UFC on ESPN 56 ‘Lewis vs. Nascimento’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

The next slate of UFC fights steps through the Gateway Arch in St.
Louis, with a dozen fine matchups on the lineup. The first bout of
the evening comes at the women’s 125-pound division, as roster
staple Aldrich (13-6, 9-5 UFC) looks to put a three-fight win
streak together at the expense of Hardy (8-4-1, 3-4 UFC)—who is
also trying to do the same. Only one woman will get to three in a
row, barring something unusual, and referee Josh Stewart will have
the first say on who that is. The ladies do not touch ‘em up before
getting after it, and instead Aldrich shifts right to the center of
the cage, ready to engage. She pulls back before getting into
boxing range, but she springs forward to test out a jab that is out
of reach. Aldrich does the same reaching jab again that also
misses, and a minute goes by without a strike landing—this draws
boos from the crowd already. Hardy hears this and answers by
lunging in to throw hands, and Aldrich takes one on the temple and
gives one back to make Hardy backpedal. Aldrich doubles up on a
jab, reddening the nose of her foe, and Hardy responds with two low
kicks. Aldrich measures her jab and attempts a standing elbow that
is feet away from her intended target. Aldrich plants a one-two on
the beak and gets out of harm’s way before getting countered. When
Hardy advances, Aldrich meets her in the middle and ties her up,
where she pushes the Venezuelan to the fencing. Both women let fly
short but effective elbows that force separation. Aldrich paws out
with a left hand, and Hardy charges her and plants a kick to the
ribs before getting too close and winding up in the clinch. Aldrich
moves to take a body lock from behind, and she drills Hardy in the
face with a heavy knee that opens up a tiny cut on the side of her
left eye. Aldrich tries to drag her down, and Hardy gets away with
a fence grab to keep her upright. Aldrich uses tight pressure to
squeeze Hardy on the fencing, and Hardy allows this so that she can
line up an elbow that smacks Aldrich in the nose and draws blood.
Hardy scoots away, and she catches her opponent with a short
combination. Aldrich nods at her, and Hardy lands a few more
effective shots. Hardy bangs another elbow off her opponent’s
cheek, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hardy

Round 2

The flyweights meet right in the middle of the cage, and Hardy
attacks with kicks from both legs that get blocked. Hardy leaps
forward in pursuit of a long one-two, and Aldrich ties her up
briefly until a knee pushes her away. Aldrich lets Hardy lunge
again so that she can capitalize with a solid right hook, forcing
Hardy to take a back step. Hardy switches stances to launch a pair
of piercing jabs, and Aldrich’s guard is up in time. Aldrich scores
a left, and Hardy does the same and follows it with a body kick.
Aldrich backs off, and Hardy gives chase with two more. They crash
together landing hooks, and Hardy’s right hook is the best of the
bunch. Aldrich swarms forward swinging her fists, and Hardy flings
blows back at her as they engage in a small melee with elbows and
knees as well. Hardy circles away, and Aldrich motions to her to
keep trading. Aldrich ducks a right hand to shoot in for a
takedown, and she succeeds in pushing Hardy back to the wall but is
nowhere near getting her down. Aldrich gets in a few knees, and
Hardy answers with her own as she attempts to escape the clinch
position. Aldrich hooks her own fingers in the fencing to keep
Hardy trapped in a position, until Hardy bends over make Aldrich
follow her. Hardy spins to the side and gets away, and chants for
Hardy start to amass in the building. She pops out a single low
kick, and pulls back when considering a second. Hardy jabs her way
into a standing elbow, and she avoids the elbow counter. The horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hardy
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hardy

