UFC Vegas 106 ‘Burns vs. Morales’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

After posting up in a few arenas around North America, it was time
for the UFC to hibernate back in the Apex for a card that will
likely see pink slips fly in preparation for the upcoming season of
Dana White’s Contender Series. Nine athletes across this 12-fight
lineup hold UFC records of .500 or lower—although a couple are due
to UFC debutants—with just four fighters ranked by the promotion on
the billing. Interestingly enough, those with numbers next to their
name come in the main event and this curtain jerker. Two ladies in
the top 15 of the strawweight division kick things off today, as
Pennington (14-7, 10-7 UFC) looks to put a win streak together for
the first time in years at the expense of skidding Brazilian
Pinheiro (11-4, 3-3 UFC). Referee Chris Tognoni will draw the first
assignment of the day, one that begins as the ladies clap hands.
It’s on with the show. Pennington takes to the center of the cage,
peeking out behind her jab with a low kick. Always moving, the
shorter woman pecks at the front leg of the Brazilian with a couple
more kicks. Pennington shocks her opponent by firing off a low kick
and then nailing Pinheiro in the face with her shin, and Pinheiro
has to take a second to blink it out but is otherwise
uncompromised. Pennington recoils her leg, and Pinheiro turns her
hips into her own leg kick. The two strawweights work on one
another with chopping kicks, with Pinheiro’s heavier but Pennington
tossing out more. The latter fakes one kick to work her way in with
a punch flurry, and Pinheiro backs her off with a pair of winding
hooks. Pennington times a kick to a right hand, stunning her foe
for a second, and backing off to avoid the counter. Pennington
sticks and moves, only absorbing a front kick but scoring her own
series of quick punches on the chin. Pennington turns to stomp on
the knee with a kick, and both women connect with fists while
Pennington hits hard at the end of a right hand. Pinheiro bites
down on her mouthpiece to sling back an overhand right, and it is
one-and-done before “The Tiny Tornado” zips back. Pennington dings
her opponent with a burst of punches, and Pinheiro throws caution
to the wind by swinging heavier back. The Brazilian shoots in for a
takedown, and Pennington shuts it down before it can materialize
although she takes a knee on the chin on the way out. Pinheiro gets
the better of her adversary with a right hand that sets Pennington
on her seat with seconds to spare in the round, and she leaps on
top to deliver ground-and-pound. As Pinheiro swings with Pennington
on her back, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pinheiro
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pinheiro

Round 2

Pennington reintroduces herself to start the right with a front
kick on the Brazilian’s chin, with no interest in touching gloves
first. Pinheiro reaches her at the end of a right hand, but
Pennington is no worse for wear as they back apart to return to
kickboxing range. Both women are inaccurate with their kicks up
high, with Pennington whiffing on a hook kick and then a head kick.
Pinheiro slaps her foe’s lead leg once, and she pounds one on the
inside that lands with a thud. The two crash into one another with
swarming fists, but the close proximity to one another leads to few
actually landing. Pinheiro peppers the front leg with a kick and
dances away from the counters, while finding her home with a hard
right hand. The Brazilian allows the flurries from the “Tiny
Tornado” to buzz past her or come up short, and she times a
straight right hand that stings Pennington. Pennington steels
herself and lets go with her own right hand that shakes up Pinheiro
and makes her smile. Pennington presses forward, forcing Pinheiro
to fight off her back foot and looking for a left to the body and
right to the head. Pennington stomps at the knee again effectively,
only for Pinheiro to immediately answer with two leg kicks.
Pennington swings past her adversary and gets clipped on the way
with a check left hook, but it does not stop her from her forward
movement. Pinheiro rings her bell with a one-two, forcing a spin
kick that is nowhere close to the mark. Pennington moves in close
to wrap her hands around the waist and wrench Pinheiro down, but
the Brazilian keeps her balance with the fence and knees Pennington
a couple times until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pinheiro
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pinheiro
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pinheiro

Round 3

They high-five after 10 minutes of fairly solid kickboxing, and
Pinheiro leads off first with punches that set up a leg kick.
Pennington jabs her back, hopping away from a low kick and whipping
a hook kick that slaps into the face and a side kick that pounds
into the torso. The second kick drives Pinheiro back a few steps,
only for Pennington to get up close to her and plant a knee on her
stomach. Pennington reaches with her kicks, aimed at the body and
lead leg, and she maintains these strikes to keep Pinheiro at bay.
Pennington dodges a head kick and lands her own side kick, and she
slides just out of range of a leaping left hook. Pennington axe
kicks, hook kicks, spins with a back fist that nails Pinheiro and
then skirts away to not get countered. As Pinheiro comes towards
her, Pennington unleashes a hard side kick that pushes straight
into Pinheiro’s chest. When Pennington sets up her hook kick to
spinning back fist series again, Pinheiro ducks it and hits a
takedown to put “The Tiny Tornado” on her seat. Pennington works
immediately back to her feet and turns the Brazilian around, only
for Pinheiro to hit a judo throw and put Pennington back down.
Pennington’s get-up game allows her to work her way up even though
Pinheiro has her arms wrapped around her, and Pinheiro succeeds in
mat returning her for a second. When Pennington stands, Pinheiro
hip tosses her to the ground, and she tries to get going in the
guard while Pennington sets up a triangle choke off her back.
Pinheiro slams her way out of it, and she stands up and gets popped
with a couple stiff upkicks. Pennington follows her up, and she
looks to tackle Pinheiro to the ground but is countered and placed
on her back as time expires. It could be anyone’s game depending on
how the first round—and really, that potential knockdown—was
scored.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (29-28 Pinheiro)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (29-28
Pennington)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (29-28
Pinheiro)

