UFC 286 ‘Edwards vs. Usman 3’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Veronica Macedo (125.5) vs.
Juliana
Miller (125.5)

BETTING
PREVIEW |
SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Miller (-435), Macedo
(+350)

Round 1

The UFC will tie its record for the most bouts at a single event at
night’s end, unless something unfortunate happens on fight day. An
overwhelming 15 matches will play out in front of ravenous British
fans, culminating with a home country fighter trying to land his
first defense while doing so on home soil. Before then, there is
plenty to get through, starting in the women’s divisions. The first
of three 125-pound fights between women opens up this card, as “The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 30 victor Miller (3-1, 1-0 UFC) welcomes
the recently married Hardy (6-4-1, 1-4 UFC) – formerly known as
Veronica Macedo – back to the Octagon after over three years off.
The ladies will be joined in the cage by referee Lukasz Bosacki to
get things going, and they commence the festivities with a clap of
hands. Hardy keeps her distance early and pecks out with low kicks,
while Miller looks to walk her down and loop a left hand over the
top. Hardy catches her doing just that, while she circles on the
outside. Miller sticks out a jab and gets countered with a
two-piece, and she is tagged with a subsequent fist of Hardy that
sets Miller down on her seat. Miller jumps back upright, seemingly
no worse for wear, and she continues stalking Hardy down with
lunging jabs. Hardy pops her coming in again, as Miller drops her
guard while throwing these long strikes. Hardy stays light on her
feet and continuously moving, and she hooks her arm around Miller’s
to crack her in the face with two left hands. Miller recoils and
blinks it out, and her aggression dulls after the active counters
from her opponent. Miller practically jumps forward into single
strikes, and Hardy sees these coming from a mile away. Hardy skirts
along the outside and lands a punch while Miller is almost running
at her, and this leads to a fierce exchange of unguarded punches
with Miller taking every shot square on the noggin. Miller decides
after eating these particular blows to try to change levels, and
she jams Hardy up against the wall but fails to secure the
takedown. The American lowers herself in pursuit of a potential
double-leg takedown, and Hardy lifts her up with a knee on the
chin. When Miller attempts a trip, Hardy counters her and lands on
top. Miller hits her back and immediately throws her legs up, where
she hooks up Hardy’s arm and also starts fishing for a triangle
choke. Hardy turns the proper way to get out, and Miller is warned
for grabbing the glove to cinch up the choke or armbar. Hardy pulls
out of the danger after taking some surprisingly effective strikes
from Miller off her back, and the circles away until the bell
rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Hardy

Round 2

Miller is aggressive right out of the gate to start the second
round, and she walks straight into several vicious countershots
coming forward. Hardy stings her with these strikes, leading to a
Miller takedown try. When Miller comes up short, she practically
pulls guard as Hardy topples on top of her to ground her. Hardy
gets off a few hammerfists before Miller attacks an armbar,
latching on to Hardy’s right arm and wrenching it between her legs.
Hardy rolls through and breaks out of the grip, and she makes
Miller pay with several left hands. Miller settles to claim a high
guard, where she soon attacks for another armbar as Hardy is a bit
lackadaisical in her top control. Hardy calmly bucks out of the
submission setup to push through to half guard, where she prevents
further high guard tries from this position. Hardy lumps her foe up
with punches and elbows, and a large hematoma forms on the center
of Miller’s forehead like a horn is about to sprout from it. Miller
kicks off to recover full guard, and Hardy abandons this to stand
up and let Miller back up. Miller strikes with a low kick after
they get up, and she eats a body kick while charging to push Hardy
up against the wire. The 50-50 arm hook leads to both ladies
hitting the mat, and Miller transitions into an armbar before
bailing on it when there is nothing to it. Hardy allows her to roll
back over so that her foe rolls to her back, but Miller attacks a
kimura from her back to threaten at the tail end of the round.
While she does roll Hardy to her back, time expires in the round
before she can finish it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Hardy

Round 3

There are no bones about it from Miller’s corner, who urges her to
fight for the finish at all costs. Miller, whose forehead bump has
diminished thanks to the cold compress, rushes out to attack in the
final frame. Hardy uses this to her advantage, allowing Miller’s
momentum to let her fall to the ground. Miller is content to do
this as she snatches up Hardy’s left arm for a kimura, and when
this fails, the 10th Planet San Diego product reaches her legs up
for a triangle choke. This is released, as “Killer” Miller turns to
grab hold of a kneebar. Miller turns belly-down to torque the knee,
and Hardy’s impressive flexibility allows her to stay in without
flinching. Hardy pounds Miller in the side several times with
powerful punches, and the mounting damage from them forces Miller
to release the grip and fight to stand back up. Miller is quickly
turned around on the fencing, and Hardy trips her down with a body
lock to land her flat on her back. Miller hits the mat to quickly
pursue an available limb, considering a feeble armbar is that is
easily escaped. Hardy nails her with a standing-to-ground leg kick
when she gets out, and Miller leaps to her feet and is met with a
clean right hand. Hardy quickly drags her back down to the ground,
only to abandon ship when Miller fishes for something. Miller tries
to sneak up an upkick, and Miller comes back upright and walks
straight into a head kick and a ferocious left hand. Miller
grimaces as she clinches up, somehow still on her feet, and Hardy
dumps her to the floor and lands in north-south position. Hardy
concludes their match with elbows, likely springing a big upset in
the first fight of the card.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy (30-27 Hardy)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hardy (30-27 Hardy)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Hardy (30-27 Hardy)

