The
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s journey from its modest
origins in the early 90s to its current status as a global
phenomenon has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Throughout this journey, specific moments stand out as turning
points, with very few as prominent as Saturday’s UFC
300 showcase. This landmark event is poised to spotlight the
pinnacle of mixed martial arts competition on April 13 at T-Mobile
Arena in Las Vegas. In the main event, Alex
Pereira will attempt to defend the light heavyweight title
against Jamahal
Hill, the former king who did not lose his throne in
competition. The co-main event pits Weili Zhang
against Xiaonan Yan
in the first all-Chinese championship fight in UFC history. Stay
tuned to Sherdog.com as we bring you live coverage and play-by-play
of all the action as it unfolds inside the Octagon starting at 6
p.m. ET.
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Figueiredo (-310), Garbrandt (+250)
Round 1
Tonight’s the night. And it’s going to happen again and again. Has
to happen. Nice night. Las Vegas is a great town. I love the
international food, bahn mi sandwiches, my favorite. But we’re
hungry for something different now. Violence. It’s coming by the
bucketful, and it starts with bantamweights that will almost
certainly stand and bang. Former flyweight kingpin Figueiredo
(22-3-1, 11-3-1 UFC) is putting some momentum together to make a
run at his new weight class, while Garbrandt (14-5, 9-5 UFC) wishes
to hold the line and prove he is not washed up at the tender age of
32. Fists are sure to fly, but before they do, referee Mark Smith
checks them in. There is no touch of gloves, and it go time.
Garbrandt introduces himself with a chopping calf kick, and he
fires off another without concern. Garbrandt aims another on the
inside, and then drops down on his knee to throw a sweeping kick
out of the Mortal Kombat playbook. Figueiredo reaches out with a
right hand that comes up short, and Garbrandt continues to work the
lead leg. Figueiredo responds with one that he turns his hips into,
and both men clash together and swing hard, while banging heads.
Figueiredo backs off and gathers his thoughts, and he checks a kick
coming at him. Figueiredo ducks an oncoming salvo and brings up a
knee to the body, and he intercepts Garbrandt tossing a cartwheel
kick by kicking Garbrandt in the face. The former bantamweight
champ gets back up without issue, and he marches down “Daico.”
Figueiredo lunges forward with an inaccurate swarm of punches, and
Garbrandt hops in and out deliver a low kick. Garbrandt prods out
with another calf kick, and he keeps his guard up to swat away a
front kick aimed at his chin. Garbrandt leaps forward and catches
the Brazilian with a left hand, and Figueiredo pulls guard and
looks for a leglock. Garbrandt backs off before he is vulnerable,
and he resets and dings a standing Figueiredo with a sharp one-two.
Figueiredo meanders forward and lets go with a right hand, but it
is one-and-done. Figueiredo does not quite reach with a front kick,
but he elects to take the fight down and lifts Garbrandt’s leg up
to drive him to the mat. Garbrandt jumps back up without taking any
additional fire, and he lands a low kick before the bell.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garbrandt
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Garbrandt
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Round 2
The fighters get back to business, and Garbrandt reaches out first
with a high body kick. Figueiredo rushes forward swinging leather,
and Garbrandt answers him with a clubbing left hand. Figueiredo
pursues a takedown from behind, where he strips the former
bantamweight champ from his balance and lowers him down to the mat.
Figueiredo shifts over to move into half guard, where he presses
down for a potential arm-triangle choke. Garbrandt turns, and
Figueiredo takes his back and flattens him out. Figueiredo wriggles
his arm out and hammers Garbrandt in the side of the head with a
right hand. When Garbrandt turns back over, Figueiredo assumes full
mount and sets up an arm-triangle choke. “Deus da Guerra” jumps
over to the side and locks down the arm-triangle choke, and he
squeezes with all his might. Garbrandt struggles and keeps his wits
about him, while Figueiredo lowers his chest down to complete the
maneuver. Figueiredo sits up just slightly and punches him in the
side of the head, and he gets back to mount. Garbrandt tries to
kick off and explode back to his feet, but the Brazilian mightily
shoves him flat on his back. Figueiredo drops down shoulder strikes
to the jaw, and he smacks Garbrandt in the side of the head with
his fists when he finds openings. Garbrandt bursts back to his
feet, and Figueiredo follows him every step of the way to lock down
back control, set up a body triangle and start fishing for a choke.
Figueiredo cinches up a rear-naked choke, and at this point it is
just academic. “No Love” considers going out on his shield, but at
the last minute, he taps out, and we have our first finish of the
evening. This marks the first time that Garbrandt has
ever been submitted.
The Official Result
Deiveson Figueiredo def. Cody Garbrandt R2 4:02 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Green (-185), Miller (+154)
Round 1
There are no bad fights on this lineup, just great and greater.
This is the latter. Why? Because it involves Jim “Expletive
Deleted” Miller (37-17, 1 NC; 26-16, 1 NC UFC). Unfortunately due
to broadcast requirements, the uncensored version of his nickname
will not be shouted by announcer Bruce Buffer, but fans are
thinking it around the world. After several tries, he finally faces
fellow grizzled veteran Green (31-15-1, 1 NC; 12-10-1, 1 NC UFC) in
a lightweight scrap that practically guarantees something wild.
Referee Marc Goddard will draw the honor of officiating Miller’s
record 44th appearance in the Octagon. The two battle-hardened
gladiators do not bump fists before engaging. Green moves his hands
around, while Miller kicks at him. Green kicks back, and he starts
talking. Green pushes off with a kick, and Miller connects with a
solid left hand. Green keeps his hands down, and when he kicks,
Miller knocks him to the ground with a powerful right hand. Green
hits the floor and springs back up, wits fully about him, and he
goes back to prodding out with front kicks. Miller tosses them
aside and reaches out with a head kick, and Green brushes it off
his shoulders. Miller eats a right hand on the way in, and Green
lands again and starts talking to him. Miller does not bite, but he
eats a crisp jab. Green threatens with stomp kicks and body kicks,
and Miller crashes the pocket to let loose with a right hand. Green
has his hands by his waist, and he lands a few shots from strange
angles while Miller is much more composed and directly approaching
him. Green jams out kicks and sticks out a right hand, and he gets
Miller’s attention with a speedy left over the top. Green follows
it with a one-two, and Miller throws back but hits air when Green’s
head movement keeps him safe. Green spins with a wheel kick that
glances off the shoulder, and he clips a leaping Miller with a
right hand. Miller whiffs on a pair of punches, and Green peppers
him with a body kick and a reverse crescent kick. Miller eats a
right hand, and Green starts signaling to him that it’s time to
swing hard. Miller turns his hips into a low kick, and Green tags
him up top. Green kicks low and then high, and he splits the guard
with a left hand only to eat a counter on the way back. Green
motions that he blocked it, and he spins with a kick that does not
materialize. Miller lunges unsuccessfully, and he makes Green turn
a corner and rush away to reset. Green flicks out jabs, and Miller
blasts him with a right hand. Green stumbles back, and Miller gives
chase and lays into him with a salvo of fists. Green gathers his
thoughts and swings back with a vengeance, ending the round with a
jump knee that bounces off the guard. The two high-five when the
first round wraps.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Miller
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Green
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Miller
Round 2
The lightweights bump fists to start, and Miller advances and
reaches out with a few right hands while Green shakes his head at
him. Green spins with a wheel kick that bounces off the shoulder,
and he gets drawn into a brief slugfest that finds him eating one
and giving another back. Miller kicks the lead leg, and Green
switches stances. Green chips at the front knee with kicks, and
Miller times a right hand when Green ducks down. Miller rips an
uppercut to the ducking Green, and Green nods at him and trades
furious leather. Miller mixes in a low kick, and Green shakes his
head at him. Green continues to motion at “A-10” whether he gets
hit or not, and chants of “Miller” rain down. Miller slams his shin
on the rear leg of his opponent, and he tosses out a left hand but
gets backed off with a one-two. Green digs a front kick to the
body, and he rifles out a combination of punches to catch Miller
coming at him. One such left in the midst of a series of blows
opens a cut under Miller’s right eye, but he pays it no mind and
aims a head kick at Green’s dome. Green shrugs it off and continues
to mark his man up with long punches, and Miller’s nose starts
bleeding as well. Miller charges ahead, eating strikes, and
connects with a short right hook. Green gets tagged with a right in
the midst of a flurry, and Miller makes him take a step back with a
sweeping low kick. Green smashes his foe in the face with a right
hand, and Miller grits his teeth and throws back with some heat on
it. Miller chips down the lead leg, and Green swarms him with
punches that make Miller’s face a bloody mess. Green beats Miller
to the punch several times, and his jab has drawn some swelling as
well. Green snaps out a pair of jabs and follows with a right hand,
and Miller swings and misses in retaliation. Green digs the ball of
his foot to the sternum, and Miller kicks him back in the ribs.
