UFC Fight Night 216 ‘Cannonier vs. Strickland’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

It’s time for the final UFC event of 2022, and what a year it has
been. Have no fear, Sherdog will have you covered chronicling all
of the glorious and ludicrous happenings the last 350 days plus the
next couple weeks to come. Before then, to quote master lyricist
Redman, it’s time 4 sum aksion. In the blue corner, we have the
funk body snatcher Morozov (18-5, 2-2 UFC), hard enough to chew a
whole bag of rocks. Ready to chew an avenue, chew an off street and
off block is Newson (10-3, 1 NC; 1-2, 1 NC UFC). Lights, camera,
cock back the hammer, it’s fight time. Referee Chris Tognoni clocks
in as the bantamweights touch gloves. Morozov claims the center of
the cage and ducks into a jab, and he leans back as a head kick
whizzes past his face. Newson kicks at odd angles, tossing out side
kicks and making Morozov take a second look at closing in. Newson
just misses with a side kick to the head and a spinning kick, and
Morozov leaps forward to strike but comes up just shy of the mark.
Newson pushes forward to get off a jab, but it is a leg kick that
he scores with more gravitas. The American lets go with a pair of
punches to drive Morozov back, and he uses high kicks to keep
Morozov honest. Newson lunges with a one-two, and he marks up his
foe’s nose early. Newson gets off a high kick and rushes out with a
right hand, and he falls to a knee but climbs back up before his
foe can reach him. Morozov attempts to counter when Newson crashes
the pocket, but he is beaten to the punch while Newson is also
elusive on the way out. Morozov pressures but does not throw much
of note, with Newson the more active striker of sorts. Morozov
suddenly sprints forward, and he elevates Newson with a double-leg
takedown and slams him on the mat. Newson scoots to the wall and
works his way back up in a hurry, only for Morozov to trip him
right back down. Morozov gets off short knees on the inside while
staying heavily pressed to his adversary, and he changes levels in
hopes of lifting Newson up again but fails. Morozov sneaks a knee
up high, and as he does, Newson scrambles and breaks away to get
free. Newson, in a safe distance, employs his reaching leg kicks
and long left hands, until Morozov comes forward with a jump knee
to the solar plexus. Newson looks to pay him back with a pair of
looping hooks, and he ends the short combo with a low kick. When
Newson fires off punches, Morozov escapes, and the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Newson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morozov
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Newson

Round 2

The first strike of the second frame comes from Morozov, in the
form of a jumping body kick. Newson attempts to respond, but he
comes up short. Newson slams a calf kick home, and it lands with an
audible thud. Newson aims another one as Morozov winds up at him,
and he drills the Kazakhstani fighter with an overhand right.
Morozov skates away when Newson blitzes him, and he swats away a
front kick and lands a kick to his foe’s side. Morozov scores a
second, and he hops away from a sweeping low kick. They both swing
for the fences with power punches, and the air blows their
respective short-cropped hair back. Morozov sees the awkward
strikes of Newson flying at him, evading side kicks and winging
hooks but not catching the low kicks. Newson changes things up by
sprinting forward to punch and kick, and Morozov messes up his
foe’s rhythm with a smooth double-leg entry that sets the American
on his seat. Newson squirms to the wall and gets to a knee, and he
is warned for grabbing the fence as he tries to fight his way back
up. Newson attempts to stand, and he scores a no-look elbow right
before Morozov drags him back away from the fencing to his hands
and knees. Newson hurriedly crawls back to the wire in hopes of
wall-walking, and Morozov peppers him with knees to the backside
and thigh. The Kazakhstani bantamweight lifts Newson off the ground
and away from the cage, but Newson recovers quickly and gets to his
feet. Morozov clings to his foe like a cheap suit, and he hangs on
until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morozov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morozov
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Morozov

Round 3

One final glove touch opens up the last round, and while Morozov
starts off aggressively, Newson drives him back with swarming
punches. Newson closes the distance with leaping punches, and one
catches Morozov behind the ear and staggers him momentarily. Newson
follows up with another looping hook, and he whips a kick to the
body while Morozov recovers. Newson swings for the bleachers with
practically everything he attempts, which opens him up to a
takedown attempt. Morozov scoops Newson up like a sack of potatoes
and dumps him to the ground, where he lands in north-south posture.
Newson scrambles and tries to get to the cage wall, but Morozov
times his escape effort and takes his back during the crawl.
Morozov gets both hooks in and starts fishing for chokes, and
Newson uses two-on-one wrist control to spin around and get out.
Seconds after the American stands up, Morozov is on him, looking
for a body lock, a trip, or any sort of takedown he can muster.
Morozov gets creative with trips and sweeps to drag Newson to a
knee, and Newson somersaults to get away but does not get anywhere.
The competitive snuggling mode of Morozov’s game has been fully
activated, as he hangs on without landing many strikes while
settling for control time. Morozov looks to muscle his man to the
mat, but Newson pushes off a knee and gets up, and he shoves
Morozov away to be free. Newson leaps at his adversary with a
flying knee, and Morozov sees it coming from a mile away and evades
it. As Newson comes up inches short with a head kick, Morozov
responds with a front kick that surprises his opponent. Morozov
ducks an overhand right and grips Newson from around the waist, and
he drags Newson to the ground with seconds to go. The fight comes
to a conclusion as Newson attempts to scramble out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morozov (29-28 Morozov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morozov (30-27 Morozov)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Morozov (29-28 Morozov)

