UFC 280 ‘Oliveira vs. Makhachev’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

The big show is upon us, and if you live in North America, you’re
getting up early for this one and for good reason. A cool dozen
fights – with most matches featuring ranked competitors – will
grace this blockbuster event, one that begins in the women’s
135-pound weight class. Rising contender and Jessica Andrade
training partner Rosa (15-4, 4-1 UFC) will look to get back on
track after a humbling defeat to Sara McMann in March, while
40-year-old Swede Lansberg (10-6, 4-5 UFC) intends on demonstrating
she is not done yet as she hunts for her first win since 2019. The
first match of the day draws officiating from referee Lukasz
Bosacki, and it begins without a glove touch. As a note, the UFC
commentary team of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder is
completely silent, possibly from technical difficulties. The two
ladies jab at one another, and Rosa tosses out a body kick. Rosa
fires off another kick, and Lansberg counters her with a right hand
over the top that drops Rosa to her seat. The crowd erupts, and
Lansberg sprints forwards but cannot reach her opponent before Rosa
springs to her feet. Still a little tingly, Rosa runs straight into
Lansberg, where she pushes her straight into the fence and clings
on tight. Lansberg gladly accepts this position, turns her foe
around and knees her in the belly a few times. Lansberg stays busy
in the clinch, working the thighs and midsection with knees, and
Bosacki calls for action. The two ladies both consider takedowns at
the same time, and Rosa is the stronger woman and shoves Lansberg
down to the mat. The Brazilian lands in half guard, and she
postures up but Lansberg is clinging to her wrists to prevent any
offense. Meanwhile, Lansberg is attempting to slash with elbows off
her back, and this allows Rosa to get her own strikes going from
above. Rosa settles for control time as she rides and drops down a
few punches, but the strikes are sporadic at best. Rosa shifts
momentarily to three-quarter mount, but opts to stand up right
before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lansberg
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Rosa

Round 2

The commentary resumes at the beginning of the second round, but
fight fans might pine for an option for no commentary for
broadcasts going forward – not because Jon Anik is not an
exceptional fight caller, but because it provides a different and
interesting option to watch fights. At the start of Round 2, Rosa
blitzes forward and hits a takedown within seconds. Rosa
comfortably sits on top, with Lansberg unable to reverse, sweep or
find a better angle. Rosa places her foe flat on her back, and she
grinds her elbow on the face of “Elbow Queen” as if to attempt a
very low level of regicide. Rosa then elbows the side as the time
ticks off the clock, and Lansberg suddenly explodes to kick Rosa
off of her. Rosa lords over her with slapping kicks to the leg, and
Lansberg remains on her back instead of climbing back up. The crowd
is not thrilled with this exchange. Rosa allows Lansberg to sit up,
and as the Swede is leaning against the cage with her left knee
down, Rosa blasts her in the face with an illegal knee. Bosacki
recognizes this immediately, and he allows Lansberg to recover from
the foul and calls in the doctor. Lansberg is all smiles and asks
for Bosacki to take a point, and he agrees and deducts one point
from Rosa. The fighters get back to it after about two minutes of
recovery time, and Lansberg comes out swinging. Rosa capitalizes on
this aggression by bowling her over with a takedown. The Brazilian
smothers from on top in half guard again, with few strikes of merit
and plenty of time hanging on in this position. Lansberg considers
snatching up a heel from her back, and this forces Rosa to stand
back up. Rosa leaps down in a diving leg lock attempt, and the
round ends before anything can come from it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9
Ben Duffy scores the round: 9-9
John Brannigan scores the round: 9-9

