UFC on ESPN 35 ‘Font vs. Vera’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

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Round 1

Taira vs. Candelario was canceled on Saturday afternoon due to an
illness suffered by Candelario, and it has been postponed to the
May 14 UFC card. News of its cancelation was disclosed by UFC
officials.

Round 1

There’s no sugar coating this one: this is far from the best UFC
offering there has ever been. The fact that this now 11-fight show
is being displayed on the flagship network of ESPN for its main
card is a testament to the content-demanding contract signed by the
promotion and its broadcast partner. If fight fans are lucky, this
scrappy, rag-tag group of underachievers with only 10 of the 22
fighters sporting UFC records above .500 can still put on a good
show. Due to the cancelation of the previous match, we now kick
things off with a bout in the women’s flyweight division with two
ladies that desperately need a win in Mazany (7-5, 2-5 UFC) and
Young (7-4, 0-2 UFC). Combining for just two victories inside the
Octagon opposite seven defeats, something’s gotta give her. The
gloves do not get touched as top-notch referee Jason Herzog watches
on, and the night begins. Mazany sticks out several punches early
on, but Young holds her off with a longer reach. “Danger” puts her
foe in danger early when she then charges for a takedown, and Young
springs off the fence and shoves off to get some space and pull out
of the clinch. Mazany scores a few punches over the top before
crashing forward again to clinch, and she is in rapid pursuit of a
takedown. Young keeps her balance after multiple tries, but she
remains shoved up to the wall with Mazany glommed on to her. This
grinding performance continues until Young explodes and twists to
separate, only to get popped with a right hand on the way out. From
a distance, Mazany chops down the leg and rushes forward to take
the fight down, only to abandon it and knee Young square in the
face. “The Shanimal” drops to a knee from the damaging blow, and
appears to get her wits about her as she springs back to her feet.
Young stays back with long jabs that are well short of the mark,
and a front kick is feet away from her target as well, possibly so
that she can recover from the strike. Mazany trips up on a jab
before following it with a left hand, and she connects with another
that splits the guard. Young chips at the lead leg with a kick, but
her volume is diminished as Mazany meets her and doubles up on it.
Mazany targets a few punches to the body before going over the top,
and Young rolls with the overhand and backs off. Mazany charges in,
chin in the air, and Young cannot capitalize and instead is forced
to block when Mazany swings at her. Young takes a body kick and
tosses one back, and she sits down on a left hand. Mazany counters,
Young fires back, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mazany
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Mazany
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Mazany

Round 2

Whether by accident through throwing jabs at the same time or
intentional, the two ladies end up touching gloves. Young then
pushes off with a front kick to the chest, shoving Mazany back.
Mazany replies with a high kick that comes up short, and a slapping
kick to the torso that does not. “Danger” lets loose with several
calf kicks as Young just watches them land, before winding up with
her hips to sling a much heavier kick low. Mazany mashes forward
and sneaks in a left hand, and she gets in another from a messy
combination. When Mazany backs off, she bull-rushes in again and
gets intercepted with a left hand from Young that shakes her up.
Mazany does not know whether to try for a takedown after getting
stung or retreat to gather her thoughts, and when she does, Young
touches her with the jab a few times to make Mazany wipe at her
nose. Mazany bites down on her mouthpiece and slings a left hand,
and she uses the forward motion to grab hold of a body lock.
Instead of her getting the takedown, Young counters her and slams
Mazany down to the mat. Young keeps her grounded for a moment, and
Mazany walks up the wall back to her feet. “The Shanimal” hits a
mat return to wrench Mazany down to the canvas, and she climbs on
top and takes Mazany’s back during a wild scramble. When riding Mazany like a bucking bronco, she
manages to flatten her out and drops down hammers. Knowing a finish
could be around the corner, Young gives it everything she has with
a long barrage of punches. Herzog allows Mazany every opportunity
to defend herself or get out of the position, but as the unanswered
blows continue to add up, he calls a stop to the fight. This is
a crucial win for Young, who gets on the board as a UFC fighter
after three tries.

