UFC Fight Night 242 ‘Burns vs. Brady’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

Before its multimillion-dollar showcase in the Sphere next week,
the UFC trots out an above-average Fight Night event to whet the
whistles of fight fans while also partially counterprogramming
Bellator. Assuming the bouts all remain intact—far from a guarantee
in this era of the sport—a dozen matchups will litter the lineup,
with some good stuff to treat those tuning in. The night kicks off
with a rescheduled matchup from a card two weeks ago. Featherweight
teammates on Team Shevchenko of “The Ultimate Fighter” battle it
out as injured semifinalist Ramaska (9-2, 0-0 UFC) tries to make
good on his first stint in the UFC, much like Nate Quarry getting
to the promotion after sustaining an injury on Season 1. Fletcher
(8-1, 0-0 UFC) will be standing in his way, previously falling
short to eventual finalist Kaan Ofli, in hopes of making a name for
himself as well. The third man in the Octagon for this all-TUF
match will be referee Herb Dean. The former training partners touch
‘em up, and Fletcher moves to the center of the cage to push out a
front kick. Ramaska eats a left hand and counters, and Fletcher
dives at him with a single and clips him with another left.
Fletcher scoops his man up and deposits him on the mat, with
Ramaska partially conceding the position by jumping for it at the
same time. When Ramaska hits the floor, he rips a short elbow off
the forehead that shreds the Brit, and he closes his guard.
Fletcher moves to half guard, and Ramaska times a sweep to flip him
over and put him on his back. Ramaska looks to set up a crucifix by
pinning his knee on Fletcher’s left arm, but Fletcher is wise to it
and turns him around. Fletcher transitions a single to a double,
lifting Ramaska and slamming him to his seat. Fletcher closes in
with a brabo choke close, and he lets it go when Ramaska ducks
between Fletcher’s legs to get out the back door. Fletcher sees
this and turns, only to get caught up in an inverted triangle
choke. It is squeezing Fletcher’s face and not choking him, so he
toughs it out and turns by pulling off the fencing. The two fight
back to their feet, and Fletcher is quick to punch his way into a
single that dumps Ramaska back down to the mat. Even without
establishing top position, Fletcher lets his hands go, connecting
with a few shots and following them with a pair of elbows. Fletcher
gets pushed back to his feet, and he lowers himself back down to
drop down more ground-and-pound. Fletcher shifts to the side and
then into mount, and with 10 seconds to go he lays into the
Lithuanian with a flurry of fists. That last barrage is not enough
to finish the fight, so the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fletcher
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fletcher
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Fletcher

Round 2

The ex-teammates touch ‘em up to get going in the second round, and
this time it is Ramaska who says hello in the form of a front kick.
Fletcher gathers a full head of steam and plows forward, tying
Ramaska up and searching for a body lock takedown. Ramaska keeps
his balance as the two try to wrangle one another, but Fletcher is
the more powerful man as he elevates and dumps Ramaska to the
canvas. Fletcher climbs into full mount, and he lands a few punches
and a mighty elbow before lowering himself chest-to-chest to lock
down an arm-triangle choke. Fletcher jams his knee on Ramaska’s
belly, shifting to the side while squeezing down with all his
might, and Ramaska does not wish to go out on his shield. The
Lithuanian surrenders, and Fletcher immediately releases his grip,
not wishing to inflict any additional harm on his friend. The
victorious Fletcher has now landed seven submissions in his nine
career wins, with this the biggest in his career as he can forever
say he won a fight in the UFC.

The Official Result

Nathan Fletcher def. Zygimantas Ramaska R2 1:14 via Submission
(Arm-Triangle Choke) 

Round 1

Despite holding a UFC record with six wins opposite two defeats,
Pennsylvania-based grappler Petroski (11-3, 6-2 UFC) finds himself
deposited haphazardly on the early prelims. Instead of reaching
towards opposition in the top 20, he collides with a man in Budka
(7-3, 0-1 UFC) who calls himself “The Mindless Hulk” that cannot
find the middleweight limit. The favored Petroski will receive 20%
of his foe’s purse, and he will be thanking his lucky stars the
fight is still on considering the poor condition of Budka on the
scales on Friday. The two receive oversight from referee Mark Smith
in the cage, and while Budka offers an apologetic glove touch,
Petroski wants nothing to do with it. Instead, he proceeds to walk
Budka down, parrying a high kick and a few big punches, and he sees
Budka active but inaccurate when approaching him. Petroski digs a
kick to the ribs, and it is one-and-done as the two feint and fake
at one another. Budka circles on the outer edge of the cage,
lifting up an intercepting knee and doing so a second time but
bumping into Petroski’s cup. Petroski walks him down, swinging his
right hand out, but he pulls back when seeing “The Mindless Hulk”
mindlessly leaps at him and missing by a wide margin. Petroski
punches his way into a body kick, and he scoops Budka up and dumps
him to the floor. Petroski lands in half guard, where he grinds his
elbow into the jaw and is otherwise focused on control over damage.
Petroski lowers himself flat on top, and when he wraps a few
punches around the head, he is warned for punching the back of
Budka’s melon. Budka bucks but is completely nullified on his back,
although he hands on to prevent Petroski from getting off much.
Petroski frees his right arm and rattles off five or six punches to
the head and side, and Budka wraps him up once more. Petroski keeps
smothering as he looks to step over to mount, and he succeeds in
moving to the dominant position with 10 seconds to spare. Budka
hangs on tight, and the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petroski
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petroski
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Petroski