The Official Result

Veronica Hardy def. Juliana Miller via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27) 

Round 1

The two men set to hit the cage next combine for just five decision
wins across their 31 victories. Referee Rich Mitchell is going to
need to be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice once “The Black
Country Banger” Herbert (12-4, 2-3 UFC) and “Mr. Highlight” Klein
(19-4, 3-2 UFC) start throwing down. The all-action lightweights
elect to touch gloves before swinging for the bleachers, and
Herbert immediately slings a head kick. Klein blocks it and fires
right back, causing him to tumble to the mat. The Slovakian fighter
gets back up without issue, and he faces long jabs coming from
Herbert when he resets. Herbert quickly reaches him with a head
kick, only for the kick to bounce off the guard. Herbert lets loose
a kick to the body, and he leaves it out too long to allow Klein to
grab it. Klein trips “The Black Country Banger” down to the canvas,
and he lands in the guard and looks to get some ground offense
going. The Brit stays active, using a butterfly sweep to keep Klein
honest until he rolls for a quick armbar. Klein slides out of it
and jumps back into the guard, but he finds himself struggling to
get low as Herbert’s butterfly looks keep him elevated. Herbert
chew up his man with punches from below, and he stings Klein with
an upkick and rips open a huge cut on Klein’s left eyebrow. Klein
backs off after getting rocked, and he stands back up to stop the
unexpected assault. Herbert aims a head kick to that busted eye,
and Klein advances to clinch up and trade knees. Herbert wings an
elbow on the inside, and a knee from the Brit skims off the cup but
is not called. Herbert hurts Klein again with a knee up the middle,
and he lets go of the tie-up to admire his work. Herbert waits, and
slips a head kick to hope to disrupt the timing, but the guard is
there is time. Klein tries to reply in kind, but he misses the
target by a wide margin. Klein threads the needle with his fists,
breaking through Herbert’s guard, but they are few and far between.
The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Herbert

Round 2

A quick touch of gloves is followed by Klein trying to throw a
strike, but Herbert is well out of harm’s way. Klein misses with a
swinging head kick, and Herbert does the same as they still look
for their range. A body kick from Herbert is up too close, so Klein
can counter him over the top with a short left. Herbert moves
forward to clinch up, where he pats Klein’s thighs with light knees
until Klein turns him about. Klein escapes, and he keeps a close
range with Herbert to not allow the Brit to get off his rangy
kicks. A body kick from Herbert is countered with a left, and Klein
pushes up tightly again to trade knees. Klein aims an elbow during
the break, and he slides it off the top of the forehead. The two
trade leg kicks, and Herbert mixes up with a head kick before
skirting away when Klein bears down on him. Klein blocks two
successive head kicks and tries to pay him back with one, but
Herbert is far busier with low kicks and distance strikes. A right
hand from the Brit opens up an additional cut around Klein’s right
eye, and Klein pays it no mind as he continues to advance
cautiously. Klein crashes the pocket and manages to get off an
elbow, leading Herbert to push off and circle away. Klein continues
to push forward, and he wobbles Herbert momentarily with a standing
elbow. Herbert separates and kicks the side a few times before the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Herbert
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Herbert

Round 3

Klein walks out of his corner a man on a mission, launching an
immediate head kick and chasing his man around the cage. Herbert
circles to aim a high kick back at him, and Klein keeps his guard
up safely. Klein punches his way into a clinch, and he rips the
body with a knee. “The Black Country Banger” spins him around and
drills a knee square in the cup, and Klein lets out a yelp and
crouches down as Mitchell steps in to pause the fight. After 40
seconds of recovery time, the fight is reset in the middle of the
cage, and Klein is fired up. Klein charges out, blasting the body
with a knee that lifts Herbert off the ground. They tie up, and
Herbert gets one back on the dome as they are putting big power
into their strikes. Klein blitzes in, leading to a clinch, and
knees are spammed. Herbert belts Klein in the groin again, and
Klein doubles over in pain as Mitchell stops the action. Due to the
second foul in rapid succession, Mitchell deducts a point from
Herbert, and they restart after a minute. Herbert swings a head
kick at his man when they resume, and when that misses, he advances
to hit a picturesque sweep to dump Klein to the mat. Klein sits up
close on the ground to protect his mug from strikes, and Herbert
asks Mitchell if he can throw elbows from his particular position
without it being another foul. Herbert lands a few before Klein
rolls to his back, and Herbert welcomes this so that he can
continue mounting offense and controlling his opponent. Klein
bursts back to his feet, and he turns the tables and tackles Klein
to the canvas. Herbert hits his back and utilizes his butterfly
hooks to keep Klein from settling on top, but he eats a few elbows.
Herbert stands back up and attempts a hip toss, but they both land
on their knees and climb back up. Herbert looks to try to take the
back standing, and he lowers Klein back to his knees and works him
over with left hands. Herbert fights off one last takedown, and the
horn sounds to end this close fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Herbert)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Herbert)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Herbert)