Round 3

Aldrich moves right to the middle of the Octagon to begin the final
round, but it is Hardy whose offense gets going. Hardy strings a
few punches together and a leg kick on the outer edge to evade what
Aldrich tosses back at her. Hardy uses a jab-body kick combo,
flustering Aldrich and not allowing herself to remain stationary
and get hit back. Aldrich spins with a back kick that lands flush
on the liver, changing Hardy’s complexion and giving her some
pause. The confident Aldrich strides forward, and she rails Hardy
with a one-two that sends the Venezuelan crashing down to her seat.
Aldrich leaps on top, but Hardy turns around and snares Aldrich in
an inverted triangle that lathers up the crowd. Aldrich slowly
works her way out of the precarious position, and Hardy transitions
to an omoplata shoulder lock solely with her legs. Aldrich does not
show one iota of concern, as she slithers her limb free and shifts
over to half guard. Hardy’s offensive guard does not slow, as she
tosses her legs up to pursue a triangle choke. Aldrich shucks it
aside and delivers a stern knee to the side. Aldrich drops down a
number of left hands as Hardy scrambles madly, even pushing her
feet off the wall in hopes of flipping them over. Aldrich is a
125-pound unyielding weight on top of her opponent, keeping Hardy
stuck on her back and landing strikes any moment she finds an
opening. Hardy kicks wildly to push Aldrich off of her, and when
they climb back to their feet, they circle one another until time
expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich (29-28 Hardy)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich (29-28
Hardy)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich (29-28 Hardy)

The Official Result

Veronica Hardy def. J.J. Aldrich via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The next matchup comes at the men’s flyweight bracket, with a
fighter in St. Louis’ own Johnson (14-6, 3-4 UFC), who is looking
to push his UFC record to .500. If he does so, his opponent Hadley
(10-2, 2-2 UFC) will slide beneath the midpoint mark, so something
might have to give here. Referee Gary Copeland will take charge of
the cage in this pairing, one that begins with a glove touch. The
two paw at one another with jabs and low kicks to get going, and
Hadley walks Johnson down to crowd him and back him against the
cage. Hadley feeds his foe a steady diet of jabs and leg kicks, and
Johnson responds in kind. Johnson mixes things up with a kick to
the chest, and Hadley replies with a left hook. Hadley measures his
left hook again, and it bounces off the pectorals harmlessly.
Hadley keeps pressuring forward, staying active and giving Johnson
plenty of reads. Johnson escapes to the side and eats part of a
right hook, and Hadley takes advantage of this to clip him with a
left and shoot in for a double-leg takedown. “InnerG” hits the mat
and bounces back up as if he had springs in his shorts. They chip
away at one another with leg kicks, and Hadley tries again for a
level change but is intercepted and met with effective dirty boxing
from the Missouri native. Johnson doubles up on his jab, and he
leans back as a left hand flies past him. One after the other, they
throw body kicks, and Johnson hops away to avoid a big left.
Johnson blocks a head kick and the two otherwise potshot each other
with effective but not overly powerful blows. Johnson backs his man
off briefly with a one-two, and Hadley aims his own similar
combination to the midsection. Johnson kicks the chest and punches
the midsection, and Hadley also targets the body with a few
punches. Johnson gets off two low kicks, and the extremely close
round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Hadley

Round 2

The flyweights touch ‘em up, and Johnson reintroduces himself with
a head kick that Hadley barely blocks. Johnson follows it with a
straight right hand that wobbles the Brit’s legs, and Hadley smiles
at him and corks back his left hand to prepare a counter. Johnson
does not get reckless and walk into anything dangerous, and instead
picks at him as Hadley gets his sea legs back beneath him. Hadley
tries to shoot for a takedown, only for Johnson to stop it before
it materializes and push away. Johnson switches stances, puts three
hands on his foe’s face, and slips away before “White Kong” hits
back. Johnson aims another high kick that bounces off the guard,
and Hadley steels himself and digs a left hand to the liver.
Johnson does not bat an eye and eats a body kick and another left
to the same spot. Johnson wipes his face and rifles out a right
hand and a hard low kick. Johnson stifles a half-hearted takedown
and shoves his man back. When Hadley misses with a one-two, Johnson
is there to jab and then string a few punches together after it.
Leg kicks from both men get through, and Johnson stabs the
midsection with his toes. Hadley’s leg kick leads to him backing
away and eating two punches, and Johnson digs a right to the body.
Hadley keeps working on the long lead leg of his opponent, and he
absorbs a right hook flush on the face. Johnson lands a right hand,
slips a punch and drills him with a right. As Hadley blinks it out,
Johnson unloads with a vicious right hand that sends the Brit
collapsing to his seat. The cobwebs are almost immediately cleared,
as Hadley shoots in for a takedown and puts Johnson on his seat for
half a second. Johnson climbs back up, Hadley hangs on from behind,
and the round ends with the two men giving it up to one
another.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johnson