Round 2

Petroski begins the round aggressively as before, ducking a punch
to counter with a left. Budka bites down on his mouthpiece and
slings leather, and Petroski largely ducks and rolls with the worst
of the blows. Budka tosses out a high kick that bounces off the
shoulder, and he slides to the side to avoid a two-hook swarm.
Petroski slips on his way in, and when he regains his footing, he
walks face-first into an uppercut. Petroski shoots for a takedown,
bailing on it to knee his man in the sternum, and then softening up
the inner thigh with additional knees. Budka breaks free and looks
for an uppercut, but Petroski catches him with a clean left hand to
stagger him for a moment. Budka lashes out with a head kick that
gets Petroski’s attention, leading Petroski to pursue a takedown
that he lands successfully. Budka remains defensively minded,
protecting his mug from much of Petroski’s attacks. Petroski elbows
the body of his opponent as he stays busy to keep Smith from asking
for more action, and Budka clings to him like Saran wrap to force a
standup. Petroski relocates himself to half guard while Budka
scoots his side to the cage wall, and “The Mindless Hulk” tugs his
toes on the chain links to try to improve his position. Smith sees
the foul and tells Budka to knock it off, and then calls for
Petroski to do more from on top. Petroski is warned for gouging
Budka’s eyes as he holds his hand on Budka’s mouth and nose.
Petroski grabs the fence hard to turn himself to a better posture,
and Smith loudly warns him for the clear and obvious foul. Petroski
postures up but still hangs on in a controlling position instead of
inflicting a great deal of damage. Budka is stuck on his back, but
at least he is not getting beaten down. Petroski tries to drop down
a pair of elbows, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petroski
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petroski
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Petroski

Round 3

Before the last round kicks off, Smith issues a stern warning to
Petroski for fence grabs and additional fouls. Petroski nods and
the round begins. Budka looses an early head kick, and he finds
that even bouncing off the guard it has a noticeable effect, so he
chucks another. Petroski walks Budka down, sticking his left hand
in Budka’s jaw when Budka advances. Petroski sits down on a low
kick, and Budka considers a counter but pulls back on it at the
last second. Petroski pushes out a one-two, and he sneaks a jab
under the raised guard. Budka whiffs on his own one-two, and
Petroski slips and counters with a short right. Petroski turns a
single-leg takedown entry into a double-leg takedown, and he lifts
the Ohio native off his feet to deposit him gingerly to the mat.
Petroski positions himself in half guard, and he hammers Budka with
a clean right hand. Petroski drops down a few more, and he thwarts
Budka’s desperate escape attempt with heavy shoulder pressure and
an elbow on Budka’s nose. Budka pushes off the wall to get to a
better position and potentially wall-walk, but this only allows
Petroski to step over to full mount. Petroski has firmly embraced
the grind, with so little activity offensively that Smith is
calling for more action while Petroski has Budka mounted. Budka
pushes off the fence, but he does not escape before the grinder of
a matchup concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petroski (30-27 Petroski)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petroski (30-27 Petroski)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Petroski (30-27 Petroski)

The Official Result

Andre Petroski def. Dylan Budka via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Strawweight grapplers come to blows in a battle between ladies that
like to bully their opponents. Amorim (8-1, 2-1 UFC) has yet to go
the distance when notching a win, while Demopoulos (11-5, 5-2 UFC)
could comfortably describe the sound of the final bell. The pairing
that could see some exciting exchanges on the mat will be
officiated by referee Jacob Montalvo, and it kicks off as Amorim
claims the middle of the cage and no interest in a glove touch. The
Brazilian lets loose with a high kick, and Demopoulos pushes her
back with a front kick but has that leg caught. Amorim uses the
caught kick to take Demopoulos off-balance, and she throws “Lil
Monster” to her back. Demopoulos tries for inverted triangle chokes
while Amorim is on top in side control and briefly north-south
position. Amorim shifts back to the side, and she pushes to
three-quarter mount. Amorim gets dragged back to half guard, and
she allows Demopoulos to explode so she can take her back and get a
hook in. Demopoulos crouches down low in hopes of standing up,
while Amorim is draped over her shoulders before tugging her to the
floor. Amorim looks to set up an armbar but elects to get the body
triangle. Demopoulos times a moment to escape, and she shouts
loudly that the Brazilian has repeatedly grabbed inside of her
gloves. As Demopoulos rolls to her knees, Amorim follows her
through to lock down the armbar. Demopoulos keeps shouting to
protest the fouls, and in doing so, she does not properly defend
the submission. Amorim rolls to her back to complete the
submission, and Demopoulos has no choice but to tap out. The second
Montalvo intervenes, Demopoulos screams at him that the Brazilian
was not grabbing her wrist but inside of her gloves to gain
advantageous position. She implores Montalvo to check the replay,
and he appears to go to the replay officials to check into it. For
now, the official decision stands, with Amorim notching one more
armbar and keeping her finish rate at 100%.

