UFC 279 ‘Diaz vs. Ferguson’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

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Round 1

The UFC was blessed with a drama-free week for this fight card,
with absolutely no funny business taking place the last few days
leading up to UFC 279. It’s a good thing, too, because this event
might not have been able to afford some shakeups or bout changes.
We start this totally normal fight card off in the welterweight
division, with two men searching for their first win inside the
Octagon. Weeks (5-2, 0-2 UFC), who came into the UFC in 2021
undefeated only to lose his first two fights, wants the third time
to be the charm at the expense of Canada’s Lainesse (8-1, 0-1 UFC).
Weeks celebrates a 100% finish rate, while “White Lion” responds
with a 75% knockout rate, so the judges may not be needed while
referee Mike Beltran almost certainly will be. The two 170ers clap
hands to start off the evening, and Lainesse starts around the
outside with several jabs, reaching his man with one. Weeks tries
to cut Lainesse off, and he tosses out a half-hearted oblique kick
to the knee. Lainesse responds with an inside leg kick to chip at
him, and he aims another to the same spot. Weeks comes out swinging
with a haymaker, but the jab of Lainesse is able to disrupt his
flow. Weeks wings another monster punch, and Lainesse is sharper
and dinging Weeks with single shots. The American takes a funny
step back, and he chambers a right hand but pulls back when
Lainesse springs away. Lainesse is light on his feet, picking and
poking with jabs and leg kicks, while Weeks is loading up
recklessly. When “White Lion” reaches out with a jab, he loses his
balance and tweaks his ankle. Weeks notices this and capitalizes on
it with a short swarm of punches, and he crashes forward to snatch
up a power guillotine choke. Lainesse shoots in for takedown in an
effort to reverse things, and this allows him to shake his neck
free. Lainesse tries to pay him back for the choke attempt with a
high kick, and Weeks swats it out of the way but cannot dodge a
one-two that follows. Weeks gathers his thoughts and gives chase,
but Lainesse is elusive and not absorbing strikes flush. Lainesse
quickly swipes out with a left hook, and it appears to get Weeks’
attention enough to force Weeks to attempt a takedown. The Canadian
stuffs it and backpedals, and he steels himself when Weeks attacks
his knee with another oblique kick. Lainesse whips a kick to the
body, and Weeks catches it and pursues a takedown, only for
Lainesse to keep his balance and hop away. Weeks lunges forward to
end the round with a flurry, but the only blow that lands is a
stomping kick to the knee.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

A touch of gloves opens the second round, and the pace resumes
where they left off, with Lainesse stays well out of harm’s way on
the outside. Weeks kicks the body, and when he attempts a second
kick, Lainesse crashes the pocket and punches him in the face.
Weeks loads up on a response, so Lainesse is able to duck away. The
two trade strikes to the lead leg, and Weeks darts forward with
four punches, only to hit air or the gloves of his opponent.
Lainesse throws caution to the wind with a blitz, and Weeks times a
left hook that knocks Lainesse off his feet – not because it was
particularly damaging, but because he was able to wrap his arm
around the neck and pull Lainesse to the mat. The Canadian springs
back up and goes back to peppering Weeks’ knee with kicks, and he
is forced after landing a few to block a front kick up the middle.
Weeks stomp-kicks the knee once more, and he fakes several strikes
by stomping the mat and kiaiing. Lainesse reaches out with a
straight right hand, and he bloodies Weeks’ mouth with it. Weeks
remains constant with his low kicks approach, and he changes things
up suddenly by bolting forward for a double-leg takedown. Instead
of trying a standard approach, he elects to lift Lainesse in the
air to slam him down. Lainesse is not on the mat for a second
before exploding back up to his feet, and Weeks walks him down and
lines up a few punches. Lainesse powers his way up after another
level change from Weeks, and when he tries to separate, Weeks knees
him in the chest. Weeks misses the mark with a front kick, and
before setting his own leg down, Lainesse kicks him on the plant.
Weeks rushes after his opponent and scores a few punches, and he
winds up with a left hand that just misses the target. The bell
sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a partial hand shake, and the final round begins. Like
before, Lainesse circles on the outside while Weeks walks after
him, and he gets reached with a few leg kicks. Weeks overswings
with a punch, and Lainesse gives him a shove that makes Weeks
topple to the mat in a weird way. Weeks jumps back upright again,
and he is more energized than before, sprinting at Lainesse with a
few punches and even going for a spinning back kick that is wide of
his intended target. When Lainesse fires an overhand right, Weeks
ducks it and shoots in for a takedown. “White Lion” spins him
around, knees him in the gut a few times, and backs off. Weeks is
desperate for a takedown, and he fails when Lainesse sprawls on
him, forcing Weeks to almost flop over to his back. Lainesse breaks
apart at the possible guard pull, and Weeks pushes the pace on him
to go after a single. Lainesse elbows him in the side of the head a
few times, grabs the fence, and successfully gets away. Weeks
misses by a matter of inches with a spinning back elbow, and
Lainesse lumps him up with a few punches to the body. Weeks starts
sucking wind as his volume has fallen off a cliff, but Lainesse is
not much more active as he keeps moving on the outside. Lainesse
scores a few jabs and a body kick, and Weeks tries to catch it and
do something with it, but he has no steam to do so. Lainesse
reaches him with a right hand, and he skirts away before Weeks can
counter. Weeks swings and misses with a left hand, but he does get
off a low kick. Lainesse goes on the offensive, stopping his
backpedaling, but all he scores is a single calf kick. Weeks
responds with a front kick on the chin, and he changes levels for a
takedown. Lainesse pushes him back and tries to draw out a brawl,
but the two welterweights end up slugging it out with the air as
they are out of range with their violently intended punches. This
close, lackluster match comes to a close, and it could go either
way depending on how the judges value of the efforts in this
15-minute quasi-sparring match.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Yohan Lainesse def. Darian Weeks via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28)

