UFC on ESPN 25 ‘Jung vs. Ige’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Casey O'Neill (125.5) vs. Lara Procopio (126)

Round 1

With fans still reeling from the lengthiest UFC card in history last weekend, we roll along with a card propped up on ESPN 2 for its duration. We commence this 12-fight offering with a battle in the flyweight division between two promising prospects as O’Neill (6-0, 1-0 UFC) looks to keep her unbeaten record intact against Procopio (7-1, 1-1 UFC). Drawing the first assignment of the day is referee Chris Tognoni, who observes the two closing to engage without a glove touch. Both flyweights reach out their hands early and find their chins one after the other, but the measuring striking exchange quickly turns to a clinch battle. O’Neill presses into the clinch, where she leans the Brazilian into the wire and knees her in the midsection a few times. O’Neill sneaks in a few elbows before they separate, and the Brazilian fires off a low leg kick. Two big punches connect for “King,” who finds her range and gets tagged with a counter right. The two both swing and miss on heavy shots until they tie up, this time with Procopio leading the dance. O’Neill whacks her with several knees to the torso before pushing off, and they trade hands until coming together to drill the other with knees once more. The Aussie breaks free and fires off a head kick, and it slaps off the taped-up ear of her opponent. When O’Neill throws a low leg kick, Procopio counters with a nasty right hand that shakes O’Neill up. The Aussie eats a few punches as if they were lamingtons and fires right back, until Procopio grabs hold of her and presses her into the fencing. O’Neill twists and turns as the Brazilian holds tight, and Procopio scores a single knee before throwing O’Neill to the ground. Although she lands in side control, Procopio climbs into half guard and gets elevated off thanks to O’Neill’s legs. O’Neill successfully kicks Procopio off, and the two get back to their feet before they start trading leather. A leg kick into a takedown attempt comes from Procopio, who latches on to a single to try to put the fight back down to the canvas. O’Neill sees this coming and hacks at her foe with elbows, while keeping her balance and staying stuck with her back to the cage. With seconds to spare, Procopio trips O’Neill to the ground, but unexpectedly O’Neill counters her and plops the Brazilian on her backside right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The round begins with several jabs from O’Neill, who chains the punches into a front kick and a series of punches. When O’Neill starts to unload, Procopio gloms on to her and uses a body lock to put O’Neill on her back. “King” does not stay in this position for long, as she fishes for a kimura sweep before turning it into a potential gogoplata as she unloads with elbows. The guard work from O’Neill keeps her from absorbing damage, and she kicks off to power back to her feet. O’Neill appears the fresher fighter, as she clings on with the clinch to tee off on her opponent with knees. Procopio’s eye is busted up from strikes, and she shoots in for a desperation takedown. O’Neill stuffs it with ease and bowls the Brazilian over to put Procopio on her back. In three-quarter mount, O’Neill confidently rides this position and starts loading up on thudding elbows from above. Procopio tries to tie her up and stop the bleeding, figuratively and literally, but O’Neill grinds her elbows on Procopio’s face. Procopio returns O’Neill back to her guard, and she throws her legs up and threatens with an armbar setup. O’Neill sees it coming from a mile away and steps over to take mount, but in the process, Procopio rolls for a leglock. When Procopio commits to a heel hook, O’Neill counters with a toe hold, and they are both stuck in a 50/50 position until O’Neill bails on it to sit up and try to break the posture. She does just that, and she stacks Procopio up and drills her in the face with punches and elbows. O’Neill keeps her hand on her foe’s mouth to hamper the breathing, all while pounding away with active ground-and-pound. The round ends with O’Neill doing some work.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 O’Neill

Round 3

The tide has seriously turned as we come into Round 3, with Procopio complaining about an issue with her insides between rounds. Her corner gets her to grit it out, and she comes out swinging. O’Neill wades forward to attack, and switches things up to hit a trip and drop Procopio on the ground. Procopio scrambles and winds up in a dangerous crucifix position that Gary Goodridge would be proud of, and O’Neill recognizes this and starts pounding on Procopio with hammerfists. O’Neill keeps Procopio’s left arm trapped beneath her legs and the right held tight with a wrist lock, allowing O’Neill to slug her in the face repeatedly. The Brazilian bucks wildly, and in doing so, she gets free from this bad position but falls into back control. After a few seconds of O’Neill fishing for a choke, Procopio rolls to her knees and continues to take damage from O’Neill’s punches. The entire time that O’Neill is aiming for submissions, like an armbar when Procopio turns one direction, she is working ground-and-pound. Procopio stands up, lifting both herself and her opponent’s full body weight like a 125-pound backpack. As Procopio focuses on standing, O’Neill latches on to the rear-naked choke she has been searching for, and it tightens up dangerously. Procopio slumps to the ground, and the choke is deadly tight with O’Neill comfortably in back control with her hooks in. Procopio flails for a moment, but soon the lights shut off while her eyes are still open. Tognoni recognizes that Procopio has drifted off to dreamland, and he intervenes to call an end to the fight. What a performance for O’Neill, who is now a perfect 7-0 after beating a tough woman that had never been finished.

The Official Result

Casey O’Neill def. Lara Procopio R3 2:54 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Joaquim Silva (154.5) vs. Ricky Glenn (156)

Round 1

Moving right along to the lightweight division, the promotion digs deep and dusts off a pair of men who have been away from the sport for over four combined years. The man known as “Netto BJJ” Silva (11-2, 4-2 UFC) will be competing for the first time since 2019 against “The Gladiator” Glenn (21-6-1, 3-3 UFC), with the latter’s last appearance in late 2018. Brushing off the cobwebs will be referee Mike Beltran, but the 155ers are glad to be back in the cage but do not touch gloves to start things off. Glenn backs off and reaches out a low kick, and Silva comes back but gets clipped with a left hand and drops Silva. Glenn smells blood and starts unleashing a fury of punches, and Silva returns to his knees and stands back up. “The Gladiator” does not let him off the hook, asking fans if they are entertained as he slams his fists into Silva’s head until Silva falls face-first to the canvas. Beltran leaps in, identifying that Silva may be out, and he halts the fight. Wrestling with his consciousness, Silva protests and wobbles as he stumbles back to his feet, but he may be still trying to fight as the powerful Beltran restrains him. In victory, Glenn lets loose a wave of emotions after a successful, lightning-quick return to the cage.

