UFC on ESPN 57 ‘Cannonier vs. Imavov’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

For the first time since the UFC was on the Versus network (2011),
the promotion is taking a trip back to Louisville, Kentucky, for
some deep fried combat. A whopping 14 fights will play out in the
span of about sixish hours, and the pace on the prelims might be
hurried—potentially in a good way. We kick things off in the
strawweight division, as former Invicta 105-pound champ dos Santos
(14-7, 0-1 UFC) wants a second chance to make a first impression
after her first UFC outing did not go her way. She meets the
debuting Tomar (8-4, 0-0 UFC), who is the first Indian woman to
fight in the promotion but does not measure anywhere near the
5-foot-4 that the UFC bills her at. Referee George Conley will
receive the first assignment of the night, and he checks the ladies
in they clap hands. Tomar is quick to measure with multiple kicks,
and dos Santos walks right through them and swings with wild hands.
The Brazilian sneaks in a right hand while Tomar lets her feet fly.
Tomar backpedals and prods with body kicks and side kicks, while
dos Santos fearlessly pursues her and sets up her right hand a few
times. Tomar times an advancing dos Santos with an overhand right,
and she catches dos Santos with a second. Tomar flicks out a high
kick to make dos Santos think twice about advancing, and the nose
area of dos Santos is already turning read from a few absorbed
strikes. Tomar slams two body kicks home, and dos Santos keeps a
stiff upper lip but drops her hands in response to the blows. Tomar
connects with one more, and dos Santos winces just a little but
still strides forward. Tomar kiais when she tosses out kicks, and
even with a reach disadvantage in the arms, she is able to get to
the target. Tomar dings dos Santos with a right hand, and dos
Santos no-sells it and slugs her in the chops. Tomar gets in a side
kick right on the abdomen to slow dos Santos momentarily, only for
dos Santos to get right back to stalking mode. Dos Santos lets her
hands go, and she stings the woman from India with a sharp
combination that bounces Tomar off the cage. “The Cyclone” acts
like that kind of storm when she wings wild punches in rapid
succession, and this causes dos Santos to break away for a moment.
Dos Santos closes the distance with a jump knee, and she leans back
from a flurry of punches that miss the mark. Dos Santos cracks
Tomar with a solid right hand in the midst of a salvo of strikes,
and Tomar circles away from the cage to reset. Tomar plants a few
more side kicks on the body, and dos Santos leaps at her with a
kick. Tomar snatches her out of the air and slings her to the
floor, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tomar
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Tomar

Round 2

Dos Santos comes out of her corner ready to throw kicks, imitating
the kick-heavy offense of her opponent. Tomar kicks her back, but
the Brazilian’s land harder and add to her already effective
pressure. They go kick-for-kick for a time, with dos Santos
consistently keeping Tomar on her back foot. Dos Santos has her
right foot slip over Tomar’s guard to slap her in the face, and
Tomar is quick to retaliate with a body kick. Dos Santos looks for
a massive overhand right, but Tomar is out of range, peppering her
with kicks. Dos Santos plods forward and tags Tomar with a right
hand, and both women let their hands fly in a brief speedy
exchange. Tomar sticks out her side kick again and again, and dos
Santos tries to check a few with a raised knee. Dos Santos switches
things up by hunting for a single-leg takedown, and Tomar hops away
to prevent it. Dos Santos gives chase, and the crowd grows restless
about the tit-for-tat striking approach the two are taking. Dos
Santos lands, Tomar gets her back, the Brazilian returns fire, and
so on. Dos Santos drills her foe with an effective haymaker of a
right hand, and Tomar shakes her head and circles away. Dos Santos
walks her down and clacks her with a few more heavy hands. Tomar
gets backed against the cage, and they swing it out until the bell
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Tomar
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos

Round 3

The strawweight meet in the middle, and Tomar kicks her back
several feet with a strong side kick. When dos Santos comes back
her direction, Tomar goes high with a side kick, and it grazes past
the target. Dos Santos digs her toes to the midsection with a front
kick, and she skirts away from a body kick in response but is
reached by a subsequent side kick. The two trade low kicks, and
then body kicks one after the other. The Brazilian closes the
distance, crashing chest-to-chest so she can go after a body lock
takedown. Tomar leans her back to the cage wall and fights off a
first trip attempt to stay on her feet. Tomar manages to break
away, and she wings a right hand but dos Santos is away. Tomar
throws a naked kick, and dos Santos beans her with an overhand
right. Tomar measures a side kick, and she knocks dos Santos clean
off her feet as dos Santos stumbles back and falls over. The
Brazilian jumps back to her feet, and walks right into a head kick.
Dos Santos plods ever forward, but Tomar steels herself and slings
leather. Dos Santos knocks her back with a clean right hand, and
she has another skip off the top of the Indian woman’s head. Tomar
gets in two side kicks before dos Santos can reach her, but dos
Santos does end up reaching her with power right hands. Tomar
swings back with everything she has, and dos Santos is psyched up.
The women start screaming at one another, which drags them into a
brief brawl that only ends when Tomar kicks her foe in the head.
Dos Santos resets and backs away, and she surges forward. Tomar
grabs her and is kneed in the gut, and she disengages the clinch
only to eat two heavy right hands. Tomar is backed up to the
fencing once more, and dos Santos whips her fists at her and smacks
Tomar in the side of the head repeatedly. The ladies end their
back-and-forth contest in the clinch, and when time expires, dos
Santos celebrates by somersaulting away. This one could go either
way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos (29-28 dos Santos)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos (29-28 dos
Santos)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 dos Santos (29-28 dos
Santos)

The Official Result

Puja Tomar def. Rayanne dos Santos via Split Decision (30-27,
27-30, 29-28)

Round 1

Moving right along, bantamweights take the cage in a matchup
between fighters that have no fear going to decision. Stamann
(21-6-1, 7-5-1 UFC) will be coming off about a year layoff and is
looking to bounce back from a loss, while Lapilus (19-4, 1-1 UFC)
saw his six-fight win streak crumble in January. With any luck, one
of two will return to the win column soon, and referee Blake Grice
may know first. The two clap hands to get going, and Stamann
immediately opens up with a body kick. Lapilus stands right in
front of him and strings three punches together before Stamann
backs up. Booming chants of “USA” rain down in support of Stamann,
and he surges forward, energized by the calls, and lands a right
hand. Lapilus retaliates with a few punches of his own, and he
grabs hold of Stamann’s left wrist to disrupt his movement and
strike approach. Lapilus lets go and lands a low kick, and he comes
out swinging with an overhand left. Stamann lines up two left
hands, but he ducks into a heavy knee and does not seem to bat an
eye. Lapilus pushes off, and his knuckle brushes Stamann’s left
eye. Stamann takes about 30 seconds to recover, and Grice asks if
he is sure to get back to it. Stamann says yes, and they get right
back to it. Lapilus goes right after him with a trio of punches,
and Stamann ducks down and grabs hold of the Frenchman for a
potential takedown. Lapilus leans his back up against the cage wall
to stifle the attempt, and he is able to break off from the tie-up
and get some space. Stamann gives chase and slings a right hook,
and Lapilus counters and gets off a low kick. Stamann wipes his
feet and starts shimmying to showboat a little, and he takes a
flush body kick so he can shoot in for a takedown. Stamann is
warned for fence grabs as he plants a knee on the chest, and
Lapilus knees him back to break. Stamann ducks into another stern
knee, and they crash together as he falls over. Stamann jumps right
back to his feet and re-engages, and Lapilus pushes him away to
shut down an entry. Lapilus pounds a knee on his foe’s chest, and
he sneaks a head kick up and around the guard. Stamann tries his
own high kick, and Lapilus looks for a head kick from either leg
before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus

Round 2

The fists are quickly bumped between the two, and just like before,
Stamann follows the touch with a strike. This time, it is a right
hand down the middle, and Lapilus sways to the side. Grice has to
hop away from the fast-moving bantamweights, and they both meet one
another with punches that land with audible pops. When Stamann gets
off a right hand, Lapilus instantly responds with a knee up the
middle. Stamann tries to use his wrestling, only for the Frenchman
to power him to the wall and knee him a few times. As Stamann
disengages, Lapilus tags him with an elbow and pushes his fingers
into Stamann’s face. Stamann complains about an eye poke, but it
goes uncalled. They return to striking range, and Stamann strikes
first and eats a counter in response. They pursue leg kicks one
after the other, and Stamann ducks in for a possible takedown.
“Double Impact” shuts down the effort and instinctively attacks
with a knee up the middle. A low kick from Lapilus bounces up the
thigh and into the cup, and Stamann shrugs at him but does not ask
for time. Instead, he slugs his way into a takedown after absorbing
a body kick, and Lapilus shuts him down and elbows him once before
backing off. As Stamann advances, Lapilus unloads with a low kick
that pounds into the bottom of his cup. Stamann groans as Grice
calls time, and he tries to hurry back but Grice gives him a little
more recovery time by admonishing Lapilus. After about 40 seconds,
they return to action, and Stamann measures out with a one-two.
Lapilus sits down on a left hook, and he lets fly a slapping inside
thigh kick. Stamann wiggles out his right hand, and Lapilus
awkwardly paws out with a punch before kicking the body. As Stamann
changes levels, Lapilus belts him with a left hand on the forehead.
Stamann gathers a full head of steam and wings two home run punches
so he can shoot in for a double-leg takedown. “The Spartan”
succeeds in jamming Lapilus up against the wire, but he cannot
ground him. They trade knees, and as Lapilus circles away, they tag
one another with hooks. Lapilus strings together a few punches and
two leg kicks, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus

Round 3

After a glove touch, Stamann is the initial aggressor in the final
frame. Doubling up on a jab, Stamann lands a follow-up right hand.
Lapilus drives him back with a right hook, and Stamann kicks his
leg out in response. Lapilus awkwardly gets back upright, and he
chains a low kick into a head kick. As Lapilus circles away, he
plans a kick on the ribs, and he spins with an elbow that catches
the wrestler flush. Stamann does not flinch, rushing forward and
grabbing hold of the Frenchman. Deciding to not pursue a standard
entry, he instead lifts “Double Impact” in the air and slams him
down to the mat with emphasis. Stamann lands on top in side
control, and perhaps due to a head clash during the slam or the
spinning elbow, Stamann’s nose is busted and starts leaking.
Stamann pays it no mind and ignores the crowd voicing its
objections over his grappling so he can slowly pursue a crucifix.
Stamann partially gets it and bops Lapilus a few times in the side
of the head until Lapilus explodes back to his feet. Stamann hangs
tight, but Lapilus is away and connects with a strong series of
punches. Stamann motions at him that they did not hurt, and he
shoots in for a telegraphed takedown and is easily stuffed. Lapilus
responds with a high kick that clacks into the raised guard of his
foe, and Stamann walks him down. Stamann swings for the fences, and
Lapilus ducks away and looks around to showboat right before the
final bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus (30-27 Lapilus)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus (30-27 Lapilus)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus (30-27 Lapilus)

The Official Result

Taylor Lapilus def. Cody Stamann via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

The lone catchweight affair today comes between women initially
booked at strawweight. For the second time in two UFC fights, Moura
(10-0, 1-0 UFC) missed weight, this time coming in at 116.5 pounds.
She takes on fellow countrywoman Gomes (8-3, 2-2 UFC) in what could
be a fun clash of styles between two finishers. With 15 stoppages
in their 18 wins, referee Rob Mooney might be included before it’s
all said and done. They tap hands to engage, and Moura strides
forward fearlessly to strike. Gomes backs away, prepared to
counter, and she lands a few effective strikes before Moura crashes
forward and presses her to the fence. Gomes snatches up a
guillotine choke, and she leans back and sets it up. The choke is
surprisingly tight, and Moura does not appear remotely concerned.
Slowly but surely, Moura fights her way out of the danger, and she
wrests the smaller woman to the mat. Gomes climbs back up, and she
manages to turn Moura around and shove her into the fence, where
she starts delivering knees to the thigh. Moura attempts to explode
out, and Gomes hangs onto her until she trips Moura to the mat.
Moura shoves Gomes over and briefly winds up on top, but they both
climb back to their feet. Moura goes after her own guillotine
choke, but she lets it go and they reset. Gomes strides ahead and
lands a few punches, and Moura shoots in from a distance and hits a
double to plant Gomes on her back. “Ronda” lands in the guard and
looks for short punches so she can open up her ground-and-pound.
Gomes hangs on tight, keeping her guard busy and making Moura think
about a potential submission setup she should avoid. A few punches
from Moura result in Gomes thinking again, but Gomes bursts back to
her feet and bowls Moura over. Moura muscles her way to her feet,
and she shoots for a takedown that only presses Gomes to the fence
before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomes
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gomes
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gomes

Round 2

After a quick touch of gloves, Gomes lines up a front kick and a
left hand. Moura lunges at her with a counter right, and Gomes
skips back and scores a low kick. Moura ducks for a level change,
and Gomes meets her with a left hand but cannot keep Moura from
going after her. Moura uses sheer power to drag Gomes down to the
floor, and she circles around to take Gomes’ back. Gomes looks to
lean forward and wriggle Moura off of her, and Moura defends by
setting up a body triangle. Gomes manages to turn Moura over, and
Moura responds with an armbar attempt. Gomes pushes through it and
fights off a leglock so she can drop down a hearty hammerfist on
Moura’s face. Gomes backs off to force Moura to stand, and Mooney
has Moura get back up. Gomes whips a low kick and knees the heavier
woman’s belly, and she targets the same spot with a front kick.
Moura catches the kick and wraps Gomes up, pushing Gomes to the
wall and diving down for a single. Gomes turns and allows Moura to
fall on her face, and she retreats to get back up. Moura follows
her up and then dives for a low single, and it is desperate and
easy to avoid. Gomes stifles it and a second that comes shortly
thereafter, and she drives a knee to the midsection. Gomes mashes
Moura against the cage and lifts a knee to the head, and she
imposes her full body weight on the flagging fighter. Gomes knees
the thigh and body a few times, and Mooney asks for more action.
Gomes obliges with several punches on the inside, and Moura sells
out for a single. Gomes hops away, dings Moura with an uppercut,
and backs herself to the cage and spreads her hips to stop the
single from being completed. Gomes smacks Moura in the side of the
head a couple dozen times, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomes
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gomes
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gomes

Round 3

The Brazilians touch hands to start the last round, and Gomes
switches stances several times but only engages with a single jab
to the body. Moura whiffs on a labored right hook, and a second
misses the mark as she is out of range. Gomes jumps forward to land
to the body, and she evades the counters. Gomes lands a low kick
and catches a body kick, and she sets the leg down as she does not
want to grapple. Gomes meanders forward, landing low and body kicks
as Moura’s own offense drops of a cliff. Moura lands a single jab,
and a one-two is feet off the mark. Gomes picks and moves, ignoring
a slowly turning wheel kick buzzing past her face, and she defends
a takedown by backing up to the wall. Gomes snatches up a ninja
choke, and Moura pushes forward to leverage Gomes to the mat while
breaking up the submission. Both women climb back to their feet at
the same time, and Moura trips her up for a moment but cannot keep
her grounded. Gomes pushes her away and spins with a back kick to
the body, and she plants her feet when landing to kick the calf.
Moura misses a punch by a mile, and she races down low for a
single. Gomes hops on one foot back to the wall, and Moura lifts
the leg in the air but is unable to set Gomes down this time. Gomes
thinks about a guillotine choke, using it to press Moura down.
Gomes lets it go and potshots the body with kicks and jabs, and she
stuffs a tackling takedown but is pushed to her back on a second
effort from the unbeaten woman. Gomes bursts back to her feet,
where she marches after her exhausted foe. Gomes lines up two
punches on the chin, and Moura shakes her head at her and shoots in
for a single. Gomes stops it in its tracks and shrugs off a knee to
the head as the matchup concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomes (30-27 Gomes)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gomes (30-27 Gomes)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gomes (30-27 Gomes)

