UFC Fight Night 200 ‘Hermansson vs. Strickland’ Play-by-Play, Results

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Round 1

A whole 13 fights are on the docket for the UFC’s 200th numbered
Fight Night card, but the divisional relevance is fairly low
despite 26 competitors on the lineup as only the main event
includes ranked fighters. Nevertheless, we persist with this
all-ESPN+ show that begins in the flyweight division as Canada’s
Gordon (13-5, 1-2 UFC) welcomes “Psycho” Bondar (14-2, 0-0 UFC) to
the organization. No matter what the UFC and other recordkeepers
list, the Ukrainian’s record is not in fact 16-3. Referee Mark
Smith clocks them in before the fighters touch gloves, and it’s on
with the show! Bondar comes out marching forward, and has a leg
kick checked. Gordon is right there to throw back at him, and he
absorbs a short, chopping leg kick. Two big punches from Gordon
rock Bondar, leading the Ukrainian to shoot in for a takedown.
Bondar hits it quick, and he pushes the legs aside when a setup
from the Canadian comes up high. Gordon uses an armbar to sweep
Bondar over, and although he does not secure it, he works his way
back up to his feet. “Malcolm X” spins around and hits a throw to put
Bondar down on the mat. Bondar hits the ground hard, and as he
posts up, his elbow separates completely. “Psycho” screams loudly
in pain as his arm is wrecked, and Gordon turns to Smith, who stops
it immediately. In the post-fight interview, Gordon explains
that he believes his initial armbar broke his foe’s arm, and that
Bondar toughed it out until it gave way.

The Official Result

Malcolm Gordon def. Denys Bondar R1 1:22 via TKO (Arm Injury)

Round 1

With a win here, one of these two welterweights will lift their UFC
record above. 500. Whether it will be “The Vanilla Gorilla Witt
(19-7, 2-2 UFC) or “The Fresh Prince” Rowe (8-3, 1-1 UFC), that
remains to be seen. Referee Chris Tognoni will be the first to
know, and he observes the glove touch to start things off. Rowe
walks forward, hands down, and he takes a thudding kick to his calf
right out of the gate. Witt keeps on the outside until he darts in
with a few punches, and a right hand pops right into the beard of
“The Fresh Prince.” Witt swats away several long, range-finding
jabs so that he can push forward, and he changes levels to secure a
double-leg takedown. “The Vanilla Gorilla” elevates his opponent
and grounds him, where he lands in half guard keeping Rowe stuck on
his back. Rowe scrambles, pushes off the legs, and fights his way
back to his feet. The success is short-lived, as Witt lands a mat
return and gets back to half guard on the other side. Witt stalls
out the action with his heavy shoulder pressure, preferring control
time over dealing damage. Rowe recovers back to a closed guard
eventually, and he hooks one of Witt’s arms beneath his shoulder in
hopes of a sweep of some kind. Rowe keeps a high guard in search of
a triangle as Tognoni asks the fighters to stay busy. Rowe scoots
his way towards the wall, and Witt is glommed on to him tightly as
Tognoni once more tells them to do something. Rowe tries and fails
to hit a sweep, and he elects to close his guard with a body
triangle due to his long limbs. Witt drives Rowe into the corner of
the fence and the floor, and he postures up to land a few punches.
Rowe locks him down again, and with 15 seconds left in the round,
he explodes out and back to his feet. Witt starts swinging wildly,
and Rowe meets him with a pair of sharp counters before the round
ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Witt
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Witt
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Witt

Round 2

The welterweights touch hands, and Witt powers his way forward
shortly thereafter with a looping right hand. Witt wings another,
and Rowe waves him on. They trade high kicks, and Witt crashes
forward in pursuit of a takedown. This time, Rowe uses the fence as
his ally to stay upright, but his defends slowly falls as Witt
trips him to a knee. Rowe stands back up, only to get wrenched down
to the mat. “The Vanilla Gorilla” leans heavily to disallow Rowe
from standing back up, and Rowe appears frustrated as he is seated
with his back to the wall. Witt holds on tightly until he wraps his
arms around Rowe’s waist, and Rowe uses this moment to stand back
up. Rowe manages to break the grip, and he blocks a pair of looping
shots that come at him from the Missouri native. Rowe begins to walk Witt down, and he tees off with
a trio of punches that rock Witt badly. The legs betray “The
Vanilla Gorilla,” who crumbles to the ground, with his eyes rolling
around in his head as Tognoni leaps in to stop the fight. What
a comeback!