The Official Result

Tecia Pennington def. Luana Pinheiro via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The second bout of the evening comes at the flyweight division, as
unbeaten “Peace of Mind” Park (9-0, 2-0 UFC) searches for some
peace of mind in the Octagon when he battles Hernandez (10-4, 3-3
UFC). The finish rates between the two could scarcely be more
different with Park finishing eight of nine foes inside the
distance while Hernandez has yet to notch a knockout with the
majority of his appearances hearing the final bell. The third man
in the cage will be referee Kerry Hatley, who is ready to keep up
as the speedy 125ers collide. There is a touch of gloves first, and
Park shifts to the middle of the cage to establish himself, tossing
out a low kick to get started. Hernandez breaks a lull of about 30
seconds with a darting one-two, skipping back before Park can pay
him back. When Hernandez comes in swinging again, Park is ready to
throw back, and both men connect cleanly on the other. Park kicks
low, Hernandez has a high kick slap off the guard and recoils his
limb to fire it off to the calf. Park jabs him to the body, keeping
his gloves high after it to defend against a head kick he knows is
coming. The two trade short but fierce punch exchanges, and Park is
fearless and connects hard on his opponent. The punches from Park
bend over Hernandez, and he quickly drives two knees to the
midsection effectively. Sensing his momentum, the South Korean
lifts Hernandez in the air and slams him down, where he quickly
takes back control. Park softens his man up with punches on either
side of the head, which open up a rear-naked choke.

Park does not secure the grip completely, utilizing more of brute
force squeeze than the standard lock, but it is enough. He still
has full power in his arms, crushing the windpipe with all his
might. Hernandez thinks about going out on his shield, but before
he goes out, he elects to tap out. Hatley is right on
top of the action, separating the two as the finish materializes,
and Park bounds away to leap in the arms of his corner while a few
famous South Koreans in the audience hoot and holler for their
countryman. Flyweight has another contender on its hands with the
still-undefeated Park.

The Official Result

Hyun Sung Park def. Carlos Hernandez R1 2:26 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)

Round 1

Another pair of strawweights takes center stage in the Octagon when
Reed (8-4, 4-4 UFC) comes to blows with Gomes (10-3, 4-2 UFC). Over
the last few years, the Brazilian has held a pattern of winning two
while dropping the third, and she has a chance to break that if she
gets her hand raised. Meanwhile, a victory for Reed would put an
end to a nine-fight stretch of alternating wins and losses. No
matter how it shakes out, referee Jason Herzog will be there for it
every step of the way. Eager to get slugging, the women do not tap
gloves together. Gomes instead starts with a looping right hand
that slams square into Reed’s cheek. Reed shakes it off, and Gomes
looks for another. Reed walks her opponent down, scoring her own
strikes, but Gomes’ power is far more significant as she backs Reed
off with a vicious straight right hand. Reed’s eyes go wide as she
absorbs the impact of that thudding blow, and she backs off in a
hurry. Seeing that Reed’s cheek is swelling up in a hurry, Gomes
opens up with a few more booming right hands that hurt her opponent
badly. Reed hangs on tight, and Gomes lashes out with an elbow that
may have broken her orbital due to the immediate, massive swelling
beneath her eye. Gomes mixes things up by wrapping her arms around
the American, and she tosses Reed to her knees. A second effort
from Gomes puts Reed flat on her back, where Gomes resides in half
guard working the body. Reed clings to her opponent to disallow her
from winding up on anything substantial, but this lets Gomes remain
flat on top of her exuding heavy chest pressure. Gomes maintains
top position and tries to isolate Reed’s right arm so she can
attack with her free hand, but only a few shots get off. Gomes
presses her full body weight down and considers an arm-triangle
choke, but there is not enough time to get anything from it as the
horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomes
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gomes
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gomes

Round 2

Trying to keep her distance early on, Reed stays far away, pitching
kicks to multiple targets from both legs. Gomes walks through them
and uses a low kick to open up a monstrous right hand over the top.
She blasts Reed in the face with her sledgehammer, dropping Reed to
her knees immediately.
Reed somehow works her way to the wall to try to get up, but the
Brazilian is not about to let her off the hook and drills her with
two left hooks that put Reed down again. Gomes sits on top of her
downed opponent, laying into her with right hand after right hand
as blood streams from Reed’s nose. As the punches continue to mount
with no escape in sight for Reed, Herzog waves the fight
off, with Reed very possibly knocked out and back into
consciousness during the final bombardment. Reed sits up on one
knee, dazed but aware, and she knows her day is over. Gomes is all
smiles, as she registers a big win and establishes herself as a
potential contender in her weight class. Meanwhile, her win two,
lose one stretch is over.