The Official Result

Shanna Young def. Gina Mazany R2 3:11 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

One of these two lightweights here will earn their first victory
under the UFC banner, barring something strange, when Israel’s Levy
(6-1, 0-1 UFC) battles it out with Glory MMA & Fitness product
Breeden (10-4, 0-1 UFC). Levy prefers the submission while “Money
Mike” Breeden would rather knock an opponent out, and referee Mark
Smith will be there to see if one achieves this goal or if things
go awry. The fighters do not choose to touch gloves before duking
it out, and Levy strikes first with a body kick. Breeden crashes
the pocket after throwing his own kick, and he trips Levy down to
the mat with his legs. Levy calmly walks himself back to his feet,
and when Breeden cannot ground him again, Breeden backs away.
“Money Mike” walks into a punch, and he tries to reply in kind but
comes up short. Breeden tosses up a high kick, and he swings a left
hand that sneaks around the guard. Levy just misses with a hook
kick, and when Breeden bears down on him, Levy intercepts him with
a kick to the torso. As Levy goes high again, Breeden blocks it and
plants Levy down to the mat. Levy attacks a heel hook as soon as he
lands, and Breeden slides his knee out and crawls back to his feet.
Breeden chomps down on his gumshield and throws heavy leather, and
Levy is forced to shell up and retreat. The American measures
several jabs, only to take a flush kick to the body. Levy comes to
clinch up and lifts up a knee, and when Breeden answers with one of
his own, that knee pounds into Levy’s cup. Smith pauses, and Levy
takes 45 seconds to recover before coming out swinging. Levy throws
a few punches, and Levy replies with a head kick. Breeden walks
straight through a head kick that smacks him upside the head to
take his man down to the mat. Like before, Levy pulls for a heel
hook, and Breeden twists to snatch his leg back and climb back up
to stand. Breeden catches Levy when Levy throws wildly, and Levy
ignores the counters to swing an overhand right that stings
Breeden. Levy times a single-leg takedown to put Breeden down to
the ground, but he can keep him there for just a second or two
before the American gets back up. Levy snags a mat return, and when
Breeden is on his hands and knees, Levy drills him in the side with
a knee. Breeden explodes back to his feet upon hearing the
10-second clapper, and Levy concludes the round with a high
knee.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Levy
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Levy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Levy

Round 2

Breeden takes the center of the cage to start off the round, and he
begins with a blitz of punches, “Money Mike” lands some money
punches as he jacks up Levy to the body, swinging relentlessly and
doing some damage. Levy circles away and gains some space, only to
catch a kick that soars at him. Turning the tables on what Breeden
secured a few times, Levy trips Breeden down to the ground,
dropping Breeden right on his head. Breeden is quick to get to his
feet again, but with Levy’s hands wrapped around his waist, he
cannot stay up for long. A few mat returns from Levy succeed one
after the other, in a lather-rinse-repeat scenario with Breeden
getting back up only to get dragged back down. Breeden wall-walks
and turns Levy around in the clinch, and he attempts to take the
fight down on his own. Levy does not allow him to succeed, and they
break. Levy pounds the body with a kick, and he ducks down to go
after a body lock throw. Breeden keeps his balance and shoves Levy
to the wall, and he lands a few short punches but gets clipped with
a left as he takes a step back. Breeden resets and marches forward,
letting loose with punches that find their mark. Levy swings a left
hand, and he plants a kick to the liver that hurts Breeden, and his
poker face has dissolved as he is in great pain from the counter
strikes. Levy spins with a wheel kick that just grazes his hair,
and he pushes forward to take Breeden down and finish the job.
Breeden climbs back up, and is only on his feet for a split-second
before Levy yanks him back to the floor. This time, Breeden cannot
simply burst back upright, and Levy takes his back momentarily.
Breeden methodically climbs back up the wall, and he breaks the
grip of Levy around his body and forces Levy to back off. Breeden
walks forward, punching and jumping in the air with a knee, and
Levy retreats until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Levy
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Levy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Levy