The Official Result

Jaqueline Amorim def. Vanessa Demopoulos R1 3:28 via Submission
(Armbar)

Round 1

Fresh off a few hikes on the Road to the UFC, China-based combatant
Yi (25-4, 0-1 UFC) will try to make a second impression as an
official UFC fighter—his first try in 2023 did not go his way. He
draws valiant Brazilian Santos (10-2, 0-2 UFC), who has received
two rough assignments in Lerone Murphy and David Onama thus far,
and would very much like a step down in competition. Whether Yi is
the foe that Santos can surpass or not, they will have 15 minutes
to figure it out. Referee Kerry Hatley is the third man in the
Octagon, and the featherweights touch ‘em up to commence. Santos
pump-fakes his rear-leg kick several times, ultimately going up
high with a left hand before kicking low. Yi responds with his own
counters ending with a low kick, and the two trade leg kicks.
Santos jams a kick to the ribs, and Yi pushes forward through it to
bowl the Brazilian over. Santos scrambles to his feet, and he ducks
a haymaker of a left hand that would have knocked down a bull
moose. Santos remains targeting the lead leg of his opponent while
keeping his guard up, chipping away and measuring his right hook.
Santos drops down to his seat to sweep the leg in a Mortal
Kombat-esque kick, but Yi remains on his feet loaded for bear. Both
men sit down on heavy left hands, and Santos checks a kick and
hurts Yi. When Yi is uncomfortable on his feet, Santos cracks him
with a one-two that makes the Chinese combatant ricochet off the
fencing. Santos connects with a hard inside leg kick that briefly
draws a limp, and he sends Yi flying with a jumping switch kick
right on the solar plexus. Yi climbs back to his feet, walking into
a one-two but paying it no mind. Santos scoops a right over the
guard, eats one back and fires back harder. The two load up on
power punches, landing at the same time. Santos drives a Lyoto
Machida-inspired front kick on the chin, sending Yi collapsing to
the mat. Incredibly, Yi manages to survive the onslaught of
subsequent punches and works back to his feet, and he makes Santos
pay with a few hard low kicks. Santos checks them and starts
motioning at him, and he points at Yi’s leg and knees Yi in the
chest. As Santos bears down on his opponent, he connects with a
left that bloodies Yi’s nose. Yi makes it to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

The fighters touch gloves to get going, and Santos says hello with
a spinning wheel kick that buzzes past his opponent. Santos jams a
front kick to the ribs, pushing Yi back, and Yi responds by
shooting for a takedown. Santos easily stuffs it, and they proceed
to tag one another with power strikes. Santos goes high with
another front kick to the chin, and Yi tanks it like a champ and
does not budge this time. Yi leaps forward with a kick, and Santos
counters with a left hand and looks for the big front kick once
more. Yi presses forward to engage, and Santos greets him with a
knee and turns Yi around to push him to the wall. Santos blasts Yi
in the face with a loud elbow, and Yi raises his arms as if to ask
him if that is the best he has. Santos takes his opponent off his
feet with a sudden level change, and he lands in the guard looking
for attacks. Yi tries to use his offensive guard to catch the
Brazilian in something, but Santos stacks him up and beats on him
with ground strikes. Santos slashes down with an elbow inspired by
a horror movie, as it splits Yi’s forehead wide open. Blood sprays
from the veritable axe wound, but Yi is not about to fade as he
scrambles to not only work back to his feet but fight off a back
take. Santos presses tightly on his opponent against the fencing,
and they break apart. Hatley calls time to get the doctor to check
on the cut above Yi’s left eye, and he is cleared to compete. Yi
pushes his way in on the restart, and Santos spins with a
picture-perfect back fist that bangs into Yi’s chin. Yi retaliates
with a spinning back kick, and he plants his feet and eats a
powerful left hand. Santos goes after a jumping front kick, and the
kick pounds into Yi’s cup. Yi waves Hatley off and shoots for a
takedown, but Santos rebuffs him. Yi walks the Brazilian down,
fists flying, and he opens a cut on Santos’ cheek. Yi spins for two
back elbows, and the horn sounds. Yi slaps his hand on Santos’
chest, and Santos takes offense as the round is over. Hatley has to
get between them, and cooler heads appear to prevail.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