The Official Result

Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein is Ruled a Majority Draw (29-27,
28-28, 28-28)

Round 1

Both of the flyweights entering the Octagon now have been out of
action for almost exactly one year, but some expected that the
37-year-old Scotswoman Wood (15-8, 7-8 UFC) called it a career. Not
so fast, my friend, she says, as she faces off against Carolina
(8-3, 3-2 UFC) in hopes of ending a three-fight slump. The cage
steward for this contest is referee Herb Dean, and the ladies have
no plans on touching gloves. The two only remain separated for a
few seconds before crashing together to tie the other up, and they
spam knees and elbows from up close. A quick separation leads to
Carolina reaching with long punches over the top, and she scores a
knee up the middle. The Brazilian is countered with a right hand,
and a smile spreads across her face. From a wide berth, the two paw
at one another, and they land jabs and single strikes or kicks.
Carolina tosses up a head kick that glances of the guard, and a
clearly engaged commentator Michael Bisping goes on a rant about
Disneyland. The tentative action continues as the two clinch up
again, and Wood gets off a solid elbow on the inside. “Dread”
breaks off and backs away, with winging punches that are easily
blocked and countered by the straight blows of the Scotswoman. Wood
walks Carolina down and evades a high kick, and she splits the
guard with a front kick. Carolina lifts up a clean knee, and the
two trade fists. Wood checks a kick and chops at Carolina’s lead
leg, and she catches a body kick and spears with an elbow. “Jojo”
spins with a back elbow that glances off her intended target, and
the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Wood

Round 2

Wood claims the center of the cage immediately to start off the
round, and she drives Carolina back to the wall with her aggression
and not strikes. Carolina lets go with kicks and reckless punches,
until Wood grabs hold of her and pushes her to the wire. They trade
short strikes before Carolina splits up, and she tosses out a low
kick and gets popped by a few punches in response. Carolina scores
a solid one-two, although Wood’s volume is superior and more
accurate. Wood pecks and pokes with low kicks and jabs, and
Carolina lowers her hands and uses unorthodox footwork to dodge the
worst of Wood’s blows. Wood ties her up and elbows her a few times,
and Carolina respond with knees to the breadbasket. Wood tries to
dump her foe to the mat after taking these flush, but Carolina
keeps her balance and leans her back against the wall. Carolina
lets go with a few looping punches, and Wood gets her back and
draws some swelling around Carolina’s right eye. Carolina splits
the uprights with a right hand, and she escapes back to then lunge
forward again. Wood meets her in the middle with a knee, and
Carolina backpedals and looses a body kick. Carolina reaches her
for with a long right hand, and Wood slaps her in the face with the
ball of her foot. Carolina reacts poorly when hit, turning and
running to the side to reset, and Wood calmly walks her down like a
finely accented Terminator. Wood slows down with her combinations
as she continues to push forward, aiming single strikes that match
Carolina’s. Wood hits a foot sweep to toss Carolina to the ground,
and she follows it with a knee that narrowly misses illegally
nailing the Brazilian in the dome. The razor-close round ends with
Carolina on her back.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carolina
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Wood

Round 3

Wood pierces the midsection with a front kick to lead off the last
round, and they both blast one another with body kicks. Carolina
looks to check one with her knee raised up, and she whips a right
hand around the guard to catch Wood standing still. Wood takes
advantage with Carolina’s aggression, kneeing her several times on
the way, and she escapes without taking further harm. Carolina
slips a punch, rips “Jojo” with a few shots, and the arc on her
blows allows her to have more power than Wood’s direct strikes.
Wood decides to swing heavier, and Carolina greets her with a
straight left down the pipe. Carolina sticks and moves, staying on
the outer edge of her own strikes. Wood bowls her way forward with
a few jabs and a front kick, and she tries to catch Carolina with a
lunging right but misses the mark. Wood works into a clinch, and
they both knee one another in the solar plexus a few times. Wood
sneaks an elbow over the top, and Carolina times a perfect knee
that snaps Wood’s head back. The last few elbows from Wood grow the
swelling on the Brazilian’s face, and this could still be anyone’s
fight with one minute left. Carolina spins with an ill-advised
elbow, and it slaps off the guard weakly. Wood doubles up the jab,
and Carolina’s punches are more labored but still strong as she
plants her left hand on Wood’s jaw. Carolina wings a right hand
over the top, and Wood pushes forward with straight strikes.
Carolina weaves away from strikes, and Wood comes up close and foot
sweeps her down again. Wood stands back to let her up, and they
proceed to throw caution to the wind for the last seconds. During
the final frenetic exchange, Wood hammers her opponent with a
thudding right hand that drops Carolina to her knees right before
the bell sounds, possibly swaying the judges in her favor.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood (29-28 Wood)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood (30-27 Wood)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Wood (30-27 Wood)