The Official Result

Denise Gomes def. Eduarda Moura via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27,
30-27)

Round 1

A pair of bantamweights that hold exactly eight knockout victories
and seven triumphs on the scorecards meet as the prelims keep on
pushing. Castaneda (21-6, 4-2 UFC) rides a two-fight win streak
into this matchup, with a potential pattern brewing of him winning
two and losing the third. His Peruvian foe Marcos (15-0, 1 NC; 2-0,
1 NC UFC) has never tasted defeat as a pro, and his lone
non-victorious performance came in February when he kicked a flying
Qileng Aori in the groin to result in a no contest. The third man
in the Octagon for this one will be Dan Miragliotta, and he begins
the fight when the two men touch ‘em up. Castaneda springs in and
out of range, slapping a few leg kicks on the fiery haired man from
Peru. Marcos throws one back, and he walks through a counter low
kick to punch “Sexi Mexi” in the face three times. Castaneda slips
to the side and keeps snapping out leg kicks, targeting the calf
repeatedly while attempting to parry or dodge anything Marcos
throws his way. Marcos slowly cuts his foe off, and he lines a
right hand down the middle and drills him with a step-in knee.
Marcos gets off a body kick, and Castaneda slaps a few more leg
kicks off the calf for good measure. Marcos marches in with a heavy
right hand, sending Castaneda flying, and Castaneda bounces off the
cage wall and hits one knee. Castaneda gets back up and scampers
away, and Marcos grins and pursues another overhand right. A body
kick is swatted away by Marcos, and he coils and looses his right
hand again. Castaneda prods with low kick after low kick, and he is
met with a right hand and a pair of knees. Two quick hands from
Marcos find the chin of his opponent, and Castaneda’s nose starts
to turn red. A front kick from Marcos does not help, as it grazes
the beak as Castaneda is retreating. Castaneda pecks with another
leg kick and hops away, and Marcos’ right hand marks up the bridge
of Castaneda’s nose. Marcos parries a punch and drills Castaneda
with three before Castaneda can get away. Marcos plants a kick on
the ribs of his foe, and Castaneda’s low kicks keep slapping but
are frequently countered by a right hook. A few more from Marcos
send Castaneda down to his knees, and Castaneda climbs up and
rushes away while Marcos gives chase. As Marcos lands a few more,
the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Marcos

Round 2

Gloves are touched to commence the round, and they trade leg kicks
right off the bat. Marcos connects with a quick combination of
punches, resulting in Castaneda crashing the pocket and clinching
up. Castaneda presses tightly in the clinch, stomping the
undefeated fighter’s toes. Marcos breaks off and chases after
Castaneda, blasting him in the face with a knee and several right
hands. The strikes cause blood to blow from the nose of “Sexi
Mexi,” and Marcos targets the same place with a few more knees and
rights. Castaneda tries to take the fight down to slow down the
onslaught of the Peruvian, where he succeeds in clinging to him and
briefly halting the offense. As Marcos turns him about, he knees
Castaneda in the face and thigh a few times, as Castaneda leans his
shoulder on the wall before splitting off. Castaneda sells out for
a double, and Marcos’ defense holds up as he leans his back on the
fence and knees Castaneda square in the face. Marcos finds
Castaneda’s face with punches, a head kick and a follow-up one-two,
and Castaneda is tough but taking damage. Marcos chases after
Castaneda and lets Castaneda hit him back so he can slug him
harder. Castaneda finds a different angle, rushes forward and
scoops “Soncora” up to slam him on the canvas. Marcos turns to a
knee and is up after a few seconds, and he lays into Castaneda with
punches and a vicious knee until Castaneda shoots once more.
Castaneda spins with an elbow that brushes past the shoulder, and
Marcos drives him back with a front kick and a leaping right hand.
Castaneda counters and bloodies up the bridge of Marcos’ nose, and
the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Marcos

Round 3

The fighters hug it out to start the last round, and Marcos leads
the dance with a clean right hand. Castaneda strafes to the side
and responds with a straight right hand, and he spins with a kick
that misses the mark. Marcos kicks his foe in the ribs, and he
chops at the inside calf and then jams his shin into the solar
plexus. Castaneda retaliates with a head kick, and Marcos kicks him
back only for the foot to bounce off the stomach and potentially
the cup. After a brief look at the replay, Miragliotta tells them
it was legal, so they resume fighting and Marcos kicks the same
spot. Castaneda cries foul again for a cup shot, and Miragliotta
once more tells him they are legal. Marcos rushes at Castaneda, who
is turned around and upset, and he punches his way forward until
Castaneda grabs hold of him to tie him up. Marcos is turned around,
but he muscles his way out of the tie-up. Castaneda goes after him,
kicking the lead leg and body before Marcos lines up a right hand
down the pipe. Marcos jabs the body with a kick, and Castaneda
responds with a low kick. They trade strikes one after the other,
and Marcos lands a right as Castaneda trips. Castaneda is upright
in an instant, and he throws a few punches that are out of range.
Castaneda gets off a solid body kick, and Marcos comes back at him
with three punches and a much heavier body kick of his own.
Castaneda races forward, keeping Marcos on the back foot, and he
throws punches and kicks. Castaneda winds up with a big right hand,
and Marcos says, “two can play that game,” and decks Castaneda with
his own fastball. Castaneda hits his seat and jumps back up to his
feet after the flash knockdown, and Marcos elects to tie him up
instead of land much more. On the break, Marcos digs a right to the
body and one to the head, and Castaneda punches his foe in the
chest in response. Castaneda scores a right hand and lets loose
with a head kick, and Marcos suddenly realizes that he is in
trouble. Castaneda sprints at him trying to do some finalizing
damage, and Marcos gets his feet back and cracks Castaneda with a
thudding elbow right before the fight wraps.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marcos (30-27 Marcos)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Marcos (30-27 Marcos)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Marcos (30-27 Marcos)

The Official Result

Daniel Marcos def. John Castaneda via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

In 2019, Lee (13-9, 5-7 UFC) extended her career-long win streak to
seven when she outpointed De La Rosa (12-9-1, 5-5-1 UFC) at UFC
Fight Night 154. A little under five years later, the two will run
it back, coming into this rematch having lost a combined seven
straight fights. Someone’s fortunes will shift and the victor may
likely save their job for the time being, and there is no bad blood
coming into this second encounter between the two. They show it
with a speedy glove touch in front of George Conley. It takes about
one second for the ladies to reach one another, as they practically
sprint towards one another to start fighting. De La Rosa stands her
ground and throws hands, and Lee responds in kind and strikes with
kiais. Lee gets a little distance and pecks out a few jabs, and De
La Rosa comes in close and eats several knees to the body. De La
Rosa is fine with this, as she grabs hold of the body lock and
dumps “KGB” to the mat. De La Rosa climbs right into full mount,
and she is surprised when Lee flips her over with a sudden
reversal. De La Rosa throws her legs up and she pursues a triangle
choke, but Lee does not appear concerned as she pushes through the
submission and works back to her feet. Lee presses De La Rosa
against the cage wall and knees her repeatedly, and De La Rosa
punches her way out of the tie-up. De La Rosa plants three fists on
Lee’s face before Lee can respond, but Lee does get her back with a
body kick and a sneaky spinning back fist. De La Rosa drops to a
knee and springs back up, and she races around to take Lee’s back
standing and pursues a rear-naked choke. De La Rosa switches her
grip around as Lee twists, and she gets hold of something akin to a
front-naked choke, where she hurls Lee down to the mat. De La Rosa
keeps the arm-triangle choke type of grip when she falls to her
back, and Lee wriggles out of the submission danger. De La Rosa
shoots low for a double, and Lee stands her up and knees her in the
face. Lee has a spinning back fist bounce off the guard, and she
ducks one from De La Rosa as De La Rosa almost falls over. Lee
grapples her and knees her several times in the sternum, and De La
Rosa gives her a few back before they split apart. Lee spins with a
back kick to the ribs, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Lee