Round 3

The bantamweights meet in the middle, and both want to throw hands.
Rosa clips her opponent with a right hand, and as Lansberg throws a
body kick, the Swede gets tagged with a left hook. Lansberg strides
forward and delivers a knee to the chest, and Rosa is feeling it as
Lansberg pushes her to the wall. Rosa attempts to respond with
knees while stuck on the fence, and she spins her opponent around
and elbows her on the chin. The two jockey for position in this
tight posture, and they get off knees at the same moment. This
stalemate continues as Rosa gets the upper hand with short but
effective strikes, and she gets shoved back. The Brazilian leaps in
the air with a knee, and she bullies Lansberg back to the wire
again. Lansberg deftly turns her around and gets off an elbow,
forcing Rosa to change levels and go for a failed takedown. As she
senses Lansberg slowing, Rosa swarms with a barrage of elbows and
punches, as if to send a message to “Elbow Queen.” Rosa swings so
hard she nearly topples over, as Lansberg has some swelling growing
fast under her left eye. Lansberg catches her and ties her up to
slow down the onslaught, but this allows Rosa to hit a throw and
drop her to her knees. Lansberg climbs back up, and Rosa spins with
an elbow that collides with the temple. Rosa rips one more knee to
the body before the horn blares, and this could a close one
depending on how judges score the first round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (28-28 Rosa)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-27 Rosa)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-27 Rosa)

The Official Result

Karol Rosa def. Lina Lansberg via Majority Decision (29-27, 29-27,
28-28)

Round 1

Moving right along, flyweights take center stage next as the
surging youngster Mokaev (8-0, 1 NC; 2-0 UFC) hunts for his third
UFC victory in three tries at the expense of Canadian finisher
Gordon (14-5, 2-2 UFC). This likely fast-paced affair will receive
oversight by referee Dan Movahedi, who is prepared for a battle
that could start off immediately with a blitz of offense. The
gloves are not touched before the hands are traded, as Gordon is
immediately aggressive throwing kicks. Mokaev retreats, and Gordon
crashes forward and stings Mokaev with a jab. Mokaev gets his foe’s
attention with a flying knee, and Gordon trips him up as Mokaev
somersaults to recover himself. Gordon surges forward, only for
“The Punisher” to latch hold of him and take him down to the mat.
Gordon attempts to sit up, and Mokaev smacks him in the face a few
times. Mokaev quickly switches to a guillotine choke, but this
allows Gordon to reverse the position and get up, Mokaev threatens
again with a guillotine, and this time, Gordon is able to stand and
lean up against the wall. Mokaev comfortably lowers him back down
to the canvas, and Gordon closes his guard up. The fighters are
warned for grabbing the glove, and Mokaev remains on top with
occasional ground-and-pound. Gordon sits up with the fence behind
him, and Mokaev steps over to drag the Canadian back down. In an
awkward position, both men cling to one another’s necks, but there
are no chokes to be found. Gordon recovers his guard again, and
Mokaev softens him up with short punches to the ribs. Mokaev grinds
out his foe for the remainder of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 2

The flyweights sprint out of their corners towards one another to
start off the round, and they both fire head kicks at the same
time. Gordon pushes Mokaev back, and Mokaev drops his hands to
taunt him as he escapes. Gordon dodges a spinning hook kick, and
the flashy kicks keep coming from the unbeaten fighter, including a
jumping spinning back kick. Gordon connects with a clean left hand,
and Mokaev grips him and takes him down with the utmost of ease.
Gordon almost accepts this position as he sits down on the floor,
and “The Punisher” comfortably moves to side control. Gordon looks
for an inverted triangle, and the two roll through a position as
Mokaev follows him the whole way through to remain on top. The
Canadian threatens with a triangle choke into an armbar off his
back, but this only allows Mokaev to jump into half guard on the
other side as he shucks the legs off. Gordon turns to his knees,
and Mokaev grabs his neck for a guillotine that transitions into a
brabo choke. “Malcolm X” keeps working to free himself from
submission harm, and he capitalizes on offense from his opponent to
reverse him. Mokaev immediately throws his legs up for a triangle
choke, and he wraps his legs around the head and shoulder to set it
up. Gordon looks to punch his way out of the position, and he
stacks Mokaev up to prevent it from locking up. Gordon follows
Mokaev around, and he takes his foe’s back with seconds to spare.
Gordon latches on to a rear-naked choke, and he goes palm-to-palm,
only to run out of time.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 3

