UFC on ESPN 36 ‘Blachowicz vs. Rakic’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

With a trim event that allows the organization to catch its breath
after the wild and crazy UFC 274 show, this ESPN offering will
bring the lighter side of the promotion with it – over half the
bouts of the evening will take place at 135 pounds or fewer. We do
start off in a sizeable weight category of middleweight between two
men in Maximov (8-0, 2-0 UFC) and Petroski (7-1, 2-0 UFC) that are
as of yet unbeaten inside the Octagon. While Maximov began his
career with five straight finishes in under two rounds, Petroski
has yet to go the distance as a pro. Referee Chris Tognoni may have
his hands full in this prelim opener, although the fighters touch
gloves before coming out swinging. Maximov leads off with a kick to
the body, and Petroski backs off after sprinting forward. Petroski
throws out a kick, and Maximov topples over to the mat off-balance,
only to climb back up. They throw hands recklessly, missing with
their most powerful blows, as Petroski throws so hard he almost
falls over. Maximov dives into a low single, and Petroski sprawls
it well and threatens with an anaconda choke with Maximov leaned
over. Petroski simultaneously locks the choke in and cinches the
grip, and it is tight in a hurry.
Petroski attempts to gator roll, and he does successfully to move
to his side as he uses Maximov’s own arm to lock it down. Maximov
does not think about tapping, and he might be surprised by the
submission or trying to tough it out, but as he does, he loses
consciousness. The lights are on and no one’s home, as Tognoni
recognizes that Maximov is out cold and breaks them apart.
Petroski still retains a 100% finish rate with a dynamite
submission, and Maximov has suffered the first defeat in his career
dramatically while Petroski strides around the cage shouting “who’s
the best wrestler!” That’s one heck of a way to start the day.

The Official Result

Andre Petroski def. Nick Maximov R1 1:16 via Technical Submission
(Anaconda Choke)