Green picks and pokes with his punches, and Miller stands firm and
belts him in the body with his shin. Green does work on Miller’s
face until the horn blares.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Green
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Green
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Green
Round 3
Miller’s bloodied mug is largely cleaned up between rounds, and he
meets Green in the middle to clap hands. Green keeps back with
front kicks, and he talks to Miller’s coach about striking him.
Green signals he blocked a strike, and he puts two hands on
Miller’s face in rapid succession. Miller counters with an overhand
right, and Green snipes him and lets Miller fly past him. Miller
connects with a stern low kick, and Green snaps the head back with
a pair of punches. Miller swings back hard, but Green walks through
the left hook and continues walking “A-10” down. Miller looks for a
brawl, and Green’s head movement keeps him safe. Miller goes to the
side with a kick, and Green slides out of the way and makes a
lasting impression on Miller’s face. Miller scores another calf
kick, and Green signals that it might have actually gotten to him a
little. Green gathers himself and blazes Miller with fiery fists.
When Miller retaliates, he does not have the same firepower as in
the first round, and Green can get off with impunity. Miller gets
rocked with a right hand, and Green strings several punches
together and lets him hit him in the face so he can shrug at the
elder statesman. Miller fearlessly marches forward, swinging for
the fences, and he manages to clip Green with a wild left hand.
Green ties him up against the wall, kneeing the body a few times,
and he pushes off to get back to his preferred range. Miller misses
with a low kick, and Green jabs. Miller hunts for an uppercut that
lands on the armpit, and he swings so hard he flies past Green. The
slick green turns to an angle to let go with a side kick, and both
fighters crack one another with powerful blows. Miller takes the
worst of it, and Green chains a number of punches together that
send Miller crashing to the mat. Green chases him down to the mat,
and Miller desperately hunts for a takedown. Miller works his way
back to his feet with the wall behind him, and he is nearly blind
from the blood in his eyes. Green lifts “A-10” up and slams him to
the mat, where he delivers punishment until time expires. Despite
ample damage, Miller climbs back to his feet and embraces Green
after their 15-minute fracas in front of screaming fans.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Green (29-27 Green)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-8 Green (30-26 Green)
Tyler Treese scores the round:10-8 Green (29-27 Green)
The Official Result
Bobby Green def. Jim Miller via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-25,
29-26)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Andrade (-135), Rodriguez (+114)
Round 1
Brazilian strikers with sights set on the championship later on in
the evening vie for a top contender slot. Former champ Andrade
(25-12, 16-10 UFC) would like nothing more than another crack at
Weili Zhang, while Rodriguez (17-3-2, 7-3-2 UFC) looks to gain
momentum to justify her own title shot. The strawweights tap fists
under the watchful eye of referee Chris Tognoni, and Andrade shifts
right to the center of the cage. Rodriguez keeps on the outer edge,
prodding out front kicks and jabs to utilize her superior range.
Andrade crowds her with a pair of slapping low kicks, and she lands
a third that Rodriguez absorbs awkwardly. Andrade cuts off her
opponent and connects with low kicks on either side, and she gets
pushed back at the end of a one-two and a front kick. Rodriguez
tosses out a leg kick, and Andrade answers in kind with one much
heavier. Rodriguez lets fly a one-two down the pipe, and Andrade
shakes it off and watches Rodriguez rush past her with a looping
right. Rodriguez beats Andrade to the punch with her fists, but
Andrade keeps her honest with constant low kicks. Andrade chops
away at the leg, even getting countered up top, and she walks
through the blows with her guard up high. Andrade blocks a front
kick and sends Rodriguez toppling down to the mat, and she leaps on
top immediately and gets to half guard to commence her bombardment
of ground-and-pound. Andrade opens up with a number of left hands,
and she works the body with the right when the other opening
presents itself. Rodriguez recovers full guard, and Andrade backs
off and stands up. Rodriguez pokes out with upkicks, and Andrade
spins all the way around to land in the guard of her opponent.
Rodriguez pushes her off, and Andrade jumps down again. Rodriguez
considers a guillotine choke, but the leverage is not there, so
Andrade climbs into half guard and starts smacking her with her
free left hand. Andrade tries to pin an arm down and connect with
strikes, and she climbs over to side control and then north-south
position. Rodriguez knees her foe in the side, and she wraps up a
brabo choke from underneath. Andrade keeps tightly pressed on her
opponent, dropping down shots to the sternum before she strikes the
face. Andrade smothers in side control, ending the round with a
short stream of punches.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Andrade
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Andrade
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Andrade
Round 2
Andrade starts off the round by hammering the lead leg of her
opponent on both sides. Andrade counters swinging fists with low
kicks, and she knocks Rodriguez back with a pair of hooks.
Rodriguez turns through a clean right hand that belts Andrade in
the face, and she strafes away instead of following it with
additional blows. Andrade shakes it off and kicks low, and
Rodriguez plants two punches down the middle. Andrade does not slow
in her low kick offense, and Rodriguez otherwise keeps her at bay
with her long arms. Andrade rips the body after dodging a
combination, and Rodriguez lines up a one-two that splits the
guard. Andrade chips at the front leg on the inside and out, and
Rodriguez plays her distance jab game, keeping at the end of her
punches while not letting Andrade close in on her. Rodriguez
doubles up on a jab and scores a right hand, and she dances out of
the way when Andrade throws a haymaker at her. Andrade presses
forward, sliding past a one-two and ultimately absorbing a flush
right hand. Rodriguez chains four punches together before Andrade
can close in, and she takes a few body shots before getting pushed
to the wall. Andrade attempts an elbow up close, and she pushes
away to separate and score with long, frustrating punches. Andrade
hops forward, and Rodriguez is able to land cleanly from afar.
Andrade gets her nose bloodied by the frequent oncoming strikes,
and she puts everything behind a right hand that staggers
Rodriguez. Rodriguez back to the fence and drives a knee up the
middle, and Andrade races after her and wings right hands with bad
intentions. Andrade lands a knee to the body, and she hurts
Rodriguez again with a flurry of ferocious fists. Rodriguez ties
her up and knees her in the midsection a few times until the round
ends.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Andrade
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Edwin Ayala scores the round:10-9 Rodriguez
Round 3
The ladies pick up right where they left off, with Andrade crowding
forward tossing out low kicks and swinging hammers behind them.
Rodriguez spins with a back fist that catches Andrade cleanly,
prompting Andrade to answer her with one of her own. Rodriguez
races ahead with a flurry of punches and a knee, after Andrade
lands a few body shots. Rodriguez reaches the target with a big
right hand, and she threatens step-in knees to intercept Andrade
when coming in. Andrade comes up short with her flamethrowing
punches, while Rodriguez is able to technically do work and not get
hit with much. Rodriguez chains several punches together that shake
the former champion up, and she ends a combo with a kick. This
happens a second time, flustering Andrade to the point that she
just grabs hold of Rodriguez and slings her to the mat angrily.
Rodriguez kicks off and works her way to her feet, and Andrade
times her standup so she can bust her in the chops with meaty
fists. Rodriguez throws back fearlessly, scoring her own right hand
in an exchange. Rodriguez snipes Andrade with a right hand, and her
jab keeps Andrade at bay. Andrade lets go with two leg kicks, and
she catches a jump knee effort and looks to take Rodriguez down
with a single-leg takedown. Rodriguez snatches up a front choke out
of nowhere, and Andrade lowers herself down and shucks off the
submission. Andrade dodges a knee and books it, and Rodriguez bears
down on her with a number of punches. Rodriguez slaps Andrade in
the face in the midst of her punching, and she lets Andrade hit air
harmlessly. Rodriguez gets three punches in before Andrade throws
back, allowing her to skirt to the side and not take much damage.