When the last round opens, Mokaev holds his hands in the air to
celebrate. Gordon rushes forward, and his aggression allows Mokaev
to hit a double that he could land in his sleep. Gordon pulls on
the fence a few times, and Movahedi admonishes him when he does so.
Mokaev passes to half guard, and this lets Gordon stand up. Gordon
secures the back, and he lifts Mokaev in the air and slams him
down. Gordon follows Mokaev on the way up and gets his hooks in,
and Mokaev is twisting and turning to prevent Gordon from securing
a dominant position. Mokaev rolls, only for Gordon to push him to
his back as Gordon claims the top posture. Gordon smacks his
adversary with a few punches and an elbow, and Mokaev sits up and
attempts his own takedown to turn the tables. Gordon hammers a few
elbows on the side and back of the head, but Mokaev is intent on
getting the fight back to the ground. Mokaev succeeds, despite a
cage grab from the Canadian. Gordon sits up with his back to the
wall, and he elbows from his back. When Gordon attempts to get out,
Mokaev jumps to his back in a flash. Gordon tries to slide out the
back door, but “The Punisher” punishes him by snatching up an
armbar in a hurry. Gordon looks to power out of the dangerous
position, but it is tight as can be and he is forced to tap out.
The Canadian walks away clutching his elbow in serious pain, while
the still undefeated Mokaev runs to his corner to celebrate a win
after overcoming a bit of adversity.

The Official Result

Muhammad Mokaev def. Malcolm Gordon R3 4:26 via Submission
(Armbar)

Round 1

Over in Russia, Petrosyan (7-2, 1-1 UFC) started his career off
with four speedy knockouts including one that claimed the AMC
title. A subsequent 2021 outing against Hassan Yousefi saw him get
dispatched in 63 seconds, and he rebounded a month later with a 14-second drubbing
that drew many questions. That win did enough to earn him a
place on Dana White’s Contender Series, and he made good to earn a
contract and eventually reach UFC 280 to face off against fellow
DWCS signee Dobson (6-1, 1 NC; 0-1 UFC). This intriguing stylistic
clash will be watched over by referee Marc Goddard, who steps back
as the 185ers clap hands together. Petrosyan throws a low kick, and
Dobson wings a pair of counterpunches that miss the mark as
Petrosyan slides back. As Petrosyan fires off another body kick,
Dobson catches it and tosses his man to the mat. Instead of
climbing on top and securing the position, he lets Petrosyan back
up. They trade single punches, and Dobson times a solid overhand
right when Petrosyan kicks his side. Leg kicks come from both
fighters, and Petrosyan pops his foe with a right hand. Dobson
comes out swinging with a head kick that is blocked, and more leg
kicks come from each middleweight. Petrosyan sits down on a right
hook as Dobson plods forward, and Dobson shakes it off and plants a
one-two on the jaw. Petrosyan does the same, and Dobson rolls with
it just enough to take the sting out of it. “Superman” lets go with
two leg kicks and a pair of punches, and he chains it into a power
right hand that Dobson takes flush. Petrosyan starts to get
comfortable as he picks away at his opponent with multiple kicks at
a time, and he dings Dobson with a glancing right hand off the
temple. Dobson tries to crash forward to attack, but Petrosyan is
able to circle away and parry the punches. Petrosyan gets off two
strikes, and he slides away as Dobson retaliates. Dobson barely
dodges a haymaker of a right hand, but Petrosyan keeps a high pace
up as Dobson largely gives chase. The pursuit from the American
allows him to ring Petrosyan’s bell with a solid right hand, but it
is one-and-done as Dobson rushes forward to drag Petrosyan down.
Petrosyan climbs back up, leaning on the fence, and Dobson knees
him in the face. Petrosyan puts his fingers on the mat to stop
subsequent knees, and then stands up to slash an elbow over the top
before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan

Round 2

The middleweights greet in the middle with a double glove touch
again, and Petrosyan starts up his engine and slaps a kick home.
Before Dobson can respond, Petrosyan gets his attention with two
speedy punches. Dobson keeps a high guard to defend against a head
kick, so Petrosyan kicks his calf. Petrosyan sinks a kick to the
body, and Dobson cannot catch it, so the American elects to kick
his man back. When Dobson attempts his own body kick, Petrosyan
snipes him with a right hand down the pipe. Dobson checks a kick,
and as he moves forward, Petrosyan spins with a back fist that
whizzes past Dobson’s face. Petrosyan slips a right and swings his
own that catches Dobson on the jaw, and the Ohioan is no worse for
wear. Dobson catches another body kick, but he does not do anything
with it before releasing it. Dobson wades forward into a straight
left hand, and he gets drilled with two upside the head. Dobson
blocks a few additional blows without replying, as Petrosyan sticks
and moves. Petrosyan cannot get out of the way from a takedown
attempt from the American, but he does get up quickly and backs
off. The left leg of Petrosyan gives way beneath him suddenly, and
he seems compromised but keeps a stiff upper lip. Dobson kicks that
damaged knee, but Petrosyan shows he is fine as he kicks with that
leg as well. They trade single strikes one after the other until
the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan

Round 3

The fighters share a final embrace to start off the last round, as
they appear to be having fun together. Petrosyan steps in with a
left hand, and Dobson advances without firing. Petrosyan is more
active and intercepts him, even tossing out a superman punch that
gets blocked. Petrosyan kicks the calf and lobs his fists at his
foe’s face, and Dobson slips them and ambles forward. They trade
heavy blows, and Dobson ends a combination with a clean left hand
as the frantic voice of his chief corner, the great Mark Coleman,
echoes throughout the Etihad Arena. Dobson walks Petrosyan down,
only to have to dodge on the way in, and he stays patient as
Petrosyan whiffs on a few blows and a spinning back fist. Dobson
slaps Petrosyan in the face with the ball of his foot, and
Petrosyan rings him up with two clean punches. Dobson catches a
body kick and plods forward to clinch, and this allows Petrosyan to
back off and work the body with several solid blows. Petrosyan
resets and snaps the head back with a jab, and he gets off two more
over the top. Dobson sticks out a pair of jabs, and Petrosyan goes
to the body. Petrosyan beats his man to the punch with a calf kick
and a string of punches, and he is outpacing and outworking Dobson
fairly significantly in terms of volume. Dobson does not listen to
the advice of a takedown until 10 seconds remain in the round, and
he cannot ground him before the fight comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan (30-27 Petrosyan)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan (30-27 Petrosyan)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Petrosyan (30-27
Petrosyan)

The Official Result

Armen Petrosyan def. A.J. Dobson via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

An all-Russian affair claims the Octagon in this welterweight
contest, as Dagestan’s Nurmagomedov (16-3-1, 1-1 UFC) – a cousin of
UFC great Khabib Nurmagomedov – throws down with Moscow-born
Omargadzhiev (13-1, 0-1 UFC) in a fight that could take place
anywhere. Before it does, referee Lukasz Bosacki clocks them in,
and the countrymen respectfully touch gloves. After nearly 30
seconds of inaction, the two fighters throw body kicks. They parry
one another with punches, and Nurmagomedov shoots in for a
double-leg takedown. As he does, Omargadzhiev snatches up a
guillotine choke, and he stands his foe up and knees him in the
face a few times to send a message. Omargadzhiev lines up overhand
rights, but they all miss the mark. Omargadzhiev attempts to reply
with his own right hand over the top, and he ducks down in an
effort to change levels and surprise his opponent. When
Nurmagomedov turns the tables, Omargadzhiev locks down a guillotine
choke and drops to his back. Nurmagomedov recognizes this as a Von
Preux choke is wide open with Omargadzhiev still clinging tight to
the sub, and Nurmagomedov wriggles his neck out and resides in the
closed guard. Omargadzhiev clings tightly to hope for a referee
standup, and Bosacki claps for more action. Nurmagomedov looks to
pass the guard on one side or another, but Omargadzhiev stalls him
out every step of the way. Omargadzhiev sits up with his back to
the wall, all while spamming meaningless short punches, and he
fights his way back to his feet. Both Russians stay tied together
until the bell sounds, putting an end to a close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Omargadzhiev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Omargadzhiev