Round 1

Two weeks after we thought we would see it, we will kick this fight
card off with a bout between promotional newcomers, when Japanese
hotshot Taira (10-0, 0-0 UFC) battles it out with the Stephan
Bonnar of Dana White’s Contender Series in Candelario (8-1, 0-0
UFC) – the latter earned a contract off of a thrilling defeat, much
like how Bonnar still pocketed the contract at the end of TUF 1 due
to his legendary scrap with Forrest Griffin. Even with two men
making their UFC debuts, it could be a fun one to start things off.
Candelario did miss weight, coming in half a pound heavy at 126.5
pounds, and it plays a factor as they do not touch gloves while
referee Mike Beltran watches on. Candelario crashes in straight
away to clinch up and pursue a possible takedown, but Taira shoves
his man away to gain some space and look for something on the feet.
Taira absorbs a solid overhand right, and he keeps his guard up
while Candelario strings a few punches together. Taira turns the
momentum of his opponent against him, tying Candelario up and
hunting for a trip takedown. The Japanese fighter trips his man to
a knee, but Candelario is able to power up and out. As he looks to
break, Taira scores a left hand and a body kick. Candelario gathers
himself and dives forward for a single, and Taira pushes him off
again where he can work with his kicks. A leg kick scores, but a
body kick is blocked from the unbeaten fighter, and he uses his own
range-finding strikes to keep Candelario and an increasingly
reddening nose at bay. Taira steps forward with a right hand down
the pipe, staggering Candelario for a second but not backing him
off, as Candelario comes back quickly with a head kick that is
swatted away. Taira marks up the body with a kick, and Candelario
just misses with a counter. Taira kicks high, and his counters fall
short. Taira shoots in from an unorthodox single-leg takedown
approach, and he trips Candelario up and puts him on the mat.
Candelario works back up using the fence behind him. Taira cannot
keep him there for long, but he does rip the body with a left when
Candelario stands. Taira backs off and hammers the lead leg with a
kick, but it is one-and-done as Candelario checks one on the
outside. Candelario presses forward with punches, and he turns the
corner with a single and plants the Japanese fighter on the canvas.
Taira nearly defends with a choke on his way down, but Candelario
is able to yank his neck free and ride out the remainder of the
round on top.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle of the cage to start the second
frame, but they are hesitant to engage early on. They paw at one
another with jabs, and a left to the body from Candelario nearly
bumps into the cup. They trade high kicks, and Candelario chases a
takedown but cannot get him there. A lightning-quick right hand
from Taira drops Candelario down to the mat, and Taira looks to
finish the job with ground-and-pound and slams him with several
unanswered punches. Candelario explodes back to his feet, and Taira
jumps on his back quickly and ties up a body triangle before
fishing for a choke. Candelario lowers himself to the mat so that
he does not have to carry the weight of another person, and Taira
hangs on tight and is softening him up with punches and the
occasional elbow. Taira fishes for a rear-naked choke, and
Candelario considers tapping but decides not to so that he can
tough it out. He miraculously slips his neck free from danger, and
Taira answers him by rising up and blasting him with an elbow.
Taira is relentless with his back control, threatening with chokes
or staying busy with strikes, and thwarting a reversal as
Candelario appears to have cleared out the cobwebs. Candelario
hangs on tight to the wrists of his foe so that a choke or crank
cannot materialize, and he rolls to present an unusual position
that sees them both on their back somehow. Taira nails him with a
right hand, and Candelario powers through to turn Taira over. Taira
is slick, and thanks in part to his body triangle, he is able to
take Candelario’s back again. The twisting and turning continues,
with Candelario again reversing him to wind up in Taira’s guard.
Taira sits up as Candelario pounds on him like a drum, and he
grinds his elbow a few times for good measure in hopes of ending
the round on a positive note. A few more strikes from the American
conclude the second round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The last round opens with a great deal of caution, and the first
strike is a groin kick from Taira as Candelario rolls his eyes in
frustration. Candelario is given ample time to recover from
Beltran, but he only takes 30 seconds before getting back to it.
Candelario is on the attack after the foul, swinging his way into a
single. Candelario successfully drags his foe down to the canvas,
but Taira turns a corner and goes after his own takedown. When
Taira hits it, Candelario snatches hold of a guillotine choke.
Candelario uses the choke to turn Taira over to take mount, and he
releases it when he finds himself in half guard. Candelario is
warned for an elbow to the back of the head, as Taira sits up to
pursue a takedown. This cycle continues, as Candelario defends with
a guillotine once more, but he does not have the same leverage nor
steam in his arms to make it tight and dangerous. Taira does find
himself in possible Von Preux position, but Candelario turns him
over and falls into a triangle choke. Taira rolls all the way
through to mounted triangle position, and the wild scramble that
ensues leads to Taira taking the back with a tight body triangle.
The unbeaten fighter never gives Candelario a moment to breathe,
hunting for a neck crank or slamming Candelario with elbows and
punches. Taira, comfortable in full mount with one of Candelario’s
hands trapped, begins to unload ground-and-pound. Beltran keeps a
close eye on the fight, and every time Candelario sits up, Taira
drags him down and batters him more. Although he does not get the
finish he was seeking, Taira was quite close to a stoppage toward
the end and more than likely won the fight going away.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Tatsuro Taira def. Carlos Candelario via Unanimous Decision (30-26,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