The Official Result

Joanne Wood def. Luana Carolina via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27,
29-28)

Round 1

The lone catchweight contest of the evening is a former flyweight
affair that has rounded up to 130 pounds after Gordon (14-6, 2-3
UFC) came in 3.5 pounds heavy. The Canadian will surrender 30% of
his fight purse to Hadley (9-1, 1-1 UFC), in a surreal bit of
nickname matchmaking between a fighter called “Malcolm X” and a
125-pound pale Brit named “White Kong.” Referee Marc Goddard is in
the cage for this one, and it opens with apologetic glove touch
offering from Gordon that is accepted. Hadley strings together a
combination to lead off the fight, with low kicks and punches to
back Gordon off. Gordon gathers a full head of steam and lines up
his own combination, but this does not keep the British fighter at
bay for long. Hadley rips the body with a left, and he sees this
has an immediate impact as Gordon reels and doubles over.

Gordon lashes out to strike back, allowing “White Kong” to hammer
him with one more left flush to the liver, with a blow that would
make Bas Rutten shout with joy. Gordon, who was explained as having
liver problems prior to this fight including possibly urinating
tiny pieces of it out during training – a daunting prospect, to be
sure – goes down in a heap. Hadley smells blood and
batters a doomed Gordon with Donkey Kong-style hammerfists until
Goddard steps in. The first finish of the night comes with style
points, and the crowd goes wild.

The Official Result

Jake Hadley def. Malcolm Gordon R1 1:01 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

A whole 17 finishes in the 19 total wins for the debuting Duncan
(7-0, 0-0 UFC) and heavy-handed Serbian Todorovic (12-3, 3-3 UFC)
lead many to believe this one will not last long. There is little
time to waste, as referee Lukasz Bosacki has already started the
middleweight match. A quick fist bump leads to a series of stance
switches for the newcomer, who looks to fluster Todorovic early.
Todorovic sits down on a leg kick that almost buckles Duncan’s leg,
so Duncan responds with one of his own. Duncan gives chase and
hammers the lead of his opponent once more, and Todorovic is
already wearing it. Duncan spears out with a side kick to the
chest, and he easily blocks a counter high kick under his armpit.
Duncan attempts to check a low kick, and he shrugs off a front kick
to tie up “Thunder” against the wall. Duncan thumps some knees to
the midsection, and Todorovic muscles out of the clinch.

As the Serbian fighter turns the corner, his knee visibly pops and
he falls down on his back in agony. Duncan does not follow him to
the ground to strike, and instead recognizes the injury and backs
off as Bosacki waves the fight off. While Todorovic
does manage to get back to his feet, it might be due to adrenaline
and he should probably not be standing on it. It is an unfortunate
situation for both fighters, but Duncan is now a perfect 8-0 as a
pro with the technical knockout on his ledger, and hopefully
Todorovic is not on the mend for too long from that knee
injury.

The Official Result

Christian Leroy Duncan def. Dusko Todorovic R1 1:52 via TKO (Knee
Injury)

Round 1

Someone’s 0 has got to go in this early preliminary headliner. It
might be a bit of a miracle that “The Miracle” Murphy (11-0-1,
3-0-1 UFC) was able to get a replacement on such late notice, but
LFA champ Santos (10-0, 0-0 UFC) is up to the task, with three wins
since Murphy last fought. The third man in the Octagon will be
referee Rich Mitchell, who clocks them in as the featherweights
lightly bump fists. After a few tit-for-tat exchanges, Santos
rushes forward and dives into a successful double-leg takedown.
Murphy turns himself around in the position to work his way up, and
Santos throws his legs up in pursuit of an armbar. The British
fighter does not seem concerned of that or the potential triangle
choke that slithers up as he works his way out, and he stands up
and allows Santos to get up as well. Santos rushes into a punch
exchange, and he ends one combination with an emphatic body kick.
Murphy replies with a straight right hand and a head kick, and
Santos walks it off and absorbs a left hand that shakes him up.
Murphy steps in with a knee, and Santos is right in his face ready
to trade. Santos lifts the single leg and throws him angrily to the
mat, and he kicks Murphy in the back while Murphy scrambles. Santos
allows his foe to stand so that he can dig punches to the body, and
Murphy resets and commits to a one-two. Murphy jumps forward with a
knee that glances off the target, and Santos does not budge as he
walks his man down. Murphy lines up a right hand down the pipe, and
Santos attacks with a flying knee and lands to attack a double in a
hurry. “The Miracle” falls to the ground, and a few strikes from
the Brazilian open a cut on the corner of Murphy’s right eye.
Santos lets him off the hook and the two stand and trade, and
Santos works the body and head in rapid succession. Santos sticks
his man with a solid left, and Murphy replies with a powerful kick
to the ribs. Santos crowds his man and belts him with a left hand,
and Murphy fires right back with a right. This thriller of a round
ends when the horn sounds, and the two stand in one another’s face
leaning their foreheads together after the round concludes until
they are separated.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