Round 2

The welterweights come out throwing kicks, but neither man connects
with anything of note early on. Nurmagomedov clips his adversary
with a right hand that forces Omargadzhiev to spin around, but he
does not capitalize on this and instead slowly works his way
forward to pursue a takedown. Nurmagomedov drags Omargadzhiev down
to the ground, and Omargadzhiev partially gets up but has one hand
down. Nurmagomedov knees him in the face flush, landing the illegal
blow, and Bosacki calls it and brings in the doctor in a hurry.
There is no bad blood from the foul, as they shake hands while
Nurmagomedov is seated on the ground, and the question is whether a
point will be deducted. Bosacki sternly warns Nurmagomedov but does
not take a point like he did in the first fight tonight from a very
similar situation, and the fighters get back after it after a
little over a minute break. Omargadzhiev strings a few punches
together, but he overextends himself in a combination and gets
grabbed and taken down. Omargadzhiev scrambles and gives up his
back, and Nurmagomedov follows Omargadzhiev in a roll to get both
hooks in. Omargadzhiev escapes the bad position to work his way up,
and a wild and frenetic exchanges leads to Omargadzhiev getting put
on his back again. As Nurmagomedov leaps down to engage in the
grappling, Omargadzhiev nails him in the face with a nasty upkick
that rattles Nurmagomedov. Omargadzhiev does not stave off
Nurmagomedov with the strike, but he does set up a triangle choke
when Nurmagomedov lowers himself into the guard. Nurmagomedov works
his way through the submission posture, and he drags Omargadzhiev
down from behind as they keep moving. Omargadzhiev attempts a
kneebar from his back, and Nurmagomedov stays patient, slides his
leg out of the grip, and drops down to the guard. The round ends
with Nurmagomedov on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 3

The Russians hug it out to start the last round, and commentator
Daniel Cormier expresses his disgust for fighters embracing during
their bouts. Nurmagomedov leads off with a power right hand that
stuns Omargadzhiev, and he lets Omargadzhiev recover so that he can
set up several crisp jabs. Nurmagomedov clinches him up to back him
towards the fence, and releases the grip so that he can stick and
move with quick punches while Omargadzhiev is far slower.
Omargadzhiev throws lumbering punches and telegraphed kicks, and
Nurmagomedov is tight and elusive even as Omargadzhiev lobs
haymakers. Nurmagomedov stabs the body with his toes, and he ducks
back as Omargadzhiev wings punches recklessly. Nurmagomedov pops
him with several jabs, and he wades into the fire and takes a few
punches on the chin so that he can give some back. Omargadzhiev
scores a clean right hand that draws a single-leg takedown entry
from his opponent, and he stuffs this by dropping straight to his
knees. Nurmagomedov stands up and gets popped with a right hook,
but he does not seem concerned even as Omargadzhiev jumps and
cracks him with a knee. Nurmagomedov shoves Omargadzhiev over to
his knees, and the pace is getting to both fighters as they slow.
Nurmagomedov stuffs a takedown attempt from the other side, and he
hands on to a guillotine choke while keeping heavy chest pressure
to grind out the round. Omargadzhiev stands up but is pushed back
down to the floor, and he continues to try for takedowns that are
not there. Omargadzhiev trips out one leg and grabs for a toe hold,
and Nurmagomedov smacks him in the face with his heel quite
illegally. They both stand up, and Omargadzhiev rushes forward,
gets clipped, and falls to his face as he attempts one last
takedown. The slow, plodding fight comes to a merciful conclusion
after the 15th minute elapses, and both men fall to the ground,
exhausted.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov (29-28
Nurmagomedov)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov (30-27
Nurmagomedov)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov (29-28
Nurmagomedov)

The Official Result

Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev via Unanimous
Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Round 1