Round 2

Between rounds, Lee and corner-slash-partner Tony Kelley share a
kiss, and this appears to energize her. She rushes out of her
corner, ready to throw in rapid succession, and she does just that.
De La Rosa swings back with slower but more powerful strikes, while
Lee is more content on touching with jabs and follow-up strikes.
Lee keeps her guard up to block a spinning back fist, and she kicks
De La Rosa in the stomach when De La Rosa rushes after her. Lee
reaches her foe with a right hand, and her left comes up short.
They jab at one another, and Lee checks a low kick and stops a
takedown. De La Rosa takes a takedown entry, and she rifles off an
uppercut that snaps Lee’s head back. Lee swings hard with a right
hand, and De La Rosa leans back and catches her with a counter
right. Lee walks face-first into a quick right, and she backpedals
and circles away. De La Rosa surprises her opponent with a step-up
vertical elbow in the same vein of Anderson Silva against Tony
Fryklund, but Lee does not budge. De La Rosa beats Lee to the punch
with an elbow, and Lee’s pace wanes. Lee misses with a front kick,
and De La Rosa lands another one of those unorthodox elbows. They
tie up and tag one another with uppercuts until breaking off, and
De La Rosa dings Lee with three punches as Lee shoots in for a
single. De La Rosa stands her up and pushes her away, and she eats
a few jabs for her handiwork. De La Rosa goes after a single as
well, and Lee blocks it and kicks at her face. De La Rosa is able
to guard against it, and she knees Lee in the face to redden Lee’s
nose. De La Rosa reaches with a one-two, and she lands a second
before Lee is able to pay her back. De La Rosa is stonewalled from
a takedown try, and she avoids a spinning back fist before the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa

Round 3

The ladies touch their hands together to begin the last round, and
De La Rosa throws and lands first with a punch combination. Lee
sits down on a hard right hand after a jab to pay her back, and De
La Rosa slashes with a vertical elbow. Lee catches De La Rosa with
a left hand, and De La Rosa ties her up and tries to elbow her but
she cannot reach her as Lee breaks off. A strike on the inside from
Lee smashes open De La Rosa’s nose, and blood flows in a hurry as
De La Rosa paws at it. Lee jabs at the red target, and she leans
back as De La Rosa swats at her with a right hand. De La Rosa lands
two right hands, and she ducks under and circles behind Lee so that
she can pick “KGB” up her and throw her to the floor. Lee moves
enough to stop De La Rosa from setting up a modified kneebar also
known as a Suloev Stretch, and De La Rosa follows her and keeps her
stuck on a knee. Lee hand-fights but De La Rosa is clinging to her
from behind, and De La Rosa flattens Lee out and begins to slug her
on the sides of the head. Lee explodes to get back to her knees,
and she uses sheer force of will to roll De La Rosa over and wind
up on top. Lee stands up rather than playing in the guard, and De
La Rosa follows her back up and tries to punch her and kick her in
the head. Lee is out of range, but she absorbs an overhand right
and a step-in knee. De La Rosa lands two punches to Lee’s one, and
she again beats Lee to the punch as she lashes out with a
combination. They trade uppercuts from up close, and Lee has a
spinning back fist miss the mark. De La Rosa boots her upside the
head and body lock throws Lee to the mat, where she concludes the
close fight with hammerfists.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa (29-28 De La Rosa)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa (29-28 De La
Rosa)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 De La Rosa (29-28 De La
Rosa)

The Official Result

Montana De La Rosa def. Andrea Lee via Split Decision (28-29,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

After five straight decisions tonight, fans will put their
hopes—and loud boos—towards heavily favored Canadian’s Katona
(13-3, 3-3 UFC) to break the long stretch. With 12 of his 16 fights
going the distance, that might not be the case. He faces former
lightweight Butler (12-5, 0-1 UFC), who is moving down two weight
divisions and celebrates a 75% finish rate on his own ledger. The
referee of this match will be gold-standard Jason Herzog, and there
is no glove touch to begin. Butler uses his reach advantage to keep
Katona back, with long jabs and kicks that catch the chin of
“Superman” early. As Butler feels himself, he throws a body kick,
and Katona winds up with a right hand that knocks Butler clean off
his feet. Katona leaps on top into the guard of his opponent, and
Butler takes a few seconds to clear the cobwebs before throwing his
legs up aggressively. Katona slowly works his way to half guard as
he grinds out his foe, and Butler shifts him back to the closed
guard as soon as the Canadian advances. Katona once more climbs to
half guard, and he grinds down with elbows before dropping a few
down. Using a butterfly guard, Butler is able to keep Katona from
taking a dominant position. The boos rain down as Katona holds on
from on top, and Butler recovers his guard but can do little else
as he remains nullified. Katona sneaks in the occasional elbow to
stave off Herzog’s possible intervention, and Butler eventually
powers his way to his knees before the 10-second clapper sounds.
Katona squeezes him against the fence until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Katona
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Katona
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Katona

Round 2

Katona is quick to come out throwing hands, and Butler is ready for
him. Butler connects with a big right hand, and he loads up with a
body kick. The Canadian licks his chops at he catches it and dumps
Butler to the mat, and the audience admonishes the fighters with a
chorus of boos. Katona gets right back to where he left off, with
an elbow here and there while Butler clings to him in guard. As
Katona hacks down with elbows, he slashes open a cut on Butler’s
forehead, and blood pours from the wound right into his eyes.
Butler sits up to set up a guillotine choke, but there is nothing
there as Katona completely shrugs it off and jacks him up with a
few more elbows. Katona drops down elbow after unanswered elbow,
and Butler’s face transforms into a crimson mask while he remains
trapped beneath the SBG Ireland fighter. Katona hammers Butler with
a series of right hands, only stopping when the Louisiana native
throws his legs up for a triangle choke setup. Katona laughs it off
and stays busy with ground-and-pound, while trying to climb up and
around the guard to get to a dominant position. Katona briefly
takes half guard and drops down four elbows before he is pulled
back into the guard, and Herzog asks for a bit more action. Katona
answers him with a number of right hands, resulting in Butler
turning over and climbing to his knees. Katona hits a mat return,
and Butler wall-walks his way upright while he hangs on with a
kimura grip. The round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Katona
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Katona
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Katona

Round 3

The final round kicks off with an aggressive Katona, and Butler
slugs it out with him in a hurry. Butler keeps the Canadian honest
as he tries to draws Katona into a brawl, and he throws a head kick
and gets away with it. Katona closes in and lands a few punches
from up close, and Butler kicks him in the ribs when he backs away.
As the fighters trade, “USA” chants from the spectators look to
bolster the American into a comeback. Butler sticks out a jab,
changes stances and lines up another, and he jumps forward with a
knee that bounces off the guard. Katona pressures his foe and eats
a solid right hand, and he smiles. Katona scores a low kick, and a
rude political chant is started by the Kentucky masses. Katona
shrugs at Butler as they keep trading hands, and the cut above
Butler’s right eyebrow shreds open further. Katona winds up on two
haymakers, drilling the Fortis MMA fighter but not wobbling him.
Butler doubles up on a jab and follows it with a right hand, and
Katona gives chase and digs a left to the body and a right to the
head. Butler motions for his foe to keep swinging, and he throws a
pair of punches and two kicks. They loop hooks at one another, and
Butler has two kicks miss. A third, a head kick, bounces off the
guard. Butler falls to his back, and Katona sees the opening and
pounces. Any time he can find an opening, Katona punches Butler in
the face with his left hand. Katona jumps from half guard on one
side to the other, and he drops down a series of right hands as
Herzog takes a close look at the action. Butler defends himself and
turns to his back, and he is met with a few elbows and more
hammerfists. Katona’s elbows keep finding their mark, and Butler
rains down one final bombardment of strikes until the horn
blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Katona (30-26 Katona)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Katona (30-26 Katona)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Katona (30-26 Katona)