Santos offers out a glove touch to start the round, and Murphy
accepts it and keeps his guard high when Santos bears down on him
with swinging fists. Murphy stuns his foe with a right hand, and
Santos ties him up and looks for a potential takedown. While in the
clinch, Murphy cracks him with another right on the inside as they
trade viciously. Murphy slows things down as he grinds against the
wire, and Mitchell asks them to keep working. The British fighter
obliges him with a low trip takedown, and he lands in side control.
Santos attempts to roll and escape, and he draws Murphy back into
his guard. Murphy pounds on the midsection with punches until
Santos kicks him off, and they resume throwing hammers on the feet.
Santos connects with a flush right hand, and Murphy answers with a
few punches and slides a front kick up that grazes the cup. Santos
takes 30 seconds to get his wind, and they resume. Santos fires off
a jump knee, and follows it with head kick that slides over the
top, and Murphy takes it and loses his balance briefly. The Brit
attempts his own head kick, and Santos no-sells it as he marches
forward. Santos looks for a counter left, and he strings to punches
together and ducks a booming head kick. Santos gets caught in an
exchange, as Murphy beats him to the punch twice. Santos connects a
powerful leg kick that knocks Murphy to his seat, but Murphy is
quick to recover without the Brazilian following him. As Murphy
gets his balance, Santos crashes the pocket and drives through a
single to plant the Brit on his back. Murphy scrambles to give up
his back, and Santos takes it and hooks in the body triangle.
Santos works the body and head with a few strikes while maintaining
the dominant position, and he grips his arm over Murphy’s face to
further frustrate him. Murphy tries to escape, and he breaks the
body triangle but does not entirely twist out. Santos re-secures
the body triangle, and he adjusts himself in a hurry to hunt for an
armbar. Murphy breaks out of it right in time, and the bell
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

There is a hug to open the final frame, and the fighters back off
to measure their range. Santos gets caught with a leg kick and an
overhand, and he plods forward and gets popped with a one-two. The
Brazilian dives forward in pursuit of a double, and he changes it
to a single and dumps Murphy down to the ground. Murphy backwards
somersaults to get out of the bad position, and he wall-walks to
stand up and is forced to immediately fight off another single.
Santos knees the body when they are clinched up, and he sneaks one
over the top but is answered by a pair of sharp elbows by the Brit.
They split up, and Santos’ right eye grows from the damage that
“The Miracle” has inflicted. Santos snaps out a right hand that
surprises his opponent, and Murphy replies with a low kick and
circles away from everything but a front kick that he takes in the
chest. Santos wings a left hook, and Murphy just misses with a
counter. The two trade heavy leather, and Murphy measures his left
hand a few times and gets a head kick over the guard. Murphy walks
Santos down and pounds him in the face with a left, and Santos is
slowing but still very much in the fight with plenty of power.
Murphy counters a low kick with a straight left, and he whips a
question mark kick right over the top of the guard to smack Santos
in the temple. Santos wears it well as he continues to march
forward, and he scores a calf kick and is met with one in response.
Murphy knocks his man back with a right hand as Santos kicks at
him, and the Brazilian shoots for a double and lifts Murphy off the
ground. Like a sack of potatoes, Santos throws Murphy down
dramatically to the floor, in the middle of the cage and ready to
secure top position. Murphy climbs to the wall and looks to stand
up without absorbing any ground strikes, and as he gets to a knee,
Santos takes his back standing. Santos sneaks up a head kick to
break apart, and Murphy strings together a few more punches until
the horn blares. This close one will be left in the hands of the
judges, and someone will suffer their first defeat.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Murphy (29-28 Santos)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Murphy (29-28 Santos)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)

The Official Result

Lerone Murphy def. Gabriel Santos via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