An intriguing light heavyweight contest that virtually promises
action and violence is coming over the horizon, as Oezdemir (18-6,
6-5 UFC) aims to keep his UFC record above .500 against proven
finisher Krylov (28-9, 9-7 UFC) who has only gone the distance once
in his 28 victories. The heavy-hitting pairing will be joined in
the cage by referee Marc Goddard, and the fighters touch gloves
before swinging them for the bleachers. Krylov pushes out a front
kick as Oezdemir comes at him, but this does not slow Oezdemir from
looking for a brawl. Oezdemir lines up several heavy punches, and
Krylov is rocked early and circling on the outside. Oezdemir gives
chase, and he drills Krylov again and again with destructive
punches. Krylov shoots in for a takedown, badly hurt, and the Swiss
fighter breaks off and confidently marches forward. Krylov again
attempts a front kick, and he still does not have his legs beneath
him. Oezdemir closes the distance and connects with a string of
uppercuts, and Krylov again shoots in and drags Oezdemir to the
floor for a second. “No Time” has no time for the ground game, as
he springs back up with the wall at his side. Krylov attempts a mat
return, and he clears his head as he leans on Oezdemir while
landing knees to the thigh. Oezdemir bursts out of the clinch, and
he allows Krylov to swing at him with his own barrage before
sitting down on a calf kick. Oezdemir calms himself down and
methodically approaches instead of rushing it, and Krylov gets
loose. Oezdemir sprints in, and Krylov intercepts him with a
crushing knee that rocks Oezdemir. “The Miner” digs deep and nails
Oezdemir with a salvo of unanswered strikes, and he goes for a
takedown only to fall to the ground. As Krylov keeps moving, he
gets one hook in and then the other, and he isolates the neck for a
rear-naked choke. The grip is around the chin and not under it, so
Oezdemir grits it out and sits up. Oezdemir stands up, catches a
high knee, and slings Krylov down to the ground. Krylov tosses out
upkicks, keeping Oezdemir honest, until Oezdemir lowers himself
into the guard. Oezdemir drops down a few hammerfists as he moves
to side control, but he abandons it and stands back up. The horn
sounds to conclude this thriller of a round, and judges have their
hands full here.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Krylov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oezdemir
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Krylov

Round 2

The light heavyweights meet in the middle to start off the second
stanza, and Krylov strikes first with sweeping leg kick. Krylov
crashes forward with a stream of punches, knocking Oezdemir back
but not hurting him. Oezdemir keeps his right arm high to block the
expected high kick, and it glances off the guard. Oezdemir kicks
low a few times, and he pushes out a few jabs as Krylov appears the
fresher man now. Krylov just misses a head kick, and he darts down
to grab a double and plant Oezdemir on the canvas. Krylov moves to
the guard, and he does work from on top as Oezdemir responds with
elbows from off his back. Oezdemir works his way to his knees and
surrenders his back, and Krylov takes this but cannot claim the
dominant position. Oezdemir turns his back to the fencing, and
Krylov trips him out to his knees. Krylov rips Oezdemir down to the
floor again, but Oezdemir bursts upright and just dodges a head
kick. Oezdemir connects with a clean right hand, and Krylov meets
him with a knee up the middle. The knees turn to a takedown entry
from “The Miner,” who digs down low to pull Oezdemir’s legs out and
bury him on the floor. Krylov gets his wind back from the guard
position, with light ground-and-pound but far more important
control time given the energy expenditure thus far. Goddard tells
Krylov to keep working as they stall out, and Oezdemir closes the
guard and ties Krylov up to force referee intervention. Krylov
continues his body-body-head strikes from above that are more
stay-busy strikes, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Krylov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Krylov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Krylov