The Official Result

Philip Rowe def. Jason Witt R2 2:15 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

It’s an all-Brazil battle royale between finishers in this light
heavyweight contest, when recent Contender Series signee Almeida
(14-2, 0-0 UFC) comes to blows with Demian Maia protégé Marques
(11-3, 2-1 UFC). With 23 finishes in their combined 25 victories, a
stoppage is almost sure to materialize, and referee Mike Beltran
will be on top of the action for as long as it lasts. The
countrymen show a sign of respect by touching gloves, and Almeida
takes the center of the cage with a front kick. Shooting in from a
wide distance, “Malhadinho” somehow circles around to the side,
lifting Marques high in the air and slamming him down. Marques on
his side keeps wrist control to protect himself from any oncoming
strikes, but Almeida turns to take side control in the process.
Marques keeps his foe’s wrist tightly gripped, halting any offense
coming from the man on top. Almeida traps the legs beneath his own
as he slithers his way to three-quarter mount, and Marques twists
but gets popped with several right hands. Almeida secures mount in
a hurry, and he starts raining down blistering blows. Marques turns
over, and he has to fight off a rear-naked choke quickly. Marques
turns to his back again, and Almeida sits up and batters him with
hammerfists. The punches keep landing, and Marques manages to
block some but others get through. Beltran is paying full attention
to what is happening, and Marques is intelligently defending
himself but getting clobbered. “Malhadinho” continues his
bombardment of brutal blows until Beltran intervenes, and
Marques says he is alright but the fight is over. That is one way
to make your promotional debut, as Almeida keeps his 100% finish
rate intact with a quick win in one-sided fashion.

The Official Result

Jailton Almeida def. Danilo Marques R1 2:57 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

Up next in the bantamweight division in the lone women’s bout of
the evening, venerable veteran and former title challenger Davis
(20-11, 7-6 UFC) will try to make Lithuania’s Stoliarenko (9-5-2,
0-3 UFC) 0-4 in her UFC career. Drawing the assignment is referee
Mark Smith, and he is well out of the way before the two go at it.
The gloves get touched, and Stoliarenko opens with a front kick.
Davis walks through it to bowl Stoliarenko over, and she claims top
position in a hurry. Stoliarenko throws her legs up in search of an
armbar, but there is nothing to be found from the ex-Strikeforce
fighter. Davis steps over and finds herself suddenly in huge danger
as Stoliarenko locks up an armbar. Davis does not panic even though
it is deep, and she twists through to partially free herself.
Stoliarenko goes for an ankle, and when she does, Davis jerks her
elbow out of the bad position to turn back over and re-enter
Stoliarenko’s guard. Davis starts slugging away from on top, and
Stoliarenko goes after another armbar. This one is not nearly as
precarious, as Davis smoothly moves through it to shift over to
side control. Davis scores several big punches from above when she
gets back to the guard, and Stoliarenko is constantly working her
legs in the hunt for a sub. Davis fights off setup after setup, as
she works Stoliarenko from on top with punches and short elbows.
Stoliarenko is not finished looking for an armbar, and she traps
Davis but cannot get the elbow through to lock it up. Davis turns
Stoliarenko into the wall, using it to push through and get her arm
out. “Ally-Gator” turns it up with ground-and-pound when the armbar
fails again, bloodying the Lithuanian’s face up with powerful
blows. Stoliarenko flails from her back, and an illegal upkick
nails Davis in the face. Smith stops the action, and he calls in
the doctor to assess Davis’ condition. Davis gets cleared, and
Smith resumes the position where they left off while issuing
Stoliarenko a warning. Stoliarenko starts again with an armbar try,
and Davis stacks Stoliarenko up and rides the position out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Davis
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Davis
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Davis