The biggest betting favorite on the card is Manchester’s adopted
son Mokaev (9-0, 1 NC; 3-0 UFC) who welcomes new signee Filho
(14-2, 0-0 UFC) to the promotion. At -800 or higher, “The Punisher”
is widely expected to punish the Brazilian with 13 stoppages in his
14 pro wins, and end the five-fight stoppage streak of the fighter
called “Pastor.” Whether he does or not, referee Herb Dean is on
call for the proceedings. Right before the fight is clocked in, the
lights go out in the building, and fans hold up their illuminated
phones and start chanting “Ole ole ole.” After a minute or so of
darkness, the lights flash back on, and they are good to go. Mokaev
wades forward and walks into a leg kick, so he mimics that much
harder in response. Filho pressures his foe, backing him away but
not committing to much of note, while also avoiding the flinging
strikes coming his way. They clash legs at the same time, and Filho
sits down on a right hand that brushes past the jaw. A Mokaev
knocks Filho off his feet, and he springs back up and runs towards
Mokaev. Mokaev eats a body kick and tries to catch the kick, but
when there is nothing to it, he fires off a kick of his own. Mokaev
follows his kick into a takedown try, and Filho jumps guard with a
guillotine choke. The grip is tight but not serious, and Mokaev
calmly works his way out and allows Filho to scramble so that he
can take his back. Mokaev slides into a full back take, and he
smacks Filho upside the head a few times until switching over to
the top to go after an arm-triangle choke. Mokaev bails on this and
comfortable moves to the full guard of the Brazilian, where he
considers some ground-and-pound and slides Filho to the wall while
holding onto his right arm to bust him in the face with unguarded
punches. Filho wriggles his arm out and is pinned between the
corner of the floor and wall, and he pushes himself off of it as
Mokaev stands up and kicks him in the ankles. Mokaev lowers himself
into the guard, and he grinds out the rest of the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 2

Fists are promptly bumped to start off the round, and Filho leads
the dance with forward movement and little else. Filho tosses out a
half-hearted low kick, and Mokaev winds up with one right back.
Filho comes up short with a head kick and a sweeping leg kick, and
Mokaev darts in with a looping left that breezes past the face. The
action wanes, with feints and charges that end without a strike
thrown. Filho times a body kick attempt so he can reach Mokaev with
a left hand, and his right zips past the mug without issue. Mokaev
sticks his man with a left, and Filho rushes at him with a swiping
leg kick. The crowd voices its disapproval at the lack of action,
cheers suddenly rain down for Bruce Buffer trying to reclaim the
audience, and the fighters largely continue their inactive
exchanges. Filho dodges a spinning back elbow as he advances, with
Mokaev flailing with inaccurate blows as he tries to keep Filho
backed off. The Brazilian whiffs on another kick, and he has a high
body kick bounce off the guard and slap Mokaev in the face with his
toes. Mokaev shoots for a double when Filho bears down on him, and
he bullies Filho to the wall but gets stood up. Mokaev looks to go
after an ankle pick or knee tap, and Filho escapes. “The Punisher”
changes things up to attack a single-leg takedown, and he manages
to put Filho on his back. Filho considers a guillotine off his
back, but quickly lets it go when Mokaev starts softening his body
up with short punches. Filho closes his guard and begins to punch
Mokaev on the dome, with elbows mixed in for good measure. Mokaev
ends the round on top, and it will be a tough one to score.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev

Round 3

The flyweights hug it out to open the final frame, and Mokaev backs
off and races in for a single. Filho drops to a knee as he fights
it off, and Mokaev slides around to get a hook in and drag Filho
down from behind. Mokaev secures the back with both hooks in, and
he locks down a body triangle and starts hunting for a rear-naked
choke immediately. The Brazilian turns towards the choke while
fighting off the grip, and Mokaev does not maintain the proper
leverage to complete the submission. Filho breaks off the first
try, and he scrambles to turn around to push Mokaev to his knees.
As Mokaev stands, Filho leaps in with a left hand, and this misses
the mark. Mokaev shoots clear through Filho’s hips to take him back
down, and Filho scrambles wildly but cannot quite get “The
Punisher” off of him. Filho maintains a two-on-one wrist lock, and
he lets it go to suddenly snatch up a kneebar. Mokaev belts him in
the face, and the Brazilian leans back and hyperextends the knee.
Mokaev does not flinch even as his knee is bending the wrong angle,
and Mokaev tries to push off with his foot and somehow escapes the
submission that most fighters would have tapped to. The damage is
done, as Mokaev is in serious pain even though he escaped, wincing
and grimacing as he turns Filho over to take him down. Filho stands
up, and Mokaev’s face is still contorted in a sign of obvious
discomfort. Mokaev smothers Filho down to his knee, and he slides
around to go after a rear-naked choke.
Filho does not bother fighting the hands as he is safe, so Mokaev
swarms around to the other side and grips a neck crank with all his
might. Filho quickly taps out from the pain of the submission, and
Mokaev remains undefeated with the finish – but at
what cost, as he stands up and limps away, having clearly suffered
some damage to his knee. Mokaev still manages to climb up the cage
to celebrate, but has a very difficult time getting back down.