The Official Result

Sergey Morozov def. Journey Newson via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Flyweights grace the cage next in a surprisingly important matchup
for divisional relevance, surprising in how low this fight is
placed for one that will determine a top-10 fighter at 125 pounds.
Dvorak (20-4, 3-1 UFC) currently resides within that range, while
Kape (17-6, 2-2 UFC) aims to break in and likely hunts for a
dramatic finish to get there. With only five decisions across their
37 pro wins, referee Keith Peterson expects no nonsense here. There
is no bad blood, as the contenders touch ‘em up before aiming to
knock the other’s block off. The fighters are tentative to begin,
heavily respecting the power of the other. Dvorak stays on the
outside well out of striking range, and he scores one calf kick
before darting away. Kape lines up his heavy overhand right but
does not launch it, as Dvorak strafes away. Kape begins to showboat
by putting his hands behind his back, hoping that he will draw
Dvorak into an engagement, and he switches stances to give chase.
Dvorak sinks in another powerful calf kick, and Kape is quick to
changes stances to protect that lead wheel. Kape walks into a kick,
and Dvorak continues to move and do circles around the cage. When
Dvorak goes after another kick, Kape springs into action with a few
punches, and Dvorak escapes in the nick of time. Kape charges and
scores an uppercut, and as he attempts to follow it, Dvorak
intercepts him and hits a speedy takedown to land in side control.
When “The Undertaker” looks to pass to mount, Kape drags him back
to his guard and closes it. Dvorak exerts heavy shoulder pressure
and tries to weigh heavily, and Kape throws a few strikes from off
his back. Kape gets stacked up and cracked with a left hand, and he
fights off a Kape triangle or armbar setup. Kape isolates the left
arm for a kimura, possibly looking to sweep his foe, and Dvorak
settles for elbows to the thigh and side to answer. Kape keeps
cranking the arm, and he gets it out and puts it behind Dvorak’s
back and rolls his foe over. Dvorak fights with all his might to
tough it out, and Kape torques it to a nasty angle but does not get
the tap he seeks. The round ends before he can achieve the
submission, but it might have won him the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kape

Round 2

Doctors check Dvorak between rounds to make sure his left arm has
not taken any serious damage, as he held it walking back to his
corner. He shows the medical staff he can stretch his arms just
fine, and he is cleared to continue. The second round begins
cautiously again, as Dvorak does not throw much from that hurt
wing, but he doubles down with right hands when Kape comes at him.
Kape waits for the perfect shot, staying in the center of the cage
without using much offense, and springing into action every so
often. Dvorak sees the blitzes coming and circles away from the
power, moving laterally when Kape changes stances to chase. Kape
bears down on his man and cracks him with two short punches, and he
hops away when “The Undertaker” wings a right hand at him. Dvorak
times a big right over the top, but it is one-and-done as Kape
counters and misses. Dvorak thumps a calf kick home to prompt a
change in stances, and he walks straight into a flying knee. Kape
lines up a right hook and ducks straight into a head kick, but he
eats it without issue and plods forward. Kape points at his damaged
opponent and staggers him with a short salvo, doing enough to make
Dvorak falls to his back. Dvorak aims upkicks while Kape attempts
to finish the job, and he survives and even throws a wild kick off
his back to nearly slap Kape in the face. “Starboy” calls him to
stand back up, and he marches forward to rip the body with a pair
of punches, Kape knows his foe is in trouble, and he bust him up
with punches to the head and ribcage. Dvorak is tough, and he
absorbs a clean spinning back elbow on the jaw and times the
movement perfectly to shove Kape over, move on top and take Kape’s
back. Nearly able to reach for a rear-naked choke, Dvorak elects to
heel kick the side and posterior until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kape

Round 3

Fists get bumped to start off the last round, and Dvorak’s movement
and footwork is back beneath him after having the minute to clear
his head. Dvorak swings and misses with two lunging hooks, and he
dips back when Kape swats at him with a left hook. Dvorak begins to
press forward, and he reaches up with spinning high kick. Kape
dodges and showboats to look around and away, and Dvorak lunges in
to strike. Kape intercepts him with a low kick and a short left
hand, but Dvorak continues to move and throw in response. Dvorak
gets a right hand over the top, and he closes in and gets
uppercutted for his work. Kape is in his element, sniping with
strikes and busting the Czech fighter’s nose open. When Kape leaps
in, Dvorak pushes off with his fingers out, and Kape calls an eye
poke. Peterson sees the possible foul, assesses that it was a legal
but odd push-off, and restarts them. Dvorak goes low with a calf
kick and scores a left, and Kape begins to start dribbling an
invisible basketball. Dvorak races in with a takedown, knowing he
is likely down on the scorecards, and Kape is too slick to get hold
of him for long. Dvorak comes in with a jab, and Kape puts his
hands behind his back and leans forward. When Kape attempts to set
up a knee, Dvorak catches him with a left hook, but Kape does not
mind. Dvorak lands again, and Kape gets caught but still continues
to motion and make fun of his opponent. Dvorak gets hit on the way
in, but he connects with his own punches until they crash together.
Peterson checks to make sure the two did not clash heads, and he
resets them in the clinch. Dvorak pushes off and swings with all
his might, tagging Kape with a left and a right. Kape dances out of
the way and swaggers off, with “The Undertaker” unable to catch him
before the final bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape (30-27 Kape)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kape (30-27 Kape)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kape (30-27 Kape)