The Official Result

Denise Gomes def. Elise Reed R2 0:30 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

The final match among women comes at the 135-pound division, as
Santos (8-2, 3-1 UFC) moves up in weight to challenge “Thai
Panther” Lisboa (7-2, 2-0 UFC). The former saw her solid win streak
come to a halt last August because of Casey O’Neill, but she can
play spoiler to Lisboa and her own five-fight victorious stretch.
Referee Herb Dean will be on call for this bantamweight battle, and
the countrywomen touch ‘em up before getting down to business.
Lisboa measures with her jab right off the bat, pressuring her
opponent and throwing a kick at the same time Santos does. They jab
at one another; Lisboa catches a kick to counter over the top.
Santos sneaks in a left hand, swaying and moving as Lisboa tries to
counter. Santos sticks out a front kick too long, but this is
intentional as it distracts Lisboa enough and makes her try to
throw back. She uses this to set up a takedown, where she bowls
Lisboa over and climbs into side control. Santos uses a scarf hold
to look to pass to mount, and instead gladly assumes north-south
position. Lisboa tries to crawl out the back by throwing her legs
up and around the back, but Santos calmly works out of it and puts
herself flat in half guard. Lisboa pushes off the cage to try to
get to a better position, and Santos is simultaneously looking to
step into mount. This results in a stalemate, with little offense
coming as Santos would rather take a dominant position. She rolls
Lisboa over to try to take her back, but Lisboa calmly works to her
knees. When Lisboa reaches her feet, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

While they do touch gloves, Lisboa is rushing forward to get going
and try to make up lost ground. She backs Santos off with her jab,
and she fakes a knee and scores a body kick with her other leg.
Santos times a one-two down the pipe, and she scoots away. When
Lisboa sets her feet down to engage, Santos counters her over the
top. As Lisboa commits to strikes, a half-hearted front kick from
her leaves her wide open to the takedown. Santos gladly accepts
this and puts Lisboa on her back, where she is immediately in high
side control as she wraps her arms around her foe’s head with a
scarf hold. Lisboa tries again to wrap her legs up and around to
get the back, but she does not have the same flexibility and energy
as she did the last round to get anywhere. Santos holds her down in
the scarf hold position, not using it for submission purposes but
instead grinding it and just making Lisboa’s life generally
miserable. All of Lisboa’s flailing leg movements do nothing to
improve her position, as Santos is so high up on her body
flattening her out. Every so often, Santos thumps her foe with
short right hands, but no blow has any significant impact. Santos
considers isolating Lisboa’s right arm, but this allows Lisboa to
turn her body. As Lisboa keeps turning, she inadvertently gives up
her back, and Santos wraps her legs around the waist and has both
hooks in. Santos climbs to maintain partial back control that she
uses to slip into full mount, and she drops down a punch or two
before suffocating Lisboa further. Santos uses heavy chest pressure
to keep Lisboa pinned, but she is not willing to take the risk of
posturing up far.
With seconds left on the clock, Santos does not ride it out and
instead latches on to a keylock and/or Americana. Lisboa clings to
her left arm, which is starting to torque badly as one can imagine
tendons and ligaments screaming out from the unusual tension.
Santos cranks with all she has, and Lisboa taps out of the sight of
Dean and then speaks out. Dean confirms with her that
it was a surrender and separates the two, with Santos notching the
buzzer-beating submission that has become a rarity inside the
Octagon and even more infrequent among women—remarkably, the first
for a female UFC fighter.

The Official Result

Luana Santos def. Tainara Lisboa R2 4:59 via Submission
(Keylock)

Round 1

This featherweight contest is a battle of momentum, with one
undefeated fighter against a submission artist that has had his
chin checked a few times so far. Del Valle (8-0, 0-0 UFC) will be
making his debut, and his goal is to continue the losing streak—and
knockout streak—of New England native Matthews (7-3, 0-2 UFC). It
is a Shillan and Duffy Show special with Del Valle fighting out
Houston compared to Matthews from the northeast, and the betting
lines have the unbeaten man heavily favored. In MMA, anything can
happen, and referee Chris Tognoni is ready in the event something
unexpected goes down. Before they try to knock one another’s head
around, the respect is shared in the form of a sporting glove
touch. Matthews keeps his left arm outstretched to gauge his
distance, opening him up to a slapping leg kick. Del Valle pitches
another that lands with a thud, walking through a responsive kick
so he can open up with a left hand. Del Valle hammers the body and
front leg with his shin, the impacts echoing across the arena. When
Matthews throws his own back, it is not nearly as audible but still
lands cleanly. Del Valle’s kicks force a stance switch, and he
skips away before Matthews can counter him. Matthews is warned for
outstretched fingers, and he fires off a kick that is caught,
allowing Del Valle to toss the limb aside and put him down on the
mat. Del Valle climbs on top to drop down several slashing elbows,
and he laces his legs around his opponent’s. Matthews defends on
his seat with a guillotine choke, but Del Valle wriggles his neck
out of it and starts clubbing “Bad News” with left hands. As
Matthews scrambles, he gives up his back, and Del Valle welcomes
this by hammering him with more big left hands.
The punches give way to a more artful approach, as he slides his
forearm beneath the chin and locks down a rear-naked choke in the
blink of an eye. The Massachusetts native taps out frantically as
the unbeaten fighter crushes his larynx, and Tognoni
intervenes and has the victor dismount his fallen foe. Del Valle
bellows in celebration, keeping his perfect record intact while
scoring a speedy finish in his promotional debut.