The Official Result

Muhammad Mokaev def. Jafel Filho R3 4:32 via Submission (Neck
Crank)

Round 1

The theme continues of dedicated finishers squaring off in the
cage, and in this case, it comes between two men making their
promotional debut. With plenty of momentum on his 10-fight unbeaten
streak, “The Future” Patterson (10-1-1, 0-0 UFC) would like to be
in the present as he towers over Israeli neophyte Ashmoz (6-0, 0-0
UFC). This lightweight clash sees quite a size difference between
the two, but size matters not – sometimes. Referee Marc Goddard
draws the charge for this prelim, and although Ashmoz extends his
hand to touch gloves, Patterson wants nothing to do with it.
Patterson keeps his distance and jabs with low kicks and the
occasional front kick, and a jab as Ashmoz kicks at him knocks “Red
Fox” off his feet. It appears to be balance and not a clean
knockdown, and he jumps back up no worse for wear.
Ashmoz blitzes forward, catching a kick and unloading a blazing
right hand and a brutal left hook on the temple that sends
Patterson crashing to the mat. Ashmoz dives down in a flurry to
beat down Patterson, and he pummels the downed fighter with a final
bombardment of unblocked blows until Patterson goes out, comes back
and gets knocked out again. Goddard gave Patterson
every bit of time to recover in this fight, and Patterson is
bloodied up and barely conscious when he returns to his feet.
Patterson protests the stoppage, still on wobbly baby deer legs,
and he appears that he still thinks he is in the fight. Goddard,
EMMAF commission officials and Patterson’s corner have to get in
there to stop him from continuing, and Patterson finally realizes
that the fight is over and accepts defeat. What a shot, and what a
finish from the unbeaten Israeli Ashmoz.

The Official Result

Yanal Ashmoz def. Sam Patterson R1 1:15 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

Do not adjust your set, as Christian Duncan is not entering the
cage again for seconds. Instead, another UFC debutant named Duncan
(9-1, 0-0 UFC) is hitting the Octagon, this one from Scotland as
opposed to England. He faces off against relative veteran Morales
(11-3, 3-3 UFC), whose six UFC appearances under his belt are the
most on the card thus far, tied with Todorovic earlier. The
lightweight will throw down under the auspices of referee Lukasz
Bosacki, who will keep things safe and on the up-and-up. The gloves
are touched, and Duncan takes several large steps forward to make
Morales retreat immediately. Duncan fires off a low kick that
Morales tries to check, and he misses with a second effort. Duncan
sticks out a jab and sweeps out a body kick, and his leg kick that
follows is the one that connects. Morales looks to back him off
with kicks of his own, and Duncan chambers a right hand but fires
it at the body and not the head. Morales checks a hard kick and
fires back with a one-two, and he catches a body kick and dumps
Duncan down to the ground. Morales walks his foe down when he lets
him up, and they trade low kicks. Duncan connects with a heavy
right hand over the top, and Morales eats it like arepa. Morales
gives a few punches back, and Duncan is surprised by the power of
his opponent as he gets driven back. As Morales spins for a back
fist, Duncan intercepts him with a body kick, and Morales still
continues with the fist that glances off the melon. Duncan shoots
in for a double, and he bails on it when running into a wall.
Morales checks a kick and dodges an overhand right, as Duncan is
launching his favored missile while generally telegraphing it.
Morales keeps his guard high, and Duncan kicks low to the calf.
Morales winds up with a few punches, knocking the Scottish fighter
off-balance and drilling him with an uppercut. Duncan gathers his
senses and blasts Morales in the face with a right hand, and
Morales staggers and points to the air as if he celebrated that he
got caught. Duncan rushes forward into a clinch, and he lands a
thudding elbow right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morales
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morales
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Morales

Round 2

The lightweights clap hands to reintroduce themselves, and Duncan
starts the round with a blast double. Morales gets thrown down to
one knee, and he bounces up only to be dragged down thanks to
Duncan’s body weight. Duncan looks to sweep the leg out, and he
knees the thigh while Morales looks to fight off the takedown. The
Scottish fighter sneaks his leg between Morales’ to tangle him up,
and Morales scrambles off to the side to hit a switch and burst
back to his feet. Duncan jabs him to the body, leaving himself
vulnerable for a right hand, and he gets tagged. Morales dodges and
weaves strikes to counter with one-twos, and he slaps a leg kick on
Duncan’s leg. Morales looks to check a kick, and he belts Duncan in
the face. Morales checks another kick, smiles at his opponent, and
Duncan wobbles back. Morales sits down on a strong leg kick, and he
absorbs a kick to his ribs before Duncan rushes at him for a
double. Morales defends with the cage at his back, and “The
Problem” changes his angle to grab hold of a single. Morales shakes
him off but cannot keep Duncan off of him, as Duncan tries again to
level change. Morales once more breaks the grip, and he cracks
Duncan with a right hand before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morales
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Duncan
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Duncan