The Official Result

Manel Kape def. David Dvorak via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,
29-28)

Round 1

Having prevailed in the 29th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in
the middleweight bracket, the surging Battle (8-1, 3-0 UFC) has
since moved down to 170 pounds and continued to impress. His next
test comes in the form of highly experienced, once-beaten Russian
Fakhretdinov (19-1, 1-0 UFC), who exceeds Battle’s stoppage rate of
75% with his own at 84%. Laces are tied for referee Herb Dean ahead
of this welterweight scrap, one that begins without a fist bump.
Fakhretdinov is the aggressor to begin, and he walks right through
a head kick to wing a right hand over the top behind the ear. From
there, the Russian charges like a bull, straight into a double-leg
that allows him to pick Battle up and pull him away from the cage
to hit the ground. Battle closes his guard and leans to his side in
search of Fakhretdinov’s left arm, but he cannot set up a kimura or
a subsequent seated guillotine choke try. When Battle turns to his
side for a kimura on the other side, Fakhretdinov smacks him in the
back of the head inadvertently. Battle works his way to the wall
with the fence at his neck, and Fakhretdinov sits up to drill “Pooh
Bear” in the face with stern left hands. Fakhretdinov traps the
right arm of his opponent to open up strikes, and he unloads them
until Battle snakes his arm free. Battle throws his legs up high
and hunts for an armbar, but “Gladiator” stands up out of it and
lowers himself down to slam his fists on the side of Battle’s head.
Fakhretdinov punches his way out of another armbar setup, and
Battle squirms to get his back to the cage wall. Fakhretdinov
unleashes thunderous right hands that make Battle think twice, who
lowers himself back down to the mat. Fakhretdinov imposes his will
until Battle wall-walks, and Fakhretdinov trips him out to secure a
mat return. When Battle triumphantly gets back up, Fakhretdinov
takes the wind out of his sails by dumping him to the floor once
more. Battle takes punches on the chin and elbows on the face that
open up a cut above his left eye, and blood starts to pool beneath
his head. With seconds to spare, Battle slaps on a triangle choke,
but there is nothing to it before the horn sounds. The doctors will
definitely take a close look at the cut between rounds, as it is a
nasty one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov

Round 2

Battle is cleared to continue with a large blob of Vaseline
covering it, but only one or two punches are all Fakhretdinov needs
to knock that clean off his face. Fakhretdinov ducks down and hits
an easy double, and he slams the American to his back for an early
exclamation point. Fakhretdinov drops down punches until Battle
turns to his side in an effort to either escape or get hold of an
arm for a kimura, and he grabs Battle’s left arm to keep it
trapped. This allows Fakhretdinov to smash down elbows and punches
on Battle’s unguarded face until Battle recovers enough to block,
and he turns to his other side for a two-on-one wristlock.
Fakhretdinov slowly shifts over to side control, and Battle
instantly recovers back to a guard that closes around the Russian’s
waist. Fakhretdinov frustrates his opponent by lifting his legs up
to keep Battle stuck on his back, and he lands the occasional left
hand to stay active and stave off any referee intervention. Battle
moves to his knees in an explosion, and Fakhretdinov blasts him in
the face with a left hand. Battle muscles his way upright, and
Fakhretdinov attempts to drag him down again. “Pooh Bear” snaps on
with a front choke that turns into a ninja choke as Fakhretdinov
look for a takedown, and the movement to the ground allows the
Russian to slide his neck out of danger. Fakhretdinov remains
comfortable in the guard of his adversary, slamming fists and
elbows on the face while Battle feebly throws his legs up for any
possible desperation submission. Battle slashes with an elbow off
his back, and Fakhretdinov grinds out the rest of the round on top
with punches to the side.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov

Round 3

The welterweights clap hands to begin the last round, and Battle
aims a front kick in hopes of catching a ducking Fakhretdinov.
Battle fires off a kick to the body, and the Russian coils and
launches an overhand right that knocks Battle clean off his feet.
Fakhretdinov leaps on top in hopes of securing the finish, but opts
to slow things down again and pick up where he left off from the
last round. Fakhretdinov slugs from on top with effective
ground-and-pound, complacent to remain in the guard to rain down
strikes. At the midpoint of the round, Battle explodes back up to
his feet, but his victory is short-lived as Fakhretdinov sucks his
hips out and drags him back down to the floor. Dean calls for the
Russian to work as Fakhretdinov lords over his opponent and works
him over with short but effective blows. Battle shifts his hips and
tries with everything he has to escape, but it all pauses when
Fakhretdinov slugs him on the chin with a mean left hand. Once
more, Battle springs to his feet, and Fakhretdinov lifts him off
his feet and piledrives him to the mat. Battle eats a few strikes
and pushes off, and Fakhretdinov stands above him and looks at his
fallen foe while Battle motions for him to come back. The fight
ends before either can do anything more.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov (30-27
Fakhretdinov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov (30-27
Fakhretdinov)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Fakhretdinov (30-27
Fakhretdinov)