The Official Result

Yadier Del Valle def. Connor Matthews R1 2:54 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)

Round 1

Lightweight veterans with technically equal records in the
UFC—although one has a no contest—come to blows, with plans of
remaining highly regarded in the talent-rich division. Gordon
(20-7, 1 NC; 8-6, 1 NC UFC) is the one who also has the grey mark
on his pace thanks to a clash of heads with Bobby Green, and has
otherwise alternated wins and losses for a few years. The same can
be said for Brazil’s Moises (19-8, 8-6 UFC), who is ready to
continue the rivalry of his team of American Top Team against
regional adversarial team Kill Cliff FC and its rep of Gordon.
Referee Kerry Hatley will keep things on the up-and-up, but they
are fine with one another and clap hands. The first strike thrown
is a Moises body kick, which Gordon uses to easily sling his
opponent to his back. Gordon practically walks into top control,
and Moises wraps up his arms in an unorthodox armlock attack.
Moises lets go of the lockup and lashes out with a short elbow off
his back that opens a tiny cut on the top of Gordon’s forehead.
Gordon responds with ample ground-and-pound of his own, smearing
his blood all over the Brazilian’s head and chest. Moises works his
way back up to his feet, ignoring the strikes lobbed at him so he
can fight his way back up and away. They proceed to smack one
another with low kicks, and Gordon darts in with a pair of punches
that bounce off the guard. Leg kicks continue to fly, and they tag
one another with single strikes. When Gordon ducks in to throw,
Moises counters with a clean right hand over the top. “Flash” does
not bat an eye, and instead lets Moises pitch a left hand at him.

This is exactly what he wants, as Gordon times a picture-perfect
right hand that smashes into the American Top Team fighter’s chin
and puts him down for the count. Moises’ head clatters off the mat
when he collapses to the ground like a bird that’s had its wings
clipped, and Gordon hammers the nail with a leaping right hand that
gives commentator Michael Bisping flashbacks of when he took on Dan
Henderson, cleanly separating Moises from his
consciousness. Before Hatley can get to them, Gordon
gets one or two off that wake Moises back up, but they are merely
academic as Gordon has dropped the hammer. Blood streaming down his
face, Gordon stands up and shrugs, as if he knew he was going to do
this all along. When Moises comes to, the two hug it out, but it is
unclear if Moises knows the license plate number of the bus that
just ran him over.

The Official Result

Jared Gordon def. Thiago Moises R1 3:37 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

The final pairing on the prelims comes at 155 pounds, with
California native Green (11-5, 2-3 UFC) looking to break a losing
streak and even his UFC record to .500. To do so, he will have to
spoil the party of the debuting “Jaguar” Camilo (9-2, 0-0 UFC), who
comes into the UFC the winner of his last six including four
particularly violent finishes. Referee Jason Herzog will be
responsible for the particulars for this potential thriller, one
that kicks off with a glove touch. Green circles away before
engaging, bouncing back and forth while Camilo commits to taking
the center of the cage and cutting him off. Green’s team advises
him to calm down, as his movement is jittery and his offense
largely muted, and he aims one light low kick just to do something
in the first minute. Camilo winds up with a much heavier one 60
seconds in, and Green swaps stances back and forth not to leave him
open. Camilo sits down on two massive punches that knock Green’s
head around, but Green’s beard holds up just fine. Camilo reaches
his target with a stabbing front kick, and he ignores a low kick
while coiling back his right hand for something. He unloads that
right square into the jaw, and Green tanks it and marches forward,
backing Camilo to the fence. He slips a punch and keeps going
forward behind a low kick, but Camilo is there with a left to the
body and a right to the head. Camilo changes it up with a right to
the midsection and a left up high, and he is swinging with bad
intentions as he wings two massive hooks that buzz the tower but do
not land cleanly. Green’s only weapon is his low kick, and he tries
to mix things up with an axe kick. Camilo stumbles on his way in to
attack when walking into a stern right hook, and Green sets up a
guillotine choke to trap him. The Brazilian easily snakes his neck
out of it, and they proceed to tie up and turn one another around
in dance. Camilo elevates his foe with a minute to go in the round
and slams him on his back, where he starts softening the body up
with short shots to open up elbows up top. Green hangs on tight to
prevent the worst of the damage from coming, but Camilo still
slashes with an elbow that grows an immediate mouse on Green’s
temple. The horn blares, and the fighters separate.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Camilo
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Camilo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Camilo