For the victor, a spot will remain in the top 15 of the tumultuous
strawweight division, while the defeated may tumble out of the
rankings – and the company itself – altogether. Even though
Jandiroba (17-3, 3-3 UFC) and Hill (13-11, 8-11 UFC) swam in the
same circles of Invicta Fighting Championships’ and the UFC’s
115-pound category, their paths never crossed until tonight. These
two ex-Invicta champs will receive oversight from referee Mark
Smith, and do not touch ‘em up before proceeding to try and
bludgeon, strangle or otherwise inflict great bodily harm on the
other. Hill takes the center of the cage with one hand lower,
perhaps anticipating a takedown while not remotely concerned with
the Brazilian’s striking. If history is any indication, this might
be a solid strategy. The stance allows Hill to stave off a takedown
setup, and when she is paying attention to this, Jandiroba has two
punches land across the bow. Jandiroba absorbs a right hand back,
and as soon as Hill commits to punches, “Carcara” bullies her way
into a takedown attempt. Jandiroba pushes Hill back across the cage
to the fence, and Hill stuffs her and pushes Jandiroba over. This
is not to her best interest, as Jandiroba falls to her seat and
hunts for a leglock of some sort. Going for a kneebar, an ankle
lock or anything she can snatch up, Hill is quickly in danger, with
Hill’s left leg extended outward as Jandiroba is hanging on to it.
Hill grimaces in pain as she hangs on to Jandiroba’s wrists, and
Hill sits up to attempt to punch her way out of the sub and
successfully does so. Jandiroba considers another submission setup,
but she cannot keep Hill grounded. They stay tied up in the clinch
when standing up again, and they both try to whip the other around
for a takedown. Hill starts letting loose with knees to the body as
Jandiroba is happy to remain tied up, and Hill looks to break off
but Jandiroba is not letting go. Hill finally explodes her way out,
and Jandiroba throws out a few hands while Hill is hesitant to
engage. Hill swats away offense before ducking down and goes for a
double, and she hits it only to get reversed as soon as they hit
the mat. Jandiroba ends the round on top in an odd position.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Hill strikes first to begin the second round, and Jandiroba is more
active and meets her in the middle with several more strikes in
volume. They trade punches until Jandiroba closes in for a clinch,
and after landing one knee up the middle, she abandons it and lets
Hill swing back hitting air. Jandiroba goes over the top with a
surprisingly effective right hand, and Hill blitzes into a tie-up
so that she can hammer the midsection with a veritable bouquet of
knees. Jandiroba scores a single elbow on the break, but Hill is
energized, stringing three punches together as she gives chase.
Hill presses forward to clinch, and they jockey for position and
meet with knees on the sternum. Jandiroba breaks, and she looks for
a one-two while Hill counters with a clean right hand. In the open
cage, Jandiroba dives down for a takedown and practically tackles
Hill over to plop her on the ground. Hill defends with a single
butterfly hook as Jandiroba is on top heavily in half guard, and
she cinches her own lets around Hill’s to shut down any possible
escapes from “Overkill.” Jandiroba steps over to a dominant
position, but instead of taking it, she snags hold of Hill’s left
arm in search of an armbar or a kimura lock. Jandiroba turns it to
an armbar as she falls to her back to lock it up, and Hill steps
over and stacks Jandiroba up to keep the arm safe from harm.
Jandiroba keeps that submission tied up as Hill’s knee crushes on
Jandiroba’s jaw, and this posture of Hill along with her rocking
back and forth allows Hill to make it to the third round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Hill is aggressive to start the third round, and she throws hands
fast and lets them go to nail Jandiroba upside the head. Jandiroba
is stunned momentarily, and Hill rolls through to rip an uppercut.
The punches get Jandiroba’s attention, forcing the Brazilian to
shoot for a double that presses Hill to the wall. Hill keeps
herself upright thanks to the fence behind her, but Jandiroba turns
the corner and yanks her down to the canvas. “Overkill” instantly
attacks with elbows off her back while Jandiroba is slithering her
way through gain better top position, and she lines up north-south
before taking Hill’s back as Hill looks to stand. Jandiroba holds
on to a leg tightly to wrench Hill right back down to the ground
almost as soon as Hill stands, and “Carcara” gladly lowers herself
into Hill’s guard as Hill closes it around her. Time is ticking
away from Hill’s chances at pulling off a comeback, and Jandiroba
is comfortable wearing on Hill and working the body with short,
stay-busy punches. Hill hangs on with a lock around Jandiroba’s