The Official Result

Brad Katona def. Jesse Butler via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27,
30-27)

Round 1

Welterweights take center stage next, and one of these two
unheralded competitors will be forced to suffer their first UFC
loss while the other will maintain either a seven- or nine-fight
win streak. Victorious in his last six, Radtke (9-3, 2-0 UFC) puts
that on the line against Brazilian striker Prates (18-6, 1-0 UFC),
who has not lost since a One Championship appearance in 2019.
Drawing the charge will be referee Blake Grice, and the intense
showdown kicks off without a glove touch. Radtke switches stances
several times to work his way forward, while Prates kicks at his
foe’s knee to push him back. Radtke whips a low kick as Prates
recoils his leg, and a Prates head kick bounces harmlessly off the
guard. Radtke punches his way into a single-leg takedown entry,
pushing “Carlao” against the fence and holding up a leg. With
Prates bent over, Radtke bops Prates many times with short,
annoying punches, and he breaks off and lands one heavy right hand.
Prates nails his foe’s front calf with a kick, and after Radtke
flies by with a kick, he scores his own leg kick. Radtke has
another kick land with a thud, and he winds up everything into a
right hook that flies by his opponent. Radtke crashes forward in
pursuit of a single, and he lets it go and misses with an overhand
right. Two punches from Radtke miss the mark, but a leg kick does
connect. Prates bobs and weaves his way forward, and he has his
head snapped back by a right hand. Prates blasts the front leg with
a kick, and Radtke starts limping as swelling forms almost
immediately. Prates leans back from the counter and tags “Chuck
Buffalo” with a right, and he backs off as Radtke tries to let him
have it. A fake takedown from Radtke is stifled when Prates pokes
him in the eye, and Grice calls time and lets Radtke take about 20
seconds to blink it out. When they resume, Prates starts to stalk
his man down, his hands low and allowing him to eat a right hand so
he can throw punches from strange angles. Radtke sneaks in a left
hand before his lead leg is kicked hard, and Prates measures him
with a straight left hand and lets out a woo.
The Brazilian rips a knee to the liver as clean as can be, and
Radtke hits the deck and is completely done. Prates walks off,
knowing his work here is done, and Grice waves off the
fight. The victorious “Carlao” goes over to Radtke’s
corner, where he yells something at upcoming title challenger Belal
Muhammad. With that crushing stoppage on the board, this is the
first finish of the night and the first knockout in quite some
time.

The Official Result

Carlos Prates def. Charlie Radtke R1 4:47 via KO (Knee to the
Body)

Round 1

The long prelims wrap up with a clash at 155 pounds between two men
trying to reach the upper echelon of their talent-stacked division.
Moises (18-7, 7-5 UFC) seems to never get any easy out, and that
continues with “Mr. Highlight” Klein (21-4-1, 5-2-1 UFC). The
29-year-olds will meet under the watchful eye of George Conley, and
they kick things off with a glove touch. Bouncing back and forth
towards one another, they feint and fake at one another until
Moises throws a body kick that slaps the midsection. Klein replies
with a jab, and he absorbs a front kick to the chest right back.
Klein narrowly avoids a head kick that whizzes past his face, and
he prods out a front kick. Moises kicks high and low, and Klein
lines up a head kick that knocks Moises back a few steps even
though it was guarded. Moises kicks the body in response, and he
chops at the front leg shortly thereafter. Moises works on the
front leg, and Klein jabs him to the body. A sharp jab from Klein
is not followed, as he ducks away from a one-two and leans back in
to jab the chest. Klein blocks a head kick, but the calf kick from
Moises keeps finding its mark. When Klein loads up on a one-two,
Moises shoots in for a double, and Klein sprawls at the right
moment to stop it. Moises shoves Klein up against the fence, only
for Klein to break out of it with a knee and an elbow. Klein
narrowly avoids a massive overhand right soaring at his dome by
intercepting the Brazilian with a calf kick, and he breathes a sigh
of relief. Moises comes up short on a head kick effort, and Klein
does the exact same. Moises chips at both sides of Klein’s front
leg with kicks, and Klein darts in to jab him in the sternum. Fans
grow restless as the methodical back-and-forth approach is not
particularly engaging coupled with the relative lack of action
tonight, and the fighters briefly pick it up with a surge of
punches. Klein lets loose with a left hand that smashes square into
the jaw, and Moises takes a step away and suddenly realizes that he
is in a bad way and stumbles to the cage wall and topples over.
Klein rushes after him and tries to pound him out with hammerfists
and punches, and Moises stands back up and clinches up to survive
the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Klein

Round 2

The fighters meet in the middle to start the round, but they do not
engage as they have tasted one another’s power. The first landed
strike comes about 30 seconds in, with a calf kick from Moises.
Klein jabs and kicks his foe’s front leg back, and he jabs the
abdomen with the ball of his foot but inadvertently bounces off
Moises’ cup. Moises takes less than 15 seconds to recover, and he
reintroduces himself with a calf kick that gets Klein’s attention.
The two trade low kicks, and Moises shoots for a fast single but is
unable to reach Klein in time. Klein lines up a one-two that makes
the Brazilian frown, and Moises loads up with a head kick that
slips around the guard. Moises celebrates his handiwork by pounding
a kick on the inside of Klein’s front leg, and he blocks a head
kick and delivers a calf kick. Klein hammers a low kick back that
makes Moises recoil his leg awkwardly, and he strings three punches
into a head kick that all bounce off Moises’ raised guard. Klein
slips a punch and has a right hook glance off the shoulder, and
Moises responsively pursues a double that does not succeed. Klein
stops him from succeeding and beans him with a two-punch series to
knock Moises back. As the two trade strikes, the commentary booth
devolves into a conversation about auctions and Micro Machines.
Moises loads up a big right hand that he uses as forward momentum
to back Klein against the cage, only for his takedown effort to
fail. Klein turns him around and throws two punches and a head
kick, and Moises blocks it and rushes forward. Klein uses the
aggression against the Brazilian, suddenly turning the tables and
slamming Moises to the ground. Moises turns over and snatches up a
kneebar, and Klein turns through it and jackhammers Moises with
ground-and-pound until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Klein

Round 3

There is one more glove touch to commence the final round. Klein
starts off with a body kick and a lunging jab, and Moises meets him
with a head kick that ricochets off the guard. Klein’s front kick
goes low, clacking into the cup, and Moises groans as Conley calls
time. Moises takes a minute to recover before starting again, and
Klein is eager to start again. The Slovakian darts forward with
punches, only to be met with a charging Moises going after a
takedown. The resulting clash of chests allows Klein to shove
Moises against the wall, where he shoulder bumps the Brazilian in
the face a few times. Moises gets his back off the cage and knees
Klein a few times before Klein fights out of it. When Moises jabs,
Klein drives as one-two down Broadway and kicks the body with a
little extra mustard on it. Moises has to shoot for a takedown
after absorbing the attack, but Klein stonewalls him and backs him
off with strikes that even when guarded knock Moises back a step.
Moises punches his way to a takedown, and Klein stops the first
effort and gets tossed to the ground on the second. Klein is able
to get right back to his feet after less than a second on the mat,
and he pushes Moises against the chain-link fence to shoulder check
him. Conley asks for more work, and Klein obliges by breaking off
and popping the Brazilian in the chops with a stiff right hand.
Klein reaches out with a one-two, and Moicano goes after him with a
takedown. “Mr. Highlight” lifts up a perfectly timed knee right to
the liver of his opponent, and a compromised Moises backs away and
drops down to the ground in pain. Klein leaps on top of him and
lets loose with a bevy of hammerfists, and he looks for Conley to
intervene even as all of the strikes are blocked. Seeing he might
not finish the fight here, he settles down and drums on Moises with
punches and elbows. Moises stands up with seconds to spare, and
Klein lands another couple strikes for lasting impressions right as
the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein (30-27 Klein)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Klein (30-27 Klein)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Klein (30-27 Klein)

