UFC 290 ‘Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

The UFC has stacked the deck for International Fight Week, putting
on UFC 290, an event that on paper has the goods. Getting right
into the combat, the first fight of the night takes place in the
lightweight division. With 22 finishes in their combined 23
victories, Kirk (12-5, 1-1 UFC) and Ribovics (11-1, 0-1 UFC) do not
make a habit out of leaving things in the hands of the judges.
While the judicial system may not be in play for this opener,
referee Chris Tognoni might be. Ahead of the potentially thrilling
action, the two men clap hands. Ribovics opens up with a sudden
sweeping leg kick, and Kirk springs back in time. He cannot avoid a
second one, but he does fire off a right hand counter to keep
Ribovics honest. Kirk ducks an overhand right, and he succeeds in
snatching up a double-leg takedown and easily depositing the
Argentinian to the mat. Kirk lands in half guard, but he is active
at attempting to pass the full mount. Ribovics hangs on tight,
protecting himself from any ground strikes, until Kirk explodes
over the top. Ribovics turns, but this allows Kirk to take his back
and get a hook in. Kirk considers an armbar, but he elects to wrap
up a rear-naked choke grip on the jaw. Ribovics turns and fights
the hands, only for Kirk to wrap his legs around him for a body
lock. Ribovics defends the choke, and he twists to break up the
body triangle. “The Jawaiian” softens his man up with short
punches, frustrating his opponent while trying to create openings
for a submission. Kirk cannot get his arm in the proper place to
set up a choke, as Ribovics is able to shut it down every time it
gets relatively close. As Ribovics tries to turn in the position,
he winds up on his knees. Kirk follows him and flattens him out for
a second, before Ribovics turns back over, realizing he would have
put himself in a worse spot. Ribovics moves to escape, and Kirk
climbs straight into full mount. Kirk holds on with an arm-triangle
choke position to ride out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kirk
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kirk
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Kirk

Round 2

The lightweights tap their fists together to begin the second
round, and Ribovics again strikes first with a high kick. Kirk
replies with a jab, and he splits the guard with a one-two. Kirk
plants the ball of his foot on Ribovics’ chin, and he gets backed
off from a blitz starting with a head kick. Ribovics strings a
series of punches together, but Kirk escapes off the cage and gets
out. They re-engage, and Ribovics tags his man with an overhand
right. Kirk shakes it off and pushes out a right hand to the body.
Kirk manages to duck a head kick just in time to pursue a takedown,
and Ribovics turns the tables and manages to dump Kirk to his back.
When Kirk hits the ground, he keeps a high guard and threatens with
an armbar. Ribovics backs off, and he lazily turns away, so Kirk
follows him up and blasts him with a jump knee and a follow-up
right hand. They both crash together at the same time, and they
clack heads together. Ribovics gathers his thoughts and puts
punches together, leading to a takedown effort from Kirk. “The
Jawaiian” transitions from a double to a single-leg entry, and when
that fails, he backs off and tries again. Ribovics backs away, and
he pops Kirk with an elbow on the way out. They proceed to trade
fists right in the middle of the cage, and Kirk’s hands sting his
opponent. Ribovics steels himself and charges with a barrage, and
these two go back and forth and end up high-fiving after their
brief brawl. Ribovics leaps forward with three punches, and when
Kirk tries to clinch to set up a knee, Ribovics tags him with a
number of uppercuts. Ribovics misses with a looping uppercut when
backing off, and he marches forward and stings Kirk with a string
of powerful punches to bust up Kirk’s left eye. Ribovics continues
hammering Kirk until he knocks the Arizonan off his feet, and he
follows Kirk down and slugs him in the chops with punches and
elbows. Instead of punching himself out, Ribovics elects to stand
up and get back to striking range. Kirk thanks him for this by
throwing a low kick and a few punches, but Ribovics knocks him to
his seat with a crisp combination. Ribovics comes out firing,
knocking Kirk into the fence, and he batters Kirk and ignores the
counters that fly back. The two trade punches right to the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ribovics
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Ribovics
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ribovics

