UFC on ESPN 28 ‘Hall vs. Strickland’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Orion Cosce (170.5) vs. Philip Rowe (173.5: Missed Weight)

Round 1

The snakebitten UFC on ESPN 28 card will carry on with 10 fights after more drama than a Daniel-Day Lewis film on fight week. We commence the festivities with a catchweight contest between two men in Rowe (7-3, 0-1 UFC) and the newcomer Cosce (7-0, 0-0 UFC) that both celebrate 100 percent finish rates. Rowe missed weight by 2.5 pounds so he has forfeited 20 percent of his purse, which goes straight into Cosce’s pocket. Looking on to see who will come out with a fuller wallet at the bout’s end is referee Chris Tognoni, and there is an apologetic glove touch offered by Rowe and accepted to check in the fight night. Rowe takes the center of the cage and has his lead leg chopped down fast. Cosce crashes forward after another kick to try to take his rangy foe to the ground. Rowe stays upright thanks to the fence behind him, and Cosce grinds him against the cage wall. Rowe looks to hit a trip, and Cosce flips him around and tosses him to the canvas. Rowe scrambles, but as he nearly gives up his back, he rolls to his back so that Cosce cannot take dominant position. Rowe scoots his way to the wall and nearly pulls off the fence with his fingers, but tries to push on it so he can turn his body. All the while, Cosce softens him up with short punches to the body, even when Rowe gets away with a fence grab. Rowe keeps on tugging the wire, prompting multiple warnings from Tognoni, and he uses the position to push off with his toes interlocked as well. Cosce stays heavy, content to maintain position over doing damage, and Rowe escapes thanks to even more fence grabs. Tognoni tells him not to grab it, but Rowe still does, and manages to get back to his feet for his effort. Cosce is on him like a cheap suit, pressing his full body weight on Rowe while stomping his foe’s foot. After another effort, “Galaxy” hits another takedown to drag Rowe down, but the position does not stay in his favor as Rowe walks up the fencing. Cosce hits a mat return, but Rowe is quick to get to a knee and gets cracked with a short elbow. He shakes it off and stands up again, with his back pinned to the cage wall. Suddenly, Rowe pulls guard and falls to the ground, but before anything comes of it, he realizes his mistake and scampers back to his feet. Cosce lets him back up to try to load up on shots, but it is Rowe who sneaks in a few high knees thanks to his long legs. When Rowe pushes off with seconds left in the round, he lands a few low kicks and a right hand right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cosce
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Cosce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cosce

Round 2

The fighters are so amped up to touch gloves, they very nearly close the distance before the round begins. Tognoni backs them up, and they reach out to gingerly touch their fingertips. Rowe begins the second frame with a flying kick, and Cosce quickly grabs him and puts him in the same position where he was for much of the first round. Cosce is pleased as punch holding on tight, working Rowe with knees to the thigh until Rowe explodes to break off. Gaining separation, Rowe celebrates with a few heavy punches to the body. When he looses a big knee, his foot swings square into Cosce’s cup, and Cosce drops to his knees in obvious pain. Tognoni advises Cosce to take all the time he needs when he calls a break, and Cosce is ready to go in less than a minute. There is no ill will for the blow, and they touch gloves and come out swinging. Both men throw furiously, with right hands that throw both of them off-balance. Rowe blasts Cosce with a huge right hand, and Cosce is on baby deer legs as he stumbles away to the fence. Rowe tries to finish the job, lobbing bomb after bomb, and Cosce suddenly steels himself and blasts Rowe with a huge right hand of his own. As Tognoni tells Cosce to fight back, Cosce obliges with a few more looping shots. Rowe does not let him off the hook, cracking the UFC newcomer with a couple more blistering blows. Rowe steps in with a knee to split the guard, and Cosce shakes it off and sneaks in a right hand that sends Rowe falling back to the cage wall. Rowe tries to tie him up and even threaten with a standing guillotine choke, but Cosce pushes him back and puts him into the wall. Cosce embraces the grind as he tries to gather his thoughts, leaning forward until Rowe simply pushes him away and circles. Rowe unloads with a pair of hooks, and Cosce fires right back at him. Rowe grabs him with a Thai clinch and drills him in the face with a trio of knees, and Cosce’s face is swelling up like a balloon as he is firmly entrenched in the danger zone. Rowe knows his unbeaten opponent is on the ropes, and he releases a furious barrage of punches that batters Cosce against the fence. One hellacious right hand splits the tight guard of Cosce, and the newcomer’s knees give way beneath him. Tognoni has seen enough, rescuing Cosce from his own toughness and allowing him to live to fight another way. What a comeback for Rowe, letting his hands go and keeping that finish rate at a perfect 100 percent.

The Official Result

Philip Rowe def. Orion Cosce R2 4:21 via TKO (Punches)

Zarrukh Adashev (125.5) vs. Ryan Benoit (126)