The two touch gloves to begin the last round, cooled down from the
past few seconds, but they are not about to slow down. They briefly
brawl, and Yi gets cracked and shouts for more. Santos tries to
load up on a right hand, and Yi responds with a double. Santos
sprawls, and he has to defend a second surprise shot. Yi is pushed
back, allowing the Brazilian to counter his takedowns with one of
his own. Santos climbs into the guard, and Yi lifts his legs up
high for a potential submission but there is nothing there. Santos
lashes out with a few more cut-inducing elbows from above,
eventually forcing Yi to turn around and give his back up. Santos
immediately fastens the body triangle around the waist, and he
starts searching for rear-naked chokes. Yi turns to his belly, and
he gets flattened out and tagged a few times before realizing he
should not remain in this position. Santos pounds on the side of
his opponent, and Yi lands a few responsive punches from behind his
own head. “Mosquitinho” issues several stabbing strikes like a
mosquito’s jab to the side of the head, making Yi bleed more. Yi
scrambles but is stuck locked up with legs wrapped around his
waist. Santos follows Yi anywhere he tries to twist and turn, and
he lands a few additional shots. Yi stands up with all of his
might, and he jumps in the air and slams himself and Santos down
hard when Santos gets the choke. The fight ends, and the two
bloodied featherweights hug it out after a hard-fought battle
worthy of post-fight bonus checks.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)

The Official Result

Gabriel Santos def. Zha Yi via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26,
30-27)

Round 1

Two promising young flyweights will try to take that next step to
put their name in the large hat of contenders in the talent-rich
division. Out of the vaunted Chute Boxe Diego Lima camp, dos Santos
(8-1, 1 NC; 1-1 UFC) has his hair dyed in the customary blonde for
the team and is ready for blood. Fellow countryman Lima (9-0, 2-0
UFC), who sports a neat hat walking to the cage, will be standing
in his way putting his unbeaten record on the line. Referee Chris
Tognoni will do his best to keep up with the two speedsters, and he
clocks them in as they clap hands. Lima takes center stage and
switches stances, and he hops back from a front kick aimed at his
chest. Dos Santos aims kick to the side, and he lets fly three more
kicks to varied targets before jumping in with a jab. Lima scores
with a low kick but immediately has to deal with a counter body
kick, and he dings his countryman with a left hand. Lima thumps a
kick down low, and he scores an overhand right. As he backs off, he
signals that he was poked in the eye. Tognoni sees it and calls
time, telling Lima to take his time to recover and not hurry
things. Tognoni tells dos Santos to be careful, and after 40
seconds, Lima is good to go. They resume where they left off, with
Lima slowly advancing while working the front leg with a kick. Dos
Santos darts in, misses, whiffs with a wheel kick and counters a
right hand with his own right hook. Lima misses with a low kick,
and he sees a front kick brush off his chest. Lima stalks his foe
down and wings an elbow, and dos Santos ducks and ties him up while
looking for a single. Lima leans back from a head kick, and he
lines up a left hand while simultaneously dodging a spinning elbow.
Lima’s flexibility is solid as he bends his back to dodge strikes,
and he stomps out with a kick to the knee. Lima skirts away from
the offense flying his way, seeing it coming while working his own
weapons. A leg kick from Lima forces dos Santos to lift his limb up
several times preemptively, and dos Santos spins with a back kick
that bounces off the guard. As they scramble, dos Santos grabs hold
of Lima from behind and trips him to the ground. Lima grabs the
fence when standing up, and dos Santos is unable to mat return him
due to the foul. Dos Santos leans and knees his opponent in the
thigh, and he lifts Lima up a few times to chuck him to the floor.
Lima slides out the back door after the second slam, where he
twists around to claim top position and assume half guard. Dos
Santos works to his feet, and Tognoni warns Lima to stop grabbing
the cage. Dos Santos blasts Lima with a spinning elbow, and they
both fall to the floor as time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos

Round 2

The Brazilians are primed and ready to brawl, with dos Santos
letting kicks go when not throwing hands, while Lima walks him down
with punches in bunches. Dos Santos gets off a front kick and
chains it into a flying knee, catching Lima cleanly and forcing
Lima to tie him up. The two jockey for position against the fence,
and dos Santos breaks free thanks to his knees. They both paw out
right hands, and dos Santos goes over the top with a high kick. Dos
Santos shoots for a takedown, and Lima overwhelms him and throws
him down to the mat. Lima passes easily to full mount, and dos
Santos is frantic to defend himself from anything that comes at
him. Lima elects to remain tightly pressed down on his opponent and
considers an arm-triangle choke. Dos Santos defends the first
effort, and when Lima turns to get a better bite at the apple, dos
Santos protects against that attempt as well. Lima drops down a few
right hands on the ear, and he presses his hand on dos Santos’ face
and draws a warning from Tognoni. Dos Santos scoots his way to the
side of the cage, but Lima remains in mount, smothering him in the
position. Dos Santos keeps bucking and pushes off the wall with his
foot, and Lima keeps stuck to his opponent so nullifyingly that
Tognoni asks for more activity. The horn sounds with Lima not doing
any appreciable damage from this position after over three minutes
of control.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lima