Round 3

The two hug it out when meeting in the middle, and then get right
back to business. Ribovics plods forward, slinging haymakers, and
Kirk answers with a counter. Ribovics steps in with a low kick, and
it slides up the leg and bumps into the cup. Tognoni calls the foul
and gives Kirk time to recover, telling Kirk to take as much time
as he needs. The two restart after a 40-second break, and they clap
hands. Ribovics is fired up, stringing a few punches together and
landing a low kick on the outside. Kirk throws back, but Ribovics
is quicker in the draw and with higher volume. They touch gloves
after an eye rake from Ribovics, and Kirk gets popped with a head
kick as he backs off. Kirk, seeing that Ribovics is about to
charge, times a perfect takedown to plant “El Gringo” on the floor.
Kirk, getting his wits about him, smothers Ribovics and stops him
from escaping a few times. Kirk considers an arm-triangle choke,
and Ribovics scoots his way to the cage and wall-walks to stand up.
Ribovics pushes off and reaches out with a left hand, and Kirk
takes a step back and a deep breath. Ribovics lands a few punches
and a front kick, and he rings Kirk’s bell with a right hand. Kirk
circles away, and his subsequent takedown is stuffed. Ribovics rips
the body after shutting down a takedown, and he launches a head
kick that hurts Kirk badly. Kirk drops down, grabbing hold of a
desperate double and throwing Ribovics down to the floor. Ribovics
explodes right back to his feet without concern, and he rips an
uppercut to intercept an advancing Kirk. Ribovics stops another
takedown effort as he gets pushed to the wall, and he spins with a
back fist that clatters off the guard, Ribovics connects with
several body shots and a kick at the end of a combination, and he
tags Kirk with a left hand as Kirk is shooting on him. Kirk drops
to a knee, but he cannot complete the takedown he seeks. Ribovics
cracks his foe with an uppercut, and he crashes through to go after
his own takedown. When Kirk stands up, he eats a few more strikes,
and the final bell sounds to the surprise of many, ending an
exciting contest.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ribovics (29-28 Ribovics)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ribovics (29-27 Ribovics)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ribovics (29-28 Ribovics)

The Official Result

Esteban Ribovics def. Kamuela Kirk via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The first of five combatants from the Oceanic region of Australia
and New Zealand sets foot in the cage next, as Ross (12-7, 0-1 UFC)
hopes to make the most of a second chance for his first impression.
Similarly, Mexico’s Aguilar (8-2, 0-1 UFC) is also hoping to
prevail in the Octagon for the first time in his sophomore effort.
Something’s gotta give, and referee Jason Herzog will try his best
to keep up with these two flyweights. The two charge at one another
instead of touching gloves, and Aguilar is the aggressor as he
swings a low kick first. Ross responds with a body kick, and he
backs up.
Aguilar is on him like a dog chasing a hare, and he dips down,
loops an enormous overhand right over the top, and completely
short-circuits Ross. The back of the Aussie’s head clatters off the
mat, and he is all the way gone. Aguilar stands over
his fallen foe, not throwing an additional strike because he knows
his work here is done. Herzog shoves him out of the way, and
Aguilar runs around the cage to elicit cheers from the crowd. The
Mexican fans in the building, and the rest of the audience as well,
goes crazy for the highlight-reel destruction. Aguilar has picked
the perfect time to register his first career knockout, posterizing
Ross and sending a message to the rest of the flyweight division.
What a shot!

The Official Result

Jesus Santos Aguilar def. Shannon Ross R1 0:17 via KO (Punch)

Round 1

In what could be a wild one for as long as it lasts, unbeaten South
African Saaiman (8-0, 1-0 UFC) hopes to get on the board early
tonight for his country, with a compatriot and teammate fighting
later on the main card. The 22-year-old will meet Alaskan newcomer
Mitchell (14-2, 0-0 UFC), who holds all 14 of his pro wins by
stoppage. Referee Mark Smith is on high alert to keep tabs on these
two bantamweights, although they do kick things off with a glove
touch. Saaiman starts things off with a head kick, and Mitchell
backs off and charges in pursuit of a takedown. Saaiman hits his
back, and he snatches up a guillotine choke. Using the choke to
stand back to his feet, he ends up in a wild scramble and is
ultimately thrown back to the canvas. Mitchell postures up to wing
an elbow and a few punches, and Saaiman maintains a butterfly guard
and looks to set up a high guard for an armbar. Mitchell turns when
it is snagged, and he survives the submission only to get turned
over to his back. Mitchell fights his way back up, and Saaiman is
able to push through and take the debutant down. When Saaiman
stands up to find a better position, Mitchell pops him with an
upkick that allows him to work his way up. Saaiman greets him on
the way up with a few knees to the body, and he jams Mitchell up
against the wire. Through sheer force of will, Saaiman is able to
wrench Mitchell down to his seat.
Saaiman sits on him in a three-quarter mount position before
flattening Mitchell out, where he is eager to get his hands going.
Saaiman unloads with powerful left hands, and he pummels Mitchell
with a long series of unanswered blows. Saaiman continues to
bludgeon “Terr-Bear” with his left fist, doing so until Smith has
no choice but to call the fight. Now a perfect 9-0
with seven finishes on his ledger, Saaiman celebrates his handiwork
by laughing with the commentary booth that no fouls occurred this
time around.