Round 2

The bantamweights meet in the middle and start trading, with both
women landing flush. Davis lets loose a leg kick, and she gets
countered with a left hand from her opponent. Davis sits down on a
pair of punches, and she scores a body kick on the way out.
Stoliarenko backs off after eating a strike, and she gets clipped
when reaching forward with a right hand. Davis chops at
Stoliarenko’s lead leg, and she eats a one-two from the Lithuanian
in response. They continue to throw hands, with Davis landing
cleaner and harder. A crisp right hand knocks Stoliarenko back, and
she tries to get some space with a high kick. Davis walks through
it to connect with a right hand, only to walk face-first into a
counter right hook. Stoliarenko connects with a standing up-elbow
and a few punches, and Davis is right there in her face to pop her
with punches and a low kick. Davis ignores a strike coming at her
jaw so she can elbow Stoliarenko in the face, and she follows it
with another that gets ducked. They stand before one another and
slug it out, and Davis finishes a combination with a calf kick that
makes Stoliarenko wince. The Canadian clubs Stoliarenko with a
right and another leg kick, and she makes Stoliarenko wobble again.
The responsive strikes from Stoliarenko open a cut on the corner of
Davis’ eye, and both ladies are bleeding from their striking
exchanges. Stoliarenko gets off a few left hooks, targeting the
damaged spot again and again. Despite the bleeding, Davis continues
marching forward like a Terminator, and she loads up on punches but
her best strikes are her leg kicks. Stoliarenko wings a head kick
that connects right on the button, and Davis eats it like poutine
and continues on her path of aggression. Stoliarenko retreats as
Davis gives chase, but she gets off her solid left hook a few
times. Davis boots the body and evades a counter just in the nick
of time, only for Stoliarenko to wade forward and connect with a
few strikes to end the close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko

Round 3

Both women come out to touch gloves, and they pick up right where
they left off with a back-and-forth striking exchange. Davis moves
forward, and she gets off a solid right hand that makes her corner
cheer in unison. The Canadian sits down on a powerful calf kick,
deadening the leg of Stoliarenko for a moment and making her hit
the ground on her seat. Davis dives down into the guard expecting
an armbar to come her way, and she starts raining down
ground-and-pound in Stoliarenko’s guard. Davis turns her punches to
hacking elbows, as her team shouts for her to “split her head
open.” Stoliarenko goes back and forth from opening the guard to
closing it, all while taking strikes and losing precious seconds on
the clock. Although Stoliarenko occasionally throws a punch or two
off her back, Davis is the far more active of the two, elbowing
Stoliarenko again and again. Stoliarenko gets framed up against the
wall, sitting up for a second until Davis sucks her back down flat
again. Davis keeps her offense going, with constant, effective
ground strikes staving off any thought of a standup. Stoliarenko
closes her guard tight, and Davis opens it up with a handful of
jackhammering elbows. Davis smacks her opponent several more times
while tied up in the guard, and she is comfortable in this position
as she wails on Stoliarenko without answer. A few strikes in her
onslaught slice a huge cut open on Stoliarenko’s right cheek, and
the blood flows immediately. Davis goes right to the bell with her
attack, and we have reached the scorecards for the first time of
the night.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Davis (29-28 Davis)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Davis (29-28 Davis)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Davis (29-28 Davis)

The Official Result

Alexis Davis def. Julija Stoliarenko via Unanimous Decision (29-27,
29-27, 30-27)

Round 1

At long last, Njokuani (20-7, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) will be making his
promotional debut after many bouts with Bellator, LFA, Tachi Palace
Fights, RFA and LFC on his way up. Here, he will be taking on
hard-hitting Canadian Barriault (13-4, 1 NC; 2-3, 1 NC UFC) who
will be aiming for an even UFC record should he get his hand
raised. The Octagon ranger for this 185-pound matchup that can end
in a flash is referee Herb Dean, and he watches on as the fighters
touch gloves before getting down to business. Njokuani begins with
a leg kick, and a body kick from the other leg as Barriault walks
away. Njokuani reaches out with a jab, and he follows it
with a blistering right hand that sends the Canadian crashing down
to the mat in a heap. To finish the job, “Chidi Chidi Bang Bang”
pounds on his downed adversary with clobbering left hands one after
another. Barriault is going nowhere fast, and Dean jumps in to stop
the fight with the Canadian clearly done and barely clinging to his
consciousness. That’s how to make a statement in your UFC
debut, putting away a man that had never been finished in about 15
seconds. Wow!