The Official Result

Ricky Glenn def. Joaquim Silva R1 0:37 via KO (Punches)

Josh Parisian (266) vs. Roque Martinez (249)

Round 1

The obligatory heavyweight brawl comes to us next in the form of Parisian (13-4, 0-1 UFC) and Martinez (15-7-2, 0-2 UFC), with both preferring the knockout while sporting impressively solid chins. Referee Mark Smith will be standing by in case one big man clobbers the other, although there is a sign of respect and a glove touch before the bombs begin to drop. Martinez plods forward and looses a few, before pressing the taller Parisian into the fencing. Martinez mashes his full weight on to Parisian to keep him trapped, and he lets go with several short left hands aiming from the thigh to the side of the head. Parisian pushes off without much concern, and he scores a front kick up the middle only to get countered with a thumping overhand right. Martinez uses the punch to close the distance, where he can glom on and squeeze Parisian to the fence like he is trying to push Play-Doh through its shape stencils. Martinez rips a few short elbows that open a cut on Parisian’s face, and he pushes off to blast a knee to the body, but Martinez is back on him tight. Martinez unloads with several nasty punches to bust up Parisian, before clinching up. Parisian gains separation and pushes off with a front kick, before sticking out a few jabs. The jabs are able to keep Parisian away and out of harm’s way from the power punches that come at him, until Parisian turns the tables and pushes Martinez into the wall. Parisian lands a few knees up the middle, and Martinez bullies him back and snaps Parisian’s head back with multiple sharp uppercuts. Parisian manages to get them back to the center of the cage, where he looses a head kick that is easily blocked. Martinez has his lead leg kick out when trying to throw looping punches, and Parisian maintains composed but still gets cracked a few times. Parisian fires back with a slapping body kick, and he reaches with jabs but gets clipped with an uppercut as the Guam native closes the distance. Martinez puts him into the fence again, holding tight to try to tire out the American. The fighters throw at the same time, and Parisian has his mouthpiece dislodged but does not know it. Smith offers it to him, and Parisian seems surprised as he replaces it. Parisian storms forward to close the round emphatically, landing a few big shots and making Martinez defensive until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The heavyweights touch gloves before coming out swinging, and Parisian smacks his foe in the face with a quick front kick. As Martinez wades forward to close in, Parisian gets off a pair of punches, before Martinez grabs him and clinches up. Parisian spins him around to try to fire off some strikes, and he fishes for an outside trip to put the shorter man on his back. When that fails, Parisian goes for one on the other side, but Martinez’ balance is unquestioned in this position. Parisian knees Martinez in the gut a few times, and Martinez simply responds with right hand after short right hand. Martinez lands a knee to the groin, and Smith checks on them but the fight is quickly resumed. Parisian hunts for a trip, and Martinez nearly grabs the fence to stop it but remains upright. This grueling exchange continues, with Parisian ripping the body with knee after knee while Martinez is complacent with arm punches to the ear and side. Parisian frames him up and looks for a spinning strike, but abandons the move to uppercut Martinez a few times. When both throw knees at the same time, Martinez catches one to the knee and there is a brief pause. The Guam native is good to go after less than 30 seconds, and when they resume, Parisian backs off and lands a chopping calf kick. Martinez rumbles forward and grabs his man, and a takedown attempt quickly dematerializes when Parisian stops it. Parisian gains just enough space to fire off a head kick, and Martinez chows down on it without concern. They separate, and Parisian scores a pair of sharp punches and a front kick. The heavyweight strikers throw and then tie up, and Parisian takes advantage of this to knee Martinez several times. Martinez finally appears to be slowing and showing signs of these strikes, and Parisian keeps on him and pursues a single. Martinez may have grabbed the fence to stay up, and he defends the takedown attempt with a guillotine choke. The Guam native locks it up and drops down to pull guard, where he turns it into a 10-finger guillotine choke that would make Ben Rothwell blush. The American somersaults to get out of this precarious position, and the horn sounds when both get back up.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The big men touch gloves, and Parisian hops out of the way and counters with a crisp right hand that surprises Martinez. Martinez returns fire with a bullrush of an attack, and Parisian deflects it and slings leather with him. Parisian dances on the outside as he pushes out his jab, and he leans back out of the way from the overhand rights that soar past his head. Parisian crashes in with an uppercut, and escapes before Martinez can retort. The jabs carry on from Parisian, who busts up Martinez’ nose and keeps circling to avoid danger. Martinez times a booming right hand as Parisian is circling, and Parisian is suddenly stunned and hurt badly. Martinez unloads on him with a salvo of powerful shots, but Parisian survives it, turns him around when they clinch, and hunts for a single. Parisian scores a few short uppercuts, but he stands tall when Martinez smashes him in the face with an elbow. Parisian looks for a trip, and Martinez is able to keep his footing before they lean into the chain links. Parisian leans heavily as he may be trying to get his wits back about him, and Martinez looks frustrated as he signals to Smith that Parisian is not doing anything. Just then, Parisian drops down for a single, and he bails on it to use the fence like a cheese grater. Parisian pushes off, and a few punches and a front kick get through. When Martinez steps in to throw hammers, Parisian defends with a knee up the middle, and his foot extends to clack off Martinez’ cup. During the break, color commentator Michael Bisping announces, “kick me in the nuts” to silence. When they resume, Martinez pursues his forward momentum to clinch up, and Parisian has his wind back and he rips a few knees to the body. Smith asks for both to work as they hang out in the clinch, and when he does, they break free. Parisian eats a heavy punch but returns with two, and an uppercut makes Martinez take a funny step. Parisian gets off a front kick, and Martinez tries to reply with a flying knee but he leaves out the knee part, so it is just a vertical jump. The two big men throw down right to the final bell, and this plodding heavyweight encounter may have varying scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Josh Parisian def. Roque Martinez via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Kalinn Williams (169) vs. Matthew Semelsberger (170)

Round 1

This welterweight battle may be a case of knock out or be knocked out, when Williams (11-2, 2-1 UFC) comes to blows with Semelsberger (8-2, 2-0 UFC). Hanging on tight is referee Herb Dean, who will need to stay light on his feet to keep up as there is an intense touch of gloves between the two. Williams flings a few kicks, and Semelsberger looks for a right hand counter. He tries another when Williams looses a naked kick, and Williams suddenly unloads with a surge of punches. Semelsberger keeps his wits about him, but Williams catches him with a right hand and makes Semelsberger’s knees wilt a little against the fence. Semelsberger tries to fire back, but Williams ignores the strikes and bloodies up the nose of “Semi the Jedi.” Williams presses his man into the fence, where he starts feeding Semelsberger a steady diet of knees. Williams pounds away at his foe’s side, and on the break, he gets off a fast right hand. Three punches connect from Williams, and he gets clipped with a right hand counter that surprises Williams. “Khaos” lands a few low kicks, and he throws inaccurate punches that Semelsberger parries without concern. Another calf kick makes Semelsberger lift his leg up, and Williams swarms him with a barrage only to get sniped with a right hand over the top. Semelsberger puts his foot on the gas with a few more punches, but Williams stops him from this by stringing together a powerful salvo of strikes. A one-two from Semelsberger is well short of the mark, and when he connects with a leg kick, Williams charges to throw hands. Williams backs off to land leg kicks on each side, and Semelsberger chains a jab into an uppercut that snaps Williams’ head back. Williams swings and misses with bombs, and a naked leg kick gets countered by a fierce right hand. Williams swipes with left hands and jabs, and he works the lead leg with a kick. Right before time expires, Williams charges with reckless abandon, but little of note scores before the round ends.