Round 3

The crowd is alive and fully in support of their local man, who has
momentum after dropping his opponent in the last round. Chants of
“USA” echo through the building, and the two high five before
getting going. Hadley tries to take them out of it by pressuring
forward, but Johnson’s footwork allows him to not only get away
from heavy shots but also stop any takedowns from getting remotely
close. Johnson tries to counter shots as Hadley crowds him, and a
good right hand intercepts and bloodies Hadley’s nose as Hadley
goes for a low single-leg takedown. If Johnson was officially
grounded, it was only for a second before “InnerG” is back on his
feet. In the position with Hadley hanging on, Johnson elbows the
calf over a dozen times before Hadley sets his leg down. The two
separate, and the audience is elated. Johnson strafes from side to
side offering jabs, and Hadley’s offense has waned to single left
hands. Johnson pushes his hand out and a finger jams in the Brit’s
eye, and Hadley waves Copeland off and says he wants to get right
back to it. Johnson strings a few punches together on the restart,
and Hadley ducks down but fails to take the fight down. Johnson
keeps volume relatively high and his combinations steady, generally
tossing at least two strikes in an exchange at a time. Johnson
parries the oncoming hands and jabs the body with his foot,
peppering “White Kong” from his preferred range. Johnson gives
chase and scores a solid left hook on the nose, and Hadley sits
down and delivers two left hands of his own. Johnson lets his hands
go, resulting in a Hadley low single. Johnson sprawls and tosses it
aside, where he ends the fight chasing after Hadley with punches
and kicks. The two flyweights hug it out after 15 minutes of
combat, and it could be a tough one to score depending on this last
round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28
Johnson)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)

The Official Result

Charles Johnson def. Jake Hadley via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

A pair of welterweights both victorious in their promotional
debuts—both men signed from the 2022 season of Dana White’s
Contender Series—collide to separate the wheat from the chaff. New
England native Goff (9-2, 1-0 UFC) would like to show that his
region of the U.S. still has some life in it, while the towering
Waters (8-1, 1-0 UFC) reps Florida. A touch of gloves in front of
referee Josh Stewart checks the two men in. Waters keeps his hands
low as he circles to the side instead of coming out forward, as the
shorter Goff tries to reach him with lunging shots. Waters uses his
long arms to jab, and he leans back to dodge a high kick. Goff has
to rush in to get his range, opening him up for power shots that
mark his nose up. Goff fires off several low kicks from both legs,
and he backs Waters up to the fence briefly. Waters circles out and
stings him with straight shots. Goff shoots in desperately for a
takedown, and he pushes “The Truth” to the wire. They trade knees
on the inside, and Waters grinds his elbow on the fence as he looks
to frame off. Goff hurls Waters to the floor, and in his
excitement, he tries to go after a choke but slides off the back
and bails on it. They both climb back to their feet, and Waters
gets back to jabbing and chewing Goff up with his distant strikes.
Waters dings his foe with a one-two, and tags him a few more times
only to get caught with an overhand right. Goff charges forward,
tripping Waters up and chucking him to his seat. Goff slides around
to get one hook in and hunts for a back take, but Waters stops that
from coming together and turns around to push him over. Waters
lines up and blasts Goff in the face with a clearly illegal knee,
with Goff’s knee down, and Stewart does not say anything. Goff
stands up, not hurt badly, and he chases Waters around and tees off
on him. The two engage in a mighty slugfest, nailing one another
with power punches, elbows, knees and maybe even a few whacks from
a steel chair pulled from beneath the cage floor. They empty their
gas tanks as they bash one another in the face, and the round ends
before either man goes down.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Waters
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Waters
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Waters