shoulder, possibly for a straight armlock off her back, and
Jandiroba wriggles her arm out and continues her smothering top
control. With Jandiroba clinging to half guard, Hill explodes in an
effort to get up. This does not work to her benefit, as Jandiroba
follows her all the way through to take Hill’s back. With 10
seconds to spare, Hill turns Jandiroba around and gets on top, and
Jandiroba throws her legs up high to prevent any offense from
“Overkill” in the remainder of the match. The fight ends in this
stalemate position, and as the horn sounds, Jandiroba hoots and
shouts in celebration after a likely victory.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Virna Jandiroba def. Angela Hill via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Given the relative experience and frequency of competition of the
two lightweights next on deck, it may come as a surprise to some
that Johnson (19-17, 11-13 UFC) will clock in a little over three
years younger than Patrick (15-3, 1 NC; 5-3, 1 NC UFC). The
Brazilian made his promotional debut nine years ago, and he has
fought just nine times under its banner. These longtime UFC roster
members never clashed before, and they will do so now under the
watchful eye of referee Herb Dean. The touch of gloves comes first,
and Patrick strikes first with a slow but effective low kick.
Johnson greets his foe with a straight right hand, and his one-two
clubs Patrick right in the face. Patrick charges in for a body
lock, and he hits a knee to the body but falls to his back when
trying to pull the TUF veteran down with him. Johnson tags his man
with a left hand, and Patrick staggers back and down to a knee.
Johnson lets Patrick up so that he can blasts the lead leg with a
kick, and he plays the matador when Patrick runs at him. Patrick
returns fire with a left hook, and now it is Johnson that is hurt
from the exchange. Patrick gives chase and latches on to Johnson’s
neck while standing before kneeing him in the sternum twice. When
Patrick pushes off, a finger goes into Johnson’s eye, and Dean
checks and has the fighters play on. Patrick lets go with a front
kick as if to emulate the success of Michael Chandler last week,
but it brushes past the target as Johnson sits down on a right
hand. They trade single punches, and Patrick steps back and
unleashes a capoeira kick that is a foot away at best. Johnson is
straighter and tighter with his strikes, and a straight left hand
splits the guard and knocks the Brazilian back a few steps. Patrick
responds with a spinning back fist, rocking Johnson, and Johnson
falls forward into a double-leg takedown as he tries to find his
thoughts. Patrick closes his guard down, but he allows Johnson to
elbow him a few times as Johnson sets up a can opener to break the
leg grip. Patrick throws his legs up in search of an armbar setup,
and Johnson does not fall into danger and passes over to side
control. Johnson scoots over to north-south, and he holds in this
position to conclude the first round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The lightweights touch gloves to start off the second round, and
Patrick leads the dance by swinging wildly. Johnson greets him with
a left hand that knocks him back a step, and they run at one
another frantically in high-risk, low-reward strikes, as Patrick
darts in with a flying knee and Johnson replies with a leaping
punch. Johnson gets out of the way when Patrick tries to take him
down, and he walks into a solid low kick. Patrick tosses out
another, and one such kick is met with a left hook that surprises
Patrick. Johnson thinks about clinching with his foe after landing
successfully, but backs off and swats away four punches that fly
towards him. Patrick looks to spin, and Johnson sees it coming,
dodges the blow and lets his hands go with a combination that works
the head and body while Patrick recovers. Patrick dives in from all
the way across the cage, and Johnson sprawls and circles away to
make Patrick flop onto his back. The Brazilian measures upkicks and
even has a breakdancing maneuver possibly in an attempt to trip
Johnson’s leg out beneath him, but Johnson backs off and lets him
up. “Nuguette” lazily reaches out with a kick, and Johnson pops him
with a few punches. This similarly occurs with a punch, and Johnson
sits down on a barrage of punches.
The Brazilian recklessly charges in with his hands down, and
Johnson slips in with a right to the body, left to the chest, right
to the temple and a fourth that is a left-handed heat-seeking
missile that knocks Patrick clean off his feet and down to the mat.
The head of “Nuguette” bounces lifelessly on the canvas after one
crisp hammerfist when Johnson gives chase, with his consciously
completely deprived, and Dean steps in to pull him off and halt the
fight. This victory snaps a four-fight skid for the man once
known as “The Menace,” while earning his first knockout since he
scorched Dustin Poirier in 2016.