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

Williams starts up right where he left off, putting punches together in a lengthy combination that Semelsberger can do nothing but defend. When he gets a turn, Semelsberger scores a few punches, but Williams’ strikes seem far more impactful. Williams gets off a head kick that is easily blocked, and when he reaches with a low kick, a one-two from Semelsberger stings Williams. Semelsberger is ready with an overhand right to ring Williams’ bell when Williams stands still after throwing a kick. Semelsberger walks forward and blasts Williams in the face with a huge right hand, but Williams barely even registers as he comes right back with a combination of punches. Williams powers forward to push Semelsberger into the wire, and he lands a right hand right at the break. Williams paws out a few jabs and deflects a flying knee, and he lunges out with a front kick and a single punch. Williams stumbles as he backs away from a few strikes, but he gets up without concern. Semelsberger jabs the body and gets his nose clocked again with a sharp left hook. Semelsberger chips at the lead leg, and Williams blitzes him with several punches to force Semelsberger to be defensive. Four consecutive jabs from Williams disrupt Semelsberger’s forward movement, but “Semi the Jedi” forces a head kick that rings right off the side of Williams’ head. Both welterweights start brawling, and when Semelsberger lands, Williams waves him on. Semelsberger does not fall for the trap, so Williams kicks his lead leg. Williams throws a wild flurry of punches that are windmilling and nowhere near the mark, but he does manage to close the distance to aim more strikes. Williams lands a few on the inside, but when they separate, Semelsberger clatters a right hand off of Williams’ dome. Williams surges ahead with punches to the head and body, sprinting forward to land them. Semelsberger stays calm, protects himself, and lands a kick right as the horn sounds.

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 3

The welterweights touch ‘em up to commence the final frame, and Williams is right there after to paw out several jabs and a head kick. Both trade single strikes, and they come together to throw leather but Williams comes out the better. Williams rushes forward with a right hand, and he gets stung with a countershot but Semelsberger is unable to follow it up. Williams pushes the pace, backing Semelsberger up to the fence, but not clinching with him. Semelsberger steps into an elbow, and a counter right hand finds its mark. The two stand in the center of the cage and trade blows, with neither showing any ill effects, until they back off and land solid kicks one after the other. Williams sees a punch coming, slips it and makes Semelsberger pay with an overhand right. A head kick from Williams turns into another high kick and a spinning back kick, but Semelsberger is a foot away from harm. Williams gathers himself, slips a strike and charges with a trio of punches. One lands, and he backs off to get his legs kicked hard. They stand and bang, and every time they do this, Williams chains higher volume together to get the upper hand. Semelsberger has a head kick slap off the guard, but a follow-up uppercut splits the guard and shakes Williams up. “Khaos” embraces the chaos and throws back with bad intentions, with a few punches, a body kick and a spinning back kick. Semelsberger takes them without issue and both men sling leather. Semelsberger starts marking Williams’ leg up with kicks, and Williams’ movement is a little hampered. Williams may not have quite the pop on his punches, but he is throwing so hard he nearly falls over. Williams and Semelsberger trade hands, and Semelsberger backs away to give him one spinning back kick back to him. Semelsberger throws a pair of punches, and Williams points to the ground to embody Max Holloway and incite a brawl. Semelsberger brushes off his chest, and the two start throwing everything they have left into their punches. Both men nail each other with these hilarious haymakers, and both laugh them off and continue to load up. As Williams pushes forward in this exchange, the strikers tie up on the cage until the final horn ends this entertaining slugfest.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Kalinn Williams def. Matthew Semelsberger via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Virna Jandiroba (115) vs. Kanako Murata (114.5)

Round 1

The word of the day is “grappling” in this women’s strawweight matchup between submission specialist Jandiroba (16-2, 2-2 UFC) and the Kazushi Sakuraba-inspired wrestler Murata (12-1, 1-0 UFC). Keeping tabs on this interesting style matchup is referee Chris Tognoni, who looks on as the two women gladly touch gloves. Jandiroba paws out her left hand repeatedly to find a safe distance, and she pushes ahead to shove Murata to the ground. The Japanese fighter springs back up, but Jandiroba suddenly turns it up with several big punches. A few big right hands from the Brazilian score, and Murata is rattled as she falls with her back to the cage. She springs right back out as Jandiroba is there to throw hands with her, but she escapes and gets back to a comfortable range. Jandiroba follows her with a solid one-two, and Murata’s counters hit nothing but air. Jandiroba bounces around as her hair floats with her, and she sneaks in a right hand as she forges ahead. Jandiroba clinches up, but Murata immediately spins her around and knees her in the chest. A few more knees for Murata score as Jandiroba tries to turn about, but Murata’s strength allows her to tie the Brazilian up. Jandiroba jumps guard and pursues a triangle, and Murata is composed as she slams her down and punches her in the face repeatedly. Jandiroba is busy with an offensive guard, and she nearly ties up a triangle before setting up an armbar. The trap is not deep, but Jandiroba rolls through and snags the other arm to roll to her belly. Murata fights off a possible triangle but she is firmly in the danger zone with her arm extended and locked up. Murata very slowly, methodically steps over to free herself, and she uses her feet to break the grip. Jandiroba holds on to the wrist to try to set up a triangle armbar when she rolls to her back, but Murata snakes her way out and nails Jandiroba with a few punches. Jandiroba threatens with a triangle and nearly hits a sweep, and Murata threatens with a guillotine choke right before time expires. She does not get it.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Jandiroba takes the center of the cage to begin the second round, and as Murata comes out of her corner, some huge swelling has developed under her right eye. Jandiroba stays light on her feet when they start engaging, tossing out a right hand that makes Murata back off. Murata returns fire with a one-two, and two more punches that come towards her are inaccurate. Jandiroba keeps on the pressure and narrowly evades a high kick that brushes past her luxurious hair. Murata plants her shin on Jandiroba’s midsection, but Jandiroba walks through it to let fly a right hand. Murata comes up short with a spinning kick to back Jandiroba off, and Jandiroba charges and loads up with a right hand that pounds Murata on the cheek. Jandiroba connects with a bomb of a right hand, and Murata bites down on her gumshield to survive it and ties her up. Murata is able to escape a high kick, and Murata’s her left arm is practically limp. The arm that was caught in the armbar hangs practically pinned to Murata’s hip, as she has it locked in place without letting it dangle. This allows Jandiroba to score with right hand after right hand, and Murata defends with a flying knee. Jandiroba marches forward to trade, only Murata is barely able to throw back as she can wing a right hand and a leg kick but is sorely outgunned. Jandiroba knocks her against the cage wall with a left hand, and Murata’s toughness is firmly on display but this match most likely will be stopped between rounds by the doctor if it gets there. Murata looks to counter with a right hand as Jandiroba leaps forward, and the strike does not have enough pop on it to back Jandiroba off of her. When the 10-second clapper goes off, Jandiroba slings a few punches, and she backs off while keeping her eye out for Tognoni. Predictably, as soon as the round ends, the doctor comes in to check on Murata’s left elbow. The doctor tries to test her range, and Murata’s arm is either broken or dislocated – either way, she is in no condition to continue fighting. Tognoni waves off the fight due to this damage, saving Murata to fight another day. With that, Jandiroba has earned her first career win by knockout, even if it came via injury.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Virna Jandiroba def. Kanako Murata R2 5:00 via TKO (Arm Injury)

