Townsend knees the cup. Todorovic does not want to get separated and stays in the position, where he knees Townsend in the groin. When they separate, Todorovic walks forward and gets tagged with a few heavy punches. Townsend circles away from his advancing opponent by sneaking in an uppercut, and he snaps out a jab to stop Todorovic in his tracks for a moment. Todorovic blitzes him and gets in the clinch, where he works a few elbows and digs in some body shots. Todorovic wings a right hand that clacks off the side of Townsend’s head, but Townsend eats it without so much as a wobble. Todorovic leaps in with a left hook that falls short, and Townsend tries to sting him with a right hand that whiffs. He follows the missed punch with a leg kick that lands behind the knee, but Todorovic walks forward to land to the leg. Todorovic hurts him with some punches, and Townsend is in baby deer legs falling across the fence. Todorovic keeps on him and pounds away on him until Todorovic backs off, and Todorovic takes a deep breath and attacks again. Townsend throws heavy while backing away every so often to keep Todorovic honest, and Todorovic dodges most of them and pushes in with a few more strikes. The horn sounds to wrap up this first-round slugfest.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two men stride out of the corners to touch gloves, and it is Todorovic again who initiates the action with a few looping punches. Townsend keeps his unbeaten opponent on his toes by reaching with some long hooks, and the Serb backs away from them and avoids any damage. Todorovic lets fly a spinning kick, and when it misses, Townsend tries one of his own that similarly does not find its target. Todorovic kicks the leg and just barely avoids a massive left hand, and he changes levels to scoop up Townsend and slam him down hard enough to jostle one of the cameramen around the Octagon. Todorovic steps into half guard and starts dropping down left hands and a few elbows. Todorovic continues to drop down left hands while advancing to side control, and as he hops over to mount, Townsend bucks him off. Todorovic re-enters on top in half guard, and passes guard on the other side while getting off some ground-and-pound. Todorovic advances to mount without falling off this time, and he starts slamming his fists into Townsend’s face. Townsend turns to protect himself, and Todorovic sets up an arm-triangle choke. Townsend turns to free his neck but he is still mounted, and Todorovic unleashes a flurry of punches from on top as Herzog takes a close look at the fight. Todorovic continues to rain down unanswered shots, and “The Tarantula” is unable to skitter out of harm’s way and is instead just taking punch after punch on the chin. The punches keep coming until Herzog has seen enough, and Townsend protests the stoppage by tossing his victorious opponent off of him. Todorovic is now a perfect 10-0, with nine finishes across his burgeoning career.

The Official Result

Dusko Todorovic def. Dequan Townsend R2 3:15 via TKO (Punches)

Kyler Phillips vs. Cameron Else

Round 1

Looking to make his opponent feel unwelcome in his short-notice debut, Phillips (7-1, 1-0 UFC) closes as one of the biggest favorites on the card against British finisher Else (10-4, 0-0 UFC) at bantamweight. Drawing the assignment is referee Marc Goddard, who watches over when the two men touch gloves. Phillips swings and misses with a leg kick, and Else plants one on his opponent’s thigh. Phillips returns fire with a leg kick, and he chains this into a one-two as Else dances back away from the strikes. Phillips keeps cracking the lead leg with kicks, and Else loads up on a right hand to nail Phillips on the chin. “The Matrix” wings a high kick and almost loses his balance, but he is able to avoid the oncoming strikes that soar his way. A spinning wheel kick pounds off the guard of Else, and Else looks surprised as a flying knee closes in on his chin. Else ducks in time, and Phillips resets to score a right hand. Else tries to load up on a big right hand, and Phillips is quicker and lands flush. Phillips continues to target the knee with kicks, and Else’s movement already appears to be hampered to an extent. When Else reaches forward with an overhand right, Phillips takes him down with ease. Phillips pops back up to try to advance position, and Else nearly clips him with a few upkicks. Phillips smacks the newcomer in the face with a right hand as he jumps down into the guard, and Else defends the move by threatening with an anaconda choke off his back. Phillips scrambles to get out, and stands back up to lord over his foe. When Phillips kicks from above, Goddard looks on to see if one of the kicks landed to an illegal area. Phillips jumps down and catches Else while turning to take his back. Phillips smashes down with some elbows and punches, and one lands hard to the back of the head. Else twists and turns to get out of danger, but finds himself on his back while Phillips attacks the body from above. The round ends with Phillips reaching down to land shots.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Phillips comes out of his corner attacking, where he leaps in with a switch kick and some unorthodox offense. Phillips throws up a head kick before pushing Else to the fence. “Matrix” rips the legs out from beneath the Brit, and he quickly takes Else’s back when “Camchida” scrambles. Phillips commences bombardment of ferocious elbows to the side of Else’s head, and these are doing damage fast. As Phillips continues to feed Else a steady diet of elbows, Goddard sees that “The Matrix” has Else and there is no way out for the UFC newcomer, calling a stop to the contest.