Andrade puts everything she has into a devastating leg kick,
totally disabling the lead wheel and dropping Rodriguez to the mat.
Andrade gives it everything she has, unloading her gas tank with
bombs until they hear the final bell.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Andrade (30-27 Andrade)
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (29-28
Rodriguez)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Andrade (29-28 Andrade)
The Official Result
Jessica Andrade def. Marina Rodriguez via Split Decision (28-29,
29-28, 29-28)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Turner (-238), Carneiro (+195)
Round 1
Several matchups on the lineup come in the classic striker vs.
grappler format, but none may be starker than rangy 6-foot-3
lightweight Turner (14-7, 7-4 UFC) throwing down against American
Top Team-trained choke artist Carneiro (18-5-1, 10-5 UFC). Turner
sports a 100% finish rate, while every victory for “Moicano” has
come via submission. Referee Herb Dean is geared up and ready no
matter where the wind may take them, and he bears witness to a clap
of hands. Carneiro moves to the middle of the cage to loose a body
kick, and Turner responds with a few more in response. As Turner
aims another kick to the liver, he hurts the Brazilian, who bends
over and tries to grapple. Turner shucks him to the side and
recovers long enough to get his wind back, and he is forced to
fight off a body lock takedown attempt. Carneiro stays tight to him
and hunts for a trip, and he wrenches “The Tarantula” to the mat
and lands in half guard. “Moicano” keeps tightly pressed as he
opens up with ground-and-pound, and Turner looks to buck him off
wildly. Turner nearly turns to give up his back, and as soon as
Carneiro is about to take it, he lowers himself back down to the
mat. Carneiro thwacks the California native with elbows, and he
looks to pass to full mount but is stuck in three-quarter mount.
Carneiro lands a few more elbows as he stops Turner from getting
back up, and he postures up to land some more shots. Turner sits up
and wall-walks his way back to his feet, and Carneiro pushes off.
Turner reaches out with a left hand that clatters off the guard,
and he eats a jab in response. Turner pokes out his right hand and
follow one with a high kick, and he aims another kick to the ribs.
Carneiro ignores it and works the body in response. They trade low
kicks as the pace slows, and Turner sits down on a left hand that
knocks Carneiro clean off his feet. Turner walks away, expecting
the fight is over, but Dean has not waved it off despite Turner
asking him to. Carneiro climbs back to his feet, and Turner chases
after him but cannot catch him to put him down before the round
concludes.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Turner
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Turner
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Turner
Round 2
Carneiro is fresh as a daisy to begin the second round, and he
walks through a left hook and kicks his opponent in the lead leg.
Carneiro pursues a body lock takedown, and he gets pushed back and
eats a few punches for good measure. Turner lands at the end of a
few left hands, and Carneiro chambers and retaliates with a hefty
right hand. Carneiro dives after a double, and he drags Turner away
from the fence to lower him to the mat. Carneiro easily climbs into
full mount, and he sits up to start punishing “The Tarantula” with
short but effective ground-and-pound. Turner bucks with his hips,
but Carneiro is a 20-ton weight sitting on him. As Carneiro holds
Turner down, the crowd grows restless. Carneiro lands several short
right hands as Turner scoots his way to the fencing, and he keeps
Turner from getting up. Carneiro lowers Turner down by moving back
to half guard, and the crowd lets the Brazilian have it with boos
during the prolonged grappling exchange.
“Moicano” smothers and moves to three-quarter mount, and he lays
into Turner suddenly with a surge of punches and elbows. Dean asks
Turner to fight back, but Turner is stuck and unable to get out of
danger. As Carneiro continues to bombard his opponent with elbows
and punches, Dean has no choice but to wave the fight
off. Just like that, Carneiro procures the first
knockout victory of his career, doing it on the largest stage he
could hope for.
The Official Result
Renato Carneiro def. Jalin Turner R2 4:11 via TKO (Elbows and
Punches)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Lopes (-135), Yusuff (+114)
Round 1
The hits keep right on coming, as well-schooled fist-fighter Yusuff
(13-3, 6-2 UFC) would like to professionally break down the surging
Lopes (23-6, 2-1 UFC) in front of a wild crowd at the T-Mobile
Arena. The lion’s share of Yusuff’s wins have come via strikes,
while Lopes is an equal opportunity destroyer. Referee Mark Smith
will need to keep his head on a swivel when overseeing these
featherweights, and it does not feature a glove touch. Yusuff
reaches out with a long low kick, and when that misses, he tries
again. Lopes meets him with one that is checked. The two fighters
trade calf kicks and little else, until Lopes springs into action
with a one-two and a checked low kick. Lopes unloads with an
uppercut that knocks “Super Sodiq” off his feet, and Yusuff
collapses down to the mat. Lopes gives chase, pounding on his man,
and Yusuff fights back to his feet valiantly.
Lopes rushes after him and smashes him in the face with another
uppercut, and Yusuff crashes to the ground, totally defeated.
Lopes, his mullet waving majestically behind him, drums out a
flattened Yusuff with punches to the side of the head, with a
seemingly unending barrage of strikes that only concludes when
Smith gets between them to call a halt to the one-sided
bludgeoning. This is a huge moment for the
meteorically rising Lopes, who will likely be ranked come
Monday.
The Official Result
Diego Lopes def. Sodiq Yusuff R1 1:29 via TKO (Punches)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Harrison (-425), Holm (+330)
Round 1
Of all the fights on the card, just one contains a competitor
making their promotional debut—Saturday Night Contender Series,
this ain’t. That debutant happens to be a multiple-time former
champ in PFL, so two-time Olympic gold medalist Harrison (16-1, 0-0
UFC) will not likely be put off by the lights shining bright on
her. What could make a difference is her successful cut down to 136
pounds for the first time in her career. The UFC will do her no
favors, as she is thrown right to the wolves in the form of
ex-champ Holm (15-6, 1 NC; 8-6, 1 NC UFC). The newcomer may serve
as one of the higher betting favorites of the evening, but Holm is
as live a dog as any. The bantamweights respectfully touch ‘em up
as referee Marc Goddard tells them it’s time to fight. When
Harrison moves to the center of the cage, Holm circles around on
the outside to find an angle. They both push out jabs at one
another, and chants immediately rain down for “Holly.” Neither
woman finds their range early, with Harrison getting closer but
still not there. Harrison attempts a head kick, and Holm looks to
clinch up and take the fight down. Harrison gladly accepts this so
she can hurl Holm to the mat, and Holm stunningly sits up and
reverses her. Harrison makes her way back to her feet, and the two
remain clinched up. Harrison muscles Holm down to the mat, landing
in half guard, as a counter to the former champ’s attempt. Harrison
sits up and drills Holm with a few powerful right hands, and she
grinds with her elbow on Holm’s face and starts smashing Holm with
them. Holm turns to her side and Harrison considers isolating the
neck for a choke, but she settles to punch Holm in the face with
her free right hand. Holm has her left arm stuck behind her back
while Harrison controls her, and Harrison opens up with elbows and
explosive ground-and-pound. Holm turns to put her back on the cage
floor, and Harrison further loads up on punches and elbows. Holm
closes her guard around her opponent’s waist, slowing the onslaught
of punches for a moment. Harrison lines up three elbows, with the
third lowering her down. Harrison tees off with heavy punches and
elbows, with Holm’s head pinned against the corner of the cage wall
and the mat. Holm tries to fight off her back, but Harrison’s own
offense is far more damaging. Holm hangs on tight until the
bell.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Harrison
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Harrison
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Harrison
Round 2
The ladies look for their range to start the second round, and Holm
trying to punch her way in. Holm plants the side of her foot on the
waist of her foe, and she slides to the side when Harrison loads up
on a big punch. Harrison rushes after the former champ, slings a
head kick and shoots in for a double-leg entry. Harrison grips hold
of a guillotine choke when Holm tries to stand, and she releases it
when the leverage is not right. Harrison stays pinned to her
opponent until she effortlessly hits a head lock throw to land in
full mount. Holm turns to her knees, and Harrison instantly takes
her back to start softening her up with punches on either side of
the head.
Harrison flattens Holm out and snatches up a rear-naked choke, and
it is tight as a drum. Holm knows her goose is cooked, and she
surrenders. This near-flawless performance for
Harrison introduces her to the organization and puts the rest of
the division on notice, and that one-sided drubbing might have even
allowed her to skip the line and vie for the belt in her next
outing.