Round 3

Breeden is a man possessed coming out of his corner, knowing he
might be down on the scorecards and fast in search for a finish.
“Money Mike” lets loose with a long combination of punches, busting
Levy up and making him defend himself up against the wall. Levy
counters with a takedown effort, and Breeden does not have to
sprawl as he just shoves Levy away and lets loose with several more
punches. Breeden digs to the body as he mixes punches up, and Levy
counters him with a left hand but Breeden walks through it. Levy
drops down for a takedown, and Breeden bowls him over and stands
back up to make Levy get up on his own power. Breeden continues to
slam his fist into Levy’s head and body, and a right to the body
makes Levy reel and take a look at the clock. Breeden winds up on
body shots, and Levy is struggling and backing off but still
winging left hooks occasionally. Breeden leaps in with a knee on
the torso, and when Levy tries to take him down and falls over,
Breeden backs away and makes Smith aggressively force Levy to
stand. Breeden continues to give chase as Levy looks spent, and he
loads up on power punches and gets cracked with a left. Breeden
does not slow down, striding forward and forcing Levy into takedown
tries to blunt his momentum. Breeden pushes him down, and when he
lets Levy stand, he targets the body several times while Levy
blocks himself. Breeden steps in with an elbow, and Levy greets him
with an uppercut and a left hand. Breeden answers with a few
powerful blows, and they smash one another with clean right hands.
With everything he has left, Levy loads up on a left that pounds
into Breeden’s skull, and Breeden is hurt and drops to a knee. Levy
again targets his spinning wheel kick, and when that does not
connect, he shoots for a single. Breeden stuffs it and comes
forward, only to absorb three crisp punches on the jaw. Levy rocks
his man again, and Breeden is now the one that appears more tired
and punched out. Breeden shoves Levy to the wall and unloads on
him, and he gets backed off from strikes that come his way as well.
Levy spins with an elbow that does not find its mark, and they
throw down to the final bell. What a blast of a fight, clocking in
as an early contender for “Fight of the Night” after 15 minutes of
action.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Breeden (29-28 Levy)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Breeden (29-28 Levy)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-10 (30-28 Levy)

The Official Result

Natan Levy def. Mike Breeden via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
30-27)

Round 1

Like the last fight, a submission specialist in Green (10-3, 1-1
UFC) will throw hands with a man who vastly prefers the knockout in
the debuting Canadian Lainesse (8-0, 0-0 UFC). Referee Herb Dean
will keep tabs on this welterweight affair, and the competitors
clap hands ahead of their scheduled melee. Lainesse throws the
first strike, with a front kick that looks somewhat like an axe
kick, and Green is well out of the way before it lands. Green keeps
his range and sticks out an occasional jab, while keeping away from
the kicks coming at him from the unbeaten fighter. Lainesse scores
a low kick on both sides of the leg, and Green changes his stances
when coming forward. Green gives chase, and Lainesse picks at him
with leg kicks on the way in. Green gives one back, only to have
the inner thigh of his leg stung. Lainesse sprints forward and
wings an overhand right, and it smashes into the side of Green’s
head and stuns him. Green shakes it off and backs away as Lainesse
is throwing fire at him, and he clears his thoughts and splits the
guard with a left hand. Lainesse slaps a body kick home, and he
targets the lead leg as Green backpedals. Green pushes forward to
attack, and Lainesse is ready to catch him in the clinch and lift
up knees, so Green bails on it. Green kicks him the body
effectively, leading Lainesse into a takedown entry that lifts
Green off the ground and deposits him to the mat. The newcomer
steps into half guard and holds Green down with his shoulder, but
Green kicks off the wall to stand back up. When Green is getting
up, Lainesse locks on to a guillotine choke while standing, and he
abandons it instead of gassing his arms when Green gets a little
space to breathe. Green chops at the leg, and when Lainesse throws
a body kick at him, Green steps through it with a straight right
hand. Lainesse replies in kind, and they trade leg kicks. Lainesse
just misses with a looping right hand as Green advances, and he
tries again but gets his head snapped back with a left hand. Green
scores a few punches and ends a combination with a front kick, and
he gets countered on the way out. They smile at one another and
touch hands as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lainesse
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Lainesse
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lainesse

Round 2

Gloves get touched to start off the second frame, and Lainesse
strikes first with a low kick. Green marches forward with a short
salvo of punches, and Lainesse meets him with a cracking right
hook. Green ignores it to wind up with his own heavy right hook,
and Lainesse slaps the lead leg. Green lets go with a head kick
that does not find the mark, and when he kicks the leg after,
Lainesse shoots for a takedown. A missile of a right hand zones in
and collides with Green on the temple, and Green falls to the
ground in a heap. Dean notices that Green is not totally out, and
Green keeps moving and scrambles to get back to his feet. Lainesse
goes after a guillotine when Green stands, and he lets it go to
score a right hook when they break. Green throws caution to the
wind for a moment, and he has to take a step back when a spinning
back fist whizzes by his head. Lainesse times an advancing Green
with a surging takedown, and he claims side control and turns to
north-south position. The scramble is wild and crazy, with Lainesse
briefly taking Green’s back and hooking up a rear-naked choke, and
Green somehow finding his way back upright. Green pushes away and
comes out swinging, with Lainesse aiming home run punches at him.
Green stabs him in the torso with a front kick, and he sees the
looping shots come at him as Lainesse is suddenly sucking wind.
Green notices this and begins to work the body, drilling him on the
side with his fists. As Green drives “White Lion” to the cage wall,
he unloads with a brutal barrage of body blows until Lainesse’s
legs give way beneath him. The Canadian crumples up and covers his head while
Green batters him with standing-to-ground punches. The strikes
continue to mount for “Gifted,” who gives the undefeated fighter
several gifts in the form of powerful hands upside the head that
make Dean take a close eye on the action. As Green slugs away while
Lainesse is turtled up, Dean realizes that Lainesse is no longer
intelligently defending him as shots get through, and halts the
fight. With his knockout, Green has successfully removed the
debuting Lainesse from the ranks of the unbeaten, while prevailing
in his first appearance since early 2021.