The Official Result

Cameron Saaiman def. Terrence Mitchell R1 3:10 via TKO
(Punches)

Round 1

A knockout may be on the menu for this early light heavyweight
prelim headliner, when lead-fisted Petrino (8-0, 1-0 UFC) takes on
thallium-enriched striker Prachnio (16-6, 3-4 UFC). Holding onto
his hat will be referee Marc Goddard, even though the bout does
commence with a sporting touch of gloves. Prachnio moves quickly to
the center of the cage, but he circles away and uses a great deal
of footwork on the outside. Petrino just walks towards him and pops
him with a right hand, and Prachnio peppers him back with a few
punches and a leg kick. Prachnio strikes the lead leg, and Petrino
counters with a right hand. Prachnio sits down on a heavy right
hand, leading to a clinch initiated by the Brazilian. Petrino holds
on, pressing his weight on his man, but he cannot keep his foe
there. Prachnio breaks off with a left hand, and he gets staggered
with a right hand counter and three head kicks in a row. Prachnio
settles down and tosses out a leg kick, only to be intercepted with
a left hook. Brimming with confidence, Petrino strides forward and
cracks Prachnio with a right hand. Unexpectedly, he shoots in for a
double instead of letting his hands fly, and he lifts Prachnio all
the way up in the air and slams him down. Prachnio closes up his
guard, and he opens it to kick Petrino off of him. Prachnio bursts
back upright and shoulders Petrino to the cage wall, only to be
tossed aside by the stronger man. Petrino fires off a head kick,
and Prachnio blocks it and responds with a low kick. They trade
heavy leather, and when Prachnio hits him back, Petrino shrugs at
him. Prachnio slips and moves, getting off a body shot, and Petrino
lumbers towards him. Prachnio is lighter on his feet with fast
strikes, and he circles away from a high kick. Petrino puts his
hips into another leg kick, and he pushes forward to body lock
tackle Prachnio to the mat. Petrino lands in half guard with 30
seconds left in the round, and he presses his shoulder down to trap
Prachnio. Petrino gets off a few punches, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrino
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petrino
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Petrino

Round 2

The 205-pound sluggers begin the second round and bump fists.
Prachnio is able to duck an early overhand right to sneak in a few
punches, and when he throws a head kick, Petrino laughs it off.
Prachnio advances, and Petrino scoops him up and tosses him to the
floor like a bag of groceries. Climbing on top, Petrino begins to
open up with punches, and Prachnio hangs on tight to protect
himself from the worst of the blows. Petrino softens him up before
slicing over to half guard, and his methodical striking approach
allows him to sneakily wrench on an armlock. Petrino grips a
kimura, and he cranks it to go after a straight armbar. Prachnio
smacks him repeatedly on the side of the head until Petrino is
irritated enough to let the arm grip go. Prachnio tries to explode,
but he only ends up turning to his knees. This allows Petrino to
start opening up with punches, all while he looks to flatten out
the Polish fighter. Petrino slithers his right arm under the chin,
and he secures a rear-naked choke that he sets up by putting his
full body weight on his opponent. Prachnio grits it out somehow,
and he turns over, but this only lends itself to Petrino smashing
him with elbows. Petrino keeps his adversary pinned down with
shoulder pressure in half guard, and he keeps the position until
the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petrino
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petrino
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Petrino