Round 1

Moving right along to a flyweight fight that was once on the main card until its unceremonious dumping on the early prelims, two men on losing streaks will try to snap them when Benoit (10-7, 3-5 UFC) meets Adashev (3-3, 0-2 UFC). Keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings is referee Mark Smith, and the 125ers touch gloves to start things off. Adashev scores a quick leg kick and a pair of punches to force Benoit to retreat early on in the bout, but Benoit gathers himself and circles on the outside to avoid the remainder of the combination. Benoit leaps forward with a long left hand that hits nothing but air, and Adashev slams his shin on the outside of his calf. Adashev steps face-first into a vicious left hand, and Adashev is shaken up as he stumbles to the fence. The Uzbek out of New York crashes forward and throws big, scoring his own right hand as Benoit bears down on him. Adashev escapes, and he hurts Benoit’s calf with nasty kicks to already force a stance switch. Benoit is already compromised after just a few low leg kicks, and he comes away with a limp as Adashev backs off to land another on the same spot. Benoit jumps in to attack, and like a matador, Adashev is quick to evade the strike and gain a favorable angle to kick Benoit in the chest. Benoit switches stances and his right leg is immediately met with an inside kick, and he steps in to take a few punches across the forward bow. Benoit eats a clean left hand as he marches Adashev down, unconcerned about the strikes that keep landing so that he can unleashed a looping right hand. Adashev wrecks his foe’s leg with another kick, and Benoit is in huge trouble hobbling around to try to protect his busted calf. Adashev does not take advantage of this, and instead Benoit attacks with a right hand that pounds into Adashev’s chin. Benoit eats another kick to the calf, and instead of changing levels to stop this, it is Adashev who pursues a takedown. Benoit recoils his leg to keep his balance, and he throws everything he has into a bomb of a right hand that detonates on the chin of opponent. Adashev crumples to the ground, and Benoit dives on him to pound him out, but he cannot finish the job. As Adashev sits and stands up, Benoit pulls guard to hit a guillotine choke, but there is nothing there. When both stand up, Adashev ends the round with his own guard pull into a guillotine, but there is similarly nothing doing.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adashev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Adashev
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Adashev

Round 2

Benoit strides out of his corner to throw hands, and Adashev is quick to circle out of the way to gain some distance. Adashev lets loose a three-punch combination, but the strikes clatter off the guard. A left hand from Benoit gets through, bouncing Adashev off the cage wall, but he recovers. Benoit marches him down with another salvo of punches, forcing Adashev to defend himself and not throw the leg kicks that did so much damage in the previous frame. Adashev absorbs a calf kick coming at him, and Benoit tries to get off another but is kicked in the breadbasket. The former kickboxer, light on his heels, hops away on the outside while chipping away with a leg kick or two. When Benoit steps in, Adashev greets him with a knee on the chin, and Benoit tells the commentary team that the strike landed to his chest instead. Benoit eats a jab as he continues with constant forward motion, and Adashev is on his bike picking and poking with single strikes. A right hand from Adashev opens up a cut on Benoit’s nose, and he strings together a few punches and a leg kick that gets Benoit’s attention. Benoit charges in with a right hand that wobbles Adashev, and Adashev slings a brutal leg kick that makes Benoit topple over. Benoit springs back up, and he throws wide punches and connects every so often to Adashev’s disdain. Adashev shoots in for a failed takedown, and he backs away to score a calf kick. Benoit crashes the pocket with a trio of wild punches, clipping Adashev and forcing him to clinch up. When they separate, Benoit throws a right hand and falls over from his damaged leg. Adashev lords over him and blasts him with a standing-to-ground right hand, but Benoit shakes it off and powers back to his feet. Benoit practically runs after Adashev, who counters him and dodges the haymakers until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adashev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Adashev
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Adashev

Round 3

The third round begins with an aggressive Benoit, who fights through the pain and damage to throw huge punches at his opponent. Adashev dodges and weaves enough to avoid the heaviest strikes, and Benoit walks face-first into punches. The two brawl for a moment, and Adashev realizes the error of his ways and he hops back. Benoit asks his opponent why he is running, and he gives chase to wind up with home run shots. Adashev keeps his guard tight as his opponent is a veritable Terminator, and he gets surprised by a sneaky right hand. Benoit absorbs a strike and continues his pursuit, firing off winding hooks as Adashev ducks and dodges. A brief clinch does not amount to much, and Adashev scurries away to land a front kick. Benoit scores a heavy left hand, and Adashev gives him one back and welcomes a wild flurry. Adashev does not oblige him with another salvo of strikes from each man, instead staying elusive from range. A big kick whiffs from Benoit, but he stings Adashev with a left hand and then points at him for it. Benoit walks through the counters to throw everything he has at Adashev, and Adashev is surviving the worst of the strikes while giving some back. Benoit drops down for a takedown attempt with a minute to go, and when it is unsuccessful, they push off to start slinging leather again. Benoit is in perpetually forward motion, completely ignoring jabs and pointing at the ground to start a brawl. Adashev backs away, and Smith tells Adashev to fight. Benoit corners him and unloads with a few punches, Adashev spins him around to rip the body, and the round ends as Benoit is frustrated.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Benoit (29-28 Adashev)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Benoit (29-28 Adashev)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Benoit (29-28 Adashev)

The Official Result

Zarrukh Adashev def. Ryan Benoit via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Jinh Yu Frey (115.5) vs. Ashley Yoder (116)

Round 1

Up next at strawweight, Yoder (8-7, 3-6 UFC) and Frey (10-6, 1-2 UFC) will throw down in a match with a line where the fight goes to decision at -350 – higher than any other bout on the card. Dropkicking all the nonsense ahead of this bout is referee Keith Peterson, and he monitors the proceedings as they touch gloves. Frey strings together a pair of jabs, getting in on her opponent and landing a leg kick. Yoder gives her that identical combination right back at her, and she pushes in to clinch up against the wall. Frey frames off, holds on to an elbow and smacks Yoder in the face with her free hand several times. The women both trade jabs one after the other, landing one combination and backing off to absorb something similar. Frey wings a left hand that just gets in, and a left hand to the body is much more effective. Frey shoves her opponent to the ground, and she blasts a downed Yoder’s leg with a kick. When “The Spider Monkey” climbs back up, Frey greets her with a powerful left hand. Yoder ignores it so that she can step in with a leg kick, and she paws out a jab that stops Frey from coming at her. Yoder does this again, keeping Frey at bay with her superior range and using a push kick to the body to back Frey off. Yoder sneaks a front kick up in time to lift it away from a leg kick, and she walks into a leg kick so she can clinch up. Frey loops a punch and Yoder ducks, allowing “The Spider Monkey” to pop her from afar. Yoder kicks the lead leg and avoids a one-two over the top, and she fires a front kick that splits the guard. Frey chops at her lead leg and interrupts Yoder momentarily, and the two push at one another with single kicks. One lands, the other succeeds with a strike, and the combination continues. Yoder sits down on a heavy left hand, and another that marks Frey’s face up. The round ends with a combination from both women.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yoder
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Frey
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Frey