Nicolae Negumereanu (205.5) vs. Aleksa Camur (204.5)

Round 1

One can count the number of times that former champ Stipe Miocic’s name is mentioned in this bout, as Miocic’s teammate Camur (6-1, 1-1 UFC) will try to bounce back from his first career defeat against Romania’s Negumereanu (9-1, 0-1 UFC). Referee Mike Beltran may or may not have a clicker keeping track of the commentary booth’s mentions of Camur’s stablemate, and the two light heavyweights do not touch gloves before getting down to business. Camur starts with a sharp jab to surprise his opponent, and he follows it with another as Negumereanu is swinging and missing in response. Camur backs off to wing a head kick, and Camur pins a few punches to the body. Negumereanu charges but is unable to connect, as Camur dances on the outside and kicks out the lead leg. Negumereanu lands a single punch on the side of Camur’s head, but Camur’s jab continues to flow and mark up his opponent’s nose. Camur scores another few jabs, and he disrupts the swinging Romanian a few times with this left hand. Camur slips and rips, and nails Negumereanu with a one-two. Camur continues to circle and effectively counter, as Negumereanu is wading into the fire and eats an uppercut on the chin. A huge shot from Negumereanu wobbles Camur, and the two begin to engage in a ferocious firefight. When Negumereanu scores successfully, he pushes Camur against the fence before elevating him to slam him down. Camur sits on his posterior and posts off his right hand to try to stand up, and he gets to his knees and is upright before long. Negumereanu redoubles his effort, but this sheer force of strength is not effective as he cannot ground Camur this time. Camur greets him with a knee, and he ducks from the power punches as they separate. Camur tries to get his jab reestablished, and he follows one with a stiff right hand. Negumereanu marches forward without a care in the world, walking through jabs and trying to put out some of his own. Two big hooks from Camur land, and Negumereanu throws back with reckless abandon. These two toss defense by the wayside as they both throw haymakers, trading one after the other and doing some serious damage. Camur lands right on the button again and again, busting up Negumereanu’s nose with his effort, but Negumereanu is right on him to fire back. The torrid striking exchanges go on right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The light heavyweights look to pick up where the left off, and Negumereanu marches forward and tattoos Camur’s face with a few right hands. Negumereanu advances and throws huge shots, and Camur drills him with two punches that do not slow the Romanian down. Negumereanu eats a few more as he plods forward, and he ties Camur up only to get kneed in the chest a few times. Negumereanu cannot even set up a takedown, as Camur knees him a few times to break it up each time. Negumereanu pursues an outside trip but is rebuffed, and he holds on to the fence to keep Camur trapped. Beltran shouts at him to let it go, and he does just that. Camur bucks and is able to get a knee off, but Negumereanu is on him like fly paper. The Romanian knees Camur’s thigh a few times, and the short knees go back and forth between these 205ers. Negumereanu gets away with another fence grab and even has his hand slapped, when Beltran shouts “Don’t grab the fence, dude!” Camur scrambles and has a big knee graze by his foe’s hair, but they break free. Camur reaches out a jab, and when he lands a shot to the body, Negumereanu is there to counter him with a pair of pounding punches. Camur kicks the low calf, and Negumereanu preemptively picks it up to protect another that may follow. They stand tall and throw single power punches, and Camur stings him with two hooks. Negumereanu is right there, never giving Camur a moment to breathe, even as he has his lead leg kicked. Camur takes a counter right hand across the forward bow, and he rails his opponent with a left hand that Negumereanu absorbs flush on the chin. The round ends with a tense staring contest.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Beltran admonishes Negumereanu between rounds, and Negumereanu nods and then unleashes a guttural scream as the round begins. Camur is more cautious in this round, with single, reaching strikes from afar. Negumereanu gets off a one-two as Camur is on his bike, and Negumereanu follows him and throws heavy shots. When Camur wings a right hand, Negumereanu pushes him off with a kick to the groin. Camur does not need long to get his breath, and Negumereanu pours it on right off the bat with a swarm of punches. Camur kicks low and pursues a takedown, but when it does not work, Camur blasts him with a short right hand. Negumereanu practically sprints forward to land, and Camur is there to counter him with popping punches. Camur leans back and cracks him with a left hand, and Negumereanu barely even registers that he absorbed two punches that would have felled lesser men. Negumereanu walks through a few more strikes to land a few of his own, fully embodying the “take two punches to land one” approach. Camur looks for a home run shot, and when it partially connects, Negumereanu clinches up to hang on tight. Negumereanu looks to throw Camur down, but the American shoves him off and scores a few punches. Both light heavyweights land at the same time, and Camur shoots in for a double but is met with a thudding elbow. When they break apart, they swing for the bleachers and both connect. The chins on both of these men are fully on display, as they are taking flush punches with very little head movement or defensive interest again and again. Negumereanu ties Camur up on the fence, and he grabs the fence to hold him there, and is once more shouted to release it. Beltran slaps his hand away, and the warnings are seriously mounting and some referees may have taken a point away or at least taken position away by now. As Camur tries to break free, Beltran shouts to stop, and he warns Negumereanu one last time to not grab the fence instead of deducting a point. Camur thanks him by unloading a one-two on the chin, and Negumereanu dances and throws a front kick before darting out of the way. The fighters embrace to end this contentious fight, and scores will likely be all over the map for this one.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Nicolae Negumereanu def. Aleksa Camur via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Dhiego Lima (171) vs. Matt Brown (170.5)