Round 3

The last round kicks off with one last glove touch, and Prachnio
knows a hook is coming at him so he ducks in to throw his own
strike. Petrino blocks it, responds with a high kick, and shells up
when a wheel kick spins towards his raised arms. Petrino plods
forward, sticking Prachnio with a left hand, and Prachnio chops
down his lead leg in response. Prachnio moves in to throw hands,
and he gets a few off only to get popped with a short left on the
way out. The Brazilian’s two-punch combination off the guard backs
Prachnio off, with the sheer impact having an effect on Prachnio.
Petrino checks a leg kick, and Prachnio stumbles back in pain.
Petrino kicks the ribs, and he ignores a combination to jump at
Prachnio with a knee. Petrino nods at his man and drops down for a
double, getting through the defense like a hot knife through
butter. Petrino talks to his corner the whole way, even nodding at
them to follow their instructions. Petrino moves to nearly get to
side control and isolates an arm for a keylock, but he abandons it
to smother Prachnio and claim full mount. With two minutes left in
the fight, Petrino lands a few punches and
decides to change gears and grab hold of an arm-triangle choke.
With his full body weight pressing down and the squeeze
excruciating, it seems like only a matter of time at this point.
Nothing left to offer, Prachnio has to tap out before getting put
to sleep. The triumphant, still-undefeated Petrino has
now notched his first career submission victory. Like Saaiman in
the previous fight, he has performed seven finishes across his nine
pro wins to date.

The Official Result

Vitor Petrino def. Marcin Prachnio R3 3:42 via Submission
(Arm-Triangle Choke)

Round 1

Sticking to the light heavyweight division, albeit with a contest
that has immediate implications on the rankings, the UFC will run
back a fight that ended by contentious majority draw in February.
Surviving an early onslaught and the benefactor of a point
deduction, Crute (12-3-1, 4-3-1 UFC) hopes to get back in the win
column for the first time since 2020. Standing in his way once
again will be the powerful Menifield (13-3-1, 6-3-1 UFC), who is
aching to put Crute away in his second try. Whether he does or not,
referee Mark Smith will be here for it. There is no ill will
between the two combatants, and they bump fists before engaging.
The two are cautious to engage in the early going, with Crute
looking for his range with a front kick and a punch. When Crute
kicks low, Menifield pierces the guard with a straight right hand.
Menifield sits down on a low kick of his own, and he rails Crute
with a one-two that sends him reeling. Crute scampers back upright
after spinning around from the power punches, and he fakes a level
change and drops his hands to encourage Menifield to come at him.
Menifield does not engage, instead allowing Crute to jab him in the
face. Menifield looks to go after another overhand right when Crute
kicks him in the calf, and he misses the mark by a matter of
inches. Menifield catches Crute with a right hand, stops a takedown
in its tracks, and pushes his foe against the wall. Crute looks to
trip him down, and Menifield is warned for grabbing the fence.
Crute lines up a slew of knees to the body as the two jockey for
position, and Crute grips a standing guillotine but cannot rope it
around the neck before Menifield pulls it free. Menifield looks for
a left hand from up close, and he stands up Crute when Crute goes
for another takedown. The guillotine choke again from Crute fails,
and he puts two knees to the body before Menifield pushes off and
blasts Crute in the face with a right hand. Menifield punches his
way back into the clinch, and Crute tries with all his might to
secure a takedown. Menifield thwarts a double and then a single
that comes chained after it, and he eats an unexpected knee to the
nose from up close. Menifield is warned to work, and is then warned
for striking the back of the head when he throws a punch. Crute
tries one more odd-angled guillotine, and they trade knees and
position right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Menifield
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Menifield
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Menifield

Round 2

The two meet in the middle of the cage, and Menifield darts forward
with a shovel left hook. Crute hops back and narrowly evades taking
a right hook flush on the jaw. Crute pokes out a few jabs, and he
draws out a huge haymaker from his opponent. Menifield swings for
the fences, and he misses as Crute is lighter on his feet.
Menifield blocks a high kick to ring a right hand on the cheek, and
Crute shakes it off and gets his head snapped back from a jab. The
two trade jabs, and they go strike for strike with one another.
Menifield nails the Aussie with a big right hand, and Crute shoots
in for a double that he completes. Menifield fights his way back to
his feet, and he backs himself up against the wall.