Round 2

Goff comes out of his corner ready and rearing to go, and he
presses forward after Waters and kicks him hard behind the knee.
Waters’ leg nearly buckles, but he gathers himself to flick out
long jabs. Waters slips a few shots and goes to the body, and Goff
answers this by leaning over and jabbing him to the midsection.
Goff tries to kick the taller man in the head, and the guard is up
in time. Waters flails with a few fists, and Goff’s chin holds up.
Goff surges ahead, kicking the side and winging a right hand.
Waters prods him with effective blows, with Goff leading with his
hands down and his face in the air. Goff punches his way into a
takedown attempt, pursuing a single but letting it go to ring
Waters’ bell with an elbow. Waters shakes it off and responds with
power, resulting in Goff shooting for another takedown. Waters
remains on his feet despite the exhausting effort, and he pushes
off and tags Goff with a few punches. Goff continues to crowd him
and walk him down, and he forces Waters to turn away for a moment
when landing a right hand. Both men are totally spent, and Waters
gets a full head of steam and blasts Goff in the face with a
ferocious right hand. Goff leans over, in trouble and possibly
wanting to take the fight down, and Waters snatches up a choke.
Waters lets it go and shoves Goff away, and Goff nearly stumbles
and falls over when gathering himself. Goff tries to meander
forward, his energy reserves completely completed, and he leans
over and finds himself in a power guillotine choke. Waters looks to
the big screen to see if the choke is locked up from the other
angle, and when it is not, he lets it go. Goff sucks wind but
powers forward, swinging everything he has left. Waters counters
him, and they lean on one another against the fence as the second
round ends. They still have five minutes to go.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Waters
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Waters
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Waters

Round 3

With one minute to recover, it remains to be seen who has more left
in the tank after a mighty slugfest thus far. Goff does not
pressure as much when the last round begins, and Waterson uses
footwork and head movement to dodge the lumbering strikes soaring
at his dome. Goff shoots in on the hips, going for a double-leg
entry, only for Waters to stop it as he leans his back against the
cage. Goff transitions to a single, and he lifts Waters off the
ground but the stork-like legs of Waters allow him to catch himself
before going down. Goff holds on tight, and he fishes for a trip
that is not there. Stewart asks for Goff to work as a stalemate
ensues, and the bloodthirsty crowd grows restless fast. Goff knees
Waters once in the chest, and he drops lower for a single. Stewart
breaks them up with two minutes to spare, and the fighters circle
one another from kickboxing range. Goff slams Waters in the mouth
with the instep of his foot, and Waters does not flinch. Goff
surges ahead with punches, and he lands a few chopping low kicks to
keep his man guessing. Waters sits on single strikes that largely
miss the mark, while Goff also goes for a home run shot. Goff
connects with a right hand and just misses with a head kick, and he
throws caution to the wind and starts trading hands again. Waters
stands in the pocket with him and lets his hands go, and both chins
hold up despite taking hellacious punishment. They continue to
trade punches and kicks right to the final horn. When the
all-action battle concludes, Waters collapses to his seat in
fatigue. What a banger, and an instant frontrunner for “Fight of
the Night.”

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Goff (29-28 Waters)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Goff (29-28 Waters)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Goff (29-28 Waters)

The Official Result

Trey Waters def. Billy Goff via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,
29-28)