Round 2

The women touch gloves and come out swinging single blows at the other, with leg kicks alternating between the two. Frey slings a huge punch that hurts Yoder, and she follows it with a left hand that forces Yoder to wobble. Frey chases her down as Yoder is backing off, and Yoder swings back with reckless abandon. Frey stays composed, ignores a possible takedown attempt, and clubs Yoder with a pair of left hands that rock Yoder again. Yoder wipes at her face as the hooks continue to blast her in the chops, and Frey targets the same spot comfortably. Yoder looks flustered as she cannot come close to taking the fight down, and momentum and power are firmly in the favor of Frey as she lands. The punches and kicks are much more effective and damaging whenever Frey lands, kicking Yoder’s legs back when she slaps them with her shin. Yoder reaches out a one-two, but Frey is there to pay her back with one that is much harder. The former Invicta champ lands a one-two, and then another, knocking Yoder back a step. Yoder flails with a standing back fist that Frey completely ignores, and Frey gets back landing from at range. Frey hurts her opponent with a left hand, and out of nowhere, Yoder bites down on her mouthpiece and starts slugging with Frey. A one-two from Yoder shakes Frey up, and she starts chain together a series of two-punch combinations to knock Frey back. Her left hands have marked up Frey’s right eye, which is closing rapidly. Yoder throws big left hands at a retreating Frey, until Frey decides to turn up the pace and throw back at her. The round ends with a fast exchange of punches.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Frey
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Frey
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Frey

Round 3

Yoder offers a glove touch to clock in the last round, and she takes a stiff leg kick as she advances. Frey backs her off with a looping right hand, and Yoder is right there to greet her with a front kick and a takedown attempt. Frey steps out of this standing trip attempt to back away, only to gather her thoughts and try to score a leg kick. Yoder picks her leg up in time, and she crashes forward to take the fight down. Frey dances out of the way and sticks her jab in Yoder’s face, but she takes a left hand on the chin as Yoder escapes. A few reaching strikes from Yoder all come up short, but a leg kick that she fires off hits the thigh flush. Yoder continues to stretch her front kick out sporadically to keep Frey guessing, and she lands with a left hand. Yoder circles out of the way and catches Frey with a left hand, and Frey comes back at her with a few over the top and a leg kick. Yoder ducks a punch to pursue a takedown, but it is stopped with ease. Frey swats away a jab and another takedown try, allowing Yoder to take a step back and kick her leg. Frey tags Yoder’s calf with a kick, forcing “The Spider Monkey” to take a funny step. Yoder reaches out with a left hand, gets countered, and fires right back. Frey catches a front kick and pushes Yoder back, and Yoder tries to swing but misses with a right hand with her leg in the air. Yoder’s pawing jabs have no effect as Frey closes in on her, landing a few punches and sending Yoder back a few steps. Yoder keeps at range with jabs and front kicks as Frey pursues her, even greeting Frey with a knee up the middle. With 10 seconds to go, both women throw caution to the wind and start unloading. Frey drills Yoder’s lead calf again, and they throw down right to the bitter end. This could be a close one, and possibly closer than some scores may indicate.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Frey (29-28 Frey)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Frey (30-27 Frey)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Frey (30-27 Frey)

The Official Result

Jinh Yu Frey def. Ashley Yoder via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Danny Chavez (145.5) vs. Kai Kamaka III (144.5)

Round 1

The long-historied battle between Florida and Hawaii continues here at featherweight, as “The Colombian Warrior” Chavez (11-4, 1-1 UFC) locks horns with “The Fighting Hawaiian” Kamaka III (8-4, 1-2 UFC). The horn-locking official overseeing the match is referee Herb Dean, who locks the cage behind them when the starting horn sounds and the fighters touch gloves. Kamaka reaches out with jabs but Chavez is there with a front kick to back him away. As both stare at one another, they tensely kick the other’s lead leg one after the other. Chavez slings up a head kick that is easily blocked, and Kamaka ducks a looping right hand. Chavez explodes into a takedown attempt, putting Kamaka on his back for a moment, but only keeping him there briefly. Kamaka springs back up and makes Chavez pay with a right hand, and he tries to follow it but it comes up short. Chavez throws several inaccurate strikes and Kamaka fires back at him with a deliberate barrage of calf kicks. The kicks land on the same spot again and again, until Chavez uncomfortably picks up his leg after one smacks him. Chavez’ offense slows after these kicks do some damage, and Kamaka stands in front of him peppering him with kicks. He throws these kicks until Chavez reacts visibly, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kamaka
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kamaka
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Kamaka

Round 2

Chavez steps forward when the round begins to clock Kamaka with a fiery right hand, and Kamaka reels and throws back at him. Chavez is quick to string together several one-twos, surprising the Hawaiian as he stings him with these combinations. Kamaka gathers himself and chops down Chavez’ lead leg until Chavez runs at him to take him down. The takedown fails, and Kamaka is able to catch him on the way out with a hacking kick. Kamaka keeps drilling the same minute spot again and again, forcing Chavez to lift his lead leg up in pain. Chavez tries to plant his shin on Kamaka’s side, but the Hawaiian closes the distance to break it up. Kamaka methodically breaks down Chavez’ leg with kicks, and Kamaka reaches out to swat down a combination with outstretched fingers to jab Chavez deep in the eye. Chavez falls to the ground in major pain, screaming as the finger went deep into his right eye. Dean quickly calls in the doctor, and Chavez cannot even open his eye to show him its condition. He tells the doctor not to stop the fight, asking for as much time as he can get, and he requests some water to rinse his eye out. After a lengthy recovery time, Chavez pops up and says he is ready to go. Dean gives Kamaka a hard warning from his pokes – Kamaka was poked in the previous round -- and Chavez is incensed and ready to rock. He throws caution to the wind, swinging huge punches at his opponent. Kamaka recovers, frames off and blasts Chavez in the cup with his knee. Chavez crumbles to the ground in trouble again, and once more the fouled fighter in on his knees in a bad way. Kamaka is deducted one point before they get back to it, and Chavez once more recovers. The two engage in a torrid flurry at one another, stinging one another and walking through damaging blows. Kamaka kicks the leg, and Chavez picks it up and swings a hook kick at him. Kamaka targets the calf a few more times, he steps forward and scores a knee. The two kick at one another until this tough round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9
Brian Knapp scores the round: 9-9
Tyler Treese scores the round: 9-9