The Official Result

Chidi Njokuani def. Marc-Andre Barriault R1 0:16 via KO
(Punches)

Round 1

In this next contest at 145 pounds, Dawodu (12-2-1, 5-2 UFC) will
try to bounce back from the first decision loss of his career
against underheralded TUF 27 winner Trizano (9-1, 3-1 UFC).
Together, they have notched only one finish in their total eight
UFC wins, so referee Chris Tognoni may be in it for the long haul.
They would rather begin quickly and do not bother touching gloves,
as Dawodu wants to throw several kicks outright. Most of them moss,
others are blocked, and a spinning kick goes wide. “Mean Hakeem”
goes low with a kick, and Trizano wears it well and tries to reply
with boxing. Trizano rips the liver with a left hand, and he gets
jabbed in the face for his effort. They trade leg kicks, and Dawodu
swipes out with a few punches that miss the mark. A kick from
Trizano glances off the cup, and Tognoni checks to make sure
everyone is fine before letting them continue. Dawodu spams more
kicks high and low, and he ducks back from a head kick so that he
can connect cleanly on Trizano’s planted calf. Dawodu lets loose a
kick and punches, and Trizano gets knocked back and comes forward
with a pair of sharp punches. Dawodu lets his hands go, with a left
to the body and a right to the head in the midst of a quick
combination. Dawodu does not let Trizano off the hook with low
kicks, but he has one get checked. When Trizano throws a punch,
Dawodu counters him with a kick to the same spot. Dawodu keeps
bombarding the lead leg of his opponent, and Trizano lifts his leg
up preemptively but still gets tagged by a few more. Trizano
reaches out with a jab, takes one back on the chin, and is forced
to absorb a few body kicks. They both land flush as they come
together throwing hard, and Dawodu grabs hold of him and presses
him to the wall. On the break, Trizano scores flush, but Dawodu
does not budge and continues marching forward. They trade one after
the other, working the jab and following them with power shots.
Dawodu’s head kick gets blocked, but one to the lower extremity
does not get defended. Trizano gets tired of eating these leg
kicks, and he chains together a heavy one-two. Dawodu replies in
kind, busting Trizano’s nose up. The tense round ends after they
both land on each other.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu

Round 2

Dawodu lands first with a jumping front kick to the midsection, and
Trizano does not appear fazed as he avoids the brunt of the damage.
Dawodu keeps kicking, and he slips a punch to counter right back. A
slapping left hook pops Trizano in the chops, and he is forced to
retreat when Dawodu gives chase and lands his heavy leg kick at the
end of every striking exchange. Trizano catches Dawodu coming in,
and Dawodu charges in to clinch up as he might have been hurt.
Trizano breaks free and lifts up a high knee, but it does not reach
the target. Dawodu regains his composure, landing flush with a left
and a looping right that wraps around the guard. Trizano finds
himself staring at Dawodu’s handiwork, and he gradually gets his
offense going in the form of a few jabs. Trizano pays Dawodu back
with a low kick, and they both start slugging it out momentarily.
“The Lone Wolf” may have clipped Dawodu again as they trade, as
Dawodu pushes in to tie them up against the fence. Dawodu targets
the body a few times, and Trizano shakes him off to gain space. As
soon as he does, Dawodu lets him have it with a leg kick and a
spinning back kick that collides off the midsection. Dawodu snaps
out a crisp jab, and he ducks a big punch coming his way. A left to
the body is followed by a kick on the other side from Dawodu, and
he doubles up with his liver shot as he targets the breadbasket.
The volume of Dawodu is giving Trizano problems, with punches high
and kicks low to keep Trizano guessing. Trizano ties his foe up
this time, and when he does, Dawodu pounds on his ribs with a big
left. A cut has opened beneath Trizano’s right eye, likely from the
jabs of his opponent, and they jockey for position in the clinch.
When they break apart, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu

Round 3

The featherweights meet in the middle of the cage, and once again,
Dawodu strikes first with a low kick, a high kick and a trio of
jabs. Trizano starts loading up on punches, sensing he might be
down on the scorecards, and he just misses an intercepting knee
when Dawodu closes in on him. They go to the fence clinched up, but
it does not take long for Dawodu to gain space and start lining
jabs up again. The jabs turn to right hands, and they are quick
enough to not allow Trizano to counter him. As Dawodu continues to
land, Trizano ducks down to change levels, scooping Dawodu’s legs
out and gingerly setting him down to the mat. Dawodu pops right
back up without issue, and he begins to work the body with short
punches and knees as they remain in the clinch. Dawodu keeps his
foe stuck in the position at least in part thanks to a few fence
grabs, but after a warning or two and a couple of powerful strikes,
he backs off. They trade one-twos right on the chin, and Dawodu
pushes forward to clinch up as he might have been stung. A shoving
contest ensues as they try to bully the other to the wire, and
Trizano is the one scoring with short shots on the inside. They
give one another knees to the body, and Trizano breaks off with a
high knee that is just short. A brief but furious exchange follows
until Dawodu grabs hold of his adversary to press him into the
wall. The pace has waned as they deliver strikes to the body, and
Dawodu is the one to disengage so he can fight at a distance. A few
jabs and a kick land until Trizano grabs him to hold tight, and
Dawodu pushes him back to the chain links. This grueling clinch
battle keeps on going until Dawodu takes a step back to fire off
three big punches. Trizano swings and misses with a knee, and a big
right hand from each land right before the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (30-27 Dawodu)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (30-27 Dawodu)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (30-27 Dawodu)

The Official Result

Hakeem Dawodu def. Michael Trizano via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

The prelims conclude with a bantamweight battle as Fortis MMA
standout Johns (12-1, 3-1 UFC) takes on longtime Combate Americas
vet Castaneda (18-5, 1-1 UFC). Without wasting any more time, the
fighters meet in the middle and touch gloves as referee Mike
Beltran keeps a watchful eye. Castaneda swings a head kick that
misses the mark by a wide margin, and Johns is holding on to a
healthy distance as he circles against the outer edge of the cage.
Johns blocks a high kick, but he does not throw much more back than
a jab. Castaneda continues throwing his kick up on high, and it
does not succeed again. Johns remains elusive but is not swinging
much of his own, and he suddenly bursts forward with a left-right
combo. Castaneda walks forward and gets his head snapped back with
a right hook, and Johns takes a step back to avoid a possible
counter. “Sexi Mexi” has a kick slap off Johns’ leg, and Johns is
waiting with an overhand right counter that brushes off his chin.
Castaneda reaches out with his fingers outstretched, and one grazes
the eyeball of his opponent to force a brief stoppage. Johns clears
his eye and they resume, as Castaneda gives chase but cannot land
much on his defensive foe. Johns blocks a head kick and absorbs a
low kick, and he misses with a left hand. The accuracy rate and
volume this round are quite low, as both men are largely content to
swing with single strikes. Johns looks for an uppercut counter, and
he bumps into Castaneda’s chin but does not land flush. A right
hand from “Chapo” drills into Castaneda’s jaw, but he wears it well
and does not take much more than a step back. Castaneda connects
with a loud body kick, stepping back just in the nick of time to
avoid a looping punch from the Fortis MMA fighter. They feint and
fake at one another, and three head kicks from Castaneda are all
blocked right before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johns