The Official Result

Michael Johnson def. Alan Patrick R2 3:22 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

With the state of the women’s flyweight division in flux and
starved for fresh contenders for champ Valentina Shevchenko, the
victor tonight in this flyweight preliminary headliner could be one
win away from a crack at gold. To determine that, Araujo (10-3, 4-2
UFC) and Lee (13-5, 5-3 UFC) will square to see who is the better
woman tonight. Referee Chris Tognoni will know first who is taking
that next step towards the upper echelon of the division, and the
ladies charge at one another early instead of touching gloves.
Araujo jabs out twice, and a right hand drops Lee to a knee in a
hurry. Lee comes back firing, and Araujo slips the punch and rips
the body with a left hand as Lee’s mouthpiece goes flying. “KGB”
lights Araujo up with a few punches, and when Araujo is reeling
from a powerful left hook, Lee blasts her in the face with a head
kick. Araujo hits the ground on her knees, and Lee tries to finish
the job with a brutal barrage of hammerfists. “Vivi” powers out and
up, and she lifts Lee in the air and slams her on the mat. Whether
due to a clashing of heads or the frenetic strikes landing by both
women, but Lee’s nose is bloodied up significantly. Lee works her
way up, and Tognoni replaces her missing mouthguard. Lee finds her
range and marks Araujo up with several accurate punches until
Araujo crashes the pocket in search of a takedown. Lee grabs the
fence to keep herself upright, and Tognoni warns her a few times
until Lee gains a little space. They jab out at the same time, and
even the jabs are power punches at this stage in the fight. Lee
takes a push kick right on the sternum, and they both wind up on
heavy strikes. Araujo marches forward fearlessly, and she tackles
Lee over with a body lock takedown as Lee is blocking punches. The
Brazilian lands in half guard as she keeps her shoulder pressing on
Lee’s neck, in possible search of an arm-triangle choke. Lee
defends the choke and puts her legs up to threaten with a triangle,
and she tosses out a few upkicks for good measure while Araujo is
punching down with long right hands. When Araujo lowers herself,
Lee tries to tie up the triangle choke, but Araujo gets her neck
out so that she can lord over Lee with a few more punches. Lee
hacks with a few elbows off her back as the frantic round ends, and
it might be a tough one to score given how much action took place
in its overstuffed bounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The second round begins nearly as actively as the first, as both
women start trading in a hurry. When Araujo comes forward with
punches, Lee catches her flush with a standing elbow. The elbow
does not back Araujo off, as Araujo comes back to the body and
stuns Lee momentarily. Lee gathers her thoughts and slings a head
kick, and she ducks down when it is blocked to take the fight down.
Araujo welcomes this and sprawls, and she turns the try into a back
take as she sneaks around to take Lee from behind. Araujo gets her
hooks in and starts pounding on Lee, and as Lee turns to her back,
Araujo hops over to set up an arm-triangle. Lee steps over to side
control to lock down the choke, and she bails on it when Lee starts
to scramble. Lee threatens with half of a triangle, and she cannot
get her other leg up in time before the Brazilian passes through to
the other side in pursuit of a crucifix. A scramble from Lee allows
Araujo to take her back again, and she keeps Lee on her knees as
she lumps up the side of Lee’s head with punches and hammerfists.
Lee protects her head with arms on both sides of it, and a few
strikes get through as Araujo continues blasting away. Lee stands
up in hopes of sliding out the back door, and Araujo clings tightly
with her leg around Lee’s waist so that she can stop Lee from
shaking her off. The top pressure from Araujo allows her to ride
Lee all the way down to the ground, and she flattens Lee out with a
minute to go and punches Lee repeatedly. Araujo gets warned
numerous times for strikes to the back of the head, and she adjusts
herself and lets Lee turn over so that she can get full mount.
Instead of striking, Araujo elects to step over to the side to
secure the arm-triangle choke. Lee punches the side and keeps her
right arm beneath the crook of her knee to relieve the pressure on
her throat, and the horn sounds to possibly save “KGB” by the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Lee sprints out of her corner to start off the last round, and she
reaches out with a few jabs as Araujo answers in kind. Lee keeps on
her bike as she pokes out jabs, and they trade leg kicks and more
jabs one after the other as if they were taking turns. The
Brazilian breaks up this back-and-forth approach by pursuing a
takedown, and she elevates Lee with a double and sets “KGB” on her
back with emphasis. Araujo slices over with ease to side control,
and Lee bucks to sit up and pulls her foe back to half guard.
Araujo drops down a single elbow as she is more focused on
position, and Lee turns to her knees and stands up. “Vivi” shoves
her back to the wall when Lee is upright again, and she hangs on as
Lee knees her a few times in the gut. The flyweights separate, and
they jab out and toss half-hearted leg kicks. Lee pierces the guard
with a few more jabs, and Lee sits down on a body kick that gives
Araujo pause. As Lee targets the same spot with another kick,
Araujo pushes through it to take Lee down, and color commentator
Michael Bisping exhales out a grunt of frustration for the American
getting set on her back. The commentators of Bisping and Dominick
Cruz squabble a little as Araujo claims side control while doing
little else, and Lee finally powers out while scrambling only to
give her back up. As Araujo takes her back once more, “KGB”
attempts to slip out the back and does so with 20 seconds to spare.
Lee follows her down, and she looks to slug it out from on top as
Araujo attempts a heel hook from any angle. Lee rains down right
hands, not remotely concerned with the leglock, until the final
horn blares. With the prelims in the books, we must now pause and
give thanks to Sherdog Senior Editor Ben Duffy for taking the reins
for the remainder of this event.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Araujo (30-26 Araujo)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Araujo (30-26
Araujo)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Araujo (29-27 Araujo)