Round 3

Lima offers a glove touch that is accepted, and dos Santos
backpedals quickly to find an angle of attack. Lima proceeds to
walk him down, blocking quick strikes and using his legs to check
kicks. As they engage, Lima complains about something, and Tognoni
confusedly pauses the fight. Lima tries to use Tognoni’s sleeve to
wipe something on it, and Tognoni has the interpreter find out what
the nature of the stoppage was. It turns out Lima needed to blow
his nose, and Tognoni tells him he cannot do that and restarts the
fight. It takes a few seconds for dos Santos to level change in
pursuit of a takedown, and like before, Lima ends as the one on
top. Dos Santos turns to give up his back when Lima moves to mount,
and Lima gladly accepts this position and wraps his legs around the
waist with a body lock. Dos Santos is warned for grabbing the
glove, and once more it is proved that Dundasso is the greatest
base for MMA, above wrestling or any other martial art. Lima shrugs
off the foul and latches onto a rear-naked choke, and his forearm
slides beneath the chin. While the submission would normally elicit
the tap from 95% of the roster, dos Santos fights the grip and
frees his neck from danger. Lima adjusts his grip and sneaks it
under the chin once more, and dos Santos’ face turns a brilliant
shade of red but he does not give up. “Lipe Detona” manages to
survive a nearly completed RNC a second time, and he hand-fights to
prevent another choke from getting set up. Dos Santos is otherwise
shut down, forced to occasionally punch behind his own head, and he
irritates Lima enough with these strikes to make Lima lay flat on
his back. Lima raises his arms to celebrate that he is about to
win, and dos Santos’ remaining swings go wide. The fight comes to a
conclusion.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lima (30-27 Lima)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lima (30-27 Lima)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lima (29-28 Lima)

The Official Result

Andre Lima def. Felipe dos Santos via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Featherweight slugger Dulgarian (6-1, 1-1 UFC) is about to make UFC
history. When the cage door closes behind him and referee Mark
Smith says “Fight!” he will become the largest betting favorite in
the history of the organization. “The MidWest Choppa” will smash
the record of -2000 held by Alexander Romanov against Chase
Sherman, as books see him around -3000 when he takes on New
Hampshire’s Marotte (8-2, 0-1 UFC). This sport is as unpredictable
as it is magnificent, so there is no such thing as a “lock” when it
comes to one-on-one unarmed combat. Ready to defy the odds, Marotte
offers a glove touch that is gladly accepted. Dulgarian immediately
punches after the glove touch, and he uses the momentum to tackle
the New Englander to his back. Dulgarian scrambles his way into
full mount in less than 20 seconds, and he starts raining down
right hands in a hurry. Marotte turns to his side and gives up his
back, and Dulgarian takes him from behind and pounds on him. Smith
warns Dulgarian from striking the back of the head, and “The
MidWest Choppa” adjusts his trajectory and keeps beating on the
hapless Marotte. Marotte clutches the back of his head to signal he
is eating shots on the mohawk line, and Dulgarian does not slow
down with his methodical barrage of right hands. Dulgarian sneaks
three undercuts beneath the armpit as Marotte turns over. Marotte
turns to put his back on the floor, and Dulgarian locks down an
arm-triangle choke. Marotte turns his hips back and forth to
survive the choke, so Dulgarian abandons it and repositions himself
to mount to keep bludgeoning “The Kid.” Dulgarian attacks with
elbows from above, and Marotte smacks him with two surprising
no-look elbows. Dulgarian jams down elbows while Marotte twists and
turns to keep defending himself with his arm pinned to his head.
The Factory X fighter opens a cut on Marotte’s eye from his
bombardment of fists, and Smith asks Marotte to keep moving.
Marotte hangs tight, and Dulgarian sits up and slashes down with a
few elbows. Marotte fights back to get his guard back, and he has
miraculously made it out of the first round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Dulgarian
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Dulgarian
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-8 Dulgarian

Round 2

To begin the second round, Marotte sprints out of his corner in
search of a jump knee or some other leaping strike. Before it can
land, Dulgarian catches him and lifts him off the ground to
emphatically slam him down. Dulgarian is warned for his finger
going into Marotte’s eyes, and Dulgarian is stuck in the guard but
glad to get off punches and elbows. Marotte lands a strike off his
back to cut Dulgarian, and Dulgarian’s pace has slowed as he leaks
down on his grounded opponent. Marotte tries to sweep his foe, and
he nails Dulgarian in the back of the head with a few elbows and is
quick to apologize for it. Dulgarian isolates an arm-triangle choke
when he advances to half guard, and he lets it go when assuming
mount. Marotte turns over to his belly, and Dulgarian gets his
hooks in and smothers his man. Dulgarian steps partially to the
side to pursue another arm-triangle, and he uses half guard to
press down with his shoulder and complete the submission. As “The
MidWest Choppa” squeezes down, he finds the right place on the
throat and force Marotte to quickly tap. Dulgarian hops away and
jumps in the air to click his heels together in celebration, having
successfully recorded the biggest betting lock in UFC history. It
also marks his first finish beyond the opening frame.