“The Brute” attacks a single-leg takedown, and Menifield snatches
up a guillotine choke and turns the corner. Using the power
submission to his advantage, Menifield pushes Crute to the mat and
moves right into mount. The grip is vice-like and it is not only
choking Crute but also cranking his neck, and Crute is shocked.
After just a few seconds, Crute surrenders. When the
fight is over, Crute shakes his head with frustration, and he
frantically paws at the tape on his gloves. Getting them unwrapped,
the 27-year-old puts them on the floor as if to signal his
retirement. On the other hand, that marks 13 finishes across the 14
victories for the Texan, who self-censors himself on the post-fight
interview with comical expressions like “Oh Snickers.”

The Official Result

Alonzo Menifield def. Jimmy Crute R2 1:55 via Submission
(Guillotine Choke)

Round 1

The lone women’s match of the evening takes place in the
talent-rich strawweight division, between two ladies on the outside
of the top 15 looking in. In hopes of becoming yet another Mexican
breakthrough star, Jauregui (10-0, 2-0 UFC) plans on keeping her
undefeated record intact at the expense of Parana Vale Tudo product
Gomes (7-2, 1-1 UFC). The two strikers bump their fists together
before getting after it, with referee Jason Herzog on the
officiating detail. Gomes steps in fearlessly to hammer the
unbeaten woman with a pair of right hands, and Jauregui is in big
trouble immediately. Jauregui falls to her back, and she scoots her
way to a knee up against the fence, all while taking continued
punishment from the Brazilian.
Gomes is not about to let her downed opponent off the hook, and she
slams her fists into Jauregui’s dome as the Mexican topples to her
side. Gomes continues her bombardment of punches to knock
Jauregui’s head around, and Herzog rushes between them to call a
halt to the fight. Jauregui slumps to her back and
tries to stand back up, where she protests the stoppage to Herzog,
but she almost falls over while doing so. This is a massive
statement for Gomes, who takes away the undefeated record from the
Entram Gym trainee while likely recording the fastest finish in
strawweight history.

The Official Result

Denise Gomes def. Yazmin Jauregui R1 0:20 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

Thanks in part to some late card rejiggering, highly regarded
prospect Taira (13-0, 3-0 UFC) moves his way up the billing.
Originally planning on meeting Kleydson Rodrigues, the Japanese
prodigy now faces late replacement Chairez (10-4, 0-0 UFC) out of
Mexico. The match will take place at a pre-planned 130-pound
catchweight, and it will be overseen by referee Herb Dean. It
begins with a half-hearted reach of a glove touch try from Chairez,
and Taira ignores it so he can get offense going in the form of a
chopping leg kick. Chairez gives it back, and chants of “Mexico”
rain down in support of the debuting Chairez. Chairez comes up
short on another attempt, and he is reached by the man from Japan.
The action is largely muted other than occasional kicks from both
fighters, with Taira working from both legs. Chairez steps in with
a jab as Taira crashes towards him, and when Taira backs off, he
continues bludgeoning the lead wheel of his opponent. Taira jabs to
force Chairez to backpedal, and he gets kicked off his feet by the
Mexican. Chairez gets off a body shot, and he tags Taira with a
left hand. Taira wobbles to his seat, and he recovers and moves
over to tackle Chairez over to gather himself. Chairez grips hold
of a guillotine choke, and it is tight until Taira settles down and
drives Chairez back to the corner between the floor and the wall.
This allows Taira to threaten with a Von Preux choke, as he keeps
Chairez stuck in a bad position. Chairez recognizes the danger, and
he releases the grip. Taira slowly and methodically works to pass
guard, and Chairez is warned for interlocking his toes in the cage
to stifle the pass. Dean slaps and pulls Chairez’ toes out of the
links, and he keeps warning Chairez for doing it repeatedly. This
foul gets called a few times, but as he is focused on tugging on
the links with his big toe, Taira sits on top of him and isolates
his left arm to set up a crucifix. Taira elbows Chairez several
times, and he is admonished for the angle he uses of the 12-to-6
variety. Taira looks up confusedly at Dean, and he changes his
angle of attack until the close round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Taira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Taira
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Chairez