The Official Result

Viviane Araujo def. Andrea Lee via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-27, 29-27)

Round 1

Undefeated Brit prospect Hadley makes his debut against “Puro
Osso,” with referee Mike Beltran set to oversee the proceedings.
The flyweights begin exchanging right away, with Hadley in southpaw
to Nascimento’s orthodox stance. Nascimento catches a kick and runs
Hadley to the canvas. Hadley immediately uses an omoplata to sweep
to top position, setting up in the Brazilian’s guard. He moves to
half guard, pins Nascimento’s right arm and moves to the back.
Nascimento keeps hold of Hadley’s leg, preventing him from
completing the back take, then threatens with a heel hook before
sweeping to top position. Hadley closes up his guard, then applies
a body triangle from the bottom. With a minute left, it’s still
Nascimento on top, throwing short shoulder strikes and driving
Hadley toward the fence. Nascimento tries to pass Hadley’s guard,
but time expires before he can.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento

Round 2

Hadley rushes forward to open the round and is met by a flying knee
from Nascimento. A moment later, Nascimento changes levels and
intercepts the advancing Hadley with a nice double-leg. Hadley
immediately looks to use rubber guard, but Nascimento extracts his
arms and “White Kong” changes to conventional guard. Two minutes
into the round, the Brazilian is still in top position, where he
advances to half guard. Hadley is active on the bottom, shifting
his hips and looking for a chance to escape or sweep. Hadley uses
feet on hips to kick Nascimento off of him, but Nascimento dives
right back into his guard. Under a minute left, and Hadley stands
up against the fence. They clinch there, with Nascimento’s back
against the cage. Hadley throws a couple of short knees before the
horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento

Round 3

The flyweights touch gloves to open the final round. Hadley scores
with an overhand left. A moment later, Hadley grabs a standing
guillotine choke. He cranks it hard, and though he loses the choke,
he uses it to drive Nascimento down to the mat. Hadley pounces and
ends up with a slightly out-of-position brabo choke. He readjusts
and moves to the back, but Nascimento shrugs him off, spins and
lands on top. Nascimento is in loose half-guard and working for a
D’Arce choke. Nascimento loses the choke but spins to the back.
Hadley scrambles away and ends up on his back with the Brazilian
standing over him. Hadley gets up to his knees and Nascimento grabs
a front headlock. He loses the headlock and Hadley takes him back
down. Hadley tries for a guillotine choke, but gets swept for his
trouble. Under 30 seconds left, Nascimento is on top. The final
horn sounds on 15 minutes of frenetic grappling.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento (30-27 Nascimento)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento (30-27
Nascimento)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento (30-27
Nascimento)

The Official Result

Allan Nascimento def. Jake Hadley via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Camacho and Torres waste no time in slinging punches as referee
Herb Dean gets out of their way. Camacho briefly looks for a
takedown, but otherwise there’s nothing but fists flying for a
solid minute. Camacho lands a stinging jab but eats a right-hand
counter from the Mexican. Camacho runs Torres into the fence and
drives a knee up the middle. They disengage and meet in the center
of the Octagon. Torres lands a big rear hand uppercut that rocks
Camacho. Sensing he has his man hurt, Torres pursues with punches.
Camacho appears to be recovering, throwing back, when Torres slips
a punch and lands a blistering left-right combo that drops Camacho
to his seat in a daze. Referee Dean rushes in for the stop, and
Manuel Torres has made his UFC debut in scintillating fashion.