The Official Result

Kyler Phillips def. Cameron Else R2 0:44 via TKO (Elbows)

Germaine de Randamie vs. Julianna Pena

Round 1

In a match between two underappreciated women’s bantamweights, former featherweight champ de Randamie (9-4, 6-2 UFC) squares off with “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena (9-3, 5-1 UFC). Our referee is Jason Herzog, and the two women touch ‘em up before they start swinging. Pena plods forward while de Randamie circles away from a distance, and the former champ reaches out with a left hand. She sticks out the jabs a few more times, and Pena is stuck in first gear as she wades forward. Pena swings and misses with a left hand, and de Randamie throws up a head kick that bounces off Pena’s guard. De Randamie catches Pena with a right hand that hurts Pena, and “The Venezuelan Vixen” tries to keep her balance after that strike. De Randamie lands another, and Pena shakes it off to try to push the former champ against the cage. De Randamie wants nothing to do with it, and she breaks free and lands a piston-like left hand. “The Iron Lady” connects with another right hand behind the ear and Pena’s knees grow weak once more. When Pena resets, de Randamie gives her a left hand followed by an uppercut for good measure. Pena eats it and throws hard, but de Randamie parries and returns fire with a quick right hand. De Randamie targets the right uppercut again, and she moves calmly out of the way from a blitzing Pena. De Randamie scores a straight right hand, and a big overhand right that follows nearly makes Pena topple over. Pena gathers her thoughts, swings hard and comes up well short of the mark. De Randamie jabs and sneaks in a right hand after it, but when she throws a front kick to the body, Pena grabs hold of her and pushes her to the fence. Pena is unable to take de Randamie down, and they trade knees in the clinch. Pena manages to bowl her opponent over right before the bell sounds, and she can do nothing with it as she is out of time.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two ranked bantamweights touch gloves and immediately start swinging for the fences. Pena walks through the fire and starts landing her own shots, with a few big left and right hooks that get de Randamie’s attention. Pena closes in to clinch up against the cage, where she mashes de Randamie against the fence but cannot land a trip takedown. De Randamie defends it and keeps her legs beneath her, but Pena redoubles her effort and takes the fight down to fall on top of her foe. When de Randamie keeps a butterfly guard to defend, Pena looks to kick over and pass the guard, and while she does for a moment, de Randamie returns her back to the guard position. Pena tries once more to jump over, and de Randamie has her locked down and returns to full guard. “The Venezuelan Vixen” starts to get off some ground-and-pound, and de Randamie throws right back at her with her back on the ground. Pena shouts as she lands strikes, getting some punches and elbows off to bounce de Randamie’s head off the canvas before passing guard. Pena in half guard works the body as she keeps her full weight on de Randamie, and she holds one arm beneath de Randamie’s neck for a guillotine. The Dutchwoman explodes out of the position, and she climbs on top while Pena defends with a guillotine choke on her back. De Randamie is in prime position for a Von Preux choke, and she arranges her shoulder to press down on the windpipe of her adversary. Pena’s face turns red from the shoulder choke as her mouth hangs open to gasp for air, and the only thing that can save her now is the horn; it does.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Pena begins the final round aggressively as every strike gains a kiai behind it. She lands a series of powerful punches as de Randamie eats them without issue. The former champ tries to throw back but is backed up to the fence and is unable to get the right angle to land flush. De Randamie gets back to the center of the cage and cracks Pena with a right hand, and Pena turns around and does a quick count of her teeth. Pena wades forward and swings wildly, doing so to close the distance and engage in a clinch. Herzog quickly pauses the fight to fix a potential wardrobe malfunction, and the action resumes promptly in the clinch. Pena gets off several knees while she presses her full weight on her foe, and de Randamie lifts up a few high knees but is not high enough. Pena keeps peppering the body and thigh with knees to keep the position and stave off referee intervention, and Pena changes levels with a single leg takedown. De Randamie defends it and wraps her arm around the neck for a high elbow guillotine choke, and Pena is trapped but seems unconcerned for the moment. The choke is tight, and Pena suddenly flails for a few seconds but soon goes out as her legs twitch and go limp, and Herzog does not know how to react. Another couple seconds tick by as the commentary booth is shouting that Pena is unconscious, so Herzog reaches in to check the arm of Pena. There is no response, as she is out cold! Unbelievable! De Randamie, a striker by trade, records her first career submission at the expense of Pena.