The Official Result

Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Bryan Battle via Unanimous Decision (30-25,
30-25, 30-27)

Round 1

A classic battle of Mexico vs. China unfolds in a match that will
take place at 158.5 pounds. Combate Americas vet Garcia (13-3, 2-3
UFC) will hunt to elevate his UFC record to .500, while youngster
Hayisaer (9-1, 1-0 UFC) looks to make it eight in a row. Only one
man will get their wish, and referee Mark Smith will oversee the
pairing to find out who gets it done. Having missed the lightweight
limit by 2.5 pounds, there is no interest in a glove touch from
either fighter. Garcia plods forward as the smaller man in many
ways, and he ducks back when Hayisaer throws a front kick his way.
Garcia walks straight into a knee, and he grabs the leg and turns
it into a single-leg takedown. Hayisaer snags his leg back and
breaks free, and he snaps his front kick out. Garcia tries to close
the distance, but Hayisaer is able to beat him to the punch and
kick. Garcia crashes forward again, going after a single, and he
gets hold of Hayisaer’s right leg and leans him to the wall.
Hayisaer again frees himself and starts to walk Garcia down, and he
jumps at his man with a flying knee. Garcia nails Hayisaer with a
left hook, forcing Hayisaer to spin around. Hayisaer recovers and
sets up his jab, and he flashes out with several front kick to the
chin. Hayisaer chains a step-in knee into two head kick and a
spinning wheel kick, but Garcia walks through them all and drills
the taller man with a big left hand. “Gifted” bestows his foe a
present of a right hand over the top, and Hayisaer does not accept
it and tries to give it right back. Garcia loads up on his heavy
blows, and Hayisaer chips away but cannot keep Garcia off of him.
Garcia rips the body and goes up top, and Hayisaer ricochets off
the fencing and tries to circle away from the power. Hayisaer comes
up high with a knee, and the foot slams into the cup. Garcia waves
Smith off without slowing down, and he keeps a high guard up when
Hayisaer advances and throws hands. Garcia wings a right hand to
loop around the guard, and he snaps the head back with another as
Hayisaer aims a counter knee. Garcia chases his man around, loading
up on two more punches and a kick before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Garcia

Round 2

The fighters incidentally bump fists as they move to engage, with
Garcia crowding the fighter from China and letting his hands go.
Hayisaer responds in kind with swatting hooks, and Garcia closes in
and wings strikes. Hayisaer steps in with an elbow, leaps with a
knee that nails Garcia on the chin, and Garcia grabs hold of him to
take the fight down. Hayisaer escapes but is not off the hook, as
Garcia lines up a left hand to the liver. Hayisaer uses a jab but
elects instead to slash with elbows, and the side of Garcia’s head
above his temple on the air is ripped wide open. Blood begins to
spray from Head Wound Harry, in no exaggeration, as his chest is
immediately turned red. Garcia closes in to take his foe down, and
he secures it and bleeds all over Hayisaer. The Chinese competitor
gets back up, but Garcia is on him and works the body a few times
before taking him down again. In the center of the cage, Garcia is
on top, with crimson rain falling from his noggin on the floor and
the body of his adversary. Garcia cannot hold Hayisaer down because
the blood makes the two men slippery, and Hayisaer slides back
upright. Garcia gives chase and throws a jumping kick, and Hayisaer
cannot keep him at bay. Instead, “Gifted” gives Hayisaer a nasty
gift with a big takedown and some powerful ground-and-pound to
follow. Garcia slugs away as Hayisaer works his way back to his
feet, thanks in part to the donated plasma covering his body.
Garcia makes sure to give him one back, and tries to tear open a
cut on the forehead with a jagged elbow in an effort to make both
of them bloody. The round ends, and the two bulls butt heads until
Smith sends them back to their corners. The cutmen are going to
earn their money between rounds here.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Garcia

Round 3

Somewhere in the world, James Ladner is losing his mind about this
bloody battle. They resume action, cleared to continue, but it does
not take more than a few seconds for the layer of grease to fall
off of Garcia’s head. Hayisaer times a perfect knee on the chin,
and Garcia weathers it and lifts Hayisaer off the ground and dumps
him down. Garcia strikes and bleeds on his foe effectively, but the
latter streaming out again allows Hayisaer to escape bottom
position and get to his knees. Hayisaer slithers back to the cage
wall, and Garcia powerfully grounds him once more. Hayisaer moves
to a knee, with Garcia leaking on his face, and he does not abandon
ship like Angela Magana against Jessica Aguilar. It may taste like
copper, but Hayisaer spits it out and works to his feet. After a
grueling and scarlet-covered exchange, the two split up, but
Garcia’s pressure is the difference-maker this round. Garcia wings
an overhand right that stings his adversary, and he tries for
another takedown but bails on it to let them reset and swing it
out. Garcia ducks straight into a jump knee and eats it like blood
sausage, and he powers through to lock his hands and grip a double.
Switching to a single, likely because they are slippery, “Gifted”
channels his inner Matt Hughes to carry Hayisaer to the middle of
the cage and toss him down like donated Red Cross bags. With
seconds left to go, Garcia unloads with fists on top, and the horn
sounds to stop the fight. They are not finished yet, as they get in
one another’s faces after time expires. Smith separates them, but
they are still shouting and motioning towards one another, clearly
in need of a few more rounds of action. Cooler heads prevail as
they are separated and go to the judges, but Hayisaer does not want
to stick around after Martinez’ announcement. Garcia finally
manages to get the hug he was seeking, and they squash some of
their beef after the result is called.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (30-27 Garcia)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (30-27 Garcia)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (30-27 Garcia)