Round 1

The final women’s matchup of the evening takes place on the prelims
between two strawweights on the outside of the top 10 looking in.
Brazilian grappler Ricci (9-2, 4-2 UFC) holds a number next to her
name in the top 15, while Pennington (13-6, 9-6 UFC) is back in
action after two years away to have a baby with bantamweight champ
Raquel Pennington. Both ladies dropped split decisions in their
last times out, and one will break out of that losing column in the
next 15 minutes or less. Before the two go at it, referee Nick
Berens clocks the women in, and they bump fists. Ricci is
immediately the aggressor, throwing hands right out of the gate.
Pennington replies in kind, and she settles down and pushes out a
few jabs. Pennington connects with a right hand off the forehead,
and she aims another few punches before getting kicked in the ribs.
Fast, frenetic exchanges result when the two crash together, and
Pennington breaks off with a left hand. Pennington dings her foe
with a left and a right, and she strafes away from a spin kick.
Ricci reaches her with a short combination, and Pennington drives
forward and gives her two back. Pennington whips a right hand that
reddens the cheek of “Baby Shark,” and she is right there ready to
trade violently when Ricci engages with her. Ricci catches her
opponent at the end of a right hand, but Pennington ignores it and
keeps right on delivering volume. Ricci scores, and Pennington
replies with lengthy combinations. Ricci shoots in on the hips, and
she bails and lands with a right hand. Pennington answers her
immediately with a few punches that mark up the other cheek, and
she embodies her “Tiny Tornado” nickname by attacking in kind.
Pennington even throws a little too hard, and she recoils with a
back fist. Ricci does not give much ground as the two women hit one
another in the face repeatedly. Ricci crowds her and pushes her to
the fencing, landing a knee but ultimately not keeping her there.
Pennington scores a low kick, a few punches and an elbow, and Ricci
parries and counters. Pennington blocks a head kick and they get
back to business, trading punches but Pennington having the edge in
terms of lands. Ricci rarely gives ground, willing to stand right
in the pocket and throw. After Pennington gets off with a
combination, Ricci pushes forward and hits a body lock takedown.
The round ends with Pennington shoving her opponent off of her.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pennington

Round 2

It takes five seconds for the strawweights to get right back where
they left off in the second round. Ricci throws several kicks to
keep Pennington honest, and all of her kicks up high miss the mark.
Pennington pops her with a few strikes after the kicks, and she
walks through a low kick to string a few fists together. Pennington
rings Ricci up with a few successive blows when Ricci rushes at
her, and she knocks Ricci back. Ricci responds with a standing
elbow, and she crashes in and pushes Pennington to the chain-link
fence. Ricci pursues a body lock takedown, after a first head lock
throw does not go her way. Pennington retains her balance, and
Ricci shoots in for a double and lifts her off the ground
momentarily. Ricci drags “The Tiny Tornado” to a single knee, and
Pennington wall-walks immediately to get up. Ricci hunts for a
single, and switches to a double as she chains attempts together.
Pennington’s defense remains resolute, and Ricci abandons the
effort as Pennington pushes her off. Ricci drops down to her knees
for a low single, and Pennington turns her around as she sprawls.
Ricci doggedly pursues the takedown, and Pennington prevents
multiple efforts from succeeding. A short elbow on the inside from
Pennington busts Ricci’s nose open, and she checks her face to see
the blood flow. Pennington gets some space, and she pushes the pace
by going after Ricci with punch combinations. Every combo has
anywhere from two to five punches in rapid succession, and she
chains a few together to keep Ricci honest. Torres spins with a
back fist that just misses, and the two strike until the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ricci
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pennington

Round 3

The last round kicks off with Ricci attacking, and Pennington
strikes back. Ricci tries to bully her to the fence, and Pennington
stays on her bike to avoid getting sucked into the clinch. On
another effort, “Baby Shark” latches onto Pennington and pushes her
back to the wall, and she lands a few knees on the thigh when a
takedown does not present itself. Ricci plants a knee to the body,
and she searches for a trip and then shoots for a double.
Pennington elbows Ricci on the side of the head, and Ricci clasps
her hands around the waist and tries to drag her to the mat.
Pennington pushes her foot off the fence to give her a position
that keeps her from going down, and she forces out of the tie-up
and shifts back to the center of the cage. Ricci reaches her with a
one-two and a body kick, and Pennington throws back hard. Ricci
connects with a right hand, and Pennington gives her back volume.
Ricci scores with a stern knee, and when Pennington is trading
back, Pennington leans over and takes another flush knee. Ricci
loads up on all of her strikes while Pennington is content to touch
with higher numbers. Pennington surges in with fists outstretched,
and Ricci gives her back a Superwoman punch. Ricci rushes at her,
and Pennington flips her on her head. Ricci climbs back up, only to
get dumped once more on her head. The two dirty box with one
another until the final bell, and it might be a toss-up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ricci (29-28 Pennington)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ricci (29-28 Ricci)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ricci (29-28 Pennington)