Round 1

Two ladies looking to jumpstart their UFC careers are up next, when
former Combate Americas (now Combate Global) champ Martinez (7-0,
0-0 UFC) makes her organizational debut against ex-Cage Fury
Fighting Championships titleholder Reed (5-2, 1-2 UFC). The careers
could scarcely be more different, as Martinez last competed in
December 2019, while Reed turned pro two months prior and has
racked up six fights since Martinez’ previous bout. Watching on to
see if cage corrosion will play a factor is referee Mark Smith, and
the two strawweights touch ‘em up. Martinez jabs the body and jumps
forward with a front kick, and Reed responds with a quick head kick
that rolls over the shoulder. Martinez is springy on her feet,
jittery and active, and Reed is composed and stings her with a
right hand. Reed crashes forward with a few punches, and Martinez
sneaks in a right hand that makes Reed blow past her into the wall.
Reed gathers her bearings and sits down on a short right hook, and
Martinez is stunned and nearly goes down. “Super Mely” shakes out
the cobwebs and tries to swing back, but Reed sticks and moves.
Smith warns them both for outstretched fingers, and Reed closes her
fists and starts kicking to the legs and body. The Mexican fighter
whips a high kick, but Reed is able to block it and gives chase
with three straight punches down the pipe. Martinez comes up short
with another head kick, and she changes levels for a blast double
that trips up the American. Reed climbs back up to her feet, and
she leans her back on the wall. Martinez grabs the fence to hold
her there, and Reed frames off with her elbow in search of
separation. Martinez clings to her opponent, holding her pressed
against the wire, and Reed boxes her ears multiple times. “Super
Mely” cannot hold her there any longer, as Reed pushes her out to
the middle of the cage and around to jam her on the wall. Martinez
attempts to escape, and Reed knees her in the chest before getting
away. Reed tosses out a head kick that is slapped away, and she
steps back as Martinez comes at her with a lunging left hand. Reed
spins and misses with a wheel kick, and they both dart at one
another with punches that miss their respective targets. Martinez
wings a right hand, and Reed ducks it and pushes her to the fence.
The round ends in this position, before Martinez can hit a
trip.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Martinez claims the center of the cage to start the second round,
but her strikes do not land when she throws them. Reed stalks her
down and pump-fakes several times to draw reactions. Martinez kicks
the body with the ball of her foot, and she has a head kick
blocked. Reed keeps walking forward, until she sees that Martinez
is constantly retreating, so she holds her arms up to shrug at
Martinez and get her to engage. When Martinez does not, Reed surges
ahead and nails her with a few right hands. Martinez is shaken up,
and she tries to brawl it out, but Reed lands the cleaner blows.
The New Jersey native gets on her bike instead of following up on
the damage, and she circles into a low kick and a body kick. Reed
switches things up with a quick question mark kick, and Martinez is
barely able to block it in time. Reed blitzes forward with two
reaching punches, and the second glances off the cheek. When they
reset, Reed sits down on a heavy inside leg kick. Martinez leaps in
with a punch, and when that does not land, the leg kick that
follows does. “Super Mely” swipes her foot out high, and Reed is
out of the way before getting kicked in the face. Reed walks
through a body kick so that she can clinch her foe up, and she
grinds the UFC newcomer up against the wall. Martinez gets away out
the side, only to get clipped with a right hand. Martinez tries to
pay her back with a low kick, and Reed checks it. Martinez strides
forward and belts Reed in the face with a left, and she kicks the
body and backs off when Reed gives chase. Martinez suddenly gathers
herself and rushes forward, and she bullies Reed into the fencing.
Reed again uses her elbow to get a little space, and she settles
for a few knees to the body while Martinez holds her there. The
close round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Martinez takes the middle of the cage to start the last round, and
she walks right into a clean right hand from Reed. Martinez eats it
like a tamale and pushes out a front kick that lands in the groin.
Reed waves them to continue, and Smith warns “Super Mely” for her
errant blow. The two strawweights trade low kicks, and Reed pops
her in the chops with a right hand over the top. Martinez tries to
respond in kind, and her subsequent leg kick hurts Reed
momentarily. Reed appears slightly compromised from the inside leg
kicks, and she stumbles when advancing to throw hands. Martinez
kicks high and misses the face by a whisker, and Reed walks her
down and once more skips awkwardly when powering forward. Martinez
uses the momentum against Reed to trip her up and take her down,
and she moves into the guard only to get kicked off by Reed. Reed
powers to her feet, and she absorbs a flush knee to the body on her
way there. When tied up, Reed works the body with her own knees,
and Martinez spins her about in pursuit of a body lock and trip.
Reed keeps her balance with her back to the wall, and she knees
Martinez in the face sneakily. Reed moves through to reverse
Martinez and throw her to the mat, and “Super Mely” pops back up.
Reed hits a quick mat return, and she steps right into side control
and slices into full mount like a hot knife through butter.
Martinez takes several punches upside the head before using all her
energy to stand back up, and Reed holds her from behind and gets
off a knee or two to the thigh. Reed drags her back down, and she
steps over to take the back. Martinez does not let do this, as she
works her way upright once more. Reed continues to use her full
body weight to press on her adversary, and she rips the midsection
with a knee. A desperate Martinez attempts to spin her around, but
Reed is tightly pressed to her, spamming knees. The fight ends with