The Official Result
Kayla Harrison def. Holly Holm R2 1:47 via Submission (Rear-Naked
Choke)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Sterling (-170), Kattar (+142)
Round 1
The storied rivalry of Boston vs. New York continues with a
featherweight contest pitting “The Boston Finisher” Kattar (23-7,
7-5 UFC) against former bantamweight champ Sterling (23-9, 14-4
UFC). This will be a sink-or-swim moment for the New York-based
funk-style wrestler, as he jumps into the deep end in his new
weight class. The fighters will have 15 minutes or less to prove
their case as contenders at 145 pounds, while referee Jason Herzog
watches over every step of the way. Fists are not bumped, and
instead Sterling wants to crowd forward and start attacking.
Sterling reaches out with side kicks to the knee, and Kattar skirts
out of the way a few times to take the sting out of them. Sterling
wings a right hand that catches his foe on the side of the head,
and Kattar stands form and moves away to check a low kick and push
out his own jab. Kattar whips a head kick up and nearly clears the
shoulder, but Sterling pushes past it and tries to tie him up.
Kattar tosses him aside and slowly walks him down. Sterling fakes
dropping down for a leg, and he fires off two wide hooks. A high
kick from Sterling misses the mark, but several low kicks connect
in succession. Sterling continues chipping away from afar with low
kicks or the occasional one to the body, and he keeps Kattar from
doing much. Sterling shoots in for a single, lifting Kattar’s leg
up, but Kattar defends by scoring several punches up close. On
Sterling’s second attempt, he leverages “The Boston Finisher” down
to the canvas. Kattar pushes on the back of the head to stand back
up, and Sterling lifts him off the ground to find a better angle to
approach. Kattar leans with his back to the wall, and Sterling
sneaks a single hook in as he methodically looks to take the back.
Kattar muscles his way upright, and Sterling hits a quick mat
return of sorts. Sterling wrenches Kattar all the way down to the
ground, and he continues to set up his back take. Sterling ducks
down, releasing the grip, so he can let loose a right hand over the
top. Kattar sheds him, and he gets kicked in the ribs on the way
out. Sterling pushes off his foe’s knee when Kattar advances, and
he spins a spinning back fist as Kattar continues to walk him down.
Sterling’s awkward movement and takedown efforts shut most of
Kattar’s offense down, and Sterling manages to secure a single-leg
takedown and climb on top to conclude the round.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
James Mannino scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Round 2
Sterling commences the round with a low kick, and he kicks the
other side to trip Kattar up when Kattar tries to throw a punch.
Sterling chains a head kick into a level change, and he backs
Kattar to the wire and drives a knee to the chest. Sterling trips
Kattar’s other leg up to sit him down, and the audience starts to
boo Sterling’s efforts. Sterling has a single deep, and he appears
to motion or nod to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, who is sitting
cageside. Sterling gets Kattar all the way down, only for the
Massachusetts native bounce back to his feet in short order.
Sterling keeps after a single until there is no way in, and he opts
to split Kattar’s legs far apart against the fence to disrupt his
balance. When that too does not result in a change in position,
Sterling knees the thigh several times and tries to impose his body
weight to drag Kattar down. Sterling has a knee brush on the cup of
his foe, but Kattar signals he is fine. Sterling clings to his man
until he slides off the side, and he dodges a front kick and
advances with a trio of punches. Sterling retreats, circling away
from anything Kattar tries to reach him with, until he kicks low
and aims body shots. The punches from Sterling lead to a level
change, where he completes an easy double to rend Kattar to the
floor. Sterling moves to side control and stays there, where he
holds Kattar down and thwarts any potential offense coming back his
way. Sterling continues to grind in the position until the horn
blares.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
James Mannino scores the round: 10-9 Sterling
Round 3
Sterling practically races out of his corner, throwing looping
punches and a high kick until he closes in and grips hold of his
adversary. Sterling chucks Kattar down to the mat without much
effort, and Kattar posts off his arms to push himself back up.
Sterling grapples him from behind, where he pushes Kattar to the
wall with a hook in from behind. Kattar fights off the back take to
turn himself to the fence, and Sterling switches up for a single.
Kattar hangs on, and Sterling lowers him down to the ground
comfortably. The crowd is not amused by Sterling’s strategy, and
they let him have it as time ticks off the clock. Herzog asks
Sterling to do more than hold in this position, and Sterling
answers by lifting Kattar’s legs up to scoot him away from the cage
wall and put him in a more horizontal position. Sterling keeps
smothering until he sets up an arm-triangle choke, and he considers
stepping over to one side but opts to go to the other instead to
maintain control. Sterling knees the side a few times, and Kattar
explodes to his knees and stands up. Sterling uses all of his
might, lifting “The Boston Finisher” in the air and slamming him in
the mat in a maneuver reminiscent of a pro wrestling powerbomb. The
slam hurts Kattar, and Sterling recognizes this and tries to pound
his damaged man out. Kattar manages to gather his thoughts as
Sterling lays into him, and he grips hold of the waist to keep
Sterling from landing anything especially harmful. Sterling
attempts to posture up, and Kattar follows him by sitting up,
ignoring any offense landing on his ribs. Sterling turns a
potentially guillotine choke to a brabo choke, and Kattar sits out
of it. Sterling drops hammers right until the end, putting a stamp
on a clear-cut dominant performance.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sterling (30-27 Sterling)
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Sterling (30-27
Sterling)
James Mannino scores the round: 10-9 Sterling (30-27 Sterling)
The Official Result
Aljamain Sterling def. Calvin Kattar via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Rakic (-120), Prochazka (+100)
Round 1
In any other UFC event, this sure-fire light heavyweight collision
would draw main card status or potentially serve as the headliner.
Due to just how stacked UFC 300 is—along with the decision to throw
a 5-0 hot prospect above this bout—it will instead serve as the
final prelim. Former champ Prochazka (29-4-1, 3-1 UFC) gets back in
the saddle in a classic matchup of Czech Republic vs. Austria when
he faces Rakic (14-3, 6-2 UFC). High finish rates for both men mean
that referee Herb Dean will likely be involved before time expires,
while the judges might be able to sit back and just enjoy the
carnage waiting to unfold. Ever the sportsmen, they try to bump
fists and miss, before all hell breaks loose. They both reach long
strikes at one another, with Rakic landing a few jabs and low
kicks. Prochazka darts in with an uppercut, and Rakic tries to keep
him backed off with jabs and right hands. Rakic comes up short with
a heavy right, and Prochazka nods to Dean that he is fine after
finger scraped his eye. Prochazka dances around with his hands
down, absorbing a right hand and several more low kicks. Prochazka
scores one punch, and Rakic stands him up with two punches and
dings him with a calf kick. Welting has already began to develop
just 90 seconds in on Prochazka’s lead leg, and he pays it no mind
and switches stances back and forth to attack. Rakic times a stance
switch to chop down the calf, and Prochazka shrugs them off as he
powers forward. Rakic hammers the lead leg with a kick, and
Prochazka’s balance nearly gives way. Rakic scores a left hand when
Prochazka recklessly attacks to open up a cut on the corner of the
eye, as Prochazka struggles to put weight on his lead leg. Rakic
does not slow his methodical breakdown with his leg kick, and he
shifts out of the way when Prochazka advances. Prochazka eats two
more low kicks, and he tries to give two more back. When he throws
out a body kick, Rakic beans him with a right hand over the top.
Rakic opens up with an overhand right, getting the former champ’s
attention but not making him back away one moment. Prochazka
crashes forward and misses, and Rakic slides to the side. Rakic
slips in a right hand, and Prochazka dips and ducks forward to
plant a front kick on the abdomen and a right hand up top.