Round 1

Kicking off the main card is a welterweight battle that could take place anywhere, when beloved veteran Brown (22-18, 15-12 UFC) takes on fellow TUF competitor Lima (15-8, 4-6 UFC). A lesser-known storyline is that Brown knocked out Lima’s brother in 2007, so Lima could be looking to serve a cold dish of revenge. Referee Herb Dean clocks in the fight, and even though the two have history, there is a glove touch between them. The strikers are cautious to let anything go in the early going, with 20 second elapsing before a strike is thrown. Brown reaches out with a body kick and a head kick, and when the first lands but the second misses, Brown is there with a leg kick. Lima returns fire with a front kick to the sternum, and Brown catches it but cannot do anything with it, so he lets it go. Brown has his lead leg lifting ahead of any strikes in anticipation of a leg kick from Lima, and he is stalking Lima down. Brown boots him in the chest with his lead leg, and when he puts it down, Lima goes to work on his calf. Brown again works the body with a kick, and he steps forward with a pair of punches. Lima stings the calf hard, and Brown is already wearing it as it gets marked up. Instead, Brown returns fire with one to the side of the knee, and Lima is compromised from that strike. Brown does not go for broke, instead tossing out a few punches and staying composed with distance strikes. Brown absorbs another calf kick, and Brown reels but carries on. Another nasty calf kick from Lima draws a wince out of Brown, but the American finally checks one and Lima pulls it back in a hurry. Lima lets go with a head kick on the other side, but it is gets blocked without issue. Lima continues his assault on the same spot again and again, and Brown’s face contorts with pain but he gives Lima one back. The welterweights trade these kicks back and forth, and Brown gives chase when Lima circles around on the outside. “The Immortal” lets loose a spinning back kick, a right hand and a thumping leg kick, which ends the round in style.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The strikers touch gloves before coming out firing, and Brown is very leery of these low kicks and is constantly picking up his lead leg to avoid any damage on it. Lima sees this, and he chains together a series of punches to put Brown in a defensive posture. Brown explodes forward with a huge right hand, and when that does not succeed, he chases Lima around and scores a few punches to the body. Lima pursues a takedown, but Brown stops it thanks to a fence grab. Lima backs away and doubles up on calf kicks, and Brown is stalking Lima down. Brown replies with a kick to the knee that he puts his hips into, and Lima does not like this, so he shoots in from a distance for a double leg takedown. Brown shrugs this off and tries to elbow him in the face, but Lima redoubles his effort to no avail. Brown separates, and he pump-fakes on his way in to throw Lima off. Brown slips a left hook but has to fight off another takedown attempt, and he gains separation to hunt Lima down again. Lima sits back on a right hook, and Brown beats him to the punch with a right hand from the underworld that smashes into Lima’s jaw. The Brazilian goes down in a heap, face-first to the ground and completely unconscious. Brown strides away knowing his work here is done, and he goes up to a camera and shouts, “how’s that for 40, b--ch?” In victory, “The Immortal” is not only the first fighter in MMA history to take on both Lima brothers, but he is the only one to knock them both out. He is now tied for the most knockouts in UFC history with 12, alongside Vitor Belfort and Derrick Lewis.

The Official Result

Matt Brown def. Dhiego Lima R2 3:02 via KO (Punch)

Wellington Turman (185.5) vs. Bruno Silva (186)

Round 1

The overused adage of “classic striker vs. grappler” matchup rings true for this middleweight contest, as Turman (16-4, 1-2 UFC) welcomes former M-1 champ Silva (19-6, 0-0 UFC) to the Octagon. Not to be confused with Bruno “Bulldog” Silva who competes in the UFC at flyweight, this Brazilian goes by “Blindado” and he sports a knockout rate of 84 percent. The touch of gloves comes before referee Chris Tognoni, and the fight is underway. The two tentatively strike out of the gate, but Turman is much more interesting in grappling as he hunts for a takedown. Silva defends with a clear fence grab, and then another, leading Tognoni to call him on it. Turman kicks off the fence, lifts the newcomer in the air and slams him down. Silva springs back up and turns the tide, even taking Turman’s back standing up. Turman defends this with a fence grab, and he utilizes a kimura to toss Silva down for a moment. When “Blindado” gets back up, Turman lifts him up and slams him down, nearly on his head. Silva is already back to a knee, and Turman looks to take his back. Once more, Turman kicks from the cage to put Silva down, and Silva pops back up. Turman hops on to serve as a backpack, where Silva is standing up leaning on the fence and Turman is fishing for a submission. The fence grab clearly the most significant tool of the evening, Silva gets away with two more when he tries to turn around and break the grip of Turman. The grappler looks to cinch up an armbar when he slides off, as Silva shimmies him off by getting out the back door. Silva climbs into his foe’s full guard, and he starts smashing his fists into Turman’s face with ferocious ground-and-pound. Turman’s head bounces off the canvas several times, but Turman keeps the wherewithal to pull for an armbar. When Silva escapes this, Turman lands an illegal upkick right on Silva’s chin. Silva ignores it and continues his assault of ground punches. In full guard, “Blindado” blinds Turman with a barrage of punches, and as they mount, Turman goes out cold. Tognoni sees Turman’s eyes roll back and he is able to stop the fight right in time, as Silva’s left hands from on top were lethal weapons. That is 17 knockouts in 20 wins for Silva, who announces his presence in a big way to the UFC two years after intended – Silva tested positive for boldenone before making his debut, delaying him until now. Either way, this is a statement win by recording a clean knockout from the guard position.

The Official Result

Bruno Silva def. Wellington Turman R1 4:45 via KO (Punches)

Seung Woo Choi (146) vs. Julian Erosa (145.5)

Round 1

A finish may materialize out of nowhere in this clash, when “Sting” Choi (9-3, 2-2 UFC) will try to sting the streaking Erosa (25-8, 3-4 UFC). Referee Mark Smith will be keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings, and fast-paced featherweights touch gloves before getting after it. A leg kick from Choi starts things off, and Erosa tries to respond but gets nailed with a right hand. Erosa wears it well, so Choi drills him with another that shakes him up for just a moment. Choi strings two destructive punches together, and Erosa’s nose is marked up already from a few blows. Erosa walks forward and gets off a body kick and then a left hand, but Choi is able to slip and counter. The South Korean slings a right hand, and a subsequent left hook knocks the American completely off of his feet. When Erosa clatters to the ground, he might have already be out, but Smith allows him a moment to get his bearings. “Sting” releases a stinging barrage of hammerfists, pounding on Erosa until Smith has seen enough. Erosa tries to argue the stoppage was premature, but when he finally clambers to get to his feet, he practically topples over and Smith has to catch him. The knockout is Choi’s first inside the Octagon, as his first two UFC wins came by unanimous verdict.