The Official Result

Rafa Garcia def. Maheshate Hayisaer via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

A commentator’s nightmare match – in terms of calling the action
comfortably – will play out in the bantamweight division, when
Nurmagomedov (16-2, 5-1 UFC) battles Kakhramonov (10-2, 2-0 UFC).
One man’s win streak will come to a crashing halt in the next 15
minutes or less, and referee Keith Peterson is here for it even if
the nonsense is not. The fighters do not bother touching gloves, as
Kakhramonov instead wants blood. Kakhramonov races forward swinging
with bad intentions, catching Nurmagomedov with a few punches
before hunting for a takedown. Nurmagomedov defends against a
single by setting up a guillotine choke, and he pulls guard to lock
the choke up. Kakhramonov leans his foe’s head against the wall to
prevent the leverage from being fully secured around the neck, and
he punches the side a few times before popping his head out.
Kakhramonov works from on top, and Nurmagomedov sets up another
power guillotine from his back. Kakhramonov bucks and shakes out of
the choke, and he jumps all the way around in an effort to pass
guard after escaping. Kakhramonov elects to remain in the guard,
aiming left hands at the dome to keep Nurmagomedov pinned to his
back. Nurmagomedov fights to his knees and upright, but this allows
Kakhramonov to take the back standing. Kakhramonov lifts
Nurmagomedov’s leg all the way up and almost puts him down, but the
Russian keeps his balance and springs away. Nurmagomedov spins with
a back kick to the body, and Kakhramonov unloads with several
vicious punches to the body. Nurmagomedov spins with a back fist
and shoots in for a takedown, only to get stuffed by the fighter
from Uzbekistan. Kakhramonov sits up and hunts for his own
guillotine choke, but Nurmagomedov is wise to it and turns around
to get out of it. Kakhramonov drives a knee to the chest without
nailing his grounded foe in the face, and he maintains heavy
pressure while looking for a single or any way to drag the Russian
back down. Nurmagomedov stands back up and is wrenched to the
floor, with Kakhramonov following him down with several left hands.
As Kakhramonov tries for one last mat return, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kakhramonov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kakhramonov
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kakhramonov

Round 2

The round begins with Kakhramonov advancing, and Nurmagomedov slaps
a leg kick home but gets belted with an overhand right. Kakhramonov
changes levels deftly for a takedown try, and Nurmagomedov fights
it off to post off his hands and rip elbows to the side of the
head. This does not succeed, as Nurmagomedov is pulled to the
ground while Kakhramonov takes his back. The Russian explodes out
of the back take to get to his feet, and Kakhramonov drives him
back down to the ground on his head. Possibly in a bad way,
Nurmagomedov covers up, as the faceplant might have hurt him more
than he is letting on. Kakhramonov pours it on in hopes of a
finish, bludgeoning Nurmagomedov with unanswered right hands until
Nurmagomedov moves well enough to grab hold of Kakhramonov’s arm.
Kakhramonov isolates an arm and keeps slugging away, forcing
Nurmagomedov to play defense while he rains down strikes. The
methodical beating allows Kakhramonov to shut Nurmagomedov down
offensively, and he forces Nurmagomedov to roll in an effort to get
away. A wild scramble ensues, and Kakhramonov comes out on top by
holding on to Nurmagomedov from behind. Nurmagomedov bucks his man
off of him for a second before Kakhramonov dives back down for a
single.
The Russian snatches up a guillotine choke as the takedown
succeeds, and he allows Kakhramonov to get on top so that he can
set it up perfectly. As Kakhramonov squirms in submission danger,
Nurmagomedov maneuvers his arm around to turn the move into a ninja
choke. Kakhramonov is in trouble, and there is no way out in his
position. The trap was sprung, and Nurmagomedov gets the tap to
achieve the dramatic comeback. Nurmagomedov has done
it, landing the first finish of the day while becoming the first
fighter to tap out Kakhramonov.