Prochazka drives a knee to the jaw, and Rakic unloads with a
counter right. Prochazka powers through with a huge right hand,
hurting “Rocket,” but Rakic stings him back before Prochazka can
pour it on. Rakic lines up a one-two down the pipe, and Prochazka
walks through it and clinches up until they reach the bell.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rakic
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rakic
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rakic
Round 2
The light heavyweights bump fists, and Rakic immediately picks up
where he left off by chewing up the former champ’s lead leg. The
kicks force a stance switch, and Prochazka absorbs the kicks on
both sides to fluster him. Rakic connects with right hands after
jab, and he stands Prochazka up with a right hand. Prochazka fights
through it and launches a head kick that bounces off the raised
guard, and he takes a calf kick that disrupts him again. Prochazka
kicks up high again, and he grazes the top of the head and follows
it with power punches. Prochazka connects with his heavy strikes,
and Rakic scampers away to reset and launch his own head kick that
lands under Prochazka’s arm. Prochazka measures and blasts Rakic in
the face with his shin, and the two strikes proceed to bang it out
with no regard for their defenses. Prochazka unloads with another
head kick, and he slugs it out until he gets two punches through.
Rakic stumbles from one side of the cage to the other, and
Prochazka knees him hard in the head. Rakic fires back with
everything he has, and Prochazka bites down on his mouthpiece and
batters Rakic with anything he has to strike with.
Prochazka pushes Rakic over and clobbers him with elbows, and Rakic
turns over to his stomach and turtles up. “BJP” unleashes a fury of
punches, and Dean watches closely until Rakic is stuck and just
taking unnecessary damage at that point. Dean calls a
halt to the fight, capping off a furious comeback from the former
champion. The two immediately squash any beef they carried into
their meeting, and they hug it out.
The Official Result
Jiri Prochazka def. Aleksandar Rakic R2 3:17 via TKO
(Punches)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Nickal (-2100), Brundage (+1100)
Round 1
The main card opens up with the widest discrepancy on the betting
lines tonight by a mile. As a prohibitive -1400, Nickal (5-0, 2-0
UFC) is largely expected to walk through the tough but
outmatched-on-paper Brundage (10-5, 3-4 UFC). There are many
questions that could be answered, as the unbeaten four-time DI NCAA
All-American has never before competed beyond the three-minute mark
in an MMA match. Whether this match lasts 15 seconds or 15 minutes,
referee Chris Tognoni is on the call and ready for action. The
underdog offers a glove touch, but Nickal wants nothing to do with
it. Instead, Nickal fakes shooting for a takedown almost
immediately. Brundage is well out of the way, and he fires off a
flying head kick and a jump knee. Brundage lands a hard right hand
to surprise the unbeaten fighter, and Nickal responds with a power
punch and a takedown attempt. Brundage rolls through to get back to
his feet, and Nickal presses him hard against the fence. Nickal
scoops Brundage up and slams him down, and Brundage pops right back
up without batting an eye. Nickal succeeds to get a mat return,
dropping Brundage down to his knees, but Brundage stands up before
Nickal can get hooks in. Nickal pushes down his full body weight to
trap Brundage down on the ground, and he slithers a hook in and
sneaks his arm under the chin for a second. Brundage turns his head
to the side to thwart the choke, and Nickal keeps one arm on the
chin to threaten. Brundage hand-fights to stop the choke from
landing, and Nickal elects to just brute force squeeze his head
like a nutcracker. Brundage pushes off enough to get space, and
Nickal steps over to full mount while claiming a guillotine. Nickal
sits up and has Brundage’s left arm trapped beneath his legs, and
he starts beating on Brundage with elbows. Brundage times a
shifting Nickal to turn to his knees and lean against the wall, and
Nickal stays on him without a hook in fishing for a choke. Nickal
gets a hook in from behind, and Brundage keeps two-on-one wrist
control to stop any submission danger. Nickal bops him in the face
with feeble punches, and Brundage laughs him off as the crowd gives
it up for him. Brundage maintains control on the wrist and signals
for Tognoni to let him up, and he rides out the round.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Round 2
As soon as the round begins, Tognoni calls time to remove some
debris from the Octagon. The fighter begin, and Brundage walks
Nickal down and lines up an overhand right. Nickal throws a high
kick from an odd angle, and when he tries to transition to a
takedown, Brundage slings him mightily to the ground. Brundage goes
after him and tries to lay into him with strikes, but Nickal
recovers, shoots and completes a takedown. Brundage turns to his
side as he tries to stand, and Nickal lands sporadic
ground-and-pound as he moves into half guard. The crowd gets
restless again at Nickal wrestling so heavily, but he ignores it
and passes the full mount. Brundage throws punches from his back,
and Nickal presses his chest down to set up an arm-triangle choke.
Nickal lets it go to land a punch, and he hunts for elbows while
Brundage holds onto his face. Nickal postures up and slams down
some ground-and-pound, forcing Brundage to turn around and give up
his back. Brundage finds himself in immediately submission danger,
with Nickal latching onto a rear-naked choke grip that is not yet
beneath the chin. Brundage fights off the choke, and Nickal
switches arms and slithers the forearm under the chin. Brundage
knows he has been outhustled here, and he surrenders before the
choke puts him out. Nickal releases the grip on the tap, and he
stands up and starts booing himself while putting both thumbs down.
He appears not impressed with his own performance.
The Official Result
Bo Nickal def. Cody Brundage R2 3:38 via Submission (Rear-Naked
Choke)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Tsarukyan (-225), Oliveira (+185)
Round 1
Many fans circled their calendars the moment this lightweight title
eliminator match was announced, because it had the potential to be
something top-notch. Oliveira (34-9, 1 NC; 22-9, 1 NC UFC) is a man
possessed at getting his belt back, and he carries with him the
record of the most finishes in company history among many others.
Tsarukyan (21-3, 8-2 UFC) has not reached that distinction yet, but
he is on a three-fight win streak over growingly impressive
opposition. Referee Mark Smith gets the call to preside over this
155-pound thriller, and he stands by as the intense fighters opt to
touch ‘em up. Oliveira lashes out with a leg kick to begin, and he
swats away a head kick that zooms at him. Oliveira checks a kick,
and Tsarukyan strings a punch combination together. Tsarukyan aims
a kick high, and Oliveira counters with a leg kick that knocks
Tsarukyan down to the ground. Oliveira leaps after him and hunts
for the Armenian’s neck, wrapping up a guillotine choke. Tsarukyan
stands up, and Oliveira pulls guard and locks up the choke.
Tsarukyan falls to his back, and Oliveira rolls over to mount.
Tsarukyan miraculously guts out the submission, but Oliveira is on
top of him hammering him in the face with an elbow. Tsarukyan turns
to his side, and Oliveira keeps tight to him as he delivers
additional elbows. Tsarukyan bucks and nearly gets the Brazilian
off of him, but Oliveira stops it and drills him with an elbow. As
Oliveira drops himself down, he bangs his head into Tsarukyan’s,
and Smith warns him of this foul. Tsarukyan explodes with every bit
of his energy to flip the former champ over, and Oliveira closes
his guard. Tsarukyan loads up on two elbows before Oliveira starts
pushing and moving with his offensive guard, ultimately closing it
around the waist again. Tsarukyan raps him in the face with another
elbow, and Oliveira holds on to prevent additional strikes from
finding their way to him. Oliveira releases the position to push
off, and he boots Tsarukyan in the face with an illegal upkick.
Smith calls time and stands them up, and he checks on Tsarukyan’s
condition. Tsarukyan appears confused, and perhaps stunned from the
partial connect. Smith brings in the doctor to make certain that
Tsarukyan is alright, and he clears Tsarukyan to continue and puts
Tsarukyan back in the same position before clocking them back in.