The Official Result

Isaac Dulgarian def. Brendon Marotte R2 4:19 via Submission
(Arm-Triangle Choke)

Round 1

Wrapping up the prelims is a lightweight encounter pitting the
returning Rong (25-5, 1-2 UFC), fresh off a successful campaign on
the second season of Road to UFC, against a Californian named
“Taco” Padilla (14-6, 1-0 UFC). Appropriately, Padilla competed at
the infamous Xplode Fight Series event titled “Taco,” which might
be the origin of his nickname. Riding a four-fight win streak,
Padilla wishes to spoil the party of Rong’s comeback. Referee Kerry
Hatley will know first who gets it done, and he steps back as the
fighters touch gloves. Rong opens up with an early combination of
punches and a low kick, and the two then clash legs with
simultaneous kicks. Rong targets the lead leg with a few more
kicks, with one particularly heavy one spinning Padilla all the way
around. Padilla resets and absorbs another chopping kick, and when
he gives one back, it is checked. Rong misses the mark with a head
kick to mix things up, and Padilla calmly pecks away with kicks to
the lead wheel. Rong splits the guard with a one-two, and Padilla
backs him off with a jab that makes him wipe his nose. They trade
body kicks, with Rong’s far louder. Padilla gets off a left hand,
and Rong intercepts him with a few punches on the way out. Rong
hammers the front leg with a kick and has a right hand skim the
temple. Padilla sticks and moves with his jab, prodding it out to
keep Rong honest. Rong batters the body with a kick, and Padilla
tries to catch the second kick and take him down. The Chinese
fighter stuffs the entry and shoves him away, leading Padilla to
rap a few low kicks off the calf. Rong comes out swinging, and his
combination is ended with a shove while Padilla’s arms are
outstretched to parry. Padilla lands a one-two and he pins a low
kick on the inside, and the kick slides up into the cup. Rong
thinks about asking for recovery time, but he tells Hatley he is
good to go. Padilla steps in with several jabs and a fierce leg
kick, and when Rong counters, he makes Padilla shrug at him. Leg
kicks land from both sides, and Rong is spurred into action,
charging at “Taco” and letting his hands go. Padilla guards against
the worst of the strikes, and leg kicks from both men conclude the
trading. Padilla sneaks a right hand over the top, and he does a
second time and then scores a low kick at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rong
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rong
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Rong

Round 2

The fighters clap hands and get right back to business. Rong backs
Padilla off with a combination, but Padilla keeps him honest with
low kicks. Padilla shoots for a low single, and Rong pushes him off
and sweeps him off his feet with a leg kick. Padilla climbs back up
and eats several body shots on the way up, and he gathers a full
head of steam and unleashes a right hand that stuns the Chinese
combatant. Padilla pitches a few half-hearted low kicks, and he
checks one coming back at him. The two bite down on their
mouthpieces and slug it out, and both do some damage in the
exchange. Rong gets the better with a stern right hand, and Padilla
takes a few moments to find another angle and reach out with a few
low kicks. Padilla jabs with his leg kick, using his foot to keep
Rong at bay. Rong stalks Padilla down and reaches him with a left
hand, and Padilla is out of the way after taking one. Rong spins
with a back kick that slams into the fence, and Padilla scampers
out of the way and counters him while evading. Rong steps in and
walks into a ferocious elbow, and he points to Padilla to say he
was poked in the eye but it was all elbow. Rong’s eye swells up
immediately, and he eats a few more shots and fires back with a
vengeance. Padilla slashes out with another elbow, drawing blood
with the blow, and he aims another to the same spot. Hatley calls
time to have the doctor check on the cut, and Rong slams his fist
on the wall as he is upset and knows the fight might get stopped
because of the swelling. Rong’s eye has turned into a golf ball and
he can no longer see out of it, and the physician and Hatley have
no choice but to stop the fight. Hatley waves it off, and “Taco”
lets out a whoop while pointing at his elbow as a weapon he honed.
In his post-fight interview, Padilla shouts out muay thai champion
Superlek, who won on Friday courtesy of a remarkably similar
step-in elbow that wiped out Jonathan Haggerty.

The Official Result

Chris Padilla def. Zhu Rong R2 4:14 via TKO (Doctor Stoppage)