Round 3

The seemingly spent 205ers greet with a touch of gloves to begin
the last round, and both men score punches immediately. Krylov
lands the cleaner of the strikes, backing Oezdemir up and getting
off an uppercut and a knee. Krylov uses his forward momentum to go
after a takedown, and his double sets the Swiss man on the mat
again. Oezdemir appears dejected from getting grounded once more,
and the ground control resumes from “The Miner.” Little in the way
of offense comes from a fatigued Krylov, with the occasional punch
to the body or head to remain active. Goddard stands them up at
practically the midpoint of the round, and Oezdemir is energized
and marches forward. Krylov keeps him at bay with a front kick, and
he strings a one-two together that Oezdemir practically ignores.
Oezdemir swings his fists like he is underwater, with Krylov
appearing physically far fresher, and he is more active as he puts
a one-two on the chin and follows it with a head kick. Krylov
connects with a few more heavy blows, including a stunning right
hand, and he secures a takedown to deflate Oezdemir completely.
When Oezdemir defends with a triangle choke from his back, Krylov
makes him pay by raining down punches that bounce his head off the
floor. Krylov slowly, methodically works Oezdemir over, and he
passes to the side right when the final bell perhaps surprisingly
sounds. Should he get his hand raised, it will be just the second
decision victory of Krylov’s lengthy career.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Krylov (30-27 Krylov)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Krylov (29-28 Krylov)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Krylov (30-27 Krylov)

The Official Result

Nikita Krylov def. Volkan Oezdemir via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

In August 2021, Muradov (25-7, 3-1 UFC) had a 14-fight win streak
with 11 finishes come to a conclusive halt thanks a submission from
Gerald Meerschaert. Nearly 14 months later, he returns to action
against another savvy grappler in Borralho (12-1, 1 NC; 2-0 UFC),
and the Brazilian lauds two UFC wins over opponents that happened
to have fought earlier today in Omargadzhiev and Petrosyan. The
third man in the Octagon will be referee Dan Movahedi, and the
middleweights calmly bump fists before getting after it. Borralho
lands a side kick that glances off the cup, and he shakes his
finger to his opponent claiming it was not low. There is no pause,
and Borralho hops in and out but gets snapped back with a jab. The
Brazilian just misses with a high kick, and Muradov sits down on a
straight right hand that marks up Borralho’s face. Borralho
responds with a front kick, and he gets countered with a right on
the way in. Borralho comes up short with a few kicks, and he
changes levels to trip “Mach” up and put him flat on his back.
Borralho, in half guard, starts slashing down with elbows. Muradov
gouges his opponent’s eyes with his fingers while on his back, and
Movahedi sees this and shouts at Muradov to stop. Muradov
scrambles, but this ends up with Borralho claiming full mount.
Muradov hooks his fingers in the cage, and then his toes, as
Muradov is getting warned for several fouls in rapid succession.
Muradov is once more admonished for fingers in the eye, and
Borralho drives his elbows into the face. Muradov times a
submission setup to get through an armbar and wind up on top, and
Borralho continues moving and threatens with a leglock. Muradov
steps out of it and gets blasted in the face with an upkick, and he
wobbles back and forward to move down into the guard. The warnings
keep coming for Muradov, who again puts his fingers in Borralho’s
eyes. Movahedi steps in to warn him very sternly, and he lets it
play out as Borralho sits up to nail his foe with ground-and-pound
before the round ends. Muradov complains that he was fishhooked as
the round ends, but his complaint falls on deaf ears.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Borralho
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Borralho
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Borralho

Round 2

The fists are bumped, and the middleweights tentatively get after
it. After about 30 seconds of staring, Borralho swings his foot up
high and is barely blocked. The block opens a cut on his shin, and
he hops back and forth until Muradov shoots in for a takedown out
of nowhere. Borralho defends perfectly with a guillotine choke, and
it is tight in an instant. Muradov spins with all his energy to
free himself from the grip, and Borralho releases it and stands up
to move down to top position. Muradov is warned for the umpteenth
time for fingers raking in or around the eye, and he uses the
confusion of a warning to sweep the Brazilian that had just taken
mount. Muradov keeps heavy top pressure while not posturing up to
land strikes, lest he fall victim to his opponent’s active guard.
Borralho is given a warning to not hit the back of the head, and
the fouls are freely flowing in this 185-pound affair. Borralho
sits up and works his way to the wall, and Muradov lowers him back
down. Borralho attempts to lock down a guillotine, but there is
nothing to it as he sweeps his man seconds before the bell. Muradov
again complains about a foul after the horn sounds, but Movahedi
declares it was not a strike after the bell but a legal blow.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Borralho
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Borralho
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Muradov

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
John Brannigan scores the round:

The Official Result