The Official Result

Tabatha Ricci def. Tecia Pennington via Split Decision (28-29,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The matchmakers made sure at least one fight on the billing would
practically promise bonkers action for as long as it lasts, and
this is that bout. In 21 pro outings, McKinney (15-6, 5-3 UFC) has
never heard the final bell, while Ribovics (12-1, 1-1 UFC) has gone
the distance twice after 13 appearances. Referee Gary Copeland has
donned his hard hat for what could be a wild and crazy first round,
although it starts with a calm glove touch. McKinney immediately
opens up with a one-two, and he takes a low kick and throws back
hard. Ribovics sits down on a power punch, and he absorbs a flush
combination and catches McKinney with a knee when “T. Wrecks” bends
over. McKinney connects with a right hand, and
Ribovics tosses out a few punches, reaches with a right hand and
sets up one of the most beautiful head kicks one can muster as it
collides square into McKinney’s head. McKinney is out cold as soon
as the shin makes contact, and he collapses lifelessly to his seat
as his back bounces into the fence behind him. Blood
leaks out of his nose as he sits there, totally unconscious.
Ribovics knows that he does not need to do anything else today, and
he proudly walks away as Copeland tends to the snoozing
lightweight. Wow, what a finish! “Knockout of the Year” has one
more contender in an already crowded list with that absolute gem,
and Ribovics has officially announced himself to the lightweight
division in a massive way.

The Official Result

Esteban Ribovics def. Terrance McKinney R1 0:37 via KO (Head
Kick)

Round 1

Wrapping up the prelims is a classic stylistic clash hearkening
back to the days of old. Washington native Hooper (13-3-1, 5-3 UFC)
presents as a devoted grappler, while foe Borshchev (7-3-1, 2-2-1
UFC) is all about slugging it out. Referee Keith Peterson will keep
track of this 155-pound pairing for as long as it lasts, one that
could take place anywhere but will feature no nonsense at all.
There is no time for a fist bump, as Hooper tries to keep his range
with kicks right when the fight begins. Borshchev fights off a
takedown, and he gets plinked with a left hand that puts him down
on the mat. Hooper jumps on top and thinks about taking the back or
getting a submission, but elects to move to full mount and batter
Borshchev with ground-and-pound. Hooper beats down Borshchev with
punches until he sits up a little high, and Borshchev tries to turn
out and escape. This allows Hooper to take his back for a moment,
but he decides to climb back over to mount so he can make a
statement by clubbing the striker relentlessly. Hooper postures up
and smashes down several elbows, and Borshchev defends well enough
to survive and stay in the fight, all while Peterson watches on
closely. Hooper lines up a vicious elbow, and Peterson thinks about
intervening but lets it keep playing out as Hooper has drawn some
blood. Borshchev scrambles wildly and sits up, but Hooper bowls him
over a few times. Hooper considers an armbar, but Borshchev turns
all the way around and falls into an inverted triangle choke. While
Hooper’s legs are wrapped around Borshchev’s head, Hooper also
torques a toe hold to make Borshchev’s life completely miserable.
Peterson checks to make sure Borshchev is still with it, and
Borshchev responds affirmatively and gets his leg free from harm.
The triangle grip around his head is still brutal, and Hooper turns
around and sits down on Borshchev’s head as Borshchev’s dome turns
a brilliant shade of red. Borshchev miraculously manages to make it
to the bell, but he is easily way down on the scorecards in a round
that might even get a 10-7 score because of how rough it went for
him.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Hooper
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Hooper
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Hooper