The Official Result

Said Nurmagomedov def. Saidyokub Kakhramonov R2 3:50 via Submission
(Ninja Choke)

Round 1

We turn to the 170-pound division, as longtime vet Matthews (18-5,
11-5 UFC) at the elderly age of 28 makes his 17th walk to the
Octagon. He will throw down against a power puncher also in his
prime in the form of “Semi the Jedi” Semelsberger (10-4, 4-2 UFC),
who will look to work some Jedi mind tricks before it’s all over.
The two touch ‘em up as referee Herb Dean watches on, and this
match will occur at the exact same time as the madness that will be
Mamed Khalidov vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski at KSW 77. The
welterweights largely commit to leg kicks in the early going,
trading them without throwing much in the way of punches. Matthews
sits down on a calf kick and gets countered over the top, and “Semi
the Jedi” manages to get off a solid kick on the way out. Out of
nowhere, Semelsberger leaps forward with a powerful right hand that
knocks Matthews off his feet. Matthews toughs it out, fights his
way back to his feet and gets kneed in the guts. The Aussie steels
himself and fires back with a vengeance, forcing Semelsberger to
back off and gather his thoughts. As he advances to engage,
Semelsberger cracks Matthews with a left hand on the way in, and he
uses his momentum to take “The Celtic Kid” to the floor.
Semelsberger drives down punches when he postures up, working the
body and connecting with occasional blows to the face. Matthews
ties his man up from above, protecting himself the onslaught band
using effective head movement to sway and dodge the strikes coming
at him. Semelsberger concludes the dominant round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Semelsberger
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Semelsberger
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-8 Semelsberger

Round 2

The two fighters trade blows to begin the second round, but it is
Semelsberger who leads the dance and throws harder. Matthews shells
up after firing off a jab, knowing that the inevitable punches will
come his way from “Semi the Jedi.” Matthews jabs the body with a
few front kicks, and Semelsberger practically ignores them to close
the distance. Semelsberger sweeps the leg and does not chain any
strikes into them, instead snatching up a single off a kick and
dumping the Aussie to the ground. Matthews pops back up, right into
a solid knee on the chin. Matthews replies with a sharp elbow, only
to get tagged with a few uppercuts before breaking off the gather
his thoughts. As Semelsberger swings for the fences, Matthews beats
him to the punch with a left hook, and Semelsberger stumbles into
the wall. Sensing the success of this blow, he times an advancing
Semelsberger with another check hook, but he cannot keep
Semelsberger at bay entirely. Semelsberger slowly works his way in,
taking a flush jab on the forehead so he can wind up with power
punches. Matthews replies with a left hand that gets Semelsberger’s
attention, backing the American up and making him stick his tongue
out. Semelsberger chambers and fires off two huge right hands, and
both miss the mark as Matthews’ footwork keeps him inches away from
annihilation. Semelsberger swings two big punches, but Matthews is
ready for it and clips him on the way in with a short right hand.
Semelsberger again advances, and he gets popped with a left.
Matthews pushes his man back with his effective, short
combinations, until Semelsberger tries to turn the tide with a jump
knee. Matthews responds with a head kick, and they both loose big
strikes. Matthews has a power left hand pound into the guard, and
the sheer impact makes Semelsberger take a step back. Semelsberger
coils back and releases a blistering right hook, sending Matthews
crashing to the mat as the back of his head bounces off the floor.
Matthews gets his wits about him and jumps back up to slug it out,
but Semelsberger beats him to the punch a few times before the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Semelsberger
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Semelsberger
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Semelsberger

Round 3

The welterweights clap hands to begin the last round, and
Semelsberger is ready and rearing to go. Matthews loads up on a
right hand, but Semelsberger is faster and swings harder. As if it
were a force push, “Semi the Jedi” sends Matthews crumbling to the
mat with a brutal right hand. Matthews hits the floor and rebounds
in style, surviving a few ground strikes to fight to his feet. The
Aussie is still with it despite suffering three knockdowns in the
fight thus far, and he re-engages and clinches up to make certain
his feet are beneath him again. Dean calls for Matthews to work
while Matthews holds on tight, and Matthews breaks free and trips
his man and cracks him with a left hand. The American staggers to
the side but does not go down, and he resets to come forward.
Matthews throws everything he has with a few rushing punches, but
they all fall by the wayside as Semelsberger evades them.
Semelsberger jumps forward with a knee, and he drops down for a low
single, but neither succeed. Matthews connects with a few punches
as he is light on his feet and bounces around, and he lets loose
with a heavy salvo of punches on the inside until Semelsberger ties
him up and goes after a single. Matthews hops away to keep his
balance, and he gets shoved to the wall without going down.
Matthews breaks free and strings a few punches together, but the
high guard of Semelsberger protects himself from most of the harm.
The two trade quick blows after the 14-minute mark, still showing
plenty of gas left in the tank. The welterweights clash together,
and Matthews hits a clean trip to dump the American to the floor.
Matthews jumps on top in the guard, and Semelsberger wings punches
and elbows from his back. The two slug it out horizontally until
they reach the judges’ scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Semelsberger (30-26
Semelsberger)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Semelsberger (30-26
Semelsberger)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Semelsberger (30-26
Semelsberger)