Tsarukyan leads off with a pair of elbows, and Oliveira answers
with one while lifting up a high guard. Tsarukyan elbows his way
out of a tie-up, and Oliveira sweeps to the side and works his way
back to his feet with 10 seconds to spare. Oliveira lands a knee up
the middle, Tsarukyan elbows on the break, and he follows with a
spin kick that brushes past the Brazilian. The round ends.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Round 2
Oliveira offers an apologetic hug to start off the round, and
Tsarukyan gladly accepts it. They begin to trade, and with high
intensity. Oliveira pushes off a front kick on the chin and reaches
his man with an overhand right, and Tsarukyan backs him away with a
one-two and a knee. Tsarukyan jabs his way forward, and he manages
to connect with an axe kick on the way down. Oliveira drives him
back with a right hand and a front kick, and Tsarukyan shoots in on
a takedown. Oliveira defends with a guillotine choke that he uses
to scramble and work right back to his feet. Tsarukyan stays pinned
to the Brazilian when they get tied up against the fencing, and he
tries to trip Oliveira up. Oliveira holds his left arm around the
neck as one half of a guillotine, allowing Tsarukyan to lift
Oliveira up and deposit him to the canvas. Oliveira closes his
guard and wraps his arm around Tsarukyan’s right arm. Tsarukyan
wriggles his arms out and maintains heavy chest pressure, opening
up with an elbow on each arm. Oliveira hacks from his back with an
elbow, and he pushes off with his legs and ends up wrapping a high
guard around the torso. Tsarukyan lowers himself down to prevent a
submission from coming together, and he keeps Oliveira’s neck
pinned against the corner between the fence and the floor to
disallow him from getting anywhere. Tsarukyan works on the former
champ with elbows, cutting Oliveira’s left eyebrow open. Tsarukyan
punishes Oliveira with additional elbows, and Oliveira fires back
as blood streams from his face. Oliveira turns to his side, keeping
hold of Tsarukyan’s wrist, but Tsarukyan explodes up and slams down
with a punch. Oliveira wraps up a triangle armbar in the blink of
an eye, and Tsarukyan backs away but is stuck in the move until the
horn sounds.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan
Round 3
The lightweights double touch gloves to start off the last round.
Oliveira leads the dance with a double jump knee, and Tsarukyan
swats him away with left hooks and blocks a front kick. Oliveira
reaches out with a one-two, and he jabs with a front kick.
Tsarukyan ducks down, and Oliveira catches him with two punches
before he can set up a takedown. Tsarukyan shoves the former champ
against the wall, and Oliveira knees him in the belly. Tsarukyan
scores an elbow on the break, and they resume in kickboxing range.
Tsarukyan kicks the lead leg of his opponent, and he strings four
punches together only to get backed away from two counters.
Tsarukyan shoots a naked double, and Oliveira easily shucks it off
and decides against wrapping up a submission to go with it.
Tsarukyan sticks out a sharp jab, and he has additional punches
rain off the guard. Oliveira kicks him in the ribs, and Tsarukyan
answers with a slapping kick up high. Tsarukyan dashes forward and
secures a takedown, putting the former champion gingerly on his
back. Oliveira grips a guillotine choke on the way down, but his
left arm cannot keep Tsarukyan trapped. Tsarukyan threatens with a
Von Preux shoulder choke, with Oliveira keeping his left arm around
the head of his opponent. Tsarukyan breaks free and attempts to
crucify his foe, wrapping up Oliveira’s left arm with his arms and
right arm with his legs. Oliveira turns over, and Tsarukyan happily
takes his back. Oliveira fights the hooks off of him, and Tsarukyan
remains glued to him from behind. Oliveira tries with all his might
to stand, and he slides Tsarukyan off his back and latches onto a
guillotine choke. Oliveira transitions to a brabo choke, switching
hands to the other side as Tsarukyan is on his knees. Oliveira
lowers himself down, and Tsarukyan flattens himself out as Smith
makes sure he did not go out. Smith is watching incredibly closely,
but Tsarukyan grits it out and survives the dangerous submission to
the final bell. The scores could be all over the map.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan (29-28 Tsarukyan)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan (29-28
Tsarukyan)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Tsarukyan (29-28 Tsarukyan)
The Official Result
Arman Tsarukyan def. Charles Oliveira via Split Decision (28-29,
29-28, 29-28)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Gaethje (-175), Holloway (+145)
Round 1
Whether you believe the “BMF” title should matter or not, what
bestowing that trophy on this next fight did was extend it to five
rounds, and everyone should be thankful. It’s Justin Gaethje (25-4,
8-4 UFC) vs. Max Holloway (25-7, 21-7 UFC) in what many have pegged
as a potential “Fight of the Year” entry. Nothing more needs to be
said, other than that the lightweights receive instructions from
referee Marc Goddard and that they touch gloves before fireworks
ensue. Buckle up. The first strike likely of many comes from
Holloway, who jabs the midsection and kicks it with his opposite
leg. Gaethje bears down on him and loads up on an overhand right,
missing the Hawaiian by inches. Gaethje sits down on a leg kick,
and Holloway flicks out jabs to the body and head. Holloway pops a
low kick on the thigh, and Gaethje hammers one back. Holloway sits
down on a low kick and drives forward launching uppercuts. Gaethje
slips back and knocks Holloway to his seat with a vicious calf
kick. Holloway climbs back up without issue and bites on a feint
from the BMF beltholder. Holloway strides in and lances a left hand
down the middle, and Gaethje unloads and fires two big hooks.
Holloway scores a clean uppercut, and he meets Gaethje in the
middle and cracks him with another uppercut and a strong left hook.
Gaethje keeps a solid poker face but he had his bell run in the
exchange, and Holloway does not draw himself into a reckless
exchange and instead measures with a front kick. Holloway prods out
a left hand to intercept an advancing Gaethje, and he ignores a leg
kick to mark up Gaethje’s nose. Chants for Holloway boom inside of
the T-Mobile Arena, and he pokes out a leg kick and stays moving
and rarely stays in the same place to not put himself in harm’s
way. Holloway checks a kick, and he tosses out a half-hearted high
kick. Gaethje responds with one that bounces off the shoulder, and
Holloway nods at him. Holloway just misses on an uppercut, and he
chips at the front leg with two kicks to the knee. Holloway checks
another kick and unleashes a left and a stern right hand, and
Gaethje chambers and fire a massive right hand that skims past the
cheek. Holloway lunges forward with a right hand to the body, and
Gaethje stumbles and gets back upright. Holloway high-fives him to
make sure he is good to go, and Gaethje is fine. Holloway jabs with
his foot, and a spin kick on the nose sends Gaethje flying. As the
cage door opens to bring in corners for the middle of the round,
Gaethje nearly falls out of the cage itself. Gaethje adjusts his
nose that might have suffered some damage from the kick, and the
tense round ends.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Round 2
Gaethje appears overly concerned about his nose to begin the round,
and it starts tentatively between the two. As Holloway sticks out a
few jabs, blood streams from it, and Gaethje is not happy about it.
Gaethje loads up on a huge right hand, and Holloway barely slides
out of the way in time. Holloway rifles out jabs to the nose, and
he chains two together before releasing a high body kick. The crowd
is deafening with calls for Holloway, and Gaethje absorbs a little
of the energy to land a powerful leg kick. Holloway gives him one
back, and he reaches out to throw hands as Gaethje comes in
swinging aggressively. Holloway stretches his finger out, and it
jams deep into Gaethje’s eye. Goddard sees it and immediately calls
time, and Gaethje is not about to stop because of some eye damage.
After about 45 seconds, Gaethje declares he is good to go, and the
fighters share a glove touch before getting after it. Gaethje lands
a body kick, and Holloway does too. Gaethje winds up and slings a
leg kick that Holloway partially checks. Holloway jabs the body and
wraps a kick up that slaps into the BMF beltholder’s armpit.
Gaethje slides to the side and adjusts his nose, and he springs
forward with a right hand and a low kick. Holloway stands firm in
front of him and continues targeting the body with long punches.
Gaethje looses a right hand as Holloway pokes his hand out, and
Holloway immediately apologizes and Gaethje gets time to recover.
Goddard asks Holloway to be careful, and Gaethje is irritated but
only takes 20 seconds before going back to it. Gaethje releases a
heavy leg kick, and Holloway can only partially defend against it.
Gaethje lashes out with a right and a left, missing the mark by a
small margin. Holloway pushes out a teep kick and goes after a jab
to the midsection, and Gaethje punishes him with a calf kick at the
right time. Holloway raises his leg up a few times to take some of
the pain away, and he surges into action with a pair of clean
punches. Gaethje gets away with another stunning calf kick, and
Holloway reaches him back with two punches. Holloway spins with a
kick, and he tosses up high a body kick as the two brawl to the
conclusion of the round.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Round 3
There is a touch of gloves between the fighters to get started.
Gaethje parries one punch, but Holloway lands a second to the
midsection. Gaethje chops at his front leg, and Holloway pitches
two back. Holloway lets go with a right hand to the sternum, and he
kicks Holloway in the side and takes one right back. Gaethje whips
a kick at him, and it buzzes past his opponent. Holloway has a body
kick graze the cup, and Gaethje shakes it off and is fine. Gaethje
stabs his toes at the midsection, and Holloway jabs him in the
face. When Gaethje advances, Holloway reaches him with a clean
uppercut. Gaethje batters the calf with another vicious kick, and
Holloway’s do not nearly have the same impact. Gaethje scores a
check left hook, and front kicks from both men go flying. Holloway
beans Gaethje with a one-two and he blasts Gaethje with a spinning
back kick that lands on the face. Gaethje tries to fire back, and
Holloway chains a number of punches that drop Gaethje to a knee.