Reed scoring unanswered knees to the ribcage.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Elise Reed def. Melissa Martinez via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The third fight on the card is the first tonight to feature a
fighter with a winning record inside the Octagon, and as it turns
out, both sit above the .500 mark. Trying to keep his impressive
10-fight win streak intact will be Anheliger (12-5, 1-0 UFC) out of
Canada, and he will be squaring off against “The Mongolian Knight”
Alateng (15-8-2, 3-1-1 UFC). A swift touch of gloves before referee
Herb Dean starts off the bantamweight scrap, and Alateng takes the
center of the Octagon and holds it. Anheliger hops around on the
outside, not throwing anything with any serious intent, and they
paw at one another with low kicks. Alateng kicks low, and he gets
checked, and recoils his leg. Alateng is tense as he chambers his
right hand, but the Canadian is not willing to trade yet. Alateng
kicks the leg again, and this one gets through, so Anheliger jumps
into action with a right hand. The Chinese fighter responds with an
identical blow, and they decide not to brawl after that brief
exchange. Anheliger sneaks a right hand over the top, and he slips
a counter. Alateng reaches him with a right hand, and Anheliger
wipes his nose to check if it has been bloodied. Anheliger shakes
it off and springs off the cage with a superman punch, but “The
Mongolian Knight” is having none of it. The low pace has drawn the
ire of the crowd, and Alateng answers this dissatisfaction by
attacking fearlessly. He blasts “The Monster” with a crisp left
hook, and Anheliger takes a quick count of his teeth on the
outside. Anheliger tries to load up wit ha counter, but Alateng
smoothly dodges and snipes him with another right. Anheliger gets
his feet about him and advances, but Alateng greets him with a
blistering right hook that makes Anheliger’s eyes roll back.
Anheliger tries with all his might to throw back, and Alateng is
too slick for him to connect with. Alateng slams his fists into
Anheliger’s damaged nose, and Anheliger puts everything he has into
a check left hook. “The Mongolian Knight” charges all the way
through it and tries to put Anheliger away, but the Canadian is
able to stay on his feet and protect himself from further damage.
Alateng reaches him with sharp punches, while Anheliger is winding
up with power shots that largely hit air. The round ends, and
Anheliger shrugs to his corner, not concerned by the damage he
absorbed in the first five minutes.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Round 2 opens up with a confident Alateng, and he starts off strong
with a quick pair of punches that catch Anheliger flush. Anheliger
turns to his side with a nontraditional stance so that he can
advance and protect his chin, but it only makes him miss his
punches and walk right into straight right hands. Alateng slows his
pace down, and he chips at the lead leg of his adversary. Anheliger
bursts into action, cracking the Chinese fighter with a pair of
short hooks. He sees the success of the blows, and throws two more
identical strikes, and he scores at the end of his right. Alateng
shakes them off and advances, bullying Anheliger and knocking him
back with a few quick hooks. Alateng slides back from a punch and
lands two, and he stuffs a takedown entry from the Canadian.
Alateng lines up a right hand on the jaw, and Anheliger wears it
well and kicks hard enough to the leg that Alateng turns around.
Alateng searches for a finish, swinging wide hooks to the body, and
Anheliger takes one flush and grimaces. Alateng attempts another,
and Anheliger keeps his guard low and throws a speedy high kick to
keep Alateng honest. A right hand from Anheliger misses, and it
leads to a three-punch salvo from his opponent. Anheliger scores a
clean uppercut, and he throws so hard with a follow-up right hand
that he nearly topples over. The horn sounds before Alateng can
take advantage of the positional change.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The fists are bumped to open the final frame, and Alateng pops out
a few jabs before getting warned about his outstretched fingers.
When Anheliger tries to respond with a few punches up high, Alateng
snatches up the lead leg and takes the Canadian to the mat.
Anheliger falls to his back, and he kicks Alateng off of him and
starts threatening with upkicks. The kicks do enough to keep
Anheliger off of him, and Dean tells them to keep working several
times. When Alateng cannot find his way in thanks to the effective
upkicks, Dean stands Anheliger up. Anheliger thanks Dean for the
intervention by landing a heavy kick to Alateng’s lead wheel, one
that makes Alateng pick it up uncomfortably. Anheliger aims a kick
to the same spot, and Alateng recoils it in anticipation of it.
Anheliger rushes forward with a pair of punches, and Alateng
parries them and misses with counters. Alateng’s volume diminishes
substantially, and Anheliger dodges the majority of the strikes
that do come at him. Alateng blocks a few punches over the top, but
he cannot avoid the low kick that flies his way. Alateng keeps his
guard high from a head kick, and with 90 seconds left in the fight,
the two bantamweights measure one another carefully. Anheliger
springs into an uppercut, and Alateng shakes it off and takes a
clean low kick that gives him pause. Anheliger feints several
times, and he darts forward with a single left before pump-faking
several more times. Anheliger kicks the body, and Alateng catches
the leg and takes him down. Alateng moves into the guard, but it is
an active one from his opponent, as Anheliger slashes with elbows
form his back. Anheliger tries to roll through to stand up, and he
absorbs several punches to the back of the head. “The Monster”
keeps moving, and Alateng follows him right to the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alateng (30-27 Alateng)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alateng (30-27 Alateng)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Alateng (30-27
Alateng)