Round 2

The second frame begins with a glove touch, and Castaneda opens up
with a kick that pounds square into Johns’ cup. Johns tries to say
he is good to go, but Beltran gives him more time to recover. When
they begin again, Johns is there with a big right hand. Castaneda
kicks low again but this one is legal, and Johns suddenly burst
into activity as he swarms his man with a barrage of punches.
Castaneda shakes them off, but Johns is fired up and throwing with
bad intentions. “Sexi Mexi” blocks and dodges many of the strikes,
and he marches Johns down and gets punched in the stomach. Johns
catches a head kick right on the side of his head, and he shakes it
off somehow and tries to suck Castaneda into a brawl. Johns sets a
trap to lure Castaneda in and bomb him with hooks, but Castaneda
does not fall for it and keeps pressuring Johns around the cage.
Castaneda lands a right hand on the side of the head, and Johns’
face looks far less confident than the previous round. Castaneda
keeps bullying Johns back, and even though not all of his strikes
land, he is constantly forcing the Fortis fighter to fight off his
back foot. Castaneda clips Johns with a right hand, and Johns
staggers back and may have remained upright thanks to the fence
behind him. Castaneda charges at him, lands again and pushes Johns
to the ground. Castaneda willingly climbs into the guard, slowly
working with ground-and-pound all while he passes to half guard.
Johns turns to his side and gets elbowed on the side of the head,
and with a surge of adrenaline, he kicks Castaneda off of him and
powers back to his feet. Johns loads up on a big right hand, but
his target is several feet away. Castaneda wades into the danger
zone to let loose with a head kick, and several more punches as
Johns is predominantly aiming with a home-run shot. The second
round ends with Johns winging a right hand that clatters off the
guard.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 3

Castaneda opens the final round the aggressor, forcing Johns to
back away as he avoids punches that loom. Castaneda scores a low
kick, and he ducks a huge punch from Johns. Castaneda dodges and
weaves, cracking Johns with a right hand and staying safe from the
reckless, wide hooks coming back at him. Johns wobbles back, and
Castaneda lays into him with a knee and a body shot. Johns throws a
punch so hard he spins around, and Castaneda charges. With “Sexi
Mexi” laying into his tired foe with a couple punches, a powerful
knee and an uppercut, Johns’ legs give way beneath him and he falls
to the floor. Castaneda pounces, landing in three-quarter mount
while he hooks up an arm-triangle choke. Johns defends off his back
by hooking his arm beneath his knee, but his arm grows weary and he
retracts it. “Chapo” considers tapping out, but he goes out on his
shield, with the arm-triangle choke sending him off to
dreamland. Beltran notices that Johns’ is fast asleep and
intervenes, and Castaneda is now the first fighter to ever submit
Johns.

The Official Result

John Castaneda def. Miles Johns R3 1:38 via Technical Submission
(Arm-Triangle Choke)

Round 1

The main card begins in an unexpected catchweight due to an
unfortunate weight miss by several pounds. Erosa (26-9, 4-5 UFC),
making the most of his third stint in the UFC with three wins
opposite one defeat on this current run, will be facing off against
the heavy Fortis MMA ex-bantamweight Peterson (19-9, 3-3 UFC) at
149 pounds. The dark horse “Fight of the Night” candidate receives
oversight from referee Mark Smith, and there is no glove touching
as these two want to get after it right away. Erosa slings a head
kick, Peterson blocks it and fires a right hand down the pipe.
Peterson catches a body kick so he can aim a big right hand again,
and that comes up short. The forward momentum of the heavier
fighter allows him to clinch up and pursue a takedown, but Erosa
stops it from succeeding and breaks away. Erosa sits down on a kick
to the body, and his foe takes it with a sharp exhale. Erosa
marches Peterson down, ignoring leg kicks so he can reach out with
punches. Erosa loads up with his right hand as he keeps his arms
low, and Peterson catches him with a short left hand. “Juicy J”
walks Peterson down, shrugging off leg kicks so that he can kick
the fighter that missed weight in the midsection. They jab at the
same time, and Erosa chains a few punches together that knock
Peterson around but do not appear to hurt him. Erosa goes up high
with a hook kick that just misses, leading Peterson to try to
counter with a big left hand that brushes off the hair. A right
hand from Erosa cuts Peterson beneath his left eye, and Peterson
spins around with a back fist that Erosa sees coming. Peterson goes
for another spinning back fist that is similarly inaccurate,
leading Erosa to charge ahead and wind up a bomb of a right hand
that whiffs. Peterson backs up to the fence, tripping as he is up
against it, and Erosa nails him with a crisp right hand. “Ocho”
looks to back Erosa off, but Erosa is not giving ground and
continues to plod ahead even while the Fortis MMA fighter lands at
him. Erosa scores a leg kick, ducks a spinning back fist and leaps
in the air with a flying knee. Peterson connects with a big right
hand, and Erosa gives it right back and snaps Peterson’s head back
with a trio of clubbing hooks. Erosa has his man on the ropes, and
he tries to finish the job, but time expires before he can secure a
stoppage.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erosa
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Erosa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Erosa