Round 2

Hooper starts the round throwing hands again, but he quickly
decides to shoot for a takedown. Borshchev defends the first
effort, and he gets turned to his side and somehow flipped over to
do a handstand to keep himself from going down as his back is
against the fence. Hooper circles around to drag him down with a
crucifix, and he swirls over to take full mount and start pummeling
Borshchev with ground-and-pound. Elbows and punches continue to
hammer Borshchev, and Peterson watches closely but allows it to
continue. Borshchev scrambles with every bit of energy he has, and
Peterson asks him to fight back. Hooper follows him every step of
the way, keeping a dominant position like a back take or a mount,
and Borshchev turns to his side as Hooper clobbers him. Borshchev
bucks and shifts his hips, even managing to get to butterfly guard,
and
Hooper snatches up a brabo choke and rolls him over. Borshchev
pushes on the hip and then the back, and Peterson registers that
single hand motion as a tap. Hooper releases the
submission, and Borshchev immediately protests, screaming at
Peterson that he did not give up. As a giant hematoma blows up on
his forehead, Borshchev’s corner of Team Alpha Male also shouts
that Borshchev did not surrender. This one-sided shellacking is
going to go down in the books as a submission, and it may qualify
for one if not two year-end awards in the “Beatdown of the Year”
and “Robbery of the Year” categories—the latter depending on how
one viewed the tapout. Either way, this is a massive victory for
the youngster, who laid a beating on a tough guy that had never
been finished.

The Official Result

Chase Hooper def. Viacheslav Borshchev R2 3:00 via Submission
(Brabo Choke)

Round 1

A heavyweight appetizer kicks off the main card before the main
course between big men. Fastball-throwing Dominican Cortes-Acosta
(11-1, 4-1 UFC) will ply his trade against skyscraping power
puncher Despaigne (5-0, 1-0 UFC) in a pairing that may not go more
than a minute or two. Referee Josh Stewart knows that danger is
looming, but he is prepped and ready for what’s about to befall
these two fighters. The large fists are not bumped before they get
down to business. Despaigne keeps his hands low, and he walks
through a leg kick and smashes Cortes-Acosta in the face with a
left hand. Despaigne connects with a few more thunderous punches,
and Cortes-Acosta answers his offense by shooting in and securing
an easy takedown. Cortes-Acosta lands in half guard, where he holds
down the taekwondo star and takes a few elbows on the side of the
head. Cortes-Acosta is unable to maintain chest-to-chest pressure,
but his sitting on the left leg of his foe prevents “The Bad Boy”
from going anywhere. Cortes-Acosta starts softening up the body,
and Despaigne flails off his back. Cortes-Acosta wrenches on
Despaigne’s right arm to set up a keylock, and he begins to torque
it on his second effort. Despaigne wriggles his arm free, turning
to his side to prevent from being stuck flat on his back. This
position allows him to also defend from the few strikes that come
at him. Cortes-Acosta grinds his elbow on him and tries to present
a forearm choke, but there is nothing to it. Cortes-Acosta rides
out the round on top, dragging Despaigne to uncharted
territory.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta

Round 2

Despaigne starts the round off with a long front kick, and he backs
Cortes-Acosta off with long punches. Despaigne kicks low twice, and
Cortes-Acosta responds with one of his own. Despaigne lunges
forward with a single punch, and he gets caught backing off with a
couple of long strikes from the former baseball player. The two
trade leg kicks, and Despaigne unloads a head kick that gets
blocked and fires one from the other side as well. Cortes-Acosta
shoots for a takedown, and this time, the 6-foot-7 fighter
stonewalls him. Despaigne breaks free, and the two big men start
trading. Cortes-Acosta lands with heavy hands, and he pushes
Despaigne back. Despaigne plods forward and whiffs on an overhand
right, and the two are sucking wind two minutes into the second
round. Despaigne kicks the ribcage, and wings two punches, and
Cortes-Acosta signals to him that he has no sting on his punches.
Cortes-Acosta nails his man with an uppercut, and Despaigne decides
to tie them up. Cortes-Acosta uses the position to secure a body
lock and toss Despaigne to the mat, and he climbs directly into
full mount. Cortes-Acosta works the body a few times and lands some
to the head, and he postures up and starts battering Despaigne with
heavy fists. Despaigne twists and turns, only for Cortes-Acosta to
sit heavily on top of his abdomen. Cortes-Acosta slams down a
couple elbows and opens up with hammerfists and punches, but they
are more for dramatic effect than actual stopping power.
Cortes-Acosta drives home a few body shots and then goes to the
head with punches until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta

Round 3

The heavyweights have unexpectedly reached the third round, and
their energy reserves are running low. Cortes-Acosta tosses out a
half-hearted low kick, and he misses with another as Despaigne
loads up on two of his own. Despaigne sticks out a jab that
dislodges the mouthpiece of his opponent, and he reaches with a
second. Cortes-Acosta checks a kick and mocks his undefeated
adversary, and he easily blocks a jumping switch kick. Despaigne
kicks his lead leg a few times, and Cortes-Acosta shrugs at him.
Cortes-Acosta gives him one low kick back, and he surges into
action with a right hook. Cortes-Acosta slaps a low kick on the
front leg, and Despaigne counters him with a front kick that snaps
the head back. As the crowd gasps, Cortes-Acosta waves in the air
to signal he is fine. Despaigne’s mouth is wide open as his hands
are down by his waist, and he walks forward without concern.
Cortes-Acosta ties him up and turns him around to push him to the
fence, and he scoops the taller man up and deposits him gingerly to
the floor. Cortes-Acosta shifts to side control before deciding to
move himself back to half guard for control purposes, and he smacks
Despaigne a few times and starts talking to someone outside of the
cage. Cortes-Acosta bops Despaigne with feeble hammerfists and some
light punches, more to stay busy than try to conclude the pairing.
Cortes-Acosta is shouting at Despaigne, who is totally defeated and
has nothing left to offer. Cortes-Acosta sits up and rains down
punches, and Despaigne turns all the way over to grab one leg and
defend his mug from ground strikes. Cortes-Acosta keeps hold of
Despaigne’s right arm and slams him in the face with his own right
until the horrible heavyweight match concludes. Barring something
horrendous, Despaigne will be leaving the ranks of the unbeaten,
and any confidence of him going far at heavyweight has been
shattered to pieces.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta (30-27
Cortes-Acosta)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta (30-27
Cortes-Acosta)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta (30-27
Cortes-Acosta)

The Official Result

Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Robelis Despaigne via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Round 1

Typically a fan-favorite, Caceres (21-14, 1 NC; 16-12, 1 NC UFC)
will be entering hostile territory when he engages with Woodson
(11-1-1, 5-1-1 UFC) at the Enterprise Center tonight. Both
featherweights have designs on moving up the crowded featherweight
ladder, and a win will do wonders for the victor. This intriguing
striking affair will be governed by referee Jason Herzog, who
starts the match when the two touch ‘em up. Caceres starts off with
a long jab and a body kick, and he tosses a rear-leg head kick as
Woodson dances out of the way. Woodson flicks out a jab and
stumbles “Bruce Leeroy” and scores a trio of powerful calf kicks.
Woodson snipes his foe with a left hand, forcing Caceres to turn
partially, and then he beans the lead leg with another kick.
Woodson counters a leg kick with a left hand, and he chains a kick
of his own behind it. Caceres jumps forward to score left, and
Woodson stands firm and knocks him back. Caceres crashes the pocket
and looks to trade, and Woodson circles away and gets off a leg
kick on the way out. Caceres aims a few punches as Woodson ducks
away, looking to time the movements. Caceres flies by his foe with
a front kick, and Woodson whips a head kick at him as Caceres’ hair
moves with it. Caceres comes forward and they smack chests
together, and Woodson backs away but eats a left on the way out.
Caceres lunges with a left, and Woodson is there greeting him with
his own lengthy punches. They both trade hands briefly, and Woodson
ends his own series of strikes with a body kick. Woodson kicks low
with both legs, and he gets knocked back to the wall from a
combination. Woodson fakes a knee to make Caceres think twice about
charging forward recklessly, and he swings a body kick that Caceres
blocks. Caceres spins with a back kick, and due to the motion of
his opponent, the kick smashes directly into the cup. Herzog calls
time as Woodson’s face contorts in pain, but Woodson does not take
long to recover before signaling he is good to go. They get back to
hit, with Caceres timing a leg kick to connect with a left hand.
Woodson snaps the head back with a jab and follows with a right
hook, and both men whip head kicks at one another. Caceres lets his
hands fly wildly, and Woodson slips and moves. The two men share a
brief embrace as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Woodson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Woodson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Woodson

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:
Tyler Treese scores the round:

The Official Result