The Official Result

Gabriel Green def. Yohan Lainesse R2 4:02 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

Up next, two men looking to rebound off of defeats in 2021 will
battle it out as Lacerda (11-2, 0-1 UFC) – also known as da Silva –
takes on the flyweight’s champ’s younger brother of “Sniper”
Figueiredo (12-4-1, 1 NC; 1-1 UFC). Of note, Lacerda’s nickname is
“Miojo,” which translates to “ramen noodles.” Referee Keith
Peterson will add a little salt and a splash of hot sauce but not a
drop of nonsense to the dish that is this 125-pound fight, and
there is a sporting glove touch before his eyes. Figueiredo throws
a heavy leg kick as Lacerda jumps back, and Figueiredo goes for
another kick on the inside of that lead leg. Lacerda spins with a
wheel kick that lands on the neck of his foe, and Figueiredo shrugs
it off and continue chopping with leg kicks. They kick at the same
time, and Lacerda explodes into a takedown that sets “Sniper” on
his back. Figueiredo closes his guard, and Lacerda looks to step
over into a better position. As soon as he does, Figueiredo pounces on a
leglock, and he snatches a kneebar in the blink of an eye.
Figueiredo has the leg torqued and he wrenches on the ankle to
hyperextend the knee, and Lacerda taps out in a hurry before his
tendons stretch and snap like overtuned guitar strings. In
victory, Figueiredo snags his first submission win since 2016,
while also becoming the first man to tap out his fellow
countryman.

The Official Result

Francisco Figueiredo def. Daniel Lacerda R1 1:18 via Submission
(Kneebar)

Round 1

What happens when “King Kong” takes on “The Vanilla Gorilla”? After
a week delay, the unbeaten Romanov (15-0, 4-0 UFC) takes on
still-late replacement Sherman (15-9, 3-8 UFC), who is a long way
away from a .500 UFC record. A record-setting betting favorite
upwards of -2500 depending on the book, most expect that Romanov
will run through Sherman, who does celebrate a 93% knockout rate on
his own ledger. Few, including referee Mark Smith, expect this will
go the distance, but the two big men do show a sign of respect by
touching up before engaging in their 483.5-pound affair. Romanov
takes the center of the cage, and he shoots for a takedown in about
10 seconds. Scooping Sherman right off the ground, Romanov lands
the takedown. When Sherman gets up, Romanov elevates him and hits a
suplex to slam “The Vanilla Gorilla” on his head. As Sherman scoots
his way to the wall, Romanov drops down a few punches, but Sherman
is able to get upright again. Romanov snags hold of a single and
wrenches him down, where he puts Sherman on his back and instantly
takes side control. “King Kong” steps over to full mount, and he
walks Sherman to the fence so he can lean Sherman’s head on the
wall. Romanov postures up and begins to drop down “Donkey
Kong”-style hammerfists, and he clubs Sherman in the head. Sherman
turns a little, but he gets mauled over to his back. When Romanov gets tired of punching him, he
isolates Sherman’s right arm and begins to crank it with a keylock.
With Romanov getting hold of Sherman’s wrist with both hands while
twisting the submission with all his Moldovan might, Sherman thinks
about tapping with a hoverhand around Romanov’s back. He then does
tap one single time, surrendering before his shoulder is ripped
straight out of its socket. This was complete and total one-way
traffic for the biggest betting favorite in UFC history, who is now
16-0 as a pro with 15 wins inside the distance. Even though he just
won his fifth UFC fight, Romanov is more excited about earning his
BJJ brown belt that gets draped around his shoulders, who plans on
earning his black belt in one year while also seeking out the UFC
heavyweight strap.