Round 2

Erosa takes the middle of the cage first, but Peterson meets him
there and they both start throwing bombs. Peterson shakes Erosa up,
Erosa gives it right back, and the punches from Erosa have busted
Peterson’s nose open. Erosa kicks low and spins with a back fist to
give Peterson a taste of his own medicine, and Peterson sees it
coming and aims a jab to the body. They land leg kicks one after
the other, and Peterson cracks Erosa with a right hand and leaps
after him with a superman punch. Erosa gets tagged again, leading
him to shoot in for a takedown. “Ocho” stuffs it and gets off
another clean right hand, and Erosa’s face is starting to get
marked up as well. Peterson’s power is giving Erosa issues, as the
volume of Erosa has diminished as a result. The Fortis MMA fighter
absorbs a leg kick, and instead of backing away, he jumps forward.
Peterson blasts Erosa with a huge right hand, and he begins an
onslaught that backs Erosa up to the fence and nearly off his feet.
Peterson continues pounding on Erosa, and out of nowhere, Erosa
drills Peterson in the face with a back fist that drops Peterson to
his knees. What an exchange, and what a momentum change! Erosa
charges forward, still hurt, and he pushes Peterson over and tries
to secure top position. Peterson does not allow himself to be
grounded and he pops back up, and the two throw caution to the wind
and start brawling. Erosa ducks a spinning back fist and goes for a
takedown, but he cannot secure it. With a second or third wind,
Erosa connects with a few looping hooks, and Peterson’s nose is
positively spraying blood. Erosa ducks a spinning back fist, and he
jumps in the air with a leaping punch that makes Peterson smile.
This close, furious round comes to an end as a bloodied Peterson is
grinning at his opponent.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Peterson
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Peterson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Peterson

Round 3

The featherweights show a new level of respect for another in the
last round, as they high five before going after it. Erosa
advances, scoring with a couple wild hooks as Peterson throws
similar winging shots. Erosa gets tagged with a huge right hand,
and he shoots in low for a takedown. Peterson knows it is coming,
and he latches on to a guillotine choke. “Ocho” grimaces as he
squeezes with all of his might, and the squeeze is causing Peterson
to pour blood out of his nose. Erosa slides his neck out, partly
because of the blood, and they get back to their feet. Jabs come
from each, landing at the same time, and Erosa swings mightily and
hits air. Peterson replies with a right hook, and he reaches out
with a front kick. Peterson walks into a stiff jab, and they both
snipe one another with powerful strikes. Peterson lines up a
one-two, and another as Erosa shakes them off and advances,
swinging wildly. Technique is largely out the window as these two
slug it out, with heavy blows and deep breaths from each. Peterson
sweeps the leg with a low kick, and “Juicy J” springs back up so he
can keep on trading. Peterson misses with a looping punch, and
Erosa gives it right back with a huge shot that sends Peterson
reeling. These two are giving it all they have, busting each other
in the chops and not flinching. One lands, gets rocked, and throws
back to rock his opponent. Erosa shouts his excitement for the fun
fight, and he shoots in for a takedown. Peterson aims for a
guillotine, but with the blood all over his arms, Erosa easily
slips his neck out. Erosa fights off a shoulder lock try to sit up,
and he starts landing ground-and-pound. Peterson closes his guard
and starts slugging it out from his back, and he suddenly opens it
to kick Erosa off. When Peterson charges at him for one final
barrage, Erosa jumps in the air with a cartwheel kick that bounces
off the side of Peterson’s head. “Ocho” dives down as Erosa falls
over from the kick, landing a hammerfist or two until the final
horn blares. These two fighters hug it out after a mighty battle,
one that seems like a lock for $50,000 checks for each man after 15
minutes of mayhem – unfortunately for Peterson, he is not eligible
for a bonus after missing weight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erosa (29-28 Erosa)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Erosa (29-28 Erosa)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Erosa (29-28 Erosa)