Round 3

Chavez tries his luck early on with a leg kick, and both men swing for the fences recklessly. Kamaka gives him one kick back and charges ahead to pursue a takedown. Chavez defends with his back against the fence by slamming his elbow on to the side of Kamaka’s head to embrace his inner Travis Browne. The Hawaiian’s knees wobble a little, but he is ok as he squeezes to take the fight down. Kamaka eats several knees on the chin as Chavez keeps his balance, and the stalemate of this position continues as Kamaka grinds on his foe. Kamaka turns a double into a single, and Chavez defends with a kimura to sweep his opponent but cannot pull it off. Instead, Kamaka briefly pulls Chavez’ legs out beneath him, but “The Colombian Warrior” stands back up. After a few warnings from Dean, the fighters push free and separate. Chavez sticks out a left hook that surprises Kamaka, and he pursues his own takedown to Kamaka’s surprise. Chavez goes low for a single, and he changes levels but it fails. Kamaka lands a body kick as Chavez chases after him, and Chavez throws everything he has into one string of punches until the fight mercifully ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chavez (28-28)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kamaka (29-27 Kamaka)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Kamaka (29-27 Kamaka)

The Official Result

Kai Kamaka III vs. Danny Chavez is ruled a Majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

Rafa Garcia (154) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (156)

Round 1

The new preliminary headliner, a bout that was place on the main card earlier today, goes down at lightweight between gritty grinder “Gritz” Gruetzemacher (14-4, 2-3 UFC) and gumptious grappler “Gifted” Garcia (11-1, 0-1 UFC). Referee Chris Tognoni is disappointed that his name has a “G” and is not included in the above alliteration, and the two touch ‘em up to start the fight. Garcia starts off quick with a combination that catches Gruetzemacher unaware, with a left hand that whips his hair back. Gruetzemacher marches forward to throw several kicks, and Garcia rolls to land a right hand and gets swiped with a finger in the eye. The action does not stop, and instead Garcia slams his fist into Gruetzemacher’s chin. The blow is damaging, and Gruetzemacher stumbles back into the cage as Garcia sprints at him and wails on him. Gruetzemacher grits it out, stands up, defends from a bad position and breaks away. “Gifted” gives him several gifts with a lengthy barrage of blows, and Gruetzemacher fires back to open up a cut under Garcia’s left eye. Garcia flails with punches and kicks the calf of his opponent, and he stings Gruetzemacher with an uppercut that splits his guard. Garcia clubs Gruetzemacher with a right hand, and he drops down to hit an easy takedown and put “Gritz” on his back. Garcia postures up to hammer him with a heavy elbow, and Gruetzemacher bursts back to his feet. As the two get into a tight clinch and trade with bad intentions, a knee clacks off Garcia’s cup. Garcia waves it off to keep fighting, and another knee in the groin follows to force a pause in the action. When the fight resumes after about 45 seconds of break, both men are ready to trade again. They get close and lay into each other, landing thudding punches and knees in a close clinch. Both men knee the other’s body until Garcia drops down for a single. Gruetzemacher defends with an elbow on the side of the head, and although he breaks the grip, Garcia doubles down on it. They both stand up, and crack each other with elbows. The strikes come one after the other, and they are pouring it on, until Gruetzemacher targets the body to great effect. A few more body shots land for Gruetzemacher until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Garcia

Round 2

The pace is notably slower as the second round begins, with a more methodical effort as Garcia tries to catch his breath after a storm of the opening frame. Gruetzemacher wades forward, spams leg kicks and body shots, and Garcia is backing off against the cage. Gruetzemacher chases after him with a head kick, and his constant forward pressure is starting to tire Garcia to a noticeable degree. Gruetzemacher lands to the head and body at will, and Garcia changes things up after taking some damage to hit a takedown. Garcia gets him down for a moment, but not for long, as Gruetzemacher powers up and lands again to the torso. Garcia pushes his foe into the fence as his cardio appears to be betraying him, while Gruetzemacher stays steady and tries to get off the chain links. Garcia gets away with fence grabs as he pins Gruetzemacher to the wall, until “Gritz” bursts his way out and cracks Garcia with a right hand. Gruetzemacher walks through a leg kick and a punch so that he can pummel Garcia, whose strikes are still landing heavily but not affecting him like the previous round. Gruetzemacher scores a left hand to the liver with an audible thud, and he completely ignores an uppercut to wade forward and pressure Garcia with body shots. Garcia comes at him from over the top with a right hand, but Gruetzemacher ducks down and pounds his body with more strikes. Gruetzemacher sneaks an elbow above the guard, and he starts to target his strikes as Garcia shells up and backs away. Gruetzemacher lands on his foe’s gloves until he gets one past to the body, lining them up and scoring one after the other. The round ends when Garcia trips Gruetzemacher to the ground.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gruetzemacher
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gruetzemacher
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gruetzemacher