Round 2

The fighters touch ‘em up to get going again, and Green is just as
hyperactive on the feet as the last round. Camilo sits down on a
low kick, and Green pops him three times with right hands before
kneeing the Brazilian in the face. Green further spurs into action,
letting loose with a head kick and leaping at his man with a jump
knee the moment his foot hits the floor. Camilo shrugs it all off
and wraps “Gifted” up, where he lowers him to the ground and takes
half guard, all while setting up an arm-triangle choke. Camilo
slugs the bearded Green in the face with a few right hands while
Green is scrambling, and he postures up to take a very high mount
that he uses to set up a triangle choke. Green rolls him over, but
this is a terrible idea as Camilo wraps up the triangle and also
grips hold of an armbar with it. Green lifts his man up and slams
him down to try to break out of the submission, but Camilo is
unwavering and cinches his legs around the head as Green’s veins
swell and grow from the tight grip. Green stays calm, letting
Camilo burn his legs out, and he breaks out of the submission and
squirms around to take Camilo’s back. Green fastens the body
triangle around his foe’s waist in a major reversal of fortunes,
where he begins to smack Camilo upside the head on either side.
Green gift-wraps a rear-naked choke around the chin, and Camilo is
surprised and still recovering from trying to secure the finish.

Green crushes his vice-like squeeze that is still on top of the
chin and not depriving Camilo from blood and oxygen, but the pain
is immense. While Green slithers the arm under the jaw, Camilo taps
out, without even allowing the rear-naked choke to be completely
locked down. Green survived a great deal of adversity
to pick up a massive win—a face crank, not an RNC—at a new weight
class, putting a losing streak in the past while landing his first
sub since 2018.

The Official Result

Gabriel Green def. Matheus Camilo R2 3:43 via Submission (Face
Crank)

Round 1

Although much can be said about the state of UFC matchmaking as of
late, the promotion knew exactly what it was doing when it matched
Erosa (31-11, 9-7 UFC) against Costa (23-7, 4-2 UFC). It chose
violence. The featherweights will go for broke under the watchful
eye of referee Herb Dean, and they get right to it after embracing
the formality of bumping fists. Costa prods with the ball of his
foot, looking for low kicks as Erosa walks him down. Costa keeps
working on the front leg as Erosa gives him one back, and Erosa
grabs his foe’s foot and lifts it up. Costa bounces off the fence
to get his limb back, and he whiffs on two hooks. Costa scores a
body kick as he stays on the outside, and after pitching a leg
kick, he trips on the edge of the cage but does not fall over.
Erosa lets him get up and continues to trade kicks with him, and
Costa mixes things up with a surprise Superman punch. Costa follows
it with a booming head kick that rocks “Juicy J,” who backs off to
the fence but is still dangerous as a coiled snake. Costa walks
forward to throw bombs, and Erosa snipes him with a mean right hand
that makes him think twice. Erosa gets his legs back beneath him
and blocks a head kick, walking Costa down but taking three punches
on the chin to do so. Erosa fakes a spin and lunges forward with an
elbow, slipping and falling over. Costa lets him up so he can leap
at him with a knee, and he chains punches into a body kick as Erosa
is now the one retreating. Costa parries a few punches and lets fly
a left hand, and his second effort reaches his man. Costa wraps a
head kick around the guard and Erosa shrugs it off, nailing Costa
with a right hand over the top. Erosa jumps at his foe to attack,
and Costa times a spinning back kick that pounds into the cup.
Erosa grumbles and adjusts his groin supporter before waving Dean
off. Costa lets his foe’s fists and feet whiz past him so he can
deliver a hard body kick, and Erosa fakes his way in to take the
fight down. Erosa whips Costa all the way around to take him down,
and he slashes down with an elbow as soon as he gets to side
control. Costa is warned for having his toes in the cage, and Erosa
drops down a few punches and leans back to watch an upkick buzz
past him at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Costa

Round 2

Costa’s left foot is leaking blood as the second round begins, but
he shrugs it off and touches gloves with his opponent. Erosa gets
right into attack mode, firing off a head kick and a right hand but
getting countered with a left and a body kick. Costa belts “Juicy
J” with a left hand, and Erosa bites down on his mouthpiece to
unload a power punch. Costa shakes Erosa up with a one-two, and
Erosa again has to recover before coming forward. The punches of
Costa make Erosa pursue a takedown, and Costa defends with a
guillotine choke and stands back up to re-secure it. Erosa holds on
and leverages Costa back down, but he in submission danger again.
Costa lets go before burning his arms out, and he stands up. Erosa
leans on from behind, his left eye swelling up fast. Costa defends
a takedown effort and keeps his balance, stomping Erosa’s foot and
receiving an elbow in the face for his effort. As Erosa is leaning
heavily on his man, Costa sweeps his leg and puts him down for a
second. Erosa climbs back up and walks through a one-two. Costa
reaches the Washington native at the end of a left hand, and Erosa
fires back with a vengeance. They reach one another with long
punches, and instead of clinching, Erosa pushes off and shrugs at
him. Costa lines up a solid crescent kick that hits the target, and
Erosa goes for broke with punches and kicks to any target he can
find. Erosa pokes Costa in the eye, and Costa tells them he is fine
and keeps going. Erosa thanks him by drilling a spinning back kick
in his ribs, and Costa laughs it off and throws hammers. Erosa
staggers Costa with a pair of hooks, and a grinning Costa swings
back with bad intentions and rocks Erosa. Erosa spins through to
hit Costa in the face with his foot, and he knocks Costa across the
cage with a left hand right before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erosa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Costa