The Official Result

Seung Woo Choi def. Julian Erosa R1 1:37 via KO (Punches)

Marlon Vera (136) vs. Davey Grant (135.5)

Round 1

A rematch over five years in the making comes up next in the so-called “featured fight of the night,” when “Chito” Vera (16-7-1, 10-6 UFC) tries to exact revenge against Grant (13-4, 4-3 UFC). The hands will be full for referee Mike Beltran, who will be looking to keep track of this bantamweight battle. There is a touch of gloves to check things in, and Vera leads the dance by taking the center of the cage. Grant circles on the outside, chipping at his foe with a leg kick, and Vera fires right back with a push kick. Grant replies in kind, and he steps forward with a side kick to the chest. Grant keeps his kicking arsenal on full display, with kicks low, to the body and up high. Vera sits down on a pair of leg kicks to slow this down, with both connecting square on the calf. Grant tries to pay him back, but Vera pays them no mind and blocks a subsequent head kick. Grant slings a right hand over the top, and digs a left to the body. “Dangerous” releases a dangerous front kick right to the solar plexus, and he has a head kick just miss the target. Grant slips and attacks the body, and Vera is largely standing still in the center of the fence ready to counter. Vera grabs him so that he can knee him in the chest, but Grant shoves him away. Vera allows him to so this so that he can plant a one-two on the chin, and the Ecuadorian protects himself from a speedy head kick in time. When Vera commits to a calf kick, Grant counters with two punches, and Vera is ready for them. Vera stabs at the body with his toes, while keeping a high guard in case the looping punches zoom towards him. A kick for Vera makes him fall over, and when he stands, Grant tags him with a few punches. Vera grabs his leg in a follow-up kick and puts Grant on his back. Vera fights off a quick armbar attempt to climb over to a dominant position, but Grant spins around to get to his knees. Vera threatens with a guillotine choke, and when he cannot get it, he scores a knee and a few punches that open up a cut on Grant’s forehead. Grant drives his left hand in the liver, and Vera exhales before returning fire with some thudding leg kicks. Grant jumps forward with a stomp kick to the knee, and he follows it with a spinning, flying head kick. Vera laughs it off and starts to slug it out with him, and the two bantamweights trade to the head and body. A spinning kick from Grant is too close to score successfully, and Vera continues to target the lead leg. Vera barely blocks a pair of punches in time, and when Grant sprints away, Vera catches him with a head kick. Grant wears it well, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Vera marches down Grant in the early going of the round, hacking at his lead leg and chaining punches together. The Brit is right there for him to sling heavy leather, and Vera has busted up the cut a little more. The bantamweight brawlers go strike-for-strike until Vera presses in to clinch, which allows him to knee Grant in the face. Vera aims a jumping strike in this position, but Grant shoves him away and gets off a one-two. Grant works the body as his nose continues to bleed, unconcerned all while loading up on huge punches. Vera leaves his punches out a little too long, allowing him to be countered over the top. Grant works the body, and Vera stands right in front of him to slash at him with vertical elbows. The elbows work perfectly, slicing open a cut high on the scalp of Grant. The blood flows right into his eyes, and Vera does some damage with more strikes. Grant spins and nails him with a wheel kick, and Vera marches through and elbows Grant on the chin. The Brit might be hurt, but when they clinch, he grabs his foe and tosses him to the ground. In full guard, Grant rains down blood and thunder – and punches – and Vera throws his legs up to stop it with a triangle. Vera turns it into an omoplata setup when Grant turns, allowing Vera to twist and turn so that he can hook up an inverted triangle. Grant stays calm as he pulls himself out of danger, sliding over to side control to hammer away with elbows. Grant isolates Vera’s left wrist in search of a kimura, but “Chito” sees it coming and shakes it out. Vera tries to kick off the fence, but the Brit keeps him tight to the ground. As soon as Vera sits up, Grant snags him with an arm-in guillotine choke. Vera rolls through, attacks a heel hook, and is able to scramble to get up. Grant now is on his knees, with Vera aiming to shove Grant over and assault him with elbows. Grant connects with harmful upkicks, but Vera powers through and concludes the round with brutal elbows that may have caused more damage on Grant’s face.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The bantamweights may be bloodied and battered, but they are no less amped up to conclude this rematch. They meet in the center of the cage to touch gloves, and Grant flicks out several jabs. Vera unloads with a left hand, and he has a body kick caught. Grant tosses the leg to the side, making Vera fall over, but Grant cannot capitalize on this. In an exchange, the two slide to the ground, and Vera takes Grant’s back for a moment. The Brit turns over, but he falls into a choke attempt. Vera turns it into an arm-triangle choke as he takes mount, but Grant is tough as nails and he grits it out. When Grant turns, he is able to break free, and the two get back to their feet. Both 135ers trade heavy leather, and Vera does damage but Grant survives. Grant fires back, and a few punches wobble Vera. Vera uses elbows in close range to sting Grant again, and he rips punches to the body when Grant keeps a high guard. As Grant defends himself, Vera drags him to the ground and climbs into Grant’s guard. Grant is able to defend from most of the damaging blows, even kicking off and scoring a big upkick. Vera is able to hop back down and swing brutal elbows on Grant’s forehead, and when Grant’s head bounces off the ground, it is clear that Grant is in big trouble. Grant flails and kicks, and blood continues to flow all over Grant’s face while Vera assaults him with ground-and-pound. A failed triangle attempt from Grant leads to a kimura, but when Grant gets to his knees, Vera takes his back. An unsuccessful scramble from Grant allows Vera to take mount, and Grant struggles and fights back. Grant spins around, gives up his back, and Vera snatches on a rear-naked choke with a fully-locked body triangle. Incredibly, Grant survives the choke, so Vera slips over to take full mount and rides this position until the final bell. What a fight!