The Official Result

Manuel Roberto Torres def. Frank Camacho R1 3:27 via TKO
(Punches)

Round 1

Flyweight contenders are up next, as former title challenger
Chookagian and strawweight transplant Ribas take to the cage. The
referee on duty is Chris Tognoni. Both women set up in orthodox
stance, and Ribas comes forward, looking to navigate the distance
against the much taller, rangier Chookagian. Ribas uses a head and
arm throw to send “Blonde Fighter” flying, landing in side control.
Chookagian is active on bottom, trying to scoot around the back,
but Ribas snuffs it out and looks to pin Chookagian’s arm in a
crucifix. Chookagian secures a figure-four on Ribas’s leg,
preventing either woman from advancing position. Ribas tries to
pull the leg out, and Chookagian gets up. Ninety seconds left and
Ribas is once again coming forward. She eats a hard one-two from
Chookagian. Chookagian’s jab is finding a home over and over again.
Ribas spins for a hook kick that misses. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ribas
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ribas
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ribas

Round 2

The second round begins as the first did, with the Brazilian
advancing. Chookagian’s jab is there to meet her once again. Ribas
keeps coming forward, though, and takes a jab and right cross that
briefly stumble her. Ribas spins for another hook kick, which lands
on the midsection. Ribas drives Chookagian to the fence and gets
another headlock throw, though with far lower amplitude than in the
first round. Chookagian throws her legs up, but Ribas hops into
side control. Chookagian manages to stuff her back into full guard.
Chookagian pulls her long right leg up to a rubber guard mission
control position. Ribas moves to the back, but Chookagian takes the
chance to pop back up to her feet. A minute left in the round.
Ribas whiffs on yet another hook kick. Ribas is still marching
forward, but her hands are low and Chookagian is just piecing her
up. Chookagian looks briefly for a takedown against the fence, but
time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian

Round 3

Ribas’s commitment to coming forward remains strong as the final
round begins, but Chookagian’s jab is a constant factor. Ribas
lands a spinning hook kick to the midsection. Ribas charges
forward, but Chookagian sidesteps and won’t let herself be driven
into the fence. Chookagian intercepts the advancing Brazilian with
a two-handed shove, again refusing the clinch that has led to
takedowns in both rounds so far. Half the round is gone, and
Chookagian continues to frustrate the Brazilian’s efforts to get
into phone-booth range. Chookagian comes forward with a high kick
that glances. Ribas drops levels and drives her to the canvas at
the base of the cage, but Chookagian stands right back up. Under a
minute left and Ribas lets out a war cry, charging forward with
punches. The yell is kind of silly, but she does land several hard
shots. Chookagian is right there, though, returning fire. The final
horn sounds on a surprisingly close and entertaining scrap.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (29-28 Chookagian)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (29-28
Chookagian)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (29-28
Chookagian)

The Official Result

Katlyn Chookagian def. Amanda Ribas via Split Decision (29-28,
29-28, 28-29)

Round 1

In a fight clearly booked for its potential entertainment value,
“Dangerous Davey” and “Da Last Samurai” square off, with veteran
ref Mike Beltran set to supervise the expected violence. Grant
comes out in southpaw and is met by the orthodox Smolka. Grant
throws a kick to the Hawaiian’s lead leg. Smolka comes forward,
bobbing and weaving. He throws a front kick up the middle which
lands. Grant launches a spinning high kick, but comes up short.
Grant lands a hard pair of hooks to the body. Grant lands a hard
outside kick to Smolka’s lead left leg, then just misses with a
murderous punch up top. Smolka lunges in and scores with a nice
jab. Two minutes left in the round. Smolka lunges in again and
lands a left hand, but Grant scores with a pair of counters. Grant
lands another hard leg kick, then a spinning back fist. Smolka is
still marching forward, but Grant is hitting with just about
everything he throws. Smolka walks right into a hard jab and falls
to his rear, dazed. Grant jumps on him and after a brief scramble,
lets Smolka back up. The round expires.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Grant
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Grant
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Grant

Round 2

Smolka charges forward, swinging big hooks. Grant gives ground and
circles away, tagging the Hawaiian with punches as he goes. Grant
goes to the body several times in the first minute, then follows up
with combinations upstairs. Smolka keeps on coming, however, and is
landing quite a few of his own shots. Grant appears to be slowing
just a bit. Smolka wades in and lands a right kick to the body.
Smolka mixes in level elbow strikes at close range, catching the
Englishman. Smolka takes a collar tie and looks to punch with the
other hand, but Grant shrugs him off and throws a pair of wide
hooks. A minute left, and the momentum seems to have shifted.
Smolka catches a kick, hoists Grant’s leg high and runs him to the
ground. Smolka moves to the back, then out to the side, working for
an armbar. Grant defends the hold, and escapes to his feet. They
swing wildly as the final seconds expire.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Smolka
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Smolka
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Smolka

Round 3

Grant lands a hard low kick, then a pair of punches upstairs.
Smolka sneaks a look at his own leg, comes forward somewhat
gingerly, and
Grant lands another low kick that takes his base out from under him
completely. Smolka lunges forward for a desperate takedown
attempt, but Grant sprawls all over it, then dives in with punches
that land unblocked, the last of which puts “Da Last Samurai” out.
Ref Beltran is there a heartbeat later, and it’s another stoppage
win for Davey Grant.