Round 3

While Erosa does touch gloves, he is a man on a mission. Walking
Costa down immediately, he swings his way into a clinch. Erosa
leans on the Brazilian to slow him down, getting off the occasional
knee until Costa trips him and sets him down. Erosa responds by
nailing Costa with an upkick and working his way to his feet, where
he backs “Melk” off and dislodges his mouthpiece with a right hand.
He follows with another right hand to lead into a clinch, and Costa
backs off with a left hook. The two clash heads after Erosa lands
an uppercut, and “Juicy J” pours it on while swinging wildly.
Costa’s head movement keeps him relatively safe, and he blasts
Erosa in the jaw with four punches in a combination. Erosa’s
movement leads him to banging into the fence, but he is quick to
shake it off and uppercut Costa in the chops. Erosa continues
staying in Costa’s face, with punches that lead to an elbow as
Costa is backing off but smiling. Erosa lines up punches in
bunches, and his elbows are not accurate. They proceed to brawl it
out with little regard to defense or cardio, and even though Costa
is fatigued, he is still loading up with everything he has.
Thankfully for those watching this carnage, Erosa is doing just the
same, as they proceed to hammer one another in the jaw again and
again. Costa trips Erosa up to get a second to breathe, and he
backs off to avoid an upkick and let Erosa stand. Erosa marches
ever forward, swinging recklessly while Costa is giving it back
when he can. Costa takes several punches square on the jaw and
offers up a knee, and Erosa spins with a back fist. A second and
third back fist from Erosa do manage to rail into the Brazilian,
who is as tough as nails and never falters. The action-packed
“Fight of the Night” candidate goes the distance, and both
exhausted men raise their arms. The second round may be where the
victor emerges.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erosa (29-28 Erosa)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Costa (29-28 Costa)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Costa (29-28 Costa)

The Official Result

Melquizael Costa def. Julian Erosa via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

From one action fight to another we go, this time in the
middleweight division. Stoltzfus (16-6, 3-5 UFC) has only gone the
distance twice in his eight UFC outings, while all three wins
inside the Octagon for Ruziboev (35-9-2, 2 NC; 3-1 UFC) have come
by knockout. Referee Chris Tognoni knows he very well might be
needed before the final horn. There is a no glove touch, as
Stoltzfus declines to do so. Ruziboev accepts this and lets go with
an early leg kick. Stoltzfus pulls back on a body kick, but
Ruziboev does not do that as his lands flush. The Uzbekistani
fighter scores a calf kick, and Stoltzfus does the same. The calf
is the target for Ruziboev, until he swings his way in with two
booming punches. Stoltzfus tries to grab hold of the taller man,
but Ruziboev tosses him aside and lines up a straight right hand.
The two clash heads together, and Stoltzfus manages to land the
cleaner of the two and knocks “Black” to his seat. Stoltzfus rushes
forward and jumps guard with a guillotine choke, and he steps into
full mount and wraps the submission up and under the chin. Ruziboev
pats Stoltzfus’ backside but it is not registered as a tap, and
Stoltzfus imposes his weight to complete the maneuver. Ruziboev
thinks about giving up but explodes to flip Stoltzfus over, and he
gets into the guard and just hangs out there to get his wits back
about him. Ruziboev postures up to drop down a punch and an elbow,
and Stoltzfus works his way up and ignores a guillotine setup from
his opponent. Stoltzfus times a spinning back elbow to break, and
the two split up. Ruziboev opens up with a left hand and a spinning
back kick, and his second spin kick misses as Stoltzfus cracks him
with a counter. Ruziboev bounces around to shake it out, leaping
forward to deliver single punches that connect each and every time.
Stoltzfus is tough as can be, but Ruziboev slugs him in the chops
until he wraps his arm around the Pennsylvanian and wrangles him to
the mat. The bell sounds, to the surprise of many.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stoltzfus
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ruziboev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ruziboev

Round 2

The second round opens with a head kick from Ruziboev after a bit
of measuring. After some more timing, Ruziboev lets loose a
spinning wheel kick that bangs square into Stoltzfus’ head.
Stoltzfus swings his way forward, catching Ruziboev and putting him
on his heels. Stoltzfus pursues a takedown, and Ruziboev defends
with a kimura. Stoltzfus fights it off and lowers Ruziboev to his
back, his nose pouring blood from a particularly nasty uppercut.
Stoltzfus gets in half guard and pursues an arm-triangle choke,
letting it go to bash Ruziboev with punches and short elbows.
Stoltzfus sets up another guillotine choke and leans to the side,
and Ruziboev turns to defend it. This allows Stoltzfus to briefly
pursue a brabo choke, only to let it go when he does not have the
right leverage. Ruziboev powers back to his feet and finds himself
in guillotine danger once more, but the blood covering Ruziboev’s
melon plus the fatigue setting in allows him to slip out. Ruziboev
counters with a knee to the body, and he smacks Stoltzfus with a
hammerfist and inadvertently headbutts him. Ruziboev keeps slugging
away, and Stoltzfus snatches up a leg and turns into it to drag
Ruziboev down to a knee. Ruziboev pulls on the fence to defend it,
as Tognoni shouts at him to knock it off. The damage is done from
the foul, as Ruziboev escapes and lowers himself down to start
pounding on the bloodied Stoltzfus again. Stoltzfus sways to avoid
the worst of the ground-and-pound, and he lands his own sneaky
shots off his back right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ruziboev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ruziboev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ruziboev