Round 3

The lightweights touch hands to start off the last round, and Gruetzemacher gives chase quickly and lands a right hand while walking through a leg kick. Gruetzemacher is charged up, landing punches and mixing them up with knees and elbows as Garcia’s pace wanes dramatically. “Gritz” cracks Garcia with an uppercut, and he puts together several body shots to soften Garcia up. The Mexican fighter, on his heels and busted up from the strikes, shoots in low for a takedown. Garcia lands in side control, taking the wind out of Gruetzemacher’s sails as he traps him and squeezes down with his shoulder. Garcia stays in this position without doing anything, until Tognoni starts to warn him to do more. This forces Garcia to advance, only for Gruetzemacher to sit up against the wall covered in his foe’s blood. Gruetzemacher shows his energy reserves are still intact as he simply stands back up, and he walks Garcia down and rocks him with punches. Gruetzemacher sits down on an uppercut that hurts Garcia, and he paws out several left hands and shrugs off oncoming fire to work Garcia over. Gruetzemacher tees off on Garcia with uppercuts and short shots, and Garcia is fighting back with everything he has left. This quickly works against him when Gruetzemacher targets the body again, until Garcia drops down and hits a takedown to plop Gruetzemacher on his back. Gruetzemacher looks irritated that he was so easily grounded again, and precious seconds tick off the clock as control time adds up for the fighter out of Mexico. Gruetzemacher keeps a butterfly guard until Garcia tries to pass his guard, and Gruetzemacher sits up against the wire and takes a knee to the chest. Gruetzemacher stands up and lands a knee to the body, leading Garcia to desperately try to take him down again. The takedown fails, and Gruetzemacher whiffs on a punch as the grueling fight concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gruetzemacher (29-28 Gruetzemacher)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gruetzemacher (29-28 Gruetzemacher)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gruetzemacher (29-28 Gruetzemacher)

The Official Result

Chris Gruetzemacher def. Rafa Garcia via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Bryan Barberena (170.5) vs. Jason Witt (170.5)

Round 1

For the first time on the card tonight, a fighter will step into the Octagon with a UFC record above .500 and not making their debut at the time. Barberena (15-7, 6-5 UFC) is the proud owner of a record one bout above the 50/50 mark, and he will try to keep that afloat against “The Vanilla Gorilla” Witt (18-7, 1-2 UFC). These welterweights kick off the main card in front of nonsense-free referee Keith Peterson, who observes a sporting gloves touch before they throw down. Witt is first to engage with several long jabs, but none find their mark. The range-finding continues for both men for some time until Witt finally commits to a head kick – but it falls short. A full minute elapses before either man land a single blow, until Barberena sits down on a left hand that finds its home. He lands another that marks up Witt’s nose, and Witt targets the body with a long left hand. “The Vanilla Gorilla” slings a body kick that lands with a loud thud, and he follows it with a takedown entry that results in Barberena flat on his back with Witt in half guard. Witt sets up an arm-triangle choke to nullify “Bam Bam,” while tying up the leg to keep Barberena flattened out. Witt pops him with an elbow and some other short shots as Barberena moves his head around to no avail, and Witt stays busy enough in this top position to continue uninterrupted. Barberena turns to his knee to stand up, and he partially gives up his back as Witt sneaks one hook in. Barberena calmly tries to drag himself against the cage wall to get Witt off of him, crawling on one knee as Witt holds on in a seatbelt position. Barberena stands up, and is immediately wrenched back down. “Bam Bam” once more powers up, and he eats a right hand from Witt as he rose. Barberena lands to the body and head, but Barberena is there to catch him with a crisp right hand. Barberena jumps in the air with a kick, but when he hits nothing but air, Witt waves his finger at him. Witt drives forward with a double, hitting the takedown with ease and planting Barberena firmly on his back until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Witt
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Witt
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Witt

Round 2

The welterweights touch gloves before coming out fighting, and Barberena is right there with a few reaching punches. Witt fires off a quick head kick that gets blocked, and the sheer impact makes Barberena take a step back. Witt ducks down with a looping right hand, and Barberena stands before him with a trio of solid punches. Witt comes forward with his hands down, and Barberena cracks him again but Witt stays tough. “The Vanilla Gorilla” takes a pair of punches across the forward bow, and he gets stung with a right hand when he tries to throw a naked head kick. Barberena lumbers forward with a few punches, and Witt greets him with a takedown entry that fails. Witt whiffs on a power punch that blows Barberena’s mohawk back, and Barberena whiffs when he returns fire. Witt suddenly smashes Barberena on the jaw with a left hand, sending Barberena to the canvas momentarily. “Bam Bam” pops back up and runs head-first into a takedown that puts him right back to the ground. Witt looks to pass guard and keep his foe away from the fence as he advances to half guard, and Barberena sits to his side and ignores a guillotine choke as he stands up. Both men throw huge hooks at the same time, and Witt’s right hand lands harder, buckling Barberena’s legs and send him tumbling back down to the ground. When Barberena sits up, Witt jumps down and pulls guard for a guillotine choke. Barberena stays composed, slides his neck out after Peterson checks his hand to see that he is still conscious, and explodes to stand up. Witt lets him back up so that he can load up on shots, with a huge left hand getting countered as Witt charges recklessly. Witt walks straight into a left hand as he drops his guard, and he slings a head kick that partially lands, Witt leans into a clinch and uses a body lock to drag Barberena down, where he lands in half guard. Witt slashes with a few elbows until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Witt
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Witt
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Witt