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Marlon Vera def. Davey Grant via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-26)

Alexey Oleynik (228) vs. Sergey Spivak (242)

Round 1

In their 71 combined victories, Oleynik (59-15-1, 8-6 UFC) and Spivak (12-2, 3-2 UFC) have recorded a whopping 65 stoppages – although most can be attributed to Russia’s Oleynik and his career that dates back to 1996. This heavyweight co-main event that should not last long will draw officiating from referee Mark Smith, and there is a sporting glove touch between them. Oleynik gets off a heavy leg kick as he marches forward, and Spivak is there with a jab to counter. Oleynik releases a huge right hand with the sole purpose for closing the distance, and Spivak acts as if Oleynik is in flames and he retreats as fast as he possibly can. Oleynik continues to slowly march forward, with right hands and leg kicks as Spivak looks for a counter. Oleynik walks through a few left hands to get his face marked up so that he can clinch up and take Spivak down, but “Polar Bear” is not having it. Spivak marks his opponent’s face up with quick punches, and he stuffs a takedown and knees the Russian in the breadbasket. Oleynik looks to clinch, and Spivak kicks him in the body and shoves him away. Oleynik ties up a standing arm-triangle choke, but Spivak wriggles out of it. A punch turns into a single leg takedown attempt from Oleynik, who fails on this as Spivak sprawls. Spivak eats a leg kick and paws out more jabs, and an uppercut of his is answered by an overhand right from the Russian. Oleynik’s approach has not changed, as he marches forward like a Terminator, but Spivak remains composed as Oleynik bears down on him. Oleynik finally is able to press Spivak up against the cage, but a trip takedown in unsuccessful. Oleynik wings a punch to the body, and Oleynik crashes forward to tie him up and drag him down. Spivak gives up his back standing, and Oleynik snags hold of him and keeps back position while pulling Spivak on top of him. A possible rear-naked choke turns into an arm-triangle choke setup, and Spivak breaks the grip but is mounted with seconds to spare in the round. Oleynik’s brutally tight grip morphs into a modified scarf hold with Spivak’s arms trapped in the choke, and he abandons the submission so he can elbow Spivak right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The heavyweights touch gloves to clock in the second frame, and Spivak is able to kick Oleynik’s lead leg on the way in. Oleynik absorbs a few jabs and tries to loose overhand rights, and he connects with one right on the button. Spivak counters and circles away, but Oleynik plots towards him and slings another huge right hand. “The Boa Constrictor” goes for a few leg kicks, and a pair of looping punches glance off the shoulders. Spivak sees these windmilling punches coming, and he chains a trio of punches together until Oleynik presses forward to clinch up. Oleynik cannot land a takedown in this position, so he instead ties Spivak up and drags him down to put his own back on the mat. Oleynik fishes for a sweep or a traditionally unorthodox submission – but not for Oleynik -- but Spivak stops him from achieving this. Spivak keeps Oleynik on the ground, with Oleynik doing what he can to turn a tie-up into a trap. When Oleynik aims for a triangle, Spivak stops it and puts the Russian back on his back. Spivak postures up to elbow repeatedly, opening up a cut on the 43-year-old but not punishing him with many strikes. Spivak pulls for an anaconda choke, and when he does not get it, he drops down for a guillotine choke. Oleynik sits up out of it and is in half guard, before easily claiming mount. From on top, Oleynik latches on to a scarf hold choke, and Spivak may be saved by the bell as it is tight.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Spivak pushes out jabs as Oleynik ambles towards him, with the older Russian kicking his lead leg. Oleynik ducks a punch but gets tattooed by several jabs on the way out. Oleynik is taking very deep breaths as he continues to engage, with Spivak’s boxing working him over. Oleynik plods forward, and a huge right hand rips a hole on his scalp that starts pouring blood. Oleynik is barely able to stay on his feet, and Spivak stuffs a takedown and lands several uppercuts on the way out. Oleynik’s big booming punches do not have much impact on them, but he changes levels suddenly to pursue a double leg takedown. Smith asks him to work seconds after Oleynik tries, so Spivak turns out and lands punches while Oleynik is on his knees. Oleynik labors to his feet, and he rages ahead, throwing punches as if he is underwater. Oleynik drills Spivak on the jaw with a surprising elbow, and he aims for a takedown that falls short. A few punches from Oleynik have opened up a cut on the bridge of Spivak’s nose, and Spivak backs off and scores with jabs as Spivak is starting to face. Oleynik goes after a single, and Spivak is able to spin around and step into top position. “The Polar Bear” mounts some offense with short elbows, and he pushes Oleynik to his back. A fatigued but still game Oleynik scrambles to get up, but he winds up in a position that allows Spivak to elbow him in the side of the head repeatedly. The Russian turns and looks to walk up the fence, and he starts talking to his opponent while his blood sprays across the cage. “The Polar Bear” mauls him with ground-and-pound right to the final bell, but Oleynik survives to reach the scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Sergei Spivak def. Alexey Oleynik via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Chan Sung Jung (146) vs. Dan Ige (146)