The Official Result

Ludovit Klein def. Thiago Moises via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

A pair of struggling 170-pound knockout artists will try to turn
their career trajectory around in the main card opener. With three
straight defeats and a two-year layoff, Baeza (10-3, 3-3 UFC) will
be swinging hard to keep a place on the roster. Fellow slugger
Soriano (9-4, 3-4 UFC) is hoping a shift down 15 pounds will turn
things around for him, as he has dropped four of his last five. One
man will get back into the win column in the next 15 minutes or
less, and referee Rob Mooney will be there for it every step of the
way. They calmly touch gloves, and Baeza says hello with a side
kick to the chest right after. Baeza is warned for outstretched
fingers, and he lands another side kick and two low kicks. Mooney
warns Baeza again for his fingers pointed at his opponent, and
Soriano throws his own strike 45 seconds in with a leg kick and a
pair of wide hooks. Baeza closes in and pushes the Hawaiian to the
fence, and he holds Soriano there. Short knees are traded, and
Baeza slams his shoulder into Soriano’s face while looking for an
outside trip. Baeza lifts Soriano up, but cannot get him
off-balance so he sets him down. Soriano turns him around in the
clinch and goes low for a double, allowing Baeza to responds with a
guillotine choke. Soriano pops his head out and slams Baeza down to
the floor, where he hammers him with hammerfists. Soriano lowers
himself into the guard, and he Baeza fishes for a leglock and gets
hold of a heel hook. Soriano sits up, ignoring the submission so he
can smash Baeza’s unguarded face with ferocious right hands.
Soriano punches his way out of danger, even as Baeza turns and
torques the heel hook with all his might. Baeza smacks him with
back fists that have little on them, while Soriano’s right hands
from his seat are stinging “Caramel Thunder.” Baeza recommits to
the submission, and he answers a few punches with an elbow. Soriano
rails the Florida native with nasty punches, and Baeza turns around
to his back and transitions to a kneebar. Soriano remains calm, his
knee not in danger, and he sits up and lands a few punches to the
back of the head. Baeza looks up at the referee, and Soriano is
making him pay with a series of punches. Baeza fights his way back
to his feet and backs away, but “Story Time” deposits him back down
to the ground. Once more, Baeza stands up, and the intense round
ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Soriano
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Soriano
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Soriano

Round 2

The middleweights touch ‘em up before engaging. Baeza leads off
with a jabbing front kick, and Soriano punches his way into a
takedown that he easily lands. As Soriano lands punches, he manages
to take Baeza’s back, but lets it go when Baeza turns to go after
an armbar. Soriano slugs his way through the setup to open up
Baeza’s guard, and he continues striking even as Baeza pursues one
more armbar. Soriano’s strikes stop the sub from coming together,
and Baeza briefly pushes off the chest with upkicks before Soriano
gets back on top of him. Soriano rains down punches and
hammerfists, and Baeza snatches up another armbar that is more
serious than the others. Soriano stays tightly pressed to his man,
and he knees Baeza in the ribs a few times to make Baeza think
twice about opening himself up like that. Baeza wrenches on the
limb while Soriano leans on him, stacking the Floridian up to stop
it from completing. Soriano pounds on Baeza until Baeza lets go of
the submission, and his ruthless left hands hurt Baeza and make him
turn around to surrender his back. Soriano sits up to beat Baeza
down with his left fist rather than pursue a submission, and Baeza
tugs on the fence in hopes of standing. Soriano stays tight to him,
kneeing Baeza and punching him under the armpits when he can find
openings. Soriano works Baeza over with punches, and Baeza stays
with it but is getting hammered. Baeza leans against the fence as
Mooney asks him to do more, and he explodes upright but is yanked
down immediately by the Hawaiian. Soriano wraps an arm around the
side to hold Baeza down, and he lines up a blistering knee to the
ribs until Baeza stands. Soriano belts Baeza with a few more
punches until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Soriano
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Soriano
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Soriano

Round 3

There is a glove touch to open the final frame, and Soriano greets
his opponent with a body kick and an easy takedown. Soriano is
quick to start working on the body from both sides while sitting on
top of Baeza, and Mooney is watching very closely. Baeza sits up
and leans against the fencing, and Mooney asks for Baeza to defend
himself. Baeza turns over, and he ignores a brabo choke from the
Hawaiian while trying to will himself to his feet. Soriano punches
his man anywhere he finds a spot, driving his fists into Baeza’s
torso mercilessly. Baeza turns over and absorbs several hammerfists
and a few shots to the back of the head, and he sits up only to get
bowled over. Soriano pounds on “Caramel Thunder” with a light but
effective barrage of punches, setting himself down by sitting in
half guard, smacking Baeza in the face again and again. The ground
strike totals will be off the charts when this one-sided
shellacking concludes. Soriano keeps right on punching the head,
body, shoulder or anywhere he wants, and Baeza closes his guard
around him in hopes of riding out to the final bell. Even with the
number of blows landed by the Hawaiian, Baeza does not have many
marks on him. Soriano’s short strikes continue to find their
targets, and while they are not fight-ending blows, they are
seemingly unending. Soriano drives down one final elbow, and the
beatdown concludes with Soriano helping the Floridian to his
feet.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Soriano (30-25 Soriano)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Soriano (30-25 Soriano)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Soriano (30-25 Soriano)

The Official Result

Punahele Soriano def. Miguel Baeza via Unanimous Decision (30-25,
30-25, 30-27)

Round 1

From one all-action fight to another we go, as dueling
middleweights with 100% finish rates put referee Dan Miragliotta on
notice. Marquez (9-4, 3-3 UFC) has not had his hand raised since
putting Sam Alvey away in 2021, while Reese (6-1, 0-1 UFC) was
unsuccessful in his promotional debut in December when Cody
Brundage slammed him through the cage floor. The judges may be able
to take this one off. The fighters clap hands, and Marquez reaches
out with jabs and a low kick. Reese chambers and fires off a body
kick, and Marquez backs away as that got him cleanly.

The mulleted fighter chases and unloads a left hand and an uppercut
right on the button, and Marquez collapses to the canvas, already
done. To seal the deal, “Savage” clobbers the Missouri native with
a salvo of hammerfists, and Miragliotta calls a halt to the match
as the crowd goes wild. Marquez sits up and is a
little upset by the stoppage, but he understands why Miragliotta
had to get involved, as it was likely only to get worse from there.
After eight fights, Reese has still yet to reach the second round,
and this is easily his quickest stoppage to date.