Round 3

The touch of gloves begins the final frame, and a confident Witt strides forward to push the pace. Both slug each other with big right hands, and Witt’s once more lands cleaner and sends Barberena staggering back. “Bam Bam” keeps his wits about him and narrowly avoids a head kick to escape against the fence. Witt walks him down with his right hand cocked back, waiting for the opportunity to lob his bomb. The time comes shortly thereafter, with Witt landing it right on the beard. Barberena is stunned long enough for Witt to shoot in and take him down, and when he stuffs it, he winds up with everything he has to smash Witt in the face. Witt drops down to his hands in trouble and shoots for a desperation takedown, and Barberena gives chase to lay into him. Witt grabs hold of him as he eats a few unanswered blows, and he elevates Barberena and slams him down to the ground. “Bam Bam” pops back up, and Witt is there to pick him up once more. Barberena latches on to a guillotine choke while in the air, and Witt powerbombs him back down to break the grip. “The Vanilla Gorilla” starts Donkey Kong punching from on top, and as he advances to mount, Barberena scrambles at the right time to get up. Barberena is ready to throw hands, and he lands and catches Witt ducking down for a takedown. As Witt is on his knees, Barberena lays into him. Witt climbs back up, and Barberena drills his fists into the side of his head until Witt falls over again. Managing to get his wits about him, Witt crawls and stands up until he drops down for a takedown. He gets Barberena down, and he lands flush from on top. The ground fighting does not last long, as Witt cannot hold him and has his mouthpiece dislodged from his mouth. Witt goes over to replace it, and Barberena runs at him and blasts him with punches. Witt somehow puts the mouthpiece back in as Peterson is watching over the ridiculous exchange, and he drops Barberena with a heavy shot. This is crazy! Barberena gets up, takes a deep breath, and the two slug it out until the final bell sounds. What an insane fight between these two, easily worthy of “Fight of the Night” honors to this point.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barberena (29-28 Witt)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barberena (29-28 Witt)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barberena (29-28 Witt)

The Official Result

Jason Witt def. Bryan Barberena via Majority Decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-28)

Collin Anglin (146) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (145.5)

Round 1

A pair of once-beaten newcomers coming off of decision wins on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2020 are about to dance, when Anglin (8-1, 0-0 UFC) and Baghdasaryan (5-1, 0-0 UFC) square off at featherweight. Both hold impressive knockout rates above 50 percent without a submission between them, and the strikes will almost certainly fly before referee Mark Smith. The UFC neophytes opt not to touch gloves before looking to knock the other’s head off, and Baghdasaryan starts off with kicks. He looses a head kick and several leg kicks, but Anglin is there to meet him with heavy punches. Both men land hard on each other, and Anglin walks forward with his right hand ready to unload on the chin. Anglin ties his foe up, but Baghdasaryan pushes off to free himself. Anglin holds tight, knees Baghdasaryan on the jaw twice, and Baghdasaryan yanks himself out. This clinch-to-knee exchange happens again, with Anglin scoring effectively with another knee. When Baghdasaryan gains some space, he gets off a one-two and a left hand down the pipe. Baghdasaryan reaches with a head kick, and he misses with a punch but follows it with a crisp left hand. Baghdasaryan knocks Anglin into the fence with another, but Anglin is ready to turn him about and set up a knee. Baghdasaryan rips the body with a knee, and he chains a knee into his combination to the same spot. Baghdasaryan clinches up, and Anglin welcomes it as he knees his foe in the face. Baghdasaryan slings a body kick as Anglin hobbles back, until he crashes forward and hits a takedown to put the Glendale Fighting Club on his back. Baghdasaryan scrambles and gets to a knees before standing up, and he tries to land strikes in the clinch but hands on to the cage and gets warned. Anglin plants his foot on the stomach a few times until Baghdasaryan has had enough and lays into him with a big left hand. He drills Anglin with another as the two get pressed into the wire again, leading to Anglin kneeing him a few times. The break comes courtesy of an Anglin elbow, and he mixes up his strikes with kicks and long punches to make Baghdasaryan reset. Baghdasaryan fires off a front kick and a left hand, and he wings a few standing hammerfists that land on the back of Anglin’s head as Anglin is rocked badly. Anglin hangs on tight to tie him up, and he just barely avoids a spinning back elbow on the break. Anglin pops him with a left hand, and he drops his hands and celebrates his handiwork as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan

Round 2

Both featherweights are fired up to pick up where they left off, and Smith has to hold them back until he clocks them in. Baghdasaryan takes the center of the cage as his foe circles around him, and the two trade calf kicks. They turn those low kicks into front kicks to the body, with one landing and the other answer. Anglin snipes him with a cracking body kick, and his foe paws out his fingers and may have poked the eye. There is no break, and Baghdasaryan instead lands his own body kick. Anglin steps in with a knee, and Baghdasaryan blasts him with a counter left hand that may have been a slap and not a punch. He throws this same strike again, a loud slap, as if his hand may be damaged from throwing it so hard, so often in the first round. His feet are fine, and he proves this by launching a head kick that cracks Anglin behind the ear and sends him down to the ground in a heap. Anglin absorbs one flush hammerfist before Smith can reach him to stop the fight, as the kick was enough to knock the screws loose. This knockout for Baghdasaryan ends a long stretch of decisions with a bang, while he became the first man to beat Anglin inside the distance.

The Official Result

Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Collin Anglin R2 1:50 via KO (Head Kick)

Jared Gooden (171) vs. Niklas Stolze (170.5)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Saturday afternoon due to COVID-19 protocols. The news was first reported by Aaron Bronsteter of TSN. ESPN later reported that the fight was back on, as both men were cleared by the doctors. With this fight magically resurrected thanks to unknown behind-the-scenes clearances and protocols, welterweights in dire need of a win come to blows when Stolze (12-4, 0-1 UFC) faces short-notice replacement opponent Gooden (17-6, 0-2 UFC) at welterweight. Referee Herb Dean keeps his distance just in case, and the two are glad to be fighting so they do not touch gloves and instead start fighting. Gooden plants a spinning back kick on Stolze’s torso right out of the gate, and he clips his opponent with a right and a left hook. Stolze tries to hold on to him as they tie up against the fence, and he defends with a guillotine choke only to be lifted up and slammed hard to the ground. Stolze sits on his knees and springs up, and when he gets upright and retreats, Gooden chases after him with ferocious strikes. Like a bolt of lightning, a missile of a right hand from Gooden explodes on the jaw and sends Stolze flying, putting him out before he hits the ground. Stolze’s arms are by his side as he is astral traveling at the moment, and one more punctuating dagger of a hammerfist connects before Dean can reach them to stop the fight. Talk about making the most of an opportunity, earning his first UFC win on the shortest of notice with a crushing knockout.