Gaethje climbs back up and swings with bad intentions, and a low
kick nearly compromises the former featherweight king as his leg
swells up badly. Gaethje clears the cobwebs and backs away from a
lunging combination, and he ducks down and a spinning back kick
catches him flush in the ribs. Gaethje steels himself and eats a
right hand, and he marches Holloway down and tries to unleash the
thunder. Holloway keeps moving, circling to the right way to avoid
the worst of the power. Gaethje kicks him in the shoulder, and
Holloway comes back throwing with a left hand. Holloway gets in an
uppercut, and Gaethje unloads a right hand and a low kick in
response. Holloway rips a straight right hand to the midsection,
and he releases a right hand that skims past Gaethje’s ear. They
clash together when throwing hands violently, and Gaethje gathers
himself and checks a leg kick. Gaethje kicks the body, and Holloway
does the same to mirror what Gaethje does to him. Gaethje releases
two more high kicks that are block before the bell sounds.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Holloway
Round 4
The championship rounds are reached, and they begin with a fist
bump. They hand-fight with one another before Gaethje pushes out a
front kick. Holloway doubles up on the same kick, leading Gaethje
to slam his shin on Holloway’s swollen calf. Holloway rips a right
hand to the midsection, and he kicks on the other side as Gaethje
tries to catch it but releases the leg. They trade body shots, and
Gaethje whizzes past with a mighty one-two. Holloway lands a body
kick and scores two big punches, and Gaethje whirrs into action
with a barrage of heavy punches punctuated by two big right hands.
Holloway marks the face up, and he forces Gaethje to buckle so he
can work the body. Holloway jabs up the face, continuing to damage
Gaethje’s busted nose, and Gaethje reels when he absorbs the blows
but is more than willing to ruthlessly sling leather back at him.
Gaethje chops down the front leg once more, and Holloway slides
away from the other blows and lands a few of his own. Gaethje
catches the Hawaiian standing still, landing several punches in
rapid succession before Holloway can get away. “The Highlight”
further batters the front leg, and Holloway responds with an
accurate uppercut. Gaethje comes up short with a haymaker, allowing
Holloway to roll and counter with a right hand. Holloway steps in
with a knee and eats the end of a left hand with little effect.
Gaethje beats down the front leg, and Holloway ignores the pain to
put three punches to together to the body and head. Gaethje uncorks
a bomb of a right hand drops Holloway to his seat, in what could
register as the first knockdown in Holloway’s UFC career. Holloway
pops right back up and fights behind his jab, making sure not to
eat any unnecessary power shots while landing his own. They both
lash out with body kicks, and Gaethje puts out a front kick for
good measure. Gaethje smacks Holloway with a left hand, and he
stings Holloway with a left and a right before the exciting round
wraps.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Gaethje
Round 5
There is a shared fist bump, and a sharp inhale from the attendees
of the T-Mobile Arena for what could be a ridiculous fifth and
final frame. Gaethje uses his own jab, and Holloway meets him with
a head kick that knocks Gaethje back several steps. Gaethje ducks a
looping left hand, square into an uppercut waiting for him. He pays
it no mind and jabs the body to follow it with a right over the
top. Holloway spins with a kick that slides off Gaethje’s body, and
he recovers and lines up two punches down Broadway. Gaethje scoops
down to the Earth’s core to come up with a ferocious uppercut, and
it blazes past Holloway and singes his hair. Holloway attacks,
entering vintage “Blessed” mode by chaining well over a dozen
punches together to the head and body. Gaethje responds with
massive hooks, and Holloway spins with a back kick to the ribs.
Gaethje takes a deep breath and allows Holloway to reach him with a
right hand. Gaethje swipes out with a left, and Holloway’s spinning
back kick again finds its home. Gaethje goes high with a kick that
is blocked, and Holloway dings him with a right hand and jumps with
a spin kick that catches “The Highlight.” Gaethje sits down on a
low kick and jabs out with his hands, and Holloway bloodies his
nose with a short blitz. Holloway ducks and digs a right hand to
the body and a left to the head. Holloway connects with a solid
left on the forehead, and he stomp kicks Gaethje’s knees coming in.
Gaethje walks into a spin kick that connects cleanly, and he hits
air when Holloway slips away. Holloway unloads with a painful kick
to the body, and he strings a few more punches together. Gaethje
tries to kick him upside the head, and Holloway blocks it and jumps
at him with a knee. Gaethje kicks the lead leg, and Holloway is in
trouble after all of this damage sustained. As Holloway hears that
it’s time to power up, he points to the ground and signals that a
tremendous brawl is about to ensue. Gaethje meets him in the
middle, and with about 15 seconds left, everything they have left
is unleashed in the Octagon. Gaethje slings violently, and Holloway
does the same. Both men blast one another with hellacious power,
knocking one another around the cage in a slugfest perfectly
representing the “BMF” name. Holloway ducks down and channels all
of his remaining energy into his right fist. “Blessed” releases it
and smashes it into Gaethje’s temple, and Gaethje slumps to the
ground on his face, completely annihilated. Holloway did it! With
maybe one second left in a fight he was likely going to win,
Holloway threw everything in the air and let the chips fall where
they may. Absolutely incredible! Max Holloway is the baddest mister
falcon in the UFC, and he did it in a way that will live forever on
highlight reels. “Knockout of the Year” is likely well and sewn up
now. The triumphant Hawaiian calls for championship fights at
featherweight or lightweight, and with Alexander Volkanovski not
the champ of the former, he can call his shots practically anywhere
he wants. He also demands double bonus money for “Fight of the
Night” and “Performance of the Night.” Give the man what he wants,
for he is a superstar.
The Official Result
Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje R5 4:59 via KO (Punch)
UFC Women’s Strawweight Title Fight:
Weili
Zhang (115) vs. Xiaonan Yan
(115)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Zhang (-485), Yan (+370)
Round 1
Given their relative trajectories, it may be surprising to find
that strawweight champion Zhang (24-3, 8-2 UFC) and her
countrywoman, challenger Yan (18-3, 1 NC; 8-2, 1 NC UFC), share the
same UFC record of eight wins with two losses. Zhang has largely
competed at the top echelon of the weight class, while Yan is just
reaching it. It’s anyone’s guess what happens next, and referee
Jason Herzog is well-prepared to deal with how it shakes out. The
115ers touch gloves, and Zhang tries to strike first with a leg
kick she pulls back. Zhang goes up high with her other leg, and she
slips on the sponsor logo but does not fall down. Yan gets off a
clean right hand, and Zhang answers her with a chopping calf kick.
Zhang kicks the head, and Yan bears down on her with a number of
punches before tying her up. Zhang tries to turn the tables with a
trip takedown, but Yan stays upright and separates as she is
reached by a body kick. Zhang scores a few punches when Yan crashes
the pocket, and Yan manages to dodge the worst of them but absorbs
a flush body kick. Zhang misses by a matter of inches with a head
kick, and her low kick whisks by without finding its home either.
Yan pushes forward and throws hands, and she counters a trip from
Zhang to shove her down to the mat. Yan drops down a few punches
before working back to her feet, and Zhang stands up and cracks her
neck. Zhang slaps the front leg of her foe, and she walks straight
into a left hook that sends the champ flying. Zhang spins around to
get back to her feet, and she eats a high kick for her effort.