The Official Result

Heili Alateng def. Chad Anheliger via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Rounding out the prelims is a rare women’s featherweight contest,
as relative divisional mainstay Dumont (7-2, 3-2 UFC) looks to
bounce back from her first career decision loss against the
debuting MMA neophyte Wolf (1-0, 0-0 UFC). Wolf, eight years the
elder at 39, will try to get things going in a hurry, on the heels
of a decent amateur boxing career that amassed her a record of
30-14 – albeit without landing a single knockout. Referee Jason
Herzog draws the charge for this highly relevant tilt at 145
pounds, where the winner could be on the short list for Amanda
Nunes’ next defense. There is a sporting touch of hands between the
two, and they are tense to start off the match. Dumont slaps the
leg with a kick and hops back when Wolf throws a straight right
hand at her. The Brazilian lands another leg kick, and a third is
greeted by a right hook by the ex-boxer. Wolf jabs her way forward,
and Dumont slaps them down one after the other. Dumont sits down on
another low kick, and she aims a side kick at her opponent to mix
things up. Wolf reaches with jabs that miss, and a front kick that
barely connects to the body. Wolf steps into a right hand, and has
subsequent blows swatted away by “The Immortal.” Wolf whips a body
kick, and she bullies into close range to loose a right hand.
Dumont winds up with a leg kick, and Wolf takes a funny step and
measures her jab a few more times. Dumont slides one and lands her
own, and she rings Wolf’s bell with a hard right hand. A stunned
Wolf takes a second to recover, and she gathers her thoughts and
pops Dumont with a left hand. Wolf throws up a high kick that comes
up short, and she spins around before Dumont can make her pay for
the inaccurate strike. Dumont keeps working the lead leg, and Wolf
plods forward with three punches, while only landing with the last
one. Wolf connects with a left hand as she starts getting her
range, and Dumont catches her with a right hand again. Wolf replies
with a front kick, and Dumont counters her with two looping rights.
Dumont ends this brief combination with a low kick, and a welt has
formed on the lower thigh of the American. Dumont scores a right
hook when Wolf charges forward, and she connects with a few more
punches and grins as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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