Round 1

It may come as a shock to some that both Jung (16-6, 6-3 UFC) and Ige (15-3, 7-2 UFC) will both be competing in their 10th UFC bouts, even though “The Korean Zombie” made his first appearance in 2011 while Ige joined up in 2018 after a successful performance on Dana White’s Contender Series even though he didn’t win a contract. The fight many are calling the sure-fire “Fight of the Night” will draw oversight from referee Herb Dean, who will be keeping his head on a swivel even though the two featherweight contenders touch gloves. Jung is first to throw, but Ige is well out of the way from Jung’s punches. Jung connects with a low kick, and Ige drags his foot back to try to take the edge off. Ige commits to his own leg kick, and “The Korean Zombie” is there to counter with two punches over the top. Ige sees this, blocks them, and pursues another big leg kick that swings wide. Ige leaps forward with punches, but the South Korean is well out of harm’s way in time. Both score single strikes at the same time, and Jung gets off an uppercut and just ducks a punch that tried to take his head off. Ige slaps the lead leg, and one from Jung in response lands with an audible thud. Ige counters with a left hand, and he thwarts a trip attempt to pop Jung with double jabs. Ige winds up with big punches that go wide, and he steps forward with a shovel uppercut that knocks Jung back. Jung looks to reply, but his punches get blocked. As Ige is distracted defending from above, Jung changes it up to take the fight down, where he rapidly claims half guard. Ige keeps butterfly hooks to push “The Korean Zombie” off of him, and Jung ignores a triangle choke setup but gets shoved off by Ige’s feet. Jung dives back down on top, and he lines up a potential arm-triangle choke from half guard. Jung keeps his shoulder pressed on Ige’s chin before looking to jump to mount, and as soon as this happens, Ige bursts out of the position and gets back to his feet. Jung makes him pay with a left hand, and a right hand hurts Ige. Ige tries to stick and move, circling along the outside while Jung follows him with a leg kick. Ige looks to set his jab back up again, and Jung meets him with a few of his own. Jung dodges an incoming punch, but Ige darts forward and clubs him with a left hook. Jung fires off a body kick that gets blocked loudly, and Ige rips a single right hand right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The featherweight gladiators touch gloves, and Jung marches forward with a right hand that puts Ige on his backside. Ige scampers back to his feet, and Jung meets him with a sharp uppercut that rings his bell. Ige gathers himself and sticks out a jab, only for Jung to chop at his leg and dodge the majority of Ige’s responsive punches. Ige jabs a few times, and Jung ducks the power punch and kicks the body. Ige absorbs another nasty kick to the calf that buckles his leg, and Jung clips him with a right hand but does not hurt him like before. The Hawaiian’s jab keeps coming as a range-finder, while Jung’s is longer and reaches the garget effectively. Ige ignores the jab zooming at his face to score a leg kick, but Jung bears down on him with two heavy punches. Ige looks to set up two big strikes, but when they are too close and glance off the shoulder, Jung raises his arms to signal they were ineffective. Jung sits back, nails Ige on the temple to wobble him, and is forced to fight off an immediate takedown attempt. Jung manages to keep his balance up against the fence, and he separates without much issue. “The Korean Zombie” gets off a mighty calf kick that draws a visible reaction from Ige, and Ige tries to do the same but is not nearly as effective. Ige eats a few jabs as he steps in, and a solid left hand connects on the jaw. Jung backs off, and Ige chases him so that he can try to take the fight down. “50K” goes for a trip, but this failed attempt allows Jung to swirl around and put Ige on the ground. Ige looks to defend with a kimura, and Jung hops around to take Ige’s back and cinch up the body triangle. Ige aims punches from behind his head, and a strike from a recent exchange or possibly a clash of heads may have opened up a small cut on Jung’s eyelid. The round ends with Jung keeping Ige’s back.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The glove touch clocks in the third round, and Jung aims a leg kick. Ige ignores it and walks forward to kick the body. When Ige lands a counterpunch shortly thereafter, Jung times a perfect takedown to put Ige on his back. “The Korean Zombie” begins to hack and slash with elbows from Ige’s open guard, with Ige looking to push off and threaten in any way from his back. Ige swings elbows while flat on his back, and Jung takes them on the scalp but deals far more damage with his strikes from on top. Ige is able to push Jung off, and when Jung stands up, Ige rolls over and pursues his own single leg takedown. Jung does not let this happen, as he instead secures the back and gets both of his hooks in. Jung instantly fishes for a rear-naked choke, but Ige is very aware of the position and he fights the wrists to keep his neck free. A snake-like Jung slides his right arm beneath Ige’s chin, and it is tight for a moment, but Ige keeps his head about him and pulls the arm away. Jung turns the hooks into a body triangle, squeezing the air out of Ige while softening him up with light, irritating punches. Sight unseen, Ige punches behind his head, and a few of them connect and surprise Jung. “The Korean Zombie” switches his body triangle to tighten it, and Ige cannot free himself from this tight grip. Ige grimaces as he looks to escape, but there is no freedom as Jung is on him like glue. The 10-second clapper leads Jung to attack the choke one more time, but he cannot land it before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 4

There is a touch of gloves to begin this round, and Ige rushes out to throw hands. Jung evades the strikes and gets off a leg kick, staying light on his feet and avoiding any dangerous shots coming towards him. “The Korean Zombie” counters a leaping punch from Ige with a left hand to the temple, and Ige shakes it off and tries to get his jab going once more. Ige swings hard and hits nothing but air, and Jung jabs several times effectively. Ige counters to the body and then to the head, and Jung staggers back for a moment. “50K” clips Jung with a right hand, and he jumps in the air with a body kick. Another digging left hand connects cleanly to the body, and Ige presses his man into the wire. When they separate, Ige is there with a left hand. Jung absorbs a leg kick on the way forward, pawing his lengthy jab out to disrupt Ige’s pursuit. A few big punches from Ige open the cut up above Jung’s eye, and a left hand may have gotten Jung’s attention. “The Korean Zombie” begins to bite down on his mouthpiece and throw leather, and Ige welcomes this and is ready to chuck bombs. After a wild flurry, Jung peppers Ige with a few jabs. Both men trade leg kicks, and Ige comes over the top with a right hand. Ige is loading up on power punches, and Jung tries to stick and move but he is finding himself in harm’s way a few times. As Ige throws a reckless high kick, Jung catches it and throws him down to the mat. Ige throws punches and upkicks while on his back, and he threatens with a heel hook as Jung stands up. Jung lowers himself back down with long, straight punches, and he steps over to take north-south position. A few thudding elbows from Jung in this odd position end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 5

The doctors clear Jung to begin the final frame, as the cut is not as bad as it looks. Ige begins the last round with a body kick after the affectionate glove touch, and both tag each other with punches at the same time to knock one another back. Jung forces out several jabs, and he hops out of the way when Ige crashes the pocket to throw bombs. Jung ignores a leg kick to pop his jab out several times, and these strikes do enough to keep Ige honest. Ige bites down on his mouthpiece to throw hands, and a right hand hurts Jung. The Hawaiian rips the body and then slings a left hand that rocks Jung. Jung crashes forward to take the fight down, and after a furious scramble, both stand up. Ige continues to work the body with heavy blows, until he shoots in for a single leg takedown. Jung stuffs it, and then stops the second attempt that follows. Without looking, Ige throws elbows that cut Jung, and Ige wrenches Jung to a knee but not down to the mat. They break, and Ige fires off a few jabs to catch an uppercut on the chin. “The Korean Zombie” blasts Ige on the jaw with a knee as Ige presses the pace, and Ige falls to his knees in clear danger. Jung takes advantage of this damage by circling around to take Ige’s back, and he secure a body triangle to keep him tight. Ige looks to break the leg grip as Jung is not able to effectively hunt for chokes, with Ige’s defense holding tight. Precious seconds tick off the clock in this back position, with Jung clinging to his opponent and maintaining this dominant position to ride out the fight. Ige looks to engage in a no-look slugfest, throwing punches behind his head, and Jung hangs on and threatens with a choke right up to the final buzzer. Both featherweights celebrate their hard-fought battle, embracing after 25 minutes of action. Next week, we will see heavyweights on top of the billing, with another Fight Night card at the UFC Apex. We will be there, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Chan Sung Jung def. Dan Ige via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)