Round 1

It’s a just bleed delight to kick off the main card, as two willing
and able brawlers will likely do just that for the next three
rounds or fewer. Peek (9-2, 1 NC; 2-2 UFC) is a knockout-or-bust
puncher, while Ashmoz (7-1, 1-1 UFC) has landed a few submissions
but would also prefer to swing for the bleachers. As a Fight
Finder-related note, Ashmoz’ record may be reviewed in the future
to determine if all of his early wins are legitimate, but for now,
he is registered with seven wins and one loss. The lightweight
“just bleed” pairing will be joined in the cage by referee Herb
Dean, and they tap their fists together before going for broke.
Peek marches forward and then hops back when Ashmoz wings a right
hand at him. Peek misses a low kick, and he paws out with his
fingers outstretched. Dean does not want to play with that, and he
calls time to tell Peek that he cannot lead with his fingers
pointed forward. They resume, and Peek comes up short with a head
kick. Peek kicks low twice, forcing stance switches each time.
Ashmoz stalks Peek down and loads up on a right hand, and Peek
reaches the body with a right in response. Peek thuds the front leg
with a kick, keeping his guard up to let a high kick brush past it.
Peek just misses with a wide uppercut, but he does get in at the
end of a right hand. Ashmoz ducks a looping punch and hits an easy
takedown, placing Peek firmly on his back while landing in side
control. Peek bucks and tries to escape, so Ashmoz settles down in
half guard on the other side. Ashmoz keeps Peek pinned down without
mounting much offense or getting to the mount position, and as he
tries to advance, Peek explodes to his feet. Ashmoz drives a knee
on the nose while Peek is standing, and Peek backs off to load up
on two power punches. Peek jabs his way into a combination, and
Ashmoz shoots under one to pursue a takedown but fails on this
effort. Ashmoz wrangles Peek to a knee, but Peek keeps his balance.
They trade knees until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz

Round 2

Peek walks out of his corner, hands down, and offers a glove touch.
Peek then wades into combat without concern of reprisal, and he
hops his way in and manages to partially land with two right hands.
Ashmoz chops back with a kick high and then one low, and he gets
caught by one of Peek’s lunging strikes. Ashmoz uses head movement
to get away before Peek can tee off on him, and he puts pressure on
the Alabama native and gets clipped. Peek finds him with a huge
right hand, and he unloads with punches to the head and body and
intercepts Ashmoz as Ashmoz dodges and weaves. Peek rips a left to
the liver, and Ashmoz kicks him back to the same spot. Peek
overswings and allows Ashmoz to hit a comfortable takedown, and he
knees Peek in the face when Peek stands. Ashmoz trips Peek down to
his knees, and Peek takes a moment to blow his nose. Ashmoz rides
from behind and sneaks in another knee on the beak, and he trips
Peek up for a moment with a single. Peek again climbs back up, but
a mat return from Ashmoz succeeds. Ashmoz remains pinned to Peek,
wrestling him to a knee or otherwise in an uncomfortable position.
Peek turns the corner and lifts Ashmoz’ leg up to put him down, but
Ashmoz bounces back up and pushes Peek against the cage. Knees are
traded on the inside, and Peek hammers the body with a few
uppercuts before Ashmoz responds with a number of knees. Ashmoz
lifts his man up with a single, landing in half guard and stepping
over when Peek turns his back to go for a choke without a hook in.
Peek peeks out and stands back to his feet, but he goes for a ride
when Ashmoz hits a suplex on him to ground him before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz

Round 3

The fighters clap hands, and a brawl erupts. Peek finally gets to
exchange recklessly with his adversary, and Ashmoz moves to the
side to take the sting out of most of the blows. Peek sneaks in a
stutter-step right hand, and Ashmoz shakes his head at him. Peek
throws the kitchen sink in the form of two booming hooks, and
Ashmoz dips away without taking much. Peek punches to draw out
movement, and he catches Ashmoz with an uppercut. Ashmoz loads up
on a power punch, and Peek lets it fly by him. Peek gets off an
uppercut and pushes through a knee to sling heavy leather. Ashmoz
shoots for a takedown to respond, and Peek defends with a possible
guillotine choke while sprawling against the fence. Ashmoz goes
after a single, and he succeeds in dragging Peek to a knee and then
his seat. Peek stands once more, and he grips a kimura in hopes of
sweeping Ashmoz but falls to his back. Ashmoz considers taking his
back, but Peek continues to move and fight back to his feet. Ashmoz
knees the body once before Peek separates, and Peek loads up on
power and does not let Ashmoz take him down. Ashmoz slugs his man
in the chops, and Peek reels and fires back with a vengeance.
Ashmoz does not like getting tagged in the mad exchanges, so he
shoots for a single to slow things down. Peek largely keeps his
balance, and Dean calls for more action when Ashmoz stalls. Peek
grabs the fence to prevent a takedown, and Dean slaps his hand out
while also asking for additional activity. Peek stomps the toes a
few times, leading to Ashmoz sling him to the mat with a body lock.
Ashmoz drops down hammerfists, and Peek explodes back to his feet
as this matchup that did not live up to expectations ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz (30-27 Ashmoz)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz (30-27 Ashmoz)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ashmoz (30-27 Ashmoz)

The Official Result

Yanal Ashmoz def. Trevor Peek via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