The Official Result

Zachary Reese def. Julian Marquez R1 0:20 via TKO (Body Kick and
Punches)

Round 1

Win or lose, all 12 of Brazilian bomber Ferreira’s (11-1, 2-1 UFC)
pro outings have ended before the 6:08 mark. The same cannot be
said for Pennsylvania-based grappler Stoltzfus (15-5, 2-4 UFC), but
he knows his way around a stoppage as well. Referee Jason Herzog
dons his hard hat for the middleweight proceeding, one that
commences with them coming together in the center of the cage but
not to touch gloves. They back off, as Ferreira retreats around the
edge of the cage while Stoltzfus walks his way forward. Stoltzfus
lands a right hand as Ferreira zips away, and Ferreira lands a low
kick that gets countered with a straight right. Ferreira unloads
with a ferocious right hand that stings the Pennsylvanian, and he
blasts him with a second as Stoltzfus counters to surprise him.
Stoltzfus crashes the pocket and tosses Ferreira to the mat, and he
pushes “The Hulk” over to get into his guard. Ferreira utilizes
butterfly hooks to kick Stoltzfus off of him, and he turns over
when he does this to stand but Stoltzfus leaps on his back to keep
him grounded. Ferreira works his way back upright, and he fights
off an armbar. Stoltzfus transitions into a kneebar, and Ferreira
gets away with a fence grab to reposition himself. Ferreira rolls
through to get out of the leglock, and Stoltzfus runs at him
throwing hands before banging into him and pushing him to the wall.
Stoltzfus lands a right hand, and Ferreira responds with a stern
elbow before darting away to reset. Stoltzfus walks forward and
kicks “The Hulk” high, and he dings him with a follow-up right
hand. Ferreira misses with a right hand, and he guards another had
kick effort. Stoltzfus spins with a back kick that slams square
into Ferreira’s midsection, and Ferreira has to shake it out and
kick him in the belly. Ferreira spins with a back elbow that hurts
Stoltzfus, and the two start slugging with everything they have.
Stoltzfus is in a bad way but still swinging for the fences, and he
pursues a takedown but is pushed away by “The Hulk.” Stoltzfus
drills his man with an elbow, but Ferreira is relentless, throwing
everything he has into a right hand that slams into his foe’s
temple. Stoltzfus staggers back, and Ferreira reaches him with a
long right hand and whips a head kick at him that pounds into the
shoulder. Ferreira leaps forward but his knee is not high enough,
so he just ends up bumping chest-to-chest into his foe.

The Brazilian lands two shots to the body, takes a few steps back
and spins with a mighty elbow. The strike connects cleanly on the
forehead, putting Stoltzfus down as Herzog springs between them to
stop the fight. While Stoltzfus is still standing as
Herzog halts the contest, he does not protest the stoppage as he is
still out on his feet and needs to be caught so he does not fall
over. Ferreira, who might be out of steam after his final
onslaught, jumps on the ground and slams it with both hands like
“The Hulk” does during his Hulk Smash move. This is a spectacular
finish, and one of just a small handful of knockouts via spinning
elbow in UFC history. The main card has undoubtedly picked up after
a slow set of prelims, delivering a “Round of the Year” candidate
along with a potential suitor for the “Knockout of the Year” list
as well.

The Official Result

Bruno Ferreira def. Dustin Stoltzfus R1 4:51 via KO (Spinning Back
Elbow)

Round 1

A giant age gap separates these next two competitors, although that
will be said for most of Rosas’ (8-1, 2-1 UFC) next few fights as
he has not even turned 20 yet. Once scheduled to fight in February,
the fight fell through when he succumbed to an illness on fight
day. Pushed back several months, he now meets “The Ultimate
Fighter” Season 29 winner Turcios (12-3, 2-1 UFC), who is ready for
the challenge that the youthful grappler presents. While there was
no bad blood before, the dragging out of their encounter has soured
Turcios, to the point that they do not touch gloves and Turcios
curses at him. Referee Blake Grice clocks them in, and Turcios
angrily attacks the youngster. Turcios lets loose a salvo of body,
low and head kicks, and Rosas blocks most of them. Turcios keeps
kicking until Rosas closes in on him and takes the fight down, and
Turcios hits his seat and immediately starts punching Rosas in the
side. The crowd starts chanting profanity towards Turcios, and the
commentary booth is bewildered by it. Rosas remains on top, not
letting loose with ground-and-pound or pursuing anything of note.
Turcios uses a butterfly guard to push off Rosas’ hips, but the
19-year-old is hanging on him like an ugly sweater. “Pretty Ricky”
gets back to his feet, and Rosas dumps him right on his head.
Turcios attempts to scramble, and Rosas keeps him grounded and
ignores the strikes to the side of his head. Turcios hacks at the
side of the head with elbows, and he explodes back to his feet.
Turcios grabs the fence to remain on his feet, and Rosas wrenches
him to the floor from behind despite the foul. Turcios turns Rosas
around and frees his hands to open up with punches. Turcios takes
his back and gets both hooks in, and he cinches up a rear-naked
choke and settles to squeeze on the youngster’s chin. Rosas fights
the hands while Turcios squeezes with all his might, and Rosas
toughs out the face crank and turns over to get on top. Turcios
scrambles madly, and Rosas takes his back and ends up sitting on
the side. Rosas wraps his legs around his foe’s waist, and Turcios
is stuck flailing from behind his head until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Turcios
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rosas Jr.
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rosas Jr.

Round 2

Rosas starts the round off kicking, rather than his opponent. Rosas
leaps at Turcios with a knee, and he manages to jump at him to
score a second flying knee so he can get up close and personal. “El
Nino Problema” succeeds in taking Turcios down, and Turcios defends
by hacking with elbows that are landing near the back of the head
and spine. Grice warns him of these infractions, and he apologizes
as they continue grappling. Rosas circles around to take the back,
and he grips a body triangle with his legs and hunts for a
rear-naked choke with his arms at the same time. The flailing
strikes from Turcios have cut open the youngster, but his scrambles
do not get anywhere.
Turcios sits up to try to get away, and Rosas pulls him down twice
and secures the rear-naked choke on top of the chin. Rosas cranks
with every bit of energy, and the forearm slides under the jaw to
make things academic, and it is only a matter of time at this
point. Turcios hand-fights to the best of his ability, but the
choke is locked down and there is nothing more he can do. Before he
goes to sleep, Turcios taps his fist a few times to officially
surrender, and Grice pulls them apart when seeing it.
This is a huge feather in the cap for Rosas, who tries to squash
the hostility between them as soon as the fight is waved off by
hugging Turcios. “Pretty Ricky” needs a moment before
reciprocating, and they end up settling things between one another.
That makes eight finishes in nine wins for the 19-year-old, who
climbs on top of the cage to celebrate as the crowd showers him
with affection.

The Official Result

Raul Rosas Jr. def. Ricky Turcios R2 2:22 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)

Round 1

In the co-main event, two light heavyweight flamethrowers in dire
need of a win will get that opportunity against one another. Former
title challenger Reyes (12-4, 6-4 UFC) is eager to put a four-fight
losing streak behind him, while Jacoby (19-8-1, 7-4-1 UFC) has had
just a whisker of more success in last four, winning one of those.
With their predominant methods of victory the knockout, referee Dan
Miragliotta is on guard. There is plenty of respect between the
ranked 205ers, who touch ‘em up before getting after it. Reyes
keeps Jacoby away with kicks early, although Jacoby walks him down
and delivers a stern low kick. Reyes fires a few punches over the
top and walks through another calf kick. Reyes connects with his
own calf kick, and he digs his shin to the body and reaches out
with a left hand. A Jacoby calf kick spins Reyes around, and he
kicks Reyes a second time on the same spot when Reyes spins around.
Jacoby marches forward and plants his right hand on the jaw, and he
unloads with a combination of punches and gets caught with a quick
counter left from “The Devastator.” Jacoby wobbles back, suddenly
aware of the damage as message transfers from his brain to his
no-longer-there legs. Keeping himself on his feet like a person
retreating while on a sheet of ice, Jacoby reaches the wall and is
quickly caught by the oncoming Reyes. “The Devastator” lets loose
with a devastating pair of punches and a knee that puts Jacoby on
the canvas.
Jacoby climbs up despite getting railed by a handful of unanswered
right hands, and he shells up while Reyes clubs him with punch
after vicious punch. Miragliotta sees that Jacoby is out on his
feet, and as soon as he gets between them, Jacoby falls face-first
to the floor. “The Hanyak” comes to when his noggin
collides with the floor, and he is completely confused and does not
appear to know where he is or that a fight happened. Reyes jumps on
top of the cage and breathes the largest sigh of relief imaginable,
having ended a bad streak rather violently.