Round 3

The fighters shake hands to start off the last round, and Duncan
strides forward to unleash a right hand over the top. Duncan slings
multiple kicks, and Morales prepares an uppercut counter expecting
a level change. Duncan does not oblige with wrestling, and instead
throws another haymaker. Morales jabs and chops down Duncan’s calf
with a kick, and Duncan falls to his knees. Duncan attacks a single
after absorbing the powerful blow, and Morales lifts his leg all
the way up in the air in a display of impressive flexibility to
fight it off. Morales gets thrown to the ground despite his
defensive efforts, and Duncan gloms on to him while keeping Morales
on one knee. Duncan knees the thigh a few times, and Morales sits
down to stop this from happening any more. Duncan embraces the
grind on “Venezuelan Fighter,” prohibiting him from standing.
Morales shrugs at the camera, and looks irritated by getting held
down, but he cannot break the grip or escape from this. Morales
climbs back to his feet for a moment, and Duncan strips his legs
out once more to drop him to a knee. Duncan grips on the ankle on
the other side to keep his foe grounded, but Morales explodes
upright with 30 seconds left. Morales unloads with punches, and he
connects with an uppercut that shakes Duncan to his foundation.
Duncan backs off, takes a few seconds to blink it out, and walks
through a leg kick to land one final takedown. The final horn
blares, and the two fighters take a seat against the cage to
amicably chat about their fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Duncan (29-28 Morales)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Duncan (29-28 Duncan)
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Duncan (29-28 Duncan)

The Official Result

Chris Duncan def. Omar Morales via Split Decision (27-30, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

Wrapping up this eons-long preliminary card is a featherweight
contest between bantamweight ex-pat Shore (16-1, 5-1 UFC) and
divisional stalwart Amirkhani (17-8, 7-6 UFC). This classic
grappling battle of Wales vs. Finland will be overseen by referee
Rich Mitchell, who recognizes the historical significance of this
pairing. There is half-hearted glove touch, but they would rather
get right down to business. Shore sticks out a few jabs, and he is
caught with an overhand left when kicking low. Shore bull-rushes
forward, punching his way and dropping down for a takedown, and
Amirkhani lifts his leg up and opts to turn Shore around. Amirkhani
considers a level change of his own, and Shore staves this off and
jams him to the wall. Amirkhani pushes him away, and Shore allows
this and gets swatted with a right hand as he throws a punch. The
fighters trade jabs, and their range still has not firmly been
established. Amirkhani shoots for a takedown in the center of the
cage, and he succeeds in taking the Welshman down with ease. Shore
maintains his guard and kicks off to make Amirkhani stands up, and
he threatens with an omoplata until Amirkhani wriggles his arm out
and slides over to half guard. Mitchell asks Amirkhani to do more
with the position, so he stands al the way up and tries to pass
guard from another angle. Shore defends on his back with a triangle
setup, and Amirkhani shucks it out of the way and rails his man
with an elbow. Amirkhani continues holding on from on top until the
horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani
Shane Clifford scores the round: 10-9 Amirkhani

Round 2

Shore claims the center of the cage to begin the round, and he
ignores a faked level change to load up with a right hand.
Amirkhani wings a high kick that makes him fall over, and Shore
uses this to take his fighter to the ground. Amirkhani scrambles,
Shore tries a high-amplitude guard pass, and they end up getting
back to their feet without incident. Shore bullies his way in with
punches before tying them up, and they clinch up for a moment
before splitting. Shore meets a level-changing Amirkhani with a
head kick, and “Mr. Finland” wobbles and shoots for a desperation
takedown. Shore easily stuffs it and stands up, and Shore aims
another high kick at the guard. Shore’s punches have busted up
Amirkhani’s nose, and the latter appears to be slowing. A pawing
right hand from Amirkhani lands, but it is one-and-done as Shore
beats him to the punch with a left hand and an uppercut. Shore’s
jab is making the nose of his foe grow redder by the blow, and he
stings Amirkhani with a few more strikes. The Welshman ducks a head
kick, and he makes him pay for the try with a clubbing. Shore jabs
to intercept a charging Amirkhani, and he meets Amirkhani in the
middle and tackles him down to the ground. Shore advances to full
mount, and he leans down to lock onto an arm-triangle choke.

With the leverage not there, Shore circles around to take
Amirkhani’s back, and he sets up a rear-naked choke and has it.
Amirkhani shakes, turns, pushes off the knee to break the hooks and
does so. The grip is not broken, however, and as Amirkhani gurgles,
he surrenders to the choke. Shore is now victorious at
his new division, and he throttled a savvy submission specialist
who had only once been tapped before this loss. At the conclusion
of the prelims, fighters from the United Kingdom went 7-1-1 against
foreign adversaries thus far.

The Official Result

Jack Shore def. Makwan Amirkhani R2 4:27 via Submission (Rear-Naked
Choke)

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Shane Clifford scores the round:

The Official Result