Round 3

The last round kicks off with both men taking a moment to analyze
the other. Ruziboev darts in with a jab and a body kick, and
Tognoni warns that the kick went south of the border. Stoltzfus is
no worse for wear, and he lets the fight continue. Clubbing
Ruziboev’s lead leg with his shin, he knocks the taller man to his
seat and times a right hand to drive into his jaw. Ruziboev twists
around to stand back up, and he parries a front kick aimed at his
chest. Stoltzfus rushes at him, ducking a punch to tie his man up,
and Ruziboev darts away in time. Ruziboev reaches his target with a
left hook, and Stoltzfus kicks him in the front leg. Ruziboev times
a right hand over the top, and he spins and drills Stoltzfus in the
face with a wheel kick. Stoltzfus takes it on the chin and lashes
out with a right hand, and he gets knocked back with an overhand
right counter that bangs into his gloves. Stoltzfus lets fly his
own spinning wheel kick, and it clatters off the guard. Ruziboev
does the same. They crack one another with single right hands, and
then connect with hard lefts. As Ruziboev swings for the fences,
Stoltzfus tackles him to the ground and lands in half guard.
Stoltzfus imposes his weight while not getting much offense off,
looking instead to advance position. Tognoni asks Stoltzfus for
more activity, as Stoltzfus is solely covering his foe’s mouth but
not offering any strikes. Stoltzfus climbs into mount with 50
seconds to go, and Ruziboev scrambles like a madman to get to his
knees. Stoltzfus wraps up the beginning of a brabo choke, and when
Ruziboev fights through it, he transitions to a guillotine.
Ruziboev pulls out of it, and he delivers a spin kick to the ribs.
Ruziboev nails the American with a right hand, and they proceed to
miss with spinning strikes before time expires. They raise their
fists in the air after 15 minutes of bloody combat.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ruziboev (29-28 Ruziboev)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Stoltzfus (29-28 Ruziboev)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Stoltzfus (29-28
Ruziboev)

The Official Result

Nursultan Ruziboev def. Dustin Stoltzfus via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Up at lightweight, Yusuff (13-4, 6-3 UFC) searches for a new lease
on life without having to cut so much weight. He will try to put
his first losing streak behind him when he battles “The Legend”
Santos (15-1, 2-0 UFC), who also wants to relieve the bad taste of
his previous outing—even though he won. Because of bad news for the
Craig vs. Bellato fight, this is the co-main event now. Fists are
sure to fly, and they do not want to touch gloves while referee
Kerry Hatley watches on. Santos is in the middle of the cage,
advancing behind his jab, while Yusuff circles all the way around
him. Santos pushes out a front kick, and a second before Yusuff
spurs into action with a slapping calf kick. They clash their legs
together, and Santos continues front kicking until jumping with a
switch kick that clatters off the raised gloves. Yusuff winds up
with an inside low kick that grazes the cup, and Santos frowns but
does not ask for a timeout. Santos delivers a quick high kick up to
the guard, and Yusuff responds with a one-two and a calf kick.
Santos reach out with a right hand, and Yusuff tries and fails to
check the subsequent low kick offering. Santos checks a calf kick
and pitches an inside kick to the lead leg, ducking away from a
pair of punches and putting his fist on the shoulder of his foe.
Santos checks another kick, and he scoots back to dodge a jab to
the midsection and comes up top with a head kick that is blocked.
Yusuff stands in the pocket and nails Santos with a left and a
right, and he plants his shin on the inside of the Brazilian’s
thigh. Yusuff ducks under a right hand and considers a takedown,
but Santos pushes him away before it can materialize. Santos splits
the guard with a jab, ignoring the feints and fakes and sticking
out another that throws Yusuff off-balance. Yusuff shoots for a
takedown, absorbs a flush spinning back kick to the ribs, and jumps
back to his feet faster to go after a single-leg entry. Santos
hacks at him with elbows to the side of the dome, thwarting the
takedown but not getting off the fence. Yusuff knees him sternly in
the sternum, and he lets the Brazilian jump at him at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

The second round begins with head kicks from both men. Santos’
lands cleanly, cutting open the corner of the eye of his adversary,
and he beats Yusuff to the punch with a jab and a one-two up top.
Yusuff jabs but does not commit to it, as Santos springs back and
forth and does not stay settled for long. Yusuff winds up on a long
right hand, and when that misses, he boots the Brazilian in the
body. Yusuff chambers and fires a heavy low kick, and he is jabbed
back. Santos connects with a right and a left, and his one-two
rings Yusuff’s bell. Santos’ leg kick knocks Yusuff off his feet,
and Yusuff climbs back upright and walks into a front kick. “Super
Sodiq” shoots for a double-leg takedown, and Santos turns him
around with ease, his strikes further shredded open a cut on
Yusuff’s eyebrow while also bloodying his nose. Santos turns Yusuff
around, bopping him with shoulder strikes when there is nothing
else to offer. Santos gets in a knee or two, and he is smacked in
the back of the head a few times. Hatley warns Yusuff, and they
continue to jockey for position in the tie-up. Hatley asks Santos
to do more, and he answers by slashing out with an elbow to break
free. Yusuff takes it flush and circles away, probing with a front
kick while trying to manage his range. Santos times a spin to
deliver a punch that inadvertently lands in the back of the head,
and they both plant their feet and bust one another in the chops
with fierce right hands. Yusuff recovers first and slaps his foe’s
front leg with a kick, but it is one-and-done as he backpedals.
Santos jumps to no avail, but he spins with a wheel kick that bangs
into the side of the head as the horn blows.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