Due to the late nature of this flyweight pairing coming
together—Durden (16-6-1, 5-4-1 UFC) will serve as a replacement to
Alessandro Costa—the two men next will be fighting up in weight at
bantamweight. Both short-notice Durden and Schnell (16-8, 1 NC;
6-6, 1 NC UFC) are hovering around the .500 mark in the promotion,
so a win may go a long way while a loss could spell disaster.
Referee Chris Tognoni will serve as the Octagon ranger for this
contest, and gloves are touched to get things going. Durden moves
to the center of the cage and is caught with an early uppercut.
Durden backs off and finds another way in, and Schnell clips him
twice more in a speedy exchange. Schnell points at him but does not
capitalize on hurting and reddening Durden, instead allowing Durden
to walk him down. Durden elects to fight to his disadvantage,
brawling wildly and backing Schnell up a big. Durden lands several
body shots until Schnell fires back, and Schnell’s attacks are more
powerful and result in Durden thinking twice. Durden lands a right
and eats two rights back. Durden unleashes a fury of punches, and
Schnell shakes him up with furious counters that are heavier and
faster. Durden wipes his hands and blinks it out, and he backs away
as Schnell kicks him in the ribs. Durden wings a few punches that
come up short, and Schnell times an outside leg kick that buckles
the knee. Durden catches his man on the end of a left hand, and
Schnell fires back with a right. Durden clubs him with a hard
right, and Schnell skirts to the side and prepares an uppercut that
lands on the nose. Schnell clacks the front leg again, and he
allows Durden to overswing so he can counter effectively. Durden
still manages to get off his right hand a few times, and Schnell’s
head movement and footwork keeps him from absorbing any flush.
Schnell snipes his man a few times until Durden pushes out a front
kick to slow him down. Schnell ducks a head kick that skims his
hair, and the two throw caution to the wind and brawl again.
Schnell gets tagged with a left hand on the nose, and he winds up
and retorts with a flurry of fists. Durden connects at the end of a
right hand that cuts Schnell’s eyebrow, and Schnell bites down on
his gumshield and blasts Durden in the face with an overhand right.
Durden spins with a wheel kick that brushes past his opponent, and
Schnell gathers his thoughts and punches his way into a short
combo. They trade left hands, and Schnell lands three while Durden
gets off two. The two trade right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schnell
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Durden
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Durden

Round 2

The fighters are ready to pick up right where they left off, and
after a few low kicks, Schnell lands a big left hand. After
connecting, Schnell shoots in with a telegraphed takedown, and
Durden’s eyes go wide and he grins as he snatches hold of a
guillotine choke. Schnell twists around, and Durden chains his
submission into a ninja choke. When “Danger” keeps turning, he
finds himself in even graver danger, as Durden locks the choke down
and turns Schnell to his back. As soon as Schnell is on his back,
he taps with both hands in a panic as the submission was likely to
put his lights out. Durden releases the choke when Tognoni gets
between them and goes over to the cage to shout at someone in the
audience. His team manages to calm him down, and he celebrates his
handiwork with his wife and corner. While Durden gives his
post-fight interview, Schnell removes his gloves and places them in
the center of the cage to signal his retirement. Instead of looking
for a moment on the mic, Schnell departs the cage, overcome with
emotion.

The Official Result

Cody Durden def. Matt Schnell R2 0:29 via Submission (Ninja
Choke)

Round 1

Garcia (16-5, 5-2 UFC) is hungry, and he wants to share his lunch
of knuckle sandwiches as the short-notice substitute against Nelson
(16-5-1, 4-4-1 UFC). Both men come into this pairing on win
streaks, so someone’s momentum is about to come to a grinding halt.
Garcia has notably recorded four straight knockouts, a rarity for
the weight class. This bout will officially take place at 149
pounds due to the Canadian missing weight, but that should not
preclude the two from slugging it out as expected. Gloves are not
touched under the watchful eye of referee Mark Smith, and instead
they want to fight. Garcia lets fly a kick and a few punches, and
he gets pushed back to the wall and trips. Nelson jumps on top to
take Garcia’s back in a hurry, and he gets both hooks in without
effort. Garcia hand-fights to prevent Nelson from setting up a
submission, so the Canadian smacks him in the forehead several
times. Nelson tries to set up the body triangle, but Garcia is able
to fight off the first setup while he twists to one side and uses
two-on-one wrist control. Garcia explodes to spin around, and he
falls into an armbar. Garcia unloads with punches with his free
arm, and he strikes his way out of the submission and lets Nelson
have it with an onslaught of punches and elbows. Nelson turns to
his side and shells up, and he slows Garcia down. Garcia elects to
grind his elbow on the cheek, and he thumps it down every so often.
Garcia slams down a few punches, and he nails Nelson with an elbow
that makes Nelson turn to turtle up. As Garcia unleashes a fury,
Nelson keeps his wits about him and kicks off Garcia to force him
upright. Garcia leaps down and elbows Nelson in the back of the
head, and a lump develops in a hurry. Nelson sits up with his back
to the cage, and Garcia rails him with an elbow that makes Nelson
crumble to his side. Garcia releases a final flurry of elbows and
punches, and Smith sees that Nelson is no longer defending himself
and intervenes. Nelson tries to stand back up after the fight has
been called off, and Smith is there to make sure he does not fall
over. This is a statement performance for the ultraviolent Garcia,
who has earned five straight knockouts and pounds his way into
contender status.

The Official Result

Steve Garcia def. Kyle Nelson R1 3:59 via TKO (Elbows and
Punches)

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:

The Official Result