Round 2

The second round begins with the two combatants getting off kicks
on one another. Taira changes levels and shoots in for a takedown,
and Chairez jumps guard to grab hold of a guillotine choke. The
Japanese fighter easily slides his neck out of the choke, where he
moves right to half guard and even takes mount briefly before
getting bucked back to guard. Chairez shifts his hips, and Taira
times it perfectly to move right into mount. Taira smothers his foe
when he willingly moves back to half guard, doing so to pin Chairez
down. Taira elbows Chairez on the side of the head with light but
effective blows, and he hooks his legs together in an effort to
trap Chairez’ right arm. Taira continues working with elbows before
transitioning to a straight armlock from the other side of the
body. Taira, who steps back into mount, postures up to rain down
punches and elbows. With 80 seconds to spare, he hammers Chairez
with strikes until Chairez turns and almost gives up his back.
Taira slashes down with elbows, hurting his opponent, and he calmly
lands strikes from a dominant position. Taira considers an
arm-triangle choke, and Chairez sits up and wraps his arms around
Taira’s waist to hang on. Taira rolls to his back to lock down a
triangle choke, and he elbows Chairez on the dome and tightens it
up. Pulling the head down to cut off the blood flow to the brain
and hopefully deprive his man of oxygen as well, Taira tries with
all his might but cannot get the tap before the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Taira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Taira
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Taira

Round 3

The last frame kicks off with kicks. Taira wades his way into a
striking exchange, and he gets backed off with a left hand. Taira
checks a low kick and throws it back. A right hand from the
Japanese fighter sneaks over the guard, and Chairez slings a few
punches back his direction much to the delight of the crowd. The
undefeated fighter pecks at Chairez with leg kicks, and he ducks a
looping left hook in the nick of time. Chairez reaches out with a
one-two and a subsequent jab, and he shrugs off a body kick. Taira
shoots in for a double-leg takedown, and he plants Chairez on his
back without Chairez hunting for a guillotine this time. Taira uses
shoulder pressure while in half guard to keep Chairez flat on his
back, and he elbows his foe on the ear. Taira grinds his elbow on
the forehead and forearm on the throat, as he settles for control
over offense as the clock keeps ticking. Fans grow restless as
Taira clings to top position, even when he lands the occasional
elbow. Taira threatens with a guillotine when Chairez sits up, and
Chairez is able to fight it off and get back to his feet. Taira
goes after a double, and Chairez pulls guard for a guillotine.
Chairez locks his feet together and squeezes with every bit of
energy he has left, and he rolls over to secure the mounted
guillotine choke. Taira toughs it out, with no plan of tapping out
no matter how bad it gets, and time expires before the submission
puts him out. The scorecards could be all over the map for this
one, depending on the potential assessment of a 10-8 in Round 2 and
how the first stanza panned out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Taira (30-27 Taira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Chairez (29-28 Taira)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Taira (29-28 Taira)

The Official Result

Tatsuro Taira def. Edgar Chairez via Unanimous Decision (29-27,
29-27, 29-27)

Round 1

Capping off the prelims is a bittersweet welterweight battle, as an
icon of the sport in Lawler (29-16, 1 NC; 14-10 UFC) will likely be
hanging up his gloves, win or lose. Standing across from him in
this last ride will be a destructive yet wild force in the form of
Price (15-6, 2 NC; 7-6, 2 NC UFC). Fists and feet are sure to fly
for as long as the two can remain upright, and referee Marc Goddard
will need to be on his guard as well. Gloves are tapped to
officially open up the farewell fight, and Price paws a front kick
out early. Lawler parries it and moves out of the way of a second.
Lawler steps in to fire off three punches, and he leans back to
land two more.
Price enters the clinch and eats a left hand on the way in, and he
leaves his chin exposed long enough for “Ruthless Robbie” to unload
a pair of left hands that stun him. Lawler smashes Price in the jaw
with an uppercut and a left hook from up close, and Price collapses
lifelessly to the ground in a heap. Incredible! Lawler
has done it, saying farewell in the perfect fashion with one last
spectacular knockout. Goddard waves off the fight, but Lawler is
already striding away, overcome with emotion in an uncharacteristic
fashion. Lawler embraces Bruce Buffer and his team, with tears
streaming down his typically stoic face. The crowd chants “Robbie”
as they shower the legendary Lawler with love and admiration. If
this is truly it for Lawler, it’s been a wonderful journey. The UFC
is prepared with a post-fight video clip to show him, in a
memorable and emotional “This Is Your Life” display of honor and
respect. That is how you stick the landing.

The Official Result

Robbie Lawler def. Niko Price R1 0:38 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Edwin Ayala scores the round:

The Official Result