Yusuff flashes his jab to start the final frame, and Santos greets
him with a chopping kick. Yusuff follows his man around, although
little comes from it other than walking through a couple jabs and
getting a low kick checked. Santos stutter-steps in with a right
hand that drills Yusuff on the chin, and Yusuff is rough and tumble
and keeps powering forward. Yusuff jabs out with a front kick, and
he tries to lash out with an elbow but Santos is out of the way.
Yusuff lands a pair of low kicks that make the Brazilian
preemptively lift his leg up, and he throws two more to the same
spot as a slight limp develops. Yusuff spins himself all the way
around when missing with another kick, but he lands and score one
more. Santos shrugs them all off and cracks Yusuff with a right
hand, but the leg kicks continue to mount. Yusuff fakes one low to
go high, but the Brazilian sees them coming and wraps a kick up
high. Yusuff darts forward with a left hand that collides with the
raised guard, and he shoots for a takedown that he nearly
completes. As if he had springs on his shorts, Santos bounces off
the floor and back to his feet. Yusuff backs him to the fence while
still looking for a single, and Santos slaps him hard in the back.
The sound of these slaps echo in the Apex, as he continues slapping
the aggressor anywhere he can land them. Santos slaps Yusuff in the
side of the head and turns Yusuff around, and he breaks off with an
uppercut. Santos jabs with his foot, and Yusuff comes up short with
a head kick. Santos chains a low kick into two body kicks, the
second leaping, and the third round comes to a close. Santos shouts
loudly to let out anything he has left, likely confident that he
did enough to get the job done.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff (29-28 Yusuff)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27
Santos)

The Official Result

Mairon Santos def. Sodiq Yusuff via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Saturday evening due to a medical issue
for Bellato. The news first broke on the main card of the
broadcast, which stated that it will be rebooked within a few
weeks.

Round 1

In keeping with the theme of fights that promise action and
intensity, the main event should be just what the doctor ordered.
Former title challenger Burns (22-8, 15-8 UFC) may have his best
days behind him, but “Durinho” is still as dangerous at it comes at
170 pounds. To keep himself in top contention, he will need to
deflate the momentum of Morales (17-0, 5-0 UFC), who would like
nothing more than to have a breakout performance at the expense of
the vaunted grappler. Referee Herb Dean brings these two to the
center of the cage to issue final instructions, and they stoically
bump fists to seal the cage and make things official. It’s time for
some action. It is Morales who claims the center of the Monster
Logo on the floor, while Burns circles around him. Burns circles
away from the power side of the Ecuadorian, and he lets loose a low
kick that slaps loudly. When Morales retaliates with a calf kick,
it is a thudding sound. Burns leaps forward to strike, and Morales
dances out of the way and punches him around the back of the ear.
Burns launches a kick up high, and Morales parries and lobs a jab
back. Burns throws a fastball of a right hand that is well off the
mark, but his check left hook does catch the chin. Morales lines up
a heavy right hand that back off Burns, and he gets clipped by the
older man. Burns marches him down looping hooks, and Morales rolls
with the punches and jabs his way forward. Burns counters and takes
a few more jabs on the nose, and he absorbs a thumping kick on his
calf. Morales connects with a crisp uppercut, shaking up the
grappler and forcing him to shoot for a takedown. Morales is
dragged to his seat for a moment, and Burns wraps his arms around
him as Morales stands. Burns leans in close and tight, but Morales
pushes him back and unloads with power punches. Morales knocks
Burns back to the wall courtesy of a clubbing right hand, and his
onslaught slowly breaks Burns down and puts him on the ground.

Dean calls for Burns to fight back, and Burns answers by ducking
under and grabbing his foe’s legs awkwardly for some kind of
desperation takedown. Morales steps over it, allows Burns to stand
and lays into him with a blistering salvo of bombarding fists that
puts “Durinho” down for the count again. This time, as Dean
observes that Burns’ face is bleeding and he is in a bad way, he
waves the fight off. Burns sits up, but he does not
protest, knowing that the day is not his. Morales has just passed
the biggest test of his career with flying colors, destroying a
durable top talent in the first round and not looking back. When
Burns gets back to his feet, he needs a minute to recover, but he
embraces the man who ran through him like no one has at 170 pounds.
The 25-year-old handles the huge moment with poise, dedicating the
victory to his mother and thanking her for her advice while
declaring that he is ready for the next challenge, whatever that
may be. Morales says he is healthy and ready to go, so with any
luck, he will be back in the cage at least one more time this year.
When he fights next, we will be here for it. We hope you are
too.

The Official Result

Michael Morales def. Gilbert Burns R1 3:39 via TKO (Punches)