The Official Result

Dominick Reyes def. Dustin Jacoby R1 2:00 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached the main event. Hopeful that this
next win will put him in line for another crack at gold, the
age-defying Cannonier (17-6, 10-6 UFC) celebrates recent wins over
future champ Sean Strickland and top contender Marvin Vettori as of
late. At the tender age of 40, he will come in 11 years the elder
of French upstart Imavov (13-4, 1 NC; 5-2, 1 NC UFC). The 185ers
conclude the evening with referee Jason Herzog serving as the
Octagon ranger. The crowd is excited and calls for “USA” in support
of Cannonier, and the fighters do not touch gloves. Instead,
Cannonier wants the knockout right out of the gate, swinging his
large fists at the Frenchman. Imavov avoids the worst of the blows,
but Cannonier catches him a few times. Cannonier delivers a nasty
low kick, and Imavov responds with a straight left hand but the
kick was much more substantial. Cannonier goes for another kick,
and the two punch their way into a clinch. Cannonier pushes his man
to the fence, and he chucks Imavov to the floor effortlessly.
Cannonier climbs on the back of his foe as Herzog slaps Imavov’s
hand away from grabbing the fence. Imavov is able to stand up
without much of an issue, and he breaks away. Imavov lands a knee
up the middle, and Herzog calls time and gives Imavov a hard
warning for his fingers pointed at the eyes before restarting the
two. Cannonier scores a low kick and reaches his man with a right
hand, and he measures up and fires another overhand right. Herzog
issues another finger warning, and Imavov keeps his guard up in the
nick of time to defend himself from oncoming fire. Imavov tags
Cannonier with a knee, and Cannonier comes out swinging and catches
him with a combination of dangerous fists. Imavov uses head
movement to roll with the strikes and not absorb them flush, and he
catches a calf kick and knocks Cannonier to his seat with a counter
right hand. Cannonier stands back up, ignores a front choke setup
and pushes Imavov back to the wall. Cannonier keeps heavy pressure
on his adversary, not letting Imavov do much other than offer up a
few knees on the inside. Imavov sets up a Thai clinch, and
Cannonier drops down for a takedown effort but bails on it to try
to lift Imavov up with a body lock. Imavov remains on his feet,
back to the fencing, until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier

Round 2

Round 2 begins after Herzog warns Imavov once more for outstretched
fingers. Cannonier strikes first with an inside calf kick, and
Imavov jabs him back. Cannonier complains of a partial eye poke,
and Herzog shouts at Imavov to close his hands. Imavov jabs with
the ball of his feet on the front knee, and Cannonier dips down to
throw two body shots. Imavov times two punches, and Cannonier
drives him back in a hurry with power punches. Imavov scores a knee
and is bowled over by “The Killa Gorilla,” doing a backwards
somersault and getting back to his feet before Cannonier can reach
him. Cannonier isolates a single and lifts the leg up, but he sets
it down when he cannot get the takedown. Imavov punches his way out
of the clinch, and he clips the Alaskan with a right hand.
Cannonier resets and comes back strong, with two jabs that snap the
head back. Imavov gets shoved back to the wire, where Cannonier
imposes his weight and will. Imavov slams two elbows to the side of
the head while Cannonier pursues his takedown, and this stands “The
Killa Gorilla” back up. Cannonier digs a body shot while Imavov
presses down on the back of his neck, and Imavov sneaks in a knee
and slashes with an elbow to get a little space. When Cannonier
backs off, Imavov gives chase, and this results in a brief but
damaging brawl that dislodges Cannonier’s mouthpiece. Herzog gives
it to Cannonier to replace it, and he warns Imavov for his fingers
once more. Imavov slugs Cannonier in the chops with a fierce right
hand, and Cannonier staggers back but may be sandbagging a little
as he unleashes a huge right hand that knocks Imavov back a few
steps. Cannonier pressures forward until he meets Imavov in the
clinch, and Imavov strings together a punch combination to end the
round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier

Round 3

Herzog once more is forced to fuss at Imavov for his fingers
pointed towards his target, and Imavov nods at him. Cannonier comes
out loaded for bear, swinging with a huge right hand that surprises
Imavov right out of the gate. Imavov jabs him back, and he lets
Cannonier overswing on a counter so he can circle around, take
Cannonier’s back standing, and wrench him to the floor. Cannonier
jumps back up in a second, but Imavov hangs on to deposit him
gingerly down to the mat once more. Cannonier is able to return
upright, and they trade knees on the inside before Cannonier spins
his man around in the tie-up. They jockey for position until
Cannonier punches his way out, and Imavov lets him have it with a
solid one-two and a calf kick. Cannonier jabs twice and kicks the
inside and outside of his foe’s leg, while Imavov stands firm and
connects with a few right hands. Cannonier finds the chin with an
uppercut, and he pushes Imavov back to the wall. Cannonier embraces
the grind and stalls the Frenchman out, and Imavov frames off with
an elbow. Imavov lets loose with a body kick on the break, and
Cannonier whiffs on a right hand counter. Cannonier gets a right
hand to slam into Imavov’s chin, and Imavov wears it well and
responds with a one-two. Imavov paws out a left hook and pushes a
one-two out when Cannonier kicks his calf, and his jab makes
Cannonier change it up and clinch. Cannonier pushes Imavov back to
the fence again, and fans start booing. Cannonier disengages with
seconds to spare in the round, and he lands a right hand while
getting caught with two punches and a head kick immediately before
time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cannonier

Round 4

Every round, Herzog tells Imavov to knock it off with the pointing,
and Imavov nods, whether he understands the words or not. Imavov
takes to the center of the cage and is prepared to counter when
Cannonier comes in, connecting with a few punches when Cannonier
throws one. Cannonier spins with an elbow that bonks Imavov on the
side of the head, and Imavov pushes through it and presses
Cannonier to the chain-link fence. Cannonier explodes off of it,
circling away and reaching his man with a left to the body. Imavov
misses with a left hand, but he launches a heat-seeking missile of
a right that explodes on the temple. Stung from the blow, Cannonier
turns away and runs across the cage, and Imavov sprints after him
hoping to finish the job. Imavov blasts him with another long right
hand, and Cannonier bounces off the cage, with it likely keeping
him on his feet.
Imavov winds up to crack “The Killa Gorilla” with a huge right
hook, and Cannonier plods towards him in search of a desperation
takedown. Imavov intercepts him with a pair of knees, and he nails
Cannonier with a left and a right. Cannonier bounces off the fence
again and staggers to the right, with Imavov piecing him up with
punches. As Imavov connects with a powerful left hand, Cannonier
keeps moving to the side, and Herzog steps in between them to call
the fight off. Cannonier is immediately incensed by
the stoppage, as he tells Herzog he was still moving and completely
in the fight. The audience in Louisville drowns everything out with
a sea of boos, just as upset with the fight being called as
Cannonier is. This is not a great look, considering Cannonier’s
condition and that he appeared to be steady on his feet again and
potentially recovering. No matter how people feel about the finish,
it will officially go in the books as a knockout victory for
Imavov, who earns the biggest win of his career and does so in the
championship rounds. In his post-fight interview, Imavov remarks
that it is not his responsibility to stop the fight, and that he
was ready to keep going if they were able to continue. The
Frenchman requests a rematch against Sean Strickland in Paris this
September, in hopes that a victory would propel him to a title
shot. If this fight comes together, we will be here for it. We hope
you are too.

The Official Result

Nassourdine Imavov def. Jared Cannonier R4 1:34 via TKO
(Punches)