The Official Result

Jared Gooden def. Niklas Stolze R1 1:08 via KO (Punch)

Cheyanne Buys (116) vs. Gloria de Paula (115.5)

Round 1

After several main card bouts fell out one by one, this strawweight clash between five-win women Buys (5-2, 0-1 UFC) and de Paula (5-3, 0-1 UFC) finds itself in the second-to-last spot on a UFC event. Barring an odd result, one will walk away with their first UFC victory, and referee Mark Smith is here to watch it happen with the best seat in the house. The touch of gloves comes, and Buys rushes in to throw hands. De Paula ducks out of the way and counters while circling away, but Buys is there to chase her down and land flush. As they close the distance, Buys grabs hold of her foe and tosses her to the ground. Buys lands on top, and de Paula keeps a tight guard while hacking with elbows from her back. The Brazilian pushes her off, and when she stands to her feet, Buys is ready for her. “The Warrior Princess” times a picturesque soccer kick as soon as de Paula is no longer a grounded fighter, leveling de Paula. Buys walks off, thinking her work here is done, but Smith does not stop the fight and instead appears to signal to the replay official to review if the kick is legal. In the meantime, with Buys recognizing she still has to finish things once and for all, plows de Paula over and leaps into her opponent’s mount. Buys slams her fists into de Paula’s face until de Paula can no longer protect herself from the onslaught, forcing referee intervention. Smith dives in to rescue the Brazilian, and this time, Buys properly celebrates her wild victory that took just about one minute.

The Official Result

Cheyanne Buys def. Gloria de Paula R1 1:00 via TKO (Head Kick and Punches)

Kyung Ho Kang (136) vs. Rani Yahya (136)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Saturday afternoon after Yahya tested positive for COVID-19. He first announced this news on his Instagram.

Uriah Hall (185.5) vs. Sean Strickland (185)

Round 1

The only bout at UFC on ESPN 28 with ranked fighters, and the only matchup containing two competitors with UFC records above .500, comes in the main event. Four-fight win streaks are on the line as flashy striker Hall (17-9, 10-7 UFC) takes on former welterweight Strickland (23-3, 10-3 UFC) in the middleweight division. A touch of gloves – two, in fact – before referee Herb Dean comes between the strikers, who want to get things done in a hurry so they can watch the rest of the Bellator 263 main card as covered on our other play-by-play. Hall starts with a long jab, and Strickland gives him one back that makes Hall wipe his nose early. Hall fires a looping right hand and has a jab land hard on his nose, and he eats another as he moves. Strickland continues to pepper him with long left jabs, disrupting the wild offense of Hall but not landing with a big right hand. As he continues to jab, he follows it with rights until one lands on the chin, and Hall shakes his head. Both touch the other with a few blows, and Strickland’s nose is marked up already. Strickland continues to power his jab out, and Hall is forced to aim to the body while he eats these strikes. Hall loops a right hand over a jab, and he catches Strickland on the way in with a left to follow it. As Strickland continues to stick his jab out, Hall chops down his lead leg hard, but Strickland is not concerned as he keeps it up. Hall rolls and wings a right hand that Strickland takes cleanly, but it does not bother him. Strickland’s volume is well in his favor, and he loops a pair of inaccurate hooks but scores a crisp one-two right down the middle. Strickland connects with a few more punches, and Hall is forced to flail to try to break them up. Strickland’s accuracy is bothering Hall, who is trying to wing haymakers while Strickland boxes him up. Hall stuns his foe with a right hand for a moment, but Strickland stings him right back with a clean one-two. Hall ducks a few punches and shakes his head, and Strickland keeps it on him with punches in bunches. Strickland jabs and jabs again, keeping Hall to largely a defensive mode as Hall is forced to block a head kick just in time. Strickland chains a few punches together, and Hall ducks down and rips the body before coming over the top with a right hand. Strickland gathers himself and scores a few more jabs, and Hall finds his range on the end of a right hook. Hall gives his foe a few jabs back, and he slings a pair of right hands that Strickland is able to roll with. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 2

As Hall sits in his corner, Strickland is off his stool mean-mugging Hall from afar, pacing back and forth. The middleweight contenders touch gloves again, and Hall leads off with a big punch that only partially connects. Strickland gets back in his rhythm with jabs, and Hall walks through a few to crack Strickland with an overhand right. Hall targets the body as Strickland keeps busy with jabs, and he eats a left hand and Strickland puts a few more together to rock Hall. Hall leaps in the air with a knee, and Strickland sees it coming and dodges it to lay into Hall with punches. Strickland mixes things up with a takedown attempt, and although it is easily stuffed, he uses the close proximity to get off a big elbow on the chin. Strickland works Hall on the inside while the two are tied up, with short, stay-busy punches to keep Hall occupied and forcing him to fight off the position. Strickland gets off a solid uppercut that forces a separation, and he plants a jab on the jaw to Hall’s dismay. Hall fires a front kick, and a leg kick come shortly thereafter. Hall backs Strickland off and ignores any oncoming jab to land a few power punches, but eventually Strickland finds his mark with the jabs to slow Hall down again. Hall chips at the leg with a kick and slings a right hand over the top that rings off the temple of his opponent, and Strickland takes a flush jab right after. The two men go jab for jab as Hall appears to be gaining confidence, and he quickly blocks a head kick that comes his way before going low with a kick. Hall walks Strickland down and ducks his punches to land his own, keeping Strickland on his back foot and unable to get his jab off. As Hall walks in to attack, an errant knee with an extended foot connects right to the cup. Hall squats down in pain, and Strickland is quick to apologize a few times. Thirty seconds elapse before Hall can continue, and he is energized to continue as he reaches out with several punches. Strickland stands firm to throw back at him, but Hall buckles his leg with a kick. Strickland’s jab gets timed with a stiff counter, and Hall’s right hand surprises Strickland momentarily. “Primetime” gets kicked in the leg and takes a body kick that he thinks went low, but when there is no pause, Hall spins with a kick. Strickland keeps his composure, bounces off the fence, and jumps up with a knee. The round ends as Hall pounds his foe’s body.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hall
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hall
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hall