The Official Result

Germaine de Randamie def. Julianna Pena R3 3:25 via Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Yorgan De Castro vs. Carlos Felipe

Round 1

The inexplicable co-main event is not one of the earlier matches between more established names, but instead a heavyweight banger pitting Cape Verde native de Castro (6-1, 1-1 UFC) against Brazil’s Felipe (8-1, 0-1 UFC). With 11 knockouts across their combined 14 wins, referee Kevin Sataki may have his hands full in this bout. There is no glove touch between these two big men, and Felipe swings and misses with a big right hand. De Castro kicks the leg as Felipe bears down on him, and the Brazilian wings a right hand that also comes up short. De Castro once again kicks the leg and blocks a right hand, and the action is very slow in the early going. De Castro chops the lead leg down and flings a head kick up that gets blocked. The Brazilian reaches in to punch at the body, and de Castro charges forward with a string of punches that do not connect. The two men both land heavy leg kicks at the same time, and they both drop down to throw a single punch as well, as if they were in the Mirror scene from “Duck Soup.” When de Castro commits to a kick, Felipe lets loose a right hook that cannot find its target. De Castro gets off a few light leg kicks, and Felipe tries to make him pay but misses. De Castro sits down on a leg kick and hurts Felipe, and one more makes Felipe pick his leg up afterwards. “Boi” throws a body kick, and just comes up short with a booming right counter from a de Castro kick. The Brazilian punches the body and starts chaining together punches. Felipe lands a few, and de Castro fires back but Felipe swarms him with a few more before backing off. The two heavyweights stare at one another until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

De Castro throws a few kicks to start off the round, and Felipe comes out swinging as well. De Castro kicks the inside and out of the lead leg, and rips the body with a left kick. Felipe cracks de Castro with a right hand to counter a kick, and he lands another that shakes up the Cape Verde native. Felipe clinches up instead of unloading with de Castro’s back on the fence, and de Castro turns him around but cannot take his man down and instead takes a knee up the middle. De Castro scores with a right hand, and Felipe eats it and grins, so de Castro lands another. Felipe goes after a short elbow but is out of range, and he chases after de Castro to dig a left hand to the body. De Castro wings a few punches but Felipe ducks them and presses into the clinch, but like before, de Castro turns him around. De Castro holds on by grabbing the fence, and Sataki admonishes him and immediately separates the two. Felipe slaps de Castro in the face with an open palm, and he walks de Castro down and targets the body. De Castro evades an elbow and lands a right hand, and a leg kick gets checked as he backs off. Felipe thumps several punches on de Castro’s midsection, and he plods forward to clinch up. De Castro aims to land a right hand on the break and he misses, and when de Castro attacks the body with a few punches, Felipe taunts him. The Brazilian walks forward and throws a few punches, and as de Castro kicks him in the gut, Felipe slaps it his belly to signal that de Castro should hit it again like he is Bear Hugger from "Super Punch Out." When they clinch up again, Felipe grabs the cage, and Sataki yells at both men and separates them once more. The two lumbering heavyweights slug it out to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The two men are tentative in the early going, but they both start swinging wildly as they come together. The two heavyweights bite down on their gumshields and brawl, and Felipe lands the better shots as he pushes into the fence. Sataki orders the two men to act shortly after they clinch up, and he separates them after a few seconds. De Castro thanks Sataki by shooting in for a takedown after the reset, but the Brazilian stuffs it. De Castro knees the thigh a few times before Sataki separates them. De Castro wanders back in to the clinch, where he gets off a few knees as Sataki once more warns them for grabbing the fence. Felipe complains of something, and a few strikes from de Castro lead to another break. De Castro rushes in and clinches again, and Felipe bursts out laughing and spanks de Castro on the backside. De Castro presses his full body weight but is not doing much of note, and Felipe’s complaints merit one more separation. De Castro plods in to clinch when they separate, and he punches Felipe in the cup a few times. Felipe drills de Castro on the chin with a knee and swipes an elbow across the forward bow, but Sataki is ready to separate them. De Castro practically tackles Felipe into the cage, desperately clinching up but only getting a few seconds in the clinch before Sataki – the real MVP of this fight – breaks them up. De Castro jams Felipe back to the fence, and Felipe tries to defend with knees but there is another breakup. Felipe points to the ground to practically beg for one final slugfest, but de Castro circles away until this strange fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Carlos Felipe def. Yorgan de Castro via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana

Round 1

We have reached the main event, in the form of a likely women’s bantamweight striker’s delight between former champ Holm (13-5, 6-5 UFC) and rising talent Aldana (12-5, 5-3 UFC). The Octagon ranger for the final battle of the evening is referee Marc Goddard, and there is a respectful but tense touch of gloves to commence the violence. Holm starts off by cutting Aldana off around the cage, and plants a side kick on Aldana’s midsection. Aldana thinks about her own kick, but she pulls off and takes a leg kick on the way back. Aldana swings and has a body kick blocked, and she avoids a front kick aimed at her face. Holm misses with a one-two, and Aldana chops at her lead leg. Aldana walks forward and eats a left hand that stops her briefly, and the Mexican fighter aims a leg kick low. Holm scores a pair of punches and takes a kick to the thigh as she backs away. Holm reaches out with a left hand, and she dances out of the way from a body kick to charges in with a long punch combination that all gets blocked. Holm throws several punches that bounce off the guard, but a leg kick lands flush on the thigh. Holm whips a left hand that catches Aldana standing still, and Aldana counters in response. Holm ends the exchange with a left hand and a leg kick, and the two separate and jump together, only to think about clinching and letting go. Holm flings up a high kick, and Aldana blocks it and walks forward to swing a big right hand. Aldana goes to the body and head with a flurry of punches, and a side kick stops Aldana from countering her. Holm lands a few punches and another side kick, and she crashes in to shoot for a double across the cage. Aldana backs her way up against the cage wall, and she stuffs the takedown as the two women drop to their knees. Although Holm cannot successfully land the takedown, she does clinch up for a few moments. Holm powers her way through to take the fight down, where she falls on top and lands a punch or two until the horn ends the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Aldana comes out firing with a left hand and a low kick. Holm charges in and gets caught with a right hand, but the former champ continues to throw in a flurry. Holm backs away and lands a few kicks from a distance, and she sits on a left hand when Aldana tries to come in on her. Holm scores a side kick and has a leg kick glance off her right thigh. Holm cracks Aldana with a left hand, and the Mexican fighter gathers herself and takes a side kick to the torso. Holm blitzes once more with a series of punches, and she backs away when Aldana fires off a spinning wheel kick. Aldana chases after her with a volley of strikes, but Holm is out of the way in time. Holm too comes up shy with a few strikes, expecting Aldana to close the distance. Holm darts in and lands a hard left hand, and she runs after Aldana with seven or eight punches and a leg kick to end it. Holm changes levels to take the fight down, but when it is stuffed, she attacks with a superman punch that she uses to power Aldana against the cage wall. Holm trips her down and lands in half guard, where she lands a few punches and tries to slice over guard. Aldana utilizes a butterfly guard, and she kicks Holm off and stands up after eating a few kicks to the thigh. Aldana thanks her with a heavy kick to the knee, and she misses with a long right hand. Holm tags her with a short combination, and Aldana’s counter attempt is thwarted by a side kick. Aldana sits down on a leg kick and eats a few punches, and she is practically chasing Holm down as the former champ hops around the cage. The horn ends part of a combination from Aldana.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Aldana jabs a few times to start off the third round, and chops down the lead leg of the ex-champ. Aldana and her opponent both land single punches, and Holm plants a side kick on the body to push Aldana back away from her. Aldana dodges a few punches with head movement, and as she walks forward, she eats a head kick. Aldana takes several quick punches on the chin, and although she lands one or two, she eats four or five on the way forward. Holm kicks the body and takes a glancing left hand on the side of the head, and the former champ grabs hold of her and drags her down with a body lock. Holm hops into half guard and scores a few left hands, but more importantly for the former champion, she takes side control. Holm immediately targets a kimura, and Aldana bucks and kicks but cannot get Holm off of her. “The Preacher’s Daughter” starts ripping the body on top, and she uses the strikes to climb into mount. Holm unleashes a torrent of punches on top, and slams down a few elbows for good measure. Aldana grabs hold of her and locks Holm down, and manages to kick Holm off of her. Holm crashes forward as soon as Aldana stands to push her to the fence. The Mexican fighter manages to break free, and she stalks Holm down but absorbs a big left hand while chasing after her. Holm throws up a front kick to the face and a side kick as Aldana races forward, and Holm attempts a takedown but is rebuffed for it. Holm lands another side kick, and another as Aldana is walking straight after her instead of cutting her off the cage. Aldana eats a kick or two as she practically sprints after Holm, and she cannot get any strikes off before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 4