The Official Result

Davey Grant def. Louis Smolka R3 0:49 via TKO (Leg Kick and
Punches)

Round 1

A pair of obviously talented but inconsistent light heavyweight
contenders comprise the co-main event, and “The Hulk” vs.
“Superman” is a comic universe crossover that surely would have
made longtime UFC matchmaker Joe Silva smile. The referee on duty
is Herb Dean. Both big men are in orthodox stance, and Spann scores
first with a long right hand. Cutelaba bounces around the outside,
hopping in to land an overhand right. Spann catches Cutelaba with a
double jab and right cross that wobble him briefly, but as he
charges in to capitalize, Cutelaba takes him down. Spann gains
guard against the fence, then stands up, but Cutelaba drops down
and takes him down again. Spann kicks Cutelaba off so hard that he
goes flying, and stands up. Cutelaba drops for yet another
takedown, but this time Spann is ready.
He hops out of the way, slaps on a guillotine choke, drops and
cranks. Cutelaba is tapping in a hurry, and Ryan Spann gets up
to celebrate a quick submission win.

The Official Result

Ryan Spann def. Ion Cutelaba R1 2:22 via Submission (Guillotine
Choke)

Round 1

For a probable light heavyweight title eliminator, the lead-up to
this fight has been somewhat subdued, but none of that matters once
the cage door closes on Blachowicz, Rakic and referee Mark Smith,
who draws the final assignment at “UFC Vegas 54.” Both fighters are
in orthodox stance. Blachowicz lands a hard calf kick. Blachowicz
with a jab and missed right cross, then another low kick. They
exchange flurries of punches. Blachowicz with a nice left to the
body, but comes away bleeding from over the left eye. Blachowicz
lands a low kick and another left to the body, but he is clearly
distracted by blood dripping into the eye from that cut. Blachowicz
catches Rakic with a right hand that rocks him, and Rakic grabs a
body lock for a takedown. He can’t get it, but seems to have
recovered as they disengage. Rakic steps inside a body shot and
drops for a takedown, but can’t get it. Blachowicz comes up short
with a calf kick at the 30 second mark. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Blachowicz
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Blachowicz
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Blachowicz

Round 2

Blachowicz’s cutman has momentarily stopped the bleeding over the
left eye, but that will certainly bear close watching as the fight
goes on. The former champ lands a glancing low kick. Rakic drops
levels for a takedown, and he gets it, hoisting the leg for a big
finish, but dives right into a triangle choke. Blachowicz clears
the arm and tries to cinch it up, but Rakic escapes and sets up in
Blachowicz’s full guard. Blachowicz closes his guard and works to
control Rakic’s wrists, while Rakic throws short elbow strikes to
the body and head. As the halfway point of the round passes,
Blachowicz briefly opens his guard and looks to hip out, but gives
up on the attempt. Rakic is heavy on top, chest to chest, staying
busy but not doing too much damage. They scoot to the fence and
Blachowicz sits up, but Rakic has the legs laced and arms locked
behind him. Rakic moves to one side and uses head position to pin
Blachowicz’s torso up against the fence. Blachowicz stands just as
the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rakic
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rakic
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rakic

Round 3

Rakic is active with his jab in the opening seconds, reaching out
to touch Blachowicz twice and backing him off. Blachowicz steps in
and lands a combination, then another Rakic jab dislodges his
mouthpiece. He pops it back in, and seconds later he lands an
outside low kick to Rakic’s lead left leg.
Rakic steps back and unexpectedly, the right leg buckles under him
completely. The Austrian goes down in agony, cradling the stricken
limb. Blachowicz steps in, but sees the fight is over and
refrains from inflicting any unnecessary harm. A moment later,
referee Smith arrives to wave it off, a surprising and
disappointing end to fight that had been building towards something
good.

The Official Result

Jan Blachowicz def. Aleksandar Rakic R3 1:11 via TKO (Leg
Injury)