Round 3

Hall comes out of his round firing, with long punches and low kicks to fluster Strickland. A Hall body shot gets interrupted with a jab, and the two reach at one another with reaching strikes. Strickland tags Hall with a straight left hand, and he puts a few more jabs together as Hall tries to pay him back every time and comes up short. Hall has a leg kick checked, and he scores a solid left hand on the chin right after. Strickland gets his jab back going again, and the power of it seems to have noticeable results as Hall reacts every time it lands. A big one-two from Strickland hurts Hall, and Strickland uses the momentum to bowl Hall over and rain down punches. Strickland pours it on as he tries to finish the fight, busting him up until Hall reaches the fence and climbs his way up. Strickland leans on him and drags him back down to the mat, and “Primetime” quickly gets back up and has his hands leaning over the fence. Dean warns him a few times for this, and as he does, Strickland takes standing back control before planting Hall on the ground. Strickland covers Hall’s mouth with his hand, keeping his flashy foe grounded while in a smothering half guard. Strickland isolates the left arm of his opponent and grabs two-on-one wrist control until Hall senses it, and he wriggles his wrist free but falls into arm-triangle choke danger. Hall breaks up that posture but Strickland sits up and slashes down with a nasty elbow. Hall turns over and gives up back control, where Strickland quickly secures his hooks and fishes for a choke. Strickland gets off a few punches and rides out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Strickland
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Strickland
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Strickland

Round 4

Hall doubles up his jab, knowing he is down on the scorecards thanks to his corner team of Fortis MMA. Hall wings huge punches, and Strickland sees them coming and evades all of them. Hall sits down on a big leg kick, and he chains it into a left hand. Another calf kick from Hall makes Strickland pick his leg up, and Strickland is there to jab him when it gets set back down. Strickland tattoos his fist on Hall’s chin to great effect, and Hall appears flustered as he cannot seem to get off offense of his own. “Primetime” aims to the body and head, but no strike is enough to slow the constant piston-like jab of his opponent. Strickland snaps the jab out a few more times, and Hall sends one back at him as Strickland triples, quadruples it up or more. Hall sneaks a left hand around the guard, and Strickland is right there to counter him. Hall decides to play a jab game with his adversary, landing every so often as Strickland’s volume is speaking volumes. Four punches come for Strickland, who dances out of the way from everything but a body shot as Hall tries to retaliate. The end of a second jab snaps Strickland’s head back, but it is one-and-done as Strickland puts his fist in his opponent’s face. Strickland swipes with a left hook to mix things up, as the jab is the preferred measure of attack for this prolonged stretch. A left hand from Strickland wobbles Hall, and “Primetime” falls into the cage and is promptly taken down. Strickland leans heavily on Hall, and as Hall stands back up thanks to a fence grab or two, Strickland knees him in the face twice. The punches from Strickland have opened up a cut on Hall’s left eye, who tries to reply with a leg kick. Hall swings for the fences, but they are closer to landing on Dean than Strickland. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 5

Hall is wincing and grimacing between rounds as his left eye is closing, but he is ready to continue and aim for a knockout. Strickland reaches out with a few jabs as Hall crashes forward, prepared to throw bombs. Hall chops at the leg with a single kick, and when Strickland’s guard is up high, he kicks low again. Hall takes two crisp punches on the jaw, and he is no worse for wear as he marches Strickland down and trades with him. The middleweights clinch briefly, and Hall tries to come around the top with a right hand. Strickland wades forward back into the clinch after a brief separation, leaning Hall into the wire as Hall appears visibly frustrated. Strickland allows him to get free, and he lands two punches and gets grabbed. Hall pulls him in and the two clash heads, but Strickland is not concerned as he lands flush on Hall. Strickland slips a right hand to rip with his own, and the final round has turned into a brawl. Hall gets in close and is pushed away, with Strickland shoving him back so he can lay into him. Hall eats several punches as he tries to pay Strickland back, but Strickland’s accuracy and volume are forcing Hall to wilt. Strickland’s forward momentum leads to him pushing Hall into the fence, and he considers a takedown but Hall pushes him away. This happens again, with Hall pushing off to gain some space and take a breath. Strickland gloms back on to him, punching his way into the clinch as he grinds out the last minutes of the fight. Strickland scores a shoulder strike and a knee up the middle, as Hall tries to attack his body up close. Strickland peppers Hall with punches and a stiff knee while not giving Hall anywhere to breathe, and Hall finally gets off with about 45 seconds to go. Hall lets loose with everything he has left, with booming punches that Strickland sees coming. Strickland walks directly into a big right hand that he eats like a steak, so that he can press back into the clinch and ride out the remainder of the bout. Strickland threatens with a takedown, and lands a few punches from up close until the fight wraps up. Other than a close second round, this was largely one-way traffic for Strickland, who should likely earn the biggest win of his career as he looks to bigger and better options. The next event is a pay-per-view in Houston with a sudden interim heavyweight belt on the line. We will be here for it – and we will even have staff in the Toyota Center – and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-45 Strickland)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-45 Strickland)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-45 Strickland)

The Official Result

Sean Strickland def. Uriah Hall via Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-45, 49-46)