Holm is fired up in her corner, where she paces back and forth before the round opens. Holm keeps her advancing foe at bay with a few jabs and side kicks, and she catches Aldana with a couple hooks. Aldana lands a single strike, and Holm jabs away at her from afar. Aldana looks to the body for a few strikes, and she shirks off a potential takedown as she walks the former champ down. Practically at will, Holm gets off side kicks and body kicks while Aldana cannot do anything but walk towards her. Holm wings a right hand that glances off Aldana’s chin, and she pushes off with a front kick to the chest and a leg kick to mix things up. Holm keeps picking away with kicks until she closes the distance to clinch, and she tosses Aldana down with relative ease. Holm sits in full guard, and she postures up but gets kicked off. Aldana stands up and takes a few punches in the face as she gets to her feet, and Holm backs off to reset. When Aldana continues her reckless pursuit, Holm kicks her in the face. Aldana swings and misses and Holm is loose, and the former champ nails Aldana on the chin a few times with punches accompanied by kiais. Aldana lands one, and Holm lands a few more in the same time frame. Holm cracks Aldana with a left hand, and another side kick finds its home on Aldana’s midsection. “The Preacher’s Daughter” shoots in from a great distance for a takedown, and the attempt is stuffed. Aldana gets hit in the face and body a few more times as she rushes forward to no avail. The round ends as Aldana playing chase.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 5

A thin trickle of blood comes out of Holm’s nose as the final round begins, and the two women start things off by trading jabs. Aldana reaches at her with punches, and Holm keeps her distance and jabs from far off. Holm connects with a one-two, and Aldana slaps a leg kick on Holm’s inner thigh. Aldana swings and misses on punches as Holm jabs her to keep her away, and she does connect with a single strike. Holm whiffs with an uppercut, and she rams her shin on to Aldana’s ribcage. Holm winds up on three big punches, and none land as Aldana deflects them. Aldana starts sprinting towards Holm to land strikes, and Holm works her over high and low while not taking much punishment. Aldana walks right into a left hand, and she is unfazed but cannot pay her back. Holm jabs and plants a left hand on Aldana’s chin, and the Mexican fighter’s durability cannot be questioned. Holm side kicks the body as she backs away, landing a one-two that rattles Aldana for a moment. Aldana tries to slug it out with Holm, but Holm shoots in for a takedown and hits a trip. Aldana starts flinging elbows from her back with a minute left in the match, and she kicks Holm out of her guard briefly. Holm falls back into the butterfly guard, but Aldana scrambles back up and gets punted in the head. Aldana eats it like a sandwich, and Holm starts throwing wildly. Aldana walks through the strikes fearlessly, and Holm explodes into a final flurry with a long series of screaming strikes. Aldana is dazed and confused, and Holm continues to land as they clinch up. A few final shots on the inside end this fight, and this is an impressive performance for the former champ. With this fight card in the books, we will be back again next Saturday with a jam-packed event still on Yas Island.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Holm (50-44 Holm)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Holm (50-44 Holm)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Holm (50-44 Holm)

The Official Result

Holly Holm def. Irene Aldana via Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45)