The Official Result

Matthew Semelsberger def. Jake Matthews via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The last women’s match in the UFC this year comes at 115 pounds. In
a practical mirror match in terms of the particulars, Vlismas (7-2,
2-1 UFC) greets McKenna (7-2, 2-1 UFC) in the cage. Here’s a trivia
question for the onlookers: Which was the first woman’s fight
inside the Octagon this year? The answer will be listed at the end
of this match. Even with ample respect for one another, the two
ladies opt not to bump fists in front of referee Chris Tognoni.
Instead, they wish to trade hands, and they do it fast. McKenna
leads off with a quick combination, and she hops away from a head
kick that zips at her. Vlismas lines up a jab, and McKenna crashes
the pocket to trade speedy leather. Vlismas stays on the outside
while McKenna follows her around the cage, trying to close the
distance as Vlismas holds a significant range advantage on her.
Vlismas nails the Welshwoman with an overhand right and skirts
away, and she catches a pressing McKenna with a solid right hook.
“The Warrior Princess” uses a jab to keep the Team Alpha Male
fighter at bay, and she absorbs a leg kick as she circles. McKenna
shoots for a naked takedown from afar, and Vlismas shoves her back
and sticks a jab in her face. They land opposing hooks at the same
time, and then jab identically as well. Vlismas beats her foe to
the punch with a few blows, but McKenna bears down on her and
scores. Vlismas winds up with a right hook, and McKenna has to
blink it out as the side of her face turns red. The American aims a
knee up the middle to counter an advancing McKenna, but McKenna
grabs it midair and tackles Vlismas to the mat. Vlismas closes the
guard as McKenna starts to land ground strikes, and she turns it to
a high guard as she throws her legs up for some kind of setup.
Vlismas considers an armbar off her back, but decides to end the
round with several elbows. McKenna strikes back, and the close
round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vlismas
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Vlismas
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Vlismas

Round 2

The ladies re-engage in the beginning of the second round with
alternating strikes. McKenna lands, Vlismas responds, and McKenna
gives a few back. Vlismas lands harder, with her overhand right
best weapon in her arsenal thus far. McKenna takes one flush and
pushes in to tie her up, so Vlismas puts her hands under the chin
and pulls her foe’s head up to stop a possible level change.
McKenna shakes her head free from this uncomfortable position and
grinds the American against the wall, and Vlismas gains a little
space and drills the midsection with several clean knees. McKenna
tries to reply with uppercuts, but the knees are more impactful.
McKenna ties her back up and exerts her weight against her
opponent, and time ticks off the clock in this position. McKenna
releases her foe to swing her fists a few times, and she closes
back in to grab Vlismas and make her miserable. McKenna drops down
in pursuit of a double, but when she cannot clasp hands, she
decides to knee the body a few times. The grind continues as the
Welsh fighter hangs on tight, getting off short shots while largely
disallowing Vlismas from responding. McKenna lifts Vlismas off the
ground at the 10-second clapper, and she slams her down hard. While
Vlismas spams punches off her back, McKenna does the same from
above until the horn breaks them up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKenna
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 McKenna
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 McKenna

Round 3

Vlismas taunts McKenna before the round begins, goading her into
striking with her. McKenna does not oblige as the last round opens,
and instead presses forward and goes right to the clinch again.
“Poppins” pops off with a takedown, dumping Vlismas to the ground,
but Vlismas does not mind this. Vlismas grabs hold of an
arm-triangle choke from her back, but it is not tight and she
cannot turn it into an Ezekiel choke. McKenna frees herself from
the neck grip to establish herself on top, and Vlismas is
immediately active when the choke fails. Slicing with elbows and
swinging with punches, Vlismas does some damage and fishes for a
potential armbar or triangle choke to keep McKenna honest. McKenna
hammers with ground-and-pound once she staves off the attempts from
her downed opponent, and she continues working and staying busy to
not involve Tognoni. Vlismas scrambles, and McKenna grabs hold of
the leg and turns around to move into half guard. The Team Alpha
Male fighter rides and scores with short but effective blows, going
from the body to the head. Vlismas cannot get off her back, and she
takes solid strikes right to the final bell. This could be a close
one. The answer to the trivia question above? Katlyn Chookagian
defeated Jennifer Maia via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 32 on
Jan. 15 in the first women’s match in the UFC this year.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKenna (29-28 McKenna)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 McKenna (29-28 McKenna)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 McKenna (29-28 McKenna)

The Official Result

Cory McKenna def. Cheyanne Vlismas via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The main card kicks off in the middleweight division, as two proud
finishers come to blows in hopes of moving up the ladder in a
wide-open 185-pound category. On the heels of two first-round
stoppages, Brundage (8-2, 2-1 UFC) will battle it out against
ex-light heavyweight Oleksiejczuk (17-5, 1 NC; 5-3, 1 NC UFC), who
has also secured his last two victories in Round 1. It might be a
short night at the office for referee Mark Smith, who is
nevertheless prepared should we go all the way. The sportsmen touch
fists to commence their scheduled melee, and Oleksiejczuk is quick
to dart in and out with a left hand. Brundage sprints forward and
takes one leg out, and he drags Oleksiejczuk straight down to the
floor with a single. Brundage sits on top and hooks the leg to keep
the Polish fighter down, but Oleksiejczuk still manages to work his
way back up. Brundage leverages his body weight to drag
Oleksiejczuk down from behind, and Oleksiejczuk grabs the fence to
stop it but is sternly warned for the foul. Brundage still manages
to get Oleksiejczuk down, and he hits a mat return as soon as
Oleksiejczuk stands once more. Oleksiejczuk has his hand slapped
out of the fence as he tugs on it to get a better spot, and
Brundage slides to the side and attempts to claim mount.
Oleksiejczuk turns the tables brilliantly to flip Brundage to his
back, and he is quick to slam down fists and elbows to make up for
lost time. Oleksiejczuk belts the American with vicious punches and
elbows, all while moving Brundage away from the wall so he cannot
stand up.
Oleksiejczuk wings wide left hands that collide on the dome, and
Brundage drifts in and out of consciousness as he absorbs these
unblocked, brutal blows. Oleksiejczuk continues pounding on
Brundage, unleashing a fury of hellacious punches until Smith has
seen enough and Brundage might have gone out. The
Polish fighter makes a statement by showing that he can survive off
his back long enough to turn the tables, and laying a beating on
the American wrestler.