Zhang goes for a high body kick, and she spins with a back fist
that slaps Yan in the face. Zhang scores a low kick, and she leans
forward and tags the challenger with a right hand before slinging
her to the canvas with emphasis. Zhang lands in side control, and
she tries to tie Yan up in a crucifix. Yan turns over to give her
back up, and Zhang takes advantage of this immediately by landing
power punches. Zhang snatches up a rear-naked choke and cinches it
brutally tight, and Yan does not think about tapping. Time expires,
and Yan goes out. Zhang releases the choke, and Herzog watches Yan
stand up so that she has technically survived to reach the next
round. This fight should likely be over, but we reach the second
round.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Zhang
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Round 2
Yan may not have completely recovered between rounds, and Zhang
knows this. Zhang takes the time to find her proper angle, and
after some feints and strikes, she grabs hold of the challenger and
chucks her to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Yan tries to
scramble, only to get put on her back again. Zhang looks to control
rather than strike, and Yan tries to wall-walk with her feet
against the wall. Yan turns, and Zhang rolls through it and drops
down a few elbows on the hairline. Yan turns over and gives her
back up, and Zhang quickly flattens her out and starts slamming her
right hand on either side of Yan’s head. Zhang punches again and
again, softening Yan up while looking for a choke to open up.
Herzog asks for Yan to move, and Zhang continues battering her with
relentless punches. Yan turns to give up her back in a different
angle and offer a choke opportunity for the champion so that she
can stop the punishment, and it slows down as Zhang has started to
look for submissions. Yan moves to put her back on the floor, and
Zhang follows her and locks up an arm-triangle choke. Yan toughs
through a ruthlessly tight submission to somehow turn over and
slide off the side, and she winds up on top. Yan works back to her
feet, and Zhang follows her. Yan lands, and Zhang retaliates before
the round ends.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-8 Zhang
Round 3
The ladies reach the third stanza, and Yan listens to her corner by
throwing out a side kick to knock an advancing Zhang down to her
seat. Zhang stands up and grins, and she jabs her way forward only
to get caught with a right hand. Zhang flails back, and she rushes
forward to tie Yan up but cannot hold her there. Zhang tosses out a
naked leg kick, and Yan knocks her off her feet with a fierce right
hand. Zhang lands on her back and upkicks like crazy to keep Yan
off of her. Yan slaps her foe’s legs with hard kicks, and Herzog
allows them to continue as they keep kicking one another. Yan
hammers the legs until Herzog stands Zhang up. Yan connects with an
intercepting low kick, and they fire off punches at the same time.
Zhang gets tagged, and she charges in for a takedown only to be
shoved over by the challenger. Yan resides on top until Zhang
fights her off, and Yan gets her back down once more. Zhang returns
to her feet, and she absorbs a two-punch salvo from Yan. Zhang
surges into action and tries to take the fight down to steal the
round, but Yan stands her up and holds her against the wire until
the horn blares.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Round 4
A fatigued Zhang shakes her arms out, and she offers a glove touch
to start the round. Zhang offers up a body kick, and she just
avoids two punches over the top. Yan splits the guard with a clean
one-two, and Zhang swings back to hit air. Zhang strikes with a low
kick, and Yan counters her with a right hand that knocks her down.
Zhang springs right up to her feet, and Yan is there to strike with
her. Zhang loads up on a right hand, and Yan’s two fists fly
shortly after. Zhang shoots for a takedown, and Yan tries to escape
but goes too far and gets dragged down. Yan crawls to her knees and
gets back up, and Zhang drags her back down on her face. Zhang
knees the thigh with emphasis, and she clings from behind and drops
down left hands. Zhang keeps holding on with a hook in to trap Yan
down, and her left hand is active enough to stave off a referee
standup. Yan sits back, and Zhang steps over and punches Yan on the
armpit. Yan gets away with an egregious fence grab, and Herzog
warns her for the foul. Zhang grinds and pummels Yan with her free
fist, and she puts Yan flat on her belly and starts looking for a
choke. Yan turns to her side so that she does not get choke, and
Zhang allows her to do this so she can strike. Zhang lays into her
with left hands on the side of the head, and she sits up to
hammerfist Yan on the ear. Zhang’s blows are scoring but not overly
damaging or threatening to end the fight. Zhang smacks Yan again
and again, and Yan tries to throw back with no-look strikes as
swelling grows around her right eye. Zhang hangs onto the position
until the round ends.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Round 5
Herzog issues a stern warning to Yan for her fence grabs, telling
her that one more tug on the links will result in a point deduction
and a bad position. The champion begins the round by kicking Yan
upside the head, and Yan tanks it without flinching. Zhang tries
another, and her momentum allows her to tackle the challenger to
the mat. Zhang lands high and Yan tries to reverse her, and she
succeeds when Zhang attempts to mount her. Both women get back
upright, and Zhang goes after her with a kick to the knee. Yan
walks through a jab to pierce the guard with a one-two, and she
spins with a kick that brushes off the chest. Zhang brings up
another head kick and completes a takedown to land in side control.
Zhang takes her back and gets both hooks in, and she heel kicks the
thigh and times a spinning Yan to move into top position. Rather
than taking mount, Zhang uses the half guard to keep Yan flat on
her back. Zhang drums down some relatively light ground-and-pound
to stay active, and she follows a turning Yan to get her back
again. Zhang looks for a second hook, and Yan turns at the right
moment to nearly get free. Zhang is one step ahead in the
grappling, and she keeps Yan on her backside. Zhang manages to get
the hooks back in again when Yan twists, and this only lasts a
moment before Yan turns to her back once more. Zhang smothers with
heavy chest pressure, ripping a few elbows and working the head and
body with punches. Yan punches from her back while Zhang punches
from on top, and the strawweight championship tilt comes to a
close.Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zhang (49-45 Zhang)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Zhang (49-46 Zhang)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Zhang (49-45 Zhang)
The Official Result
Weili Zhang def. Xiaonan Yan via Unanimous Decision (49-45, 49-45,
49-45)
UFC Light Heavyweight Title Fight:
Alex
Pereira (205) vs. Jamahal
Hill (205)
BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Pereira (-130), Hill (+110)
Round 1
It may not have the blockbuster name like a Conor McGregor or Brock
Lesnar type, but the headliner of UFC 300 is a legit matchup that
promises action from start to finish. Pereira (9-2, 6-1 UFC) aims
to make the first defense of his light heavyweight throne—a
two-division champ at that—against a man in Hill (12-1, 1 NC; 6-1,
1 NC UFC) that never his belt in the cage. The rightful champion
should emerge from this one, and they will have 25 minutes to punch
one another’s lights out. Referee Herb Dean will try to stay away
from any errant blows, and he brings them together to bump fists
before the last fight of this storied event kicks off. It’s on with
the show. Pereira whips a leg kick out to test the water, and Hill
responds in kind. Pereira scores another, and Hill kicks him on the
inside of the front leg. Pereira checks a low kick, and he skims
one off the shin. Hill reaches out with a left hand, and Pereira
measures a right. Pereira scores a loud body kick, and Hill darts
in to land a solid right hand over the top. Hill turns his hips
into low kicks from both sides, and Pereira chops back. Hill grabs
Pereira’s wrist while they hand-fight with one another, and Hill
prods out a front kick. Pereira gets in a hefty calf kick, and he
jabs the body. Hill goes high with his shin, and Pereira blocks it
in time. Hill digs a kick to the ribs, and he lances out two left
hands. Pereira digs a right to the midsection, and he absorbs kicks
on each side of his leg as he tries to check them all. Hill wraps a
kick up to the body, and it bounces off the cop. Pereira waves Dean
off and unloads a left hand that sends Hill crashing to the mat.
Pereira smashes his fallen foe with otherworldly power, and he
finishes the job with thunderous hammerfists. Hill completely goes
out, and Dean leaps between them when recognizing “Sweet Dreams” is
off in dreamland. “Poatan” stands back and motions to his
handiwork, pointing at the unconscious Hill. Hill manages to sit up
and come to, and he appears to ask Dean what happened as he stands
up confused. Pereira’s coach, Glover Teixeira, awards the defending
champion with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt as they celebrate
and embrace. Even the stoic Pereira cracks a smile. Ten wins into
his MMA career, and Pereira has now won and lost the middleweight
belt, and claimed and defended the light heavyweight throne.
Pereira declares that he wishes to keep defending this belt, and he
also expresses interest in competing at heavyweight—possibly in Rio
de Janeiro in a few weeks. When taking photos with his team,
Pereira dances a little and lets fly some of his more fun side.
With that crushing knockout in the books, UFC 300 has reached its
conclusion, and what an event it was. Several year-end awards will
likely go to this memorable fight card, and if not, something truly
spectacular will need to happen in the next eight months. If and
when that happens, we will be there for it. We hope are too.
The Official Result
Alex Pereira def. Jamahal Hill R1 3:14 via KO (Punches)