The Official Result

Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Cody Brundage R1 3:16 via KO
(Punches)

Round 1

A potential lightweight brawl is about to treat fans, when the
iron-chinned Dober (25-11, 1 NC; 11-7, 1 NC UFC) throws down with
Strikeforce vet Green (29-13-1, 10-8-1 UFC). Fists are sure to fly
in high numbers, and referee Keith Peterson will need to keep his
nonsense-free head on a swivel so as to not get struck with an
errant blow. Ahead of what many have prognosticated to be the
“Fight of the Night,” the 155-pound vets do not touch gloves. Dober
throws a kick, and Green shakes his head and responds with one of
his own. Green steps in with a left hand, drawing a wry grin on
Dober’s face, and he drills him with another. Dober marches forward
to go for some grappling, but as he lifts Green off the ground,
Green turns the tables and pushes him over to land on top. Green
backs off as he has no interest in ground fighting, and he lets
Dober get back up. Dober walks forward with a smile to throw hands,
and Green tags him twice and literally shrugs off a blow as he
shrugs his shoulders to tell Dober it didn’t land. Dober keeps his
hands busy, and a kick may have slapped his cup but he does not
mind. Green jabs fast to get Dober’s attention, and Dober wobbles
but does not go down. Green has his hands by his waist, but he is
far faster and more accurate. Green rings Dober’s bell with a right
hand, bloodying the nose and sliding out of the way. Green slugs it
out briefly, but he lands the better in the exchange with an
overhand right. Green pierces out a left and a right, and he ducks
away when Dober spins with a wheel kick. Green lashes his left hand
out of nowhere, and Dober stuns him with a leg kick that makes
Green take a funny step. “King” lords over all he surveys,
including Dober, as he marks Dober up with a few more punches.
Green catches a kick and pushes Dober from one side of the cage to
the other, and he motions to Dober to come get some. Dober obliges,
and Green meets him in the middle and throws hands. Dober cracks
Green with heavy right hands, and he snipes Dober back with long
lefts and accurate overhands. Dober fakes a level change and whiffs
on a big left, and Green gets grabbed and scores a knee before
breaking. Dober leaps in to strike, but Green is ready for when he
comes and connects one after the other. Dober’s face is a bloody
mess as Green continues to land, and “King” scores a few to the
body for good measures. Green keeps chirping at Dober, and even
talks to Dober’s corner, as he styles on Dober. Green gets off a
big front kick to the body, and he slides away from a spinning kick
as the fun round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Green
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Green
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Green

Round 2

Green walks out of his corner to motion that he would like to touch
gloves, and Dober obliges him. Green slides back and dodges Dober’s
charging punches to slip and counter. Dober gets off a big leg
kick, but Green beats him to the punch repeatedly with quick,
untelegraphed combinations. Green pushes out a front kick, and
Dober stands him up with a right hand. A front kick from Dober
slaps into the cup, but Green says he is good to go. Green walks
into a spinning back fist and sticks his tongue out, and Dober
chops down his lead leg a few times. Green responds with a low
kick, and Dober marches him down and gest clipped on the way in.
Dober gets cracked as he advances, but his chin holds together as
he fires at will. Dober spins with another back fist, but this one
misses the mark. “King” strings three or four punches together
before Dober can respond, but Dober does plant a kick low that
gives Green some issues. Green picks his leg up, and he is standing
more in front of Dober slugging it out as the leg kicks appear to
be having an appreciable impact. Green ducks a big punch and
flashes out a left, and he rips the body with a kick. As he does,
Dober fires a left hand, and he connects with another. Green gets
stood up with a fierce combination, and he tries to keep moving as
his back is against the wall.
Green dodges and weaves, and Dober sits down on one ferocious left
hand that connects as cleanly as a punch can on the chin. Green is
out cold before he hits the ground, as the back of his head slams
into the mat with no resistance. Sometimes, it truly
only takes one, as Dober survives a tough round and a half to turn
the tables and shut Green’s lights completely out. What a fight for
as long as it lasted. When Green comes to, he is dismayed that he
got caught, but he goes over to Dober to congratulate him and tell
him how much fun he had. In the meantime, Dober has now tied the
UFC’s lightweight record for the most knockouts with eight, sitting
in the lead alongside Dustin Poirier.

The Official Result

Drew Dober def. Bobby Green R2 2:45 via KO (Punch)

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result